17

Part 14

Jax sat there and stared at the white, wrinkled sheets with a look of disbelief on his face.
"None of it... NONE OF IT WAS REAL?!" Jax screamed at his brother with tears in his eyes, he was shaking from his temper.
"I lost everything! I watched everyone die and I was so alone.. Everyone will know I'm dead, it'll be in the paper for being the furthest in the tower."
He looked up with tears in his eyes and pain in his voice, "What about Kai? He's all alone...." He started to cry not out of sadness but out of pain, anger, and regret.
"HE THINKS I'M DEAD" He screamed and let his voice break just as someone walked in.
"Jaxon Vasser, the lone fighter, the vengeful soldier, the shadow. So many names for a little boy." A man with a suit on said with a plastic smile. "You are our favorite person to watch because of angry you get at the system and the players. I think it's adorable how you think you would beat the boss" He started laughing, he sounded like a robot but with how everything was Jax wouldn't be surprised.
"We have a car and a place for you to stay. You also have a job but nobody can know. Here's my card, contact me if you need. It was nice meeting you Jaxon." The man handed him a card with writing on one side and a number on the other, it felt like it was way heavier than it should have been but Jax ignored it. Then the man left.
Jax shakily got up and put on the clothes Atlas had gotten for him, a grey tee shirt, black jeans, and some plain black shoes, it reminded him of his wardrobe from the virtual world.
He didn't want to admit it but he missed fighting already. He missed the towns and their sweet smells from bakeries and rain. There was always the smell of rain in the virtual world and he missed the comforting scent.
Jax looked up at Atlas and spoke quietly, "What do they call the other world..?"
Atlas smiled and looked back at his younger brother, "Alpha II, there were tests for years. It started with-"
He was cut off by Jax, "I don't need a history lesson. I just asked what it was called."
The smile faded from Atlas's face. "Call that number and do what they tell you to do." He walked out of the room without letting Jax respond.

The card was really heavy, it was only made of paper but it felt like metal. It smelt like rain and I missed my old home, the open road.

Jax got up and walked around, looking at the world around him, devoid of color. He saw this new world in shades of grey, there was no happiness, no gardens or fields to lay in. No couples, no shops open with the sweet smell of pastries.
This new world was dirty and plain. It disgusted Jax and made him more homesick than he already was.
He asked a man on the street where there was a phone and he pointed at his grey box on the side of the road, another plain thing he wished he could change.
He dialed the number and it the voice on the other side spoke, "Name please."
"Jax"
"Error. Name please."
"Jaxon?"
"Error. Name please."
"Jaxon Vasser"
"Please hold Mr. Vasser."
He mumbled to himself about why they had made this so formal but he couldn't complain.
"Mr. Vasser, your car is on its way, please be patient."
The call ended and he looked around at the people staring at him with vacant expressions and he saw two men walking towards him in all black, black trenchcoats, black jeans, black glasses.
They had swords on their sides and Jax ran, he sprinted into a crowd of the mindless people of this bland world.
He was suddenly swept off his feet and pulled into a black car with the guy from the hospital sitting there.
Jax looked around and then spoke up, "What the hell was that?!"
"That was an agent. They go after the heroes from Alpha II and eliminate them when they wake up, I'm glad you called when you did because if it was any later you would have been killed."
"Why are you helping me anyway?"
"You're going back to the game and you will find the switch and shut it down. Beat the final boss and the game will be beat like any other game. Your target is Lazaro."
Jax tensed with the last sentence and looked the man in the eyes, "I'll do it if you save Kai."
"Deal." He said in a smooth tone.