The ropes burned around Suguha's wrists.

"Let us go, you old jerk!" She heard Sinon yell at him.

"Hey! I'll have you know I went and got my hair cut yesterday! I must look at least 17, right Asuna? Just your age-range, hmm?" Sugou shouted, making kissing gestures at Asuna. She looked disgusted, and Suguha couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

So Suguha spat on his shoes.

"How dare you! These shoes cost more than you! These were pure leather and I'll have you know..."

"I'll have you know my ears are bleeding. Please SHUT UP!" Lisbeth retorted. Silica banged her shoes on the floor, ignoring Sugou's cries of:

"This is pure marble flooring, I don't want your plain shoes scuffing it with its... plainness!" And so forth.

"I would be clapping for you, but I, um... can't really..." Silica said softly, lifting her arms up, drawing everyone's eyes to the bound, red-raw hands.

"Oh Silica..." Asuna said, taking in her tear-stained face, her eyes watery. "Are you alright?"

Silica sniffed softly. "Yeah, I've just never been in... a situation like this." She smiled, and as her eyes closed, more tears fell from them.

Sugou coughed loudly, and Silica jumped, eyes shooting to him, as wide as a doe.

"Aww, you're sweet, aren't you? Too bad you'll die here."

Silica squeaked, and covered her face with her arms. Sinon shot an angry look at Sugou.

"You have your entire life to be a jerk. Why not take today off? Silica isn't even 16 yet!"

"I'm almost..." She muttered, slowly pulling her arms down her face. Sugou looked at her again, and the arms flew back up.

Sugou opened his mouth to talk, then Asuna interrupted him.

"Are you always such an idiot, or do you just show off when I'm around?"

Klein burst into laughter. Suguha huffed.

I wanted to make him laugh...

Sugou started walking towards Asuna, and bent down. Asuna wasn't just tied up. Her hands were tied so that they were behind her back, and there was a metal pole between Asuna's back and her tied hands – so she couldn't move anywhere.

Sugou reached his hand back – then swung it forward, hitting Asuna's face.

He had slapped her.

"How dare you?" Sinon yelled. "Leave Asuna alone! You kidnapped her boyfriend, and now you physically assault her? Think about Asuna's perspective here!"

Suguha snapped.

"Think about Asuna's perspective?" She yelled. "What about my perspective? Yes, Kazuto is Asuna's boyfriend, and they spent 2 years trapped in SAO together, but he is my brother, and he's spent his entire life with me! I already almost lost him to SAO, then lost him to Asuna, and while I've gotten over it, you never consider what I'm thinking! It's always 'let's make sure Asuna's alright!' 'Oh, Asuna, are you okay?' 'Hey, give Asuna a break!' What about my feelings here?? You may think I'm being selfish, but I've been trying. I've been trying so hard. I really want to get along with you, Asuna, and I really like you, I do, and I know none of this is your fault. It just upsets me. Everyone thinks of you, and no one thinks of me. It just makes me feel... not there, you know?"

She started softly crying, trying to make no noise, as tears dripped from her chin.

"I... Uh... I leave you to deal with this." Sugou muttered. He left the room, gesturing for the guards to leave too.

Once they were all gone, and the door was shut, Suguha lifted her head. "Did I do alright guys?" She asked. Everyone stared at here, shocked.

"What, that wasn't real?" Sinon asked.

"Yes, it was real, but I played it up, and had a fit. Sugou doesn't know how to deal with those situations, so he just left. What I said is what I really feel, but if I wanted to have a proper talk about it, I would have done it in a proper manner, unless I was properly pushed over the edge."

She sighed. "Well, how are we gonna get out? I noticed Sugou has cameras, but no sound installers, so he can't hear anything we're saying."

"First we have to figure out how he found us in the first place." Sinon said. Everybody went deep into thought, before Klein shot his head up.

"Oh! I... um... I think it's my fault." He muttered. "I got the address from someone working for Sugou, but he ran off after he gave it to me, so he could have easily told him where we were gonna go. Sorry guys."

Suguha scooted over to him, and lay her head on his shoulder in a sign of comfort. He smiled.

"Thanks, Suguha." He said, laying his head on hers.

They stayed like that, before Suguha's head suddenly popped up, crashing into Klein's as she went, but she payed no attention to it, before turning to face Lisbeth.

"Lisbeth!"

"Yeah, what do you want?"

"Your hair clips!"

Lisbeth's tied hands dart up to her hair, where two pink hair clips are attached. She clumsily unclipped one from her hair, and brought it down so she could see it clearer.

"It looks quite sharp, I think it could cut the ropes!" She said, smiling. She reached up to get the other one, but she couldn't quite reach.

"I can't get to the other one!" She said. Silica scooted towards her, and Lisbeth bent her head down. Silica took the other clip off, and handed it to Lisbeth, blushing slightly.

"H – Here you g - go... Lisbeth." Silica stuttered, handing the clip over.

"Thanks Silica." Lisbeth said, before turning away, and chucking one of the clips over to Sinon, and one across the other side of the room, to Suguha.

"We need make sure the camera doesn't see us being suspicious as we untie the ropes, or block the door with something." Sinon suggests. Everyone nods in agreement. Silica moves closer to the camera to investigate it.

"It's not a rotatable camera!" She says after studying it.

"Okay, so Sinon should be able to cut Lisbeth's ropes easily, and if Klein moves towards Suguha some more, she should be able to cut his ropes, and vice versa." Asuna said.

(For everyone who doesn't understand the 'seating arrangements', imagine a clock. Lisbeth is at 12, Silica is at 2, Suguha is at 4, Klein is at 5, Asuna is at 7:30, and Sinon is at 10. The security camera is at 1:30.)

Sinon and Suguha cut Lisbeth and Klein's ropes, then Klein and Lisbeth cut Suguha and Sinon's ropes.

"If Silica moves, she should be out of the camera's range, and you guys should be able to cut her ropes." Asuna said.

Silica moved over to Lisbeth, while Suguha said: "What about you? Don't you want me to cut your ropes?"

"No, because I'm tied to this pole, right in the centre of the camera. I expect the camera primarily wanted to keep track of me – because of Sugou's 'fascination' with me." Asuna said, frowning slightly. Suguha felt sympathy for her.

"It'll be alright." She said, as Lisbeth cut Silica's ropes. Asuna sighed.

"Okay," Asuna started, bringing her attention back to the group. "This is gonna be difficult. Klein, you break the camera, and immediately after that, you guys cut off my ropes. Then we will burst through the door and make a run for it. We can't stop to look for Kirito, they've probably moved him by now."

Klein nodded in agreement, and smashed the camera, while Suguha knelt down to Asuna, and began cutting at her ropes.

As soon as Klein knocked off the camera, purple smoke started filling the room, and a circle started to form around where the pipe was, Suguha and Asuna inside it, cutting off most of smoke, but some still getting in. Suguha cut off Asuna's ropes, feeling drowsy, and falling asleep. Asuna had just enough time to rub her wrists and see all her friends collapse, before she too fell asleep.

___________________________________________________________________________

Asuna brought a hand to her head, covering her right eye. It was pounding! She opened her left eye, to see the scene in front of her. Or rather – the Suguha in front of her.

"Suguha?" Asuna muttered. She tried to move away, but there was no room. She took her hand away from her head, and tried to stretch it away from Suguha, only to meet glass. They were trapped in a glass tube.

"Suguha! Wake up! It was a trap all along, please, wake up!"

"Wha...?" Suguha groaned, as she slowly opened her eyes. "Asuna? What...?"

Then her eyes adjusted.

"Wait – Asuna? What's happening to them? Where are you, are you right behind me? I can't turn around. Is this... glass? This is so cramped!"

"Yes, I'm behind you, we're trapped in a glass tube. What do you mean 'others'? All I can see is your back."

Suguha opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Sugou.

"Who are you, and why are you in my darling Titania's glass chamber?" He sneered.

"I'm Suguha, Kazuto's sister, and you better explain what's going on, right now!" She yelled.

"Kirito's bratty sister, huh?" He muttered. "Hmm, I guess she can be of some use. Put this on." He said, chucking a gas mask down the tube. Suguha growled at him, but put it on.

The tube was opened, and Asuna had to cover her nose, and Suguha was hastily dragged out, and the tube was closed. Suguha was brought only a metre or so away from Asuna, before Sugou clicked a button, and a separate tube appeared. Suguha put up a good fight, but she ended up being shoved in there, with her gas mask ripped off her face, before it closed again.

"Now you both have some room, I'll explain." Sugou said. Asuna looked towards the ground, which she could now see, since Suguha's moved out of the way. She gasped.

"Klein, Lisbeth, Sinon, Silica! What have you done to them?" She cried, seeing them lying on the floor, purple fumes still around them. "Wait, are we still in the same room?" She asked.

"Yes, that's why I tied you to that pole – to make sure you would be the one stuck in this chamber if you all tried to escape, but apparently I made it too big." He said, glaring at Suguha. "Oh, I remember now! You're the one who spit on my shoes! I'll make you pay for that!"

Before Suguha could move, he grabbed one of his shoes, before chucking it down the tube, hitting Suguha on the head.

"OW!" She said, glaring at him. She picked up the shoe and glanced inside.

"Rocks? You put rocks in your shoe?" She asked angrily. Of course, Sugou would put so much effort into their torture.

"Suguha...?" Asuna muttered.

"Yeah?" Suguha replied, not taking her eyes off Sugou.

"Look in the corner of the room." Asuna said, trembling. Sugou smirked, and moved out of Suguha's way.

"Of course, go ahead." Sugou said.

In the corner of the room, there was a bed and a heart monitor, all inside a large glass container. There was also a person lying on the bed. Wait, was that...

"Kazuto!" Suguha screamed, banging on the glass. He was so CLOSE! He was right there!

Tears dripped off Suguha's chin, as she saw Kazuto lying on the bed. He looked so peaceful, even though he could easily die any second.

No, this is Kazuto, not some random idiot who doesn't play games. He's skilled – he'll easily make it out!

Asuna was thinking the same thing, practically flooding the tube.

Please Kirito... Wake up, please!

Kazuto's fingers twitched. Both Asuna and Suguha gasped.

"He's not waking up yet!" Sugou said angrily, before pressing another button. Small holes appeared in Kazuto's glass container, and the purple fumes started to seep in.

"Sugou look at me!" Asuna cried out. She had to see Kirito again, to meet eyes with him, and tell him that she loves him, just one more time. She would do anything to guarantee his safety.

Suguha could tell what she was thinking.

"No, Asuna, don't!"

Sugou ignored her, and faced Asuna. "What is it?"

"Please stop the sleeping gas from getting into Kirito's container. If you do, I'll... I'll..."

"Yes...?" Sugou said, gleefully.

"I'll..." Asuna paused, to see Kirito's fingers continue to twitch, before starting to relax.

No!

"I'LL KISS YOU!" She screamed. Immediately, Sugou pressed another button, and the gas started to leave the container, leaving behind tiny specs of powder, which don't do much to anyone.

"Okay, you have a deal!" Sugou says. "Pucker up!"

Asuna flinched, before moving towards Sugou.

Sugou opened her glass tube and moved forward.

He leaned in.

She leaned in.

They –

"I did what you asked, Sugou."

Asuna immediately retreated backwards into her tube, hands clamped over her mouth, sighing in relief. That was close.

Wait – Kirito?

She started crying – he was awake! His eyes were still closed, but he was moving and talking, so it's probably just the after effects of the sleeping gas.

Sugou angrily closed Asuna's tube.

Suguha was crying too – she could see him, she could hear his voice. Oh, she had missed him so much!

"I played your game, but I know that you don't have Asuna, so I will be leaving now. Let me go."

Asuna pressed her forehead and palms against the glass, crying. He was awake!

"I would beg to differ, Kirito, why wouldn't you think I have Asuna here?

"Kirito!" Asuna screamed at him. Don't fall for Sugou's tricks, just leave while you can!

"That's just a voice recorder, you sent some of your men to attack Asuna, and record her voice. There's no way that's really her. Now let me go." Kazuto laughed. Asuna smiled softly, tears still dripping from her face. He remembered.

"Kazuto, I'm sorry, but it's really Asuna talking to you."

"Suguha?" Kirito called out. Asuna looked at Suguha. She seems as distraught as I am! Asuna thought. She and Suguha met eyes, and Asuna smiled at her for comfort. Suguha smiled back.

Kirito opened his eyes, and got up, sitting on the bed, before seeing them, and freezing in surprise.

"Asuna...? Suguha...? What's going on?"

So tomorrow I'll be heading back to school for Yr 11. This means I'll have to do even more studying than last year to get ready for the GCSE's. My chapters will probably go back to how they used to be, and I will make sure that I always update within 2 weeks – until this fanfic is done, anyway.

I tried to make this chap slightly longer than usual – hope you like it!

There's probably going to be either 2 or 3 chapters left to make, so I'll be starting a new fanfic soon.

And speaking of a new fanfic...

CURRENT RANKINGS:

ANIME:

Case Closed/Detective Conan (1 VOTE)

My Hero Academia (0)

Blue Exorcist (2 VOTES)

Fairy Tail (1 VOTE)

Glitter Force (1 VOTE)

Pokémon (0)

Saiki K (0)

Shonen Maid (0)

Snow White With The Red Hair (0)

CARTOONS:

How to Train Your Dragon (2 VOTES)

Miraculous Ladybug (1 VOTE)

Gravity Falls (0)

Star VS the Forces of Evil (0)

GAMING:

Mario and Luigi (1 VOTE)

Professor Layton (1 VOTE)

Undertale (0)

Currently I'll either be writing a Blue Exorcist fanfic or a HTTYD fanfic. Make sure you vote!

Thank you for all your support – I'll try and post a new chap soon!

But for now...

Peachy out! 😊