The Sylvan Syndicate ~Incomplete~

Two Wrongs Can't Possibly Make A Right...Right?

"HiTech, you'd better come see this." The words echoed in my mind, over and over. Each step bringing me closer to my ever drowning fear. When I reached the door frame, Sorin moved aside, Marianna waited just a second longer looking as if she wanted to speak up. She moved aside. When I walked in, my heart stopped for what seemed like forever. Rose was limp in her chair, headset still on, her breathing slowed. She looked asleep...because she was. Later, did I learn that in a large scale raid as such. Called "Heroic", there being three different levels, Normal, Heroic, and Legendary. Normal you just get sent back to the real world, heroic...you get put into a coma for God knows how long, and Legendary....Legendary you don't come back from. Period. I stood there for what seemed like hours, when I felt a hand on my shoulder, "She got stuck in a limbo with the system. It'll take some sorting out, and large redoing on the system error side...we can't guarantee that she'll wake up HiTech, but we'll try our damnedest to get her back." his voice deep and gravelly, The Gamemaster, he was right there beside me. "Fix her. Then I'll believe it." I walked out of the room, shrugging off his rough hand. I shouldered past Marianna and Sorin who were yet again at the entrance like guards. FastForward was in the shadows as always, was the only one who provided resistance, he was on the other side of the corridor, he said, "You shouldn't move away from help kid. I like to say, every door you slam, you gotta walk back through at one point or another. What you did in there shows how much you really think of us, and how you deal with people." I shrugged him off and moved down the hall, mumbling some kind of comeback. I turned towards the stairs, and made my way down.

-Marianna's P.O.V.-

When he turned away, down the hall, a part of me wanted to run after him and hug him and hold him tight, make all the pain go away. Another part wanted to let him run himself to his own demise. I was torn on which side would take over. The Gamemaster tapped me on my shoulder, Sorin moving aside he nodded. I followed him down the hall, stopping on the very opposite end, away from the person I'm trying to decide between scorning and holding. "He's very, very fragile right now Mari, you have to take all things into account in situations as such. He's just lost his only real family to something that I've helped to create. Something he himself has contributed to enhance. Right now, he must be in emotional turmoil, a pain in which is very unbearable," I attempted to speak up and say something, but he continued on, obviously not done, "I'm not stopping you from going to him, I'm simply alerting you to the outcomes that could happen. Now with all of this in mind, make your choice, and I'd hope you take your time with it." He moved me aside, and patted me on the back. I stood still for a little while, it wasn't too long...I hoped.

-HiTech's P.O.V.-

I walked forwards, down the stairs, and into the Augmented Reality Room. My body moved like a clockwork, in a kind of mechanical walk, emotions were welling up inside me, hate at myself for letting this happen to her, knowing it was my fault, and that I'd even contributed to supporting this system that was so horribly wrong. Hatred at The Gamemaster and his Admins, for knowingly going into this, knowing that this...this could've happened to any of us. Sadness for losing my one piece of family I had. All of this was simply overwhelming and I needed a place to just vent it all out, the best way for that to happen for me, is to either fight off COMs, or just go and make a big deal out of it to others. Like I said, I walked in and punched a couple buttons on the panel right next to the door. The room turned into a cube with lines running vertically and horizontally at parallel intervals, and then, there was a battlefield, shrunken down into the gymnasium type room. The COMs spread out, my weapon, Skrettis, appeared in my hand. Skrettis, as I'm sure I haven't explained to you all, is the combined form of both my normal weapons, Wakazashi and Katana. It's a medium-length blade, made of Carbon Fiber colored steel, and a deep blue colored dragon running along the five inch hilt, partially covered by, Carbon Fiber colored wrapping. The cross guard was nothing out of the ordinary, just a three inch metal plate where steel met wood. I moved forward to strike, and the entire room went black.

-Marianna's P.O.V.-

I reached the room, the door was shut and the light above signaled that it was in use. I overrode the door's locking mechanism with my Administrative key card. When I went in, I assumed the simulation would end. It didn't, so I ended it myself, I keyed into the panel a nice little simulation I figured would better set the scene, the entire room going dark as soon as I hit enter. A hill, I knew a specific hill he'd like. It's from his younger years I assume. His background was an interesting one, and where he came from was even more interesting, Houston, Texas. The hottest, coldest, most random city and state you'll ever find. He mentioned to me once or twice about how his parents used to take him to a Park to ride the train, or maybe go see a performance at the Outdoor Theater there. But the place he loved the most was that hill, dubbed, Hermann Hill, after the Park. How did I know all this? Most of it was guess and check, but most of the pieces fit into place when he mentioned the Theater. Anyways, we spawned, so speak, on the hill. He looked around and saw me, his face turning hard instantly, and he sat down. I nudged a bit closer to him and sat down myself. He looked over to me and said, "Mari...why did you come and set this up? You know I left for a reason." I gave a sad smile, "I know. But the more you're left to think that this is somehow you fault, the more it's going to hurt you...and Rose, and me, and The Gamemaster." He looked over at me, something weird in his eyes, he looked hurt, but at the same time, I seemed to have hit right home. "But it WAS my fault, if I hadn't done that stupid move, and we would've just used normal methods to...to finish him...she wouldn't be in coma." I shook my head, "You couldn't have known! I didn't and I always look for another way out, I try to think of all the possibilities. If anything, I'm here in the same boat with you..." I said the last part in a dejected sigh. Almost as if I was admitting defeat. "No one knows what to do, huh? Not a single god damn person with the smarts here can figure out how to pull her out of that sleep, can they?!" His face displayed pain while his words displayed anger, he was just as I was...torn to pieces over what to do, one part of your body saying one thing, and another saying to do something else. I didn't think for once. I just did. I regretted it immediately. Do I regret it now? No. But back then, I thought I'd just signed a contract. I pulled him in close, he flinched the second my cold hands touched his warm skin. I hugged him, and he let me. I figured he would, it was apparent nearly the second week he was here he had a thing for me. I'm honestly surprised he didn't make his move any earlier. He started crying into my chest, I let him...it was like I was holding a child, but...it wasn't a child, it was an eighteen year old who just had his life turned upside-down. We stayed like that for a very long time, and through that time I had a lot to think about, absentmindedly stroking his jet black hair, I thought about what he must feel for me, but even more importantly how I felt for him. Sure, he was a good guy...but the more I thought about him, the more I felt attached to him, the more....I thought about how he'd been so nice and caring...and how I'd just pushed him out, never showing any emotional connection to him other than in battle and sometimes outside....and even then it was only for the greater good, never really focusing on our relationship. So I did another thing as soon as his sobs died down. I tilted his head up, his eyes still watery, I wiped the tears away with my sleeve. His eyes now betrayed his curiosity, he tried to speak, but I put my thin, snowflake white finger over his mouth, and I kissed him. Our worlds collided at high speed. Fireworks sounded in my head, and a warmth like no other spread through my chest. I felt like I was in heaven. His lips seemed to meld with mine, he squeezed me closer, I pulled back and whispered, "HiTech..." he replied with a wispy, "Mari..."And then the explosion sounded

Song- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6H6tqzx4S4