His footsteps quiet in his [url=http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/262/1/b/waraji_1_by_emjean-d2z2ijb.jpg][i]waraji,[/i][/url] his hands clasped in front of him inside the sleeves of his kimono, Zac slowly walks through the streets of the virtual copy of Westbay. He didn't even know what brought him back to this empty shell of his city, only that he would log in every day after kendo and fight the strange creatures roaming around.

Zac isn't sure how long he had been walking. It had to have been for a couple of hours, at least, when he finally found himself in front of an old building and an adjacent workshop. A pack of strange, robotic dogs were prowling around, sniffing the air and ground, as if investigating something. [i]Strange,[/i] he thinks. [i]I don't remember ever seeing these things behaving like this.[/i]

Just then, one of the dogs notice him and lets out a metallic howl. Sighing as the dogs begin to close in on him, Zac says, "And here I was, hoping to just have a peaceful walk."

One of the dogs pounce and, in a flash, is cut down by the katana that had suddenly found its way out of its sheathe and into Zac's hand. As the dog disintegrates, the others back off, but don't run away. Instead, they seem to be planning their attack, having seen how dangerous this intruder was.

Crouching low, both hands on his sword, Zac smirks and says, "Well, then. Who's next?"

The dogs begin to circle him, just like wolves in the real world would do to their prey. Zac's eyes follow the beasts as they come into his field of vision, but he doesn't turn to keep track of any single one. One of the dogs behind him pounces. However, ready for the attack, Zac side-steps and slashes with his sword in one hand, cutting the dog down in a single movement. One attacks from the front, but Zac cuts it down with an upward diagonal slash.

[i]Three down,[/i] he thinks. [i]Two to go.[/i]

Wielding his katana in one hand, he flips it around and stabs behind him, stopping the attacking dog in its tracks. Pulling his sword out of the disintegrating body, he watches the last remaining dog as it crouches, it's metallic growl echoing eerily from its maw. Holding his katana in both hands, Zac levels the tip at the beast, his golden eyes sharp and focused.

The creature stays in its spot for a few moments before charging. Before it gets within range of Zac's sword, it dashes to the side and attempts to attack from its new position. Once again, Zac sidesteps and slices at the same time, cutting the beast in half at the waist. The dog gives a mechanical whine before disintegrating into pixelated dust.

With a sigh, Zac sheathes his katana and bows at the the vanishing dog. "Thank you for the fight," he mutters as the last pixels disappear. Straightening up, he looks back at the old house and workshop. [i]Something happened here,[/i] he thinks. [i]But what?[/i]

Sighing, he says, "I'll just come back tomorrow." Holding his arm out, an orange, holographic [url=http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090923234517/masseffect/images/6/61/Omni-big.png]display[/url] appears around his hand and forearm. A screen hovers above a holographic keyboard. On the screen are two words, followed by two options:

[color=green]>Log out?
[indent]>Yes
>No[/indent][/color]

As soon as he taps the 'yes' option, the world goes black. A few moments later, he opens his eyes to find himself back in his room, his computer monitor reading 'log-out successful.' No light was shining through the window, telling him he had been in for at least a couple of hours. Rising to his feet, he mutters, "I was in there longer than I thought...I need food."