System Failure (An Adesa Fanfic) [Originally by Littlewolf65]

Chapter 14

Adam's POV
"What are you talking about Adam?" Ty asked.

I kept my eyes on Alesa, speaking rapidly. "It's exactly like what happened in that city's mainframe, the one that Alesa looked after. We can't fight off the viruses and we can't rebuild the firewalls, but if we can shut down the system, just like what Alesa did. The viruses will fall into cyberspace and when we reboot it, the viruses will be gone and we can start recovering the lost files!"

"Adam, you're a genius!" Jason said. "The viruses can't leave like you glitches can because they don't have a connection to the real world, they'll all be killed!"

"That's why I suggested it, Jason," I said, smiling despite the situation. Alesa grinned back, unable to hear half of the conversation but still understanding what's going on. I heard Jason and Jin quickly talking to their team and seconds later, a low rumbling echoed through the mainframe.

"Start getting out of there guys, things are gonna move real quick," Jin warned.

Several viruses around us paused as the rumbling slowly grew louder and the ground began to shake. Ian was the first one to leave the system, disappearing into green particles. Instantly, the viruses seemed to know what was happening and they attacked with renewed frenzy.

My blade flashed out at a passing Trojan, reliving it of its head as the codings that formed the walls of the mainframe flickered. A red orb near me that must have been one of the hard drives glowed and I ducked out of the way as Jin called a warning to me, pulling Alesa with me as a worm shot out of it.

It instantly leapt on the attack. I sidestepped its sword as it aimed for my throat but I could have sworn that its eyes were on my amulet. I went for its legs and it jumped over my blade, the last move it made before Alesa skewered it and it dissolved.

"You're good with a sword," I commented, my head flicking around for more viruses, seeing most of them trying to escape from the system.

"I don't know," Alesa said uncertainly, turning the sword over. "I find it a bit uncomfortable, as if I'm not used to it."

"Did you use a different weapon when you were a glitch?" I asked, frowning a little.

"Maybe. I can't quite remember."

"Jason, Jin," I heard Jerome yell through my earpiece. "Can you please hurry up with the whole shutting down process, the viruses are trying to break our connections."

"Don't risk it, get out now," Jin said. "The system's already turning off, you don't want to get stuck there."

I glanced over my shoulder to see Mitch and Jerome dissolve into green codes, Mitch's hands on his dog tags, Jerome's on his bracelet. Ty was sparing with a spyware and with a gesture to Alesa, we ran over to him. I thrust my blade into the virus's stomach at the same time that Ty's went for its chest.

"Thanks," Ty panted. His chest was bleeding green coding but the cut didn't seem to be severe. He went to say something else when a crashing sound boomed somewhere from our right. Several viruses disappeared into the floor, their yells becoming quickly softer as they fell, a gap in the floor showing where they had been. Alesa shuddered.

"Cyberspace," she whispered.

"We have to get out of here," Ty said.

"We'll follow," I said. Ty pressed down on his headphones and my hand went to my amulet when I froze, my head flicking back over my shoulder.

Alesa's amulet.

Her expression told me that she had already realised the problem. With her amulet smashed beyond use, she had no connection to the outside world. She was trapped in the mainframe, again, while it all fell into cyberspace.

My hand dropped from my amulet but Alesa shook her head, her eyes tearing up. She took my hand and put it back to my amulet.

"Don't," she whispered.

The ground shook again, viruses now abandoning the attempt to destroy the glitches' connections and desperately trying to get out of the mainframe, some of them slipping into cyberspace as the floor collapsed around us. Not that there were many glitches left. It was just Alesa and me.

I shook my head, moving my hand so that I was holding hers. "I'm not just leaving you behind."

"Don't be a hero," she said, her voice caught between sad and angry. "I'm a virus, I'm-"

"No, you're not," I told her, my other hand going to her shoulder. "You remember your past, you were a glitch. It doesn't matter that your code says that you're a virus, you still have the mindset of a glitch. That's all that matters."

"Adam, get out of there," Jason said through my earpiece. "There's not much time left!"

The floor gave another rumble and I pulled Alesa out of the way as the floor underneath us cracked and split apart, pieces falling into the blackness below. Both of our eyes were glued to the pit and several seconds passed before I realised that I was holding Alesa close to me, her head against my cheek.

She didn't back away and neither did I. I could feel her heart beating fast against mine, her fear showing but I could feel her trying to be strong. Her fast breaths, rapid heartbeat and the way her arms wrapped around me made up my mind.

"Adam, get out of there now!" Ty was yelling. "You'll be killed!"

Jason was yelling as well. "You've got seconds to get out of there Adam, hurry up!"

I pulled my earpiece out, letting it drop around my neck. "I'm not leaving you here Alesa," I said quietly. "I'd rather die here with you than leave you behind."

Alesa looked up at me, a tear spilling out of her eye, giving me a gentle smile. I carefully wiped the tear away, smiling back at her.

The mainframe was almost free of viruses now, most of them having fallen into cyberspace already. One of the only remain floor platforms was the one we were standing on. I pulled Alesa closer to me, my head resting on hers as the mainframe shook for the thousandth time, the rumbling shaking my core.

Her head tilted up slightly so that she was looking at me. Without really thinking, I slowly leant down until our faces were millimetres apart. She rose up the tiniest bit and then our lips were touching. The shaking of the mainframe faded into the distance as I focused on this moment to remember it forever: Alesa's arms wrapped around my chest, my hands pressed against her back and her neck, our lips pressed gently together.

I slowly took my hand from her neck, bringing it to my own. I gently lifted the object over my head, draping it carefully around hers. She didn't notice and I broke us apart, our foreheads gently resting on the other's.

"I love you Alesa," I told her softly, feeling the ground underneath us shake.

I saw her smile. Her eyes were closed and she seemed content. "I love you too Adam," she whispered.

"I'm sorry."

Her eyes opened and she looked up at me. "What?" But I had already pressed down on the gem in my amulet and she dissolved, calling my name as she left the mainframe. Then I was alone, with no way out of the mainframe, the floor breaking up underneath me.