Leave The Monster Alone

En knocked at the office door, his expression especially grave as he opened the door and let himself and let himself in. He motioned to the other two in his party to come in as well and moved towards the bed. The only bed in the room had a figure on top of it which Mark instantly recognised.

"Are you here to meet me again?  You don't need to come daily for my sake and you already had your turn today. Go away now En" that grumpy and tired voice belongs to Liam. The others look to be in even more pain from the last time they had seen him. His real body was also younger than what Mark had expected out of him.

"I'm not the only visitor this time and I would like to see your face once you saw the surprise I have brought" Liam looked annoyed as he motioned for the other man to go away with cries of 'no gifts after the last one. Then his eyes fell on Mark and they widened.

"You? But how and why? How are you here?" The other looked shocked and for obvious reasons as well. Mark was not supposed to be here after all. He was a game character for most of these people and any relation to real-life was to be through an intelligent AI for the most part.

So he was sure it was spooky to see him here in the flesh. Still, they could fry to extend a hospitable hand to him before they decided to doubt his existence. It would be nice not to feel like a freak once in his life. These people made no mention of paying attention to that part of the detail at all. Not if this shocked expression was anything to go by.

"You can stop starting sometime this century. Yes, he's here and he's real as well. Get over it now and focus on more important things. Like the virus that had already affected more than 60% of every system" Rao's words caused all eyes to then to him. He did have a point after all and everyone knew it.

"Ah yes. Let's get to the topic at hand. Or not, seeing how someone for the game just popped up in real life as well. And who are you? Someone else from the game?" Liam was still trying to get over his shock from before. What did Mark even answer him with? 

"It's complicated but Mark was never a full part of that system. You saw the change as well as the weird interactions with him. Unfortunately, he had no recollection from before the game" Liam looked suspicious but Eb had been convinced. Mark did not care for their opinion, just the outcome.

"Focus on the main problem for now. What do we do from here?" They only had limited options available to them? Most of them were not even any good at all. They were far too destructive to be of any use to them. And the AI was not stupid enough to allow them to have a pressing advantage. They all knew that and this caused them to tense.

"I understand why you are here, but who is the other person with you? I don't think I've seen him before today?" Liam narrowed his eyes at the unknown person in the room. He had a feeling he knew the other and yet he could confidently say he had never seen the other in his life before today. Mark looked conflicted at the clash, not knowing whose side he was on here.

"I'm Rao. You might know me for my creation more. The AI you are dealing with was kinda, maybe created by me but wait" there was a sudden moment from Liam and En's side as they lunged at the younger man. Rao made a quick decision to hide behind him to save his life. Why does he think this was a good idea? 

Mark sidestepped to allow everyone easier access to the hiding genius. The other shot him a betrayed look but the glares aimed at his way softened his look considerably. He sighed out tiredly as he looked at the others around him. His eyes seemed to age a bit.

"The AI is not under my control right now. I know what I did was not right but I can not do anything about it at this stage. I need you all to understand that and not fly off of your rocks for this" the other two looked angry still. They were likely not going to bear anything Rao said at this point. It would be better if Mark distracted them for now.

"Let it go. Fighting him will not solve anything for us. He might be able to help us out instead" the other two looked at the spectacle of his claim but Mark stayed firm about his decision. Not that he cared about Rao or anything, the other was just a really good asset for dealing with the rampaging AI and everything. He was more useful alive and with than dead or behind a prison bar.

The other two realised his thought process as well but they did not look happy in the slightest. There was a frown on their faces that did not correspond with their current feelings and Mark understood that notion. He felt cheated as well when he had first woken up but they could not have everything handed to them as easily as well.

"Fine. We'll give him a chance to prove himself, but only one. You do anything foolish and you are out. Did you understand?" Rao nodded, suddenly not nervous at all. It was not like he had predicted this all to happen but the outcome seemed agreeable.

"So what should our next step be? Our gears are too damaged for us to take another dive there and we do not have any spare ones lying around either. Any suggestions?" Liam asked and Mark had no idea how that worked. Could they not make more gears? Or was there a look limitation to how many there could be at one time? He felt so out of depth here.

"Gears should not be needed. I know how to get things done externally but you all might not like the solution that much" that pulled a frown out of almost everyone. If the other thought this then there was a big problem with this plan. Still, they decided to hear him out at least. And once they did, they all looked stunned at the outcome.

"Surely there is another way. This is too dangerous for anyone to follow" En seemed in disbelief, disapproval clear in his eyes. He looked to be out of the equation. Even Liam stood there with a doubtful face. Mark understood.

"We cannot just hack the central security for the whole country. We'll be branded as criminals and for good reasons as well." Liam's voice was almost a scream. It was so loud that it managed to alert other security people who came to check upon them. Lima sent them back with a wave of his hand but he still looked worried.

Not that Mark was any better. Even he looked at Rao as if he had lost his head and the other might have lost his head at this point. The decision he made was not one any sane person would make after all. He even looked proud of his decision which was the cherry on top of everything else.

"No, hear me out. I'm not suggesting a full out cyber attack but just some vigilance. It would not hurt anyone and we will get the AI captured very easily" Rao looked certain of his strategy. She looks so that it would work as he had intended to but no one else had his confidence. The one most worried about this plan was Liam who had his reputation on the line.

"This will come back to bite us but I don't feel like we have another choice. I hate to say this but maybe this is what we should do" Liam and Mark looked at En in shock. Had he lost his mind? How could he entertain such a foolish idea and with that straight face as well? Did he even know how much trouble it would cost them?

"No way. This is a big no-no. I can not allow anyone to do this foolish thing as long as I am here" Liam seemed to put his foot down. He felt like the only responsible person in this group so he had to be their voice of reason as well. He did not want them to get themselves killed or worse, to be arrested and put his reputation at stake.

But the other two seemed to have made their mind already and Mark felt obligated to keep an eye on them. Otherwise, there was going to be chaos they could not afford and Liam understood that fear as well.. That was the only reason he did not stop Mark.