AN: This is dedicated to RoxyConan-Kun for being my 100th follower to Danny Phantom Reversal. She suggested the theme and I tried to run with it. She suggested a theme along the line of Sword Art Online and Danny getting himself trapped in it. Admittedly, I didn't watch SAO, but my brother and sister love it and showed me the first episode, so I have a brief understanding to work off of which I melded with another idea suggestion that Danny get stuck in Doomed.

I honestly got a case of writer's block, so this was pretty great. It was nice to try something different for a while and to write something on a completely different track. It won't be as long as most of my other stories and probably not as descriptive or detailed, but I put up a notepad document and it looks like a promising story.

So, without further adieu, I don't own Danny Phantom or Sword Art Online. Nor any of the games referenced in later chapters. For simplicity, this applies in the future as well. I OWN NOTHING! DON'T SUE ME!

-Crow

Danny bounced up and down on his heels hyperactively. It could've been the excitement for the release of the new Game-Of-The-Year "Doom: Termination"… or it could easily have been the 12 espresso shots he and Tucker took all night to stay in their spot.

He started seeing spots and his bouncing slowed down. He looked at Tucker and could see he was also starting to crash. Then, like a guardian angel, Sam appeared with two more espresso shots. She rolled her eyes as they downed it and their eyes visibly dilated before resuming their bouncing.

"Seriously? You guys are getting really worked up over just a video game." Sam shook her head. Danny looked affronted.

"Really, Sam? Really? This isn't "just a video game", this is the video game of the year! Ever since they announced it the beta testers have been on the forums nonstop about how cool it is! Plus, there's supposedly a super-secret application to it! The entire company's sworn to secrecy! This isn't just a game, it's a legacy!" He shouted excitedly. Random nerds around him clapped and a few even wiped away a tear.

Sam sighed. "Okay, I just hope they open up soon. I'm not sure your bodies could handle another shot."

Tucker tapped away at his phone. "Well, we shouldn't have to wait long. If their website is right they should be opening right about-"

"Look!"

The line of geeks and gamers swiveled their heads to see a pimply college student get out of his car and stare wide-eyed at the mass. He gulped in fear as their eyes hungrily looked at his key ring. He edged away from the line towards the front door. The silence was deafening as the quiet jingle of his keys echoed on the street.

He took out one specific one and glanced apprehensively at the line. Steeling himself he raised a shaking hand and slipped the key into the hole.

*ch-chink*

"YEEAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The crowd was explosive as the employee rushed inside and ducked behind the counter. He grabbed one of the novelties off the shelves which happened to be an M1 army-grade helmet. He huddled cowering behind the counter wondering if this was what it was like for his Grandpa back in WWII.

The middle-aged store manager had prepared for this and there were a few air-port ropes that lead from the entrance to the stack of games to the counter to the exit. He knew it was pandemonium and had prepared for the worst. Ironically, he also grabbed an M1 army helmet with a "general" ranking star on the side.

The employee stood up from behind the counter shakily. "Sir! What do we do?!"

The manager got caught up in the moment. "On your feet, soldier! We are here to make a stand and by God we're going to make a stand! We may be outnumbered, but we're going to show the enemy just what this means! This is for America, private! Save your ammo and only shoot when you see the whites of their eyes!"

The employee was confused. "Sir! We can't shoot the customers!"

The manager looked sheepish. "Er. Right, well, then just corral them in an orderly fashion! Then, be sure to tell them about our sale on Tuesday!"

"Sir, yes, Sir!"

(AN: God bless the troops. What you're doing is honorable and we are truly grateful. I just wrote this in the heat of the moment and couldn't bring myself to delete it because I thought the situation was funny.)

The store manager's system worked perfectly. Systematically, nerds, geeks, and gamers alike were in and out of the store in minutes with a large box of the game and "secret interface" in their hands.

Danny and Tucker were soon outside as well, grinning like loons, each with their own black and purple box. Sam rolled her eyes at their excitement. "Seriously, it's just a game. I don't see why you had to torture yourselves all night for it."

Tucker put his hand not on the box on her shoulder and shook his head sadly. "Sam, Sam, Sam. You don't understand the true value and meaning when you stand in front of a store in a sleeping bag or tent for over 24 hours to get the perfect game. It's a birthright of gamers! A necessary evil we must endure for that one shining moment when we finally have it in our possession."

Sam smirked. "Yeah, you're right. I don't know what it's like. I've already been playing it for over a week."

Tucker gaped wide-eyed. "Y-you mean y-y-your-"

"Beta Tester 003." Sam supplied. Danny and Tucker were mirror images of shock and awe. Finally, Tucker broke from his trance and fell to his knees in front of her.

"Please teach us!" He begged. "Please! Please! Please! Please! Pl- ack!"

He was shut up as Sam stuffed a scone from the coffee shop into his mouth. He grimaced at the dry pastry before Sam continued. "Look, I was told not to tell you guys what the game is about before the initial start-up, okay? All I can tell you is that it's pretty sweet and to follow the instruction manual on the "super secret interface"." She held her hands up in air quotes as she started walking away. Tucker trailed behind her, still trying to ask questions even though his cheeks were puffed with the amount of scone in his mouth.

Danny just watched him leave and hoped he wouldn't choke. He looked back down at the game in his hands. Admittedly, it was pretty heavy for just a disk. He excitedly pictured what the secret was.

He rushed home to his room before tearing open the box. Inside was an average DVD-case sized box containing the disk itself, a wad of paper that was likely the instruction manual, and another blank, white box in it.

Just picking it up, he could tell this was what most of the weight was centered around. He carefully cut the tape open and pulled out what looked like a complicated bike-helmet with silica circuit lines running along just underneath a protective plastic shell. He turned it upside down and looked inside at what looked like a few contact nodes, a visor, and insulated earphones.

A Virtual Reality helmet!

He grinned. Now this was pretty wicked. He could see why the company didn't want this getting out, this could change the very foundation of gaming entirely! He eagerly looked at the instructions and absorbed the material.

He frowned slightly at a few tidbits. The helmet instructions specifically said that the feed was taken from the computer to the helmet, so people outside couldn't see what you saw or heard. Most teenagers would have to accept it as just being a normal function of the helmet itself.

Then again, most teenagers don't have a specially designed VR helmet in their basement.

"Let's see; red wire to yellow wire, blue wire to green wire, that plug into that port..." Danny murmured to himself as he performed the actions. Less than 5 minutes after he opened the box, he went downstairs to his family's basement and came up with the Fenton Helmet and a few spare tools. His parents were out, but he was sure they wouldn't mind it if he borrowed some of their equipment.

Contrary to what his grades reflected, he wasn't the son of two certified geniuses for nothing.

He opened up the VR helmet provided with the game as well as his family's own Fenton Helmet invention. He was currently in the middle of a vast array of wires and conduits leading between the helmets as he tried optimizing the effects.

He carefully connected a few wires. "…aaaaannnd." *zap!* The wire sparked as the connection was made and both helmets lit up and started whirring to life! "Sweet! It worked!" Danny cheered.

He immediately checked that the ports were in the right spots in the computer before turning on his computer and launching the game itself and the online connection. Less than 10 minutes later, he was rewarded with a screen giving instructions for him to put on the helmet and begin.

He stuck the VR helmet they provided, unaware of two contact nodes touching the base of his neck.

His vision was black for a second until a musical *ping* was heard and a calm, female voice speak in his ear. "Welcome to the Dalv Corporation's virtual reality helmet. In this you will experience the game like never before. Please get comfortable and take this time to find the mouse. Click the "Start" button and begin your experience."

As soon as he clicked "Start", a small arc of electricity jumped between his spine from the two contact nodes. His body went completely limp in the chair and the screen popped up displaying an intricately designed artificial forest world.

"This is so cool!" A voice sounded from the speaker system. But the body didn't move a muscle save for breathing and heartbeat.

All across Amity Park and a few cities over, kids, teens, young adults, and some adults were in the exact same position, but their screens were completely black with only a single, green text message.

The Games Have Begun.

AN: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy!