Chapter 2

Ryou stepped out of his bathroom, steam pouring out behind him. He glanced at the clock as he dried his hair in a fuzzy towel. Hmm... Still some time left. Sighing, he resigned himself to his Chemistry homework. He sprawled across his bed and curled up with a warm can of soda, and tried to get into conversion rates and solids and... plasma? Never has he been anything close to an amazing student, and that year or so in the hospital did not help AT ALL. He glanced around for anything that he could use as an excuse for not doing his homework. A grin broke out on his face as he realized that his parents were out and that was a computer. So, he sat down at his conservative navy blue rolly chair and logged into The World.

Haseo sat at Dol Dona's stairs, leading to the Chaos gate. Now that he was here, or as here as he could ever be, what should he do? He clicked through other computer programs as he thought, checking up on things like his e-mail and the Crimson VS standings. Yes! He pumped the air, clicked a couple of buttons to get through the screen, then realized that he pulled the cord of his controller out of the socket. Though that couldn't get to him now. He was nearly the Crimson VS champion! Finally! He then realized that Gaspard would be really depressed if he did become champion. That's pretty much the only thing the kid has going for him. So, he thought up a good idea for making Gaspard happier. But, he'd like some back-up. Silabus's image flashed in his mind, and he felt himself begin to blush.

What? What was this? Blushing? Oh, no, definitely NOT a Haseo move. But Silabus was nearly the only one on, he noticed as he scrolled down the address list. It was either Silabus, or... Endurance. Or Saku. Or Piros. Not a good selection. One hated him, another devoted to him, and another devoted to himself. Definitely not in that order. Ryou grinned behind his M2D. So, it's Silabus for tonight. But, He thought angrily at himself, I've got to work on not blushing. The party is only a couple of days away.

Haseo sent a short mail to Silabus. Silabus gave his usual, "Ack, gimme two seconds, and don't run away to the field without me again!" reply. Well, usual ever since Haseo invited him a week or so ago to go level up, and Silabus didn't get there fast enough, so he went alone to a field a good four, five levels above his own alone. Don't get it wrong, he had tremendous fun, and he actually used some of the healing items he had fifty of all the time. Gained six levels, too. Then again, Haseo was always the one who gained levels faster than anyone he knew. Silabus should really be the one on level ninety, but he was still lagging at about seventy.

Silabus warped into Dol Dona, and said, "Hi, Haseo! Where are we going today?"

"Silabus..." Haseo said slowly, carefully.

Little did he know that Yuuichi, upon looking at Ryou's character, and hearing his name said so quiet, immediately had a fluttering feeling in his chest.

"Y-yes? Haseo?" He asked quickly.

"Do you..." He glanced down, then looked up again, with a big evil smile on his face. Silabus instantly lost the fluttery feeling and gained an oppressive weight on his shoulders. What does he want now?

"Do you want to go on a suicide mission?" Haseo finally asked.

Silabus was not ready for that. "W-what? What do you mean by that?"

"Do you want to come with me or not?" Haseo put in a grumpy order. Maybe, he doesn't want to come with me?

"Of course I'll come. As long as there's a possiblity of it not being suicidal. :)" He smiled.

Haseo smiled back, as his mild depression lifted.

"We're going to the area Theta Competing Time's Starlit Sky." Haseo said mischievously, turning his back on Silabus, and to the Chaos Gate.

It took a moment to register. Then Silabus, nearly dead with shock said, "Wait! That area is level ninety-seven! I can't survive a single hit from anything that str--" He was cut off as Dol Dona disappeared from view and the area began to load.

The field was a desert type, and at night. The light was always a bit dim, but enough to see by. Which is why Haseo liked the dark areas so much, and he memorized most of the key words that went to night areas.

"Haseo..." Silabus hated it, but he did sound scared, "Haseo, let's go back. We can go to a nice level seventy three or something... OMFG, What are those monsters?" He was referring to the large machine-like monsters wandering around in a circlular path.

Haseo looked closely. "They look like Gobcannon seventy-sevens." He said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not even near level seventy-seven, nor do I think I can take any of them on. Please, Haseo, let's go back." Ryou was disappointed in Silabus, but he wasn't going back, and that meant Silabus wasn't either. Besides, it wasn't really a suicide mission, if you knew what you were doing.

He pressed the square button, took out his steambike, and pulled up to where Silabus was cowering near the Platform.

"Get on."

"Huh?"

"You can get on if you press square. Come on. I'll protect you."

"Haseo..." Yuuichi had rarely heard anything that touching from Haseo's lips, so he jumped on the bike with a goofy grin.

"All right then. Hold on." And Haseo gased the thing. Yuuichi was nearly beside himself, due to the large amount of information and scenery going by very quickly. It's not supposed to be viewed at this speed! He didn't know what to worry about first; a seizure or his FMD breaking. Luckily, it was over soon, and Silabus sighed a breathe of relief. Then he noticed what Haseo was trying to do.

"ARGH! HASEO!" Ryou rubbed his ear on his shoulder, nudging the M2D back down over his ear, to prevent the need of letting go of the controller, "Don't get so close to the freaking monsters! Or we'll die!"

"I saved before I came. Didn't you?" He knew the other didn't.

Silence.

Silabus waiting with baited breathe to be destroyed as soon as Haseo goes far to close to the damned Gobcannons. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the impending battle music and the vibration of the controller.

Ryou, however, was doing his best not to touch the monsters. He carefully, ever so carefully, drove the bike around the moving monsters, and onto the altar. He rammed into the treasure on the altar and gained the item Symbol Fragment.

Silabus was still not expecting this. He didn't hear the battle music, only something that sounded like Haseo got something. Did Haseo win a fight by himself? Was he really that strong?

Then he opened his eyes, and realized that, no, Haseo isn't THAT crazy hyped-up, he just got the treasure. So he's sneaking up on the monsters and taking the treasures? Clever.

"How do you do that?" Silabus asked as they rode away from that altar.

"It's the bike. It's customized to not be seen by monsters."

"Oh. Hey, then. Wait. That means it wasn't really a suicide mission? You're such a dramatic--"

"Actually." That one word stopped Silabus from speaking further. "I still might accidently hit something."

"Oh." Damn. And Silabus thought he was safe, too.

"And that's why I've brought enough Smoke Screens to make a novice survive the place."

And that's when Silabus smacked Haseo's head. Haseo just laughed, and soon Silabus was laughing, too. Just because it was funny.

They made quick work of the area, getting all of the Fragments and driving to the Beast Temple. They disboarded the bike and opened the door to the Beast Statue.

"Hey, Silabus, can I have the item?"

"I guess, since that's the only reason we're here at all, right?"

"Ah ha. You got me." He opened the Beast Treasure, and the item he was hoping for came out, Azure Orca.

"Hey, I've never seen that item before. What does it do?"

"It's a Crimson VS card. I've already got nine of these, so I have to get rid of it before I log out for the day."

"Huh? Why'd you--" Haseo walked out of the temple and sat on the steps, looking up at the moon. Silabus sat down next to him.

He continued. "Why'd you do all of this for something you can't even use?"

Ryou grinned. "Because I can use it."

As soon as Haseo told Silabus his plan, Silabus again had the thought that Haseo was a really good friend. And he did choose an amazing character design.

They found Gaspard on when they came back to Dol Dona, and Haseo gave him the gift.

Gaspard was wide-eyed. "Oh, WOW! I've never seen this card before! I've never even heard of it! Thanks Haseo!"

"Don't mention it." Haseo said.

Silabus wondered why Haseo was being so short, then remembered that Haseo was always short with everyone. It's just how he was.

"Ah, crap." Haseo groaned.

"Hm? What's up, Haseo?" Silabus asked.

"Yeah, what's up?" Gaspard parroted.

"My parents are home, and I don't have my homework done. I have to go now."

"Okay. See you, Haseo!" Silabus said.

"Bye-bye! Thanks again for this card!" Gaspard was happy. That's good.

Ryou pulled off his M2D in time to jump on his bed and pretend to be doing homework, when his mother walked in.

"Oh, Ryou, you're not done yet?" She asked, worriedly.

"No. I'm not." He snapped.

"Okay, just get to bed soon, okay, Ryou?

"Yeah, yeah." Then he remembered. "Hey, Mom?"

She had been walking out the door when he called to her. She turned around excitedly. "Yes? What is it?"

"I'll be at a friend's house this weekend. All weekend."

Her face fell. "Okay. Have fun, then."

She quietly closed the door.

Ryou fumed. What the hell was she hoping for? For me to tell her I remember everything now?

She's hopeless. It's hopeless. He gathered his stuff and turned off his bedside lamp.