"GLITCH CONTAINED."

The familiar green lock/smiley face combo appeared on Miko and Five's gauntlets as their latest victory earned them 2,000 XP, resulting in a grand total of 7,200 on the day. They used their reset rays to repair the minimal damage the glitches had made to the structure of the ranch house they stood in, and they mind-wiped the owners of the residence as soon as they were done. The telltale ellipses balloons appeared above their heads as their brains rewound, and when they vanished, the pair shook their heads in bewilderment as the man asked, "Wh... what happened? Who are you two?"

"Hinobi tech support," Miko declared. "Your gaming console went on the fritz, but there's nothing to worry about. It was a quick, easy fix, and everything's back in working order." Five handed the game controller back to the man and said, "Thank you for trusting Hinobi with your gaming needs. We look forward to serving you again." Husband and wife exchanged confused glances as Miko and Five bid them farewell, and as they shut the door, the man sat down in his recliner and picked up where he had left off. Meanwhile, Miko and Five gave each other a fist bump as they headed back to their van with proud smiles on their faces. "Great job today, partner," Five said as he climbed behind the wheel.

"Right back atcha, Five," Miko replied as she put him in a headlock and administered an affectionate noogie. "I don't know about you, but there's a power upgrade with my name on it! What do you say we drop these glitches off and enjoy the fruits of our labor?"

"I say that that fruit's gonna taste delicious," Five replied as he started the van. "And after we're done, I'll treat you to a smoothie."

"Sounds like a plan, my man!" Five grinned as he put the van in drive and headed back to the Hinobi store. The pair headed straight for the portal in the locker room and landed in the heart of HQ, touching down next to Haneesh and Nix. They intended to make small talk before heading to the glitch extractor, but their coworkers' attention was focused on the tech below. Miko joined them and asked, "What are we watchin'?"

"Mitch," Haneesh replied as he pointed at him. The Brit stood still as a statue with his back to the group, neither acknowledging their presence or paying attention to what they were saying. "He's been standing like that for the last twenty minutes."

"Yeah, and he hasn't moved once," Nix added.

"Jeez," Five said as he joined the trio on the rail. "What happened?"

"I don't know, but he was dead quiet when he got back," Haneesh explained. "Didn't say a thing to anyone. No gloating, no boasting, nothing. He dropped in, headed right to the extractor and dropped off his glitches, and he's been standing there ever since. Nix and I tried talking to him, but he acted like we weren't even there."

"Well, that sounds like Mitch to me," Miko said with a shrug. "What makes this so different?"

"The look in his eyes," Nix replied. "I mean, we all know the classic 'cocky Mitch' glare, but this time he looked... I don't know... shaken. Like he'd seen something that really disturbed him."

"Yeah, he totally had the thousand-yard stare going," Haneesh added. "I don't know a lot, but I do know that if Mitch is freaked out, then whatever he saw or went through must be serious." He glanced down at him once again and said, "But we can't help him out if he doesn't tell us what's going on."

"Maybe he's waiting for the right person to talk to," Five mused. "Maybe he wants to talk to us." Miko tilted her head in confusion and asked, "Mitch? Mister 'Thanks for the distraction, noobs?' You really think so?"

"There's only one way to find out." Five and Miko headed downstairs and headed for the extractor pods closest to Mitch. They took their places in front of him and inserted their gauntlets, exchanging a set of knowing glances as their glitches were collected and their XP earned. Once the process was complete, Miko and Five removed their hands from the extractors, and that was when Mitch made his move. He placed his hands on Miko and Five's shoulders and leaned in close, whispering, "We need to talk. In private."

"Whatever it was, we didn't do it," Miko cracked. "You have no evidence! You can't prove anything!"

"I don't have time for your jokes, Miko," Mitch replied through gritted teeth. "This is serious!"

"Well, if it's so serious," Five pondered, "why can't we just talk about it here? I mean, you do that all the time."

"This is different!" Mitch lowered his voice to a whisper once again and said, "I have reason to believe that our lives are in danger." Miko narrowed her eyes in suspicion and irritation as Five flashed a disbelieving grin and replied, "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really. Follow me." Mitch activated a portal leading to the locker room, and the trio stepped out of HQ and into the Hinobi store as the blue circle closed. A quick glance around the room revealed nobody in sight, but Mitch wasn't taking any chances. He herded Miko and Five into the small bathroom inside the locker room, locking the door behind him as he kept his eyes on his coworkers. Miko threw her hands up in irritation as she exclaimed, "Are you serious, Mitch?! 'Our lives are in danger?' What, is there a glitch out there with buttloads of XP that you've got your eyes on, and this is your attempt to keep us from fighting it?"

"On any other day, I'd say yes." Their suspicions confirmed, Miko and Five just glanced at each other, rolled their eyes and headed for the door, with Five saying, "I knew it. Just another distraction for the noobs while you hoard more XP. Nice try." Mitch's response was to splay himself across the door and exclaim, "Listen to me! I know we've never seen eye to eye, but just this once... know that I'm not lying." He hung his head and steeled himself for the inevitable response as he mumbled, "I... I need your help."

Miko's jaw dropped as a smug grin spread across Five's face. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard that right," he replied with an equally smug laugh. "Did the great Mitch Williams just ask us - the noobs, the D-team - for help?" Mitch crossed his arms, averted his eyes and grumbled, "Yeah."

"I can't believe this is happening," Miko exclaimed as she joined Five in his gloating. "And after all that talk about our day coming yesterday, and how you'd be the only one to help us! Looks like the shoe's on the other foot!"

"I'm aware of that," Mitch replied in mounting irritation. "But you have to understand-"

"Let me hear you say it one more time," Five said as he cupped his hand to his ear. "Say you need our help, Mitch!"

"Knock it off, noob. I'm warning you."

"Oh, like you did last time? Come on, say it again!"

"I said knock it off!" Miko walked up to him with a mocking pout on her face and said, "Aww, what's the matter? Big bad Mitch can dish it out, but he can't take it? Come on... they're not hard words to say. 'I... need... your... help.'" Mitch's face grew redder and redder as he got angrier and angrier, with the final straw being a poke in the ribs from Miko as she needled him to say those four words again. "Let's hear it, Mitch! Come on! Say it again! Say it! SAY IT!"

"ENOUGH!" Mitch slammed both of his fists into the door, resulting in a large whack and a dent in the metal where his left hand hit. Miko jumped back in fright as Mitch yelled, "WILL YOU PLEASE SHOW SOME BLOODY DECORUM, FOR GOD'S SAKE?! THIS IS IMPORTANT! NOW SHUT! UP! AND! LISTEN TO ME!" Five cringed in regret as he stated the obvious with a timid, "We... went too far, didn't we?"

"YOU THINK?!" Miko and Five could see the vein throbbing in Mitch's neck as he stared daggers at the both of them with wide, furious eyes. "Now, shall I begin, or are you gonna keep taunting me like a couple of five-year olds?!"

"No, we... we're done," Miko gulped. "Say what you... need to say."

"Thank you! Bloody hell..." Mitch ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath to calm himself. "I told Five this already, Miko, and now I'm telling you: someone saw us fighting that glitch last night."

Miko arched her eyebrow in curiosity and asked, "Really? Any idea who it was?"

"Not at first," Mitch replied. "Let's just say I found out who it was the hard way." Miko and Five grew concerned at that statement, and that feeling was magnified as Mitch continued to speak. "I wasn't joking when I said our lives were in danger earlier. That someone was a glitch... and it came from Near Scream."

"That open-world sandbox game from a few years ago?" Miko shrugged her shoulders and added, "How do you know for a fact that the glitch came from Near Scream?"

"Because of this." Mitch pulled the note out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Miko. "The wording is almost the exact same as it is in the game. The player finds this note pinned to their car right after they take on the 'Clock Is Ticking' sidequest." Upon hearing that phrase, Five asked, "'Clock Is Ticking?' Isn't that the part of the game everyone was freaking out about?"

Mitch nodded as Miko asked, "Should I be worried? Should we be worried? I mean, this is some pretty strong wording..."

"I would be... and I am," the Brit replied. "Everyone who works for Hinobi knows that glitches always follow their in-game programming. Well, the programming for Near Scream featured something different. It-" A knock on the bathroom door cut the explanation short as the trio heard Phil exclaim, "Miko? Five? You in there?"

"Yeah, we are," Five replied. "What's going on?"

"Listen, I hate to break up whatever you're doing in there, but I've got a customer at the help desk that needs assistance. I would've handled it, but he refused."

Five asked, "Really? Why?"

"He said he wanted to talk to you and Miko... and only you and Miko," Phil replied. "Something about what you did last night. Either we have a new recruit on our hands, or we've got someone we need to wipe." Phil headed for his office as Miko and Five stared at the note, then at each other, and then at Mitch. In less than a second, the Brit unlocked the door, opened it, grabbed Miko and Five by the hands, and pulled them into the locker room. The duo let out a startled yell as their forward momentum sent them stumbling out, while Mitch shut the door with a breathless exclamation of, "Wellhe'syourproblemnowgoodlucknoobs!"

Miko growled and attempted to open the door, but she heard the deadbolt sliding into place as Mitch locked himself in. "Are you kidding me, Williams?! Open the door and face your fears like a man! Or at least give us some backup!"

Five put his hand on her shoulder and said, "It's okay, Miko. Looks like someone's TOO AFRAID TO DO THEIR JOB, so come on... let's go meet this guy. Odds are he's just looking... for... a job..."

After opening the door leading to the sales floor, the first thing Five saw was the customer in question leaning against the help desk counter. The skin on his arms was almost completely covered in tattoos, his hair was tied back into a ponytail, and his beard seemed to enhance the creepiness of the smile on his face. Five stood rooted to the spot as his voice trailed off, giving Miko a gentle nudge in the ribs and pointing his finger at the counter. "I think that's our guy," he said with more than a little unease.

"Well, let's hook him up!" Miko took her place behind the counter with a gleam in her eyes and a toothy smile as Five stood alongside her. "Welcome to Hinobi," she said in a warm, friendly tone. "What can we help you with today?" The customer said nothing and the grin never left his face as his icy blue eyes remained locked on the teenaged duo in front of him. Miko's smile began to fade as she once again asked, "Is there anything we can help you with today, sir? Are you looking for a game, or an accessory, or-"

"Neither," the customer replied. "Just browsing."

"You sure about that? Because you haven't taken your eyes off of us since we got here," Five retorted.

"Well, you were the first thing that appeared in front of me, so it would make sense that I'd be keeping my eyes on you, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose," Five replied with a shrug. "So, is there anything that we can help you with?"

"Well, now that you mention it..." The customer focused his attention on both Miko and Five before a slight burst of static danced across his ice blue eyes, turning them the familiar green color of a glitch and back again. The flash happened in the briefest of moments, with the duo being none the wiser until he spoke again. "I could use a bit of help, Hector. Or should I say... High 5."

"Sure thing. Let's get you-" Five took a grand total of two steps before what the customer said registered, and once it did, he turned back around with worry in his eyes and a slack jaw as he asked, "How do you know my gamer handle?"

The customer ignored him as he turned to Miko. "And you must be Me_KO, real name Miko Kubota. It's a pleasure to meet you." He extended his hand, but she didn't take it. Instead, she motioned towards the entrance of the store and, in a quavering voice, ordered, "I... I'm sorry sir, but you're going to have to leave."

"Hey, that's fine... I'll just stop by your house later. 1337 Chestnut Street, am I right?" All the blood drained from Miko's face and her heart began to pound as the customer turned to Five and said, "Or maybe I'll stop at your grandparents' food truck for some eats. Can't say I've ever heard of China-Mex fusion food, but it sounds delicious. And I can't forget about your post-work playtime at Joystick Junior-" His taunting was cut off as Five slammed his fist into the counter and screamed, "THAT'S ENOUGH! Leave, NOW, or I'm calling the cops!" His outburst attracted the attention of everyone else in the store as they turned towards the help desk, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Okay, okay. Message received." The customer held up his hands in defense and backed towards the entrance as the devious smile remained on his face. Miko and Five never took their eyes off him, watching as the automatic doors opened and the customer stepped out onto the sidewalk. When he turned around and began walking to the parking lot, the duo's knees buckled and they fell to the floor, shaking their heads in disbelief and shock. It was at that moment that Mitch exited the locker room and approached the desk, and when he saw the pair huddled together in a state of maximum fear, he crouched down and said, "Looks like you met the Neurosurgeon."

Five gulped back his terror and choked out a small, "Wh... who?"

"The Neurosurgeon," Mitch repeated. "That sidequest from Near Scream I mentioned earlier? He's the villain of that bit. And if he did to you what he did to me... then he knows everything about you now. Your names, your handles, where you live..."

"And you couldn't have told us that before?!" Miko was beyond furious as she got in Mitch's face and exclaimed, "So you just holed up in the bathroom until he left, you coward?! A little warning would've been nice!"

"Do not call me a coward," Mitch replied through gritted teeth.

"Why not?! You didn't give us any warning about whatever he did to gain our information, and you sure as heck didn't bother coming out here and showing a unified front! I can deal with your attitude any day of the week, Williams, but you left us in the lurch and now we're all in danger! Are you afraid of this guy or something?!"

A chill ran down Mitch's spine as his mind wandered back to the first time he played Near Scream. Miko and Five noticed his eyes widen and his body tremble in a grim shudder before he shook his head and gathered himself. "I'm not afraid of anything," Mitch insisted. "Much less a glitch."

"Sure," Five responded with a roll of his eyes. Miko backed off of Mitch and paced back and forth behind the desk with both hands on her head. "We've gotta stop him," she said in a determined tone. "The only question is, how do we stop him?"

"There's always a way to do that, but... I think we're gonna have to do some research," Five suggested. "I mean, you and I aren't familiar with the game, Miko. I'm sure there's some Let's Players that've played it, so let's start there and see what the deal is." Miko replied with a confused, "Can't we just... play the game ourselves and find out?"

"One, it's an M-rated game," Mitch retorted. "Two, that sidequest doesn't become available until about 20 hours in. And judging by what happened today, I don't think we have 20 hours to spare."

"What do you mean?"

Mitch pointed towards the store entrance and said, "That's what I mean." A smoke trail traveled from right to left outside the sliding doors, and a fire extinguisher was in Miko's hands before anyone else could react. Five and Mitch followed her as she exited the store and tracked the trail to its source, which happened to be a trashcan fire in the bin at the far corner of the store. The extinguisher was aimed and activated within seconds as Miko swept the nozzle back and forth, with the white foam dulling the flames before they had a chance to spread. With the fire out, Miko breathed a sigh of relief and headed back towards the store, but the sound of clapping hands drew her attention to the parking lot. The Neurosurgeon stood leaning against a car with his backpack at his feet, smiling like a proud father as he applauded her efforts. "That was a pre-test," he warned. "The real test is coming soon! Fare thee well!"

He picked up his backpack and walked towards the electric pole across the street, with Miko watching alongside Mitch and Five as the glitch transformed from human form to a green ball of electricity, jumping from the ground to the power lines above. Its green glow faded as it followed the lines eastward, and as the trio attempted to find something - anything - to say, Five found the words first.

"We're gonna need bigger gauntlets."