Darkness Origins

Chapter 5: VIRGO Testing

There was no sign of the creep after that day. When Monday came the group went to VIRGO Corp where they were able to start testing the games. The first game they were allowed to test was a multiplayer where they could all play together. It was on a basic game system with the proto-type name Rocher Dome. The game itself was called Life Box. 

The goal of the game was to make it in life. Which was basically have a job and family. Whoever can get to retirement which took 30 days in the game, first will win. 

"The controls on this sucks." Pony commented as he tried to make his player pick up a glass cup. 

"Yeah, it's a bit laggy too." Reiner said as his character walked around slowly. 

In the room next to them people were writing down what they were saying and keeping an eye on them. Fiffteen minutes into the game, Greed noticed something about a background character. The character seemed familiar looking. 

"Guys, is that who I think it is?" Greed asked pointing at the screen and the power switched off and on of the Rocher Dome. 

A man walked into the room quickly and picked the Rocher Dome up. 

"Oh darn. It seems this one is having power failure." the man said, "We'll set up a new one soon." 

With that said the man left the room quickly. The others looked at each other for a second, before going back to their game. In the end they all had power failure after noticing something in the background. For Pony it was a plant like person from The Town of Eden. Reiner it was a man with a yak. Armin and Matt it was fairies and for Kaneki it a women with a rose on her head. 

"Well the Rocher Dome seems to have some bugs needing to be fixed. How about you guys go get some lunch and come back in an hour?" The man said and the group left the testing facility. 

They walked to the lunch room and paused when everyone looked at them. 

"Uh, let's go somewhere else to eat." Kaneki said and the group agreed. 

They went to a local resturant called St. Patty's Bar and Grill. 

"Okay, so did anyone else see anything Darkness related before those systems crashed?" Pony asked after they had ordered their food. 

"Yeah. I saw Rosalina." Kaneki said, "It was a quick flash, but I know it was her." 

"I saw fairies." Matt said. 

"I did too." Armin said. 

"And I saw the merchant and his yak by a store." Reiner said. 

"It's like The Darkness is reaching out to us." Pony said. 

"Or the people within it." Greed said, "I saw Roxlin. How is he alive? And if it's truely him, we have to get him!" 

The waitress brought them their food cutting them off from their discussion as two women walked into the resturant. Armin looked at them and noticed that she had saw them at VIRGO Corps earlier. She nudge Pony's foot with her own and he looked up at her.

"Playing footies Armin?" he asked and she blushed. 

"N-No." she said and got close to his ears, "We're being followed. The two women by the bar."

Pony looked over at the bar and saw them. He stood up and annouced he had to use the bathroom. 

"TMI dude!" Matt said and Pony walked away rolling his eyes. 

In the bathroom, Pony went into a stall and pulled his phone out. He sent the others a message. 

Pony: We're being followed. Act natural guys. 

Pony put his phone away and flushed the un-used toilet. He walked out of the stall and jumped a bit when he saw an old man standing there. He had a blank look in his eyes. 

"He's back." he said and passed out. 

Pony rushed to the old man and shouted out for help. A staff member ran into the restroom while another one called an ambulance. When the man was taken to the hospital the group left the pub and grill. 

"Before he passed out, he said "He's back." Pony told them as they walked away. 

"That's the same thing the written on letter from the amusment park." Reiner said. 

"I know." Pony said. 

Greed looked behind them and saw the two women. She coughed a few times and Kaneki looked at her. 

"Are you dying? Say yes." Kaneki said and Greed glared at her. 

"No! We're being followed, stupid." Greed told her. 

"I'm not stupid, you're stupid!" Kaneki told her. 

"Shut up! You're stupid!" Greed said and Pony let out a sigh. 

"Girls enough." Pony said, "Now let's go back to the testing facility. We need to get one of those systems." 

Meanwhile at a hospital a man wearing a pair of dark sunglasses with a long black coat, and dark gray hair walked into a room. 

"Is this him?" A nurse asked and the man nodded his head. 

"Yes, yes it is. I have found him." The man said, "I have found my son."