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

Style

Michael logged onto Gun Gale and found himself at the main gate. He left the city, deciding to get some practice fighting. After all, as good as he was in ALfheim, he was aweful in GGO, if his last fight was any indicator.

After leaving, be drew his rifle and walked along the road. After an hour, he stopped. There was a gate up ahead guarded by six players and a sniper. He zighted in but there was no way he could hit them from that distance. He sighed, drawing his knife and slinging his rifle then quietly hurried forward, staying as silent as possible as he neared the gate. It was a massive set of steel doors with four players patrolling on the far side, the sniper standing on the walkway above and facing away, and one on each end, guarding the stairs. Michael could see a pair of grenades on the sniper's belt, bezide a pistol, and grinned.

He waited until one of the stair guards had their back turned and hurried forward and up to winding stairs then silently climbed them, stopping just out of sight at the top. The sniper was bored, judging by his expression and was staring out at the wasteland before him over the top of his rifle. Michael waited, keeping himself ready to move the moment he saw an opening. Then, it came. The Sniper began to yawn, firing hand reaching up to cover his mouth.

Michael sprinted forward, slashing the surprised sniper's throat and grabbing a grenade. Just as the sniper grabbed for his pistol, Michael spun, driving the knife into the side of his head, killing him. At the sound of the sniper shattering, Michael ducked as bits of the walkway began to fly over him from bullets. He armed the grenade and dropped it when he ueard someone coming up the stairs, then jumped off. The two stair guards ran onto the walkway, aiming down at him just as the grenade exploded, launching them both off, both exploding.

Michael felt a bullet punch through his shoulder and dove behind cover, swearing. He heard one of the last four shouting to surround him and leaned out, hurling his knife. It hit one in the shoulder, making him spin and shoott another player by accident. Michael leaned back into cover, drawing his rifle as bits of the rock he was hiding behind flew past. Just as he was about to lean out, a player stepped around the rock, aiming a pistol at him. Michael summoned a knife, leaning out of the way of the bullet then slashed the player's leg.

Before he could kill them, another stepped out behind him. He saw several red lines extend past his head and dove sideways, rolling a few feet and sprinting behind a destroyed wall. He leaned out, firing at the player on the ground and it hit a barrier. He stepped back, summoning his knife as the wall was blasted. Then, he sprinted out, hurling the knife and hitting the standing one in the throat, killing him. Just as he neared cover, the last player stepped out, aiming at him with a shotgun. Michael dropped, sliding to a stop and avoiding the shotgun blast. Then, he began to pull the trigger as fast as he could, muzzel less than a foot from the player. Blasts slammed into his barrier for a moment before they began to tip through the player, killing him in only a few shots. Michael stood, diving into cover as the last player managed to tag him in the back with several shots.

Michael dropped to the ground, groaning as his health began to regenerate. He stood, summoning his knife and stepped out of cover, hurling the knife and ducking, a spray of automatic fire passing over him before the knife hit the player, killing him. Michael sighed, summoning a knife and putting it away before pulling out his rifle.

"That wasn't so bad," Michael grinned. "I definitely prefer my knives."

He headed back toward the city, lookijg at what he had gotten on the way. He now had roughly fifty thousand credits and a machine gun. He'd have to remember to sell it later. Just as he closed his inventory, a red line flashed out of the distance to his head. Then, he was in the city again, broke and with no new machine gun to sell.

"Fucking kidding me," Michael growled. "God damn bullshit. I hate snipers."

"Gee thanks," a familiar voice spoke up from behind him.

He spun, grinning as he spotted the girl that had helped him get started standing a few paces away. She smiled and walked over.

"Got smoked did you?" she asked.

"I didn't have time to register that there was a line," Michael complained.

"I know," she grinned. "That's the beauty of sniper rifles. You can't react before the bullet hits you. So, what're you up to?"

"Trying to get used to this game," Michael sighed. "I converted from a fantasy game so I'm used to blades, not bullets."

"I figured as much when you chose knives," she snorted. "Everyone has their own style, I suppose. I like being too far away to be shot. I suppose it makes sense that there are also people like you who like to be close enough to use a knife."

"My style is knives," Michael stated. "I'm aweful with a rifle."

"Against players maybe," the girl laughed. "But still, I think you could come in handy."

"What do you mean?" Michael asked.

"I joined a group recently that could use some more help," she stated. "We're a PK gang, so I won't blame you for turning the offer down. We are trying to make a lot of money quickly so we'll be hitting monster hunting gangs. You wanna play?"

"I guess so," Michael nodded, deciding there was really no harm since PKing couldn't kill anymore. "Where do I sign up?"

"Just meet me here tomorrow," she said. "We're going to have tryouts. We need to know for sure that you are able to fight."

He nodded and she turned to walk away then stopped.

"By the way, I don't think I ever introduced myself," she said looking back at him. "I'm Sinon."

"Michael," Michael introduced himself. "See you tomorrow."

Sinon nodded and walked out the gate. Michael saved then logged out.

Read and review.