Runaway Ladies

Justice looked up, her eyes focusing on a girl with her hands on her knees and her eyes towards the entrance of the shop. Her hair wasn't so puffy, laying calm down her back now almost like silk. Her golden eyes finally looked back down at Justice. They widened in surprise.

"Oh! The cutie from yesterday! I've been wanting to talk and apologize. Didn't expect that wolf to come up right then. Hehe..."

She scratched the back of her head, the hair cascading in many directions.

"Beautiful..."

Justice got to her feet, dusting off her backside. To her surprise, it actually had dust effects. When she looked back towards Symphony, the automaton was tinted blue in a manner that made her cuteness much more adorable.

"So uh... what brought you out of there so fast?"

Justice rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Your little boyfriend shoved me, nearly killing me. Asked where you were, then well... had to book it. He was mad."

A segment of Symphony's face lifted, her eyebrow. She placed her head in her hand and shook it before peeking between her fingers at Justice.

"Single, sweetie. That moron can't get someone like me even if he were stronger than me. Ugh... that stupid rumor always messes with my relationships!"

She flung her arms up, the words she spoke making Justice a little uncomfortable.

'So she's just really friendly? Hehe... my bad.'

Justice stretched a little, then began to walk off. Symphony smirked as she began to follow.

"So where'd you get those greaves? Never actually seen that pair before."

Justice shook her head.

"Why was he so hellbent on the two of you that he called you his?"

"Ugh... he's just my keeper. My guild sends him with me because I run off a lot. They worry because Admins are targeted a ton. That A.I. is a bitch."

"You're telling me..."

Symphony stopped walking, her eyes revolving inside of her head. Justice looked back.

"What? Character creation was a pain."

"Ah... oh. I was kinda hoping to meet another Admin! We all stay in our own zones, so... hehe."

Justice nodded, wiping her brow internally.

'Oops... I don't know if revealing myself is safe.'

"So uh... what exactly does the A.I. do to Admins?"

Symphony gave a massive bright smile. She clasped her hands and bent forward.

"We are special! It's part of why we have our own zones. The company that made Relian went up in a fire, but the A.I. never broke down. It's been pretty chill, just keeping the game going! So... what does the all powerful being do when it's all alone, unable to keep itself fully protected? It made Admins. We get special quests every so often to fight Bugs. Special event monsters that are actually errors, hackers or... well bugs! We are a type of Antivirus, as well as higher tier players with greater allowances. My gun? Made it. My race? Got it easy. My class? One of a kind."

Symphony looked bright and happy, proud of what she had become.

"I'm also well liked cause I'm pretty cute, so I'm like an idol... though I don't sing or dance. I've even had people choose silly classes to get pictures of me."

Justice nodded.

"What class are you?"

"Tech Mage. Any tech I use, the more advanced, the more powerful the magic I can cast! It's fun, specially my gun. I can make portals and do fun stuff, specially my ultimate skill! You get one around level seventy, depending on your class."

"So that's how it is... I expected it to be hacked accounts or specially privileged players that get what they want."

Symphony hopped forward, her body jiggling more than one might have expected. She peered deep into Justice's eyes, then popped a massive smile.

"We help, so we get specially rewarded. Anyone that works with us gets rewards too."

"But the A.I... is it usually so vocal?"

Symphony grabbed Justice's hand, her eyes suddenly serious. She tugged her away from the crowd, ducking into a rather clean alley.

"Okay, spill. You're a bit stronger than you should be, plus you've talked to the A.I. I've never even done that, yet I've played since release."

Justice shook her head, unable to remove Symphony's hands from her.

"Erm... do Admins kill each other?"

"Not at all. We rarely see each other, though occasionally we will cross paths for a super powerful Bug. So, are you one? Are you the fifth Admin?"

Nodding slowly, Justice realized she wasn't in any danger. Symphony hadn't been hostile, not this time. She had been kind, even friendly to her. The look on her face made her feel even more secure. Symphony was practically beaming.

"Do you want to help kill Bugs!? You can join me and Rook! Don't worry, you'll gain EXP from it, as well as gear."

"Will I piss him off?"

The smile and nod that Symphony did made Justice giggle softly, covering her face slightly. When she looked back up, Symphony seemed happy.

"Well, looks like I'll be busy in the near future. Was that why you wanted Rook to be fast?"

Symphony nodded, then her smile faded.

"That was you! Oh my God, you actual brat! I just thought I got my hopes up. Been a while since I've met someone that just felt natural to chat with. Everyone else... they just want to use me. Hehe."

Justice could see the sadness in her eyes. She gave her a soft smile.

"Well, looks like I've made my first friend. In game, of course."

--

Thank you,

JScott, croix and Tech!