The American Server (A Sword Art Online Fanfic)

Chapter 5

Kirito watched as they neared the outpost, with Kommando293 and Rosebeth leading them. The sun was setting fast and as Kirito walked next to Asuna and Yui, he kinda felt the peice of metal in his inventory become almost heavy, as if it was wanting him to use it and make a sword. He watched as the outpost gates opened and as they slowly walked through the gate, Kommando293 said to them, "Come on, follow me to the bar. We dont have any form of alcohol but we do have some juice, soda, and a little bit of water."

They walked past other players, most who were higher level than Kirito and his group and most having what looked like better weapons than Kirito's group had. He looked ahead and saw what the bar was as Kommando293 ushered them all inside. The bar had some decent lighting and there were relatively few players here. The player acting as Bartender was currently cleaning up some glasses and as he looked up to see Kirito's group, Kommando293, and Rosebeth, he said to them, "Well, if it isnt the Ranger. I see you have the group of Japanese players all still in one piece. Who is that with you?"

"This is Rosebeth, the Paint Fighter. She was skulking about and we so happen to cross paths. Has any other Japanese player appeared in the outpost?" Kommando293 asked the player.

"Yeah. They're in the back, making some weapons or at least trying. We have another player helping them the best he can." the player said and Kirito saw his user name to be GrimReaper01.

"Oh really? I think I should go over and help out if necessary." Kommando293 said as he led the group through a doorway on the other side and Yui managed to wave at GrimReaper01, who looked at her and managed a small smile.

They walked into what could have been a decent blacksmith workshop had the roof not been recently patched up with tarp. The tools were sorta rusted and hanged on their pegs as Kirito saw-

"Lisbeth! Silica! Your here!" Kirito said as he saw both the girls look up to see him. Silica smiled and waved as she said, "Kirito! Your here!" and Kirito could see a small German Shepard sitting next to her leg. Lisbeth was working on something while another american player stood nearby and watched her.

"I havent seen you before. Who are you?" asked Kommando293 to the other player.

"Im James Thomas. I found these two spawned nearby and brought them here. So, its true that SAO rules are applied here?" the player said as he watched Lisbeth continue to work on something.

"Im Kommando293. And, yes, the SAO rules have been enacted by one heck of a hacker. He's the reason why these people are even here. Can't imagine how many are dying to the Infected already." Kommando293 said as he looked at Lisbeth and asked her, "Whats that?"

Lisbeth looked up at Kommando293 as she picked up the blade she was trying to craft and showed it to him. "I'm trying to make a decent sword. But, its hard since nothing seems to work."

Kommando293 was silent before he gave a small chuckle and everyone looked at him funny for a moment before he said, "You're use to it being done for you, almost automatically. Thing is, this is Hardcore, so everything is done like in RW. By hand and through some practice. You weren't too far off being good with the sword but I think there are some more things you need before it can be complete... What do you say?"

She looked at the incomplete weapon before she slowly nodded her head.

Then, Kirito saw what she was missing and as he pulled out the sheet of metal he hoped could be a blade from his inventory, he asked them, "Could this work? I need a blade anyway."

Kommando293 looked at the weapon and he gingerly took it and he gave it to Lisbeth, who took it and undid her previous work as she began to make a new sword for Kirito. And as she did, Kirito watched as the sword was slowly finished.

"There! Its done!" Lisbeth said as she held up the completed Scrap sword. It looked like it was ready to fall apart but as Kirito took it and gave her his shotgun, it felt heavy in his hands. Which was good enough for him.

"Thanks, Lisbeth. Even though it may not be perfect sword." Kirito said to her.

"No kidding. Everything here, being of junk and scrap! Why did it have to be those out of everything?" Lisbeth said heatedly.

"Becuase we're Americans. A lot of things you may not like are probably because we're Americans." Kommando293 said to her.

James and Rosebeth chuckled at that statement as Kirito stashed the sword into his armor, which felt not o my weird but it felt kinda dangerous but he ignored it as Kommando293 said, "So, can we all maybe get together tomorrow and go out for another scavenging trip?"

"I'm all in!" James said.

"You can count on me!" Rosebeth said.

Everyone else either said "Yes" or they nodded their heads.

Kommando293 nodded as he said, "Alright then, its settled. I think I'm gonna get my group back to my place so they can sleep. You all are welcome enough to join me if you want to."

"I'd love too!  Being in the home of the Ranger!" Rosebeth said in a ecstatic voice.

"I'll be glad to go to your house? Better than setting up camp on the hard ground." James said.

Kommando293 walked up the stairs as he let the bag he had on his back fall to the floor as he set himself up on a bed he used as his sniping spot and he set his rifle up as he kept it up and looked around the outpost. He took the NVG's on his helmet and flicked them down as he made sure the hood over his helmet was up still. He looked around with his eyes before he got down and looked through his scope as he began to slowly sweep it around the town as he watched for trouble. He heard something and snapped his head up as he saw a nearby poster pinned to a dresser using knives, scrap metal, and nails. He sighed as he took a nearby scrap shiv and threw it as he pinned the lose part of the poster to the dresser before he returned his gaze back to the surroundings of the outpost.
"Is that you in the poster?"
Kommando293 looked up and over and saw Yui once again standing there and watching him.
"Why do you wanna know?" He asked her as she went to the poster and took the blades pinning it off. She held up the poster as she looked at it. It displayed a single figure, holding a rifle as he pointed towards a distant city from the hill he stood on. The words below read, "Take the city! Join the Ranger Guild today!"
And as Yui looked at it, she looked over and said, "This is why people call you the Ranger. This means your a pretty high level, right?"
Kommando293 looked at her as he returned to lookout. "Yes.... In fact, I'm one of the few people here that are high leveled. The others.... Well, they all are at the most distant outpost, nearest to one of the small cities."
"Why aren't you with them?" She asked.
"We... We had a disagreement on something....."
She walked to where he was and asked him, "What will you do, now your having to take care of us?"
"Take care? No, that's what you all must do for each other. I'm just getting you all started so that you won't die so easily." Kommando293 said.

"Is that really what you say? Or is that you trying to hide something?" Kommando293 smiled at that deduction. This was an AI that was pretty smart and as he looked at her, he said to her, "Alright. But, do me a favor and dont tell your friends, parents, wheaterver they are."

"I promise I wont tell them or anyone unless you say so." Yui said with a smile.

Kommando293 nodded as he got himself comfortable with the rifle and began to tell her the tale of how it all happened.