Disclaimer:

I do not own nor am I part of either the Attack on Titan franchise and the Sword Art Online franchise. I do not own any of the franchises' characters, ideas, or concepts. Any mention of the franchies' characters or ideas is merely for the use of my fantasy and is in no way to try and make money off of the hard work of the people from both fanchises.

The only characters I own are my OCs, Furi Yuuki and Bruce Walters. There may be more OC's in the future.

Author's Note:

If you are reading this it means you are giving my story a chance, which I appreciate with all my heart. Please read this with care and consideration as I am a fan just like you that is showing my appreciation of both shows through this story. I rated it T for the language, character descriptions, cases of low self-esteem, and intense romance.

This is my very first crossover so please bear with it if it is not what you are used to reading, also it is the first fanfiction I have written in about six months. Anyway, this chapter is basically the breakdown of why reality sucks, not that you guys didn't know that to begin with, and the various reasons why people will go to the extremes to find an escape from it.

Please leave a comment, a review, or PM me your opinions and critiques about the story. I love to see criticism and the things you guys have to say about the story, the feedback that lets me know what other people think of my story and it helps me sharpen my writing skills, so I really appreciate it.

I would like to dedicate this to all of my friends and family, who are character inspirations, such as my dearest cousin Vivian, who introduced me to this wonderful show called Attack on Titan, and, of course, the anime and manga series Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin for being so amazingly written and structured. I would also like to thank my fellow fanfiction writer and beloved best friend SwiftFire100 who introduced me to the wonderful world of Sword Art Online.

Hope you enjoy it!

Side Note:

I make a reference to Guren No Yumiya, Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul, and Eminem in this chapter. I will always make a couple of references, or so, to songs and artists that affect me IRL or to anime characters from other animes, (Whom are owned by their respective creators and companies), in future chapters so try to keep a close look out for them and, if I make mistakes on the references, please feel free to message me so I can fix them as soon as possible, I need to be accurate if I want to be a good writer, right?

Also I will be jumping around between different characters to create a more realistic feel to the story, though the story may seem to revolve strictly around Bruce and Furi a lot, mainly to give a different perspective on Attack on Titan and Sword Art Online at the same time, so it doesn't necessarily mean that they are the two main protagonists, though it may seem like it.

Edit: March 19th 2015

I recently got an idea for a drastic character change from the next chapter. I have changed the relationship between two people that I don't believe have ever been seen interacting in the anime/manga.

Hope you notice it.

Ch 1: The Reality of Virutal Gaming

I woke up to the annoying sound of my alarm screaming, "Wake up! Wake up!" from my phone. I reached for it and turned it off. I picked up my phone and checked the time.

9:45 AM, the clock on my phone read.

It was time for me to get up. My life felt like a dull but interesting book called, The Life of the Adorably Troubled Furi Yuuki. It would be a best-selling novel about the life of a young beautiful Asian honor student descriptively yet ornately detailing how she gallantly tries to balance her life as she plays tennis, maintains a social life, and aims to get into a good college, all while trying to be the nicest, however false, person that others will strive to be.

The only things that keep me from going insane from the stress and having a mental breakdown are the Internet and Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online games, or VRMMOs for short. I was first introduced to virtual gaming by a very timid and isolated boy named Bruce Walters, who went to my school.

He was one of the ten thousand people that were chosen to be an official Beta Tester for the new game by Argus called, Humanity's Last Stand Online. It was the world's first VRMMO and it was about a world where humanity has been nearly wiped to extinction by giant humanoid monsters called Titans. In the game, humanity was forced to live inside three walls that were 50 meters high, named Maria, Rose, and Sina. I thought I would never have gotten into it if it wasn't for Bruce being the generously nice guy he was, especially considering that he wasted what he had in his college fund, so he could buy me the Nerve Gear. I thought it was a waste of money to spend as much as he did on me. However. he disagreed as he replied "Though to be fair, it was being wasted already. Better to make it useful for a change." He also let me use his login so I that I'd be able to try the game out for myself. It was the most amazing experience of my life. It was like I had been given the ability to be what I've always wanted to be. Me. The world was so complex and amazing that I felt I had entered a dreamlike reality turned real.

It had been an entire month since the beta testing of Humanity's Last Stand Online ended. Today is the official release of it. I wish I was able to play it again, but, even though it was summer, my mother wanted me to focus on getting a job and playing tennis, though she said I could get the game if I could raise the money for it, but by the time it would take me to raise up the money, the game's only million copies would be sold by then. As I wallowed in sadness I felt my phone vibrate. I looked at it and saw that I had received a text from Bruce. It read, 'Hey Furi! You won't guess what I got today!' Though he already knew I could definitely guess that he got, 'I'm coming over to drop off a present for you, since you won't be able to play with me on HLSO.' Now I was confused. Bruce usually didn't come down to my house unless it was an emergency or something very serious. I looked back down at my phone as it vibrated, 'I'll be there in a few minutes.' I immediately threw off my pajamas as I raced to my closet and rummaged it for some decent clothes to wear, nothing too fancy but nothing too haggard.

I quickly got my pink Adidas shirt and matching white skirt and threw it on. At least I would look presentable in front of Nate, the only guy that really mattered in my life, other than my dad. I looked at my phone for the time. It was 10:20 AM.

I heard my mother's voice echo from down stairs, "Furi! Your friend Bruce is here!" Ugh, of all the people to answer the door it had to be my mother. My mother hated it when she saw me talking to boys, especially if they were Mexican or Black. You may think that my mother grew up in a time where racism was highly acceptable, but that wasn't true. My beloved mom grew up in a place where she was discriminated for being Asian by people that were usually Mexican or Black, so you can't blame her for the way she is. "Furi!" my mother yelled, "Don't keep him waiting! He's obviously here for you!"

I blushed as I grabbed the black beanie and hid my face in it as I tried to drown my embarrassment yelling back, "Sorry mom! I'm just getting dressed!" I looked down at the beanie in my hands. Bruce had given me the beanie on my- well, I actually don't remember when he gave it to me, I just know that whenever I had it on, I felt safe and secure, especially at night when I was alone. It was like Bruce was there with me, protecting me.

I stormed down the stairs and headed straight for the door when I saw Bruce sitting on the couch in our living room. I guess he heard me because he turned over and smiled at me as I stood frozen and stared at him. I realized that he was holding two bags: the first was an Argus bag that most likely contained his game; the second was a bag that had been entirely engulfed with black which was as mysterious to me as the object that it was holding.

Bruce stood up from where he was sitting from and walked towards me as he spoke with excitement, "You'll never guess what I got today. Not for me thought, but what I got for you of course," I quickly sighed in disappointment as he handed me the bag, "Trust me, you're going to like the gift I've gotten you." I looked down reluctantly at the bag, wondering what was concealed inside, "Furi," Bruce said, "You can't guess what's in it. You got to open it. I swear to God, you're really going to love it when you see it." I reached into the bag and pulled out a case and my eyes were immediately caught by the bold words reading: Humanity's Last Stand Online.

I leaped myself at Bruce in excitement as I squeezed the life out of him saying, "OH MY GOD BRUCE YOU GOT ME THE GAME! YOU ARE THE BEST! I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M EVER GOING TO REPAY YOU FOR THIS!"

Bruce shook his head as he said, "The fact that you're happy is good enough for me, Furi." I looked back up at him as I realized what was going on. He had his hands gently around my waist, my small chest was pressed against his muscular pecs. This is when I began to look up into his beautiful green eyes as I was drawn towards his face. I felt our lips lock, almost as if it was meant to happen. It was such a perfect moment, the kiss that is. I felt as Bruce pulled his lips away from mine as he said, "Furi, I've wanted to do that for a long time now," He quickly blushed as he said, "Furi, I want you to know that I've always liked you, a lot, but I'm just too shy to talk to anybody, too shy to talk to you, especially. I always try to listen to people instead, trying to understand everybody completely so I can know how it feels to be normal. Sometimes I don't feel normal, like I'm not human so, stuff like listening to other people's problems and accomplishments helps me feel normal, feel human." Bruce let out a sigh and walked away from me.

I shook my head and pulled him back, "Bruce," I said, "You're right. You're not normal because you're special. Fitting doesn't make you human, being different or weird is what makes you human. That's why people like me want to be with guys like yo-" I froze as I pulled myself away from him. I almost told him, though, I'm pretty sure he could guess it. I took a few steps away from him as I bowed my head, pulling my beanie out of my skirt pocket and covered my face in it as I felt it blushing a bright red.

I felt Bruce place his hand on my shoulder as he turned me around and said, "Furi, will you be my girlfriend?" I wanted to say yes, I truly did, but my mind filled up with so many possibilities that it nearly exploded from the overcapacity of thoughts, "I don't know," I finally said with tears beginning to fall down my cheeks carelessly as I tried to stop them with the beanie, "I really like you Bruce, I really do, but I-I-" my throat became tense and I was no longer able to speak. I bowed my head deeper into the beanie as I tried hiding myself from him, though it was childish of me to think that I would suddenly disappear no matter how much I really wanted to.

That's when it happened. I felt his hand lift up my chin as he wiped my tears off of my face, "Furi, I don't like to see you sad. If you want to say yes, then say yes, if you don't, then say no. But if you can't say either, then at least think about it over until you've gotten an answer. I know how you are and I definitely know how your mother is. I'm okay with whatever your answer is. As long as you're happy with your decision, I am too." He then looked down at his watch when he suddenly jumped up and blurted out, "Holy crap, it's 11:30 already! If we don't log in before 12:00, we'll have to go through the training tutorial again. I've gotta go if you want me to carry you," He bent down and kissed me on the forehead, "I'll see you on the other side."

"See you," I whispered and with everything in order, he ran out of my house at full speed. I ran outside after him and yelled, "I'll send you a friend request when I get on, OK! I'll send you my answer with it!"

Bruce turned back as he continued running and he yelled, "Alright, I can't wait to see it!"

I fell down to the curb of the streets as I saw him disappear into the horizon. I would never forget this day. I looked around as to try and admire the beauty of the real world. However, I could not. Flowers were scattered all over, merciless trampled by the careless people that passed by daily like idiotic giants trampling the helpless and weak. It was despicable how pigs in this world got away with trampling over them like dead bodies.

In disgust, I got up and headed back inside. I was ready to escape this hell-bound world and the problems I had in it, "Off to a better world," I whispered, "Where the weak are turned into warriors."

I was running for dear life as I looked down at my watch as I approached my house after dashing out of Furi's. It was 11:44 AM. I would make it back in time, but I would have to hustle.

I finally made it to my house. I rushed inside, nearly tripping and eating shit, when I stumbled into the kitchen and caught myself with the refrigerator, using it to regain my balance. If it wasn't for me being in Football, I wouldn't have made it back in time. I grabbed a piece of paper from my rap notebook and I began writing down a note for my mom so she would know what I was doing if she didn't see me when she came home.

Dear Mom,
Mom, I am writing this to you so you won't freak out if you don't see me for the next few hours today.
I will be playing the VRMMO I was telling you about until about 5:30 PM. It's the same one I beta tested.
In case I don't see you when you leave for work around six, I love you mom.
Your Beloved Son,
Bruce Walters.
P.S. Stop telling my teacher you're name is Ms. Ortiz.
You're Mrs. Walters now.

I chuckled at the little side note as I grabbed a magnet and put it on top of my paper. There was no way she would miss it. I opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of ham and a bag of turkey. I looked back down at my watch. It was 11:50 AM. I needed to eat fast if I didn't want to go through the training tutorial.

I literally grabbed a handful of ham and a handful of turkey and threw the bags in the refrigerator as I raced up the stairs. I threw the squished pieces of ham and turkey into my mouth as I took a few seconds to chew the chunks of squished meat and swallowed.

As I got to the second floor, I opened the door to the restroom as I quickly washed my hands. I took a quick look at myself in the mirror. I was extremely disgusted by the reflection of myself in the mirror. I had to admit that I was pretty toned for a man of my size, being pretty skinny and light for a football player. I hated the way I looked, especially since I dressed as if I was going to be the reincarnation of Eminem, even though I knew that it would never be true. I had the eyes of an innocent child that gave the deceit that I was a good guy and I hated it. I hated being the bad guy I saw through the reflection of my eyes. My eyes separated fact from fiction, good from bad, real from fake. When I saw myself in the mirror. I saw the truth I so despised, that I, Bruce Walters, was the very thing my mother sought to keep me from becoming. I wished for once I could be a hero or even a decent person, even for a second, so it would make up for the countless injustices that came with my very existence.

I shook my head as I realized what I was supposed to be doing. I looked back down on my watch. It was 11:53 AM. I walked to my room, which was around the corner.

I entered my room as I put the disk in my computer, which was already set up for the game. I immediately put my helmet on as I said, "Link start!" The screen immediately turned on as it began it's initial set up for the game.

Connecting to the Argus Network. One moment please.

Welcome to Humanity's Last Stand Online!

Do you want to Sign up or Login?

You have selected Login. Please fill out the following:

Username: Liberator_Wrath

Password: KanekiGhoul33

Retrieving Character Data from Beta Test Record 1542

...

Character Name: Reiner Braun.

Military Branch: The Survey Corps.

Special Ability: Thickening Armour, (Every Titan killed adds extra health, while also adding extra strength and durability to the player's Armour and Overall Defense).

Squad: RazorBladez.

Do you want to Keep My Character's Current Stats, or do you want to Start Over From Scratch?

You have selected Keep My Character's Current Stats.

Are you sure you wish to continue with your previous character and their achieved stats and items? Yes or no?

Welcome Back *Reiner Braun*

Remember, You Can Always Switch Your Military Branch From Within The Game, But You Must Message The Military Branch's Leader(s) And Be Accepted By The Leader(s) Of That Military Branch. Have A Great Time And Try To Play Well With Others, And Remember, Kayaba Akihiko Is Always Watching You.

Agnus and its contributing companies and workers wish to thank each and every person who where beta testers of Humanity's Last Stand Online. We have saved all of your data from the beta test and have given each beta tester a unique and powerful weapon, clothing, or item. Please enjoy the game.

I was finally back. Here, I wasn't Bruce Walters anymore. I was Reiner Braun, one of the strongest players in the game as a proud member of the Survey Corps, aside from Levi and Mikasa Ackerman.

I looked around as my vision began clearing up and adjusting to the game. I was hanging from Wall Maria, looking down at the outer world with Shigashina District to my back. I screamed in fear, as I have a mortal fear of heights. That's when I heard the laughter of familiar voices from behind me.

It was the snickering of the despicable Connie Springer and Sasha Braus. The Terrible Two as they were more popularly known as. They were never seen that far away from one another. I shot a hook from my 3-D Maneuver Gears, (3DMG for short), and aimed it at the lower part of Wall Maria about 10 meters below me.

I looked back up at them and yelled, "Let's see how funny it is now assholes!" I pulled down on the triggers of my 3DMG and was propelled straight down with overwhelming force as Sasha and Connie followed and launched exponentially fast down. I propelled myself back on top of the wall and yelled down to them, "Don't fuck with me if you can't handle it!" I could hear their hooks attach to the wall as they yelled something back at me, something that was better associated to barbaric yawps then actual words. I laughed as I screamed back, "Don't worry! It's not like you can die here!"

Even though they couldn't die, I still worried if their avatars did. I guess this was the 'nice guy' my mother wished I could be. If only I could be the same person in the real world.

That's when I saw a blinking icon on the upper right corner of my HUD. I assumed that it had to be Furi's message so, I used my left hand to open the menu, as I usually would to view messages, skills and etc.

You have received a mysterious item from Kayaba Akihiko.

This must've been the gift the game had told me about earlier. I clicked on the message and it appeared in front of me. A giant coat appeared floating in mid-air. It was about the size and the same color as the Survey Corps coat I was wearing now. I opened the menu for the mysterious coat and read the coat's description:

Armored Titan Cloak (LV 25) - This cloak offers the wielder 500% increase in defense along with the ability to remain unmoved by enemy attacks. This Item cannot be destroyed but its immovable effects will wear off when the player's defense and armor reach 0. This cloak will recharge at the same rate as your defense.

This was a pretty amazing item, though I would've preferred having a legendary sword or item that enhanced my speed instead, but this would have to do. That's when I saw several other rapid blinking icons on the upper portion of my screen. I opened my menu again and saw several messages from various players. I scrolled down as I saw a numerous number of messages from some of my friends from the beta, but my eye was caught by one very mysterious message.

You have received a friend request from Annie Leonhart along with a message: The answer is yes. I'm in Shigashina District right now preparing to go outside the walls to kill Titans. Invite whomever you want. I hope to see you there.

It was Furi.

I quickly accepted her friend request as I opened up my invitation menu.

You have selected your Squad, RazorBladez, along with Eren Jaegar, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Jean Kirstein, Marco Bott, Bertolt Hoover, Connie Springer, Sasha Braus, Krista Lenz, and Ymir.

Do you wish to continue? Yes

Your invitation has successfully been sent for MEET ME AT THE EXIT OF SHIGASHINA DISTRICT FOR SOME TITAN KILLING.

I reopened my menu as I went straight to my inventory menu.

What item(s) do you wish to equip? Teleporter Crystal.

You have equipped the Teleporter Crystal.

A teleporter crystal appeared in my hand as I grasped it with all my might and shouted, "Shigashina District, Wallgate to the Outside!" A red icon appeared in front of me with a curt message.

Your teleportation request has been denied.

I looked down as the crystal disappeared out of my hand. As I looked straight forward, another message appeared.

All players are being teleported to the interior of Wall Sina for a mandatory introduction by Kayaba Akihiko.

Just as I had finished reading the message, I had appeared in the town hall in the capital Mistras. I looked around as I meet with the faces about a million other confused players. I then heard my name being called from the distance by a familiar voice, "Reiner! It's Annie!" I began looking around for a small Asian girl, but instead I was caught by my attention fixated to the waving arms of a beautiful blond. She screamed at me, "Reiner, it's me!"

I ran towards her as we clung to each other. I looked down at her and could see some of the same beauty that she held in the real world reflecting to me from her eyes. As I was about to talk, a sudden boom echoed throughout Mistras as the entire the sky lit up red as bold words appeared:

This Is A Special Message From Kayaba Akihiko.

I looked back at Furi, or rather Annie in this world, and said, "Don't worry. It's probably part of the introduction. I played with Kayaba in a party before, but I haven't seen his face. He's a man that's all about interesting the players." I looked back up as a single man, about 15 meters in height, appeared in the sky. He wore a red-stripped black robe that concealed his face and held the build of somebody I had played with before. It was Kayaba Akihiko.

The air seem to stop all together, along with the chaos in the crowd, as Kayaba spoke in an alarming tone, "Welcome my fellow players to the world of Humanity's Last Stand Online. I am glad to see such a huge outcome for the game. I am here to confirm a rumor that the commander of the Survey Corps, Keith Shadis, has been spreading around. Yes, the logout button is unavailable, but it is not a gliche." I immediately opened my menu, as did other players around me, as I scrolled down the menu to where the Logout button would be. Instead of the usual Logout tab that would've been there, a gray blank tab was present. I looked back up at Kayaba, while other players were beginning to panic as he continued to talk, "I designed this game not to be a virtual reality, but one that can replace the horrible realities you've all chosen to escape. From here on out, you will be stuck in this world until you can clear the game. The interior of Wall Sina is the only territory in the game that has not overrun by Titans, and to clear the game you must seal all the wall gates in every district and on every wall. Seal the wall gate last gate in Shigashina District and the final boss will appear. Defeat the final boss and the game will be cleared, returning you all back to the real world." If you die or if somebody in the real world tries to remove your Nerve Gear, you will immediately be killed and erased from the game. You will not exist in the real world or any other. I have sent out a report on every major news channel stating this and to my surprise there are a thousand two hundred and sixty-seven less players in the game. Before I leave and let you all embark on your journey, I would like you all to know that I have placed an item in all of your inventories. I would like you all to please check it right now. It is a special gift I personally made." I immediately rushed to open my inventory when I saw I had skimmed over a new item earlier.

The Mirror (LV 1) - This item reflects your true hidden self.

I equipped it to further examine it, as everyone else around me did, and it immediately flashed a bright light into my face as Kayaba said in excitement, "Ah, my fellow players, this is how you will all look for the duration of your journey in this game." I looked around as everybody around me had drastically changed. Some people had either grown or shrunk, some people had different skin colors, and, creepily, people with completely different genders.

I heard Annie's voice as she said in panic, "Reiner, you look like- You look like yourself." She froze as I looked down at her, seeing that she was no longer the blond I had seen a few moments ago, but that she was the beautiful person from the real world. She had her long brown hair, beautiful brown eyes, and her amazing Asian appearance. I pointed at her mirror as she looked to it and dropped it, letting it shatter and dissipate as everything did in this virtual world. I looked down at mines and saw the person I left behind in the real world staring back at me. It was Bruce Walters.

I looked back up as I heard the roar of Kayaba's voice echo through Mitras, "I wish you all to do your very best in clearing the game, but until then, this is goodbye." He suddenly disappeared as the sky returned to its beautiful bright blue color.

"No," I said, shaking my head in disbelief of the shitty situation me and the other players were in, "That bastard's a fucking psychopath! He can't do this to us! It's not his choice to make! He can't trap us in this world! It's against the law! It is an immoral choice, that wasn't his to make! He can't-"

Annie bursted out into laughter as tears ran down her face saying, "It's our fault. It's all our fault. We chose to be in this game, it was our choice, nobody forced us into this game, nobody but ourselves and now we-" She stopped, trying to clear her throat as she looked like she was drowning in her own tears, "And now we have to live the rest of our lives until we are killed or die in this god-forsaken world."

I grabbed her, reeling her in for a tight hug as I said, "Furi- I mean Annie, nothing is going to happen to you here, not while I'm still living and breathing. I am going to beat this psycho's game and we are going to get out of this alive. You understand, I promise that I will do whatever I can to get you out of this hellhole and back into the real one. No matter what I have to do or how long it takes. I will get you out of here."

At this point I opened my menu and clicked on the tab labeled Squad.

What do you wish to do with your Squad, RazorBladez? I wish to leave this Guild.

Are you sure you wish to leave your Squad, RazorBladez? Yes.

You have left Squad, RazorBladez.

Do you wish to start another Squad? Yes.

Who do you wish to have in the Squad?

You have selected Annie Leonhart, Eren Jaegar, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Jean Kirstein, Marco Bott, Bertolt Hoover, Connie Springer, Sasha Braus, Krista Lenz, and Ymir.

What do you wish to name the Squad? Liberators.

Your Squad invitations have been sent to the following: Annie Leonhart, Eren Jaegar, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Jean Kirstein, Marco Bott, Bertolt Hoover, Connie Springer, Sasha Braus, Krista Lenz, and Ymir Bott. You are now the leader of the Squad Liberators.

I reopened the menu as I saw that a little icon began flashing above Annie's head. I scrolled down to Squad and selected it as I scrolled down the menu to Message Squad. I opened it and started my message

Guys, I want you all to meet me at the gate to Hermiha District. We are going to start clearing the city of Titans since we are the most capable players in the game, other than the Survey Corps' officers. We will have Armin and Marco trying to figure out a way to close off the breached wall gate. I hope to see you all there. We're going to beat this game

End of the first chapter. I actually feel like I did a pretty good job considering that this is my very first crossover and first Sword Art Online fan fiction. I actually feel genuinely proud of myself since I haven't written a fanfiction in a while, though I have been writing an original series that I wish to eventually have published. Come back to see the next chapter and see if anything goes according to Reiner/Bruce's plan.
Thank you for reading.

Edit March 19th 2015.

Also in case you didn't notice, I am going to make Ymir and Marco siblings because it kinda seems legit. I mean, Marco is super smart and encouraging, while Ymir's a Tsundere Don't-Give-A-Shit-About-You-Unless-Your-Krista/Historia kind of girl, so if they were siblings, it would make sense that they wouldn't act like each other, (Also basing this off of my brother and me, since I'm the nice guy and he's the asshole, but Ymir's a beautifully complex kind of asshole since she doesn't act like one just because she's one).

This also means that the second chapter might take longer than expected. Sorry, but I kinda had to redo it since this happened. I will try to finish and post it as soon as possible.