So, I'm watching YouTube, as I do, and I'm watching Sword Art Online: Abridged when I have an idea. I've always thought it was odd that government agencies weren't involved in the whole SAO coverup or weren't involved in the hunting down of Kayaba or anything related to the Sugo operation. I mean, the guy literally was creating mind control software. There would be governments out there that would kill for that type of information or even destroy it else one of their enemies got a hold of it. Shortly thereafter, I was thinking about some of my favorite spy thrillers and remembered the title Splinter Cell. TL;DR of the whole Splinter Cell series: Spy dude does awesome spy things for the US Government without any of the glamor or glitz that you see in the James Bond franchise.

It was then after I rewatched the Blacklist trailer that I had the idea of this: What if Sam Fisher was assigned to be Asuna's doctor as a cover while trying to discover and possibly destroy Sugo's research? Yeah, it's outlandish, but it is an interesting idea. But then I had an even more interesting idea. What if Sam Fisher was the grandfather of Asuna Yuuki. And what if Kyouko Yuuki was Sam's daughter only with a name change to protect her identity considering who her father is? That would be interesting.

Title:

Summary: After the Blacklist attacks, Sam Fisher is given a new assignment by the President to investigate and infiltrate a corporation owned by Sugo Nobuyuki on which it has been leaked through certain channels they wish to sell mind control software. The only downside is that unlike previous operations, this one is going to be a slow burn of investigation and infiltration.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my copy of MS Word and my desktop. Sword Art Online is owned by Reki Kawahara and A1, Splinter Cell is owned by Ubisoft. I only own this odd idea's concept.

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The Paladin mobile command center. It is the nerve center of a clandestine organization that those that knew it existed spoke of it in hushed tones and whispers. And the name it was called was Fourth Echelon. Officially, it was a sub-agency under the CIA. But unofficially it was its own entity that only answered to the President. The head of said agency was Samuel Fisher, known to his friends and coworkers alike as Sam. The organization had grown a lot since Sam had started heading the organization close to ten years ago during the Blacklist crisis that shook the world. Since then his life had been fairly bland, considering his past. An incursion put down here, spying on a terrorist there; the usual for secretive agencies. But then two years ago, something interesting happened. The world was taken by storm, then subsequentially plunged into chaos, by the VRMMORPG called Sword Art Online which imprisoned over ten-thousand players inside a game of death. You die in the game; you die for real. Someone tries to remove you from the game, you die. Your internet decides to have a bad day, you die.

To say that world governments were all at high alert would be an understatement. Manhunts were started and investigations launched. The former Fourth Echelon spearheaded from the background. There was a rumor online which saw that a person confronted Kayaba and he had said that he didn't know why he did what he did anymore. There was a reason for that. A 5.7mm reason. Two years later, legislation and other industry regulations were spearheaded to prevent such a thing from happening again. There were harsh penalties for not abiding by regulated specs for hardware manufacturers.

"Director, there's an incoming call," Sam's secretary announced to him, snapping him out of his reminiscing. "Direct from the White House."

Sam turned to the table console and pressed a single digital key. On the screen, the President herself appeared. "Director," she greeted.

"Madam President," Sam greeted in turn.

"There's been chatter picked up by Intelligence coming from Japan. A tech company through shell corporations has been putting out feelers for something that they're selling something big. Cryptography is trying to get the specifics, but synonyms being thrown around are mind control."

"Mind control?"

"Or so, it seems. We traced the chatter coming from a corporation headquarters coming out of Japan. Tokyo specifically. The building is owned by one Shugo Nobuyuki or at least the company he is CEO for, RECT Progress. Technically owned by one Shouzou Yuuki according to records, Mr. Nobuyuki essentially runs it as if he owns it. But there is one more thing, Sam. I know about Sarah and where she went after the Blacklist scenario. I also know that she hasn't been in touch with you recently. There's a reason for that. Her daughter is still stuck in the simulation that the Sword Art Online incident caused."

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A town car pulled up outside an average hospital in Tokyo. Three people stepped out of it, all of them dressed in suited business attire. To those that were more fashionable would have noticed that the suits were Italian made. They marched into the hospital in an almost unsettling synchronous rhythm. The nurse at the desk stood up to stop them, but one of the men separated from the group to approach the woman, handing her a stack of documents. The other two proceeded towards the main elevator bay and ascended upwards to the upper levels. The duo continued on the second-to-top level and went towards a private room. The entered to see a dilapidated girl who looked borderline skeletal laying in bed with a headset. The name on the chart was one Asuna Yuuki.

The elder of the two men took a seat next to the girl while the other took up a hidden spot in the room. "Hey there, kiddo. It's grandpa Sam," Sam said as he took her now frail hand. "Sorry I haven't visited until now. Sarah didn't mention that you were caught up in all this," he sighed. "But I promise, I will find who is responsible, and they will pay."

Hours passed while the silent grandfather sat next to his granddaughter. Eventually, someone else showed up. Sam immediately remembered his brief that this was Shugo Nobuyuki. "Who are you?" Shugo accusedly asked Sam. If Sam were to describe him, it would be weaselly and creepy.

"A family friend," Sam simply replied in accented but clearly understandable Japanese.

"An American?"

"Does it matter?"

"What does an American have business with my future wife?"

"Future wife?" Sam asked dangerously. "A thirty-something marrying a teen? Now, isn't that scandalous?" he said as he stood up.

"It was arranged by the family," Shugo replied.

"Was it now?" Sam got in his face. "Awful convenient that Asuna can't object."

"She can't object even if she wanted to, the head of the family set it up."

"I know all about you Shugo Nobuyuki," Sam said as he got in his face. "And if you had anything to do with Asuna still being trapped in that game, I will end you."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, it's a promise."

Sam turned to leave, but the agent still stood in the room completely unnoticed by Shugo. "Who are you?" Shugo asked.

"My name is Sam Fisher. And if you're involved in this, I only have one message for you: pray." And with that Sam left Shugo along with a watcher.

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And that's all I have for this one. I had a couple of more scene ideas, but they wouldn't have happened until later development. As for if I'll write them and upload it separately like with what I did with that Breath of the Wild pilot. No clue though. But this was a short pilot chapter for something that may come to pass that I thought was an interesting idea. If anyone wants to come pick this one up, feel free to. Just use the simple premise of Sam Fisher and friends destroy Shugo. Whatever else you want to do; I'll leave that up to you.

But what did you think about this small idea? Let me know in the usual places. Until next time in whatever I do next, see you there.