A/N: ok so this is a big departure from my main stories posted on this account but its something that NEEDS to come out. Having begun to watch the Alicization arc recently I thought at trying my hand at a SAO fic. I won't post dates in-between scene breaks, unless absolutely plot relevant, because its frankly tedious and irrelevant since this will be so really AU it won't follow most of canon.

Important notes to keep in mind as you read:

1) Kirito is going to be female{referred to as Kizuka by those who know her IRL or she tells} and older, going on seventeen to be exact, from the get go. This is going to be important for later on down the line.

2)Romantic pairing is undetermined which means this may be straight, yuri, harem, a massive friends with benefits thing… IDK yet so don't ask in reviews "Hey are you going to put Kizuka wiith x/y/z?" Shit'll develop as it will organically.

3)Argo is the one person Kizuka will trust above all others. There is literally no one she will trust more than our 'whiskered' info broker. *interesting side note: it will seem a lot like Argo has the biggest fucking girl crush on Kizuka but don't take it that way at face value. If it develops that way it will but for now Argo is just someone who really cares for Kizukas health, especially her mental and emotional, as a trusted friend.*

4) Kizuka is going to be a snarky bitch on the surface if she don't like, know or trust you. Her friends she trusts will see a different side that is kinder in private and in combat, especially if she has the misfortune of being part of a group boss raid, she is not just defiant of orders issued but will do everything in her ability to draw aggro as much as possible & deal as much damage as possible with her skills. *TL;DR she thinks you a stranger or waste of space-shes a bitch. Friendlies around- nicer person. In combat- to paraphrase Cartman from South Park "Bitch I do what the fuck I want so don't even think of ordering me around!"*

Three weeka after the launch of Sword Art Online

Settled up top of the arena a cloaked figure watched the circus show down below from the shadow of a stone column. Of the maybe fifty or so people gathered three people seemed to stand out right away. One was a blue hair man by the name of Diabvel. Or maybe it was Diabel? The figure dismissed the momentary question as unimportant. The blue haired man went on about finding the boss room. 'Oh good, it only took you tools nearly a month' the figure thought snorting silently.

From within the cloaked figures shirt the furry head of a rabbit popped out. Fot a moment its head was on a swivel before letting out a few squeaks.

The figure raised a gloved hand and ran their fingers through the snow white fur soothingly. "Hush now Bunbun" the figure admonished gently and quietly. "We're here to observe the meat shields, not become party to their foolishness."

The rabbit glared lightly and ducked back into the persons shirt. Just because the rabbit liked the person for its own reasons, besides the fact they fed and protected it, the rabbit was not a fan of how the person treated the other 'humans' in its land. It understood the wariness the person had of others like them, the blessing of being an AI program that adapted as it interacted with non-AI beings, but the person treated others like them like… like prey when angered. It was not an elegant way to explain its caretakers actions but it was certainly accurate.

The person sighed and shook their head as they threw back the hood of the cloak revealing a distinctly femine heart shaped face. Pale skin like flawless ivory was contrasted by long slate black hair, the purple undertones showing more promimently in her bangs, and dark amethyst eyes. As a guy named Kibaou railed against the beta testers for being the cause of almost two thousand people dying her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "Hang on Bunbun, I have an example to make" she warned the rabbit. After feeling the rabbit cling to her undershirt she jumped from her perch and and free fell to the arena below.

"If those bastar-"

The rant was cut short as a crash sounded and knocked the ranting newbie on his ass. "So the beta testers who wrote the guides explaining the game mechanics, guides left in every starting players new avatar inventory and available in every NPC shop for free, is responsible for everyone so far dying?" the voice asked with an icy tone. As the dust settled the female avatar was revealed shocking some people. She didn't give the little boy, he was certainly not a man by her standards, a chance to rebuke her as she lifted him by the throat with one hand thanks to her high strength stat. The horrified gasps did nothing to deter her as she glared deeply into his eyes. "Of the people who died so far one fifth of them were beta testers. Half of the deaths that were not attributed to betas were spineless weaklings too wrapped up in their own self-pity and fear killed themselves by aggroing mobs without a weapon to protect themselves or jumping off the map edge. One of my friends was a beta tester and she got killed buying time for a group of wet behind the ears newbies like you to escape from a pack of level five dire wolves two weeks into this hell... She had a family just like you do. Yet shes dead and those newbies are alive because betas like her tried to train others to survive in here…"

Almost as if to save the spiky haired man who brought this upon himself a tall dark skinned mountain of a man with an axe on his back approached the young woman. "Lets not-"

"Patronize me Agil and I'll stab you" the young woman threatened with a malicious gaze. Turning her gaze back to the boy in her choking grip, she leaned forward til her face was inches from his. "You want to blame people for dying? Blame them for being cowards to commit suicide instead of fighting to get out alive. The other betas have done more than enough. We provided everyone with a guide to give you all a fighting chance. Come after me or my brother and sister betas... I'll make you regret it. That warning goes for all of you newbies!"

The assembled players watched as their shock changed to minor horror as the young woman brought the spiky haired man Kibaou over her knee. The sickening crack followed by the silent scream of agony that escaped the spiky mans throat, accompanied by a large notification reading COMBAT PARALYSIS 90% PERMANENT visible to all the arena inhabitants, brought the look of horror notches higher.

"This is no longer a game! Hasn't been for three weeks so wake the fuck up." The womans voice was as cold as the heart of Artic as she threw Kibaou into a stone pillar. "Newbie, beta it doesn't matter! If you want to die for this Us vs Them bullshit, be my guest. But you need people like me, you need the betas if you want to get out alive." Exiting the arena she ignored the cries for her to stop even as people rushed to check on the guy she hurt.

"Violent temper as always Ki-chan."

The young woman paid the amused voice little heed for a momemt as she stopped and turned her head to gaze at the voices owner. Blonde hair, brown eyes like warm milk chocolate and six lines like whiskers on the persons face- she knew who it was. "Betas like us are going to be at war with newbies who don't trust us Argo" she said cupping her hands before her chest allowing her rabbit companion to hop out of her shirt and up onto her shoulder.

The other female avatar, identified as Argo, frowned momentarily under her own hood. "That display and paralyzing his combat capabilities-"

"A diversion of negative emotions. They need us and if they need a villainous beta to hate better the Queen Bitch of the Betas herself. It allows everyone else the freedom to operate so we get back to reality faster" the girl said scratching her companions ears gently. "As for that spiky haired nuisance, he was going to get people killed. Too arrogant and self-conceited, I did the Raiding Force a public service far as I see it."

Argo frowned a bit deeper. "We still good then Ki-chan?" she asked. The other woman had major trust issues and given they were close in the beta period she wanted to be certain they were still on good ground.

"Argo, you're the only person I trust right now. You're my friend. Of course we're good" she said punching the blondes cloaked shoulder gently. "Same deal as we had in the beta?"

"As long the item rarity is good enough or you cough up the cor, yeah same deal."

The raven haired girl smirked and kissed Argo's cheek as she passed her. "As if I would short you for information Whiskers" she said as she raised her hood. "I can be borderline homicidal and sadistic but I'm not stupid to disrepect my friend by giving you less than you deserve as SAOs best info broker. I'll see you around Argo."

Argo followed the retreating path of her friend with her eyes as a hand raised unconsciously to her cheek. "Be safe Ki-chan" she whispered to herself.