(Mari's POV)

I awoke in my bed. Was that all a dream? But I looked around and noticed that I'm in my virtual apartment. When I looked in the mirror I looked like my actual self, not my character. My heartbeat increased and my breathing became heavier.

"Ow," I moaned as I felt someone push me backwards, but I'm the only one in the room. I turned around and saw a head set and a note next to it on the dresser. "Huh?"

"Put on the headset-KnighGates08" I read, I was scared to do so but I felt a tap on my shoulder, so I did.

"H-Hello?" I heard a chuckle at the other end.

"Hi there Mari. If you put this on I can talk to you without having to log on, and the notes will now end with a K. You got that?" He explained, I nodded. "Good. Just for the record, I can see you. All those ghost-like touches were me to guide you to the headset, sorry if I hurt you. Now, if I were you, I would try to stay in as much as possible so you don't die. Also, I've hacked into it so you can do what you would do in reality, and if people are close enough to you, they can do what they want to you."

"Okay. When am I g-getting outa here?" I asked. He just chuckled.

"Depends on your behavior, like I said. You're doing good so far, might be a month." Steve said, "I'm able to come to your apartment whenever. Just so you know."

"What if I don't invite you?" I asked.

"You will, if you don't want to get hurt, or die," he said as he pushed against my chest.

"Ow... O-Okay, I-I'll let you in..." I looked down in defeat.

"Good," he lifted his hand off my chest and chuckled a bit. "Aren't you scared that I can control you so easily?"

I nodded. "Aren't you forgetting something Mari?" He chuckled.

"S-Sir," I growled.

"Good," he chuckled. "I'll leave you be for now."

I put the headset down on my bed and walked out to get some fresh air. I could actually feel the wind in my face, the technology is amazing, but if in the wrong hands... Well... This happens. As I walked to the store I tried to work out how to control this thing, like how to see a map and get a weapon out and use it. Do I just imagine it and it appears? Eh, I'll figure out. Once I got into the store, I looked at the food in the back. But then two guys came in with guns and aimed at the man behind the cash register. Then one of them saw me and aimed at me.

"Oi, look over here," the one who found me called over the other one. "Dude, come over here."

"I can't, we're meant to be robbing the store, not looking around. Plus the police are on us now!" The one pointing the rifle at the man behind the counter said. "Anyway, he's almost done."

"Fine, but what should I do with this girl?" He asked.

"Huh? There's a witness here?" The other one asked as he turned around.

"Yeah. Should we kill her?" My eyes widened, if I die now, I die in reality. "Should we? Or just threaten her?"

"Threaten her," the other guy said. "Collected the money, let's go!"

"No police are here yet," the guy with me said. "Now listen, don't tell anyone about us, you got it?"

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered. He looked at me weirdly.

"You're actually scared? It's just a game." He said, then he ran out.

I sighed. "Not for me."

"You worked with them didn't you! Get out of here!" The store guy said as he pointed a gun at me from the desk.

"N-No! I w-wasn't with the-" he shot around me. So I legged it out of there. I saw two cop cars ruined, four police officers dead, and the two guys from before. They turned to look at me and I went rigid.

"We could bring her along, seeing as the guy we just robbed kicked her out," one of them said.

"Hey! I knew you were with them!" The store guy shouted as he shot at us. I ran to take cover and trembled. One of the guys followed me as the other one shot the shop keeper.

"You seem to really be afraid of not getting hurt, even though you'll respawn," the guy said to me.

"Y-Yes, I'll a-actually die... P-Please, don't kill me..." Why am I stuttering?! And begging? Maybe it's 'cause I'm actually really scared right now, no I'm terrified.

"We're not gonna kill you. We'll protect you," he smiled. I smiled back. "I'm DeanTheDarkness, but just call me Dean. The one over there is SamTheDarkness05, but just call him Sam. We're brothers. And you are?"

"Oh, u-um.. M-Mari..Just call me Mari," I smiled.

"So you're in the Nerve Gear like in Sword Art Online, so I'm guessing you're still getting used to it," Dean said. Sam came up to us, then police found us.

"Sam-" Dean started but got cut off by a gun shot.

"Agh," I moaned loudly as I grasped my right arm.

"Sam, cover us! Just keep a firm grip on your arm, okay Mari." I nodded and we ran away from the police. Once we lost them they dragged me to their apartment.

"Why are we protecting her? She'll just respawn," Sam moaned.

"Dude, she won't respawn," Dean told as he turned and looked at Sam's direction.

Sam's facial expression changed to realisation. "Oh," he said.

"We'll just patch you up and you can log out and see a real doctor," Sam told as he searched for a first aid box.

"I-I can't," I stuttered as I looked down.

"Why? Don't you know how to log out? You just swipe your hand down and tap the log out button," Dean said while doing the actions.

"No, it's n-not that," I said. "I-I'm sort of..H-Here un-willingly."

"Who would put you in here?!" Dean shouted furiously, which made me jump. "Sorry."

I felt a poke on my nose and pressure on my bloody arm. "I-I don't k-know his name."

"We'll look after you Mari," Dean said with a smile. I smiled and thanked him.

"Wait Mari, as in AtomicMari, the ballet girl who also works with Smosh who hosts Smosh Pit Weekly and MariCraft and goes on Game Bang on Smosh Games?" Sam asked then took a breath. I nodded slowly.

"Who the fuck would do this?!" He asked loudly.

Someone knocked on the door and buzzed at the com. "Who is it?" Dean asked.

"Sorry, but it seems I left something," I froze when I heard the voice. "Can you let me in?"

"Nobody's come in here in a long time," Dean said. "What did you leave?"

"It's hard to explain, but I'll know it when I see it," Steve said.

I wanted to say don't let him in, but then they'll know that I lied to them about who it is. "Just let him in," Sam sighed. Then he came through the door. He smirked at me, but didn't let anything on that he knew me and was the cause of all this.

"Who's this?" He asked.

"Wait, Sam do you know him?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. But he said he left something here, so he must be someone we know."

"Suppose. This is just a friend," Dean said as he sat down next to me and put his arm around my shoulder protectively. I looked at him and smiled a little bit.

"Yeah, so what did you leave?" Sam asked. Steve walked around.

"I think it's in the living room," he said as he walked there. Sam got told to follow him.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked. I looked at him in confusion, but knew what he was referring to. "You seem nervous with that guy."

"N-No, it's alright. I'm just a bit n-nervous around people at the m-moment," I lied.

"Oh. Well you have no need to be nervous around me and Sammy boy. We'll protect you," he smiled. I smiled back. We heard a thump coming from the living room. "Stay here."

Once he went through the door I heard another thump. Shit. Steve then came bursting through the door with a rifle in his hands.

"Come with me," he smirked. I gulped and slowly got up and did as he said. "Good. Don't run away or anything."

We walked out to a dark alley way. Which was surprising considering it was broad daylight. He pinned me to a the wall and pointed the gun to my head.

"It's a good thing you didn't tell them that it was me, or you'd be dead by now," he chuckled. "So good job. Just hop along to your apartment and I shall see you there."

He let go of me and lowered the gun. My breathing became rapid and I couldn't speak. He just chuckled at my fear. "Go on," he pushed me and I started to run.

As I was running I ran into someone. Who I did not expect to see. He said my name, and I said his in shock and relief.

"S-Sohinki."