Silence.

That's all she remembered after the accident. After days of waiting for her father to return, watching every person that passed the orphanage on the sidewalks, hoping one of them would turn towards it and come take her home. Every, single, person. And after weeks of waiting and watching and hoping, the crippling harsh reality sunk inside her, as the silence filled her mind,

and darkness plagued her heart.

Suddenly, she was in the backseat of a car, With what looked to be some woman driving. Though she couldn't make out who it was, or where they were going. It felt so familiar to her. She looked through her windowside almost instinctively to see an old beater pickup truck swerving all around the opposite lane. Her mind jolted in panic as she tried to speak, to warn the driver of the danger heading their way. But no words came out. No sound would leave her mouth no matter how hard she tried, screaming as loud as her lungs would until it hurt. But nothing came out of her as the pickup truck veered across the lane, making its way towards the car. The driver turned her head to look at her, finally remembering the event as her eyes started to water, and her heartstrings snapped and frayed and bent inside her. But it was too late.

"M..mom."

Blake jolted up in panic, breathing frantically as her eyes shook wildly. She panted heavily as she tried to regain her breath. Her eyes started watering as her lip wobbled. She tried to fight it, faltering only once as a few slipped past her and streaked down her cheek. But she wiped it away as her heart rate returned to normal and got out of bed. It wasn't until then that she realized: it wasn't her bed, neither was the room she was in as she looked around. The place wasn't recognizable at all. She'd been to quite a few hideouts, and at least half a dozen inns. But she couldn't make out the well-decorated room she was in as she started to search around. It didn't seem like any regular bedroom, but rather, someone else's. Blake began to rummage her memories, remembering the fight, and awaiting her impending death, before falling into unconsciousness.

"Was I, spared? Captured?" She questioned aloud to nobody in particular, a wave of unease filling her as she moved to the door. To her surprise, the knob turned with ease as the black cat sighed in relief. 'Well, I wouldn't exactly be captured, per say.'

The next question came to mind as she opened her menu, finding her weapon slot was still there, but not on her as she looked around the room. She easily found it on the table across the room, picking it up as she inspected it thoroughly.

'This doesn't add up. I'm in a completely different house, but my weapons and gear are in-check. So how in the hell did I get here?'

As if on cue, a couple sets of footsteps went by her door, her muscles reacting immediately as she waited for the door to open, only for the duo to continue down the hallway as Blake sighed in relief.

'Okay, scratch that, I'm not captured, but rather, brought here.'

An idea came to mind as Blake opened her menu, finding herself back on the first floor, though only seeming to puzzle her more. 'I was on the 3rd floor just yesterday… okay, this is seriously starting to confuse me.

The black cat's thoughts halted as she shook her head, returning to the issue at hand. 'I can ponder on this later, right now, I should focus on getting out of here first.'

Blake equipped her hooded cape as she made her way to the door, taking one last glance around the beautifully decorated room before turning the knob. She looked around the hallways, finding it clear as she exited the room and closed the door quietly. Her gait was silent as a shadow as she went down the wooden stairwell, finding a modern style pub at the main floor. Only a couple players were around after late-night levelling, although it mattered little to Blake as she made her way to the doors.

"Where do you think you're going?" A matured woman's voice questioned. The black cat stopped dead in her tracks as she turned to the voice, finding a woman clad in a white blouse and similar ivory hair. Upon first glance, she looked ready to pounce at her, had she stepped any further. Blake pulled out a simple kunai. Although she knew neither one could inflict damage in a safe zone. Least she could do was distract her, and hope to god she could escape quick enough.

The older woman stood up now, the cat shinobi readying her blade, though the former simply put up her hand in peace. "I'm not here to cross blades with you," The woman spoke, "I don't operate that way, neither does my team. The same team, might I add, that also rescued you from the other players that were all searching for you in the forest."

Blake's ears perked up in her hood as she watched the woman closely. "I think we got off on the wrong foot. You must have a thousand questions already at your disposal, and I am ready to answer them, should you spare the time." She added, piquing the latter's interest even more. Though a simple question came to mind as she squinted at her.

"Why should I trust your word?" Blake asked, the woman's expression remained unmoved. "For all I know, you're just after my head, just like the rest of them."

The woman frowned, and she looked on the verge of making a remark. But her expression softened as quickly as it started as she let out a sigh. "If it were my choice, yes, I would've handed you in. But our leader has ordered against it," The woman spoke, her words were soft and relaxed. "If you so wish to leave, by all means. I'm not here to chase down a wanderer, I'm simply here to protect my sister, and to one day escape this digital prison we're all entrapped in."

The woman turned around as she sat back down on the bar stool. Blake stood motionless for a moment, unsure if she could actually trust her, or whether to bolt it back to her safehouse. But her thoughts wagered for answers as she slowly and cautiously sat down on the bar stool next to the white haired woman, whom already had drinks at her disposal as she slid one to the former. The duo took a swig in unison, the awkward tension starting to rise in the black clad as she awaited something.

"I guess I should start with an introduction. My name is Winter Schnee," She began, turning to face Blake as she did the same. "And yes, the same Schnee name that supplies military forces with weapons and ammunition."

Winter Schnee. Blake had read up about her and her family once before. The Schnee name was the main supplier for both the military and gun-enthusiasts alike in North America. Though they resided in Japan, for 'safety relocation purposes'. The Schnee name was that of wealth and fortune, and their trademark attribute was their ivory hair and similar complexion. But Blake knew very well the impact their name had on society, with people bleaching their head just to try and feign a long-lost relative of theirs or skewing their names as to bring it about on media. Their notoriety has brought about a lot of mixed controversy. And so, they co-founded the nervegear project, in hopes to at least bring them in good light, as well as to be a part in one of the world's most revolutionary technologies to date. Though Blake knew their latest predicament would only deepen the wound, if not agitate it more now that thousands were trapped in the same gear she helped fund. So Blake couldn't help but give a light chuckle upon her response, earning the latter's attention.

"Oh? What's so funny," Winter questioned. "Never thought you'd be in the presence of a Schnee before?"

"I just find it ironic, the very co-founders of this technology and this game are now entrapped in it," Blake replied haughty. "So yeah, I never would've thought I'd get to see the very own Winter Schnee in avatar form before me."

The older woman gave a snort, raising her glass to the sky. "Well, cheers to that then." She spoke to herself more so than to Blake as she downed her drink in one swig before plunking it down on the table. She perched her elbow on said table as she turned her attention back to the black clad, whom had already lowered her hood.

"So… why can't you escape this game? How did you end up like the rest of us?" Blake asked, unsure at first, though her desire to learn more pushed her to proceed.

"I co-founded this technology, I didn't help them program it. If I could just leave, I would've already a long time ago," Winter stated. "And I came here the same way everyone else did, and I'm trapped here all the same too. I never knew he'd be capable of doing something like this. And now, we're all stuck here until we beat it."

Winter's last statement sounded more and more hopeless as she spoke. She turned back forward as she slumped against the bar table, a defeated sigh left her as she did. "It doesn't matter how you look at me now, 'cause at the end of the day, we're all in this, together," She spoke, turning her head to look Blake dead in the eyes. "I was a star once, an icon of the rich, a businesswoman. But that's all null and void here. Now I am a fighter, a protector, a player in this game of death. But above all else, I am an elder sibling. And I'll do whatever it takes to protect my sister and her friends, because that's who I am here."

Blake listened attentively, looking at the deadbeat seriousness in the alabaster woman's face. Winter simply planted her other elbow in the table as she intertwined her fingers together, looking like that of an evil genius as she thought. "But the true question remains; what're you gonna do?"

The black cat mentally paused as she pondered on it, not entirely certain what she should do. Her only goal being to hide away in her treehouse and never come out until the game was cleared, but even she knew that plan wouldn't last forever. So with a shrug, Blake replied. "I don't know. Hide away for some time, until my name isn't on everyone's hit list."

"And then what?" Winter questioned, Blake not knowing what else to say as she shrugged again. "What else are you gonna do here, other than hide and wait? You seem to forget, this isn't something that'll be over in a couple of weeks. Once you finally aren't being hunted, then what?"
"I'm always being hunted, Winter," Blake deadpanned, surprising the heiress slightly. "There are some things I can't run and hide from forever. From the people, from my past. I don't know when, I don't know how. But all I do know is every minute I am here, I'm a face people will recognize. And people here don't care about who they sell out."

Blake stood up, adjusting her hood before stepping back. "I know we're all in this together, but I'm the only one fighting for what's right," She spoke, flipping her hood up before walking away. "And now, I pay the price, one way or another."

Before Winter could even stand, Blake exited the inn as she made her way to the teleport gates. The ivory woman walked out as she looked around for her, only to find nothing as she lowered her guard. Her mind puzzled with all that was told as she sighed, before finally turning in for the night.

Soft footsteps made its way through the forest, stepping over roots and fallen twigs on the ground below as it did. She paid no attention to her nearby surroundings and cared less about it as Blake trekked back to her safehouse. The cat girl never got to ask the million dollar question, instead burdened by even more as she pondered about what the woman said to her. Honour and trust wasn't Blake's strongest suit. In fact, it was her weakest; she rebelled from practically everything in life, and she never took part in any clubs or other activities at school. When it came to the cat shinobi, knowledge in information was her calling. Whether it be good or bad, understanding the basic fundamentals was a key trait to her. Knowing where to go, what to do and how to proceed kept the girl alive to the present day. Everything else was secondary for her, especially now that she was entrapped in a game of life or death. But for once, Blake could not comprehend the idea of some complete strangers saving her, neither could she understand why. There was no motive, no ulterior plan, and she wasn't captured nor imprisoned. So why bother with her? Why risk saving her? The black shinobi shook it off as she came to see her house in the trees, jumping up branch to branch until she finally made it to the walkway.

The door creaked open as she turned on the lights, though immediately, her senses alerted her as she stopped, knowing full well who it was as she let out a low sigh. "You don't have to hide anymore, I've already spotted you," Blake spoke, walking nonchalantly through the house as she sat down on the big lazy boy chair and crossed her legs. As on que, the distorted figure walked through the house before finally revealing her human form as Neo stood before her. Her usual brown and pink eyes gazing at her in a blank expression. "I had a feeling you'd come for me. Unfortunately, I don't have the urge to cross blades with you anymore. I'm tired of fighting, frankly."

The black cat shinobi let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes as she sat peacefully in the chair. "I've already turned off the safety barrier. So go ahead, finish me off," the black cat shinobi spoke unwaveringly, keeping her eyes shut as she awaited her fate. "I've no more reason to fight, I am content in surviving this long. Now go on, finish what you said you were going to do."

Blake took her blade out as she calmly rested it beside her on the side of the chair. She clasped her hands together in her lap, awaiting her demise as the other girl started to move. Blake could hear the shorter woman walk over to her, waiting for the piercing blow as the girl drew near. She could hear the girl doing something as she continued to wait, though no sound came afterwards as she expected to be impaled soon. She drew one calm breath in and out, awaiting her death. But nothing came, after a moment or two of waiting. The black clad assumed she'd go for it as soon as she finally looked, peering slowly and hastily as she opened one eye. What she saw took her by surprise as she finally opened her eyes, finding Neo sitting right in the chair beside her as she mimicked her stature. Upon notice, The pink-and-brown haired woman gave a calm smirk that left Blake baffled as she tried to comprehend what was going on.

'D..did she kill me already? Am I seeing things? Did I miss the final blow or… what in the fuck is happening?'

As if on cue, the younger girl's complexion softened as she finally made eye contact with the cat shinobi, noticing her dumbstriken look as she grinned again.

"Aren't you… aren't you gonna kill me?" Blake asked, still unsure of the whole situation. "What are you waiting for? I told you, I'm not gonna fight anymore."

"As am I." Neo finally spoke, catching Blake yet again off-guard as she mentally paused.

"Wait, what?" The raven haired girl spoke confusedly. "Then why are you here then? What was the point of waiting for me then?"

The younger girl let out a small chuckle, though sounding hollow and filtered made it sound like a mere autotune noise as she cleared her throat, before standing up again and walking away with her back to Blake. "I… I guess you don't remember then…"

'Remember?' Blake thought, thinking of their short moments in the field and not much else. 'I remember the fight. My god, am I truly dead? Is this just a bunch of last minute thoughts before I finally transcend from here?!'

"It's okay though, it took me awhile before I realized too," Neo spoke, turning around as she peered into Blake's eyes, before sitting down at the adjacent chair. "I didn't recognise you at first either. It wasn't until I finally saw the wanted posters that I remembered."

"Remembered what?" Blake asked, sounding almost frustrated. "You were after my head one moment, now you somehow know me. Why the fuck should I believe in anything you say?"

"Stockholm Orphanage." Neo spoke. Blake's eyes widened as she remembered the place, the orphanage that she grew up in. It seemed to trigger the black clad woman as she got up from her seat, somehow ending up at the other end of the table. She almost grabbed Neo by the throat as she gripped the shorter girl's clothes and pulled her up.

"How the fuck do you know this? What are you, some stalker?!" Blake almost shouted, looking on the verge of sending her flying out her home.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Neo spoke, the former about to punch her out. "Both of us, we both suffered there, remember?"

Blake paused as she processed what was said. She could remember if she saw her before, but her thoughts were clouded with too many questions. "The only difference between you and I, my words were silenced."

And that's when she remembered; the small girl with pink hair. "You... you were the quiet girl,"

"The mute girl with heterochromia."