Pixelated endgame- a 'Ready player one' story

Real life confrontation

Art3mis stood there stunned as the final pixels of Y/n's avatar flaked away

Art3mis: "Y/n... fuck how didn't I realise?"

Shadow: "probably because you were focusing on yourself before him."
Shadow folded his arms and leant against the wall looking at her in disgust

Art3mis: "and none of you told me it was him either!"

Pixi3: "yeah because you deserved that information didn't you?"

Art3mis stopped for a moment and sighed... then punched the wall in anger
Art3mis: "god fucking damn it! Look, does anyone know where he is? Irl?"

The crew looked at each other seriously. None of them wanting to speak

Rung: "why would you want to know that?"

Art3mis: "because! He deserves an explanation... and an apology."

*timeskip- 4 hour later, Y/n's POV*

I'm sat on the balcony of my apartment. The rotting timbers creak as I place a foot against the railings, my head resting on my clenched fist as I try to think about my next steps.

Y/n: "the hell do I do now?"

Samantha: "you still never fixed this did you?"
I turn to see her sliding down the broken gutter pipe which hangs down by my home.

Y/n: "leave me alone." I stand up and start heading towards the screen door back inside

Samantha: "Y/n wait, let me explain."

Y/n: "explain what? Why you left me or why you never spoke to me afterwards?"

Samantha: "I had to focus on the mission."
She drops off the drain pipe and stands a few feet away from me looking sheepish. Clearly she doesn't want to be here either.

Y/n: "the mission? The mission?! You left me alone!"

Samantha: "I couldn't afford any distractions Y/n! You didn't want to fight in the rebellion against IOI so I did what I had to!"

Y/n: "I HAD 2 DAYS TO MOURN MY PARENTS!... you had months. You asked me to join when I was at the worst time of my life, you left me without anyone. So if you really wanna know my problem with you, it's that you only cut and run! you never stay long enough to help others out, only you! Now we still have a job to do, you still need to be protected, because as much as I hate you for what you did, I need the oasis around still... because some of us still need a place to escape to." I begin walking back into my apartment

Samantha: "Y/n I..."

Y/n: "save it for someone who cares."

Samantha: "what's the other reason?"

I stop dead in my tracks and turn my head
Y/n: "excuse me?"

Samantha: "on your ship you said you had reasons for keeping me online, plural. Why else are you helping me?"

I walk over and open my door. Before I close the door fully I look at her in the eyes
Y/n: "because I love you. Always have and always will... a-and the oasis wouldn't be as colourful without you in it."

Her hand grabs the door frame before it shuts. She stands in the doorway. I feel a lump in my throat as I look into her eyes... what was she doing?
Samantha: "I fucked up... and I know that now. I left you when I needed you as much as you needed me. I know you can't forgive me... but you don't have to. Just give a girl a chance?"

Y/n: "uh..." I feel my hand quivering as I hold the door handle... my entire body feels numb, the same feeling I felt when I first asked her on a date for the first time. Nervous and excitement, but why now?

Samantha: "please? Can we just talk? Not yelling and screaming? Just talk it out like we used to. Besides, I brought a piece offering." She opens the rucksack on her back and brings out a pack of beers. "Let's just have a drink and talk."

Y/n: "fine. Probably safer for you in here anyway. Who knows what might be watching us still." I concede and open the door for her to step through. She smiles as she walks into my apartment.

Samantha: "hasn't changed a bit. I remember your mom always being so welcoming to everyone."

I shut the door and calmly walk towards her
Y/n: "well she was that. Always happy to have others over. Became her downfall in the end..." I sigh remembering how IOI murdered both my parents.

Samantha: "look, I'm really sorry for snapping at you out there. It's just been a really stressful day y'know?"

I stay silent and nod gently
Samantha: "so, your team are pretty cool. A little defensive but-"

Y/n: "-they care about me. Sometimes too much..."

Samantha: "and they knew about us?"

Y/n: "yeah. When we broke up, when you left me, they kept me going. I focused on being the best racer in the oasis. We looked after the little guys whilst your clan sat back and did nothing."

Samantha opens two cans and passes me one as she sits on the couch and smirks
Samantha: "I remember this couch. This is where we-"

Y/n: "-yes don't remind me."

Samantha: "don't remember you complaining at the time... I recall you enjoyed yourself~."

Y/n: "it's not that I didn't like it. It's that it's painful to think about it now." I sit the other side of the couch to her "imagine trying to use something that you once made a big choice on. I've not sat on this couch since..."

Samantha: "big choice? You mean... was I your first?" She asks adjusting her position and smiling

Y/n: "yup." I swig from my beer

Samantha: "wow... that's uh, that's news to me. You never said."

Y/n: "as I recall, I didn't get chance to speak, my mouth was busy with your tongue down my throat." I chuckle and she giggles back. I can't help but smile as if it was old times. It felt good.

Samantha brings her feet in underneath her as she adjusts her position again. She stares at me with a mixture of a smile and worry.
Samantha: "we used to be good together... what changed?"

Y/n: "we both changed." I say solemnly "we both lost too much and didn't know how to process it. You started to fight IOI, and I was fighting with my own thoughts. At least you won your battle..."

Samantha moves closer to me and places a hand on my knee
Samantha: "it was my fault. I took it out on you and I drove you away... that was wrong of me, I see that now. All it did was make you worse. I'm sorry."

Y/n: "Sorry is just a word. I need to know that you're not just messing me about so we keep you safe."

Samantha looks at me, her hand brushes against my cheek
Samantha: "how about this?" She quickly closes the distance between us and kisses me, her eyes shut tight so her senses can focus on the touch of our lips. My heartbeat quickens as I find myself kissing her back softly. I pull back for a moment and smile at her

Y/n: "this will take some explaining to my crew."

Samantha: "once we've stopped I-rok I'll work on making it up to your crew too. But for now~" she kisses me again and pushes me down onto the couch spilling both of our beers. We stop kissing for a moment and she giggles looking at the two spilt cans

Y/n: "wait... two. A duplicate? Duplication, copy... you said you got notifications that the other admins left right?"

Samantha: "yeah, when they were banned it gave me a heads up, why?"

Y/n: "that means that the games code will have shown the command that was used when they went through that banned them... what if we cloned that command and used it against I-rok?"

Samantha smiles and kisses my cheek
Samantha: "you're a genius... OH! I'd better get some paper towels to clean that up!"