"Joshua, are you up?"

I am up and wide awake, having just logged off of Gun Gale Online a few minutes ago. But why does Asuna think I want to talk to her now? Well, more of the other way around, why does she want to even see me right now? I close my laptop and set it on the nearby desk as I walk over to my bed. "It's open."

Asuna walks inside quietly, but I have to avert my eyes once I notice she's in a pink nightgown. Now I can finally add Asuna to the list of inappropriate night time talks. She sits on the edge of my bed, her back to me. "I'm sorry for bothering you right now if you were going to sleep."

I sigh. "It's fine. Though I wish you didn't come...in that. Kazuto may be my best friend and you are too, but you're a girl still, an attractive one."

"Oh...well… I guess I'm just that used to being around you. I forgot about decency. You're different in that regard than Kirito… He looks fine."

I nod and look towards my folded laptop. "Yeah. He's doing well in the Underworld. He's going to be fine."

Asuna turns to me, her eyes brimming with tears mixed with hurt and betrayal. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You know why. I am part of a secret government operation and a secret business development. Representing Robotelligence, helping Rath, telling you and Shino about the Soul Translator was too much in the first place. Before that, I told Kureha and Zeliska because I trusted them completely. But they don't know where I am at, or what I'm truly doing here. I cannot go blabbing secrets just because our friend got hurt and you were worried about him."

"But don't you think I had a right to know?"

"No. If anyone did, it would be Suguha, and I would have sworn her to secrecy immediately. But as we just did, we told everyone. This happened because you want to ease their worries and didn't trust Kikuoka, which I get, and also because you don't trust me."

Asuna turns away. "...How dare you say that? Maybe I am wrong for being angry with you, you did what you thought to be right and all, but I don't know what to do. He protected me from Johnny Black and took the poison for me. He collapsed right there and almost died in front of me. I can't exactly be angry at him right now… Ugh." Asuna lays down on the bed, first on her back then on her side to stare at me. Having known this girl since we were 15, we've been trapped in a death game, faced arranged marriage, fought a deadly gunfight, faced an onslaught of suitors, played a NPC death game, and relived the death game and the memories that come with it. Four years of history...and not once have I been in this position, not in the real or virtual world until right now. Gonna have to give Kazuto a pat on the shoulder when he wakes up, then tells him to keep her away from me.

"Okay, I take that comment back."

"Thanks. I take back any notion that I don't trust you."

"You know, if anyone was to see us now, they might get the wrong idea."

"Yeah, but what'd be your excuse for letting me inside? What would the girls think of you then?"

I groan. "I don't want to think about them, okay? It's bad enough that Shino and Rika want me to choose soon… I haven't even spoken to Momiji about this. You think it'll be an easy choice, Rika ended things with me. But it's more complicated than that."

Asuna nods. "Yeah. You have a history with Lis. One similar to me and Kazuto, but not built on blood, sweat, and tears. You have that with almost everyone else. But you and Momiji have a much longer history. Honestly, I thought you would have been happy to be with her."

"Lis thinks it's because it is the one thing I've been missing: a girl constantly at my side. A 'Koharu'. I guess that's true. Philia, Rain, Sinon, Kureha, even Rei, and Strea, I've grown close to them that way. But, aside from Sinon, I've also risked my life in their names and in Lisbeth's, and that's just as important. There's so much going for both sides that I might do the dumb thing and flip a coin."

"If you had to choose one girl right now, without thinking, who would you choose?"

"Momiji. I came to that conclusion earlier in the week. But when I think, my choice is Rika." I cover my face with my arms, forcing the thought out my head in turn for another. "But I do know one thing, I am jealous of you and Kazuto."

Asuna smiles. "I know. I've always known. He's always the hero, always getting the praise. Everyone looked to him or me back in the day. We become a couple and we escape SAO. In each other, we find our other half. I bet you've been searching all these years, but I believe you found it. But even then, I am nothing without you as well. The three of us...forever, always."

"Heh. If you say so." I then peek at Asuna, smiling slyly. "Are you now trying to compete with Suguha up there?"

Asuna frowns as she folds her arms and covers her chest. Not helpful, by the way. But then she smirks and turns the tables. "Well, you're losing the competition down there."

"...Get out my room, you devil."


The next morning

"Hey! You're scaring her, Ichiemon." I look up from my work to Higa standing up and walking down the steps towards the STL bay. I can't see who the robot has frightened, but based on who is here and not, I guess it is Asuna. I chuckle as Higa goes to the first Electroactive Muscled Operative Machine, Ichiemon (Ichi means one in Japanese) and attend to my duties, hoping to finish last week's report for Robotelligence by this afternoon.

"I'm using it to fine tune a program and Higa here is giving me a hand with it. We're lab partners again, just like in college." The three humans and the robot come back upstairs. Rinku and Higa continue their work on Ichiemon while Asuna waves by and comes sit by me.

"Good morning, Joshua."

"Morning, Asuna."

"Sleep well?"

I chuckle. "After you left and… Yeah. Yeah, I slept well." Asuna grimaces and turns away. "Oh, don't act like you've never done it before yourself. And though it was your fault, it wasn't to you, damn."

Asuna raises her eyebrow. "Oh, should I tell Rika what you're doing? Or Momiji? Both?"

"Hmm… 'Both' sounds like a good idea in my head...and now there's more. Okay, you're distracting me. Go away."

"Pervert."

"Remember you girls are at fault." Asuna gets up and walks down to Higa and Rinku. As they continue explaining Ichiemon to Asuna, including how we plan to house Fluctlights within, I continue my report on the Fluctlights in the Underworld. For now, time is slowed down to be 1:1 to our time so I can do my work. Since I'm not observing anyone in particular, I can't tell what Kirito is up to down there, but there's some indication the Taboo Index has been recently broken. I hope it isn't him.

"Joshua," Asuna interrupts again, but this time with Dr. Kojiro in tow, "we're going to get breakfast? Want me to bring you something?"

"No, I ate a little. I would go for the company, but," I gesture over to Higa and Ichiemon, "I don't want to leave Higa alone with his doll and this report must be done before this afternoon. I'll catch up with you later, Asuna." As the women leave, I turn to Higa, who stares up to me with curiosity. "What is it, Mr. Higa."

"You didn't tell Asuna you're logging on later."

I sigh as I close my laptop. "It's better I tell her later when she can't convince me to let her come as well. Besides, when I do log on, it'll be right before the final load test."

"You think Kirigaya will be ready to log out by then?"

"I hope so. But my main priority will be extracting Alice as planned from the World's End Altar, and that can't happen until afterwards." I stand up and stretch, then grab my computer. "I'll finish this up in the Upper Shaft. It's quieter up there. Have Kikuoka message me when it's time and all."


Later

"Joshua!"

"Huh?" I must have dozed off after finishing my work because, unless my eyes decieve me, Asuna, Higa, and Dr. Kojiro are up here as well. Asuna herself looks worried. My instincts take me to Kazuto's condition, but there would be no need for them to come to me. "What's going on?"

"Somehow, the Ocean Turtle has been boarded," Kikuoka says as he appears. I want to question how's that even possible, yet I don't suspect he's lying one bit. Another mindset kicks into gear, one pivotal to our task here. Kikuoka sees that on my face. "Mhm. They must be here for the Fluctlight Cluster."

"For now," Higa says, "we've done everything to cut them off physically from the Fluctlight Cluster, but it'll only be a matter of time before they find out how to get around that virtually."

I sigh and stand up. "We'll, I was going in anyway… Is there any way they can get up here?"

"Not without damaging the Cluster or a very powerful saw."

I stare at the screen of Centoria. After three weeks, about almost three hundred years for the Fluctlights, I'm returning to the Underworld. "Alright. Mr. Higa. Load up my 'Mage Knight' high level account. It's time for my return."

Kikuoka nods as I stand up and walk down the steps. As I come close to being out of his sight, he stops me. "Joshua… Kirito made contact with us during the attack. I'm sure you didn't notice, but there was an electrical surge caused by the boarders. It...affected Kirito too."

That explains why Asuna immediately went to the STL bay. Frowning, I close my eyes and breathe out my frustration. "Is he alive?"

"Yes. Nurse Natsuki should be monitoring him now. And, of course, Asuna is there."

"All right. Any idea what happened to him?"

"Not yet," Higa answers, "but there's a great chance his Fluctlight was affected… There. Your account is loaded on the new unit."

"Secure Alice, find Kirito. When we talked to him, he was with her. Those are your objectives. But how you complete them is under your authority. Bring Alice to the World's End Altar outside the Eastern Gate, and keep Kirito safe until his Fluctlight is somehow repaired."

"Very well." I look away and head down to the bay. Upon my entry, Nurse Natsuki and Asuna turn to me. I walk over to them and look at Kazuto. From here, nothing looks any different than before. I'm sure, once I find him, I'll see just how bad he's been affected. "Nurse Natsuki, prepare me for diving in the STL. The new unit." She nods and steps away from Kirito. As I step over to his left side, I look up at Asuna. "Asuna, I-"

"You're diving in, huh? To rescue Kazuto?"

I shake my head. "No, not primarily. I don't know the extent of his condition, but if it affected his Fluctlight, I can't do much, I believe. My objective, however, is to watch over him until a way can be found, but that comes secondary to the recovery of Alice. Before I took my nap, I did a little peeking. He was within the cathedral, the criminal he is. Kikuoka says that Alice is with him." I snort before wiping my smile away and facing her seriously. "Give me about 30 minutes. Give me that time to find a way to save Kirito from within and get Alice. If I don't make contact in that time or something changes here...dive in and find me or Kirito."

"Are you sure? Thirty minutes?"

"Mhm. I don't know how much time will pass between now and then, but...Kikuoka will explain the situation. But it'll be a long while before I can get Alice out, that I'm sure of. I might get too complacent, that's all." Handing her my phone, I turn around and head to the prepared STL, taking a seat as Natsuki attaches an IV tube to my arm. "Thirty minutes, all right?"

Asuna nods then looks at the object in her hands. "What should I tell the others?"

"That it's my turn to save Kirito." I turn to Natsuki and nod to her before laying down. As she lowers the STL over my face, I close my eyes and mentally say a few familiar words. "Link start!" A few seconds later, see bright digital lights surrounding me as I 'fall' into the Underworld. Here I go, another adventure chasing after Kirito. Lisbeth might knock my head off for doing this…Kureha might shoot my balls off… Everyone else will take turns ripping apart my corpse, even dear Rei… Why am I thinking about this? I bring Kirito back, everything will be good. I just need some clues to him and Alice-

"Ahhhh!" That's the last thing I hear before I land on something hard and metallic before blacking out.