dot hack//HUNTER
|by |Kura
~*~
Chapter 3 : In the Real World
~*~
The blonde sat on the chair next to the bed, sapphire eyes brimming with tears he knew in himself he would never allow to stream down his face. As mournful as his soul can get, he cannot let himself fall into despair and just break down, just cry. No, not when someone needs him right now. Not while there still exists a sliver of hope in him and maybe a way to return things to the way they were before...on the hospital bed lay his friend, still, quiet - in a coma.
"Neon," he silently uttered her name. Both fists clenched in anger, recalling the words to him of the raider thief Yomi about his friend's probable assailants. Even if he learns of no means to wake her up, he vows to at least find the persons responsible for her state - and somehow make them pay.
However, there lingers the shadow of guilt in his mind...
He leaned forward slightly, bringing his lips closer to the unconscious girl's ears, and whispered his silent promise, "I swear that I will do anything and everything I can to find them, even to the extent of allying myself or going against the Scout Raiders and The World. I will find them, no matter what, and get even for you...I'm sorry, Ne-" He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening as if he wasn't expecting himself to apologize. He stared at the limp body, hesitated, and then continued, "I'm sorry...I might as well have been one of those who did this to you..."
He leaned back and raked a hand through his now disheveled blond hair, a lot like how Kurama does within the game. He pulled the curtains back and saw that outside it was already very dark. Letting them fall back into place with a soft swishing sound, he crossed his arms over the space beside Neon and rested his head on top of it, staying for the night.
"Kuroune..."
~*~
"Dad!"
Jing Freecs turned around at the sound of his son's voice, calling to him from the entrance of the house he and his aunt Mito, Jing's loving sister-in-law who has in more than one way became a mother to his son after her sister died, lives in. He stood there, arms crossed in front of him, lips set in a pout, and beads of tears threatening to spill. The father shook his head and started walking back to him, pulling slightly on the strap of the backpack slung over his back. Gon ran to meet him halfway, his large brown eyes full of hope that maybe, just maybe, his father is staying longer this time around. Jing internally flinched at the look.
"Gon, you know I have to go now," he said, ruffling the little boy's spiky midnight black hair. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon. Promise," he added, kissing the boy's forehead. Gon didn't say anything, just looked back at him silently. "Oh come on, cheer up. I want to stay but I really need to go to this conference."
The little kid remained still for a moment, before hugging him around the middle. "It's not fair," he cried, clutching to his father's waist more tightly, almost knocking the wind out of his elder. "You've only come back and now you have to go again!" he exclaimed, pulling away and looking up at him indignantly. "What is it you do, anyways? Can't I come with you?"
Jing looked back resentfully at his son's wide, doe-like eyes before answering, "No, Gon you can't. And as for what job I do, you'll know it when you get older..." He heaved a sigh and glancing up, he saw Mito standing a few meters from them, a worried look on her face. "Right now though," he said, placing both hands on either of Gon's shoulders, "I need you to care for your Aunt. I'm not going to be here so that leaves you to protect her, right?"
"...Right," Gon agreed after a while, finally relenting. He sniffed a couple of times and took a step back, smiling up at his father. "Good luck, Dad."
"Thanks," he replied. "You be good now." And he turned on his heels to leave.
~*~
The silver-haired kid walked the dark corridors of his house - or rather, mansion, for his house seems too big to be called one - , resenting the fact that he is on his way to his older brother's room to ask the help of the other. Stopping in front of his wooden door, he heaved a sigh and knocked, the sound made echoing up and down the halls. After a while, when he was already considering to return to his own quarters, the door opened, revealing a room almost completely filled with porcelain dolls...in the middle of it was his brother, the chair he is sitting in turned back from the ever turned on computer to face him, bits and pieces of chips all over his shirt. 'And he's supposed to be older than me and therefore better, wiser, cleaner and more mature,' he thought disgustedly as he entered, his brother's more or less Chinese-like eyes trained on him. He stopped a few feet from the other, glaring, and unnerving him.
"Well, what do you want, Killua?" the older male asked finally, loosing it.
"I need you to give me the back-up copy of access codes to the files of The World," Killua stated blatantly, shooting looks that could kill. "You do have them, don't you Milluki? I remember you hacking into the main system server about half a year back."
"Yeah, I have it," the fat boy dubbed Milluki answered, a smirk replacing the former look of fear on his face. "Not that I would give it to you. You've managed to hack into a couple of user files already, right? Why not just-"
"It takes too much time," Killua cut him off, leaning on one of the walls of the room next to the life-size doll of a little girl...
"So?" he muttered sarcastically. "It took me a long time too, you know. Why spare you the..."
Killua tuned out Milluki's voice and idly pushed off the wall, grasping the nearest doll by the neck. He called his brother who looked back at him, eyes widening as the sight struck home to his fat brain. Sneering, Killua said, "I'm kind of in a hurry." The next second, a disc was flying right at his face and he caught it just in time, letting go of the little girl that instantly crumpled to the floor. Mumbling his thanks, he sauntered out of the room, Milluki's cursing following him out.
~*~
He woke up with a start, feeling the blanket being draped over his sleeping form. He looked up, meeting kindly warm brown eyes, the concerned gaze of which was on him. He had almost punched the unwelcomed intruder right at the face before he realized that it was just Leorio, an intern at the hospital he was acquainted with. However, it was already well into the night, probably around one, so what is he doing here?
"Kurapika, it's me," Leorio said as if unsure if his friend recognizes him in the dark. He quickly got hold of the two clenched fists and held them back. Still half-asleep, the blonde tried to come loose from his grip and the other let him go after a while. "I apologize for disturbing your sleep."
Kurapika rubbed sleep from his eyes and though still drowsy, he was awake enough to manifest his usual wariness. His eyes narrowing - either from exhaustion or alertness, Leorio had no way to tell - he asked Leorio what he was doing there at such an unreasonable time. Leorio's answer was simple enough; he came back to get some things he had forgotten earlier that day and was told by the nurse at the information desk downstairs that Kurapika was up here, visiting Neon. Knowing Kurapika, and knowing how cold it can get inside an air-conditioned hospital room during the night, he went up to bring him a blanket and was just placing it on him when he suddenly woke up.
Kurapika looked at the taller boy dubiously, his gaze stopping abruptly at the welt on his cheek he knows he has seen before but can't quite remember when and where, before turning his attention back to the unconscious person. Elbows bent on the bed, his head propped up by his hands, and eyes staring blankly at nothing, he looked absolutely lost to the intern. Leorio wanted to reach out, but was hesitant, lest the other be afraid of him. Although after a minute of watching him in silence - Kurapika seemed oblivious to the gaze and looked like he'd forgotten of Leorio's presence already -, he finally scrounged up enough courage and tapped the boy on his shoulder.
"Tell me about it?"
~*~
Killua stifled a yawn as the fruit of two hours worth of work appeared on his screen. Stretching his arms behind his head, he hit the 'Save' button and stood up to walk towards his bedside table. Rummaging through its top drawer, he found the disc his brother gave him earlier and returned to his computer. Its monitor reads:
Username: Yuusuke
Password: foxbear
Player: Gon Freecs
Age: 12
Address: Whale Island
Notes: Unknown Involvement (Reala)
It was the most basic of information about a user and his player character one needs to access much more informative files. Killua frowned, debating whether to laugh or scoff at the odd password. He paused, decided to do neither, and popped the CD into the right drive instead. Within the next second his fingers started flying over the keys of the keyboard, input of data at a speed so fast it would have made a normal person watching dizzy. Endless strings of letters, numbers and symbols streamed past so quickly, amazing that he can read and even understand them at such a rate, then everything just stopped, all the incomprehensible lines, phrases and words falling into order. His eyes narrowed, finding that there were two Freecs registered in The World's files, both of which living in the Whale Island. A brother perhaps? It would do good to check this player as well and he clicked on the name "Jing Freecs"...
...and then he gasped as the files indicated that "Jing Freecs" played Raizen, a character he knows of well. Too well. Mukuro has been talking of him ever since the rouge has joined the Scout Raiders barely a year ago, a powerful ally who has proven himself one too many times. Judging by that, and the age down on his files, Killua might as well presume that he is Gon Freec's father.
'Two powerful characters who are related to each other in the real world...the older one a raider and the younger one, a reala...this might prove interesting,' Killua thought, downloading all the vital information and shutting down his computer.
~*~
"Where's Mukuro?" Jing asked the young girl next to him, startling her a bit at the use of their friend's username even though they were in a meeting in the real world. The 'young girl', Menchi or, as everyone calls her in The World, Botan, just shrugged her shoulders and pointed at the male sitting on his other side, indicating that he is better off asking the other. Jing nodded his head and turned towards the person, asking him the same question but with the use of Mukuro's real name this time.
Hysoka, also known as Yomi in the game, faced him with that eerie look on his face everyone else but him seems to have gotten used to. Then again, they had known him longer seeing that he has only been in the group for scarcely a year. 'A matter I need not bother myself for the moment,' he thought dryly as Hysoka told him that Mukuro is attending to some personal business and just had to miss the meeting. Again, Jing just nodded his head and turned away, glancing at the others in the room with them.
Menchi on his left had the appearance of a spunky teenager, pink hair in braids so unlike Botan's wispy light blue hair. On the other hand, if she had resembled her player character a bit more she would have been then considered a reala, which she holds pride in that she is not. Next to Botan, sitting to her left, was a man of short grayish hair, parted evenly at the center and wearing a suit. He was a bit tall, prim and stick-like, but that was not what made him stand out. It was the merest - not to mention the weirdest - fact that Mr. Satotsu appears to lack a mouth. Although not quite as disturbing as how Hysoka looks like a joker straight out of a deck of playing cards, it was another thing Jing is yet to make himself comfortable with as everyone else seems unfazed whenever he speaks so suddenly and queerly. He plays an unheard of character, one who tends to keep a low profile and hangs around different taverns and pubs of different towns, hearing the latest gossips and news. Simply put, he was their 'intelligence', the one who collects any information they might need. Next, to the left of Mr. Satotsu and sitting right across the round table from him, was none other than the head of their group. Old but effervescent Chairman Netero plays the young, handsome teenager Koenma. Though different in looks, both had that air of authority about them that Jing - Raizen if he is in the game - can't help but respect. The next chair over was unoccupied as of today - Mukuro's. Sitting next to her however was Hysoka and next to Hysoka was Jing himself, bringing the small circle to a close.
Jing snapped back to attention as Satotsu spoke of a new reala he had come to hear of in a tavern at Kairna, the town closest to the forests of Meludia. The player character's name is 'Yuusuke' and is supposedly a powerful one. Though quite a troublemaker, it seems that he has made no moves and is no way related to the occult. However it would be best to keep an eye on him.
He watched as Netero nodded his head and then asked if Satotsu thinks this Yuusuke would be fitting to join in the mission. The mouthless man replied that he doesn't see any reason for him to be a liability, but there's no reason for him to have the will to help them either. Netero made a brief reply to this and turned to the rest of them, signaling the start of their conference, which was about - what else? - the mission.
He told them that the reason he is holding the meeting in the real world is that he wants avoid any other character evesdropping on them in the game. Mukuro is missed for the day but Hysoka would be the one to fill her in on everything that they are to discuss.
"As we've talked about, the mission's objective is to know the location of the occult. We have already picked the group of realas who are to lead us there..." Here he gave Hysoka a warning glance for he knows that the other is not so keen with this idea as his character, Yomi, had so...creatively...shown. "...and they have already been sent e-mails asking for their aid. As we know, the occult allows only realas to communicate with them and so it might not be wise if all of us accompany this group. One or two should be able to pass scrutiny but not more..." He did a sweeping glance that took in everyone within the small air-conditioned room. "...The question then is who will be the ones to go?"
Jing would have wanted to join the mission but then remembered a certain conversation between a redhead and a black-haired character he overheard yesterday...Hysoka had no qualms and presented himself promptly which surprised no one for they knew of his bond with one of the realas. Obviously, Satotsu cannot join, his character being a weak one, and Menchi refused, within good reasons for Botan is their unofficial messenger, being the only rider among them. Chairman Netero was about to say something when he caught Jing's gaze, which held a silent message, and Hysoka volunteered Mukuro at the lost of his rather short patience.
"That's settled then," Netero announced, rising to his feet. "We will all meet tomorrow in the forests of Meludia at 1200 hours. Until then." Everyone else rose, bowed politely to each other and left the room, leaving Jing behind with the elderly man. He gave him a thoughtful glance before asking what he wanted.
"I have something to tell you."
~*~
He frowned at the message that appeared on his screen as he opened his inbox. It was short, rather too straight to the point, and he didn't quite understand it...
***Sir,
Your presence is expected tomorrow, at 1200 hours in the heart of the forests Meludia. The Scout Raiders will meet you there concering a mission realas' assistance are seeked for. Please come. Thank You.
Scout Raiders***
...However, making up his mind, he decided to see what the raiders are up to this time and come to the designated place tomorrow.
~*~
To be continued...
~*~
Standard Disclaimers Applied. I don't own HxH/YYH and the concept of this story, as well as some of the terms and the game 'The World', was taken from the .hack series which I don't own too.
|by |Kura
~*~
Chapter 3 : In the Real World
~*~
The blonde sat on the chair next to the bed, sapphire eyes brimming with tears he knew in himself he would never allow to stream down his face. As mournful as his soul can get, he cannot let himself fall into despair and just break down, just cry. No, not when someone needs him right now. Not while there still exists a sliver of hope in him and maybe a way to return things to the way they were before...on the hospital bed lay his friend, still, quiet - in a coma.
"Neon," he silently uttered her name. Both fists clenched in anger, recalling the words to him of the raider thief Yomi about his friend's probable assailants. Even if he learns of no means to wake her up, he vows to at least find the persons responsible for her state - and somehow make them pay.
However, there lingers the shadow of guilt in his mind...
He leaned forward slightly, bringing his lips closer to the unconscious girl's ears, and whispered his silent promise, "I swear that I will do anything and everything I can to find them, even to the extent of allying myself or going against the Scout Raiders and The World. I will find them, no matter what, and get even for you...I'm sorry, Ne-" He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening as if he wasn't expecting himself to apologize. He stared at the limp body, hesitated, and then continued, "I'm sorry...I might as well have been one of those who did this to you..."
He leaned back and raked a hand through his now disheveled blond hair, a lot like how Kurama does within the game. He pulled the curtains back and saw that outside it was already very dark. Letting them fall back into place with a soft swishing sound, he crossed his arms over the space beside Neon and rested his head on top of it, staying for the night.
"Kuroune..."
~*~
"Dad!"
Jing Freecs turned around at the sound of his son's voice, calling to him from the entrance of the house he and his aunt Mito, Jing's loving sister-in-law who has in more than one way became a mother to his son after her sister died, lives in. He stood there, arms crossed in front of him, lips set in a pout, and beads of tears threatening to spill. The father shook his head and started walking back to him, pulling slightly on the strap of the backpack slung over his back. Gon ran to meet him halfway, his large brown eyes full of hope that maybe, just maybe, his father is staying longer this time around. Jing internally flinched at the look.
"Gon, you know I have to go now," he said, ruffling the little boy's spiky midnight black hair. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon. Promise," he added, kissing the boy's forehead. Gon didn't say anything, just looked back at him silently. "Oh come on, cheer up. I want to stay but I really need to go to this conference."
The little kid remained still for a moment, before hugging him around the middle. "It's not fair," he cried, clutching to his father's waist more tightly, almost knocking the wind out of his elder. "You've only come back and now you have to go again!" he exclaimed, pulling away and looking up at him indignantly. "What is it you do, anyways? Can't I come with you?"
Jing looked back resentfully at his son's wide, doe-like eyes before answering, "No, Gon you can't. And as for what job I do, you'll know it when you get older..." He heaved a sigh and glancing up, he saw Mito standing a few meters from them, a worried look on her face. "Right now though," he said, placing both hands on either of Gon's shoulders, "I need you to care for your Aunt. I'm not going to be here so that leaves you to protect her, right?"
"...Right," Gon agreed after a while, finally relenting. He sniffed a couple of times and took a step back, smiling up at his father. "Good luck, Dad."
"Thanks," he replied. "You be good now." And he turned on his heels to leave.
~*~
The silver-haired kid walked the dark corridors of his house - or rather, mansion, for his house seems too big to be called one - , resenting the fact that he is on his way to his older brother's room to ask the help of the other. Stopping in front of his wooden door, he heaved a sigh and knocked, the sound made echoing up and down the halls. After a while, when he was already considering to return to his own quarters, the door opened, revealing a room almost completely filled with porcelain dolls...in the middle of it was his brother, the chair he is sitting in turned back from the ever turned on computer to face him, bits and pieces of chips all over his shirt. 'And he's supposed to be older than me and therefore better, wiser, cleaner and more mature,' he thought disgustedly as he entered, his brother's more or less Chinese-like eyes trained on him. He stopped a few feet from the other, glaring, and unnerving him.
"Well, what do you want, Killua?" the older male asked finally, loosing it.
"I need you to give me the back-up copy of access codes to the files of The World," Killua stated blatantly, shooting looks that could kill. "You do have them, don't you Milluki? I remember you hacking into the main system server about half a year back."
"Yeah, I have it," the fat boy dubbed Milluki answered, a smirk replacing the former look of fear on his face. "Not that I would give it to you. You've managed to hack into a couple of user files already, right? Why not just-"
"It takes too much time," Killua cut him off, leaning on one of the walls of the room next to the life-size doll of a little girl...
"So?" he muttered sarcastically. "It took me a long time too, you know. Why spare you the..."
Killua tuned out Milluki's voice and idly pushed off the wall, grasping the nearest doll by the neck. He called his brother who looked back at him, eyes widening as the sight struck home to his fat brain. Sneering, Killua said, "I'm kind of in a hurry." The next second, a disc was flying right at his face and he caught it just in time, letting go of the little girl that instantly crumpled to the floor. Mumbling his thanks, he sauntered out of the room, Milluki's cursing following him out.
~*~
He woke up with a start, feeling the blanket being draped over his sleeping form. He looked up, meeting kindly warm brown eyes, the concerned gaze of which was on him. He had almost punched the unwelcomed intruder right at the face before he realized that it was just Leorio, an intern at the hospital he was acquainted with. However, it was already well into the night, probably around one, so what is he doing here?
"Kurapika, it's me," Leorio said as if unsure if his friend recognizes him in the dark. He quickly got hold of the two clenched fists and held them back. Still half-asleep, the blonde tried to come loose from his grip and the other let him go after a while. "I apologize for disturbing your sleep."
Kurapika rubbed sleep from his eyes and though still drowsy, he was awake enough to manifest his usual wariness. His eyes narrowing - either from exhaustion or alertness, Leorio had no way to tell - he asked Leorio what he was doing there at such an unreasonable time. Leorio's answer was simple enough; he came back to get some things he had forgotten earlier that day and was told by the nurse at the information desk downstairs that Kurapika was up here, visiting Neon. Knowing Kurapika, and knowing how cold it can get inside an air-conditioned hospital room during the night, he went up to bring him a blanket and was just placing it on him when he suddenly woke up.
Kurapika looked at the taller boy dubiously, his gaze stopping abruptly at the welt on his cheek he knows he has seen before but can't quite remember when and where, before turning his attention back to the unconscious person. Elbows bent on the bed, his head propped up by his hands, and eyes staring blankly at nothing, he looked absolutely lost to the intern. Leorio wanted to reach out, but was hesitant, lest the other be afraid of him. Although after a minute of watching him in silence - Kurapika seemed oblivious to the gaze and looked like he'd forgotten of Leorio's presence already -, he finally scrounged up enough courage and tapped the boy on his shoulder.
"Tell me about it?"
~*~
Killua stifled a yawn as the fruit of two hours worth of work appeared on his screen. Stretching his arms behind his head, he hit the 'Save' button and stood up to walk towards his bedside table. Rummaging through its top drawer, he found the disc his brother gave him earlier and returned to his computer. Its monitor reads:
Username: Yuusuke
Password: foxbear
Player: Gon Freecs
Age: 12
Address: Whale Island
Notes: Unknown Involvement (Reala)
It was the most basic of information about a user and his player character one needs to access much more informative files. Killua frowned, debating whether to laugh or scoff at the odd password. He paused, decided to do neither, and popped the CD into the right drive instead. Within the next second his fingers started flying over the keys of the keyboard, input of data at a speed so fast it would have made a normal person watching dizzy. Endless strings of letters, numbers and symbols streamed past so quickly, amazing that he can read and even understand them at such a rate, then everything just stopped, all the incomprehensible lines, phrases and words falling into order. His eyes narrowed, finding that there were two Freecs registered in The World's files, both of which living in the Whale Island. A brother perhaps? It would do good to check this player as well and he clicked on the name "Jing Freecs"...
...and then he gasped as the files indicated that "Jing Freecs" played Raizen, a character he knows of well. Too well. Mukuro has been talking of him ever since the rouge has joined the Scout Raiders barely a year ago, a powerful ally who has proven himself one too many times. Judging by that, and the age down on his files, Killua might as well presume that he is Gon Freec's father.
'Two powerful characters who are related to each other in the real world...the older one a raider and the younger one, a reala...this might prove interesting,' Killua thought, downloading all the vital information and shutting down his computer.
~*~
"Where's Mukuro?" Jing asked the young girl next to him, startling her a bit at the use of their friend's username even though they were in a meeting in the real world. The 'young girl', Menchi or, as everyone calls her in The World, Botan, just shrugged her shoulders and pointed at the male sitting on his other side, indicating that he is better off asking the other. Jing nodded his head and turned towards the person, asking him the same question but with the use of Mukuro's real name this time.
Hysoka, also known as Yomi in the game, faced him with that eerie look on his face everyone else but him seems to have gotten used to. Then again, they had known him longer seeing that he has only been in the group for scarcely a year. 'A matter I need not bother myself for the moment,' he thought dryly as Hysoka told him that Mukuro is attending to some personal business and just had to miss the meeting. Again, Jing just nodded his head and turned away, glancing at the others in the room with them.
Menchi on his left had the appearance of a spunky teenager, pink hair in braids so unlike Botan's wispy light blue hair. On the other hand, if she had resembled her player character a bit more she would have been then considered a reala, which she holds pride in that she is not. Next to Botan, sitting to her left, was a man of short grayish hair, parted evenly at the center and wearing a suit. He was a bit tall, prim and stick-like, but that was not what made him stand out. It was the merest - not to mention the weirdest - fact that Mr. Satotsu appears to lack a mouth. Although not quite as disturbing as how Hysoka looks like a joker straight out of a deck of playing cards, it was another thing Jing is yet to make himself comfortable with as everyone else seems unfazed whenever he speaks so suddenly and queerly. He plays an unheard of character, one who tends to keep a low profile and hangs around different taverns and pubs of different towns, hearing the latest gossips and news. Simply put, he was their 'intelligence', the one who collects any information they might need. Next, to the left of Mr. Satotsu and sitting right across the round table from him, was none other than the head of their group. Old but effervescent Chairman Netero plays the young, handsome teenager Koenma. Though different in looks, both had that air of authority about them that Jing - Raizen if he is in the game - can't help but respect. The next chair over was unoccupied as of today - Mukuro's. Sitting next to her however was Hysoka and next to Hysoka was Jing himself, bringing the small circle to a close.
Jing snapped back to attention as Satotsu spoke of a new reala he had come to hear of in a tavern at Kairna, the town closest to the forests of Meludia. The player character's name is 'Yuusuke' and is supposedly a powerful one. Though quite a troublemaker, it seems that he has made no moves and is no way related to the occult. However it would be best to keep an eye on him.
He watched as Netero nodded his head and then asked if Satotsu thinks this Yuusuke would be fitting to join in the mission. The mouthless man replied that he doesn't see any reason for him to be a liability, but there's no reason for him to have the will to help them either. Netero made a brief reply to this and turned to the rest of them, signaling the start of their conference, which was about - what else? - the mission.
He told them that the reason he is holding the meeting in the real world is that he wants avoid any other character evesdropping on them in the game. Mukuro is missed for the day but Hysoka would be the one to fill her in on everything that they are to discuss.
"As we've talked about, the mission's objective is to know the location of the occult. We have already picked the group of realas who are to lead us there..." Here he gave Hysoka a warning glance for he knows that the other is not so keen with this idea as his character, Yomi, had so...creatively...shown. "...and they have already been sent e-mails asking for their aid. As we know, the occult allows only realas to communicate with them and so it might not be wise if all of us accompany this group. One or two should be able to pass scrutiny but not more..." He did a sweeping glance that took in everyone within the small air-conditioned room. "...The question then is who will be the ones to go?"
Jing would have wanted to join the mission but then remembered a certain conversation between a redhead and a black-haired character he overheard yesterday...Hysoka had no qualms and presented himself promptly which surprised no one for they knew of his bond with one of the realas. Obviously, Satotsu cannot join, his character being a weak one, and Menchi refused, within good reasons for Botan is their unofficial messenger, being the only rider among them. Chairman Netero was about to say something when he caught Jing's gaze, which held a silent message, and Hysoka volunteered Mukuro at the lost of his rather short patience.
"That's settled then," Netero announced, rising to his feet. "We will all meet tomorrow in the forests of Meludia at 1200 hours. Until then." Everyone else rose, bowed politely to each other and left the room, leaving Jing behind with the elderly man. He gave him a thoughtful glance before asking what he wanted.
"I have something to tell you."
~*~
He frowned at the message that appeared on his screen as he opened his inbox. It was short, rather too straight to the point, and he didn't quite understand it...
***Sir,
Your presence is expected tomorrow, at 1200 hours in the heart of the forests Meludia. The Scout Raiders will meet you there concering a mission realas' assistance are seeked for. Please come. Thank You.
Scout Raiders***
...However, making up his mind, he decided to see what the raiders are up to this time and come to the designated place tomorrow.
~*~
To be continued...
~*~
Standard Disclaimers Applied. I don't own HxH/YYH and the concept of this story, as well as some of the terms and the game 'The World', was taken from the .hack series which I don't own too.