"Ain't that a bitch."

With those words, the AI Fragment known to some as Epsilon, or better known as Leonard Church, ceased to exist. As his deconstructed fragments began powering The Meta's old armor, now worn by Tucker, he watched his vision go white.

And then, he chuckled.

As Church began to feel his holographic body deconstruct itself, he gave off one last sarcastic sigh as his last moments in the world of the living ended.

Or did they?...

=RVB=

Alfheim Online, World Tree

The Cage

=RVB=

Asuna Yuuki, the Lightning Flash and Vice-Commander of the KOB, now the Unwilling Queen of the Fairies, sat on her stone bed, the thin blanket wrapped around her shoulders. It had been two months since she was kidnapped from SAo and brought here by Sugou Noboyuki, and once she was out and safe in Kirito's arms, she wanted to forget these two months, like a bad dream.

However, she didn't quite know it yet, but she would remember this day for a very odd but significant reason.

Suddenly, there was a crackle or snapping noise in front of her. Asuna perked up as she scanned her surroundings for the source. At first, everything seemed like it was the same as usual.

Until a ball of blue lightning began to form and shape itself in front of her, causing Asuna to leap behind the bed in search of cover. As the ball of energy grew bigger, it finally reached its maximum point and then collapsed.

And in its place was the strangest thing Asuna had ever seen in her life, to that point. It was a figure, a very small humanoid figure. It wore some kind of space-marine-esque armor with a visored helmet, and Asuna thought back to where she had seen it before.

Then, it clicked. She remembered a day before SAO, when she and her brother had been playing on the computer and were watching a video trailer for the Halo series' move to the PC platform. The armor this figure was wearing looked like the armor she'd seen in the trailer.

Of course, Halo was a fictional series, so what was this being doing here, in a game inspired by Norse Mythology and fairies?

Then, the figure began to move. As it looked around, its pale golden holographic visor surveying its environment, it began to speak in a kind but sarcastic tone.

"Well, shit." it cursed, forming a long-barrelled rifle in its hands. "I sacrifice myself to power the Meta's suit, and now this. Where the hell am I?"

As the figure began to throw his arms around as if exasperated, Asuna peeked over the bed to see it had its arms crossed, and was currently saying several very rude words at a very rapid pace, over and over again.

"Just...no." it sighed. "Apparently I'm alive, and I'm supposed to be dead, or as dead as an AI Fragment can be when it powers up an ancient suit of armor previously worn by the Milky Way's most wanted serial killer and dare I mention former Freelancer...so, yeah. Just another day for your friendly neighborhood AI Fragment, Leonard Church."

Asuna didn't know what to make of it, but she had to do something. So she spoke up.

"Hello?"

The figure spun around and visibly flinched.

"Okay, woah." it sighed. "And it just keeps getting better and better."

"Who are you?" Asuna asked.

"Well, that's a long story." the figure said. "My name's Epsilon, but you can call me Church. I'm an AI Fragment formerly made by Project Freelancer. I take it you have questions?"

"Yeah." Asuna sighed. "Im Asuna, by the way."

"Nice to meet you." Church said. "Now, can you tell me what you're doing here in a gilded birdcage of all things, and where we are in space and time?"

Asuna gave Church an explanation, mostly regarding her kidnapped state, Sword Art Online, and the mind-control experiments she'd discovered being run by Sugou Noboyuki. When she finished, Church swore at the top of his virtual lungs.

"Great, another psychotic piece of shit that we're going to have to deal with." Church said, exasperated. "Asuna?"

"Yeah?" she replied.

"Can we make a deal?" Church asked. "Even though I'm an AI Fragment, I'm probably at least twenty times stronger than any of this time's full AIs. If I help you get out of here and back to the real world, you'll help me do the same. I mean, it's not like I want to be here either."

Asuna nodded resolutely, and she shook Church's holographic hand.

"Good to have you on board." Church smiled. "Now, let's see what I can do about those system locks on your account. We're going to need an even playing field. But first, let's get a move on."

"Do tell." Asuna smiled as Church waved his hand, and the door to her cage shattered. As Church merged with Asuna's figure, the two of them sprinted off towards the center of the World Tree, and a new partnership was born.