Summary Cont: Kaden restarts the game and finds herself armed with a powerful yet dangerous weapon. The avatar, Corbenik.

AN: In light of the recent news of .Hack//LINK becoming a video game, my .Hack fasination has been reinvigorated. Now keep in mind this won't be updated as quickly, I'm scrambling to finish Transfer, Roadtrip and All the Wrong Choices by May Tenth (The release of my Baby, Totality) . This way, I can focus completely on my babies, this and Totality.


Kaden,

Meet me at the Moon Tree Headquarters. I have a surprise for you

-Ella

-

I was sitting in class, learning about molecular physics, when the e-mail cam. Thanking myself for putting my phone on vibrate, I continued scratching down my notes. The e-mail could wait, the lecture, being given by a wirey man with a voice that sounded like it could belong to Speedy Gonzales, could not. Besides, class was almost out anyways.

"Thank you students. Remember to study for the finals next wednesday."

The entire class answered with a groan, excluding me. No one else really liked a test, especially one given my Mr. Speedy himself. HE had a terrible way with phrasing, so most of his question were asking something completely different than the one that was really needing to be answered. I knew what he was trying to say, and it seemed like people almost wanted lessons in 'speedy-ese.'

Remaining seated, I pulled out my M2D and checked my e-mail. To my utter horror it was from Ella, which meant I was on a countdown to reply before the whole slew of panic and yelling came in. God save me.

Of course, just because I got yelled at when I didn't check her messages, it didn't mean that I could yell at her for not checking mine, such as the one that said DON'T E-MAIL ME WHILE I'M IN CLASS.

No. Of course not.

Ella, give me a few, I have to get home.

The response came barely a minute later, as I was trying to gather my things and get out of class.

NO! NOW KADEN!

I sighed and sat at my desk. I'd give her five minutes to show me whatever she wanted, and then I'd jet out and head home. I didn't need to put up with her bullsnot right now.

After readjusting my M2D, I keyed in my login and waited for the upload to begin. For awhile, I pondered lying to her, saying that the lead in the University Walls blocked my connection, but I was sure she'd see through my lies. For being only thirteen, she knew all the lies and loopholes in the book. If she would pull her head out of her ass for once, she'd probably make either a good lawyer or detettive.

I almost cringed at the thoughts that went through my head. Things had never been this way between Ella and I. We were always so calm and mellow with each other, and knew all of each others secrets. Now, just a few short months after Ella began playing the game, she'd become someone else.

I hated it with a passion.

But what could I do? Say that I didn't want to speak to her again? I could, yes, but at the same time I couldn't. I'd gone through so much before she came along, so when she actually did....she became my reason to live. To say that I didn't want to speak to her not only would disrupt our family but could kill my reason to live. It wasn't a risk I was willing to take.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I took control of my character, Masquerade I. Immediatly, I felt a rush of power flow through me. I was one of the strongest players in the guild Ella had made me join the first day I startd playing. Of course, most of the guild consisted of Noobs and Scenery lovers. It was pretty pathetic. But that didn't make me weak, of course. I had recently reached level one-hundred, topping Ella in our end of the month level check. Of course, when I pointed this out, I was told that it was a childish game.

Ella's shortmail brought me to my senses. Not daring to open it (for it was sure to be an immense cuss fest) I headed for the Chaos Gate and keyed in the words that I had been given. Almost instantly, my surroundings disappeared, signifying the transition between the Root Town and the guild area. It always made me nervous, going through this transistion. It was almost like going through an elevator. You were hanging in the balance between two things.

Just as I was starting to think (and hope) that the game had frozen, I arrived at the warp gate, just outside of the shrine-like entrance of Moon Tree's guild. I was slightly on edge as I looked around, a creeping feeling sliding down my spine. Part of me was screaming to run, to get out, but I ignored it. After all, it was only a game.

Still, I couldn't help but run all the way to the gate on the inside and press my palm against it. I desperately wanted to get this done and over with. The lack of PC's (and NPC's as well) was completely unnatural. Something had to be wrong.

Ella was waiting at the farthest point in the area, seated with her back to me. All around her, strange bits of darkness floated, blinking in and out in multiple different areas.

"Kaden...you finally came."

A strange ringing filled my ears as the voice, a mans, reached me. Turning to the direction of the speaker, I found myself face to face with a man who's hair was slicked back into spikes. His eyes were pitch black, aside from a slight red speck in the center; his pupil.

Not natural...

"Good to see you actually listen. Though my dearest Ella was growing impatient." The man smirked as a slight giggle came from directly behind me. Spinning around, I found my self face to face with Ella. To my utter horror, her eyes were the same.

"Sorry sister. But this is the way things have to be."

The ringing increased in its intensity, while simultaneously increasing in pitch. Clapping my hands over my ears, I let out a slight cry and winced.

"Look at this. The brave Kaden is crippling just because of a little noise."

I felt something strike my chest, knocking the wind out of me, which came as a remote surprise. Blows in game never effected the person IRL, not even when there was a virus.

It occured to me then that I was wrong. Six months back, I'd heard on the rumor board that several people were actually sent into the came. CC Corp denied this information profusely, but I knew different. There was an accident that day, this confirmed it.

That...and the fact that I could no longer feel the outside world around me.

Ella smiled, her dark eyes shining with...glee. She was enjoying the pain that she was putting me in.

"Kaden, you've always been pathetic. I just couldn't tell you that...until now that is." A cat like grin spread across her face as she leaned toward me, drawing her grimoire slowly. "It's nice to see that I am the dominant one."

Behind her, the man smiled, his eyes locked on Ella. It sent rage burning through me, just enough to allow me to come to my senses. Rolling back, I planted my hands on the ground and kicked out, my feet colliding with Ella's chest. She gasped in pain and flew back, sliding across the ground as she landed. I didn't waste any time with checking on her. Leaping up, I began to run, stumbling as I did.

I didn't make it far before I saw a shadow pass by me. I barely recognized the slight flash before my eyes as a weapon being drawn. But I did, and I managed to stop just far enough back to see it as it shot forward, plunging through my body.