.hack//awakening: Prologue
A/N: Yes, I'm alive. My laptop kicked the bucket a year ago. It took me a full year to save up for this baby. *pets brand new laptop* Came up with this one during my year of purgatory. Also re-read several of my fanfics and realized how much I could improve. Hopefully this reflects on that. Please review.
Disclaimer: It took me a frigging year to save up for a 500 dollar laptop. Do you think I own .hack?
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~Haseo's POV~
My sides heave, breath coming in ragged gasps, blood roaring in my ears, my heart slamming against my chest the only thing I feel. I wipe the corner of my mouth with my hand, blood slowly dripping from it. I look at my mentor, my hero, and the person who I considered was the only one who could answer all my questions…
Ovan.
My eyes flicker again to my hp bar, Atoli is already dead, PK'd minutes ago by that blasting beam I barely dodged, so is Endrance, PK'd by that cursed arm.
My SP and healing items are all gone; there is no way to heal anymore.
1 hp.
I am going to die.
My sides heave again, a sob escaping my throat as I look at Ovan, my hero, the one who saved me from quitting this world long ago. All just so he could in this one moment PK me on his own terms.
The irony is not lost on me.
"So, you were not strong enough yet, Haseo." Ovan stands proudly in front of me, his mockery freak of an arm dangling, the one that killed Atoli and Pi so long ago. The one that since I saw, strikes fear deep in my heart, his HP is not even halfway down. "I am disappointed; I thought after the awakening of all the avatars, you would make it. I was wrong."
"Why?" I whisper, barely audible, but the pain, the agony of everything he put me through...
Everyone he made suffer…
And the loss of faith are heard are in that one word. I can't say anything more, but I know that he understands; he always does. Blood slowly trickles down my lip, steadily now. I don't even bother to wipe it away, if you're going to end up as a lost one, nothing else matters.
"I did it for my sister." He whispers, barely audible, the same amount of sheer agony echoes in his voice as much as mine. "She fell into a coma long ago, I-I couldn't save her. You," he looks at me with the same pain in his voice…
The same defeat, "you were the only one who could save her. That's why." He turns away, looking off in the distance that has a deep red scar engraved deep inside the floor. The scar that has haunted me for six months, the one that killed Shino…
He turns back to me, to the rest of the epitath users standing proudly behind me despite the loss. They aren't going to leave, even if it means their loss of consciousness. A tremor of fear goes through me when I see his glowing lenses, my heart pounding just seconds ago stopping, as his voice goes distinctly colder, as if another person took over in that heartbeat.
"Ovan…" I whisper in shock, not wanting to believe what I see right in front of me, the actual personality of AIDA, the virus that ultimately is controlling him right this moment.
"I am disgusted with you, and how weak you are." The voice says, sounding chillingly different, darker, deeper,
More insane…
Than the soft, gentle voice of Ovan. AIDA grins mockingly, "I was actually hoping that you would lose, I'm having too much fun in Ovan to leave right now."
My hands clench around the controller, blood slowly dripping from my hands now, my nails digging deeper and deeper into the palms of my hands, my heart jump starting again, pounding so hard it feels like a breath is too hard, a single tear running down my cheek. "You…" My throat tightens, breath coming in shorter gasps, the raw agony of my voice filling the silence of the room. "You bastard… You think this is over?! I won't lose, especially to you." I grip my scythe, charging with pure hate in my eyes, power glowing all around me as AIDA grabs me and roughly throws me across the room as if I weigh nothing. I slowly get up, another sob slipping out. "All this you put people through for a sister?! Do you know how many people suffered? How many people have grieved? All because of you and your own selfish wants!!!"
AIDA grins mockingly, its eyes glittering under the glasses. "No, Haseo… It wasn't my fault for what has happened…"
I stiffen in uncertainty, my breath coming out faster, in pained gulps of air. "THAT'S BULLSHIT!!!" My nails dig deeper, causing tremors of agony through my hands now. "You were the one to try and destroy the world… Caused so much pain in people's lives… All for your own selfish desires."
AIDA grins, laughing a little. "Selfish? Who shoved a tournament in front of saving the lost ones? Who hunted down the wrong AI for months when you most likely could've tried to find out on your own? Yes, you were mislead, but you could've asked more questions. Who killed all those PK'ers looking for answers, mercilessly slaughtering them when they didn't know anything? You are as selfish as I, Haseo."
I draw in a deep, shuddering breath, the beating of the heart stopping again, trying to deny its words, but also at the same time admitting AIDA was right. I made so many mistakes, so many wrong turns, I could've saved Shino so much sooner, could've stopped Alkaid and countless others from being Lost Ones if I wasn't so reckless, wasn't so stupid. I look away, away from AIDA, away from the computer screen, not wanting to see my mistakes anymore…
Never again.
A hiss of static interrupts my thoughts, and I jerk back to the present. AIDA is now holding Ovan's gun, its arms crossed in a Tri-Edge kill. "It is over now; this is our worlds to control. What sad gods you have wrought here, but I'm here to right the wrongs, even if that means more lost ones."
It grins, light forming around it, spreading as I panic, "We're trapped!!!" Kuhn yells, somewhere to the left of me. My heart is hammering now; everything is just on AIDA, in my mentor, in my friend…
And the person who became my worst enemy. "It is only a small part of sacrifice to succeed in our goals, even if it means losing the epitath users." The arms lash out, a blood red triangle hitting the person behind me…
Pi…
She screams, one of agony and despair, pixalating before my very eyes as she glows. With a jolt I realize she's not dying…
She's becoming a lost one.
Oh gods...
Kuhn now charges, anger and hatred burning in his eyes, "STOP!!!" I scream helplessly, holding a hand out as if it would stop him. AIDA grins, its eyes a matte black, its red corneas contrasting sharply as it strikes again, Kuhn not even screaming as he goes down.
It then strikes again and again, hitting all the epitath users. I taste the vomit in my mouth as I watch, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I watch helplessly, the flashing of that 1 hp mocking me as I hear the agonized screams of my partners…
Of my friends…
"No…" I whisper brokenly, blood dripping steadily on the floor, tears mixing with blood. "Please… Stop…" The words repeat over and over again, feeling helpless as I helplessly watch. My mind playing over and over the deaths of all my friends:
Shino…
Alkaid…
Pi…
Kuhn…
And so many others. "I failed everyone……… I'm so sorry…" I fall to my knees, waiting for my PK, knowing now I can't win. No matter how hard I try, I'll never be strong enough to defeat my demons.
"And just think, if you played the game differently, if you took a different path, maybe you could've won. But it's over now." Another burst of static comes through, "Goodbye, Haseo… I hope you enjoy your new status as a Lost One." I don't even look up as I hear the gun being positioned for a Tri-Edge kill; I close my eyes and wait for the inevitable.
The blast hits me, agony ripping through my whole being. I scream, my whole body going into convulsions as light blasts into me, tearing through my body and ripping my soul to shreds. I hear a deafening crash in the background, realizing with a jolt it's the sound of my own body hitting the floor. Blackness swarms into me as I feel myself being ripped away from the pain…
Shino…
Alkaid…
I'm so sorry…
I'm done…
And I lost you all…
Blackness.
TBC…
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A/N: Please review.