Konnichiwa minna! We were in a good mood after buying some really nice polar-fleece gloves, and decided to write something a bit different from the usual. We recently started watching a new anime series called LAIN the main character's name, not the act of lying down, and think it's pretty interesting, even if the animation sucks worse than the dubbed DGM movie... XP We think it's done by the same people who did Jinroh... the eyes & style are the same Anyhoo, this is gonna be sorta like that... With a few additional characters, of course. ^-~ you should know by now who... Enjoy!

                                                                                                                                ~ Ko-chan to Ya-chan

Disclaimer: We dun own LAIN or any other characters in this fic. Only the idea to splice the series' together to write this. We're not getting paid, so if you try n' sue, all you're gonna get is... *check wallet*... $0.53. ^-^' We're broke... blame x-mas...

Warnings: Um... You'll be ½ lost if you haven't seen or heard of LAIN... There'll probably be violence, coarse language, and shounen ai.... This is also written in the same format as the LAIN series, w/the dude at the beginning, the opening segment of story line, then the "layer number" and "title", followed by the rest.... You'll see what I mean... As for the rest, ano... normal protocol, I guess... Ja... - K

The Wired: Yuugi

          "....Present day..."

          "...Present time... Ha ha ha ha ha..."

-----------------------

          -YUZA LOG IN-

          My name is GemuNijuichi Game21. I'd tell you my real name, but then they'd be able to track me there, to the real world...

          ...But the WIRED is real too... Sometimes, it even seems more real than the other. Take this place, for example; here, I can speak to you as if face-to-face, though both of us are concealed in shadow. It's safer...that way...

          This way...they can't find you. Find out who you are... Find your thought frequency... This way, they won't be able to take you into the WIRED. They won't be able to trick you into downloading yourself completely, and ridding yourself of your body...

          -CLICK-

          They're coming now... I must leave you. I advise you to do the same... We can always meet again some other time, when there is less danger...but you must promise me one thing...

          ...Promise me you'll stay safe. That you won't let them take you. That you won't let _her_ take you, the one with the dark smile and cold eyes... the one whom is behind it all...

          -CLICK- -CLICK- -CLICK-

          We must hurry. Remember your promise... Watch out for her... She will stop at nothing to take you... Watch out for....

          ...LAIN...

          -YUZA LOGGED OFF-

-----------------------------------

          "Yu..."

          "Yuu..."

          "Layer 0-1: Yuugi"

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          I sigh as I sign off the private chatroom and exit the WIRED. What did that guy mean by all that? Is the WIRED really more than it seems? Is that girl... Lain... even real? Or is she only a rumor, like the KNIGHTS?

          I suppose I should try to trust him. After all, he's been talking to me for a while now, always leaving in a hurry and giving me warnings about the WIRED... This is the first time he's given a name, though...

          Turning to look at my top-of-the-line NAVI, I idly wonder just why that guy is so afraid anyway. It _is_ just a computer, a machine... How could people ever take you away if they "live there"...? He calls them "digital ghosts"; people who've gotten so connected to the WIRED that they buy special chips and download their personalities exactly onto the network, then kill themselves; living on as their digital copies...

          ...Sounds like something straight out of a scifi movie, if you ask me. I wonder if I've just been talking to a nutcase this whole time... Still, it _is_ a bit unnerving, having total strangers see your image whenever you log on... Who knows what they could be thinking.... What they could be planning.....

          Gya~! I'm starting to sound like Gemu-kun now... Better not think too much about this... I'll end up in a loony bin!

          Shaking my head, I walk over to my bed, whispering 'goodnight' to my NAVI.

          It calls back, in its cold, mechanical voice; a voice more warm to me sometimes than any human's...

          "Oyasumi nasai, Yuza Yuugi..."

END CHPT. I

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K: So, whadda ya think? Different, huh?

Y: *raises eyebrow* It strangely reminds me of Little Yugi's fanfic "Angel Thief"....

K: *blink blink* Erm... I can _sorta_ see what you're talking about... It's not really like that, though...

Y: *shrugs* I guess you're right... *turns to readers* Sorry about the length of the chapter... It just seemed like a good place to end, even if it _did_ cut it short...

K: *nods* Besides... 'Kaa-chan wanted us off the computer...

Y: Gomen about the format, too.... If you're confused by it, just ignore the 2 title insertions "Present" and "Layer" and pretend the ------- lines are just acknowledging the shift in the POV... If they even show up… --;;;

K: If you think we did a horrible job at depicting Lain, keep in mind we've only seen the first DVD, and only rented it yesterday... Also, her character's based on her "WIRED persona", in which she's a total "seductive bitch". The characters might meet her later on in real life and meet the other Lain, if she chooses to fight against the change the WIRED thrust upon her....

Y: Well, tell us what you think, and if you like it, we'll write more, k?

Both: Ja ne!