Guess who's back in business, baby? Oh yeah! *Does embarassing pelvic thrusts* Anyway, I completely forgot how fun this story is to write! Silly ol' me! But I'm back in my normal spot for the time being, so we should be good here.

Shoutout goes to rosieoliveto7 for her faithful reviewing! (But seriously, I thought you were dead at one point.)

So a new pairing has been introduced: Kage/Silica! What do you guys think of it? At the end of the last chapter I said that this chapter would have some romance action, and I was not lying! Prepare for hugges and kisses, people!

With all that said, please enjoy the chapter!

Logan stared at the house in awe. 'Damn, that's one fine house.' He thought to himself. The house looked like it came from Victorian London, and was white with a blue roof, door, and windows. He grinned, and began to laugh in joy. "If only the Titans could see this!" He shouted. "This would SO earn Raven's respect!" He turned to Leonardo and Sora, and grinned brighter. "What do you guys think?" Sora tilted her head at the house, before nodding slowly.

"It's a nice house." She complimented. "But are you sure we have enough money?" Leonardo nodded.

"I did the math, and we have more than enough." He said, smirking. Logan patted his friend's shoulder.

"Glad to have you on the team, Leo." He praised. Leonardo smiled, and puffed out his chest with pride. The other two mercenaries chuckled, and led their friend towards the house.

They soon saw someone standing in front of the house. It was a short man, who had a devious smirk on his face. His beady eyes watched the Doom Patrol approach, and he rubbed his hands together gleefully. He smiled brightly as the mercenary guild stopped in front of him. He spread his arms open, and laughed loudly. "Looks like ye be wantings to buy me house, aye?" He said in a horribly fake accent. Sora cringed at his fake voice.

"Stop talking like that." She hissed. The man growled, and narrowed his beady eyes.

"That's no way to tolk (yes he said it like that) to a male, missy pissy." He snarled. Sora narrowed her eyes, and pulled out her spear.

"Listen, you little shrimp-" She started, but Logan cut her off.

"Easy there, Sora." He said calmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Sighing, he turned back to the man. "We are not here to cause trouble, sir." He told the man. "We just want to buy the house from you." The man rubbed his chin in thought.

"How much ye got?" He asked. Logan nodded at Leonardo, who pulled out the money. The man made a quick glance at it, before scoffing.

"That ain't gonna be enough, mates." He hissed. Leonardo's eyes widened.

"But the price said-"

"The price has doubled- no, TRIPLED." The man cackled wickedly. "Maybe if that lil' whore of yours didn't speak when she wasn't meant to, I would've kept the price the same." Sora lunged at the man, and picked him up by the collar.

"Call me whore one more time you little dick!" She growled. "But if you do, than I hope you don't mind losing the one thing that labels you a male!" Leonardo froze, before stepping up. He gently placed a hand on the blue haired girl's shoulder, trying to calm her down. Sora sighed, and slowly released the short man, lowering him. She backed off, nodding at Leonardo. Leonardo took a deep breath, before turning to the man.

"My name is Leonardo," he introduced. "And I wish to challenge you to a duel for the house." Logan and Sora froze. Leonardo's defense stats where the highest out of all of the guild, but his offense stats were the lowest. Therefore, he tended to stay out of duels.

"L-Leonardo." Sora exclaimed. "Are you serious?" Leonardo nodded, and faced the man. The man stared at Leonardo in confusion, before chuckling darkly. He rubbed his hands together gleefully.

"Alright then, mate." He hissed. "Ye win and the house is yours. I win..." He licked his lips. "I get that pretty lil' whore of yours. And the damn house." Sora narrowed her eyes, as did her companions. Leonardo clenched his teeth.

"I will not allow you to take Sora away." He snarled dangerously. The man shrugged, and quickly sent a duel request to Leonardo. Leonardo glanced down at it, and tilted his head in confusion.

Booby sent you a duel request. Accept? Yes No

"Booby? Leonardo questioned. He glanced up. "Your name is Booby?" The man, aka "Booby", nodded proudly.

"It is the most masculine name I could think of." He stated. He checked his nails. "Pretty impressive, aye?" Sora scoffed.

"Must not have much masculine in him if that's the best he can think of." She muttered to Logan. Logan chuckled, and nodded. Leonardo sighed, and accepted the request. Booby smirked, and pulled out his rapier. Leonardo bit his lip, and unsheathed his two handed longsword. The two stared at one another as the timer counted down.

Finally, the match began.

(Cue Sword Art Online main theme!)

Booby lunged at Leonardo, thrusting his rapier with all his power. Leonardo swiftly dodged it, and parried. He moved in with a strike, but Booby backed up, blocking the attack. Leonardo gritted his teeth, and leaned down. He performed a sweep kick, but with surprising agility, Booby jumped to avoid it. He landed a few feet away, and stabbed his rapier at Leonardo. Leonardo dodged it, and swung upwards with his sword. Booby countered it, and delivered a punch to Leonardo's face. Sora gasped, while Logan narrowed his eyes.

"Hey!" He called. "That's no fair!"

Leonardo stumbled, and fell to the ground. Booby wasted no time, and charged at his downed opponent. Leonardo's eyes widened, and he swiftly dodged rolled. He narrowed his eyes at Booby. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to attack a downed opponent?" He hissed. Booby glared at the mercenary, and with a shrill battle cry he charged. He stabbed aggressively at Leonardo, who blocked the attack.

"Screw the rules!" Booby hissed dangerously. He threw another punch, but this time Leonardo caught his opponent's fist. With a grunt, he shoved Booby down onto the ground. He backed off, allowing the short player to scramble to his feet. Booby growled, and charged again. But this time Leonardo ducked, and slashed upwards. His sword made contact, thus ending the duel.

Booby collapsed to his knees, and glanced up. He gulped when Leonardo pointed his sword at him.

"Don't fuck with the Doom Patrol!" He said. Booby nodded, and stood up. He sighed, and nodded his head again.

"Alright." He muttered. "The house is yours, mate."

...

Alexander and Colette were sitting on a bench together, gazing at the river. Alexander took his eyes away from the river, and glanced at the petite girl next to him. He gulped, and Colette glanced at him also. Alexander blushed, and looked away. Colette noticed this, and bit her lip, sighing. She cleared her throat. "The river sure looks beautiful, doesn't it Alexander?" Alexander nodded.

"Yeah." He agreed. "Just like you." He immediately froze. Did he just say that outloud?! He glanced at Colette, who was also blushing. She then glanced up at the larger player.

"W-what did you say?" She asked, trying to calm down her racing heart. Alexander looked away.

"What are you talking about?" He asked. "I didn't say anything." Colette continued to stare at Alexander, before sighed, and focusing back on the river.

Meanwhile, Kage and Silica wached the "couple" as this happened. Silica had a faint tint of red on her cheeks, while Kage looked like he wanted to kill someone. Most likely Alexander. Silica sighed, and glanced at Kage. The older beast tamer had his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, and his fists were tightly clenched. Po was actually asleep on his master's head, and Silica couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as she saw the scene. Kage glanced at her briefly, before shaking his head. He turned back to the scene, muttering things to himself.

Alexander sighed, and turned to Colette. "Colette?" He asked. Colette turned to her larger friend.

"Yes, Alexander?" She asked, tilting her head. Alexander gulped, and looked down. 'C'mon, Ryuji.' He told himself. 'If you can face dangerous monsters on a daily basis then you can confess to her!' He sighed, and gently took hold of Colette's hands. Colette blushed, and glanced up at Alexander. "Alexander, what-"

"Listen Colette." Alexander started. "I'm not really the best at admitting things, but there is something I want to tell you." Colette blushed heavily, and bit her lip.

"Alexander." she whispered. Alexander sighed.

"You can call me Ryuji." He told her gently. And with that, he leaned down, and kissed her.

Kage's eyes widened, and he made a lunge. Silica quickly yanked him back, however, and cuffed his head. She patted his shoulder gently, and pointed at the couple. Kage sighed, and continued to watch.

Colette had began to kiss back, and they slowly pulled away. Colette smiled softly. "then you can call me Arisu." She told him. Alexander nodded, and leaned his head against Colette's.

"I love you, Arisu." He confessed. Colette smiled brightly.

"I love you too, Ryuji." She gently whispered.

Kage bit his lip as he observed the scene. He sighed, and looked down. "All this time I was scared of letting Arisu go." He murmured to Silica. "Because deep inside, I guess I never moved on from Aoi. I was afraid to lose another person I care about. I was afraid my little sister would be taken from me." Silica gently hugged Kage.

When she pulled away, she pointed at the couple. "Look at her, Kage." She told him gently. Kage sighed, and looked. Silica smiled as she continued. "Look how happy Colette is. You should be happy as well. She found someone she can spend her life with. You have to let her go and let her be her own person, Kage." She placed a hand on his cheek, and Kage gently held it. "Alexander is a good man, and I have no doubt that he will take good care of your sister." Kage sighed, and looked back at Alexander and Colette.

"They look really happy." He noted. He sighed, and turned to Silica. "Maybe you're right, Princess." Silica blushed, and looked down.

"I love it when you call me that." She whispered quietly. Kage didn't hear her. Silica sighed, and glanced back at the couple. "Well, we should give them some privacy, right?" Kage nodded, and allowed Silica to lead him away. He glanced back at Alexander and Colette, and sighed.

'You better take care of her, Ginger.' He thought. Shaking his head, he followed the younger beast tamer, feeling a great weight being lifted off his shoulders.

...

"Here's to us, the Doom Patrol!" Sora toasted, thrusting her mug into the air. Everyone echoed her words, and drank their ginger ale. They were at the Doom Patrol's new house, celebrating themselves. The group consisted of the Doom Patrol, Colette, her guild, and Silica. Everyone began to joke and laugh, sharing stories. Logan lifted up his mug.

"A toast, to Leo's win in a duel!" He cried out. Everyone cheered, and lifted their mugs. Kage silently observed the scene from a corner, gently sipping his ginger ale. Silica glanced at him, and smiled warmly. Kage nodded in response. He heard everyone cheer as Sora gave Leonardo a kiss on the cheek, making the defense player blush heavily. Kage scoffed, and shook his head. He bit his lip, and glanced at Alexander and Colette, who were laughing along with the others. He sighed, and stood up straight, approaching the group. He cleared his throat, and everyone turned to him. Kage sighed. 'Hopefully I won't regret this.' He thought.

"I'd uh...like to make a toast." He said. He glanced at his sister. "A toast to Colette and Alexander." Colette and Alexander both froze, confused. Kage sighed, and glanced at the larger player. "Alexander, I know we've never really been what you'd call 'buddies', and I was always angry at the thought of you and Colette together. But I was wrong. You are a good man, Alexander. And I hope Colette can find happiness with you. And if it comes down to it, I'll be glad to call you family." He smiled, and lifted his mug into the air. "So a toast to love and life!"

Everyone cheered, and gulped down the remainder of their drinks. Alexander and Colette turned to Kage, and approached him. "Thank you, Iwao." Colette said, hugging her brother. Kage smiled, and hugged his sister back. He glanced at Alexander, and smirked.

"Get it her, ya big lug." He chuckled. Alexander smiled, and joined in on the hug. The others watched them, smiling brightly. Logan finally sighed, and began to walk up the stairs.

"Well, I gotta get to bed." He told everyone. "Gotta help Lisbeth tomorrow." And with that, he climbed up the stairs.

...

Logan sighed as he flopped down on the bed. He was really tired. Sure, partying was fun and all that, but it sure left the changeling beat. He was about to drift off to bed, when he heard a voice.

Beast Boy.

Logan jumped up, eyes wide. He hadn't been called Beast Boy in a long time, so who said that?

Beast Boy, it's me, Raven. If you can hear me, I am currently speaking to you telepathically.

Logan sighed. Right, telepathy. 'What is it, Rae?' He asked.

It's Raven, not Rae. And I'm glad you're still alive. What's going on down there?

'Nothing much. Just living life.'

Are you enjoying it in there?

Logan smiled, and glanced at a picture on his bedside. It contained him and his guild, smiling like idiots. 'Yeah, I am.'

Do you ever think you'll get out?

'Someday. But right now, I'm just going to enjoy what time I have left.'

Alright, Beast Boy. Goodnight. I'll try to communicate with you later.

'Goodnight, Raven.'

Logan sighed, and laid back down in bed. 'So they do remember me.' He thought. Then he closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

...

Kage was sitting on the roof of the house. God knows how he got up there. (Ok, it was through the window.) He sighed, and closed his eyes as the night breeze gently carressed him. Then he heard the sound of struggling, and he glanced behind him to see Silica making her way through the window. Kage chuckled softly as Silica finally made it. Pina came moments later, and Po leaped off his master to play with his friend. Silica sighed, and finally sat down next to Kage.

"I never realized how beautiful the night sky was." She whispered loud enough for Kage to hear. Kage scoffed, and rolled his eyes.

"It doesn't matter." He muttered. "It's nothing but a string of data." Silica bit her lip, and sighed. She decided to change the subject.

"Do you ever think of life outside of SAO?" She asked. Kage glanced at her, slightly surprised. He shrugged.

"Not really." He admitted. "All there is is a shit dad who left the family years ago, yet keeps stalking my mom. My sister needs help from bullying, and I'm a fucking criminal." Silica's eyes widened.

"C-criminal?" She stuttered. 'My crush is a bad boy.' She thought, blushing. Kage shrugged again.

"Nothin' too serious." He reassured her. "Just some breaking and entering, that's all." Silica nodded. Kage sighed, and turned to the younger beast tamer, "So what about you?" He asked. Silica sighed.

"Not really much to talk about." She murmured. "I have a cat named Pina and my parents are nice." Kage noticed Silica get a little teary eyed.

"Princess?" He asked, uncertain. Silica sniffled, and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"Before I joined SAO, my mother and I got into a huge argument." She admitted. "I don't even remember what we were fighting over, but I knew it was intense. My dad was at work, so he didn't know." She sighed, and shook her head. "After that, I locked myself in my room, and put on the nervegear to enter SAO." She then began to cry. Kage's eyes widened, and he wrapped his arms around the girl. Silica clung onto him, sobbing. "the last thing I ever said to my mother was that I hate her! And now I might never see her again!"

"It's alright, Princess." Kage murmured, gently rubbing her back. "No matter what happens, she's still your mother, and she loves you no matter what." He pulled away, and held her shoulders. "We will find a way out of this game, Silica." He said, looking into her arms. He started to lean in. Silica's eyes widened.

"Kage." She whispered.

'The fuck are you doing?' Kage's mind yelled. It was trying to tell him to stop, but his heart was telling him to go on. Kage continued to lean in. "And I promise that when we do, I'll find you."

And with those words, he kissed her.

I know we haven't been focusing on Logan lately, but we'll get back to him next chapter. Awww! Wasn't this a sweet chapter, folks? C'mon, you gotta admit it tugged a little bit on the heartstrings a bit.

Alright, you guys know the drill. Remember to review and stay wykkyd!