Angel: Hey guys, I wrote this while dealing with a rabid plot bunny bite at 12:45 AM the day before Camp NaNoWriMo began. Yep, this is 100 percent concentrated craziness in one chapter. And a lot of "Oh gods you guys don't kill the fanficion writer because of this and that and that." Enjoy! Oh, yeah, at the end, there is a slight spoiler for a GGO/Mother's Rosario plot point from the light novels.

Kari: errrr, this took bit longer than we expected….the end of the school year, summer school, yeah. The next chapter should be out pretty soon after this though since I'm already working on it. Anyways, I hope you guys like the chapter!

Disclaimer! We don't own SAO, just our characters and the plot. Check chapter 1 for more details!

-Asuka POV-

"I'm going to log you out. Now." Those words kept ringing in my mind as Kirito fell to the ground, slowly, as if I could see each frame of motion.

I couldn't help but cuss under my breath, and for once, no one minded as a huge wave of «monsters» rushed by. I looked over the program code...I didn't recall «monsters» of this caliber in the «code».

Something must have mutated...maybe a stray property they forgot to cancel out?

No, no time for thinking about that right now. I have to focus on the hoard of «monsters» ahead.

Asuna cast yet another «healing spell» on Kirito before giving off an anguished cry of defeat, something I was certain shouldn't exist.

"Lemme try. Kuroshi, cover me."

Asuna nodded and stepped aside as the taller boy came and beat a few of the enemies off.

"Oppstandelse helbrede de som kommer for deg som den doende fattige: Resurrection's Blade Special Technique!" It was an old «spell» I attempted to formulate a while back while in the process of creating the «guild» to create a «team technique» related to our guild's name.

As Kirito's eyes fluttered open, I sighed in relief.

"Hey, «Beserk Healer»-san," I said, "Lemme handle healing. You stay on offense."

The «Flash» gave me a passive nod before charging ahead and taking on a ridiculous amount of enemies for her statute. Nonetheless, she took them all down with one fell swoop.

"What's taking Kari-chan so long, damnit!" I yelled as Kirito, already weakened, took another hit. "Kronbladene av illusjon helbrede de som gjemmer seg i den morke taken: Healing Mist!"

Finally, a force log out warning appeared along with a ten second countdown. Bracing myself for the rush back to reality, I closed my eyes.

But what I got wasn't exactly what I was expecting.

-Katashi POV-

I woke up in the real world and immediately rolled off my cot, looking at the girl next to me. Weird. Why wasn't Asuka waking up?

"Kari-san? Something is wrong with Asuka..." I yelled.

She mumbled some curse under her breath. "Same with Kirito-san over here. Asuna-san is okay, though."

Kari turned on the in-game communication device. "Angel-chan, Kirito-san, can you two hear me?"

"Yeah. What's going on?" I heard Angel yell.

"I think your wounds are not letting you log out."

"The hell?" Angel called.

"Don't ask me," Kari muttered as she flicked a few switches and pushed a few buttons, then the force log out switch again.

No result.

"Angel! Behind you!" I yelled. The girl swung her sword behind her without even looking, slicing one enemy and killing three more with collateral damage.

"No honorifics much?" Asuna teased.

"Married in-game. It's a bad habit," I answered, blushing slightly, but not diverting my gaze from the screen.

"Can you two hold up for a little while longer? I'm going to get you guys out of there. Promise." The two Spriggans nodded, grimaces set in stone on their faces.

Kari turned off the communication's screen. "I'm being too optimistic," I heard her mutter. "I don't know if I can get them out."

"Try," Asuna and I said at the same time.

-Lyfa (Leafa) POV-

"They what?!" I yelped. Disapproving glares were shot my way as I covered my mouth, forgetting I was in a library. Saying a quick apology, I scrambled out the door, phone in my shaking hands, I replied, "Onii-san and Asuka-chan are trapped inside?! And they're hurt in the real world?"

"Yeah," Asuna said over the phone.

"No way."

"I know."

The world was silent for a moment as I let the words sink in. Onii-san and Asuka were hurt. Something was going on, something far beyond us and our capabilities. We should be turning this over to officials. We should let them deal with this. This is dangerous. This isn't for high school kids.

No, my subconscious told me, Remember what happened last time? Onii-san got hurt really badly that time too. They'll be okay, you know deep down you have to handle this, Suguha. Anyone else will make it worse.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

Kari grabbed the phone from Asuna in a violent manner and half screamed half whispered, which is, by the way, theoretically impossible, "Nothing. I need you to stay there. If we have something we need you to look up, it's gonna have to be done in a matter of moments for Kirito-san's sake."

"Right," I nodded as I returned to our study table in the library. Multicolored light flooded in from the outside, bent and stained by the ancient stained glass window, deeply contrasted by the modern window panes that replaced the roof formerly crumbling roof.

The «Mass-Multiplayer Online game world» was at a tipping point, and I had to keep everything balanced.

-Asuka POV-

"Morkt, skjerme saret kriger fra pine i lys av kampen," I chanted again. The «healing spells» slowly lost effect, and «spells» that were normally more powerful became mere flares of «light» with a small effect.

"Kari-chan! Get us out of here! We can only hold up for five minutes!"

Five minutes. That wasn't enough time.

"I know! I'm working on it!" a frustrated groan came from Kari as she jammed a few more buttons and keys. I set a five minute «desktop timer», knowing that the moment I saw the numbers 00:00, I might never see anything else.

Four minutes, thirty seconds.

Two hits. I cast a quick «spell», knowing that it was pointless, and ducked behind a «tree» in the «landscape» before it was destroyed, managing a quick hit. I knew somewhere deep inside this effort would all be in vain soon, but I needed to fight or it didn't feel right.

Four minutes.

I could even feel the milliseconds passing by now. Kirito and I went back to back, watching each other's sixes while trying to stay alive.

Three minutes, forty-five seconds.

It seemed like the «mob» was getting bigger as more «enemies» joined the crowd. More «species» and types of «monsters»; I swore they were mutations of a «program code». There was no way these dangerous monsters were programmed in by the tech crew.

Unless...?

I dismissed the thought. There was no way we were sabotaged by our own friends.

Three minutes, fifteen seconds.

I felt like I was drowning. The figures turned in to «shadows», and I felt myself sinking into the darkness.

Fear.

The ultimate weakness was overpowering my senses, going beyond what I could handle.

Two minutes, twenty-five seconds.

"Kirito-sempai? Are you alright?"

"I think so."

The older «Spriggan» bit back a scream as we was, once again, punctured. I flinched for the first time in ages.

"Kari-chan! Get us out!" I yelled, in hopeless anguish. Two minutes, and it would be over. We would be over. This might be the end.

One minute, forty seconds.

Labored breathing. The world was fuzzy, I could barely make out the difference between my comrade and my foe. Holding back a tear, I made another futile attack.

No, I was going to die here.

One minute.

"Angel-chan, we might as well face it," Kirito said.

We fought so hard, so long, but still, they kept coming and coming and coming.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about. Well, we might as well come up with clever last words, then."

"Might as well."

I thought I could've held on to hope for a bit longer, but that was gone, blocked out like how the enemy now blocked the «sun».

Twenty seconds.

"Asuna, Yui, I'm sorry it has to end this way," Kirito murmured. I heard Asuna's quick gasp, as well as Yui's cry, broadcasted over the «conversion» system Kirito built for her.

Fifteen seconds.

"Kuroshi...I'm sorry. I love you."

I could've sworn I saw him cry. Not again. No, not this again. No...

Ten seconds.

I smiled. This was goodbye.

The «monsters» easily landed hits on our weak «avatars» now, since we didn't bother defending. Our «HP» dropped to the bare minimum for staying alive, but we didn't mind.

Five seconds.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Zero.

Then the world went blank.

Angel: I feel evil. That's all I have to say. Please fave, follow, and review!

Kari: Remember, thank Angel for that cliffhanger. Anyways, please follow, fave, and review!