Trio (A Sword Art Online Fanfic) ✔

Chapter Fourteen

When I finally found Kirito and Sinon, they were resting against a single wall, taking small watches to make sure nobody would sneak up on them.

They couldn't have been paying too much attention, however, because I was able to sneak up on them without any trouble. I climbed so that I was crouched on top of the wall above them.

They were whispering quietly to each other, and didn't even notice my shadow.

"I could kill you before you guys could even realize what was happening." I said, raising an eyebrow.

They leaped to their feet, startled. Sinon whipped out her gun reflexively, but Kirito only seemed irriatated, seeing as he recognized my voice.

I held my gun out in front of me, pointing the muzzle at them without making it too obvious. I felt horrible for doing this to them, but unfortunately I didn't really feel I had a choice.

"Is this what you guys have been doing while I've been doing all the hard work?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey! I'll have you know that we had a run-in with Death Gun!" Sinon exclaimed defensively.

She relaxed, laying her gun against the wall next to Kirito's weapons. She stepped away again, moving to stand next to Kirito a couple of feet away.

I tensed, knowing that now would be the most opportune time to make my move. I tightened my grip on my gun, jumping to the ground. I shouldered my gun, making my intentions obvious this time. Kirito narrowed his eyes and Sinon seemed confused.

"I'm sorry. I really have to do this." I told them. I could feel my face take on a sad expression.

"What do you mean?" Sinon asked.

"You see, I had my own little encounter with Death Gun." I told them, "I can tell you --- with full confidence --- that it had a different outcome."

Kirito stepped forward, as if to come to me, but I pulled out my handgun so that I had a weapon trained on each of them. He stopped, and seemed to realize how serious the situation actually had become.

"What did he do to you?" Kirito murmured.

I laughed, bitterly, shaking my head. I whipped my gun around, and they ducked instinctively. I felt a twinge about the fact that they felt they had to, but I guess the situation wasn't exactly the best.

"What did he do to me?!" I exclaimed, my voice taking on a pitchy tone. "Oh, where do I begin?!"

"Harumi, you need to calm do--"

"Oh, do I?!" I shrieked, "If you have gone through what I have today, you wouldn't be calm either!"

"Harumi, listen to me." Kirito snapped, "What happened?"

"Blood!" I cackled, "It's always blood!"

Kirito looked alarmed, but he attempted to keep a calm facade. He reached out to me, but I shot the ground at his feet and he quickly backed up again. Sinon tried to move while I was distracted, but one glare from me stopped her.

"Don't move." I warned.

"He can get past you, like he got past that gambling game." Sinon retorted, before slamming her mouth shut.

"Oh, sweetie, he may be faster than anyone in this game, but I come from the same place he does." I replied, "And there are some people who say I'm faster, if not stronger."

"What about blood?" Kirito interupted, trying to get us back on focus.

"Do you know how red it is?" I rambled, "Scarlet, like that dress I wore to the one ball in SAO. The one night in those two years that there was no blood."

"I remember."

"But there will always be blood."

I urged myself to stop talking, but words continued to pour out of my mouth in an unintelligible stream.

"It's coursing through our veins, and it's so...easily accessed. One swipe of a piece of paper, angled a certain way, and it's streaming down your hand! Blood makes death so easy. Or maybe death makes blood so easy."

I started laughing again, and it echoed. Sinon's eyes were wide with either horror or shock or both. Kirito looked scared, but his main focus was still trying to help me.

"Just lower the gun." Sinon said, an unknown emotion in her voice.

"I can't." I told her, suddenly sounding clear again.

"Why not?"

"To prevent more blood."

They both didn't say anything in response to that. I saw Sinon gesturing something to Kirito, and I leaped out of the way just before the two of them rushed at me. When they had whirled back around to face me, I had my guns trained on them again.

"Don't be stupid." I sneered, "I'm trying to save you!"

"How?"

"When you two are disqualified, you're out of Death Gun's way. When you're gone, he can't use you against me. I could still save them! I can still save him."

Kirito's faced cleared in understanding. He knew why I was doing this, but he didn't understand the extent of it. And he most definitely wasn't going to go down without a fight; I could see it in his eyes.

I opened my mouth to say something, but a voice speaking behind me interupted.

"I'm glad you're all here."

My blood ran cold, and my hands started shaking out in front of me. Dread filled my stomach, and Kirito's eyes flicked back and forth between us.

I pivoted, flipping my arm around, so that I had a gun trained on both Kirito and Sinon, and Death Gun. My hands were shaking, and I was afraid one, or both, of them would take advantage of my terror.

Death Gun took one look at the situation and grinned. He knew I was stuck in the middle of a decision. No matter what had come out of my mouth in the last 10 minutes, I was still hesitant.

"You need to choose, Harumi." He purred. "It's time to choose. This decision will change your whole future, your destiny."

The shaking moved to my whole body until I was trembling in my boots. The muzzle of the gun wavered so hard, I wasn't sure I would be able to shoot. Kirito watched me carefully.

"Choose, Harumi."