Chapter 2: Their Commitments
Kirito was awake, but only just so. He laid there (more like sat there) on the couch with his eyes closed, enjoying the comfort he felt in that moment. It was warm under the blanket on his lap and peacefully quiet in the apartment. But most of all, he enjoyed the feeling of Sinon's body leaning against his, her soft breathing indicating that she was still asleep. Something about feeling her presence, knowing that she was beside him, gave him a warm feeling inside.
The boy sat there for a while, his eyes still shut, not wanting the moment to end. But something nagged at him to open his eyes. So he did . . . and jumped so violently, Sinon woke with a start.
Yui giggled from her place in front of him. Her face had been hovering disturbingly close to his.
"Good morning, daddy! Good morning, mommy!"
Sinon sat up and stretched her arms into the air. "Good morning." She yawned.
"Yui . . . morning." Kirito said between pants.
"It is now 6:30! Time to get ready for school!"
Kirito groaned as Sinon got off of the sofa. "Ok. We'll get dressed." She said. Then she glared at her friend, who was now laying on his stomach, his body taking up the length of the couch. "Right, Kirito?"
He just groaned again, and with a sigh, Sinon went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and came back to the living room. She dipped her fingers inside, then flicked the water at Kirito's face. He just grunted in annoyance before turning his head so that he faced way from her.
Sinon put a hand on her hip. "Come on, Kirito. I don't like it either but we need to go." There was a long, drawn out 'no' in response. "Don't make me pour ice water on you again."
Kirito was suddenly sitting up. "I'm awake."
The girl gave him a sweet smile. "Great." Then she began to go up to her room. "And you cook breakfast this morning, since it's your turn."
"Right." Kirito muttered as he went down to his room to change.
He hated that skilled assassins like him and Sinon had to go to a stupid high school filled with annoying teenagers. But they didn't do it for kicks. The school they went to was near Tokyo, a neutral zone. Heathcliff sent them there on a regular basis in an attempt to gather information that might lead to the Tokyo area joining their side. But why them? Well, they were Heathcliff's only underlings who were the correct age.
Sinon was walking back down the stairs now, dressed in the uniform of the school, to see Kirito already in the kitchen, stirring some eggs in a pan.
They were both wearing the same thing for the most part. Each of them had on a white, button down shirt, a blazer, and a tie, though Kirito left his blazer unbuttoned while Sinon wore a skirt with knee socks instead of pants. Also, Kirito's tie was left hanging around his neck because, frankly, he couldn't tie one to save his life.
"Well look who's dressed." Kirito said as she came to stand next to him.
"I don't take that long." Sinon rolled her eyes.
"'Well at least you're not like other girls who take an hour just to do their makeup."
"Then you're lucky I don't like makeup."
After this they set the table and said a quick thanks for the meal before hurriedly eating their breakfast and heading for the door.
"Bye, Yui." Kirito said as he slipped his shoes on by the doorway.
"Hey, wait a minute." Sinon said from the hall. She walked up to him, her face showing her exasperation, if only slightly. "You're tie isn't tied. How many times have I tried to teach you how to do it?" As she chided him, her hands went up to his neck and tied the offending piece of clothing for him.
Kirito just shrugged as he stood there, watching her. For some reason, he never took the time to learn or put much effort into learning. Maybe it was because he liked to bother Sinon by making her do it?
"There. We're ready now." Sinon said with a pat to Kirito's chest. Then she bent down and slid on her shoes. "Bye, Yui. We're heading out now."
"Ok! Take care of yourselves!" said Yui's cheerful voice before the door closed.
Together, Kirito and Sinon made their way down to the first floor and out onto the street to take the bus. Kirito would have loved to take his motorcycle, but Sinon was wearing a skirt and she would probably kill him for exposing her underwear, even though it was the wind's fault.
On the bus, Kirito and Sinon sat together like they always did, in the back corner, silent as they watched other people boarding and leaving the bus. Being in a closed space with them always made the two uneasy.
As he sat there, Kirito couldn't help but feel a little out of place. The other people on the bus barely spared him a glance. As the Black Swordsman, people would take one look at him and die of fright. He supposed that those were just the perks of Heathcliff's disguises.
It was fifteen minutes before they reached the school. When they finally got there, the two disembarked from the bus and walked toward the school's front gates.
Most students looked at them as they passed. Of course none of them knew Kirito's and Sinon's alter egos, but they definitely found them to be an odd pair. They were siblings, as far as anyone was concerned, they looked well enough alike for that to seem true, but they never concerned themselves with anyone except each other.
After they had reached their classroom and the lecture began, Kirito soon became bored and instead rested his chin on his hand to stare out the window. He really hated going to school. It was filled with people and he was forced to sit through lectures on stuff he had already learned.
Pretty much the rest of the day went by like this, lunch the only solace. At this point, Kirito was bored out of his mind and took to sitting at a picnic table outside, his head down on the table. Not long after he got there, he heard someone settle in the space beside him. He knew it was Sinon before she even poked him on the shoulder. He looked up to see her sitting on the table, her legs crossed and a slight smile on her face as she held out a lump of rice to him on her chopsticks. When he just sat there and realized that she wasn't going to move anytime soon, he sighed and obediently opened his mouth.
A long time ago, he would have freaked out about sharing chopsticks with her, but this was Sinon, so he didn't really care. Besides, neither of them ate that much anyway, so it was pointless to pack a second lunch.
"Takahashi-kun?"
It took Kirito a second to realize that someone was talking to him and sit up. At school, he and Sinon got to keep their usual names, but Heathcliff had come up with some random surname for them to use.
Standing beside the table were two girls. One had long chestnut-brown hair while the other had really short brown hair held back by a clip.
"Do you mind if we sit here?" The one with long hair asked.
Kirito had half a mind to say 'no', but Sinon, the one who used her head more, smiled and said. "No. Go ahead." Their mission required that they 'blend in' and 'play nice'.
The girl smiled and she and her friend sat down opposite them. Kirito knew these two to be Asuna Yuuki and her friend, whose name he didn't really care about. Not that he cared about the Yuuki girl, it's just that she bothered him more than anyone else. She was always approaching him and Sinon in an attempt to be "friendly". Like right now.
"So. Winter break is coming up." Asuna began. "Do you guys have any plans?"
Kirito rested his chin in his hand, so Sinon took that as her cue to speak. "No, not really. We're planning on studying this break."
The swordsman almost laughed. Yeah, studying. Studying methods to kill people with.
"Oh. Well that's not a bad thing to do. Will you at least be with family for Christmas?"
"Yep. It should be fun."
Soon, the conversation dwindled into nothingness, just as Kirito knew that Sinon wanted it to. The four of them sat there eating their lunches, Sinon offering some to Kirito every so often. Finally, the bell rang, signaling for the students to head back to class.
"Well, we'll see you later." Asuna said politely before getting up with a "let's stop by the teachers' lounge, Rika" and leaving with her friend in tow. Kirito watched them leave.
"She's so annoying." Sinon muttered, glancing at them as she stood up.
"Mm-hm." Kirito hummed before standing himself.
Sinon looked at him. "What do you think?"
He met her gaze, his eyes blinking at the question. "What do you mean?"
She gave a small shrug. "I don't know. Just tell me your thoughts."
Kirito looked off in the direction of the school in thought. "Well you know that I hate people. And anyway, I don't care who she is. She's just a girl that goes to school here."
Sinon just looked at him for a few seconds, then looked at the school herself, as if she had something on her mind.
Noticing this, Kirito asked "Why? What do you think?"
His friend pursed her lips, trying to gather her thoughts. "She just doesn't seem normal. She's... too driven." After a while, she shook her head to clear it. "Let's get school over with already," she said, gently nudging his shoulder with hers before walking on toward the school.
The rest of the day passed by very slowly for Kirito, but when they finally took the bus home, it was a relief. He and Sinon rushed inside, got changed and grabbed their gear before heading out again, assuring a downtrodden Yui that they would be home well before dinnertime. This time, to Kirito's delight, they took his motorcycle and he drove them to their destination. He really did love his bike, but it wasn't really the bike itself that he loved. What he enjoyed the most, was the feeling that he was free: the wind rushing by him and his ability to control wherever he went with a confident turn of his hands. He could tell Sinon liked it too by the way she laughed sometimes when he sped up quickly or made a large, wide turn that had their feet barely skimming the road.
Kirito drove them around town for about twenty minutes before a large building with 'RCT Progress' on the side came into view. Per the usual, he drove around the back of the building toward where the garage for employees was located. As he slowed down a little by the entrance, Sinon pulled out a card and passed it over the scanner that was on a panel. The metal door made a grinding sound as it opened, but Kirito didn't wait for it to open all the way, he just sped inside when the opening was tall enough.
Inside, it was mostly dark, a few lights hung from the ceiling every now and then, but there wasn't much there. After parking his motorcycle near some cars, Kirito got off, Sinon right behind him, and made his way over to the elevator. Once they were inside, Sinon swiped her card again on a panel in the elevator before pressing the floor they wanted.
The lift was quiet as it smoothly began to move downward, underground. Kirito fingered the strap of his bag as they went, wondering what kinds of things Heathcliff wanted to show them.
Getting out, Sinon and Kirito walked through a lot of white and brightly lit halls, passing many people wearing lab coats along the way. Finally they reached a large room after scanning Sinon's card once more. There was a large desk in the back with a complex-looking computer interface on it. A few other desks and machines were around the room as well, but Kirito could only guess what they were for. What really caught his attention was the man in the room.
There, sitting behind the large desk, was Heathcliff. He was tall, with short, dark hair and a mole under his eye. Just looking at him, you could tell that he was an unprecedented genius. Kirito couldn't really explain it, maybe it was his eyes, but there was a certain intelligence in them (and something else, though Kirito couldn't quite place it).
As the two neared him, Kayaba looked up.
"Sinon, Kirito. I'm glad you came.
"We're glad to be here." Sinon said politely. "What did you have to show us?"
"It's over here." He said, standing and beckoning them to the left wall. They followed him over, dropping their bags by his desk along the way. At the wall, Kayaba typed something into a panel and a large rack slid out.
He reached up and pulled off what appeared to be a cylinder. Then he turned to Kirito and tossed it to him. Sinon and Kirito looked at it curiously as the boy caught it and turned it in his palm.
"You wanted to show me a piece of metal?"
Heathcliff ignored Kirito's sarcasm. "This is a new sword I have been developing for you. Go ahead and push the switch on the side."
Kirito shrugged as he did what he was told. As he pushed the switch, a dark violet blade buzzed into existence. His eyebrows rose in surprise. "What is this?"
"A photon sword. Put simply it is a carefully controlled laser."
Kirito frowned as he slashed the weapon downward. "It's cool, but it's light."
"Well, duh. It's a laser." Sinon said with a smirk.
"You know what I meant!"
"It's not supposed to weigh much." Kayaba continued. "Since you have been doing more than a few stealth missions lately, I designed this for speed." Here, he pulled a black handgun down. "This is your back-up."
Kirito turned off his sword and took the gun into his hand gingerly. He didn't really like guns, they were more Sinon's specialty. He preferred the reliable weight and steel of a sword in his hand.
Testing the sight by aiming at the wall, Kirito spoke. "Well, at least it's in black."
Next, Kayaba took a large rifle down and held it out to Sinon. "And this is the latest model of your sniper rifle, Sinon. The Hecate II." Sinon stared at it in awe as she took it into her arms. "It's made of a lighter metal alloy and can shoot greater distances. The action should be smoother as well."
". . . Thank you." Sinon said gratefully, running her fingers along the side.
It was obvious by now that Sinon held Heathcliff in higher regard than she did others. Kirito didn't really feel the same way, but he could understand why she respected the man. He had technically saved them, after all.
"Of course." The man said. Then he glanced at a door just beside the rack. "Before you take them with you, I was hoping that you could test them. I'll do maintenance on your other equipment in the meantime."
"Sure." Kirito said. He was already grabbing magazines and a belt from the rack. Sinon did the same, and soon after, the two of them were heading through the door. Inside was an even larger room. It was about the size of a soccer field with a high ceiling, white walls and a floor covered in a grid of some kind.
"What do you feel like today?" Sinon asked as she went to a panel in the wall.
Kirito thought about it. "It's been cold lately, so . . . desert landscape?"
His friend nodded, typing something and soon, they were surrounded by dessert sand and a few rock formations. The sniper eyed their surroundings critically. Suddenly, she pointed to a large rock. "I'll take position up there. Give me a minute before you start."
Kirito nodded as Sinon rushed off. He started his mental timer and slowly walked into the middle of the room. In doing so, he unclipped his new sword from his belt. Then he drew his gun, holding it like could burst into flames at any second. Steeling himself, he griped it firmly, placing his fingers where they were supposed to go.
"Begin program."
A few seconds after he issued the command, guns fired from a distance and bullets shot passed him. The swordsman eyed the place he knew they had come from before sprinting off in their direction.
It actually surprised Kirito that he could move so fast as he fought these virtual enemies. This new sword wasn't very heavy, so his strength turned to speed instead. It still felt odd though, it wasn't a fighting style he was used to.
Several minutes later, Kirito noticed that someone with a minigun had appeared. He was too far away to do anything about it, and he couldn't run away because he would be riddled with bullets. So, instead, he brought up his handgun and aimed it at the man's head when he had an opening. If he fired now, he would be safe. Feeling confident, Kirito pulled the trigger.
It was stuck.
Eyes widening, Kirito looked down at his gun and attempted to pull his finger back. It wouldn't budge. What the hell? Did Heathcliff give him a defective gun?
The swordsman stared at the minigun. He was so dead.
Apparently, this was not so, because the instant he thought that, a hole appeared in the gunman's head and he shattered.
Currently, Sinon was on top of the rock formation she had pointed out, laying on her stomach. She had been sniping this whole time, and was very pleased with her new gun. Even though she was still wearing her glasses, it was easy to see through the scope. The action was smooth as well, with less of a kickback. She really thought that Kayaba had outdone himself this time.
Now, she was watching Kirito through her scope. He was staring at the place where she had just sniped the guy with the minigun, saving his life. Slowly, he turned his head toward the place where he knew she was shooting from. He seemed to look right at her as he gave her a nervous smile and an equally nervous wave.
Sinon smiled, shaking her head, as if asking herself what to do with him. Typical Kirito. She had seen what had happened, he had tried to use his gun but failed miserably. She would have to give him another lesson about firearms.
Just then, Kirito was attacked by more soldiers and was forced to resume fighting. Sinon continued sniping, the calm of aiming her gun and pulling the trigger causing her thoughts to wander. Unfortunately, an image flashed through her mind. A bloody Kirito was on the ground, his body still, face as pale as death.
Sinon's heart clenched painfully. Kirito had always done the protecting, even if he knew he would probably die. But now that Sinon was who she was, it was her turn. Now she had the ability to protect him.
Later, Sinon met Kirito back down in the sand.
"How's your gun?" He asked.
She gave a small smile. "Great. Better than Hecate I. What about you?"
He shrugged. "The sword is fine I guess, but it's something that I'll need time to get used to. I think the gun is broken though."
"Really? Let me see it."
Obediently, Kirito took his gun off his belt and handed it over. Sinon inspected it briefly before aiming it into the distance. A loud explosion rang out as she pulled the trigger.
"It looks fine to me." She said, handing it back.
Kirito gaped at her. "What? I don't understand."
"Did you remember to take the safety off?"
Her friend stared at her for a second before finally face palming. ". . . Dammit." Sinon laughed as Kirito looked back up at her. "Should I practice aiming before we go then?"
Sinon thought about it. "No. I think you should be fine. It doesn't have much kickback. Anyway, it's almost 18:00."
Kirito's eyes widened. "Oh yeah. Visiting hours end soon."
The sniper grabbed his hand. "Well? Come on!" She quickly rushed him out of the room, turning off their training program as she went. Heathcliff met them in the next room.
"How was it?"
"Great." Sinon answered. "We'll take them."
The man nodded. "Good. They should come in great use in the future."
"Well now that we've seen these new toys." Kirito said, almost impatiently. "Do you think we could leave now? We want to see her before going home."
Kayaba eyed them for a moment, and it looked as if he would deny their request.
"Alright. I don't see why not."
The hospital seemed cold and empty as Sinon and Kirito were led along its halls. This was due to several reasons, like the fact that most of the staff had gone home. But another was because Kirito was glaring at their guide in disgust. His name was Nobiyuki Sugou. Kirito hated him, more than he did other people. Normal people were evil and manipulative, but Sugou was practically the scum of the Earth. He was greedy and arrogant as well as evil in a sick way. Kirito could not understand how he was allowed into Heathcliff's inner circle. He didn't have anything like his leader's calm, collected intelligence. He was the kind of person you wanted to keep women and children away from. But apparently, he had something to offer, because he was put in charge of this hospital and the research going on there in collaboration with RCT Progress.
Sugou led them along and finally arrived at the room they had wanted. He typed in a code and the door slid open.
"You have ten minutes." He informed them before walking away.
Kirito eyed him warily before following Sinon through the door. Inside was a small observation room with nothing but a large pane of glass on the left side. On the other side of the glass, was a quarantined hospital room with a bunch of equipment and a single bed inside. Kirito stood by Sinon at the glass and looked at the person in the bed. She was a small, frail looking girl, with short brown hair and what Kirito knew to be brown eyes (she was sleeping). Despite the way she looked, this girl was only fifteen, a year younger than the two visiting her. The reason she looked so aged was because of one, cruel reason: cancer.
"Yuuki." Sinon whispered.
As if she had heard her name being called, Yuuki stirred before waking up. Her eyes fluttered open as she came to stare at the two people on the other side of the glass. Her face lit up instantly, her eyes and smile brightening up the room, the way Kirito remembered she always did. At heart, Yuuki was like a child, playful and innocent, brightening everyone's day with her laugh and her smile.
"Onii-chan. Onee-chan." She whispered hoarsely.
"Hey, Yuuki." Sinon said with a gentle smile. "How are you doing?"
They could see her shrug. "I've been better. How are you guys? How's training?"
"We're ok, I guess." Kirito said, deciding to join the conversation. "And training's not half bad, but it would be better if you were there."
Sinon nodded in agreement. "We miss you, Yuuki. It's not the same without you."
". . . I miss you guys too." Yuuki admitted sadly.
It was quiet as a feeling of sadness swept over the three of them. If it hadn't been for Yuuki's illness, Sinon and Kirito would be seeing her every day. But because she had to stay in the hospital for treatment that hadn't been fully tested yet, they could only see her with permission.
Kirito suddenly put his hand to the glass, his smile returning. "Just get well soon so we can be together again, ok?"
Besides Sinon, Yuuki was the person he liked most in the world. The three of them shared a past, a painful one but it had led him to meet the people who now meant the most to him. And he wouldn't trade them for anything.
Sinon put her hand next to his, a smile on her face as well. "We'll always be waiting for you. Remember that."
Yuuki smiled at this, her hand lifting up. It stretched toward the window, the barrier between them that was so close and yet so far away at the same time. "Ok. I will."
EDITED!
A/N: Hey! Happy New Year! So i know that this has taken a while, but i had writer's block and school started again earlier this week so I've been busy. Anyway, i hoped you liked this chapter. I'm not sure if it lived up to the last one, but i think it's okay. It's mostly a development chapter for both the characters and the setting. Leave a review please and i will see you next chapter!
