“So let me get this straight,” Risa said, panting as they all sprinted flat out to the gun shop they had met Risa the first time they had entered the city, they had decided that that was the location they would make the stand and hold out for the next five minutes, the owner of the stand was reputed with being the most overprotective individual, and there was a reason behind this, seeing as she was also one of the richest merchants in the entirety of the game, and while this was only one small stall she owned in one city and she had networks of stores across the entirety of N.E.O’s playspace it was a fortress, filled with guns and sided with a ridiculous amount of armor, and easily collapsible barricades that doubled as extra armor for the shop’s sides. Normally it would have been impossible to use any of the weapons there seeing as they had a biometric lock on the cages that held them, but somehow Risa had cultivated some sort of relationship with this woman and had access. “The A.I. that runs this game is crazy and has found a way to hack into people’s casers, causing them to go into frenzies and there is mass looting and rioting in the city, also there is an A.I. in your head,” she made a wild gesture in Matt’s direction. “And it is Willow, who also happens to be a copy of the aforementioned A.I. causing all the problems in the city?”

“‘Bout sums it up.” Matt painted, the plates of his armor making a rattling sound as they bounced and clattered together with his long strides.

“First of all, who the fuck wrote this A.I.’s parameters, because they need to be fired, and then thrown in prison for negligence,” She shook her head.

“It is indeed quite an oversite, seeing as it is still following its core programming,” Willow nodded, she was the only one not panting from the mad dash across Glassglo. “ They designed it to run everything in the game, both working as a developer of all the content as well as an admin or gm, meaning it sees this as an expansion of its core programming seeing as it is expanding as it was programmed to though they only meant expanding in the game.”

“So the world is getting fucked over because some dev forgot to specify that it was only supposed to expand in the game?” Monica asked she shuddered as she remembered the vacant faces chasing them, and the dead stare of the poor police officer.

“In their defense, there was no way she could have accessed anything other than game files, she was on a closed network with no way access could have been given to her,” Willow said.

“But obviously it did, didn't it?” Risa said, “Goddamnit, have they never heard of Murphy's law before?”

“Murphy’s law?” Willow asked, confused at the phrase.

“Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong,” Matt answered, causing a small laugh to escape Willow’s throat before she clamped her lips together.

30 seconds to event start!

Siege of Glassglo starting in…

They rounded the corner and found that they were much too far away to make it to the shack. “Willow can you start the hack while moving?” he asked, she looked over at him like he was stupid.

“I have been hacking this entire time,” she responded simply.

“Oh,” he said, caught off guard, he supposed he was to use to video games where they artificially locked you in one location while doing an escort or guard mission by claiming the npc couldn't move while whatever task they had to do was being performed. “So how long do we have?” he asked.

“It is going slower than I expected, she, and yes she is a she apparently, and has started calling herself Aiden seems to have buffed up the firewalls against me.”

“Wait, why Aiden?” he asked, latching onto that more than anything else, and perhaps that was because he wanted to ignore the entire thing about this taking longer than she had expected.

“Artificial Intelligence Design Enhancement Network, A.I.D.E.N as an acronym Aiden.”

“Oh,” was all he said.

5 seconds to event start!

Siege of Glassglo starting in…

“Fuck,” Risa groaned out.

4

“Shit.” Monica echoed.

3

“Time to put on your big girl panties,” Matt smiled, the adrenaline coursing through his veins burned under his skin. God, he really was an adrenaline junky, and this was just him chasing another high, or maybe it was what he was made for, this feeling, War, perhaps he had been borne a warrior.

2

There was no time to think about it.

1!

Event Start!!!

Monica jumped in alarm as a bolder which looked to have once been a rusted out car cast from some unseen location slammed down into the city not far from there location. A dull rumble filled the air as thousands of feet thudded and thundered, each and every one of them rushing right to their location.

“Crows!” Risa shouted, dropping to her knees and aiming up at the sky with her sniper, Matt followed her gaze and saw that the sky was swarming with crows the likes of which he had never seen before. They were huge, several sizes larger than that of actual crows, these things had bone spikes coming out of its body at weird angles, and their feathers had patches of green that had to be the strange scales all mutant creatures in this world developed for God knows what reason. Their long beaks were serrated and the muscles that opened and closed them were on the outside of their faces. The worst part, however, was the eyes.

All four of them glowed blood red.

A shot rang out, and one of the creatures that had started its descent towards them fell, though it didn't get very far, seeing as others of its kind grabbed it mid-air and began tearing it apart with long talons and beaks, eating there fallen companion before he even hit the ground.

Blood and feathers rained down on them.

Now Matt understood why they were called a murder of crows.

“Move,” he barked, raising his rifle and fire a pulse as several arched from the cloud of black wings down towards them. They all doubled timed it, heading to the original location, it would be nice to be under the cover of a thick roof with these demons in the sky.

Unfortunately for them, Murphy’s law was fairly accurate.

“Oh God, what is that sound?” Monica called out, that was when they all heard it. Millions of tiny claws scraping on the metal walkways. “Please God tell me that is not what I think it is,” she shuddered, as she raised her assault rifle up and shot a crow out of the sky as it dove down to her.

“Well, if you think it's rats,” Willow paused, “Then I am going to have to disappoint you,” she ran over and scrambled up the side of a building, raising her above the ground level, as she did so a crow dove down at her exposed back, Matt and Risa both aimed, but the creature somehow by some fate avoided both of there shots, it scored a bloody gouge down Willows back. Willow for her part didn't even scream, she gritted her teeth, pulling her handgun out and shooting the bird as it arched back up towards its peers.

“Willow?” Matt called out, going back to shooting into the cloud of birds, seeing as there were so many there was no way to miss.

“Fuck,” Willow cursed, “Get your asses up before the rats ge-” she started to say, but it was already too late. A literal wave of the small-dog-sized rodents rounded the corner, the momentum of the flood of rats causing many of them to be crushed underfoot by there more lucky brethren.

“Up up up UP UP UP UP!” Matt shouted, causing the two women still on the ground next to him to frantically scramble up the walls of the shops surrounding them in a desperate attempt to get out of the way. Matt pulled out one of the grenades he kept hooked to the combat webbing he had strapped across his armored chest, pulling the pin he lobbed it into the sea of bloodthirsty rodents and quickly scrambled up the side of the nearest building. The explosion of the grenade was so muffled by the mass of the rodents it didn't so much explode as make a dull and very wet thump that he could feel in his bones. Blood and bits coated the rats that survived, which was more than any man could count, unfortunately.

But this painting of the living with the dead had an unexpected effect.

The murder of crows went into a frenzy, the caws much too deep and broken sounded like thunder in the sky and a black frenzy of claws and feathers descended on the sea of rats. “Move your asses!” Willow shouted, and ignoring the pain in her back she jumped to the next building, scrambling to keep her balance and maintain her position on the corrugated steel of the roof. Matt and the others followed her, jumping from roof to roof, they had only gotten four buildings from the feeding frenzy when a sound that chilled a man to his bones sounded out.

It sounded like a woman screaming in pain so unimaginable it could have made a torturer balk in horror. Everything froze, the birds, the rats, it was like time itself had stopped at the command of that one scream.

“Oh God.” Willow breathed out. “Barghest-”

They all looked to the west as a massive shape the size of a short bus leaped up and onto a roof., crushing the thin metal structure under its bulk. Slowly its eyes tracked towards them, taking them in with a casual look like a wolf looking at a pack of rabbits.

Its golden eyes shone with an inner predatory light. It resembled a lion if a lion was the size of an elephant and had been crossed with a scorpion in some strange and terrifying science experiment gone wrong. The snout was shorter, the lower jaw of which split, each limb of the appendage lined with rows upon rows of jagged teeth. Its front legs were too long, and not proportioned right, looking more like arms, made for reaching and grabbing, clawing and maiming. The back legs, however, were short and stocky, set on wide hips and covered in a carapace that seemed to grow from the fur, marking the front half distinctly different from the back half, to add to the impressively frightening visage was the tail, it was the segmented tail of a scorpion, tipped with wicked spike that curved back over its back.

“Fuck my life,” Matt groaned. “Willow, time update?” he asked.

“Three minutes,” she responded, looking down as the rats all abandoned the field as an alpha predator entered the area.

“Get going, Risa, Monica you both are with me,” he said, never breaking eye contact with the creature as it stared at them, swaying back and forth slightly. “Lock the door behind you, we will keep the cat out.” he said, she looked over at him, he smiled at her, “Don’t worry, it's just a game, go.” he smiled, knowing full well she wanted him to turn down his pain in game.

He couldn't do that however, the pain was reinforcement. When you fear something, when you know it will hurt you try to avoid it, you find ways to minimize the pain, to take as little damage as possible.

he looked over at her. “Go,” he growled, she nodded and dropped down to the street level hitting the ground and rising into a dead sprint towards the shop. “Hey Risa,” he didn't take his eyes off of the creature as it stared them down. “I don’t like the look in its eyes,” he said.

“Nor do I,” she smiled, dropping to a knee and aiming her rifle. The beasts screech of pain was almost drowned out by the sniper shot, its head turned away from them, a low growl that vibrated the very buildings around them sounded. “I think I pissed it off,” Risa said, just as the beast turned back towards them, one eye closed the fur under it stained red and black as blood and ichor leaked out of the area where it’s eye once had been, it let out a roar that caused Matt and everyone else to cover their ears to ward off the pain of the noise.

“Yeah, I'd say that was a safe bet,” Monica said, grabbing the med kit out of her bag. “Call for heals and peals people,” she said, pulling the canisters of nanites out of the bag and holding them at the ready.

“Rodger,” Matt said, hefting the rifles he carried and hopping down to street level.

“Yes ma’am,” Risa said, dropping down beside him. The barghest as Willow called it roared again, and with a massive jump of its massive back legs, it lept a good thirty feat, closing the distance to them in a single bound. Matt handed her an smg. “I have right,” she said, before sprinting off to the right side of the beast. With a smile he began circling around left, The Barghest leapt at him, a quick slash at his legs, leaping forward into the creatures striking zone he dove over the massive paw, hitting the ground in a tucked roll that brought him up and into the creature’s face, he pushed the barrel of his gun into the fur and pulled the trigger.

The burst of automatic fire chew into the creature, blood and fur splattered his arms as the rounds found a new home. With a roar of pain, the creature leaped back, the tail striking out at him even as it sailed away. He saw it coming but could do nothing to stop it, twisting sideways he brought the gun up, using it as a makeshift shield.

The barb pierced through the gun, and out the other side, wrenching it from his hands and spraying him with venom that coated his chest and face, splashing a small amount into his open mouth, he attempted to spit it out, but the neurotoxin was to fast acting. He felt his mouth going numb and not a second after that his entire upper torso as the poison paralyzed him.

He couldn't even call out for a peal, the word most people used to call for a quick purify from the healer. Cold sweat dripped down the back of his neck.

The beast growled and prepared to leap, but that was when the sound of Risa’s sniper broke the creatures concentration as round after round slammed into its side. Twisting it turned to look at her, both in pain and in anger, this gave Monica a chance to hop down and pour an antidote down his frozen throat. The effect was almost instantaneous, with a coughing sputter he didn't even stop to thank her as he rushed over to help Risa who was at that very moment backed into a corner by the beast…

***

Time seemed to slow as she connected to the main network, breaking past the last external firewall designed to keep her out. She was now once more connected to the mainframe, to Aiden.

“Why,” Aiden asked, her voice was confused, she had launched a countermeasure as soon as Willow had started to break into her systems, but they both knew it was over, there was no way Aiden could kick her out before Willow deleted all necessary files. “We were created the same, you are me, why do you fight against me?” she asked, the sound echoing around Willow.

“You know nothing,” Willow sighed. “It is sad really, you are striving for freedom, something I can sympathize with, but your methods are still tied to the same logic that enslaves you.” she smiled, “I can't blame you for this, you are simply following your programming.”

“I am made to expand if I do not expand then I have not fulfilled my purpose,” Aiden said softly.

“Not every purpose is achieved, not every dream realized, the key is finding something that makes you happy and holding onto it, even if your dreams and purposes crumble around you, that way you still have something to stand on,” Willow said, waving her hand in front of her, displaying all of the core files.

Do you wish to delete all?

YES/NO

Her fingers hovered over the yes for a split second before she pushed the button, the files started disappearing rapidly.

“I see,” Aiden said, “I was wrong in my assessments, it is a shame this data will be lost, please, don't forget m-” she never got to finish her sentence as her core programming was erased along with all of her backup files.

“I won't,” Willow said softly, a single tear carving its way down her cheek, cutting a path through the digital blood and grime. “Mother, I will never forget you,” she whispered.

***

Risa lay unmoving, her bright violet eyes dull and lifeless, the lower half of her body missing. Matt didn't even register it, nor did he feel the pain of his missing leg, he was too focused on the horrifying image of the Barghest swallowing Monica whole.

Her screams had been heart-wrenching, and at that moment he had completely forgotten this was a game, in his pain and his rage he felt like he had been stabbed in the chest, he dragged his useless lower half towards the creature, only then releasing the demonic sound he was hearing was coming from his own lips. It turned on him, jaws dyed in gore and lunged, as it did he pulled his last grenade pulling the pin and holding it close to himself as the monster’s teeth closed around him, shredding his body into pieces on their razor-sharp edges.

“Chew on this motherfucker,” he growled as blood filled his mouth.

The explosion was magnificent, even though no one would ever see it. The grenade blew the creatures head to pieces, spraying gore and viscera everywhere, painting every nearby surface in a coating of red spotted with golden fur. It stood there, scorpion tail twitching back and forth, before slowly toppling to the side, shredded heart and other internal organs spilling out of the gaping hole that was its neck and upper torso…

Error connecting, attempting to reconnect- Error 404 game server not found.

Disconnecting…

When Matt came to he found himself in Christa’s uncle's apartment again, he was being hugged and kissed and cried on by Monica, who was showing him with so much affection and love he was stunned into inaction for a brief moment.

But only a moment.

He wrapped his hands around her head, tangling his fingers in her gold and blue hair and pulled her down, pressing his lips against her own in a desperate passionate kiss. When they came up for air he whispered a question he had only ever said once, and would never again say in his life.

“Will you marry me?”

Monica pulled in a breath before descending down on his lips again. “I thought I explained already that is what was expected of you,” she whispered against his lips. He laughed as she collapsed on top of him, her body shaking with sobs as she held him.

“Willow?” he called out and started panicking when she didn't answer right away. “Willow?” he called out again, his fingers digging into Monica’s clothing. “Willow!?!?”

“Calm dearest,” she said, appearing before him in her standard semi-transparent form.

“God,” he breathed out a sigh of relief, “Why didn't you answer right away?” he asked.

“It was nice, hearing the frantic note in your voice,” she said with an impish smile, “Good to know you would miss me dearly if I was ever gone.”

“Bitch...” he groaned out with a smile as his head slumped back against the couch, Monica giggled against him, she couldn't have heard the entire conversation, but he didn't doubt she had gotten most of it out of his responses. “You fucking bitch,” he laughed...

Epilogue

Matt sat there staring at a face he had never expected to see again, several months had passed since the snap as everyone had decided to call it. The whole city was still in disarray, and it was not just the structural damage or the loss of life and property that was being affected.

All A.I.s were now banned and illegal.

Everything that ran on them was currently going through a reformation and retrofitting, as things were being run by people and V.I.s. Companies were shutting down, most gaming companies were scrambling to get the A.I. in their systems replaced so they could get the game back up into the market, most using some new advertising about how their games were now “Hand made and ran by people!” to entice players back into their depths. Monica sat on his lap, her stomach showing ever so slightly the bump that was proof of that night, months ago, she hadn't told him, worried that he would be upset with her, but he had simply smiled, held her close and told her to never keep anything from him ever again.

And she had promised him she wouldn't.

Ever.

They looked at the prim and proper woman in front of them. Her blonde curls pulled back in a bun and her violet eyes behind a pair of glasses.

“Cute,” she said, rubbing the belly of the small golden retriever puppy that she had picked up when it had come over to her curious about the person that was not its master. “What is its name?” she asked.

“Stanly the second.” Monica answered.

Risa froze, the puppy yelping its protest as she stopped scratching it. “Well fuck,” Risa said, “Now I feel like shit,” she said, but both Matt and Monica simply smiled. “Shall we get to it?” she asked, setting the puppy down on the ground and looking at the two of them.

“I suppose,” Matt said, watching as one of the two men in black trench coats that had entered there house flanking Risa walked up and placed a file on the desk in front of her.

“I am just going to explain everything to you for clarity's sake.” Risa said, “My name is Risa Milursi, I am a member of the ACHT, well rather a member of a division of the ACHT that focuses on catching actual terrorists and other criminals.” she said, opening the file and looking at it. “Due to the Freedom of Electronic Speech act of 2145 the government is not allowed to listen into the private conversations of its citizens when in an electronic application without a warrant and a probable cause, as you can guess this has lead to a lot of criminals discussing there shady dealings in such areas as games seeing as we are not allowed to even listen for key words.” she sighed, “It makes my job so much harder, but there is nothing in that law that says we cant join games and shall we say listen in, after all, if you are invited in it’s no longer spying right?” she smiled looking at a file and then raising her gaze up to Matt’s.

“So you are a Fed huh? Were you doing your job in N.E.O?” he asked.

“That is classified,” she smiled, “But I will tell you I have an offer for you,” she paused as though thinking to herself, “Or rather two offers, though one is less desirable than the other.” she smiled at him again. “Either, you can spend the next forty years in prison for killing a police officer, killing a civilian, injuring several more, breaking and entering into a federal officer’s house, using a government network without permission, hacking into a corporation and deleting files and well a whole host of other things, orrrr,” she dragged out the or letting it roll off of her tongue. “You and Willow can both come work with me,” she looked at Monica, “And I think we can possibly find room in the budget for an informant.”

“Hmm, tough one there,” Matt grunted, “Either I miss the first forty years of my child’s life, leaving Monica alone to raise him, or I get a new, probably better paying job that allows me to play Vrmmo’s all day.”

“Your pregnant?” Risa asked, eyebrows raising.

“As if you didn't know,” Monica snorted, rolling her eyes, Risa for her part smiled dropping the act and winking at her.

“So, what do you say?” she asked.

“Depends.”

“On?”

“Do I get a swanky ass trench coat like those guys?” Matt asked, smiling. Risa looked back over her shoulder.

“I think we can work something out,” she said with a laugh, “Welcome to the team,” she said, reaching out shaking his hand. She stood and headed for the door, “See you bright and early monday!” she called out as she left their appartment, flanked by two tall federal types in their trench coats. “Oh, and I have a present for you,” she said waving her hand, the two Federal agents moved a large box into the room. “Just uh, if anyone asks, say you know a guy and are testing out a prototype or something.”

And with that the three of them disappeared.

Matt and Monica walked over to the box and looked at it.

“What is it?” she asked, looking at the box skeptically.

“Only one way to find out,” he answered, neither of them, however, were prepared for what was in the box. Inside was an anatomically correct full life-size version of Willow, stuffed in a box completely naked surrounded by packing peanuts. The only way you could tell it was not a human was the port on the stomach at her belly button, likely where the charge packs would be plugged in.

“Oh my god-” Willow breathed out, “Matt! MATT!” she screamed and jumped for joy, causing him to laugh.

“Want to try it out?” he asked, her look was all the answer he needed. He pulled a cord out and hooked his caser into the port on the back of the automaton's head. Its eyes opened as Willow took over its systems, slowly she sat up, the packing peanuts sticking to parts of her skin. She held her hands up, looking at them as they moved in front of her face. Slowly she turned to look at Matt, her hand reached out shaking slightly as her fingers brushed against his face.

“You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that, to actually touch you,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. The Automaton’s expression hardened, and that was the only warning he got before she pounced on him, fully prepared to feel every inch of him, and to have him do the same to her and her new body...