I do not own Sword Art Online or any of the characters.

Meeting Up

Eugene spun the wheel, the truck skidding around the corner, the two lizards on the back being thrown off. One of the dragonflies flew around the corner after the truck and Shino raised the pistol firing. She flinched as the pistol went off but the bullet found its mark, destroying the dragonfly.

"Three shots left," Shino stated just as a building to the trucks left exploded and the Geocrawler shot past, the truck only barely avoiding it.

"This thing just doesn't quit," Kazuto snarled.

They had already been chased by it twice, and now it was scurrying down the street after them.

"I'll shoot it," Shino said.

"Save the ammo," Kirito sighed. "It's immune to attacks anywhere other than its stomach. Plus there are dragons coming."

Shino looked up to see three dragons flying down at them. She swore as the Geocrawler began to gain. Just as it raised its arm to crush the truck, Eugene skidded around the corner. The Geocrawler blasted through a building, missing the truck by a foot. The first dragon flew down at the truck and Shino fired, hitting it in the head and killing it. It shattered and the next flew out of the glowing remains, clawed feet extended and throat glowing with fire. Shino fired and the bullet only barely knicked its head. She fired again and destroyed it.

"I'm out," Shino reported as the last dragon flew down at the truck, throat glowing.

"Now what?" Kazuto breathed.

Just then, Leafa leaned out the window of the truck, hurling a knife at the dragon. The knife went down its throat and the dragon shattered. Kazuto sighed, leaning back against the truck juat before a massive skeletal centipede skidded out of an alleyway.

"Oh..." Kazuto said, voice clipped. "Get us the hell out of here!"

Eugene sped up, and after a moment, he skidded around a corner, nearly rolling the truck. The Skull Reaper skidded around the corner, its pointed feet allowing it to not follow the Geocrawler's example of not turning well. Eugene took three more turns before the Geocrawler crashed through a building directly ahead of them.

"Shit!" Eugene swore. "Hang on!"

Kazuto and Shino clung to the sides of the truck as Eugene slammed on the brake, skidding along the road before cranking the wheel around, sending the truck sideways around a corner. He hit the gas as he started to straighten out and the truck lerched forward, speeding off as the Geocrawler crashed intorhe Skull Reaper, carrying it back along the road. Kazuto sighed, leaning back against the truck.

"We're almost there," Kazuto sighed.

As if on cue, a massive blue minotaur crashed horns first into the side of the truck, sending it sailing and lifting it six feet into the ground. The truck spun slowly as it flew, turning about two thirds of the way around before the tires hit. Instantly, the truck flipped. Kazuto and Shino were launched out of it, crashing to the ground and rolling to a stop. The truck crashed onto the roof, rolling along the ground. Just before it hit Kazuto and Shino, the bed hit a large rock, flipping into the air while the nose stayed on the ground, causing the truck to turn as it passed over the two. Finally it crashed down on the roof and rocked to a stop. Kazuto groaned, opening his eyes and pushing himself up, his entire body shaking.

"S...Sugu," Kazuto mumbled, staggering toward the truck.

He pulled at the door but it wouldn't budge. After a moment, his addled brain noticed the windshield had exploded at some point. He knelt down, reaching down and pulling Suguha out, since she was lying on the ground. Next, he crawled in, unhooking Eugene and Shinichi's seat belts. He dragged Shinichi out as Eugene woke up, grabbing his sword and crawling out. As he stood, the Gleam Eyes stepped up to the edge of the road a hundred meters away and roared.

"We're fucked," Kazuto muttered looking around for his stolen sword, seeing it stuck in the ground at the Gleam Eyes' feet. "What do we do?"

"We have to run," Eugene stated. "There's no other way."

"If I can get to the sword, I might be able to distract him," Kazuto stated. "Though, I doubt it."

"You're not fighting that thing," Eugene stated. "I'll-"

He was cut off by a truck on enormous tires with a solid steel battering ram guard on the front crashing into the Gleam Eyes. It skidded along the road and Eugene and Kazuto picked up Suguha and Shino as Shinichi sprinted to the truck. Kazuto grabbed the sword on the way then leapt onto the back of the truck and it sped off. Finally, the truck left the city and headed north. Kazuto chose to ignore the identity of the driver. Finally, they stopped and Kazuto got off with Shino as Eugene and Shinichi helped Suguha down, as she had stirred. As Kazuto set Shino down, she also stirred and looked toward the driver, terror filling her face.

"Y-You!" Shino stammered, hiding behind Kazuto.

"He saved us," Kazuto said, standing with his sword.

"And now I'm going to have to ask you to get out of the way," Kyouji said.

"Grateful as I am, I'm going to have to refuse," Kazuto stated. "She doesn't want you near her. So I'm not letting you near her."

Kyouji glared at him then turned and left.

"I am the only one that has the right to protect her," Kyouji stated. "That was my job. See you around Sinon. Kirito."

He got into his truck and drove off. Kazuto took Shino's phone and called Klein, telling him where they were.

"So, while we have time, what did he mean it was his job?" Kazuto asked.

"I...I don't want to talk about it," Shino said.

"Alright," Kazuto nodded.

"Daddy!" a voice he knew instantly shouted.

Kazuto spun as there was a flash of light and Yui threw her arms around him. He hugged her back, laughing and sat down.

"I got here as fast as I could Daddy," Yui smiled.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Kazuto smiled. "Do you know what happened?"

"The Artificial Intelligence used the new Full Dive system to expand into the real world," Yui stated, confirming Kirito's fear. "But, that also means we can use it to fight back."

"How?" Kazuto asked.

"By using the system to turn you into your avatars," Yui stated.

Kazuto blinked then grinned and nodded just as a pick up truck pulled to a stop beside them and Klein and the others flooded out.

"Yui!" Asuna shouted, sprinting over and catching Yui as Yui leapt at her.

"She has a plan to try to stop this all," Kirito said. "Turn ourselves into our avatars using the machine."

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