Victory?

"Heh heh heh..." He laughed to himself, "Success."

Another day, another victory. He'd had his teacher dancing in the palm of his hand all morning. It hadn't been anything extraordinary by his standards but it was important to keep up the attack to increase effectiveness. He'd learnt this over several years starting from his first year of school when he was 6, when he'd first learnt how to hate someone properly. But it was thanks to this that he had no friends, all his time was taken up hating people.

He told himself he couldn't help it, and that was mostly true. As soon as he saw someone he'd make a judgement, when they first opened their mouth he'd make another, and by the time they'd sat down he'd already made u[ his mind whether he didn't like them or he didn't mind them. It was a bad habit and he knew that, but it was kind of hard not to do it when people kept proving him correct.

"Whatever, maths next."

After dealing with Morgan, Yoshino and Retsu returned to school, but parted ways before arriving. Despite their alliance, Retsu intended to keep their relationship a secret. It was better this way in the event that one of them falls or gets compromised. Plus Retsu liked the freedom of being independent. Retsu was going to head straight to class, moving side to side through a wave of students. But as she got closer she stopped.

Not too far away, saying goodbye to some other students, was Asahi. The big, fat boy of a brother. His plump and chubby face was jolly and outgoing, but his constantly shut eyes hide a certain vile sickness, like a dirty bomb that just needs to be triggered to explode. The two looked at each other, knowing that a confrontation was at hand. Retsu walked onwards while Asahi stayed where he was standing. When they got closer, they exchanged words.

"Sis."

"Don't talk to me."

"C'mon now, is that any way to talk to your brother? Can't you at least say hi?"

"I have nothing to say to you."

And with that Retsu left Asahi behind. He sighed and laughed it off, but inside he felt angry towards his sister. That bitch that’d dared have an attitude like that with him. Who does she think she is, that she can just go off and disrespect him like that? She knows very well who he was. Did she thing being his sister meant she was going to be let off easy? Well... It's not like Asahi was really that pissed about it. But he does think Retsu needs to be knocked down a peg. Chuckling as an idea formed, Asahi headed to class himself.

Classes passed by without much of an event occurring. Like any other school, the residents of Purple Crown Academy couldn't wait until that last bell rang to signal the end of the day. And it was Friday too! That meant a whole weekend of straight up DGO and cramming for those tests on Monday morning. For Yoshino Tsugumi, it meant yet another two days of defending or representing her client.

Going through her paper work was always just barely manageable, especially with her having to take classes and directing everything else. Taking a small break, she glanced at the clock and noted the moving hands. Well then, it was just about time to give her status report of Deep Ground Online and assure everyone's fears. And then....then things would be put in place. She was even about to send the mass message when a sudden knock on her door gave her pause.

"Student President? There's someone here to see you."

"Put them on hold please. I'm in the middle of-"

"It's Chiyo Kuroke."

That caught her attention instantly. The White King herself wanted to speak to her? Immediately, alarm bells began to go off in Yoshino's head and she slowly retracted her mind from sending the message, saving the file to a folder in her chip. This should prove interesting.

"Let her in," Yoshino announced.

Entering the office was Chiyo, the White Queen. Some would even call her Empress, and while it was mostly in jest, it made some sense. In Deep Ground, Chiyo was really into her role as the leader of the Ivory Masks and all those who would think to represent the color of white. She was so immersed in fact that she had waged war against other similar Guilds to be the only one. She's much more casual about it nowadays, but those who were with her from the very beginning know that the title of Empress wasn't just for show. She had subjecgated and assimilated at least fifty 50 player groups before earning the true title of the White Queen.

And now she was in the office of Yoshino, representative of the Black King. While Yoshino was stern, Chiyo was downright casual. They both almost looked the same and wore the same uniform, but their stances and attitude where as different as night and day.

"So the Black King is back in action! And here I was worried that Deep Ground has gotten boring. Let's talk business Yoshino-chan."

"Don't call me that," Yoshino nearly hissed, eyes darkening. "How many times do I have to prove to you that I'm not the Black King? Those actions alone belong to my client. That being said, what do you want White Queen?"

Perhaps at one point the two girls had been friends, along with Maribel Harper. But time and events had brought about change for them both. Of course, Yoshino was always the first to point out that Chiyo had caused their rift first. For some reason however, Chiyo always felt the need to rub everything in her face. Still, not many could get an audience with White Sun herself. Adjusting her glasses, the Student President stared viciously at her counterpart.

"Oh come on now, even if you weren't, it's not like me and Moon Rider are on speaking terms. Even you should understand that I can't simply waltz up to the Black City either, not without my friends getting all violent. This is the most peaceful way. Now then! I propose an alliance between the Ivory Masks and the Ebon Strykers. Even Moon Rider knows that her little Guild is sorely lacking in numbers or vets, while the Ivory Masks is practically filled to the gills with them. And seeing that you're Moon Rider's second, why don't you try to convince her of this alliance? It'll be beneficial for the both of us!"

Of course Chiyo had her own motives. The Black City was one of the only places she couldn't take over, and not for the lack of trying. Moon Rider always found a way to eliminate any of her forces, either due to a sudden surge of outlaw resistance, or simply arriving in person to take them out herself. And she also had an annoying tendency to never be there whenever Chiyo, as the White Sun, was there. It was annoying, but she still thought she could make this alliance.

"And before you shoot me down Yoshino-chan, give it some thought. Moon Rider just opened her doors yesterday. How many people have joined? How many would actually stay? Moon Rider is simply late to the game. She has, what, one, maybe two years before whoever she is graduates? I've been building up the Ivory Masks from day one. We have two full and successful years in our belt. And what does Moon Rider have? About one day and some infamy. You know that she won't last long without my help."

This girl...Yoshino often wondered how she was ever friends with someone like her. Maribel's attempts to get them back together did not help in the slightest. Even now the Student President wanted to rid herself of that smug smirk staring right back at her. But she took her time to actually follow Chiyo's advice and think about the choice offered to her. Because as much as she didn't want to admit it, the White Queen had a point.

Her client would be graduating soon and that left her with minimal options. And it wasn't like she didn't consider the possibility of outside assistance or alliances. Her actions with Retsu proved that much. Granted, Retsu was different than Chiyo. That much was also known.

"And why should I suggest any sort of deal with you Kuroke-san? You've provided no reason that an alliance would benefit you in any way. Furthermore, you said yourself that your Guild has year’s worth of fighting forces. You could easily crush my client's numbers with that haughty attitude of yours so why are you coming to me only now? Or did the great White Sun never think that her rival would rise up again one day?"

"Hah! Nah, what's the fun in that? Fighting Moon Rider mano-a-mano would be fun, but my friends wouldn't like that. They want to have a proper Guild war with the Ebony Strykers. I'm just trying to give them what they want by making sure the Ebony Strykers are good and ready for that. Make no mistake Yoshino-chan, in the end me and Moon Riders are still rivals. But that doesn't mean I don't want her or her people to not have fun. That's what Deep Ground is for, you know? Crushing her before she could really make an impact is the practical thing to do but hardly the most sporting. So how about it? Think you could tell Moon Rider to let loose and have some fun for once?"

Somehow, Chiyo wasn't really directing that question for Moon Rider. The way she looked at Yoshino was as if she was asking the Student President herself. It was partly a request but mostly a challenge. An challenge to see if Yoshino would actually take Chiyo up on her offer, or if she still wanted to keep burning these bridges.

Yoshino resisted the urge to grind her teeth. This girl knew how she thought and she was beginning to pay for it. Still, her words did strike a fire deep within. A burning passion, that same passion to erase Chiyo's smirk and destroy that overconfidence of hers. Adjusting her glasses once more, Yoshino laid her eyes directly on her former best friend.

"Can I assume that you won't leave me or my client alone if I don't agree? Very well then. We accept your offer, as idiotic and foolhardy as it is. For now, consider the Ebony Strykers and the Ivory Masks temporary allies. And when we next cross paths, we will take you down," she promised, voice boiling with seething composure and unspoken rage.

Any other person might have flinched from the deathly look, but Yoshino knew Chiyo would only laugh it off. She was just like that. Maybe....maybe she did still care for the other girl, though Yoshino couldn't waste time on those kinds of thoughts now.

"Good! Great even! Say, I never did get your DG name. I'm sure you want a crack at me too, don't cha? Huh? Huh!? C'mon, when Deep Ground is up, let's meet up and do some training. I'm sure Moon Rider would love to have her secretary able to let loose once in a while too!" Chiyo was happy that Yoshino had accepted the arrangement and decided to see just how far she could get with it. Normally the Fanged Rangers were the ones who baby sat others and helped them level up, but Chiyo wanted to push Yoshino's buttons.

"C'mon, I'm sure that now you are pumped up for Deep Ground for once. Think about it! The Black King, Moon Rider, finally out of hiding! Don't you want to be able to see all the crazy shit she'll do? But if you're weak, you'll never live long enough to see it with your very own eyes. Let's meet up at the Red Asphalt area. Show you my moves and I can see yours."

Yoshino widened her eyes and she instantly cursed herself for not predicting something like this. At once she diverted her gaze away, her hand already rising up to unconsciously adjust her glasses. She was handling a delicate situation here but she had a faint clue as to what Chiyo was really getting at.

"You know I can't do that Kuroke-san," she said, looking anywhere but directly. "I have a job to do out here in Purple Crown. I don't have the time to play around like some people. And you already know that I hate DGO. Besides, I'm quite aware of my client's abilities and all the things she can do. I'm her representative, remember?"

Chiyo shrugged her shoulders. But she stepped closer to Yoshino's desk, close enough for her to slam her hands on the top and look directly at Yoshino. "Can't, or don't want to? C'mon Yoshino-chan... don't you want to be with friends? Don't you want to me equal to Moon Rider? To me?"

"Please back away Chiyo," Yoshino said quietly. "You know I don't like it when people get close. And I...do still want to be friends with you. But...I'm already your equal. Some would say I even surpass you given my position. I have nothing to prove to you or Moon Rider so back off."

The Student President continued to avoid Chiyo's gaze, clenching her fists and unclenching them repeatedly. Now more than ever she wanted Retsu here, anyone else to get Chiyo away. Out of all the people in Purple Crown, she was one of few who knew Yoshino's weakness, knew her fear.

"Heh.... Ah ha ha ha ha! You?! Better then me? Big talk, Yoshino-chan! But alright. Let's see you walk that talk. Think you're better then me? Prove it. Red Asphalt, tonight. Just you and me. I'll be going alone, but you can bring whatever friends you want. But there is one thing you do have to prove: You have to prove yourself to me that you aren't full of shit. And if you don't meet me tonight... then tomorrow I'll formally announce a challenge against you. And I'll have the Ivory Mask cut ties and grind the Ebony Strykers to dust. All I want is to meet you in Deep Ground. Think you can do that, Student President, or are you suddenly too good to be seen from anywhere but your high and mighty throne?"

"Why you...don't you dare talk down to me," Yoshino said darkly, snapping her gaze back on Chiyo. Whatever fears and insecurities she may have been experiencing before, they were gone and dissolved by her former friend's bravado. Adjusting her glasses one last time, she sent a burning glare in the White King's direction.

"I'll make you regret ever betraying me Chiyo Kuroke. And once I defeat you, I'll make sure that whatever plan you have in the making will be swallowed up by the ambitions of the Black King."

Just then there was a knock at the door. Seemed like Chiyo's time was up. But she just smiled and turned her back to Yoshino. "Words are meaningless. Show me your conviction in Deep Ground, and maybe I might take you seriously. But... I'm happy. You finally have that fire in your eyes again." Chiyo walked towards the door, opening it to reveal Retsu on the other side. Chiyo gave Retsu a polite greeting and a smile which Retsu returned. But only one actually had any emotions behind it. And Retsu had heard most of what Chiyo and Yoshino had discussed; Chiyo wasn't being subtle.

By the time the White Sun had left, Retsu entered the room, her stony demeanor stoic, yet there was a touch of wrath building within her. Like now she felt she too had to fight the White Sun, which was a bit of an issue. She had already extended a secret alliance with her yesterday.

"Tsugumi-san. I've received word that Deep Ground is back online. Already we have some students stepping out of class to log on. My... people are making their move right now. Just thought I'd update you. I won't be on until later after classes are over of course."

"Yes, that's fine Retsu," said Yoshino, her voice dry as she stared at the wall. Her heart rate was slowly lowering back to normal, partly because of her accursed weakness and partly because of her rage at Chiyo. Leave it to the White King to be the one to ultimately cause problems for her. And now she was being goaded on to fight her out in the open in Deep Ground.

"How much did you hear?"

If Retsu knew the dilemma she was in, perhaps there was a strategy to be met in counter force to Chiyo's demands. But she would only get the other girl involved if she was willing to. Otherwise, she would handle the problem herself, as always.

"Enough. She's goading you, and by extension the Black King, into destabilizing the Ebony Strykers. I do not know Moon Rider, but... if she learns of what happened here, she may try to meet the White Sun herself. That won't be good for the Ebony Strykers, as they need Moon Rider to lead them. Less so for myself... since I need Moon Rider to solidify the reunion of the Erasers, and by extension, the Sweepers. And..."

Retsu sighed. She supposed she was curious too, but she wasn't quite so crass about it. "She is testing to see if you really are the Black King. I guess that's a secondary objective aside from angering you. I have a suggestion, if you are willing to hear it."

The Student President finally turned to face Retsu, her expression as stoic as the other girl's. Right now a suggestion was better than nothing really. If they were going to be able to work together, then they would have to learn to fall back on each other and trust one another. Even Yoshino realized that the chances were in her favor if she allowed Retsu to help her. In that case....

"In that case, go ahead and say it. I'm sure it will benefit me greatly."

The look she gave Retsu was silent confirmation of surely what both girls knew. To do so was a huge risk on Yoshino's part but also a sign that she was putting her trust into this girl she only met a day before. Some may have called it foolhardy, but then again she was known for making such risks for the pursuit of her goals.

Nodding her head Retsu spoke. "Allow me to meet her in your stead. She still doesn't know what your Deep Ground identity is, and I make sure to keep mine obscure. I'm not needed when the Erasers meet Moon Rider; so long as she opens her doors that would be all the confirmation they would need to know that I have followed through with my word. I'd imagine that during our meeting she would taunt me with information that only you and she would know, so...trust me."

Trust. It was a hard thing to do. The lack of trust was what made it so hard for Retsu to unify the Erasers after the fall of the Sweepers. Because someone amongst them betrayed that trust, and now none of them are willing to risk their livelihood for one another. And Retsu is trying to mend their broken trust in one another by unifying under the banner of the Black King. If they could not trust each other, they could at least trust Moon Rider. And slowly, but surely, they could mend their broken bonds. Or so Retsu hopes. She only needs them for as long as it takes to achieve her goals. If they happen to get along while doing so, that would be great.

Tilting her head, Yoshino considered the possibilities of this plan backfiring. In all likelihood, it could easily collapse on them and Chiyo's threats would be carried out. Still, Yoshino was nothing short of impressed with Retsu's willingness to put herself in her place on the front lines. Either the redhead really wanted this partnership between the Black Guild and the Erasers to work out, or there was something more to it.

"Alright then Retsu Goroshi. I'll trust you. But if you're going to be me, I'll have to tell you all I know about Chiyo Kuroke. We were...friends for quite a while until about a year ago. She may also have trouble believing that I'm only a Level 5 Player in Deep Ground, but that can be worked around. One other thing though. When she spoke to me, she offered to align the Ivory Masks with the Ebony Strykers temporarily. I accepted."

There it was. The final test of their trust. Yoshino waited calmly for Retsu to react. It would be this reaction that would confirm to her if Retsu really was willing to put that same trust back into her. It would also confirm to her personally if the other girl genuinely wanted to help her, or just wanted to bring the Erasers back in power.

That last bit of news caught Retsu off guard. She wasn't surprised for the White Sun to use Yoshino to issue a challenge to her, but she didn't expect an alliance. But given that she didn't hear about it when she arrived, Retsu assumed it was the first thing that Chiyo said. And immediately Retsu connected the dots and figured it was a bait-and-switch.

"Kuroke-san opened up with talk of alliance to get you to listen to her. As... boisterous as she is, I have no doubts that she intends to follow through with the alliance. But I also know she will follow through with her threat should we fail to meet her expectations."

Retsu thought about how to handle this. On one hand, more help was always appreciated. But knowing the personal history between Yoshino and Chiyo, or at least the grudges they have with each other, this alliance may prove to be more disastrous than helpful. More so if they grow too reliant on the Ivory Masks.

"But I do not feel that Kuroke-san is entirely sincere with her request. As I said, she only spoke of an alliance to get you to listen to her. Her personal objective was to goad you into action. As helpful as she will be, she may use this alliance to siphon membership from the Ebony Strykers. The Empress is known to do that with lesser player groups. If the Ebony Strykers become too reliant on the Ivory Mask, they'll end up as nothing more than a client state for them. For the Ebony Strykers to remain independent, they have to grow in strength on their own. Right how her forces have the advantage over the Ebony Strykers in numbers and power, and Kuroke-san may wish to monopolize that power by ensuring the Ebony Strykers cannot grow to challenge the Ivory Mask, or the other guilds."

Retsu was all too familiar with such a strategy. It was similar to training a dangerous beast: On it's own it is a menace, but against a group of intelligent hunters the beast could be killed. But better to work along side the beast than to kill it and lose it's potential. But the Ebony Strykers weren't a beast so easily tamed.

"My opinion? Instead of an alliance, I propose a cease-fire. This would give us time to build the Ebon Strykers as we would like them to be, and ensure that the White Guild does not simply attack before we can regain our strength. If she denies it, at least it makes it clear where she stands."

Retsu would get only nods from Yoshino as the Student President agreed with the placed strategy. Indeed, she had suspected that Chiyo had some ulterior motive in coming to her and it was probably rooted back to her desire in seeing the Black Guild destroyed. She had to briefly wonder though, why the White King was taking all of this to heart. Did she really just want Moon Rider and White Sun to fight it out, to have their Guilds destroy each other? It boggled Yoshino's mind but she had stopped trying to find reasoning in Chiyo's madness long ago.

"You can tell her that offer yourself when you face her later tonight. If it's as you said, she'll likely agree to it if she doesn't want be found out. Though just as a precaution, I have to ask you this Retsu. If for some reason this plan fails, do you have the power to make sure she doesn't go back on her word and enact a war against the Ebony Strykers? As we are now, White Sun's forces are simply too powerful and I wouldn't put it past Chiyo to be a sore loser."

"I have some ideas. Kuroke-san came here, instead of sending one of her minions, to speak to you. She wanted to attack your personally. The Ivory Mask and the Ebony Strykers are secondary compared to her beef with you. I can always ensure that the Sweepers keep the Ivory Masks on edge, but what you need is for a way for Kuroke-san to leave you alone. And for that I need to give her a reason to stay away from you, and by extension, the Black Guild. I could mention this being one of the terms of the alliance, but just as she wanted to attack you personally, you have to show you can retaliate in kind. That is to say, fight as her equal. If you know anything about Kuroke-san that I can use against her, that would be most helpful."

And if all else fails she could just have a Cleaner attack her in real life. Her or her close associates. A bit risky, but Retsu was no stranger in calling these hits. And she was certain that once the Sweepers were formally united it'll be much easier to make these calls then to rely on her small handful of Cleaners.

Yoshino took pause to think carefully. Her friendship with Chiyo was deep up until recent events so finding something to use against her wouldn't be too hard. If nothing else, she knew that Retsu could resort to more grisly means to keep the White Queen in place and dormant. But Yoshino didn't want to resort to such means quite yet.

"If Chiyo does cause you trouble, you can tell her this."

The Student President beckoned for Retsu to come closer and when she did, she leaned in to utter a whisper. It was a simple passing of words, but it would no doubt cause Chiyo to lose it if they were spoken to her. Not to mention the implications that would be carried along with it.

Eyes widening, Retsu couldn't believe what she heard. She really couldn't. She almost didn't want to. But she said nothing and just nodded her head. "I'll be sure to make use of this, Tsugumi-san. Now then...I suppose I ought to head to class. Take care of yourself." Retsu turned around and walked towards the door. As she had her hand on the handle, she turned her head slightly towards Yoshino. She wanted to say something, but elected not to. This wasn't the time for it. They had too much on their plate right now to just pile on more problems.

Retsu left the office to head to class. Watching her go, Yoshino caught the brief moment of hesitation on Retsu's part but she chose not to think any more of it. Whatever it was, it could probably wait until they had dealt with the day's current issues. For now, she got back to sending her mass message, letting out a sigh as things seemed to only get more complicated.

"Aw fuck yes! Finally, someone to ruin the day for!"

The voice was sudden and abrupt and it was within Flan's hearing range as soon as she logged back into DGO. To wonder how the Player named Corpse Collector was able to track down the presence of someone else was really quite remarkable and no doubt powerful. The dusty cloaked Avatar seemed to even spawn beside Flan, tapping her shoulder and leaning in with a toothy grin.

"Boo."

Morgan let out a yelp as she nearly jumped out of Flan's body from fright. Perhaps even wetting herself a little in the real world, as she usually doesn’t handle sudden surprises and jump scares too well. Heart pounding and on the verge of tears, Morgan replied to the woman’s scare in an attempt to calm herself down. “Oh.. h-hi? Uh, I take it you’re skipping school as well? That was a pretty weird thing that happened yesterday, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, something like that," Corpse Collector casually, looking over Flan with crossed arms over her head. Unbeknowst to Flan, she was checking out her skills and any interesting equipment she may have had on her Avatar. Unfortunately, it looked like this one was a genuine scrub. Frowning, Corpse Collector yawned boredly before turning away.

"Looks like you're just a waste of my time loser. You got no fancy skills or even some decent EXP on you. Fighting you would just be a waste of my time."

“… Well, excuse me for not being on long. I only joined Purple Crown Academy this year. And I doubt you’re much better, even if you are level five. Besides, I don’t have time to fight either; I’m busy trying to learn the Black King’s secrets. A meeting is supposed to happen later today, but surely there’s something I can learn here in the meantime... What are you doing here, besides scaring random people who enter the world? I mean, you’re the one that talked to me. You don’t mean that you find this virtual body attractive, do you?” That last bit was more of a tease as she remembered her father saying that boys her age tended to provoke the girls they liked to get their attention.

Flan would find a bullet whizzing by her cheek as she finished that sentence. Said bullet came from the muzzle of a smoking gun, one of which was held in Corpse Collector's hand. The cloaked Player chuckled darkly as she spun on her heels and pointed one portion of the Death Penalty right at Flan.

"First off, I'm a girl if you couldn't tell. Second, it's not nice to tease someone that's two levels ahead of you kid. Third, I think I wanna kick your ass again."

Letting the bullet scare run its course, Morgan sighed; she didn’t really want to fight and there wasn’t really any profit in doing so. “You’re right, I apologize. I know you’re not a boy,” Though that doesn’t mean one girl couldn’t love another one. I’m pretty sure that the president, as official as she is, might have something going on with that red-head that nearly ran me over…And I’m still not convinced that she isn’t a he. She’s awfully feisty, although not bad looking.

“Look, I’m not really itching to fight, but I have some time to kill if you need help doing what you’re doing.”

With the biggest shit-eating grin one could possibly muster, Corpse Collector brandished a second in hand. It was an exact replica of the first one and she pointed both at Flan. The Death Penalty pair had been drawn out and were ready for killing.

"Sure, sure. Just don't go crying when I raid your corpse rookie," the snarky Player said before pulling the trigger. Instead of bullets though, two low level Dissolutions were shot out of the guns insteads, a stream of black coding forming before they took the shape of the enemy NPCs. Both creatures were shot at Flan with alarming speeds.

Snap…. There was no way to avoid the incoming monsters from that distance, so she just braced for impact as much as she could. The shot took a bit of health, but more impressively, it sent Flan flying due to her light weight. She picked herself up and equipped her bo staff before charging at the dissolutions and slamming it down upon one of the low level monsters before swiping them aside and triple jumped backwards so she could shout a few words at her attacker. “That’s a cool gun you have! Mind if we call a truce so we can talk? I’ll let you kill me latter, if you’re that intent on killing me. Though I don’t think I the 20 exp is worth it.”

"You just saying that cause you don't wanna get gored?"

Regardless, Corpse Collector lowered her guns ever so slightly, ready to quick draw them back again if it came to that. Yes, something was obviously wrong with this Player, mainly her strange abilities. Whether Flan picked up on that though was still to be determined.

Flan finished off the dissolutions, though her remaining health was more or less around 50%. She quickly ran towards Corpse Collector, unequipping her weapon and smiling. “Please gore me all you want, but first, I’m Flan. Nice to meet you.” She quickly waved as she caught her breath, looking with good detail at the pair of pistols. “That’s a cool ability you got there. You’re almost like a rogue and a warlock combined. Anywho, sorry to call off the fight, but I was just so wrong about my first opinion, after that wonderful attack I felt like I had to know the real you. ‘Course, I won’t go into your private life or anything. But you defiantly are cooler than the Black King.

Corpse Collector eyed the other girl suspiciously, holstering her guns away from sight. What was her problem? Those guns belonged to her and not someone named after a tasteless desert. Still, she might as well humor the rookie given that she could easily kill her at any moment. Grinning, Corpse Collector crossed her arms.

"First off Cream Puff, fuck you. Second, you can read my Avatar title can't you? There's no need for stupid introductions like this. Third, no touching my guns. No looking at them either unless they're between your eyes.Fourth, thanks. Glad to see you're humble and know I can kick your ass down the lane! And finally, hell yeah I'm cooler than the Black King!"

Flan couldn’t help but smile as Corpse Collector ranted on with her tough guy attitude. “Sorry, just excited is all. So you belong to a guild or something? It’s a bit boring going around this place alone, but if you wanna go raiding or something together, I’d be happy to join if you’ll have me. Oh, I might have to do some stuff in the real world occasionally. I dunno how adamant you are about school, but there’s some stuff I’m still trying to finish. Not that school is all that important either.”

"Sorry Cream Puff, I don't work with weak asses like you. And no, I don't belong to a Guild. Fuck Guilds. I'm a genuine solo Player and that's how it's staying. Any more pointless questions you wanna ask before I blow your fucking brains out?"

“That’s fine, you could do all the work while I just watched~.” Flan sighed “I suppose it is getting late, sorry to take up so much of your time. Just one more question, any chance we could meet again for coffee or something else casual? In game of course, not trying to get too personal.” Yet…. I still want to find out who Moon Rider really is first, though I guess I wouldn’t mind if this one came out first.

"Yeah maybe, if you make it worth my while," Corpse Collector said with boredom. "Maybe I'll make you my sidekick or some shit like that. Though I gotta say, it's nice to talk to someone without blowing their head off in the first five seconds. Now run along cause I'll give you a five second head start. After that, I'm blowing your ass off."

“Sure, sure. I’d about do anything to please you, just find me again at your discretion.” Morgan wasn’t really sure why she was let off so easily, she was fully prepared to die. Such was the nature of DGO. Regardless, Flan ran off happily to Black City, stopping by the town’s sanctuary to get healed first before logging out and taking care of some necessities before the Black King's meeting started.

True to her word, Flan would be met with several bullets whizzing by, coupled with some more Dissolutions coming out of Corpse Collector's guns. Such was the way of Deep Ground indeed.

Cassandra, having calmed down enough to once once more apologise to Sam, had darted away back to her desk, as the lesson started. oh, well done. Well done, Cassie. You didn't even get through one encounter without making a fool of yourself. You didn't even give the guy your name, nor get his she thought to herself furious for her foolishness. She let her hair fall over her face, as she stared at her book, and nothing else for a good long time.

She wasn't even too sure if she paid attention to the lesson, just calming herself down, she was glad when school was over. She wanted nothing more then to log into DGO, but couldn't. She had too much to do, setting up her dorm room and what not. She gathered her things, and was more then surprised when she found her father outside her assigned room. She blinked, taken aback, but accepted his help, all the while not asking why he was there.

Maybe he just realised she wasn't going to be at home.

She knew he was rushed, as usual, so once the heavy lifting was done, she let him off the hook, giving him a hug, and a smile telling him she'd be alright, before turning to the room. She took a deep breath. And then set to work. She made up her bed, her desk, sorting out the books and things that she had, folding her clothes and putting them away.

And then she took a deep breath, and went to find out what other activities she could do after school besides DGO. She wanted to have amazing prospects for her future. And if it meant talking and interacting with people as herself, then she figured she should try. She would have to have confidence one day.

Michael was one of the first to leave school that day. He hadn't skipped classes, but he'd positioned himself so he was closest to the classroom door. He'd remembered DGO was going to be back that afternoon and couldn't wait to play it. He didn't know whether or not he'd pick up where he'd left off, with the three NPC Outlaws, or whether he'd spawn back in the small market community. He also thought about the possibility of his stats being reset. He hadn't seen that kind of error message before, let alone it kicking everybody in game out. Michael had been hearing rumours of people being able to get in, but dismissed them.

As the final bell was still ringing, Michael was halfway down the road, speed walking home. He'd bid farewell to his friends, and didn't have any other previous engagements that kept him from playing. He pondered the idea of moving into the school dorms, so he could get back quicker and back onto DGO, but remembered the cons of doing so, one being that his friends might mess with him while he was asleep or in game. So he just decided to play it safe and remain at home, with his family. It didn't bother him that most of his friends lived in the dorm. In fact, he welcomed the break from them every now and then.

Once he got through the door, he was straight up the stairs and into his room. He locked his door and took a sip from the energy drink he'd left on his bedside table. Michael grinned as he set down on the bed, and then lay on it. He closed his eyes, and let himself fall into the game, mentally preparing himself for what was going to happen.

Welcome, Hyde

Alex felt relief more than anything, school was out and he hadn't been punished severely for his misshap with the school's PA system. Checking the time, Alex started to make his way to the Recreation Center for the Green Guild meeting.

To: Alex Coleman
From: Guess Who!
Subject: Assistance
-------
Hey there Alex! I hope you're not busy right now, right? Great! Meet me at the Student Council office. We're backed up on work and I could really use your help too. It's not like you have anything else planned right now, right? I'll see you there~!

Sincerely,
Your Favorite, Maribel Harper
:3
-------

That was the message that Alex would receive from the carefree Blue King. One had to wonder about her definition of responsibility. As a Colored King, wasn't she supposed to be more sophisticated? Regardless, it didn't sound like Alex had much of a choice in the manner, now that she knew he was Jukebox.

Wha-what? Now? I told her there was a Green Guild meeting this afternoon! Ugh, not even the Green King knows my face and now the Blue one is holding it over me... *sigh*

To: Verdant Grin
From: Unrelenting Jukebox
Subject: Community Service
-------
Hey Verdant,
I'm not going to be able to make it to the meeting today. After the mess I caused this morning I have to work off the 'damage' for the Student Council.

Since I'm not an almighty King like you I can't flaunt the rules like you do. Don't worry, I'm only a joke character, my input probably won't be necessary.

Kindest Regards,
Unrelenting Jukebox
-------

With that sorted Alex made a beeline for the Student Council office, hoping to not get into anymore trouble by being late, passing the receptionist Alex looked around wondering where Maribel wanted him to meet. It wouldn't take long for Alex to find the blue-haired girl. Maribel didn't exactly make herself unknown after all and she was leaning on a wall right outside the main office. However, something was immediately wrong with the Blue King. For the first time-at least as far as Alex knew-Maribel was frowning and for good reason. Chiyo Kuroke briskly walked out of the office, giving her a curt nod before going on her way.

Maribel hid the lower half of her face with her fan, watching the other girl. She shook her head sadly before finally noticing Alex. Flipping her fan back in her hand, a smile lit up her visage once more as she looked Alex over with a happy stare.

"You made it! You actually made it! Aw, I knew you had a soft spot for me Jukey~"

"More like you know where my soft spot is and just how to get at it, Miss Maribel. Please don't call me that, you know how I feel about it... are you okay? How can I help you?" Alex decided that it would be a bit too forward of him to ask about the inter-King politics of the school, even after seeing such an obvious display of it, it seemed like a sticky situation and one that he was happy to be involved with.

"Hmm, well it looks like you came just a tad too late. Seems that Yoshino-chan wants to do it all herself again," Maribel said, crossing her arms. "So...I figured you could help me in some other way! Oh, and don't slouch on the 'Miss' part either. Think of it as reaffirmation of our deal."

She leaned in close and winked before pointing her fan towards...some random direction. Evidently, it was assumed that she wanted him to follow her. To where and why had yet to be determined. Though if it was with the Blue King, it was bound to be interesting.

"Right then. Wanna go on a date with me?"

Alex stood there for a second, wondering if he misheard. "I'm sorry Miss Maribel, did you say a date?" the wheels where turning in Alex's brain trying to figure out why on earth Maribel 'Blue King' Harper would want to go on a date with him. Unable to figure it out, Alex bit the bullet and asked straight up.

"Surely there are other guys fighting tooth and nail to have a date with you... why me?"

"Does a fair maiden need a reason for true love?" she fired back, already tugging on his hand and pulling him forward. "Besides, you're a bit more robust than most people. And I have to keep you in my sights just in case you play with the PA system again. Consider this part of your supervision," she teased. "Alex you will take me shopping, then I will buy you a token of affection that you must wear at all times. Then we'll go see a scary movie!"

She said this all in a professional tone, as if this was all apart of her work in the Student Council. Which come to think of it...what did Maribel even do for the Council? It was up in the air at this point given the girl's rather interesting nature.

"T-true love?!" even as a joke the words coming out of Maribel's mouth didn't match Alex's idea of her at all. Throughout his school life the Student Council had being this vague omnipresent pressure from above. This? This was normal. In a way it was comforting, but it was still world-shattering to him. Alex ignored the other parts of the afternoon's plans and focused on the part that concerned him the most. The scary movie. Pleading as if it was for his life,

"D-do we have to see the scary movie? I jump when a door slams open in a crime drama!"

"Hmm, I'll consider it," Maribel answered, leading them to the closest thing resembling a store for miles on end. That would be the school shop. Several students were quite surprised to see the energetic Blue King towing around someone that looked like he had just leaked his pants. Stepping inside, Maribel hummed to herself as she studied the rows and rows of school materials and knick-knacks, eyes darting around to find some more supplies for the Council.

"Oh, just ignore the stares. They're just jealous that you get to hold my hands Jukey," she whispered slyly, low enough so that the watching students couldn't hear.

Lowering his voice to match Maribel's to all the world it seemed as if the two were having an intimate conversation. The kind that sent tongues wagging and message boards on fire. "I hate this, they're all looking at me, no one looks at me! I'm me!" arms shaking Alex grabbed Maribel's other hand, not realizing how it looked to the other students

"See! My hands are shaky, me knees are weak, I can't seem to stand on my own two feet! I'm all shook up!"

"Aw Alex, you're making me blush," she said aloud as he grabbed her other hand. Leaning in closer she gave him a reassuring smile before saying, "Relax. If anyone says or does anything I'll make sure it turns out ok. Ok? I'm a King after all. Trust me Alex."

She winked playfully at him but the look in her eyes revealed that she was genuine with her words. Humming again, she turned away and continued to gloss over the school supplies, noting the large container bins for paper specifically.

"Really? You will?" with Maribel's words of encouragement Alex slowly calmed down, he was still nervous and felt as if he was in fight or flight mode, but he was shaking less.

"Um, is this where I'm supposed to buy something for you? That's what happens on dates, right?" looking about Alex didn't see anything particularly 'date-y' and since he had about zero experience at this date business he was out of his depth. Still he supposed that it was Maribel's choice as to what he got for her, so Alex let Maribel take him wherever she pleased.

"Hmm, well generally that's how it goes. Though right now I just need a few of these storage containers for the Council office...oh Alex, be a dear and buy me five of those~ I also need someone with superior strength to help me carry them back to the office."

Maribel gave Alex another one of her winks and shifted to the side so he could purchase the supplies and lift them up. Still, she wasn't one for taking advantage of people and she was already looking around for something that Alex might like. She did promise him compensation.

Superior strength? Miss Maribel can see me right? with an awkward smile Alex walked forward and payed for the five storage containers. Stacking the containers inside each other Alex finally lifted them and thankfully didn't immediately drop them. Smiling to himself, a flash of color caught Alex's eye, there was a stand displaying some headphones.

There was a rainbow of colors, but the hot pink ones caught his eye, they were gaudy, eye-catching and something he would normally avoid wearing, but they were pink! Sure pink isn't the 'manliest' color, but you can't help what you like sighing to himself Alex readjusted his grip on the crates and looked at Maribel asking "Shall we go now, Miss Maribel?"

"Hold on a minute Alex. I see you looking at those headphones over there."

Maribel grinned as she picked out the first color she saw. Said color was a lime greenish tint that, although not the classiest of choices, seemed to go well with Alex. She showed it to him, expression asking what he thought of the gift.

Seeing the greenish headphones Alex tilted his head to the left and raised an eyebrow. Realizing Maribel wasn't going to ask Alex looked hard at the hot pink ones, making certain there was little room for interpretation. Confused, Maribel looked behind her...and had to contain a bout of laughter. Oh. Well then. Shaking her head, she placed the green ones back and took the pink set, paying for them and carrying them for Alex.

"My, my, I didn't take you as someone to have bright tastes like that Jukey," she said as they exited the school store.

"I didn't expect you to actually spend the money one them..." thinking for a moment Alex wondered if on a date he should be complementing Maribel more "Um... hmm..." Alex was unsurprisingly lost for words, finally coming up with something that didn't sound like garbage to him "As much as I like the headphones, and yes I do, I think they match your hair quite nicely."

"Uh...I'm not sure pink goes with blue Alex. But thanks for the compliment anyway! You're just so cute when you're trying~"

Maribel giggled to herself as she led the way back to the Council office. A quick trip inside was spent depositing the containers. Mainly though, that was Alex's job. Maribel peaked into Yoshino's office, noting that the Student President was still working diligently. Sighing to herself, she closed the door gently without a sound and met Alex back outside the office.

"So, movie time?"

"I'm not sure I should say 'yes', but I'm even more sure that I don't have a say in the matter" Alex had quickly seen the lay of the land and realized that if Maribel wanted something she would get it, so the best he could do was survive the ride.

"Is it still going to be a scary one?" the pleading look returned to Alex's eyes, hoping against hope that it wouldn't be.

"Well since you've been such a good boy lately, I suppose we can switch it for something else," Maribel said airily, shrugging her arms. "But only just this one time. That means we have to watch a romantic comedy instead!"

"But there is never any romance OR comedy in those things! Why would you willingly go see one?" Alex was only half joking, sure RomComs were bad, but they suited him much better than a scary movie.

"Well I guess that means you really do wanna see the scary movie with me! Aw Jukey, I knew you had it in you! You know, since you feel that way about my movie choices~"

Alex felt his stomach fall out from under him, panic gripped his heart and he couldn't say a word, obviously taking his silence as approval Maribel was soon dragging Alex along once again.

"I'm glad you agree then! Now let's go before the theater gets packed with all those kissing couples."

And with that, Maribel began to drag Alex once again, this time out of the school and towards the local theater. Well, it was better than invoking Kenji's wrath. Somewhat.

School was out, Deep Ground was up, and Asahi was ready to go back, kick ass, and take names. But before he could do that, he had a message. It was a missive for a job. "Eh, what's up?"

To: Arms Slave
From: NO SENDER
Subject: NO SUBJECT

Crimson Lash
Golden Apple
Unrelenting Jukebox
Shielder
Dunk Master
Flan
Smitten Kitten
Moolah Monger
Azga the Amazing
Iron Keep

Taicho Tengu
Pyonta Alpha
Rocket Lancer

Always the same person with the same message in the same format. The first list of names were Outlaws Asahi needed to take down. The second list were a couple of street-level Sweepers he could work with. Normally Asahi just hung out with his old friends, but he was always willing to join up with some other guys. Who knows, maybe one of these Sweepers were new to the game. Asahi liked showing newbies the ropes.

Asahi headed home alone. Most of his friends seemed to have things to do, which was cool with him. He didn't really have anything planned cept maybe do some work and Deep Ground. As he was heading home he noticed a short runt that he was familiar with. Asahi called him out. "Ayo Donny! How's it hanging man? Took care of that bully for ya. He shouldn't be bother you again." Donny was some 13 year old kid, new to Deep Ground, seemed like he hooked up with the wrong person and got in over his head. Asahi dealt with it however. The two chatted a bit about their day, their plans, and then parted ways. Asahi crossed the bridge from yesterday, noting some officers slogging through the river below looking for the shmuck from yesterday. He just smiled and kept on walking.

Eventually Asahi reached home and went straight to his room. The servants were making dinner but he'd get it later. First thing first: homework. He hated it, but he had to keep up a GPA or else they'll penalize him in Deep Ground. Some people didn't know about that, but it was a very under-the-table thing that he only picked up after noticing his EXP rates were wrong. It was a bitch to deal with since he had to spent time actually doing school things instead of Deep Ground, but it wasn't as though he couldn't. He just didn't want to. Turning on some music Asahi quietly opened up his book. Before he started working however, he shot a message to those Sweepers he might be working with.

To:Taicho Tengu, Pyonta Alpha, Rocket Lancer
From: Arms Slave
Subject: Business

Heyo, got a job from the Sweepers. Here's a list of marks:

Crimson Lash
Golden Apple
Unrelenting Jukebox
Shielder
Dunk Master
Flan
Smitten Kitten
Moolah Monger
Azga the Amazing
Iron Keep

Last I remembered I was in the Black City. Find me if you want to work together to take down one of these outlaws.

The time passed by as the day dragged on. A day full of note taking and listening to lectures on geometry and english literature. Michelle worked diligently through the day, but soon it would be over. As Michelle packed up her stuff during the last minute of the school day, the bell rang, and Michelle made her way out of the classroom and into the hallway. There, she started to make plans on how to spend the day.

First off came homework. Not the most exciting way to spend a Friday afternoon, sure, but it was necessary. Michelle reckoned she would take an hour or so to do some of it, then she would do what she really wanted to do: Deep Ground. Yup, the same old same old. She would head for her usual farming site and rack up some EXP from both mobs and players.

Making her way through her usual path back to her dorm, she entered her room and locked the door behind her. Michelle sat down at her desk, then pulled out a sheet of paper. Some people called Michelle old-fashioned for using paper instead of simply typing on her interface, but she took joy in knowing that she had better grades than most others in her classes. She opened the textbook on her interface, then sighed when she saw the mass of text in front of her. She would much prefer logging into DGO, but she had her standards to follow.

Morning
Emma had bid farewell to Rebecca, whom she now affectionately Smurfette, but not before leaving her cell phone number with her. If you need any more help feel free to call me, she had told her, before waving and running to class, uncharacteristically late. She didn't regret helping Rebecca, of course, even if she had made her late. Emma was more than ready to put others ahead of herself.

---

Philosophy
Emma wasn't one to daydream. She was always focused on class, even in the ones typically considered boring, and that went double-so for Philosophy. It was an odd class for most students, but one that Emma took great delight in. Similarly it had one of the lowest class sizes in Purple Crown Academy. It was an optional and entirely niche class, and truthfully didn't satisfy any requirements, but it did give elective credits, so Emma took it thinking she might find an interest in it. She wasn't wrong. Most couldn't endure as much 'lecture' as she heard in her school day, instead opting to fall asleep or take less-intensive classes, but she didn't shy away from it. Today's topic was Ethics of Deep Ground Online. It was one that was very controversial with the Purple Crown faculty, for obvious reasons, but was allowed due to it's relevance to course materials. On the initial integration of Virtual Reality gaming into the education system the ethical nature of the system was hotly debated, but as it became integrated into society the opposition was slowly suppressed. Now it was merely accepted as cultural convention.

But, of course, many still silently challenged it. One such person was Mr. Leonardo Roche, Emma's father. Another such person was the Professor of Philosophy at Purple Crown, Mr. Meissner. After explaining the various facets of the argument with thinly veiled bias he opened the class up to debate. "I would like ten students to come up to the front for a debate about 'DGO'. First, five that are Pro-DGO." Several students raised their hand, Emma not included. A few people looked at her expectantly. Emma always volunteered, to many people's bemusement. Most turned away after a moment, assuming she must've wanted to argue for the other side. When the call went out for the Anti-DGO students many, including Mr. Meissner, looked towards her. She didn't raise her hand. The surprise was evident in many's faces. She had a reputation among many in the school, but she had no idea what she thought. The class continued without her, with little fanfare.

Is DGO a good thing? Nothing makes sense about it, but it seems so... normal. Like it's a part of everything and there's nothing that can be done.

The rest of the class did not enlighten her.

---

Present
Emma returned home. She was by herself, again. It's always so lonely around here, it's like Mom and Dad aren't even around. Always working. Is this something that can be blamed on DGO? Emma simply didn't no what to think about the game. To think that a game can decide your life. Not only that, but also turn fake power into real power. The kings aren't just people who run guild in a game, they practically are treated like real kings. Her misgivings about DGO were growing. The final question was: Is it wrong to play it? It wasn't for her to answer. She was going to play it, and she was going to win. In a metaphorical sense. It was of course impossible to actually win DGO.

As she stepped into her room she gave a passing glass to her textbooks. She should study at some point. But I'm already far ahead in all my classes... with A+'s. Is there a need to? She shook her head. She would. Later. She promised herself. For now she had issues to attend to in DGO. There was a meeting today for her new guild, and she had orders to eliminate Outlaws within Black Kingdom lines. She couldn't help but think, Am I up for this? I guess I don't really have a choice, or risk being kicked out by Moon Rider. Do or die... not literally. She strode over to her bed and laid down. I can also stop by and see if Moon Rider is around. I can't help but feel there's more to her than meets the eye. Plus, I'm sure she could use a friend, she seems quite lonely.

Emma let the link to DGO take her over.

---

---

"Finaaallly," Kosuke said, "Ramen!"

Maths had been terrible but it was finished now. He'd spent all his energy on English that morning and the math teacher had decided that today was a good day to pound three exercises worth of equations into the class. Now that was all over and he could treat himself to one of his favorite foods, ramen.

"Let's go with original flavour today." He said, pulling a packet out of the pantry and boiling some water.

Ramen was cheap, tasty and filling. He ate it for most of his meals because he couldn't get enough of it. But he was aware that it was sort of bad for his health to only be eating ramen which is why he still ate other things from time to time. Actually, saying 'other things' is sort of stretching it a little bit, the only other things he actually ate were tuna dishes of various descriptions. And he also drank his milk every day, although that wasn't saying a lot.

Those were the three biggest loves in his life at that point; ramen, tuna and milk. But once, he had a fouth. The one he had loved above all the others and the one which he could no longer bear the sight of. Even now his heart longed for it, but he knew he would not be able to stand it. Spaghetti.

It all began 10 years ago...

(song loosely based on this)
Palms sweaty, knees weak arms spaghetti
There's vomit on his spaghetti already, mom's spaghetti
He's nervous, but on the surface he's Mom's spaghetti
Spaghetti

On his first day of school, like all of the other children he'd been hopeful. A new day, a new experience, a new environment, it had all been so new to him. But that day he'd met the one who would plunge him into the depths of darkness, who would corrupt the thing he loved the most in the world.

Snap back to spaghetti, Oh, there goes gravity
Oh, there goes spaghetti, he choked
He's so mad but he won't
Give up spaghetti nope, he won't have it
It don't matter, he knows
Even though his back's to the ropes

He instantly knew he hated him. The annoying kid had latched onto him as soon as Kosuke walked in the door and he refused to let go. To his parents and his teachers he looked to be his first friend but Kosuke knew differently. He tried his best to make it clear but it didn't seem to matter, he was everywhere. In school he made a bee-line for Kosuke, in class he would always get the both of them into trouble and his parents even let him into their house because he said he was his 'friend'.

You gotta lose yourself
In Mom's spaghetti
You've got to never let it go
You better lose yourself
This spaghetti only comes once in a lifetime

The final straw came when he was sitting down to his favourite meal, his mom's spaghetti. Even though they were Japanese she still made the best spaghetti he'd ever tasted. His 'friend' barged in and Kosuke told him to go away because he was eating. This was the exact moment he decided never to open up to anyone ever again. He asked Kosuke what his favourite foods were, Kosuke had told him his mom's spaghetti, tuna and milk. He learned the meaning of regret that day, as without hesitation his 'friend' grabbed those very things from around his house and put them in his spaghetti. Then he held Kosuke down and forced him to eat the disgusting concoction.

The Spaghetti's escaping,
From the hole that is gaping
The spahetti's mine for the taking
Make me spaghetti as we move towards a new spaghetti...
Spaghetti... Spaghettispaghetispaghettispaghetti...

He couldn't eat spaghetti, tuna or milk for a long time. The only thing he could eat was something distinctly not spaghetti, so mostly he would only eat ramen. Even though it still had noodles, its flavour was entirely different. Over time he became able to eat tuna and milk again but never spaghetti. Even today he'd become afraid if he were faced with spaghetti.

But that feeling wasn't the same for the one who had subjected him to the torment. To him, he only had barely restrained rage. Even at 6 he really had to stop himself from slamming the kid's head into the wall every day. They moved out soon enough and now he really didn't care about the kid anymore.

He pushed back his bowl as he slurped up the last noodle and he was notified of a new message.

"New targets, huh?" He said. He'd only gotten one day off and new targets already... Actually wait a minute.

Flan... Flan... The name sounded familiar. Wasn't there someone called Flan joining the Black King yesterday?

He was pretty sure there was. They'd had so little presence he barely noticed them, and they probably hadn't done anything major either. But that just made him more interested.

To: Arms Slave
From: Rocket Lancer
Subject: RE: Business

I'll be taking Flan, I should be fine by myself.

Also, If anyone's going after Dunk Master or Jukebox, I want in.

His interactions with other sweepers were brief. He was aware he wasn't very high in the hierarchy but he didn't exactly want to be any higher than he already was. All he really wanted to do was be a damn good sweeper. He finished washing up his bowl and went over to change out of his school uniform. With that done, he jumped into his bed and started the program. His vision faded to black and he was in.

---

---

Erika was pretty diligent in class for the rest of the day. As always, being the teacher's pet she was, she was held favorably well and received high marks with each new period. Even as she noticed others step out to start playing Deep Ground, she had to shake her head and sigh. Some of these guys really didn't care about school sometimes it seemed. Miraculously it seemed no one felt like hounding the Mitsuki girl today. Probably due to their Deep Ground addictions needing to be satisfied as soon as humanly possible with the servers finally allowing others back on. When she walked home, it wasn't without a pep in her step as she thought about events earlier from that day.

---

She got home, closing the door behind her and bolted up the stairs as per usual before being greeted by her family was a possibility. As she closed the door to her room behind her she let out a sigh of relief, pushing her glasses up. It'd turned out to be a great day afterall... she'd need to find a time to return her school uniform's top to Yuuki. Though... she might appreciate it washed.

Erika stripped out of the school uniform, taking care to set the shirt to the side for gentle washing later. She took the time to slip on her silk pajama bottoms and an overly long t-shirt with dancing pieces of sushi on the front and the word KAWAII~! splayed across the bottom. Happy with this amount of comfort she bore, she opened her book bag and took out her materials to study, having finished her homework on the way home. As she began to get settled over the paperwork and pressed the blunt end of a pen to her lip, a thought stirred in the back of her mind...

...What are you standing here for acting like some kind of hero?

Huh? Erika pulled the pen away from her lip. Why did she think of that suddenly...? Come to think of it, that word had been tossed around alot lately...

Would you like to be a hero?

That message she'd been getting... It couldn't have been from the Red King, could it? Hmm... She put her pen down, folding her fingers together and resting her chin on them as she considered the possibility. If anything, any colored king would be trying to get her into their own guild, right? So, it wouldn't make sense if it were THE Micheal Davis trying to send her a message to join the black guild... She closed her eyes and rubbed the back of her neck as she leaned back against her chair. The more she thought about it, it was true. As much as she hated giving into the whole system, Micheal had had a point that her not doing good in Deep Ground would have consequences. Hmph. That jerk. She'd show him. Hell, maybe she'll even take him on in Deep Ground and prove to him that she was the better player. Sure she couldn't now, but with a little w...

....

....Erika opened her eyes as something hit her.

If anything, any colored king would be trying to get her into their own guild...

...So, it wouldn't make sense if it were THE Micheal Davis trying to send her a message to join the black guild...

...any colored king would be...

...to join the black guild...

Erika went pale. No way. It couldn't be... But as she pulled up all the messages, rereading them again and again, her eyes going faster with every line. She felt her palms get a little sweaty and her glasses fog up. She stood up, gritting her teeth and slamming her hands onto the desk. The curly haired girl swallowed as she readjusted her glasses.

Those Messages. The person signing 'friend' was the Black King themselves. She leaned over her desk, balling her hands into fists. But why... and how? Scowling, she looked at her bed and went to it to lay down, not noticing the note her brother had left her about going out to play DGO with friends in the same room and that both parents were out, so he'd fixed her dinner which would be in the fridge. Even the chefs were busy it seemed. There was also a PS at the bottom about how he had to cover for her just leaving out of the blue last night.

She stared at the ceiling as the countdown in her head began. Why was she so angry? And what was she even planning to do? As she closed her eyes, Erika decided that Azga would figure it out.

Tim arrived at his home and flopped onto his bed. Dropping his bag wearily, he sighed contentedly into his bed sheet. Comforts were only good because of the hard work you do to earn them, and flopping onto your bed after a hard day of school was an experience hardly matched by anything. All good things had to come to an end, however, and Tim quickly got up.

"Right, time for lunch!" Tim said.

Tim got the cooking utensils out and started the stove. Yes, he'd had lunch at school, but an extra lunch didn't hurt him much. He'd started having extra lunches last year, and he'd grown taller and stronger. Nutrients made him grow, after all. He grabbed some materials from the pantry and began cooking. It was just some generic meat and vegetables, but it would be tasty. After all, he'd made it. It would be good because he'd done it himself. If you worked hard for it, you'd enjoy it. It was probably how farmers were. You farm crops with machines nowadays, but the effort made it seem all the more fulfilling. Perhaps this was something lost due to current times.

Tim sat down at his table to eat his meat and vegetables, scarfing them down enthusiastically. In the back of his mind, Tim thought about Deep Ground. Even on the first days he'd played it, something seemed a little wrong with it.

The people who played were teenagers, forced to kill each other in order to secure their futures. It was strange, considering that murder is a heavy crime. Sure, they were only killing virtual people, and it was uninstalled when you turned 18, but it seemed wrong for a society to tell you killing was wrong and then force you to kill your peers in order to build a future. And besides, there were few stops in Deep Ground to prevent players from enacting 'illegal' activities.

To Tim's mind, Deep Ground was very cut throat. Essentially, it would be easy to get a good living if one was cunning enough. Tim believed that if people worked hard enough, they'd be good in life, and if he thought about it, he would find that Deep Ground clashed with his beliefs. The fact of the matter was, though, he didn't think about it, and there was another point.

Why was it that a video game dictated how one would live in society? Try as he might, Tim couldn't see how it would be for anyone's benefit in the end. It might train up their reflexes, but why would you need reflexes? There was hardly any reason to fight in today's society, so it seemed strange that the development of their children would center around fighting.

This was all in the back of Tim's head though, and it swiftly disappeared. Like all children, he'd been taught that it was a central part of life. He didn't consciously question it, and even now, his life revolved around it like many others.

Tim checked the clock and cocked his head, thinking for a few minutes.

"Hm... Karate training's at 8:00 ish." He said. "That means I got a few hours of Deep Ground, I suppose."

Tim washed up and lay back on his bed, activating the interface. The familiar countdown chimed and soon, he was lost in the digital world.

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"Shit, shit, shit!"

For the most part, Yoshino's mass message about DGO's current status was relatively true. The massive horde of Dissolutions that had sweeped across the plains between the Kingdoms and Faded City were cut down until only a few enemy NPCs remained. Rumors floated around that the delay and crash was caused by a Hacker so firewalls were heavily reinforced to prevent something happening again.

Moon Rider had ultimately chosen to keep those who had arrived the day prior inside her throne room as opposed to kicking then out of her Guild's territory. As her spokeswoman had proclaimed a day before, a meeting was to take place soon while all members were additionally required to eliminate any stray Outlaws still hanging around the area. Like the Dissolutions, their sizes had been greatly reduced to a small band of stragglers that still thought they could take out the Black King.

But whatever confidence they had once displayed was now being cut down before their eyes. Their alert notices showed that Moon Rider had logged into Deep Ground and one by one their forces were dropping. All practice of a plan or strategy was thrown out as every Player stuck it out on their own to avoid the Black King's ire wrath.

"Another is down...that means she still doesn't know where I am....oh man I am fucked," ranted one such Outlaw in a panicked state, cowering near one of the Black District's many monoliths. And then his signal of Moon Rider was gone. A brief moment of calm entered his mind before something impossibly light was placed gently on the small of his back.

A small clicking noise was all that he heard before the beam saber activated and pierced his chest straight through. He was dead before his Avatar hit the ground. Standing over the fading Outlaw, Moon Rider glanced at the eternal beam of light that always hunf over her domain like an unspoken beckoning call.

The single moon shone brightly on the lone black warrior. Moon Rider took pause in this moment, surpressing a sigh to herself, before melting into the shadows in pursuit of her next victim. The hunt was on.

The Midnight Soloist fell.

She fell three stories down, and squashed an Outlaw flat with her three Heavy Arms. That was what, the third? Looked like it was a good decision to use her study block for DGO-ing after all. Wiping the pixelated smears off her black gauntlets, the lithe girl stretched out her back and yawned. The scenery in the Black King’s territory really was boring and dreary, a dystopian realm that wasn’t even interesting to look at. Black glass buildings and an eternal night made things look less intimidating and more…what was the word? Oh, right, simple.

Maybe this decision would have been more fun if the Ebony Stryker’s territories had a post-apocalyptic, medieval spin, huh?

Her mechanical limbs clicked and clacked and pinged as Yuuki did a once-over of her HP bar, before checking out the clock once more. School should be ending just about now which meant…right, that message…

Bringing up the UI, the mecha-girl went to messages, called out the holographic keyboard, and began tip-tapping away.

To: Moon Rider
From: Midnight Soloist
Subject: (No Subject)
I was going to join you anyways, after proving my worth by splattering that lizard, but then hey, yeah, that thing happened and shit sucked, eh?

Anyways, got a simple question: How much influence do you have in real life? Red King is a Hall Monitor, Blue King is a Student Council member, Green King is a smiley bastard and White King is absurdly popular, so what does that make you? Would you, for example, have enough power to ensure that your members don’t get constantly scouted out by other guilds?

Ah but don't worry, it's just a totally hypothetical question that definitely does not have any impact on how much I care about the Black Guild of da Strykerz. Don't stress too hard about it if you can't answer in a way that makes you sound like a badass~

Regards~! (^_−)☆

Yuuki smiled lightly, mirthlessly, as she clicked ‘send’, before turning back up to the buildings. It was after school now. The amount of stray Outlaws would increase.

Better start hunting more and increasing her value.

Maybe she'll try hitting level 3 today.

Cassandra found a few after school activites that she could do, and a few interested her enough that she thought she might check them out. Karate, for one. And a writing club. Cassandra enjoyed writing, and wondered if there was a school newsletter or something like it. Now, she returned to her room, and deciding she had done enough for today of actual real life living, she set an alarm for 7.45, enough time for her to get to the 8.00 karate class.

And logged into DGO

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That always made her feel...well, welcomed, and Nies Hellum smiled. She looked about her, running a hand through her now blonde hair, relishing the feel of it as well as the colour. She couldn't help it. She just felt....Stronger. More confident as she was, as Nies Hellum then she ever was as Cassandra, not matter how much she tried

I hope Jukebox and the kitten are alright she thought to herself, hesitating and wondering if she should try and contact them, but didn't want to seem like a bother. Besides, she didn't even know the Kitten, besides knowing she had hitched a ride on the back of an outlaw convey.

Nies took a deep breath. All her work yesterday, talking with someone and pairing up, to have it all crushed by being forced to log out. So Nies Hellum did what she planned, not wanting to have to wait around for Unrelenting Jukebox to appear again. She returned to the guild, staring at the cars in the garage. She could drive one, surely? She had yesterday, not that that had worked out too well really. But she hadn't crashed the car, not until the very end.

you can do it. Just go slower this time. Could she go alone though? She was just a healer, she could barely fight. She pursed her lips in thought. She could always run if she got into trouble. She just couldn't let the mystery of the black city die, couldn't not follow it. And after being forced to log out, and then the messages last night, she wanted to see the black city for herself, and the black king.

So Nies approached a car, biting her lip. Could she just take it?

In the outskirts of the black city, all was peaceful. Despite the situation yesterday, there was nary a dissolution in sight. Instead, a shining figure dropped from the sky, landing on the floor with a thud.

"Ouch." Tim said, getting up. "Looks like they ignored that report..."

He was back. The Silver Streaker was back, and by extension, so was Tim. Tim stretched his Silver body, basking in the sunlight. It'd been a while, after all. It'd actually only been around a day, and Tim was quite used to that. He had a tight schedule, after all. Nevertheless, it was good to be back in Deep Ground, in the shining body of the Silver Streaker.

"Those 3 aren't back yet..." He said, noting their absence. "That's good, I guess. Less chance of being reported."

The Silver Streaker did some stretching exercises before confirming where he was.

"Hm... So that way is the black city?" He said.

There was a dark horizon close by, a night backdrop over a city full of obsidian buildings. Very foreboding, and the moon above made it even more so. It was quite beautiful in it's own way, but most parts had clearly remained unused for some time.

"Well, I kinda wanna see what that invitation was all about..." The Silver Streaker said, thinking out loud. "But I kind of don't."

Tim had a sense of trepidation. He'd never met a king, but he'd heard that they had certain privileges over normal players, meaning his invitation might'nt have been anything special. He had the feeling that he'd be wasting the time of the black King and his own time if he showed up.

"Guess I'll just look around, then." He shrugged.

Readying himself, the Silver Streaker sped off, eager to explore the black city.

Azga opened his eyes as he spawned in the landscape of the black guild. In the distance he could see a few dissolutions... Ah... As he looked around he knew where he was. Right where he'd been in the motorcycle with that girl. CorpseCollector was her name, right? He looked ahead of him, seeing the dark building where the Black King had resided last time he'd been in there.

He exhaled slowly, gripping his hands into fists as he felt the magic and power rushing through his digitized veins. The wind blew his cape dramatically behind him and he slipped on his sleek glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his nose. He tilted his head back, loving the feeling of the artificial wind blowing through his blonde locks... but he opened his eyes and began rushing ahead, dragon staff clenched tightly in hand. Without a partner, he couldn't fight the dissolutions. At best, he'd be able to paralyze them and run. For now he decided to avoid the lurking black shapes, even ducking behind boulders when he thought one might be turning its ugly face to look at him before lumbering off.

He kept his eye on the prize. Though there were others in the area, he didn't care. All he wanted to do was to find the Black King and demand an answer....

The thought made him pause behind the boulder. If he approached the black king with that attitude, it would give away his real world identity. His eyes narrowed and he tapped the ground with his staff in thought. It would be best to stick to his persona, then. Get cozy with the black king... and... did he really have a plan? He glared at the dirt over his glasses... and decided to make it up as he went along. He was Azga. Impulse was his specialty.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Kosuke said as he got up for the sixth time. "Fuck you!"

"Muahahaha..." A figure in front of him said, "The Dunk will come for you soon!"

Honestly, he thought he'd been lucky when he found Dunk Master on his way to search for Flan. He learned the hard way how wrong he was.

"Just die already!" Kosuke said, activating his rocket booster.

He rapidly lunged forward but Dunk Master dodged it easily. The dude was a total pain in the ass. It's not that he was fast, it was that Kosuke was slow. The dude's passive gave his auto-attacks a stacking slow, and he'd gotten hit 3 times already. Walking was basically pointless and his turn speed was terrible. His flight speed was still fine though because it wasn't based off of move speed.

He'd gotten some hits in at the start of the fight which had brought Dunk Master's health down considerably but he wasn't sure he was going to be able to finish him off.

"It's almost time to slam now!" Dunk Master said.

He quickly dashed in and slammed Kosuke with his club. Kosuke blocked it but the attack pushed him into the ground and rooted him. Then Dunk Master backed up, and did a running leap, raising his club above his head.

Actually, Kosuke had another feeling when he'd first encountered Dunk Master, namely disappointment. Dunk Master didn't have any dunk skills which was what he'd wanted to fight him for in the first place. The only other skill the guy had which he'd used just now was an overhead slam which rooted people to the ground, or made them fall out of the air if they were flying. Sort of a dunk but not really a dunk.

You usually don't get your full set of signature moves until level three He'd thought to himself, Too bad I'll have to kill him though, looks like he's just about to level up.

But now he knew he definitely wasn't going to regret killing him.

"Make your regrets, in hell!" He said gleefully.

"Not today!" Kosuke shouted.

This was what he had been waiting for. He bent his body sideways and the club came down and merely grazed his side, whittling down his health a little. He brought his lance up and activated his own signature move.

"Fatal Acceleration!" He shouted.

He stabbed at dunkmaster and sliced off his health leaving him with a small sliver of life. Even at just a level 1 charge, Fatal Acceleration did a lot of damage. Dunk Master flew backwards and landed on his ass.

"Keh, I'll remember this!" Dunk Master yelled, dashing away.

"Oh come on!" Kosuke yelled, trying in vain to follow but his feet were still in the ground and he just ended up flailing. "God damn it!"

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"God damn it." He muttered as he chugged a health potion.

One of the annoyances being about being a Sweeper was stuff like this. Those guys that you'd normally be able to kill real easily but they had one or two abilities which catch you totally off guard and then they run away. It had happened a bunch of times to him even though he hadn't been doing it for very long.

"Ah whatever, I gotta go find Flan now." He sighed, getting up and stretching.

Actually he was on the edge of a sky-scraper and the railing was nearly broken so doing this was a little risky. Still, it had a good view of the city and very few people would be able to reach his spot without him noticing. Suddenly, he saw a light far below on the streets.

"Hey wait a sec, ain't that..." It was the Black King. He was sure of it. "I guess she's cleaning up."

He'd seen her light-sabre thing as he was dying in the throne room the previous day and no one else would have one because it was probably a unique weapon.

If I follow her, I'm sure I'll find Flan, won't I? He thought suddenly, But I'd also find anyone else who happened to join the Ebony Strykers.

There was a risk, but he honestly didn't have another way of finding Flan.

I guess I'll just follow for now, He thought.

Hyde respawned right where he left off. Except, the three Outlaws he'd previously been fighting were nowhere to be seen. Hyde counted his blessings, smiled and carried on with his journey. He was heading for the Black Guild's city because of the message sent out by the Black King prior to the game crashing. He'd heard rumours about it at school, but dismissed them as just that. Hyde was very sceptical of what he heard in and about DGO. For all he knew, he was walking into a trap. It was extremely out of character for the Black King to just invite people to join his or her guild out of the blue.

He swung his Morningstar and twirled it in his hand as he went along. He'd become somewhat proficient with it, though that would be expected after just over two years of using one inside DGO. Hyde enjoyed the abilities he'd gained along the way, causing him to be mildly overpowered among players around his own level. Hyde had garnered a slight reputation with new players for his abilities, but he didn't use them unless he deemed it absolutely necessary. Hyde knew it would be his luck that he'd use up all his abilities only to need him minutes later for an enemy that was about five levels higher than himself.

After around ten minutes of mind-numbing walking, Hyde began to wonder about joining a guild. It had it's pros and it's cons. A pro was that he'd get bonuses with whatever guild he joined whereas a con was he became a target for other guilds. He'd chosen to remain a solo player for the past few years, just to play it safe. Almost like a soldier of fortune, but he didn't consider himself one. He considered himself a nice, normal person that just wanted to do well in DGO and, eventually, in life. But, sometimes, that meant doing things he didn't necessarily want to, even if it did mean joining a guild.

3......2.....1.....

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Spawning inside the Black City Sanctuary, Flan could hear the slaughter going on throughout the city, though one noise in particular catching her attention. It was not only close, but also sounded like a weapon she never heard before. Leaving the building, she jumped her way on top of it to get a better view only to find the Black King in the distance killing off random outlaws. Oh, so she can fight. Well, I should waste this fine opportunity~ Not everyday you can enjoy a dinner and a show. reaching into her inventory, she pulled out several profiteroles and began popping one into her mouth every so often. Taking a quick look around, she also saw one of the blonde duo, from the last time she logged in, hightailing the king. Although favor could probably be earned, any chance to see a good fight with the King was a good one. She just hoped that he hasn't joined the Ebony Strykers as well.