Authors Note:

Okay guys! This is my first entry into the crazy and wonderful world of fanfiction. I've recently read through the Sword Art Online Light Novels and have always found myself captured by their premise. There is a lot of room to play around in the worlds that are presented in the novels, manga, anime and other publications. The premise for this story is that its held in Gun Gale Online, during the phantom bullet arc. I've taken a few creative liberties when it comes to the cannon which will make this story in an Alternate Universe. One of the biggest changes I am going to make is the way bullet line works, I want the game to be more tactical and strategic in nature so bullet line will not be as influential as in cannon.

There will be some of its effects visible yet the way it works is quite different. Instead of providing with players with the path of the bullet it will provide the direction the fire is coming from, not its exact location but a direction. This would enable players to properly seek cover in ways that keeps them safe from that direction of fire without making ranged conflicts inherently broken. The ability to dodge bullets make it seem a lot less tense without the ability to see the bullet coming, dodging will be based on knowing the direction of incoming fire and moving in ways to block or hide from that fire. To balance agility, instead of providing dodge chance it will increase reaction times along with the time required to build speed in movement.

Do not expect things to happen the same way they happen in the novels or other publications. I have a few events planned that conflict or change the cannon events, those will be revealed as time goes on.

The primary focus is going to be on my OC and his interactions with other characters both cannon and OC. I am being deliberately vague as to his history, it is my intent to reveal more about all my characters throughout their interactions. Shinon is without a doubt one of my favourite characters in the entire series so expect to see quite a bit of interaction from her as well. She won't appear until next chapter but I think I set up their meeting well in this chapter. First few chapters are going to focus on the game, real life events won't occur till later into the story.

I have a basic outline prepared and have every intent to see this story through till its conclusion. I am still learning and growing as a writer so my style may change as my ability improves. As a final note if you notice that I've made any major errors in my characters or lore please let me know in a review or PM, I am still reasonably new to the series so I haven't really taken the time to study too in-depth.

I hope that you enjoy this little story I've made, review if you like and I hope to see many of you back here again for the next chapter.

-Lasyria

PS: I don't own the original concept for SAO and its rights belong to whomever has those rights. The only things I own are my OC's.

PSS: This is an update. Sorry to all of you who have favourited or Followed this story that it isn't a new chapter, but as a reviewer pointed out, the formatting for the original was abysmal. For that I apologize. Hopefully this one is greatly improved.


The sound of gravel crunching slightly under boot is all that breaks the silence among the desolate buildings of the wastes below SBC Glocken. The air is hot and dry and amid the ruins below enormous dust clouds billow up and blow through the rubble which seems to make the outcroppings appear to be in an ocean of dust and sand. Sighing softly the silhouetted man, as he appears, examines his surroundings.

'Good Elevation' Leaning the components of his rifle against the decaying table on the apartment's balcony he retrieves his spotting binoculars. Directing his gaze down and towards the south east he lays eyes upon a small abandoned park.

'Clear lines-of-sight' Shifting slightly further east he continues, 'Little to no cover, nothing I can't handle.' Leaning off of the table he moves into the apartment. Its a pretty small apartment, clearly unfit to live in if the peeling walls and mounds of dirt and dust weren't enough of an indication the partially missing wall and collapsed roof most certainly were.

Quietly making his way out into the hallway the state of the building was brought into sharper focus. A good half of the entire complex was simply missing. Proceeding on towards the north end of the building he checks on the anchor and cord he laid there earlier. 'Connections seem to be solid, should be good enough if I need to reposition.'

After checking his secondary exit point he returns to the blown out apartment. Sitting on a decrepit patio chair he opens his contacts list. Quickly hashing out a message he fires it off to an unknown individual. 'I'm in position. Half of my payment now, the other half when it's done.' A strong breeze blows in and causes the building to rattle ominously almost as if the world knows what it is he is doing there and it fears that action.

Leaning forward and resting on the filthy table in front of him he stares down into his hands. They are sheathed in old leather gloves and against the desert below appear small a good indication of the rest of his body. His form isn't bulky or broad, its designed and focused for agility, a small profile, and accuracy all of which are very desirable qualities for a marksman. A quick series of beeps followed by a new message indicator alert him to his employers response.

'Fine. Here's 100,000 of your 200,000 credits as agreed upon. Remember, leave the one wearing the orange vest intact or you won't get the remainder of your payment. They should be arriving in a group of five in approximately two or three hours.' The group he is talking about are the targets of this assault. A group of mercenaries who for reasons unknown pissed someone off well enough to have that person go and hire a marksman to eliminate the group bar the leader. He writes a quick message to let the client know he received the instruction.

After checking and acknowledging that the 100,000 was sent he kicked off the table and stood from 'his' chair to move and retrieve the rifle's receiver and barrel assemblies. Once there he checked and cleaned both sets of components. Finally satisfied with the condition of his weapon he assembles the rifle. A soft click and grunt as he finishes tightening the barrel into the receiver signals the end of the assembly. This is the weapon that earned him the name of 'Thor's Hammer'.

Fully erect the monstrous weapon makes him seem even smaller. The NTW-14.5mm AMR stands in at just over two metres long and the weapon is nearly a whole thirty centimetres longer than he is tall. His proud weapon chambers a very unusual round, the 14.5 x 114mm, and puts forward an incredible amount of power.

Checking his magazines he counts nine rounds and breaking his bi-pod, he sets up on the edge of the balcony. The railing on this part of the balcony has long since fallen off so it will not interfere with firing. Shifting around on the deck of the balcony he checks his range of motion as he hits the door frame with the thigh holster of his P226 tactical he sighs. 'Well this should be good enough regardless.' Accepting the location he zeros his scope.

'Range is eighteen hundred meters. Muzzle velocity puts the round on target approximately two seconds after firing. Will need to lead my targets accordingly. Elevation means my bullet drop will be minimal but still significant enough necessitate compensating for. Also need to remember to check environmental conditions at go time.' Crawling back and standing up he moves to sit on the surprisingly intact couch.

Opening his menu once again he retrieves the files he received on his target. In front of him a slew documents are revealed, many of them extraneous but a few catch his eye. The one that has his current focus is a short biography. A picture of a man in his late twenties is the prominent feature of the biography, dark brown hair and green eyes lie upon a cleanly shaven face with a stern jawline belied by his happy grin.

A man of contradictions it seems. While his mouth grins his eyes seem much harder. His face is shaven yet his jaw is tense and he appears haggard. None of the information provided from his picture is particularly useful apart from his vest, which being burnt orange should stand out easily from the browns and greys of the sand below. The descriptors have slightly more useful information contained within them.

Name: Haikiko

Weapon: Mossberg 500 12ga Shotgun. The 'War Pig' is decreed as being a nearly legendary weapon received as a reward for clearing a high level dungeon located below the Alkaline Wastes. Its effective range depends on its munition type, buck shot is around 50m slug is around 300m

Armour Systems: Wears class 5 ballistic armour. Enough to stop small diameter rounds from submachine guns or pistols. Armour plate insert is enough to stop many rifle sized rounds yet it will not stop repeat impacts. Carries anti-pulse weaponry shielding.

Age: Suspected to be 28 or 27 years old

Company: Desert Knights: Well known mercenary group. Usually found doing protection details for monster hunting groups. Hidden within their 'white' jobs some more shady work is providing security at black market auctions. Generally keeps their nose clean, they act professionally and all members are combat experienced. Engage with caution.

Preferred Tactics: Due to the nature of his weapon he prefers to engage people in close combat. His squadron provide suppressing and covering fire as he advances. Is known to have multiple ammunition types; standard buckshot but also has solid slugs for longer range engagements. Only really effective at short range.

Desert Knights: Detailed Report

The Desert Knights consist of a group of 5 high levelled players. They have two riflemen, one close quarters specialist, one designated marksman, and one support gunner. All in all a very well balanced group. Able to engage effectively at medium to close ranges. One of the older companies in the game they work very well together. They have a confirmed 'kill' count in the dozens and is respected and feared for it. The group has never failed a contract and their membership hasn't change since their founding.

Closing all the windows except for the photograph of Haikiko, Lasyria tightens the scarf around his mouth and nose. Returning to the balcony he scans the kill zone using his binoculars and settles in for a bit of a wait.


The sun was setting when the group entered into his vision. 'Right on time'. They were walking in a standard two column formation; the shotgun wielding leader followed by one rifleman and the support gunner, who then is followed by the remaining rifleman and the marksman.

Opening his menu and starting a video recording he slides off the chair and onto his stomach as he approaches his weapon. A slight anxiousness overtakes him as he prepares to fire by adjusting the bi-pod and snugging his shoulder into the stock while he checks his environmental conditions.

"A slight breeze heading north-north-east at four kilometres an hour. Its twenty three degrees currently. Humidity is low and wont be a problem. Their tight formation means I may only need three bullets for this group. I'll wait for them to centre themselves into the kill zone before I open fire." Stated aloud for the benefit of the recording he maintains sight of the group as he readies himself for contact.

Calming himself he slows his breathing and heart rate as much as possible. He spec'd for this; his strength was far higher than most would go with it, especially because of the recent 'all in agility' trend going on. His weapon is a massive beast and requires great strength to compete with that. He placed as many points as needed along with some extra into his STG, the rest of his stat points were split 5/2 into DEX and AGI correspondingly. A shot from 1800m is a challenge to be sure, but well within the effective range of his NTW 14.5mm AMR when firing his standard B-32 AP rounds.

As time seems to crawl the group finally enters the predetermined kill zone. Exhaling slowly he lines up the two in the back. The targeting reticule zeros in on the chest of the rear guarding rifleman and as all tension appears to release from his prone form, he depresses the trigger.

An ear splitting roar with a bright flash accompanies a loud crack as the round exits the barrel. The projectile goes screaming towards its target. Dropping and curving slightly right the bullet approaches closer and closer to its climax. Entering just below the rifleman's right shoulder, it continues on through the body and blows an enormous exit wound out of his back. As a trail of lights follows the round it impacts the marksman in his side and rips its way out of his lower bowel.

Before both bodies hit the floor he is already cycling the action of his rifle. The light sound of brass bouncing off the concrete balcony belies the severity of the action it caused as his breathing picks up at the ferocity of the event. Locking the bolt he is already tracking further east to his next pair of targets.

The three remaining hostiles are reacting to the fire by spreading out. The support gunner fires his weapon into the ground attempting to create a screen of dust to cover their movements. It is not effective enough as the response to his move is another ear shattering bang, crack, and blinding flash as dust falls off of the balcony upon which Lasyria is positioned. The round barrels toward its next victim and as it begins to drop it impacts the unfortunate man midway up his thigh. Ignoring the obstruction the bullet continues on and into the ground as the force of the impact throws dust and dirt into the air. Dropping his machine gun and falling to the ground with his only remaining leg one of the few active hostiles is taken out.

Finally the remaining rifleman panics and attempts to flee even as Haikiko is screaming at him to remain in cover. In his panic the rifleman doesn't even serpentine as he flees. A predictable target is a dead target and as aims and looses another round the death of that man is certain. The by now familiar roar and crack of the rifle as it engages its target once again makes its presence known.

The force of the round rattles a small wind chime as it descends upon its hapless target. Impacting him dead centre in the back the body disintegrates well before it hits the dirt and his weapon falls uselessly to the dust below. Breaking the bolt and ejecting the final casing in the magazine he trains his recently unloaded weapon on the primary target.

His hands are gesturing furiously as he navigates his menus, probably seeking reinforcement or aid. Sighing gratefully Lasyria states. "It's done. Three confirmed dead, the support gunner may be alive but is missing his leg and will be unable to fight effectively. Haikiko's escort is down. I expect that the rest of my payment will be delivered shortly. Happy Hunting." Closing the menu he ejects his spent magazine and loads a fresh one.

Lifting his rifle with a grunt he repositions himself on the other side of the apartment, facing towards a different derelict tower. Peeking through the scope he notices the decoy he set up earlier that day. A small mound covered with a tarp and a pipe extending out as a rifle barrel, not a very sophisticated decoy but at a distance it should do the job.

In his earlier meetings with his employer he explained that his firing position would be in that tower, not the one he currently is, a tactic he uses frequently to prevent being caught by betrayal. Scanning the area with his weapon he looks for any sign of movement or presence.

Suddenly movement from lower within the building causes some dirt and dust to fall from the windows above the street level entrance on the east side of the building. Tracking the movement through the dust his finger tightens on the trigger and the targeting reticule beings to pulse over the dark mass hidden within the dust. Slowing his breathing he brings the reticule under control and begins to depress the trigger...

Bursting from the dust cloud a four legged creature comes streaking out of the building. Relaxing his grip on the trigger, he exhales loudly. Pulling his eye away from his scope he takes a few moments to calm himself. Returning to his scope he seeks out what spooked that mob. It's impossible to notice any details through the thinning dust although something is moving about in the building.

The familiar series of beeps that indicate an incoming message fire loudly into his perception. Opening it while still scanning the lower levels of the mostly destroyed department store it reads, 'Well done. Okay here is the remainder of your payment as we agreed upon. I'll send my people to collect Haikiko. If I have need of your services again, I will contact you.' Breathing a sigh of relief at the amicable ending to the contract he moved to collect his rifle.

Peeking one last time into the building the dust has settled to the point where apart from a slight discolouration all things appear normal. Shifting his vision lef- movement! The silhouette of a man appears from the dust. Heart suddenly racing his muscle tightens painfully along his spine as excitement grips him. Clamping down as hard as he can on his emotion he attempts to balance himself for the shot.

Forcing himself to slow down he takes a little time to examine his target. These ones always excite him the most. The ones he finds by chance not the one's that it's his 'job' to kill. Finally unobstructed the details about this man are accessible. He bares a somewhat common rifle, clearly an ArmaLite of some description though the exact model is not very distinguishable. His attire consists of dark green almost black shorts, a hideous baby blue t-shirt with a cheap looking Kevlar vest with an emblem of a carpenters hammer striking a bullet on it. Pausing Aaron attempts to keep the emblem in focus as his mind starts to race.

That emblem is the symbol of an infamous mercenary company called 'The Professionals'. The name itself is rather ironic because their company is not known for its professionalism, but rather for taking any job on the cheap. Eyes narrowing in thought Aaron wonders, "Why are they here? This place doesn't contain any low level groups. There are no really profitable mobs in the region, or we would see more hunters. There is nothing here except for Haikiko and myself."

Haikiko is still out in the dust bowl to to east of here, if the are here then... they are here for him. Glaring harshly through his scope he feels his anger build, "He didn't even hire a competent company to hunt me down!?". Compelling his breathing to remain steady his thoughts kick into an even bigger frenzy, "He would send idiots after me?! I've earned my fame, I've earned my place. A merchant, a merchant! Would underestimate me? Is he mocking me!?"

Bringing an abrupt end to his thoughts he centres the targeting reticule onto the centre of the 'professionals' gut. Squeezing the trigger he launches a round down range. The round leaves the barrel as if the hounds of hell itself were chasing it. Due to his hasty aim it clips the metal bar that would hold up the awning if it still existed. This causes the bullet to begin to tumble while still maintaining much of its energy. Slamming into the chest of the man with all the force of a freight train his torso disintegrates and limbs scatter as they burst into light.

Before even breaking the bolt he crawls back and stands up, lifting his weapon he turns his back on the department store. Hastily making his way out of his firing position he finally ejects the spent shell and begins to disassemble his rifle. "Crap. I don't have the ammunition to engage a squad of those idiots. There is no doubt they would have heard that shot and noticed one of their comrades go down. They'll find me here soon, I need to go"

Returning to the apartment he retrieves his bag, carefully placing and securing the rifle components into the carrier along with all three of his magazines. Heaving the bag onto his shoulder he approaches his rappel line to begin his trek back to the city.

Staring up at the SBC Glocken he just takes in the sight of the setting sun slowly being eclipsed by the behemoth of a ship. A loud click signals that he's hooked in and ready to descend from the tower. As he begins his trek down the tower the wind picks up and once again the dust and sand of the desert come alive.


Finally making it into the cantina on deck five called 'The Lead Head' by its patrons Lasyria settles himself down at a small table near the back of the bar. Easing his bag into the booth before he sits himself near the edge of the bench he makes sure to greet the bartender. Kimiaki works the bar, being an actual player and it seems rather odd that she would choose to work in a bar while in game. She's a really friendly woman but is fiercely defensive about her bar.

"Hi there Lassie." Kimiaki has the biggest shit eating grin on her face as she calls him the variation of his name he absolutely loathes, but has long since given up attempting to make Kimiaki stop saying. "So big man, what is your desire tonight? A double scotch on the rocks? Maybe you just want a forty of vodka delivered to your table by a sexy young waitress hmm?" All these questions are rhetorical seeing as she knows he only orders water in her bar. This fact hasn't stopped her trying to get him to drink though.

"Just a jug of water and a glass." As he moves back towards his usual table he calls over his shoulder, "Make that a clean glass actually." At this laughter erupts at the bar. "Oh, of course darling. I'll even clean it right in front of you." The laughter increases at the obvious flirt. Finally done with the greeting he seats himself fully.

Shedding his heavy coat and checking that his shemagh is still firmly wrapped he turns his attention to the rest of the bar. It's unusually busy tonight, crowds of people are all milling about tables or sitting at the bar as the televisions have stolen their attentions. As he turns his gaze to the television he notices the show is about to start. The show is MMO Stream it is no wonder it has their attention, it's one of the most popular shows airing today.

Kimiaki interrupts his observations with his order. "Okay, Thor's Hammer' I told you I would clean the glass in front of you so here it is." As she turns him to face her she sits herself in his lap and takes her tongue and licks around the entire rim of the glass. Immediately catcalls and wolf whistles erupt as attention is momentarily thrust upon the pair. Grinding herself onto him she leans in and reaching behind him places the glass onto the table.

Whispering loudly in his ear so the entire bar can hear it she tells him, "Don't call me out in my bar honey. It always ends in my favour." Lasyria is suddenly very glad he wears the scarf inside even as he can feel heat rise up his neck. Having noticed the rather grim looking fellow across from the bar from him he whispers quietly in her ear, "Kimiaki, do you need me to deal with that guy?" subtly gesturing to the man in the cloak with his face shadowed by his hood.

Softly she leans in closer and with her lips right against his ear softly replies, "No, I've got my eye on him. Just relax I can tell you had a longer day than usual, It's good to see you again. If you need anything", she purrs, "don't hesitate to ask." She boldly kisses him right behind the ear as she pulls aside his scarf.

Returning it to its original position she abruptly stands up and saunters back to the bar with a distinctive sway to her hips. The bar sits in stunned silence until a woman nearer to the bar giggles which unleashes an unholy torrent of laughter as people raise their drinks in cheer.

Falling back against the bench he releases a breath he wasn't aware that he had been holding. Grumbling softly to himself he curses Kimiaki. "I've really got to get better at that, she always comes out on top." As the bar returns to its standard practices he refocuses on the television above the bar as he pours himself a glass of water. The commercial break ends and the show starts in earnest.

On the screen appears three individuals seated in a semi-circle. On the far right is a rather bubbly woman, the host if the microphone is to be believed, immediately left of her is a man wearing a dark cloak with red highlights and his dark goggles completely hiding his eyes. Regardless of the tint of his goggles his emotion is clearly visible upon his face so the effect is diminished somewhat. His name is Dark Wind, the runner up of the previous Bullet of Bullets tournament.

The remaining individual was dressed in an obnoxiously bright white and blue outfit, lot of tails and folds and even a cape, it would not appear to be very functional. He was wearing dark sunglasses but his mouth was shaped in that grin which always drove people nuts. This eyesore of a man is named XeXeeD, the previous winner of Bullet of Bullets.

As the host blathered on and on about how it was so great to have them on the show Lasyria turned his attention to his bag, retrieving the two empty magazines and the rounds he purchased earlier he began to fill them. The first magazine was filled with three standard B-32 14.5x114mm full metal jacketed rounds with hardened steel cores.

The final magazine however was slated for more specialized munitions. He had purchased a box of DGJ:02 AT-P ammunition. It is Chinese manufactured it was specifically designed for range and armour penetration but what made it special compared to other standard rifle munitions was that this round was a SLAP round, Saboted Light Armour Penetrator instead of the full metal jacketed variants of penetrators. Finally slotting the third round into the magazine he replaced them into his bag.

Turning his attention back to the television momentarily he notices XeXeeD going on and on about how the meta of the game was changing and generally aggravating the crowd because he himself used to be a big 'champion' of the all in agility trend while he did not follow it himself. His sentiment appeared to be against the will of the crowd in the bar as many started booing the previous 'champion'.

Suddenly the strange man stood and approached the bar. As he marched over to the bar a bandaged arm reaches into his cloak and draws what appeared to be an older model Tokarev, but upon closer inspection reveals it to be a Type 54 7.62x25mm handgun.

"Zekushiido! You fake winner! Now prepare yourself for a taste of real power!" Declared in a loud voice, heavily modulated by his mask the stranger performed the actions to form a christian cross then depressed the trigger. A sharp bark and a small break appears in the screen of the television where XeXeeD's forehead was.

No other damage appeared to be done. As a few tense moments pass a few patrons start to laugh at the very odd gesture of the strange man. As XeXeeD continues his rant a sudden gasp and clutching at his chest signal that something has happened. Collapsing in on himself his avatar suddenly disappears.

Panicking the host explains that it was just a dropped connection and that he would be back shortly so everyone should stay tuned. Silence hangs heavily over the bar. Lowering his weapon to a horizontal position the strange man continues "...This, is real strength, real power! Foolish people, engrave the fear of this name onto your hearts!"

Collecting himself he called out. "This gun and I share a name. That name is 'Death Gun'" At this proclamation Lasyria rises from his seated position and quickly moves to confront this stranger. As he begins to near him the stranger suddenly opens his menu and logs out of the game.

The air is still heavy with confusion and fear. Kimiaki regains her bearings and tells everyone to get out, the bar is closed. The bar goers leave without incident. Closing and locking the doors to the bar she turns to face Lasyria. Her face is grim and she appears to be steady but her eyes betray her fear. Nodding to her he turns to grab his gear. After returning to the bar with his bag he lays it heavy upon the now cleared surface with a heavy thud.

Still standing beside the bar Kimiaki moves to sit beside him. After a moments rest she asks, "Aaron, what the hell was that?" Looking down at his bag in thought he doesn't reply immediately. Moments pass in tense silence before he replies with, "It's probably nothing. The Amusphere was especially designed to make this sort of thing impossible. The logical part of me wants to declare this merely a coincidence but my gut tells me something more is going on."

Slouching down on the bar stool he removes his scarf leaving it hanging around his throat he rubs his face tiredly. Silence reigns supreme over the abandoned bar once again as he continues to stare at the bag through his fingers. Breaking the silence Kimiaki responds to his actions with a resigned, "You're going after him aren't you?" when silence is all the reply she gets she continues, her resignation giving way to anger,

"Aaron! If you are right and there is more going on here, if that man did somehow kill XeXeeD despite it being impossible to then that means you could be in great danger going after him." his only response to her is moving his hands onto the edge of the bar in order to push himself up off of the stool. Much more heatedly she retorts with, "Aaron! Don't you understand!? If you go after this guy you could die!" Her shout echoes off of the walls in the cantina. In a much softer voice she whispers, "You could leave me alone..."

Standing from the bar he walks over to her hunched form shaking with silent sobs and pulls her into him. Just holding her close he lets her ride out her sorrow. Once her sobs subside he mutters to her, "You know I wouldn't do that." Feeling her relax against him he continues with,

"But you know I can't let this go. Its already in my head Kiki. I couldn't let you go, and I can't let this go." Turning around in her seat she sits facing him. Taking his face in her hand she pulls it into hers and she presses her cheek against his.

"You're a moron. You know that Aaron?" Smiling softly she pushes his head back. "Fine. I can't stop you anyway. Just be careful." Letting go of him she slides off of the stool and drags his bag over to the edge of the bar. "C'mon Lassie. You better get at it. I'm signing off for the day anyway. Rehab starts in a few minutes. I'll see you around."

With a wink and a watery smile she opens her menu and logs out. Standing alone in the bar he takes a few moments to himself. Taking the scarf off of his neck he re-wraps it around his face and head. Grabbing and shouldering the bag he resolves to go finish what he needed to offline, and prepare for a few full days online.

Swiping his hand sluggishly over his menu he reaches for and touches the log out key. With a flash he disappears.


Closing his eyes and nodding to clear his head he adjusts from the transition. Opening his eyes he takes in his surroundings. He's back in GGO after finishing his errands offline. He's currently located in the 'launch bay' of the city. The only way in and out of the city was through this area and it also contains the login point, if you logged out in a private or public area you came back in here.

Its always busy here since people were always coming and going from the city. Finally having cleared himself he proceeds to make his way over to the marketplace, he has a few contacts in the area he wants to press for information on this 'Death Gun'. Scarf wrapped over his head and face, along with his heavy coat and weapon carrier he made his way through the throngs of people and towards the bazaar.

As he wandered through the market many new kiosks and stalls were exposing the wares of many start up merchants while more established stores are hidden further into the bowels of the deck. He continues his quest until he happens upon a rather small, plain looking store. The door chimes as he enters and his senses are bombarded by an odd stench among the books and tomes that litter the walls.

Each and every one of them is utterly useless but the shop's proprietor is insistent that they are useful to him, for the ambiance of it. Once again infinitely thankful for the fact that he always wears his shemagh he ignores the stench and makes his way to the desk near the back.

Making it through the hell of books, tomes, scrolls and god knows what else he finds the equally strange man who runs the place. Slamming his hands onto the desk generates a rather loud bang in the quiet atmosphere of the shop. This action is followed by a loud thud and a slew of curses as a rather tall man rises from below the desk he is visibly distressed.

"Did you do this?!" the strange man demands of the desk, "Why, whatever could possibly make you think that I would allow this?" Lasyria just leans off the desk and observes, "You exist only because I allow it, peon, pray you do not draw my ire again or I'll have you made into kindling."

Turning his attention to the man now standing in front of the desk he exclaims, "Oh a customer, well desk, your punishment will have to wait, business comes first." Leaning obnoxiously over the desk he brings his height to that of Aaron's, and asks, "Well good sir, what could I interest you in today? I have some really fine merchandise just come in from the wastes below. A good condition copy of Ayn Rands 'Atlas Shrugged' or maybe you are in line for a more comedic book, if so I have a translated copy of the christian bible."

As he was about to continue his demented sales pitch Lasyria interrupts him. "Cut the shit Haruhiro. You know who I am and why I am here so lets stop this game." In an instant his demeanour performs a one eighty shift. "Of course, of course. So Aaron what is it you're looking for this time? More contracts? I heard you ran into some trouble near the end of your run, you are fine though. Of course you are. Still 200,000 credits is a good price for a little scare hmm."

Shaking his head Aaron merely drags his scarf from his mouth and gives a grin. "I should have known you would already have word about the end of my run." A barking laugh erupts from Haruhiro at this statement. "Follow me, you should know by now that I don't do business out here."

Moving over to the side of the store he happens upon a rather plain looking bookshelf. After checking that the store was empty bar the two of them he reveals the secret room hidden behind. "Aaron, close up the shop will you? Quickly now business awaits." Rolling his eyes at his eager request, he swipes his hand over his menus and closes the store.

"You know you could have done that just as quickly as I did?" Aaron rhetorically replies. He receives an answer to his obviously rhetorical question.

"Of course, but as business partners it is only proper that you do some of the work around here, people may start calling you a vagrant if they don't see you doing honest work you know." Snorting in spite of himself, he replies.

"No work done in this shop is honest." Turning back to face him, the hurt on Haruhiro's face is as close to genuine as that man can express.

"You know this wouldn't have been possible without you. So in reality it's all your fault that this shop, which is a stain upon the underbelly of society, exists."

Finally entering into the room proper it looks much like something one would expect to find at a power plant or security hub. Monitors and screens litter the back wall behind a desk with a very old looking leather chair waits in front of it.

These wondrous monitors display all sorts of information, quickly jumping from one document to another, one video to another, online newspaper clippings, MMO Stream analysis and meta data. Very flashy but the as always the only thing of substance is a filing cabinet tucked away into the corner.

Taking a seat behind the desk he turns his back on Aaron to face his monitors. Following him in and closing the door Lasyria takes his seat on the other side of the desk. Leaning his bag against the desk he waits for Haruhiro to ready himself. Finally finishing with his computer he turns to face Aaron, leaning back in his chair he wordlessly asks him for what he wants. Deciding forgo foreplay Aaron hits him hard right out of the gate.

"I need everything you have on the individual known as Death Gun." A contemplative quiet smothers the room.

"You were at the bar yesterday." It wasn't a question. Leaning forward he reaches into the desk and pulls a file-folder, its depressingly thin. Sighing Aaron reaches for the folder. Haruhiro's hand presses down on the folder, it won't move. "The standard fare won't buy this one, Aaron." Narrowing his eyes Aaron opens his menu.

"How much." Closing his eyes Haruhiro mutters, "Credits will not buy this one. I need a favour." Standing from the chair Aaron prepares to leave.

"Haruhiro you know I don't do 'favours'. I've got to get going, maybe another broker will have what I need." Before he can fully rise for his chair his 'business' partner responds,

"Sit down. Please. Hear me out before you go." Pausing in his rise Aaron finally decides to at least hear him out. Returning to his chair his gaze tells him to make it quick. "Okay the quick of it is I owe a particular hunting group a favour for information on the lower level dungeons in the eastern Arakan Dust Bowl. They were rolled by a mercenary group earlier this week on one of their most profitable hunts. They need additional protection to 'discourage' the group from attempting it in the future. I have gathered enough information to know that they intend to try again in the same place this week. I need you to run overwatch for the group."

Looking up at the ceiling in thought Aaron asks, "How much are they offering? And what information on the merc group is available?" a slight hesitation follows these questions,

"Uh, well you see. Part of the favour I owe them means, that, uh, you won't get paid." Not bothering to respond to that Aaron merely rises from his seat. "Wait, wait, wait! Okay, I know you don't work for free. They won't pay you, but I can make it worth your while. You'll get everything I have on Death Gun, along with my full co-operation related to that until you're satisfied. Please, I really need to make this work. They leave for their hunt next Sunday. They won't pay you but I will just let me write up a contract and we can get to work on understanding who we believe to be involved."

Pausing in his exit Aaron ponders his options. "Not good enough, I'll want whatever information you have on the upcoming squadron based bullets tournament. Throw that in and I'll do it." Tension seems to evaporate from his form as he slumps back in his chair.

"Thank you," breathing heavily he continues, "The contract will be written soon. You won't get your files on Death Gun till after the completion of it, but that gives me time to compile more for you. Come back in a couple of hours to collect the files on the individuals you will be protecting and the ones you'll be facing. Now get out, you stress me out too much." Having confidence that his word will be upheld Aaron leaves the store front and makes his way further into the marketplace.

Seeking out his usual armoury he finds it mostly empty, as usual. It's not well known nor does it have the most extensive selection of weaponry or ammunition. What makes this place special is that it is incredibly focused on long range rifle munitions.

Snipers are not too popular a 'class' among players because of the incredible amount of effort required to become great in it. She makes enough sales to keep her business running and she really is quite the gun nut and that is enough for her. She could not contain herself when he brought his NTW-14.5mm AMR in for the first time.

Its a very specialized weapon, mainly used for engaging strategic targets, aircraft, communications tech, fuel tankers, armoured infantry vehicles and the like. Its penetration power due to its cartridge size is approximately double that of its 12.7mm cousins. It's major disadvantages in regards to its cousins is its enormous weight and size. It is not a mobile weapon, you wouldn't fire this standing or even crouching.

It has to be set up before firing, and while that only takes a few moments for a skilled operator, in gun fights a few moments can end it. Which means closer engagements become challenging, it does however have a greater effective range than the 12.7mms. Properly supported this weapon makes any direct engagement very challenging. It's weight means that it cannot be utilized in the standard Bullet of Bullets tournament due to its mass restrictions, there are rumours that the new 'team' based tournament will waive the mass restrictions.

"So Lasyria, you were just here yesterday. Coming to buy another box?" Responding by resting his bag on the counter he replies,

"Not for my NTW. I do however need another 300 PAB-9 rounds for my Vintorez. Now that I'm here I should stop by my low calibre dealer to pick up a few more boxes of .357 SIG for my P226 Tactical. As you ring the order for me mind answering a few questions?"

Placing her rifle on the counter beside the carrier for the NTW, she responds with, "Of course, you spend enough here that it makes it worth my while to keep you coming back." Sighing at her flimsy excuse he soldiers on,

"I'm trying to find a man. He wears a dark cloak and mask, calls himself Death Gun. Anyone by that name stop by here that you can remember?" She looks a little surprised,

"Oh yeah, I remember someone matching his description coming in a few weeks back, however I don't recall hearing his name. He purchased a few boxes of 8.58x70mm FMJ Magnum rounds. I didn't think much on it at the time."

This is new information, he certainly didn't have a rifle in the bar yesterday. Nodding to himself he makes a mental note to let Haruhiro know about this when he went by to pick up he files on the group he's going to be fighting with, and the one against. "Well thanks for the information Itoe, let me know if he swings by again, and be careful I think something strange is happening around here." With that he retrieved his bag, and went to go try his luck with his other contacts.

Pressing further into the marketplace he decides to head over to a well known 'headhunter' squadron's storefront. They offered a variety of services including but not limited to scouting, cartography, selling information, as well as recruitment and background checking for other squadrons and while they don't technically offer 'assassination' its commonly known that for the right price they won't turn down a job.

The group is called 'The Ever Seeking Eye' their emblem is an eye etched onto a globe. A small door chime signals as Aaron moves into the business. A few benches fill the centre of the lobby as a few electronic boards post current rates and enable people to work for them via contract for some of their smaller jobs. Moving up to the office Aaron sends the squadron 30,000 credits. The key to this place is that you need to pay to meet with anyone worth while.

After getting a nod from the person watching the front, he moves into the back room. This room is far less populated than the one in the front a few chairs and a coffee table are in this room. The walls are plain, but clean. Seating himself by the table he opens his menu and checks to see if any of his other contacts are online.

Frowning slightly from behind his mask, he notes there are no others online at the moment he would seek out for this. Closing his menu he checks his remaining funds with all the purchases he made to resupply he has about 112,000 credits left from his most recent contract, that should last him a while. 30,000 gets you in pretty quickly so only a few moments pass before one of the co-founders of the squadron itself 'Aki-magi' exits the office.

After gesturing for Lasyria to follow him he led the way into the main office. The office is sparse bar a table and two chairs. Taking his seat at the far side of the table Aki-magi opened his menu and started an audio recording. Almost all business was done this way with this squadron.

"So Lasyria 'Thor's Hammer', what business do you bring with you? I heard your last contract had a few minor, complications." Nodding his head he replies,

"Well I wouldn't call it complicated. My 'employer' tried to remake the money he spent. I stupidly engaged one of the professionals and was forced to retreat due to a lack of munitions." At this Aki-Magi smiles in remembrance,

"Ah, I see. Not nearly as exciting as what the rumours say." Smiling at Aaron's demeanour he opens his menu and closes the recording. "Lasyria, you always do good by our business. What can I really do for you?"

Nodding in thanks at the gesture Aaron gets right to business. "Right, I need you to put one of your regulars on a track for me. I'm looking for information about a man who calls himself Death Gun. I'm sure you've heard about the incident at Kimiaki's bar yesterday. I'll put 100,000 down now, and another when I get whatever you've compiled on him over the next couple of weeks. I need it to be thorough. Can you get it done?"

Opening his menu Aki-magi appears to be browsing a contacts list. "Soldesa should be available. He isn't one to let rumour get in the way of work. What's got you interested enough in this guy to put 200,000 on him?" Looking past him Aaron contemplates his response,

"I have these, obsessions, a therapist would call them. Something catches my attentions and I cannot let it go until I've gleaned everything I can from them. No matter the cost or risk involved. There was a way about him in that bar that called to me. I need to figure him out. I need it." Looking rather surprised at the blunt and honest answer Aki hasn't a response to it.

"Well the reason why is of little importance really, I've got the money, now I ask again can you do it?" Nodding Aki wordlessly replies yes. "I'll send you the money, make it happen. I've got to get going."

As he leaves the office a voice calls out, "Lasyria, I'll keep you in contact. Good luck." Passing through the doorway Aaron mutters too quietly to hear,

"Thanks, I think I'll need it." With that he leaves the shop and prepares to collect what he knows and all the things he'll need for his hunt. "I hope you don't disappoint me, Death Gun. I'm banking a lot on you being worth the effort."


And that's the chapter. I think I've done a reasonable job of setting up the story as well as introducing a few characters. Next time we have our engagement with Shinon out in the deserts. I'm pretty excited with how its going so far so look forward to it. If you've read I hope you've enjoyed what I've put forward so far. Review, or don't whatever you want. I write for myself and figured if other people got enjoyment out of my labours then all the more power to them. I don't have a timeline on when the next chapter will be done but it shouldn't be too long from now (22/07/2014) so until next time, enjoy yourselves.

-Lasyria