Chapter 14: The KoB's Dog

A/N: Well this definitely came earlier than I expected, seeing as how I just updated my other story a several hours ago. It's really late too. What is it like 3:30 in the morning? Oh well, I couldn't sleep anyway. Now, go ahead and read my little darlings, I know you want to.

Felicita was now walking through the halls of the KoB's headquarters with Kirito. Asuna had had some important second-in-command business to take care of so she couldn't accompany them. Kirito was taking Felicita to meet with Commander Heathcliff, seeing as how Felicita had never stepped foot in the KoB's headquarters before and couldn't go by herself.

As they walked, Kirito couldn't help but notice that Felicita was fidgeting and fingering one of her knives under her cloak. Her hood was down though, and he figured that that was a good step for her.

The swordsman put a hand on Felicita's head. "Hey, it's going to be fine." He reassured her. "Heathcliff can be really strict but he's a very reasonable man."

"Yeah, I guess." Felicita sighed. "But what does he want to talk to me about? I'm a thief. What would he want from me?"

"I'm not really sure." Kirito said thoughtfully, one hand on his elbow, the other on his chin. "He didn't give us any specific details when we convinced him to release you." Suddenly, Felicita stopped walking. Kirito noticed after a few steps and turned to look at her. "Fel? What's wrong?" He realized that she was staring passed him at something. The boy was about to turn around to look when Felicita pulled him into a nearby hallway. "What-?" he began, but the girl just shushed him as she stood next to him against the wall.

Felicita hugged his arm, as if trying to hide behind him. Kirito was confused. Then he heard voices and looked in their direction. It took a while, but eventually a group of KoB members came into view. Felicita's grip on Kirito's arm tightened as they passed. The group wouldn't see them unless they looked down the hall they were in and she was afraid that they would.

Once the group had passed, Kirito and Felicita stood in shocked silence for a minute. Then Kirito turned and looked down at the girl clutching his arm. "Ryner-san." He said.

Felicita looked up at him. "Did you know that he was a Knight of the Blood Oath?"

Kirito shook his head. "No, I don't know many members of the KoB personally."

"And the boy in the front . . . that was . . ."

"Toma." Kirito finished for her. "He's a skilled lance-user. He has a high rank but not nearly as high as Asuna's. Do you know him?"

Felicita nodded after a while. "He was in my guild before we met you and Seiji."

Kirito's eyes widened. "Really?"

Felicita nodded again before looking down at the ground. "He left because he thought that we were holding him back. I guess we were, seeing as how he was able to get a high rank in the KoB." For some reason, Kirito felt like he did not like Toma very much at that moment. Felicita looked back up at Kirito. "Kirito-kun, what could this mean? If Ryner is here, then . . ."

Kirito knew what she was thinking. He shook his head. "No, your guild is not dead, don't think that. I know Silica personally, she isn't dead. Now I know I can't say the same thing about Riku-san, but if she's as strong as you say, she's not dead either." Felicita pondered his words before nodding. Kirito tugged his arm gently. "We can worry about that later, but right now, we have something important to do."

". . . Ok." Felicita finally said before letting go of Kirito's arm. She followed him back into the hallway that they had been in before and continued to walk. As the swordsman led her, Felicita was absorbed in her thoughts. She was really worried now. What had happened to the Timber Wolves? Where was Riku? Felicita shook her head. Kirito was right, she had something important to deal with right now. Everything else would have to wait.

Finally they reached the large doors that led into the room Heathcliff was waiting in. Kirito turned to look at Felicta. "Alright, this is as far as I can go. You will have to go in on your own. Just stay calm and everything should be fine." Felicita nodded nervously. Kirito pointed to a door down the hall. "I'll be waiting in the first room to the left. Go in there when you're finished. I'll leave the door open, so just run out screaming if you need me. I'll hear you."

Felicita gave a small smile and punched him on the arm lightly. "Like I'm going to do that. I need to keep some of my dignity intact."

"I'm just saying, I'll be your knight in shining armor and run to your rescue. You'll definitely fall for me then." He smirked as she punched him again. "Seriously, I'll be there if you need me."

"Ok. Thanks, Kirito-kun."

Kirito lightly patted the top of her head. "No problem." With that, Felicita glanced at him one last time before opening the doors and going inside.

As Felicita closed the doors behind her, she couldn't help but look in awe at the large room in front of her. Not much was in it. A long desk was at the other side of the room, the wall behind it completely made of glass. The rest of the room was empty, which Felicita thought was just a waste of space. Behind the desk was a man with grayish hair. She knew it was Heathcliff because his clothes were unique, red with white trimming instead of the other way around.

Heathcliff was stoic faced as he addressed her. "You must be the Shadow Thief. Please come in." Felicita quietly did as she was told and walked to stand a few yards in front of the desk. He contemplated her for a moment before saying "I apologize for the treatment you received when you arrived. We were unaware that you had previously spoken to Kirito." Felicita stood quietly so Heathcliff continued. "I understand that you and Kirito came to an agreement."

Felicita nodded. "Yes sir. I told him that I would give up stealing from green players and I would put my talents toward something more productive."

Heathcliff rested his elbows on the table and pressed his fingertips together, forming a steeple. "May I ask what you plan to do?"

The petite girl hesitated before answering. "Before I became a thief, there were some people that I held very close to my heart. I know that they're in Aincrad somewhere and I want to make amends with them."

Heathcliff nodded his head in approval. "That is a worthy goal. Very understandable."

Felicita fidgeted in her spot nervously before asking "Sir, may I ask why you released me and called me here?"

"Ah, yes, you must be wondering about my reasoning. Well, despite the fact that you have sworn off crimes against the common, honest player, we cannot simply wave off your previous offenses. You stole from countless people in the past and that cannot be ignored."

Felicita swallowed nervously. "Am I to be sentenced?"

"To death? No. We try to avoid unnecessary killing. I had something else in mind. To atone for your transgressions, normally you would either have to pay a fine or be sentenced to prison until SAO is cleared. However, we both know that you do not have the col to pay such a fine, otherwise you would not have become a thief. The other option would be to let you rot in jail but then your skill set would be wasted. So I have come up with an alternative: you will become . . . shall I say the Knights of the Blood Oath's dog until this game is cleared. You are not required to join our guild, but you must follow orders that we give you. However, we will give you ample time to pursue your goal."

Felicita thought about the offer. It sounded slightly demeaning working as the dog of the biggest and most powerful guild in Aincrad, but it sounded better than staying in a jail cell. The girl nodded. "I would be glad to accept."

"I am glad to hear that, but you cannot have this position just yet." Felicita looked at him in confusion. "I have heard a great deal of your talents from Kirito, but I want to see them for myself, so you must prove to me just how skilled and trustworthy you can be as well as what you can do to benefit the Knights of the Blood Oath and all players in Aincrad." Heathcliff folded his hands and waited for the thief to reply.

Felicita stood there, shocked, but her mind began to race all the same. What could she do to prove herself? Then, she had an idea. It left a bad feeling in her stomach, but if she could pull it off, then Heathcliff would be sure to let her take the position. She wasn't looking forward to being his underling, but she did want to atone for the mistakes that she made.

The girl took a breath and began to speak. "Well . . ."

Kirito was pacing across the rug in the room he was waiting in. The room looked almost like a break room. A few soft chairs and a couch stood in the center of the rug surrounding a small coffee table. Asuna sat in one of the chairs, her legs crossed and her fingers nervously drumming on the armrest. She had walked in a few minutes ago, having walked by and seen Kirito inside. She was now waiting with him until Felicita came back.

Finally Asuna couldn't take it anymore. "Kirito, will you sit down? Just watching you makes me nervous."

Kirito shook his head. "I tried sitting down earlier, but I couldn't stay in the chair."

Asuna watched him for a moment. "You're really worried, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah!" Kirito said, his hands briefly going into the air. "She's been in there for a while now."

A minute later, Asuna asked. "Why are you helping her? Not that it's a bad thing, you just seem really driven."

Kirito gave his answer some thought before saying "She's been through a lot since this game began. I just really want to help her out."

". . . What's your relationship with her? I mean, you two seem really close."

Kirito glanced at her. "We met earlier on in the game and then again a few days ago. She's a really good friend. Actually, it feels more like she's my little sister. Why?"

Asuna looked away from him and out the window. "No reason. I was just curious." Why did her cheeks suddenly feel warm?

There was silence between them for a few minutes. Then Felicita walked into the room. "Fel." Kirito said as he ceased his pacing. She went to meet them in the middle of the room.

"How did it go?" Asuna asked.

Felicita gave a small smile. "Well, he said that I couldn't simply be pardoned for my crimes, so I have to be like the KoB's dog until SAO is cleared. I have to follow orders and do jobs for them."

"Well that doesn't sound that bad." Asuna reasoned.

Kirito, however, noticed that Felicita was avoiding eye contact and instead was looking at the ground. He looked at her sternly. "That's not it is it? What else did he say, Fel?"

The small girl hesitated before continuing. "He said that I have to prove myself first before I can take the position."

"Ok. And what did he say?"

". . . It's more like what I said."

"Fel . . . what did you agree to do?" The girl remained quiet as she looked at the floor. Kirito's mind began to race as he thought about the things that Felicita could have offered. What was something that only she could do? Then his eyes widened as he came to an answer. He grabbed Felicita by the shoulders and looked at her face. "You didn't."

Asuna was confused. "What? What didn't she do?"

Felicita still wouldn't look at them. "It's supposed to be secret."

"We won't tell anyone, Fel. We promise. Now what did you say?" Kirito asked but Felicita remained quiet. His grip relaxed slightly as he continued. "Fine. I'll just say what I think you said." The thief looked up into Kirito's eyes. "You told him that you would infiltrate and take down Laughing Coffin didn't you?" Kirito saw Felicita's eyes guiltily look to the ground, and knew he was right.

Earlier, during Felicita's meeting with Heathcliff, Felicita just finished offering the only thing she could think of. Heathcliff had his hands folded thoughtfully under his chin. "That is some offer, it would be very beneficial if you succeeded. But it is a large job. Are you certain that you can accomplish it?"

Felicita nodded. "I was offered a place in their ranks several days ago. I have yet to give them a reply, but if I agree to it now and they trust me enough to let me in, then I could leak information about them to you and with that, we could potentially bring them down."

"You do realize that this is a test of your capabilities? No one from the guild can help you."

The girl in front of him nodded. "I am aware, sir. I should be fine though. With my high stealth and listening skills I should be able to glean a lot of information. As long as I'm not found out, I won't be killed."

Heathcliff considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Since you are so sure that you are capable of this endeavor, it will be your assignment. Just so you know, you will be under constant surveillance until this matter is over, you are being tested. Also, you must keep this a secret. Obviously, if word got out, it could eventually reach Laughing Coffin's ears. The higher-ups of this guild will be made aware, but that is about it. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Then good luck, you are dismissed." Felicita nodded and turned, making her way toward the exit.

Asuna stared at Felicita and Kirito, shocked at what it had been discovered that Felicita had offered to prove herself. "What? But how could anyone pull that off?"

Felicita glanced at her nervously. "They invited me into their guild a few days ago. If I accept and get in, I could bring them down from the inside."

"Surely you're not planning on doing this alone?" Asuna asked.

Felicita nodded. "Heathcliff said that no one from the guild was allowed to help me." She was starting to regret offering to take down the biggest murder guild in Aincrad, her knees were starting to feel weak.

It was silent for a moment. Then Kirito spoke up. "Then that's how it's going to be. No one from the guild will help you, but I will."

"What?" Asuna asked incredulously.

Felicita was dumbfounded. ". . . Kirito-kun."

"I'm not a member of this guild, remember? So I'll help you." Kirito said with a smile, his hands on his hips.

"Is-Is that really ok?" Asuna questioned.

Kirito nodded. "As long as I'm not found out." He turned to look at the former thief. "So what do you say? How does a partnership sound?"

Felicita looked at him for a minute. Then she smiled and hugged him gratefully, tears were in her eyes. She was so relieved. She had been scared at the prospect of completing this task alone. "A partnership sounds good." Felicita said into Kirito's shirt. "Thank you, Kirito-kun."

"Hey, what are friends for?" He asked as he hugged her back.

"I'm pretty sure they're not for helping each other infiltrate murder guilds." She answered, her voice muffled.

Kirito chuckled. "No, I guess not."

They pulled away and Asuna spoke. "Felicita-san, I know that the guild isn't supposed to help, but if you need absolutely anything, I'm sure I can arrange something."

Felicita smiled at her. "Thanks, Asuna. By the way, you don't have to call me that anymore. It sounds too formal."

The next day, Kirito and Felicita made their way to the clearing on Floor 31 where Laughing Coffin made their offer to Felicita. Before they arrived, they agreed that, while Felicita was with Laughing Coffin, they couldn't be friends or in a party in case they forced her to show them her menu. However, Kirito promised to stay close by so he could keep an eye on Felicita and come to her aid if need be.

Felicita went into the clearing alone, Kirito was nearby, hidden among the trees. The girl stood there apprehensively, she would have been outright scared, but knowing that Kirito was close by, she felt reassured.

It wasn't long before several figures appeared from the shadows and came to stand in front of Felicita. The same, low, cold voice that had offered her the position in Laughing Coffin spoke to her. "So, Shadow Thief, have you come to a decision?"

Felicita gathered herself together before answering. "Yes. I accept."

"We're very happy to hear that." He said. From his tone, Felicita could tell that he was smiling. The man turned. "If you would follow me."

A/N: Ok, so there you have it. I think I'm getting better at leaving cliffhangers. What do you guys think? Well, I've been doing it for the past few chapters so I could only improve from there. So, a lot of things happened in this chapter. What's going to happen next you ask? Well I'm evil, so I won't tell you. Just wait and see what happens with Ryner, Toma, and Laughing Coffin! By the way, I should have mentioned this last chapter, but do you like the book cover I have for this story? It's not as good as the one I have for my other one but his one isn't half bad. Well, review for now! Tell me your thoughts. I always get excited when I see I have a new review and so far, the words you guys put have done nothing but make my day! See ya next chapter!