IMPORTANT A/N: This story takes place AFTER the First Boss Battle. So the whole Illfang the Kobold Lord thing already happened.

A Captive Heart's Identity

Chapter One: Enigma

My God is this girl annoying. And to think an entire guild is under her lead... He shuddered at the thought. "Forgive me for asking, but can you please be quiet? I'm having a hard enough time thinking without you throwing questions in my face." he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Be quiet?" she spat incredulously, as if she'd tasted something vulgar in her mouth. "You want me to be quiet? Who do you think you are, barging in out of nowhere, kidnapping me, and then expecting me to be quiet?! You... you crazy person!" Asuna's chest was heaving and she huffed after saying this. How dare he tie her up like this. Kirito cringed. Asuna had only woken up from the sleep tranquilizer a few minutes ago and she was already babbling nonstop.

Loud, too, huh?

"I will not be silenced." she said, lifting her chin in defiance. She mentally cursed the cloth over her eyes but her body had already given up on trying to break free from the stiff wire wrapped around her. It was pointless, considering the fact that no matter how hard she struggled, the wire would not give. Instead, it would hurt her.

I really hate this. She sighed inwardly.

"You and I both know," He sighed, eyeing her warily. "how easily I can silence you."

This girl... this girl is definitely fearless, I'll give her that much. For God's sake, she's tied to a chair. As if there's anything she could possibly do to fight me. Kirito rolled his eyes.

Though he found entertaining that idea to be oddly amusing, if not somewhat arousing.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you then?" she taunted him angrily. "Why don't you just put some tape over my mouth and call it a day?" Asuna clenched her hands into fists, balling them up so tightly she could feel her nails digging into her palm.

She's trying to challenge me, huh? Cute.

Kirito stood up from his seat and walked towards her, slowly closing the distance between them. He smirked.

She really is quite attractive. He acknowledged. They certainly weren't exaggerating when they said she was cute, either.

Asuna clenched her jaw as she heard his footsteps get closer and she tried to figure out why his voice sounded so familiar... surely, he couldn't be who she thought he was. Because the person she associated with that voice... that person would never hold her captive like this. That person would never, ever do something like this.

At least... she didn't think so.

Her heart ached with a brutal emotion... regret. How did she manage to let her guard down long enough for this to happen? They didn't call her the Lightning Flash for nothing. And yet, there she was. Asuna sighed. The one time they allowed her to go off on her own without an escort, she had to go and get herself kidnapped. Seriously?

When they track me on the maps and get me out of this, they are never going to let me hear the end of it.

Kirito continued walking until he was merely one step away from her. When she sensed his proximity and turned her head down, Kirito could see her fuming. With a small chuckle, he bent down and spoke softly in her ear.

"Your lips are far too pretty to be taped, Asuna-san."

Before he could look smugly at her blushing face Asuna kicked him in the shin defiantly.

"Back off!" she said, cheeks burning at his words.

What was up with this guy?

Kirito winced at the slight stinging her kick had left behind, not sure whether he admired or despised her fearless defiance.

"Ouch." he sighed quietly. Then he walked over to the table to grab a roll of cable wire and smiled teasingly at her, although she couldn't see. "You leave me no other choice, Commander."

He smirked out of habit when her breathing hitched in her throat. It wasn't a reaction he wasn't used to; women were such fickle creatures in the presence of confident, powerful men. But then he noticed a strange swelling in his heart and an intense throbbing in his head. He took a small step back and squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth at the sharp pain the throbbing caused. Swirling up from the pits of his stomach, he felt washed over with an uncomfortable sense of familiarity...

No. He thought, hoping that by denying the feeling it would somehow go away. She was a pretty face, but there was nothing more to it than that. Nothing more to explain that feeling in my heart... that strangely familiar feeling...

He resumed to approaching her.

What was that just now? Kirito shook his head dismissively to clear his scattered thoughts, his headache fading and allowing him to be himself again. Well, he wouldn't allow himself to think there was anything more to that feeling, not at least if he were to accomplish his goal without any unnecessary distractions.

After all, this beautiful Vice Commander could be very distracting...

"As I had meant to say before you had so rudely kicked me," Kirito said, watching Asuna scoff at his remark. "it would get a little boring for the both of us here if there was no conversation."

Kirito walked towards her silently, so quiet you could probably hear a pin drop or a flower petal hit the ground. Then he knelt down and quickly wound the cable wire with so much speed that even Asuna didn't have the chance to kick him in defense. She did kick herself though, for not wearing any shorts under her skirt!

I'm really on a role with all these mistakes. Asuna thought, chastising herself. Then she wondered what this mysterious kidnapper would think of her underwear, feeling sick to her stomach with humiliation. Well at least I'm not wearing anything too revealing, she thought, trying to comfort herself. Unlike many other girls she knew, she didn't bother wasting money on lingerie. Just the standard white panties designed for every female player in the SAO universe was good enough for for her though, Kirito was a gentlemen and the thought of sneaking a peek hadn't even crossed his mind. He stood up once he was done tying the cable wires and admired his handiwork, not noticing the flush of redness on her face.

"If you really don't want to talk, I'm sure we can work out a mutually preferable means of communication." he said. Since she could no longer kick him, he bent down so that their faces were mere inches apart. "Perhaps body language?"

Kirito laughed at her reaction and shrugged his hands into his pocket. She was fun to tease.

"Don't look so stiff, I was only kidding." he said. "I like to keep my work professional. I have no intention of doing anything... intimate with you."

Silence.

"Who are you?" she asked, a tone of sadness in her voice as though someone had just rejected her. Kirito frowned as she unknowingly braced herself for the answer.

"That's nothing you need to be concerned about." his voice suddenly turned cold, emotionless when compared to his teasing tone earlier.

Asuna rolled her eyes under the cloth.

"Why are you doing this then?" she could almost hear his smirk.

"Why do you ask so many questions?" he replied with a playful smile. For a reason that was beyond him, he quite liked watching her get worked up and he vaguely wondered if that made him a sick person. He hadn't expected the girl's company to be so enjoyable- her presence was just a small part of his master plan.

"I asked you first! You can't just answer my question with your own question!" Asuna exclaimed. "That doesn't count." She heard him chuckle but he said nothing in reply. Instead, Kirito walked over to grab a chair before setting it down in front of her and sitting so close that his knees were practically touching hers.

Maybe, just this once, I'll let go of my professionalism.

Kirito observed Asuna with a wordless gaze. He noticed how soft her skin looked, how a rosy pink flush coloured her cheeks. He noted the cute bridge on her nose, the gentle arch of her eyebrows, and how her honey coloured hair fell down in a length so long it could rival that of Rapunzel's. And finally his eyes fell upon her lips. Her full, light crimson lips that were currently being chewed on. Asuna was biting on her lower lip and appeared to be in what was either deep thought or deep anxiety.

I hope it's not the latter. Kirito frowned. He didn't necessarily want to cause her any harm or anxiety. At least... not right now. It was just necessary for him to do this because it was a part of his plan. To be honest, if he could have avoided the trouble of capturing the Vice Commander then he would have. Waiting for an opportunity to catch her alone was very difficult and time consuming, and while he was confident in his capabilities in opposing her disgusting bodyguard, he felt that that wouldn't be enough. The damage needed to be greater. The pain needed to be stronger. So, quite simply, capturing her was something that needed to be done. It was the first step in this equation and he tried to comfort himself with the fact that technically she was part of his problem.

It wasn't working though.

Yet while those thoughts were churning in his mind, Asuna's heart was thumping at an unhealthily rapid pace. She tried to ignore it, but she couldn't fight the connection she felt towards him. It was like his proximity had lit up a spark within her, a nervous flame that flickered uneasily and for some elusive reason made her feel extremely flustered.

Get a hold of yourself, Asuna! she gave herself a serious pep talk.

"So, you want some answers?" he asked presumptuously, folding his arms over his chest and observing her with amusement.

"Yes." she stiffened. Upon noticing her rigid composure Kirito felt a pang of sadness. Why did she seem so scared of him? He honestly had no intention of hurting her, and apart from the few times he teased her he did nothing to suggest that he would. Hell, he didn't even tape her mouth or tie her wrists, both of which would have made his job a lot easier.

"Then, let's get you some answers." he said, pausing to gauge her reaction. Even though she was blindfolded, her eyes narrowed in skepticism. For him to simply answer her questions all of a sudden... was too easy. He must be up to something.

"What's the catch?"

"Oi, Asuna-san, do all my efforts need to have a hidden motive?" he asked divertedly. She remained silent and ignored the teasing tone of his voice. This wasn't a game to her.

Kirito leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees to get closer to her. "If you insist, then, let's make things more interesting."

"W-what?!" she panicked. "That's not what I meant!"

"For every kiss I get, you get an answer."