Sword Art Online III: Asgard!

Girl's Ops! One

Kyouko Yuuki got used to making an hour or so per evening to play AOL, though mostly as a solo player. She did pal up with Klein, some, but as a working adult she had to work her schedule around her job and such.

(And, of course, spending time with her husband and kids. Part of her new resolution was to try to do that more than in the past. She could cheat on that resolution by playing with Asuna in AOL, of course, but...)

"Going back to work dear?" Kyouko asked her husband after they had ate.

"Hmm. There's issues with a stock roll out," he quietly said, "I want to be on hand in case things go south."

"You could monitor remotely," she noted mildly.

"It makes investors feel better more confident if someone is at headquarters," he admitted. He added, "I'll be late, don't wait up."

"All right," she nodded, "have a good night."

After he left the house, Kyouko had a moment where she actually wondered if he might be off having an affair. The two of them had not married for love, frankly, but they had a comfortable and trusting relationship. But yes, there wasn't much actual love there... but would he go out looking for love elsewhere? She rather doubted it.

"Mom, I'm going online," Asuna noted.

"Exploring Asgard with Kirito?" Kyouko asked, smiling wryly at how familiar this conversation had become.

"Well, some," Asuna blushed faintly.

"Well, have fun," Kyouko added.

"Some of the others are exploring too, but are having trouble. Maybe you could...?" Asuna suggested mildly.

Kyouko gave her daughter a thoughtful look, "Why not ask you and Kirito?"

"Because they don't want to have to rely on Kirito and Excalibur to constantly save them," Asuna pointed out.

"Makes sense," Kyouko conceded.

"Anyway, I promise not to play TOO long," Asuna added as she headed up to her room and the waiting amusphere.

Kyouko ordered the maid to clear the table, even as she realized she functionally had the evening free. Well, well...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Aaaaah! RUN AWAY!"

The Dark Elves had abushed the group as they entered the caves, and worse, the cursor showed that they were all nearly the same level. AND they attackers had a good party mix, with swordsmen, mage and an archer.

"I'll delay them, get clear," Lisbeth yelled. The blacksmith was the closest their party had to a tank, so it fell to her.

"No!" Silica said, the short dagger weilder adding, "we can run..."

"Not fast enough," Lux admitted, torn.

"Oooh, I hate being under leveled like this," Leafa complained, the busty blonde swordswoman scowling as they gtrired to figure out what to do.

"HYAA!" Youko yelled as she dropped BEHIND the dark elf force, catching them by surprise and slashing with her sword.

"Ack!" the mage yelled as she backstabbed him.

Youko felt a pleasant surprise that she had scored a critical hit on the mage. A second stab of her short sword finished him off, and the group was in disarray.

"COME ON!" Leafa yelled, leading the charge into the confused enemy.

"Watch your back," Lux warned, staying close.

"Thanks," Liz said as Silica raced in and gut stabbed the guy who had been whaling on her, then finished him.

"Healing!" Youko cast, seeing how low Liz' life was.

The group quickly finished off the attacking elves, even as they got lots of treasure and experience points.

"Wow that was awful," Silica admitted, the shorter girl sighing.

"Thank you," Leafa told Youko, sighing. "That was a close one."

"Nice to see ya again," Liz added warmly. "Been busy?"

"Yeah, well..," Youko shrugged a bit. "I talked to Asuna, she said things are tough?"

"Yeah, I think rushing through the dungeon to get up here was a bad idea, it turns out," Lux reflected wryly.

"Yeah. We're low level compaired to most everything we've run into," Liz sighed.

"Huh," Youko nodded. And honestly, having Liz with Thor's Hammer and Kirito with Excalibur had probably warped how they had gained experience. "I hate to suggest it, but maybe we should level grind near the starter town?"

"Oh I hate that," Leafa sighed, but didn't actually argue.

"WE?" Silica jumped at that.

Youko shrugged, "If you don't mind."

"PLEASE. We could totally use someone else who knows magic," Leafa agreed.

"None of you have learned it yet?" Youko looked at the others.

Lux, Silica and Liz all looked sheepish...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, Sinon the sniper stalked Gun Gale Online.

Recently, there had been a notorious Player Killer hunting the wastelands. Copying the infamous Llenn, he was an speed/agility build who used a off-pink combat suit and weapons to blend into the desert sands. Several players who had been killed, angry over their being attacked, had hired Sinon to take him out.

"There we go...," Sinon thought, laying concealed on a rise as she watched the battlefield. Several minor players were out drawing out the enemy, and she watched, waiting. A good sniper was invisible until they fired, and she was VERY good.

The players were jumped by the other, and Sinon sighted calmly. She let the target circle contract, blew out a calm breath, and fired.

The nearly banana sized bullet hit, obliterating the top half of the Pker. There was a splash of red pixelation, then the badu disappeared into nothingness.

"Holy shit." the one dude muttered, awed. "Thank you, Miss Sinon."

"No problem," Sinon calmly hefted her hige anti-tank rifle as she noted, "just don't forget to pay me later."

"OF COURSE," he yelped fearfully.

Sinon bit back a sigh.

Lately Sinon felt somewhat... dissatisfied, playing Gun Gale Online. She had won the Bullet of Bullets, was arguably the best sniper in the game, and had the Hectate, her super rare rifle. She was begining to question what more she could DO...

PING! YOU HAVE MAIL.

Sinon blinked at the notification from her amusphere, then checked her virtual mail; folder. 'Hey, iit's from Liz,' she noted, opening it.

Hey, Sinon

It's Liz. (Duh) We're taking on the Asgard level and it's KICKING OUR BUTTS. We could really use the best archer we know. Oh, and we got Youko helping us out too. Anyway, if you're interested let us know.

Lisbeth

"Well, well..." Sinon murmured thoughtfully.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Hey, we didn't get massacred," Silica noted brightly.

Lux groaned loudly, having flopped over on her back nearby. "This is the worst level ever," she sighed loudly.

"Other than SAO," Liz added.

"Well, yes," Lux conceded.

"Hey, I just got a notice that Sinon logged in," Silica noted as the update appeared on their friends lists.

"Healing," Youko cast on everyone. Tiredly she asked them, "Anyone got mana potions? I'm neatly tapped out."

"INCOMING!" Liz yelped as they saw another monster racing across the field towards them.

"On your feet," Silica telled as they readied to fight.

THWACK. An arrow zipped by them and skewered the monster in the head. It staggered towards them a few more feet, then dropped.

"Sinon!" Lux beamed as the young woman strode towards them.

"Hi, all," Sinon smiled wryly.

To be continued...

Notes: Taking a few chapters away from Kirito and Asuna. I like Kirito and Asuna, but I do think he's SUCH an exceptional player it probably does screw with game play for the folks around them...