Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from the .Hack series or Bandai.
.Hack//Penetration
By ZEROChapter Five: Search Over
"I wonder, is this search for Orca's cause of coma really worth it?"
Kite had just saved ZERO from death itself. However, he was starting to doubt his adventures with ZERO and the rest of his group.
"Of course it is! A friend helps out a friend in need. I can't let Orca down. Not after IT destroyed him."
This happened on Kite's first time logging on to "The World." He and his friend, Orca, were on a dungeon adventure when they spotted a girl in white and the creature carrying a sort of wand. They ignored it at first, but trouble came to them. When leaving, they encountered the girl in white, who Kite found out was named Aura. She gave Orca the Book of the Twilights. IT soon arrived and did battle with Orca. It won and Data Drained Orca. Kite still doesn't know how he was saved or how he acquired the Book of the Twilights, but he had it and he even opened it at Δ: Hidden, Forbidden, Holy Grounds.
"I'll log out for now. All this adventure's makin' me tired."
Kite logged out and checked his e-mail. Not surprisingly, one was from ZERO. Kite seemed eager to read it. The subject told him that they were almost done.
Sender: ZERO
Subject: Search Over
Dear Kite,
I have just found the last place to go. My search is finally over. There is an area for the remaining Virus Cores and I'm not going to let this chance slip. Who knows, maybe we can also find out something useful.
"Hmmm…Maybe I can find out information on Orca…or IT. Better help him out, even if I don't get anything out of it."
Kite logged back in and waited at Dun Loireag. ZERO didn't make some sort of flashy entrance for once and logged in like a normal person.
"Didn't feel up to a sneaky approach?"
"No, I just have to lay low for a while. So, you ready? We can leave at any time. I suggest going to the Elf's Haven and storing any unnecessary items. However, I'd take as many Attack Magic Scrolls as you can."
Kite did just as ZERO said. Kite returned as quickly as possible.
"I'm ready. Let's go."
Once arriving to their location, they were attacked by a group of monsters that were Data Bugged.
"Kite, you pick any one you like. I'll take the leftovers."
"Fine. I'll take the Phoenix Queen and Hell Hound."
Kite knew about Phoenix Queens. He stayed a good distance away from them and used The Hanged Man on the Phoenix Queen. He then rushed forward and slashed it as many times as possible. Skills were useless against a Phoenix Queen because they had very good physical evade. Kite just kept hacking away at it until the spell wore off. Kite ran away and used an Ice Strike on the Phoenix Queen and the Hell Hound was next to it, thus causing an Elemental Hit to the Hell Hound and putting them both in Protect Break. Kite activated his Twilight Bracelet and performed Data Drain on each one of them and finishing them off with one slash.
ZERO was having a little more difficulty. There were many that ganged up on him one after another. He was very inexperienced with Data Bugged monsters without his own hacking powers.
"Humph! Think that'll stop me? It's not over yet."
ZERO charged forward foolishly and slashed every creature. However, it had little effect on them and they were regrouping.
"Kite, seems you're done. Mind helping me?"
Kite snuck behind the Tetra Armor and used his famous Twin Dragons skill that he used on Hayate to win. It was just enough to get it to a Protect Break status. ZERO used the Data Drain before Kite even got a chance to lift his wrist. ZERO then used countless of scrolls on the remaining creatures and used his infamous Data Load.
"ZERO, I hope you have plenty of vaccines."
"I do, so don't worry. I'm starting to get used to this. At least I don't cry out in pain."
"Ya, you're right. Still, don't forget to take it."
"Okay. Still, there's something about this place that's unlike the other places we've been at."
ZERO couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something wrong. He wandered forward anyway, forgetting that he even brought that up. They were traveling by foot so they could acquire more Virus Cores. They received Virus Cores E, H, T, V, and W. They had eleven more Virus Cores to collect.
"Good thing we came here. We'll get those Virus Cores in no time."
"Don't be hasty. There is a reason this place has so many Virus Cores. This place has been severely damaged by the Virus and might be destroyed soon. It's best we finish our business here ASAP."
Kite and ZERO wandered aimlessly forward. They activated many portals and gained many Virus Cores. In fact, they only needed to get one last Virus Core. They continued wandering forward until they found the entrance to the dungeon. Inside, it seemed very empty. There were no magic portals whatsoever. They continued forward and soon, they entrances were sealed off. They looked forward to see some sort of shadow.
"You cannot enter here unless you answer three riddles correctly."
"What?! This isn't supposed to happen."
"Kite, I'll take care of this. Still, be on your guard."
The air was thick with tension. ZERO was unsure if they would pass at all.
"For my first riddle. What walks on four legs in the morni-"
"A human. Next question please."
"For my second riddle. What is the beginning of the end and the end to time and space?"
ZERO thought hard. He was unfamiliar with this.
"Could it be – wait. Hmmm…I got it! The letter E."
The shadow was getting ticked off. If ZERO got the last riddle, he would pass.
"The final question. There is an item. The one who makes it has no need for it. The one who buys it, cannot use it. And the one who is using it cannot see it or feel it."
"This I am unfamiliar with. Hmmm…Lemme guess, a coffin? The one who makes it and the one who buys it can't use a coffin yet and the one who uses it is dead. There, let us pass."
"Very well. Since you passed my test, I am aware that you are searching for Virus Cores. Here are all that I can give you."
It was a great accomplishment because they had to just get one more Virus Core. It seemed impossible, but then again, nothing to them was impossible. They proceeded forward and saw that a boss was up ahead.
"Here's the big finish. You ready?"
"Hold up, I'm using my multiplier item."
"Hacking item?"
"They took my hacking powers away. Not my skills and items, hacking or not. There, I'm finished. Okay, let's go."
They walked through the thick, purple mist. First, they saw a regular dungeon room. All of a sudden, the room vanished and they were in a room that was completely white and no walls whatsoever.
"Be careful. There's something wrong with this and I don't like it."
Next thing they knew, they were transported to the place Kite saw IT. However, a different enemy awaited them. It was a Data Bugged Mu Guardian.
"Simple enough. Let's finish this."
Suddenly, other monsters that were Data Bugged appeared. There was a Data Bugged Scorpion Tank, along with a Data Bugged Armored Shogun. There was no end to the monsters that appeared.
"There's no way we can beat all these monsters!"
"There's always a way. Trust me. Now, let's go!"
ZERO hacked and slashed the Mu Guardian, but it wasn't going into a Protect Break.
"Kite, toss me your Ryu Book IV."
"Okay, here you go."
ZERO was a good distance away from the enemies along with Kite. They opened the book and looked at the monsters they were fighting.
"This can't be right…there's no way…"
"Why am I not surprised?"
They saw that under every monster, they were unable to Data Drain them. It seemed hopeless for them and they were coming quick. However, they saw something on the bottom of the book. There was a creature that didn't even belong in the server they were in. What was even better was that they could Data Drain it and it even had the last Virus Core…Virus Core X.
"Okay, it's called a Killer Gomora. Come on ZERO, let's find it."
"You never cease to amaze me."
They rushed forward and plowed through the creatures. It was among the crowd somewhere. They used their weapons to repel the enemies.
"ZERO, this isn't working!"
"I got it! Kite, use one of your scrolls and find it! It has to be somewhere here."
Kite was able to successfully target it and it suffered a great deal of damage. ZERO rushed in and did a flurry of slashes. It soon reached a Protect Break.
"Okay stand back. Data Load!" ZERO sucked in the Gomora and gained the last Virus Core.
"Okay, my quest is finished, but we got to take care of these guys. What do we do?!"
Suddenly, the cores started to emit strange aura.
"What's going on!?"
"This is just what we need. Kite, remember what I said about my final skill?"
"Ya, that's right…but don't you need to put them in a break status?"
"…No."
The Virus Cores merged together and created a sort of scroll.
"What is that?"
"The Scroll of Twilights. With it, I will gain the Data Blaze."
ZERO opened the scroll. It was similar to the time Kite opened the Book of Twilights. ZERO's hair went totally white and his cape became the same color, along with his armor. The biggest transformation was his sword. It became a long, double-edged sword. Above the hilt was sort of a copy of the Twilight Bracelet. The rest of it was made of steel.
"This is it! It ends here!"
The Data Bugged creatures were rushing forward, but ZERO knew what to do. The Twilight Bracelet above the hilt started to revolve counter-clockwise and was slowly gaining speed. When it was at the fasted speed it could go, he slashed forward. It created a blaze of data that rushed forward and overcame the creatures. At first, there was no effect. Suddenly, all of the creatures suddenly exploded and their data vanished forever. However, there were Virus Cores and other items scattered on the ground. ZERO picked up another Virus Core X and tucked it away.
"You can have the rest of the items. I don't need them. I have enough Virus Cores to find out what the CC Corporation is up to. I thank you. For that, I will continue to assist you in your troubling quest. I can give you that much. Well, be seein' ya. Bye!"
ZERO logged out and returned to the rest of his life. Kite stood there on the field.
"I wonder…can he find a way to help the comatose victims? I hope so, for Orca's sake."
To Be Continued…
It's the final chapter. Kite has finally found the whereabouts of IT and invited BlackRose and ZERO. What happens will change everything…
A.N.: Okay, I went overboard again and made ZERO omnipotent, so don't flame me too bad. Don't worry. In the next chapter, something worse than a viral infection will occur and it ain't gonna be pretty! ^_^