Klein wasn't going to settle for this, not after everything Kirito had already gone through. He hadn't counted on Kayaba being the kid's dad, but at the same time, he wasn't all that surprised either. A new question had popped up as a result of all this; did Kayaba know and was that why he had been so determined to recruit him for the Knights of the Blood Oath the first time? Asuna had gone around asking questions about him early on in the game, but because he had been a solo player, the few glimpses here and there were often outdated. Aside from the Moonlit Black Cats, Kirito refused to join any guild and it had more to do with how they had died than how attached he had been to them.

He had no idea when the Knights of the Blood Oath had become famous, but as he checked the 'Wall' Heathcliff wasn't on it. What he did know was that around floor twenty-five, they were a major player at that point. Every decision they made was uncontested and Klein wanted to stop it from happening. He knew the other players would follow him if he formed his own guild, but could he keep all the politics from ripping it apart.

As much as he wanted to continue doing things alone, without Kirito, he risked getting himself killed and that wasn't going to save him or anyone else. Kirito wasn't reaching out to him anymore and while that worried him, he noticed he always ate the bread he put in the guild storage. He was trying to improve his cooking skill and as much as he hated going to her, he knew he could get help from Asuna. Each attempt was horrendous, but he started to notice an improvement over time and when he made a sandwich he thought Kirito liked, he almost cried when he saw a rare message pop up in his inbox. It would mean less down time for him, but Kirito would sleep in the dungeon if he had to.

I'll eat that sandwich over a Kayaba feast any day. Klein didn't answer. He had no idea how much time Kirito usually got... from the reports Eugeo was giving him, it wasn't very much. Until Kirito willingly sat down at the table with him, all of his time was spent fighting. Klein tried to do the same, but Kirito had a strange way of defying all the odds that were stacked against him. He didn't care if his nerve gear forced him to sleep and every time a monster tried to attack him, his dodge and parry went up. More often than not, Kirito didn't have to fight a damn thing if all he wanted to do was sit back and close his eyes.

It was harder for Klein to find those kind of trash mobs where he could constantly level, not without finding a dungeon or two of his own. Every floor had an area and they were extremely dangerous, even with his safety margin. Still, Klein endured. He had no choice. There would come a day when Kirito would have to fight Kayaba and he wasn't going to let the bastard have his way again. He purposely used items that would inflict paralysis on his avatar, hoping to build up his immunity to it. Klein didn't know if he could break the administration one, but he damn sure was going to try. There were several unique skills in the game and only two had been discovered. Kirito had had the duel blade ability, something that he was quickly working his way back up to, while Heathcliff had the divine blade.

Taking on the second floor boss wasn't any harder than taking on the first. With the Red Rose Sword, he sliced through his enemies with an ease that almost made the game seem like a joke. It had been the only time that Kirito had willingly chosen to sit down with his father. He didn't want Klein going into a major boss fight without Eugeo. There were a lot of potions stored in their guild storage and as he progressed, new armor would also appear. Kirito still preferred light leather over chain mail or plate; it would slow him down to wear anything else.

Finally, when he made his way to the guild hall on the third floor, he knew what he was going to do. The NPC asked if he wanted to form a guild and he paid the start up fee, in addition to buying a temporary guild headquarters. The name of the guild was Blue Rose. I'm not sure if I should find myself flattered.

I don't like how Kayaba has Kirito, but if it helps to change the future, then we can only hope that we made the right choices.

Agreed.

Just as he was leaving the guild hall, he saw him... He wanted to immediately draw his sword, but that was impossible while they were in a safe zone. Second, with his stats still as low as they were, the only thing fighting him would accomplish was alerting Kayaba that he was more than just a simple gamer. Klein had to move fast... if Heathcliff gained too many followers, it would be harder to stop him on higher floors. He sent a message to Argo and Diavel... I formed a guild. To make it official, I need at least five players to sign the charter.

Consider us signed up, she answered back. To his surprise, Asuna, Agil and Kibaou also volunteered. The goal of the Blue Rose was to continue on their current mission; to map, scout and clear the floors of Aincrad. There wasn't a single founding member that wanted to leave Kirito as a prisoner and while their progression was slow, with several scouting teams mapping each floor, they could go at a much faster pace, and maintain a safety margin for the raiders and players playing in support roles. Heathcliff had originally gotten his hands on Asuna... that too was a dramatic change to the first time and as soon as everyone found out that Klein had a guild, the requests to join flooded his inbox.

"Klein," Diavel said one morning, the group gathering in their new headquarters. "I know you're capable of clearing floor bosses, but eventually you're going to run into a fight that you can't solo. The Aincrad players need experience and while it might feel like we're slowing you down, it will build their confidence and show Kayaba that we're not relying on you to save us. Please, let us help you save him."

"You're don't hate him?"

"Why should we?" Argo asked. "It's not like we can choose who our parents are; Kayaba didn't know about him, but now that he does, he's going to try his best to win him over. Klein, you're the only one that can take him on."

"I won't kill my best friend," he warned.

"We're not asking you to, but there may come a time when you will have no choice but to fight him." Klein felt sick to his stomach... Could he really raise his sword against the one person that he would give his life for?

Kirito needed to rest, his vision blurring when he appeared in the dining hall. He had no idea how long he had been here, killing monster after monster. His hatred was a dull shimmer of what it had been, replaced with a weary exhaustion that sleep couldn't heal. No one was coming to his rescue and even if they were, it was going to take several years to accomplish. His dad wasn't in the best of moods lately. Apparently he had planned on recruiting several of the Aincrad players, but the moment Klein announced the formation of the Blue Sword, almost every player flooded his inbox. The ones who didn't, were forming orange and red guilds...

Everything was operating the same as it had before, but because the parties were now in a single guild, they could utilize and stock up on guild resources like potions, weapons and armor. Each party had a lead to help control the flow. Klein designated the founding members as his main officers. Guild leader or not, he wasn't about to stop in his forward progression to clear each floor they were on, but at Diavel's and Argo's request, he stopped taking the bosses on alone. Instead, he insisted that everyone go through mandatory raid boss training, giving them several scenarios and if they couldn't pass his strict requirements, they weren't allowed to participate. It was a hard rule, but one designed to keep inexperienced players alive.

"Klein..." Kayaba growled. Kirito was worried about his red-headed friend. Almost every plan Kayaba had was put on hold or obliterated. Klein didn't give a damn if it put his life at risk, but Kirito did.

"You were the one that told them to clear all 100 floors." Kayaba wasn't expecting Kirito to talk to him. For the past six months, Kirito's routine was to fight, appear, refuse dinner and return to the dungeon. He rarely spent time in his room and he always chose that god awful food Klein made over the feast laid out before him. This time was different. Kirito took a deep breath and sat, reaching for a chicken leg. "Does it taste the same as the real world?"

"Kirito, not that I'm opposed to your compliant behavior, but you wouldn't do so without a reason."

"Do I need a reason?"

"With you... yes." Kayaba had him there. As much as he didn't want to admit it, they were related and his curiosity about the mainframe and how Kayaba had designed it was often getting the better of him. The creator of the nerve gear and virtual gaming as it was currently was right in front of him. It just sucked he had to take 10,000 players hostage.

"Maybe I'm too tired to fight." That wasn't a lie and Kayaba could see the emotional strain Kirito's situation was placing on him. Still, that had never been enough to get him to join him for dinner.

"You're wanting to distract me from Klein."

"Is it working?" The brat had an odd sense of humor and Kayaba decided to play along.

"How did the two of you meet?"

"I think you have a replay option; we met in the Town of Beginning."

"That's it... the two of you were instant friends off of a single meeting?"

"He was just good with a sword and if I had to have someone to pair up with, he was the best choice. He didn't fall apart after you took us hostage... Instead, he seemed willing to take you on. He's smart and not prone to heroics... His gaming experience showed and you can see it now as he leads everyone from one floor to the next. Honestly, I'm nothing in comparison to him. Without him, I would have been a solo player all the way to the end, relying on my own skills and strength rather than risk anyone else. Klein isn't like that and everyone that chooses to follow him are aware of the dangers they face. Can I ask you something? Why form a guild if you're only going to turn on them? Psychologically, they won't have the strength to fight you... What is it that you're really after?"

"I told you that during the tutorial; or were you not paying attention?"

"Yeah yeah... You want a world that you're in complete control of, but that's not entirely true either, now is it? What you're really after is to figure out how strong the human spirit is; even in their darkest hour, are they strong enough to survive, or will they all perish before they reach the 100th floor?" Kirito thought he saw Kayaba's lip twitch, as if he was amused at his son's grasp of the situation.

"Let's say you're right... How far do you think they'll get?"

"All the way," Kirito answered. He didn't have a doubt in his mind, especially with Klein's knowledge of SAO. He might not know everything about the swordsman, but Klein had seen Aincrad in it's entirety, of that much he was certain. He knew the dangers and he knew Kayaba to some extent as well. According to Klein, all of them were betrayed by someone they had followed and trusted. After forming the Blue Rose, they were clearing floors at breath taking speed and if Klein felt there wasn't enough of a safety margin for the raiders, he would force them to stop and level. It was non-negotiable and anyone that was prone to heroic theatrics were more than welcome to take on the raid boss themselves. Only one group that Kirito was aware of had tried and they were wiped out as a result.

"Why haven't you sent him a single message?"

"Is there a need to? Honestly, as long as he's alive, I'm fine with this arrangement. I'm not holding him back and I can level to my hearts content inside that dungeon set up you gave me. I'm stronger now than I was before you brought me here, so please, give me more free trash mobs to swing a sword at."

"Your trust in him is abnormal. I might understand if you had known him in the real world, but there is nothing documenting that you two have ever encountered one another. Your adopted mother didn't even want you messing with computer technology and gaming... and yet here we are, on opposite ends of the table."

"Why do I have to define which world we're in, real or virtual? As far as I'm concerned, the world we're in right now is just as real as the one I was born in. We can die here and it will carry over to the one our bodies are being kept alive in. If the government decides to pull the plug on our life support systems, it will result in the same situation here. Your experiment will only work if we're alive."

"That is true, but it will also prove another point. The government only cares about the bottom line and not a human life."

"Can't disagree with you there," Kirito sighed. "You know, if you weren't a bad guy, I would like you."

"I'm not your enemy, Kazuto."

"You're not my friend or ally either. If you were, you would let all of them go."

"I'm not letting them or you go, Kazuto."

"Figured as much. May I go to my room now?" Kayaba wasn't used to a compliant Kirito, but he had no reason to refuse his request either. The boy had been on his best behavior and therefore he would reward his efforts with a full day of uninterrupted sleep. He deactivated the timer just as Kirito stood and walked away.

Kayaba logged out of the game after that, finding Rinko sitting in her room, watching Kirito on the viewing screen he had set up. Turning it off, he waited for her to acknowledge him. "There's no reason for you to keep him from Klein."

"You want him to risk his life then?"

"No! Like he said, you could let them all go... or at least let their avatars die without effecting their bodies in the real world."

"If I did that, then they wouldn't have a reason to clear the game. No, the restrictions I have in place will remain."

"You're really okay with the lives that are being lost as a result of this?"

"The government plays games with our lives every day, but no one does a thing to stop them. War... disease... famine... all of that is controllable and if it's not to the country's benefit, people can and will die."

"You didn't want a family, Kayaba. Those were your words, not mine. So why are you doing this to him? As far as you're concerned, he's just another variable to your experiment."

"You asked if I wanted one, and my answer was no. However, if you had just come out and said that you were pregnant, that would have a resulted in a different response."

"I wasn't going to terminate the baby!" Rinko snapped.

"And again, you never gave me an option. Instead, you broke off our relationship, ran off to the United States and gave our child away. Something's bothering him... I just haven't figured out what it is yet. Did you know he's using the nerve gear to help him sleep? He can't do it on his own."

Rinko had a good idea what it was and Kayaba picked up on the changes in her facial expressions. He was good at reading people and he advanced on her so fast that she had no way to stop him from grabbing her arms and slamming her against the wall. "I'm going to give you a choice, Rinko. You can tell me what you know or I'll go directly to his adoptive mother or sister."

"Leave Midori out of this," Rinko gasped. His grip was painful and any love he might have had for her was gone, replaced with an unrelenting anger.

"I don't know a lot about what happened, only that he suddenly dropped out of Kendo."

Kayaba let her go. He kept an archive of every event and conversation. Going back to the first day of SAO, he carefully watched Kirito. From the moment he had logged into SAO, he wasn't looking at anyone. After getting the gear he wanted, he was heading straight for the north gate when Klein stopped him and his first reaction wasn't acceptance, but fear. Kazuto hadn't been lying to him then. He really hadn't known Klein. So why did the red-head single him out. It seemed that Klein had been watching him closely as well, often choosing what he said in order to keep Kirito from panicking or running off.

Kazuto was quick to pick up on Klein's abnormal adaptation to the nerve gear and he was aware that Klein wasn't as new to the game as he had claimed. It wasn't until later that evening that Klein admitted that he was hiding who and what he was from Kirito. Why didn't the boy press him for further details? It wasn't until after Kirito had lashed out that the two of them became inseparable. Whatever had been in those messages... it was the turning point to their relationship.

Reaching for Klein's file, he researched other games he had been in and realized a couple of his online friends might have tried to buy a copy of the game themselves. Were they in SAO? He did a quick scan and realized that there were a few in Japan that hadn't logged in on time, five to be exact and all of them were under police protection. All of them frequented a sword dojo, led and trained by Klein, aka Tsuboui Ryoutarou. One of them was attending school at a local university. One search led to another and finally he had what he was after. Klein was in a different hospital than Kirito and unlike his son, lacked a police protection unit. A couple of his friends were sitting in his hospital room, talking about the letter their friend had left behind.

Klein had known, but it seemed the only information he had provided to his friends was that he had someone to find and save. After they left, he walked over to the red-head and noticed that the nerve gear he was using wasn't like the one he had designed. It meant two things... Klein wasn't under the same restrictions as everyone else. If his avatar died, he would not. Was he working for another gaming company? His records didn't indicate that he was. He was going to get his answers and with ease, he had Klein disconnected from the wall, the back up system in the nerve gear kicking in so that he wouldn't disconnect from the game.

If he was going to do that, he wanted Klein confined and under his complete control.

Klein noticed that the battery icon for his nerve gear was on... Did the electricity at the hospital go out? No one should be pulling the head gear off... not that it would do anything to him. Unless... did Kayaba figure it out? Half an hour later, the icon went away... just as he was about to relax, everything went dark and suddenly he was awake, not in Aincrad, but a room with glass walls, a bed, and a commode to relieve himself. The only thing he had on was a hospital gown and beside him was the nerve gear and Kayaba. "Before you decide to try anything... one wrong move or word on your part, and I'll terminate the lives of every Blue Rose Guild Member. That's approximately 5,000 players that you're responsible for."

So this was the man that had created sword art online? He wanted to snap the bastard's neck, but there was a remote in his hands and he knew that he would follow through with his threat. "I want to know who you work for Tsuboi Ryoutarou?"

"Believe it or not, I don't work for anyone. I'm a free agent."

"How did you know about Kazuto? Aside from Rinko and one other, no one knew about SAO..."

"That's not true," Klein disagreed. "When you first started the SAO project, you had third partner, someone that you had to kick off the team. He was violating a lot of rules and regulations when it came to human experimentation, most of which you were opposed to. It was one of you're more redeeming qualities."

"Sugou Nobuyuki." Klein nodded. "I also learned that he was once interested in your ex-girlfriend and after the two of you started dating, he was hell bent on getting revenge. I can't deny that I knew about SAO and what you had planned; I sent a message to five of my friends for them not to log on."

"If you knew, then why did you take the risk and log in despite that?"

"I only give a damn about one person and that's Kazuto himself."

"Why? How do you know my son?" Kayaba demanded. Klein almost respected him for that alone, but it didn't change the fact that this man had taken a little under 10,000 players hostage... The man probably had no idea that he was acting like a concerned father, even if he was a psychotic one.

"If you care so damn much; let him and everyone else go."

"You two are an odd pair... Despite the fact that neither one of you have sent a single in game message, you two are asking for the same thing. I'm not letting him or you go... whether or not I let you back into SAO, I'll figure that out later. For now... I'm going to keep you from interacting with him completely."

"Why do you like hurting him?" Klein thought he saw a flicker of surprise on Kayaba's face... Was the guy really that out of tune with reality and human emotion? "It wasn't enough that his grandfather might have been beating him, but now you're denying him the only friend he has? I won't take him from you... and you do care or you wouldn't have gone out of your way to track me down."

"Alright... I'll humor you. What do you want, aside from letting everyone go?"

"If you really want to see what Kazuto is capable of, set him free and let us clear the game as you intended. I'm not sure what you want from all of this, but I know it has nothing to do with caging the human spirit the way you are. He has so much more to offer."

Kayaba tapped his finger against his elbow. If he was telling the truth, he would do almost anything to keep the boy alive. "Alright... on one condition. You will wear the nerve gear that I designed, not that one. If you really care about him, you will knowingly take the risk and log back on with the same constraints as everyone else."

"Will you set him free?"

"I have conditions, but I'll allow it. Instead of the dungeon, I will let him quest and raid with you. I don't really care if you tell Kazuto that I have you, but no one else. At night, he stays in the Ruby Palace. When he's not with me, you will serve as his personal bodyguard until the game is cleared."

Klein never again wanted to touch the gray colored nerve gear and his hands shook as he stared at it. He was literally placing his life on the line for this and Kayaba was watching him. Damn it to hell. Unlike everyone else, he was not only placing his avatar on the line, but his physical body as well. "As long as you hold up your end of the deal, nothing will happen to you."

Taking a deep breath, he put the nerve gear on and said the dreaded words. He could only hope that Eugeo was embedded in Kirito's nerve gear at this point or they were going to have to do this on their own. Kayaba half expected Klein to refuse the conditions, but when he said the words, he started to think that there were a few humans that possessed incredible courage. Klein wasn't telling him everything, but he was honest about wanting to save Kirito.

The next time he woke, he was in Kirito's room. He had no idea why Kayaba had allowed this, but he could only sit and wait for him to open his eyes. Kirito seemed to hesitate on sitting up, half expecting to find himself in the dungeon again. When he felt the silken sheets beneath his fingers, he looked around in confusion and froze. The pure happiness in his eyes was enough to justify the risk Klein was taking. "What are you doing here?"

"Let's just say your dad and I came to a compromise."

Eugeo...

Kayaba managed to find and take him.

Kirito started to say something, but Klein pulled him into a tight embrace and whispered for him to stay quiet. "I vowed to save you and if it means that I have to risk it all, so be it."

"How did you convince him to let me go?"

"He hasn't, not exactly. The only thing he's changed is how you level and raid. At night, he still wants you to come back here."

"And during the day?"

"I've been ordered to serve as your personal bodyguard until the very end."

"I know this sounds stupid, but I don't want to fight him."

"Kirito; for better or worse, he is your dad. I wouldn't say he win's the father of the year award, but he does have fourteen years to make up for. For just a brief moment, he seemed confused about how he was handling you. It's still going to take us awhile to reach floor 100; why don't you use that time to build a relationship with him."

"I'm surprised that you would suggest that."

"I don't have to like him or the idea, but maybe you can figure out why he decided to create this world. You're the only one that can."

"I still have to spend time with him?" Kirito protested.

"Would you prefer to go back to that dungeon?"

"You mean I don't have to?! Really?! Fine, I'll do whatever he wants..."

When he woke up and saw Klein, he felt his depression fade away. Maybe his dad wasn't a complete jerk, but that didn't mean he wasn't still mad at him. He had to find a way to get through to him, but how? If his mother had never managed to do it, what could he possibly accomplish?