Alt F4

His finger hovered over the button, a destitute look in his bright green eyes.

"I lost." his voice sounded in a hushed whisper, unintended for anyone else.

"Was he right? I'm scum, I was a hypocrite and didn't play the game right." he held his head in his hand, the fingers pressing against the smooth screen and ejecting him from the game, the singular message popping before him.

'Character deleted, you will not be able to recover your data, you will not be able to recover your levels, you will not be able to recover your rank, you will not be able to recover your appearance.

Thank you for playing LSO.'

As he laid back in the bed it felt like he would puke, it felt like his heart had been ripped out, his soul crushed… but also there was a strange relief.

"It was too good anyway, it… I didn't deserve it."

In a few seconds his computer blew up with notifications, the tidal wave of comments.

'Holy shit, he quit'

'Jesus was that all it took?'

'I can't believe his nerve, wasn't he the one who said having an OP skill was good?'

'Good riddance, he should've played the game normally'

He sat up from his bed opening the blinds. He then collected the games from his desk and put his computer to one side. He tore down some of the posters and pictures around his walls and stuffed them into a plastic box, then walked outside. His headphones crashed over his head, booming with music and he stepped into the all too familiar air.

"LEE!!!"

The voice bursted through his bubble of music,

"What?"

"You quit?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"The video didn't capture audio? He was right, that's it."

"So you quit?"

"Yeah, it's simple, I needed to use LSO for money, now that can't it's garbage."

"That's it… you just quit like that, it was all money? Bullshit. What about me?"

"Do what you want."

"Why… why are you being like this."

"You can look at it any way you want, that when I saw you I only saw a dollar sign, that I cared about you but I'm pushing you away to protect you. That I never felt anything and now we don't have anything in common, that life is a game to me and I'm done with the side quests. Anyway you chose, just stop bothering me."

"Lee."

He walked away, his hands sliding over the headphones, his ace hidden from everyone, his teeth gritted and his eyes squinted in pain.

He turned the corner, his hand plunging into his stomach as he threw up, liquid pouring from his mouth and sloshing onto the pavement.

"That was harder than I expected."

"But now that you have, we're ready."

"Thanks… lev."

"You can't call me that anymore Lee, now, you call me boss."

"Ok… what next?"

"Well for one try cleaning up your vomit, then i have some collections for you."

"Racketeering? You're an enterprising one… boss." the last word loaded with spite triggered lev's hand to fly round smacking lee in the face,

"Remember Lee, you came to me, so you need this. Frankly I've made enough allowances for you, we all have, you know how much shit I got just for your existence, grow up and stop trying to be a smart ass. Now come on and let me give you the list."

Lee was silent as he followed, then walked through twisting streets laden with shops and stalls, people sat on mats selling junk and whatever else they could get their hands on.

"It's been a while since you were last down here, but welcome to the underbelly of this town, gambling, fencing, drugs, gang bars, whatever the fuck you want, and your new home."

"And what will I be doing among such upstanding citizens?"

"Like I said, collections, most of our money comes from collecting from guys who have debts against the casinos and drug runners and getting them to pay up."

"If I get caught?"

"Go peacefully and you'll be fine."

"Fine."

"Last thing, we take ten percent, if they give you any less don't take it."

"What can I do?"

"Just pull the same shit you did on me, but no skimming or I really will kill you."

"Fine."

Lev pushed a list into Lee's hands and walked off.

"Shit."