"You know I didn't sign up for this?" Beezy said to Serena as the two of them entered the elevator heading to the labs of the Kaiba Corp building. They were going to be heading down about ten floors to the R&D department. That was where Serena's people would hook them into the DMO game and monitor their progress in eliminating the virus.

"I know," she replied as the elevator began to descend.

"I mean I was okay when you told me Fader was in a coma. And I was honored when you asked me to handle the day to day operations of Fader's job. I gotta admit that it was fun handling some of the mayoral responibilities; I dueled some guy that didn't want to pay taxes and refereed a match between to property owners in a land dispute. I can understand all that, good duelists are needed in order to maintain the peace in certain areas and I'm flattered that you asked me." The elevator stopped and opened up to the massive labratory. "But this," he said exiting the lift and trying to absorb all the of the technological marvels that were being designed. "You're asking me to go into a virtual reality world where a virus is killing and injuring people to try a foolish, half-cocked plan to stop it?"

"If you don't want to go through with it then you don't have to," Serena told him as the two lingered near the doorway of the lift. "I'm sure Axis wouldn't have minded coming along instead of taking over the political duties. I asked him to do it though because he has a bit more experience with that regard and I don't know how long we're going to be in the simulation."

Beezy smiled at her. "I can't let him take this fun chance away from me. Why did you call him all the way from Europe though?"

"The same reason that I called you all the way from America; I needed someone I could trust."

Beezy had a puzzled look on his face. "But you said that you never met him before, didn't you?"

"I hadn't," she told him. "But Fader trusted him. The two of them had been talking since we left Battle City over holo-communications. Fader trusted Axis, that was good enough for me. If someone can be trusted by Fader then they will have the same unwavering trust from me that they had from him."

"Why?"

"Because I love him. And I feel a sense of connection with him that I've never felt with anyone else. I can't explain it."

"You'd better not try then," said Beezy finally. "Explain this for me though; why are you risknig your life for this game. Why are you going to plug yourself in and risk your life for people you don't know?"

"Because this is my fault," she replied. "Bercause this is my company and my project and I feel responsible. I'm also sick and tired of sitting beside my lovers bed, unable to do anything to help him. Those people trapped in the game I can help. And I will help them." She paused. "What about you Beezy? You didn't 'sign up for this', why did you decide to come?"

"Because the stupid reckless part of me wants to help people. And it should be educational."

The two of them walked down a few steps and headed deeper into the lab. They had barely made it down hte steps when a short, spectacled man in a white lab coat approached them. "Miss Kaiba," he said to her, ignoring Beezy completely. "We're ready at your leisure. We're going to load you into the same server as the last virtual attack." He pointed to a set of reclining charis with glass domes covering them. "Your pods are ready."

Serena walked up to the middle chiar of the three and entered a few commands into a control panel on the side. "Place Duel Monster Persona marker into the slot," a high pitched computer voice said. A small, thin drawer opened up. Serena reached into the pouch on her belt and produced her deck. She flipped through the top few cards until she found one, which she then removed from the deck and placed into the slot. The drawer closed promptly.

"Select support cards," the computer continued as five more slots opened up underneath where the first had. Serena chose five more cards from her deck and place each into the other slots one by one. The computer announced that she had finished preparations and the glass dome over the pod lifted up. "Program ready."

"Your turn Beezy," Serena said, gesturing to the pod to her left. "Time to load your character." She walked over to the pod she had just pointed to.

Beezy walked over to join her just as she began entering the same commands that she had no her won pod. The computers first slot opened up and instructed Beezy in the same manner it did before. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked Serena.

"Select a monster from your deck," explained Serena. "Whatever mosnter you choose will become your body in the DMO world."

Beezy flipped thorugh his deck. "Sword Hunter he said," holding up the monster card. "Not quite as powerful as the Buster Blader I lost to Fader but it does the job."

"Fair enough," Serena said as Beezy placed the Sword Hunter into hte slot. The five other slots then opened up awaiting input.

"Selcet support cards," the computer repeated.

"Support cards?" asked Beezy.

"Magic and trap cards. You can select five of them from your deck to give you added power in the DMO world."

Beezy chose his five supporting cards and placed them in the slots. "I'm ready," he said after the last card tray had closed. The glass dome above his own chair lifted itself up.

"Now we get into the pods and load the program." Serena went back to her own reclining chair and sat down. A visor fell into place in front of her eyes. "Dr. Faustus," she caled out to the small man. "Load up the program. And wish us luck."

He activated the program and the glass domes lowered into place and sealed themselves. "Good luck child," he said to her. "You will need it." He then walked over to a panel on the wall and pressed a button, holding it. "She is in Mr. Beltran. Everything is as planned so far."