"Hey, guys noob question but where is the log out button?" Klein asked.
"It's gone," Kage said.
"How can it be gone?" Kirito asked.
"It could just be a glitch after all the game just launched," Klein said.
"This is a pretty big glitch then," Kitirto said.
"There has got to be a way out," Klein said, "I know I'll just rip the Nerve Gear off my head."
He then tried to take the helmet off but to no avail.
"Dont bother, once you're hooked in you cant move your body in the real world anymore the Nerve Gear intercepts all the commands you give," Kirito said.
"Well since there is nothing we can do we just have to wait till the admins either fix it or do force logout," Kage told them.
"Or we have to wait for someone at home to take the Nerve Gear off you," Kirito said.
"Well I live alone, what about you two?" Klein asked
"I have a little sister, but she's probably getting ready so she won't come to check on me for another 15 minutes or so," Kage told the other two.
"I also have a little sister as well as a mother but they won't notice until its time for dinner," Kirito said.
"Wait you both have sisters. How old?" Klein asked.
"Dude, my sister is 14 and you look like your at least 30," Kage answered.
"Hey man, I'm only 24," Klein grumbled.
"Well, why dont we start heading to the beginner town." Kirito suggested
Just as he finished saying those words a loud bell dinged in the distance and all three of them suddenly were surrounded by blue light and then they disappeared from where they were standing. In the town square, thousand over blue flashes were shining. All at once a little under 10,000 people appeared.
"What's going on?" Someone asked.
"I dont know maybe some kind of event." Another player answered.
"Someone forced a teleport but, only admins can do that," Kirito said.
"Well then maybe they gathered us here so that they can log us out," Klein said.
"No, they could do that from anywhere, there is no reason to summon everyone," Kage said.
"Look!" a guy yelled pointing at the sky.
In the sky, a red hexagon with warning in the middle of it started to spread all across the sky. Then suddenly a red liquid that looked a lot like blood started to drip out of the sky. It formed a person with a red hooded cloak that started to speak.
"Attention, players. I welcome you to my world."
"My name is Akihiko Kayaba. And as of this moment, I am in control of this world."
"I'm sure most of you have already noticed an item missing from your main menus, the log-out button."
"Let me assure you, this is not a defect in the game. I repeat this is not a defect. This is how Sword Art Online was designed to be."
"He's joking right?" Klein asked.
"You cannot log yourselves out of SAO, and no one from the outside will be able to shut down or remove the "NerveGear from your head."
"If anyone attempts to do so, a transmitter inside the NerveGear will discharge a microwave signal into your skull, destroying your brain and ending your life, in fact as of right now 213 people did not listen to my warning and have been deleted permanently."
"No way 213 people." A girl said, shocked.
"The Nerve Gear will also fry your brain if your HP reaches zero," Kayaba told all the shocked players, "and I turn off pain nullification so when you get hit you feel everything."
"Now the only way for any of you to leave this game is to beat all 100 floors of Aincrad," Kayaba explained, "Also before I forget I left you all a little present in your inventory."
As Kage and the other players opened their inventories and saw a mirror. When they pulled it out it flashed. Looking around Kage saw that everyone's appearances had changed.
"As all of you can see you no longer have avatars but your true selves," Kayaba said, "Well many of you will die but those who dont I shall see you at a later date."
After Kayaba said this he disappeared. The player all broke out into a panic.
"This can't be real." One player said.
"No No No!" another said while rocking on the ground in a fetal position.
There were many players having different reactions to what the were just told.
As Kage was looking around he felt a hand grab him and drag him away. When he looked he saw a dark-haired boy dragging him and another man with red hair and goatee. After a while, he stopped and turn to look at the two of them.
"Kirito?" The red-haired guy asked.
"Yeah, Klein it's me," Kirito said.
"How did you know it was me?" Klein asked.
"Your nametag," Kirito said.
"Oh yeah, but man you sure look very different from your avatar," Klein said looking Kirito over.
"Yeah but you and Kage look very similar to your avatars." Kirito said, "But how did they get our body size and stuff?"
"When we first logged on they made us pat down our bodies for calibration so that must be how," Kage said.
"Yeah," Klein agreed.
"So why did you drag us all the way out here, Kirito?" Kage asked.
"I'm going to head to the next town where there are better quests and will be fewer people and I want you two to come with me," Kirito told the two.
"Sorry man but a few of my friends are still back at the square and I worried about them so I can't," Klein replied.
"What about you Kage?" Kirito asked looking at him.
"I'll go with you," Kage said nodding his head, "it's better to have someone watching our backs if what Kayaba said is true about us dying IRL if our HP reaches zero."
"Well, you guys could come and join me and my friends if you want." Klein offered.
Both Kage and Kirito shook their heads.
"It will be faster if it's just the two of us go alone," Kirito said.
"Well, you two watch yourselves out there," Klein told the two as he ran back to the town square.
"Ready?" Kage asked Kirito.
"Yeah," Kirito answered.
So the two left the town heading to the next.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
(Ahmya POV)
While Kage was being told that he was trapped in the game hi little sister was heading home from the convince store.
"I need to hurry home so I can get ready for going to the movie tonight," She said walking past a display with several televisions.
"Breaking News, Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of the Nerve Gear, has taken the 10,000 players who logged into his new game SAO hostage. If you have a friend or loved one who is logged into SAO do not try to remove the Nerve Gear from their head as it will kill them."
When Kage's sister heard this she dropped the bag of snacks she had and rushed home. She burst through the front door and ran upstairs to Kage's room. She flung open the door to see her brother lying in bed with the Nerve Gear on.
She fell to her knees and yelled, "Noooo."