MOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo! A bit longer than the other ones, and more related to the other one shot than any so far. I thought I was on the way to plot, but it died. At least I have dialogue? Last bit for a while probably.

I want me some slash, not that I can write it, but if I can skip around the place for random facts I should at least do some future Xana/Jeremy. I've done too much backreading not to deserve it.


"Hurry, Jeremy!" Yuki's yell was only just recognizable over the orchestra of sound overwhelming the ear piece.

"That would be a little easier if I had some quiet." Jeremy snapped back, struggling to concentrate. Why did nothing ever work out the way it was supposed too?

Someone once said that "a battle plan will never survive the first contact with the enemy." Jeremy could understand and even get behind that, but nothing in that phrase could possible understate more the massive clusterfuck that was taking place.

It was merely supposed to be a tutorial. There were so many test to do, making sure digitalization went through, and then conversion into the real world. Everyone's abilities had to fit their personalities and skill set potentials, glitches had to be ironed out, and at this point the super computer had to be defragged every time a new avatar was created. Training was being more and more rushed, but the tutorial was last to make sure the n00bs didn't get themselves or anyone else "killed", or so much worse, captured, because they were too busy sucking.

Case in point, a simple hit and run turns into an war-scale battle because some idiot still can't tell the difference between a replicator and an actual human, still feels needs to show off, and alerts every god damn creature in a three mile radius to their presence. Now some useless, low priority factory was the ground for worthless melee, causing Jeremy countless amount of data. Devirtualization was not even an option anymore; people were coming in so fast, he was spending half of his brain worrying about the scanners overheating, or losing someone in the rush.

"Dammit! Dammit!" Unfortunately, the factory, while not in a heavily populated area, was close enough to civilian area, that the government might take action. Damage needed to be minimalized, another thing n00bs most definitely had no experience in. At this point, it was just a matter of making sure that they, were the last ones standing. "How are we doing, William?"

"Honestly? When we get back, we are really going to need to work on aim. All of the squad leaders are taking care of the hornets and roller ball things-"

"Megatanks."

"Whatever. All I'm saying is that we are wasting way too much time because the newbies are apparently only good for cleaving things shorter than them. "

"What about the- ?"

"Replicators? That's the other half of the problem."

"No one but us is able to take them on, but, as you heard, we're kinda busy." Ulrich cut in.

"I was getting to- shit!"

"The Replicators are maximum priority, and one of them is heading towards the factory for some reason. Kill it."

"What about the- ?" Yumi

"For et about everything else! The hornets can be handled later, the megatanks are stuck in the immediate area, and the n00bs can die. It'll be a learning experience."

"Cold, dude." Jeremy ignored Odd's comment, who was hovering behind him, and had been since he learned about the mission fail/ battle in progress.

"William: head to the factory. Ulrich: go after the other Replicators. Yumi, destroy everything else."

"Got it."

"Oh, man."

"Sure thing."

Of course it was never that easy.


"Argh!" A scream came from over the com.

"What? What's happening?" God, it was so hard to get satellite feed in the Ukraine.

"Jeremy, I need a new fan."

"I could do with a new sword, man."

"Shut up! William isn't answering!"

"What's wrong?" Yumi, asked.

"I'm sure he's fine, Yumi." Ulrich tried to reassure her.

"No, his life just took a massive drop." Jeremy's fingers flew across the keys., and a second sword materialized in Ulrich's grip. "Something's wrong, but…hmm. No, we need to finish the monsters."

"Come on Jeremy, there aren't even that many left." Yumi coaxed

"I- " He stopped. The factory had activated, but there was no outside reaction. And then Williams signal disappeared. "Wait, go. Something happened to William."

"What?"

"I don't know okay, just…" Jeremy turned to the side. "Odd, go get Aelita."

"On it, Jer." Odd said, was already halfway to the door.

But he wouldn't get back in time.

"We're in the factory, but I don't see anybody."

"Oh god, there's no one here." There were only quiet sobs on the line now, and Jeremy watched with a rising despair as the factory deactivated on it's own.

"What's wrong? What happened, Yumi?" There was silence that lasted too long.

"Jeremy…" Ulrich answered instead, and god , an icy formed at the pit of his stomach. He closes his eyes to the inevitable bad news. "I think they have William."

Shit.