.Hack//Heist
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun
Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing whatsoever related to Project .Hack, save for characters created solely within this story, and my copy of Infection.
Notes: Takes place between Infection and Mutation. Parentheses indicate thoughts. Keeping track of tense in a sentence is a bitch.
Chapter II - Broken Ice
------------
Eyes opened to a changed field. Gone were the streets, bridges and canals of Mac Anu; further gone was an even passing semblance of a real world.
Gaps dotted this conceptual reality - an expansive, desolate landscape; barren earth and rock as far as could be generated in an endless loop, a slight drizzle of digital rain creating the area's only soundtrack. All of it perforated by spots of code, patches of ground and sky gone to reveal a solid mass of computer-generated text beneath them. Numbers and letters trailed through the air, nonsensical yet predictable, mocking the idea that The World could be perceived as real.
"This is new," remarked Stolls, dryly concealing his surprise.
"It wasn't like this before?" asked Kite, notably unfazed by the unreality of their surroundings.
Stolls shook his head. "No. The creature was in the dungeon, but this..." the Wave Master trailed off for a moment as he walked up to a missing patch of ground, experimentally tapping his foot against the lines of code in its place. "I... don't know what to make of it."
BlackRose carefully scanned the area, watching for monsters. "Did you know about the creature before you came here?"
"Well," began Tamon, lightly rapping the end of his spear against his leg, "not exactly. We thought there would be some kind of boss monster here, but we didn't know about these Data Bug things... least we'd never seen any."
Kite removed a small orb from his pocket, and held it up over his head. In a flash, it vanished; Kite's eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a quiet "huh?"
"What is it?" asked BlackRose.
He stared off into space for a moment before turning to face her. "All the portals in this field are open."
Stolls blinked. "What? Someone beat us here?"
"When did you guys come here?" asked Kite, glancing over at Tamon.
"Was about three days ago. We cleared the place out, except for the bug, but they should've respawned by now."
(The bug,) thought Stolls. "Hey, maybe we should get moving, find the monster before somebody else does."
Kite's glance shifted from Tamon to Deisart, then to Stolls. "All right, let's go."
"Should be on the bottom floor," said Tamon. "Right where we left it," he added, a shadow crossing his eyes.
The five moved into a loose, circular formation and advanced towards the dungeon in the distance, halting momentarily as a bright flash and sharp crackling of static lashed at their eyes and ears; Kite and BlackRose seemed not to notice, but Tamon, Stolls and Deisart were caught off guard, each reacting with varying surprise.
Tamon noticed that Kite and BlackRose's reaction - or the lack thereof - regarding the strange, out-of-character phenomena hinted towards experience. The Long Arm's puppeteer made a mental note, reminding him to reevaluate the youthful hacker.
(Maybe we can use him after all.)
-
To: Stolls@theworld.com, Deisart@theworld.com
From: TamonAdillo@theworld.com
Subj: Title
Consider title of symphony re-named. Maintain intermission and watch for Mozart; corrupted tempo not likely to escape scrutiny.
-
The party kept formation as it moved through the decaying dungeon, solid walls of data and code replacing texture here and there. A single thought was shared between each member of the party, one which succeeded at keeping them all on edge.
Tamon was the first to voice the thought. "You know what I don't like about this?" he asked to no one in particular. "Where are the monsters? I haven't seen a single goddamn creature since we got here; someone cleared the way before us."
BlackRose cautiously scanned their surroundings as they came to a four-way junction. "None above ground, and none here," she added. "Someone's definitely here with us."
Deisart suddenly stepped forward, towards the northernmost exit. "The monster is this way," he said, his gentle voice nonetheless conveying a sense of urgency. "Let's go."
Stolls eyed the exit. (There was smoke last time,) he thought. (What's going on here?)
Exchanging confused glances and shrugs, the rest fell into step behind the Axeman, following him through the stone archway and into a large, empty antechamber. Walls of solid, evenly-cut stone surrounded them, providing no form of cover or hiding place, and despite the lack of visible light source the room was highlighted with an eerie purple hue.
"I don't like this," said Tamon in repeat, his voice echoing in the vaulted room. "I do not like this, this is too easy."
"Someone beat us to the punch." Stolls glanced around, icy claws of uneasiness taking firm hold of him. "Someone else brought down a Data Bug. Somebody tell me why this worries me."
Kite slowly stepped into the center of the room, the implications made by his companions all too clear. "Does someone else have access to Data Drain?" he wondered aloud.
Tamon cocked his head at Deisart, who had once again opted to remain utterly motionless. (Shin's a machine... how the hell does he do that?) Closer examination revealed that the polished, dark red helmet was tilted upward slightly, the visor facing the ceiling on an angle.
"Deisart?" called Tamon, a tinge of fear tainting his voice, his heart skipping a beat.
The Axeman made no movement, which did nothing to alleviate the sudden feeling of dread which enveloped the party. The feeling was amplified as Kite noticed he was standing in the shadow of something very large.
"Look out!" came the cry from BlackRose.
Tamon and Stolls followed Deisart's gaze and gasped aloud. BlackRose reacted instantly, charging towards Kite and spear-tackling him, knocking him out of the shadow; a second later, the avian carcass came crashing to the ground, pulverizing the corrupted earth where the Twin Blade had been standing
The impact rocked the ground beneath them; slowly, the three men approached the giant, lifeless creature - a nightmarish cross between a bird and a dragon - their weapons cautiously brandished.
"Mmnn... aw, damn it," groaned BlackRose as she moved off of Kite to a sitting position. She threw a concerned glance down at him. "Are you okay?"
Kite nodded weakly, gathering his weapons as he stood up. "I'm fine... I think," he said, drawing an unnecessary breath of air and releasing it. "Thanks," he added with a smile, sheathing a blade and offering a hand to help her up.
The Heavy Blade winked at him and hauled herself up to her feet. "Don't forget, you owe me now... partner."
Smiles disappeared as the two turned to the monster. Kite glanced over at Tamon, who gingerly poked the creature with his spear. "Is that what you were fighting?"
Tamon nodded. "That's it, all right. Somebody worked it over but good."
"But there's no one else here," said Stolls, brown eyes darting from one corner to the next, desperately seeking any sign of movement, of life.
"Potential hostiles detected."
The voices came from all corners of the room, echoing deeply; a chorus of cold monotone, piercing falsetto and powerful baritone, all speaking at once and as one.
"Who's there?!" called Tamon, whirling about to face the newcomer.
"That question cannot be answered," spoke the voices. "The language necessary to define Delphi as 'who' does not exist."
"Delphi?" said Kite, nonplussed.
A sharp current of electricity tore from the creature's body, arcing several feet into the air and striking at nothing. The bolt danced and writhed, causing everyone to step back in surprise and bewilderment.
The electrical bolt continued to swirl above the body, which slowly began to dissolve. In the midst of the dancing current gathered a darkened void; the void grew rapidly, slowly expanding to form humanoid features - arms, legs and a head. Lines of white code, ones and zeroes, cryptic letters and symbols, all flashed through the void where the thing's body should have been. It stood perfectly still, hovering above the spot formerly occupied by the avian beast.
"Guys?" muttered Tamon, his spear trembling slightly in his hand, simultaneously eager for and anxious of the battle he subconsciously knew was coming.
"Did you kill that thing?!" accused BlackRose.
"Negative. The host was attached to this location; it was discarded."
A shouted command came from Deisart's helmet, the voice no longer calm or collected.
"Run!"
Before any could move to strike or retreat, the shadowy apparition raised an arm skyward; a shockwave burst in a circle from the center of the room, rolling across the ground and shaking the entire room.
Nearest the point of origin, Tamon was blown off his feet and to the ground. The unforgiving rock floor struck back of his head before the rest of his body had finished falling, drawing a cry of pain and alarm past his lips.
"Tamon!" shouted Stolls, flailing his arms wildly in an attempt to keep steady.
The phantom slowly descended to the ground, approaching the fallen Long Arm; Its feet touched the ground, yet its legs kept still as it moved.
"Viral scan completed." The voices came again; in a more intellectual moment, the Wave Master might have noticed that they did not come from the apparition. "Entities... unknown," they continued, an analytical edge to their tone.
"Haaaa!"
A loud battle cry preceded a large blade slicing diagonally through Its body, splitting the creature in two; BlackRose ducked right, quickly recovering from the swing and attacked again, slashing sideways through Its waist and dividing the halves into quarters.
A bright bolt of electricity rocketed from Its severed right hand, lashing out at BlackRose, who barely brought her weapon up in time to block. The bolt struck the blade in a brilliant explosion, knocking her back several paces.
Startled but unharmed, she prepared to charge again, and found herself preempted as Kite and Deisart sprung into action; attacking from both sides, the two quickly dismembered what was left of the floating apparition. Blade and axe sliced again and again through otherwise empty air, meeting no resistance but nonetheless shredding the human-shaped void in seconds.
A blast of fire soared through the air, expertly weaving between the warriors to strike the shards of the creature, incinerating them almost instantly. Nearby, Stolls held his wand high, eyes wide, lips parted to reveal gritted teeth.
The remains quickly dissipated, taking the sounds of battle with them. Nothing was heard, save for hard panting, sighs of relief, and the groaning of a weary Tamon as he got to his feet.
"What... what just happened?" asked the Long Arm, blinking as he glanced at each of his companions. "What was that thing?"
Kite slowly relaxed, eyes fixed on the spot where the phantom stood. "Did... did we get it?" he wondered aloud.
BlackRose stepped forward. "I think so. I've... never seen anything like that monster. What was that... that 'Delphi'?"
A single voice - cold, mechanical, monotone - caused all to start, weapons raised, muscles tensed, eyes searching. "Analysis: the purging has failed."
A second voice answered it, high in pitch yet equally lifeless. "Status: the primary defense system has been compromised by hostile entities."
Everyone stood rooted to his or her spot, sharing the uncertainty of what to say or do as the third and final voice spoke, the ground seeming to tremble from its deep baritone. "Conclusion: the primary defense system is obsolete."
(Primary defense system?) thought Stolls. (What on Earth are they talking about?)
The first spoke again. "Suggestion: a vessel for the primary defense system is desirable."
Then the second. "Warning: all previous vessels were confined to one location."
And then the third. "Action: a different vessel is required."
"It is so," said the three, the voices again merging to speak as one.
All eyes returned to the center of the room, where the darkness began to gather once more, slowly reforming the body of the apparition.
Kite lunged forward and struck at the shadow's neck, narrowly missing as It suddenly sprung into action, ducking down to dodge the attack. It responded by dashing behind Kite, one arm raised high, energy crackling and condensing in Its open palm.
The Twin Blade was quick to react, but not quick enough; the shadow struck Kite on the back, the ball of energy exploding and blasting him several feet forward onto his stomach, where he slid to a stop just before a statuesque Deisart.
"Kite!" shouted BlackRose as she leapt at the humanoid blackness, sword held high. With a mighty growl, she brought the blade down towards the apparition, which quickly retreated backward. It took to the air as Deisart rushed forward, swinging in a wide arc at Its back; the large axe barely grazed the soles of Its feet, and BlackRose was forced to take a step back to dodge the swing.
Both recovered from their respective attacks just in time to see a second bolt of fire race towards the apparition from Stolls; without turning to face him, It thrust an arm out and summoned an even larger fireball, which quickly and unerringly flew straight towards his own.
Stolls watched in shock as his fireball deflected harmlessly off the phantom's; he went into a diving roll away from the massive fiery projectile, only to be blown against the wall as it collided with the ground and exploded, tossing the Wave Master aside like a rag doll.
The apparition descended towards BlackRose and Deisart, but was interrupted halfway as a spear hurled through the air and struck a glancing blow to Its side, knocking it away.
"Go!" shouted Tamon, racing forward to retrieve his spear as it clattered to the ground. "Everybody go, now! Get out of here!"
BlackRose glanced at Deisart, who obediently vanished from sight. She muttered a curse under her breath as It turned to face Tamon.
"Let's go!" came the shout from her right; a hand took hers, and she glanced right to see Kite standing next to her, a Sprite Ocarina in his free hand.
Stolls wearily moved to his feet, an unfelt pain coursing through his body. He rubbed his back, stumbling for a moment before righting himself.
His eyes widened as he hastily scanned the area. Deisart, Kite and BlackRose were nowhere to be seen; Tamon charged the apparition alone, spear whistling as it sailed through the air, mere inches away from It, which dodged with automatic finesse.
"Tamon!" shouted Stolls, dropping his wand and cupping both hands over his mouth, forgetting that his companion could hear him from anywhere in the room, or on Earth. "We gotta go!"
Tamon slid backwards as he leapt from the shadow's arm, which slashed at him like a knife. He threw a desperate glance at Stolls, releasing one hand from his spear to gesture vaguely at the Wave Master. "Dean, get outta here! Log out, now!"
Stolls caught his breath. (Dean? Why did...) "Max, what is it?!"
"I said go!" screamed Tamon, his voice cracking. "I... I can't! I can't log out!"
The silver-haired avatar felt his controller's blood turn to ice. "What?! What do you mean?"
Tamon adjusted his hold on his spear and leapt forward. "You want a piece of me, bitch!" he shouted, aiming his weapon at the creature's chest.
It deftly spun and kicked at his spear as it neared, knocking it from his hands and sending him towards the ground. The apparition dove down and caught him in mid-air by the neck, holding him aloft.
Stolls' vision faltered, flashes of light and static racing across his eyes. He barely saw Tamon frantically struggling to get free; translucent, crystalline shapes surrounded him, and lines of code and data raced through the void that was the apparition, faster and more frequently than before. The shapes gathered to form a crude sphere around Tamon and slowly began to rotate.
"Maaaaaax!" cried Dean as his vision finally gave; his hearing went next, but not before an agonized scream could reach him, lasting for a full five seconds before subsiding.
-
Dean gasped in surprise and tore the goggle and headset off, throwing it violently to the ground. He stumbled backward and fell on his rear, panting heavily as he briefly scrambled away from the terminal; a chill swept through him as his sweaty blue shirt clung possessively to his body, a physical byproduct of his mental exertions.
The interior of the visor flickered; the words "SYSTEM ERROR" flashed over and over in big red letters, a slight buzzing from the headset the only sound in the room aside from his breathing.
- End of Chapter II
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun
Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing whatsoever related to Project .Hack, save for characters created solely within this story, and my copy of Infection.
Notes: Takes place between Infection and Mutation. Parentheses indicate thoughts. Keeping track of tense in a sentence is a bitch.
Chapter II - Broken Ice
------------
Eyes opened to a changed field. Gone were the streets, bridges and canals of Mac Anu; further gone was an even passing semblance of a real world.
Gaps dotted this conceptual reality - an expansive, desolate landscape; barren earth and rock as far as could be generated in an endless loop, a slight drizzle of digital rain creating the area's only soundtrack. All of it perforated by spots of code, patches of ground and sky gone to reveal a solid mass of computer-generated text beneath them. Numbers and letters trailed through the air, nonsensical yet predictable, mocking the idea that The World could be perceived as real.
"This is new," remarked Stolls, dryly concealing his surprise.
"It wasn't like this before?" asked Kite, notably unfazed by the unreality of their surroundings.
Stolls shook his head. "No. The creature was in the dungeon, but this..." the Wave Master trailed off for a moment as he walked up to a missing patch of ground, experimentally tapping his foot against the lines of code in its place. "I... don't know what to make of it."
BlackRose carefully scanned the area, watching for monsters. "Did you know about the creature before you came here?"
"Well," began Tamon, lightly rapping the end of his spear against his leg, "not exactly. We thought there would be some kind of boss monster here, but we didn't know about these Data Bug things... least we'd never seen any."
Kite removed a small orb from his pocket, and held it up over his head. In a flash, it vanished; Kite's eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a quiet "huh?"
"What is it?" asked BlackRose.
He stared off into space for a moment before turning to face her. "All the portals in this field are open."
Stolls blinked. "What? Someone beat us here?"
"When did you guys come here?" asked Kite, glancing over at Tamon.
"Was about three days ago. We cleared the place out, except for the bug, but they should've respawned by now."
(The bug,) thought Stolls. "Hey, maybe we should get moving, find the monster before somebody else does."
Kite's glance shifted from Tamon to Deisart, then to Stolls. "All right, let's go."
"Should be on the bottom floor," said Tamon. "Right where we left it," he added, a shadow crossing his eyes.
The five moved into a loose, circular formation and advanced towards the dungeon in the distance, halting momentarily as a bright flash and sharp crackling of static lashed at their eyes and ears; Kite and BlackRose seemed not to notice, but Tamon, Stolls and Deisart were caught off guard, each reacting with varying surprise.
Tamon noticed that Kite and BlackRose's reaction - or the lack thereof - regarding the strange, out-of-character phenomena hinted towards experience. The Long Arm's puppeteer made a mental note, reminding him to reevaluate the youthful hacker.
(Maybe we can use him after all.)
-
To: Stolls@theworld.com, Deisart@theworld.com
From: TamonAdillo@theworld.com
Subj: Title
Consider title of symphony re-named. Maintain intermission and watch for Mozart; corrupted tempo not likely to escape scrutiny.
-
The party kept formation as it moved through the decaying dungeon, solid walls of data and code replacing texture here and there. A single thought was shared between each member of the party, one which succeeded at keeping them all on edge.
Tamon was the first to voice the thought. "You know what I don't like about this?" he asked to no one in particular. "Where are the monsters? I haven't seen a single goddamn creature since we got here; someone cleared the way before us."
BlackRose cautiously scanned their surroundings as they came to a four-way junction. "None above ground, and none here," she added. "Someone's definitely here with us."
Deisart suddenly stepped forward, towards the northernmost exit. "The monster is this way," he said, his gentle voice nonetheless conveying a sense of urgency. "Let's go."
Stolls eyed the exit. (There was smoke last time,) he thought. (What's going on here?)
Exchanging confused glances and shrugs, the rest fell into step behind the Axeman, following him through the stone archway and into a large, empty antechamber. Walls of solid, evenly-cut stone surrounded them, providing no form of cover or hiding place, and despite the lack of visible light source the room was highlighted with an eerie purple hue.
"I don't like this," said Tamon in repeat, his voice echoing in the vaulted room. "I do not like this, this is too easy."
"Someone beat us to the punch." Stolls glanced around, icy claws of uneasiness taking firm hold of him. "Someone else brought down a Data Bug. Somebody tell me why this worries me."
Kite slowly stepped into the center of the room, the implications made by his companions all too clear. "Does someone else have access to Data Drain?" he wondered aloud.
Tamon cocked his head at Deisart, who had once again opted to remain utterly motionless. (Shin's a machine... how the hell does he do that?) Closer examination revealed that the polished, dark red helmet was tilted upward slightly, the visor facing the ceiling on an angle.
"Deisart?" called Tamon, a tinge of fear tainting his voice, his heart skipping a beat.
The Axeman made no movement, which did nothing to alleviate the sudden feeling of dread which enveloped the party. The feeling was amplified as Kite noticed he was standing in the shadow of something very large.
"Look out!" came the cry from BlackRose.
Tamon and Stolls followed Deisart's gaze and gasped aloud. BlackRose reacted instantly, charging towards Kite and spear-tackling him, knocking him out of the shadow; a second later, the avian carcass came crashing to the ground, pulverizing the corrupted earth where the Twin Blade had been standing
The impact rocked the ground beneath them; slowly, the three men approached the giant, lifeless creature - a nightmarish cross between a bird and a dragon - their weapons cautiously brandished.
"Mmnn... aw, damn it," groaned BlackRose as she moved off of Kite to a sitting position. She threw a concerned glance down at him. "Are you okay?"
Kite nodded weakly, gathering his weapons as he stood up. "I'm fine... I think," he said, drawing an unnecessary breath of air and releasing it. "Thanks," he added with a smile, sheathing a blade and offering a hand to help her up.
The Heavy Blade winked at him and hauled herself up to her feet. "Don't forget, you owe me now... partner."
Smiles disappeared as the two turned to the monster. Kite glanced over at Tamon, who gingerly poked the creature with his spear. "Is that what you were fighting?"
Tamon nodded. "That's it, all right. Somebody worked it over but good."
"But there's no one else here," said Stolls, brown eyes darting from one corner to the next, desperately seeking any sign of movement, of life.
"Potential hostiles detected."
The voices came from all corners of the room, echoing deeply; a chorus of cold monotone, piercing falsetto and powerful baritone, all speaking at once and as one.
"Who's there?!" called Tamon, whirling about to face the newcomer.
"That question cannot be answered," spoke the voices. "The language necessary to define Delphi as 'who' does not exist."
"Delphi?" said Kite, nonplussed.
A sharp current of electricity tore from the creature's body, arcing several feet into the air and striking at nothing. The bolt danced and writhed, causing everyone to step back in surprise and bewilderment.
The electrical bolt continued to swirl above the body, which slowly began to dissolve. In the midst of the dancing current gathered a darkened void; the void grew rapidly, slowly expanding to form humanoid features - arms, legs and a head. Lines of white code, ones and zeroes, cryptic letters and symbols, all flashed through the void where the thing's body should have been. It stood perfectly still, hovering above the spot formerly occupied by the avian beast.
"Guys?" muttered Tamon, his spear trembling slightly in his hand, simultaneously eager for and anxious of the battle he subconsciously knew was coming.
"Did you kill that thing?!" accused BlackRose.
"Negative. The host was attached to this location; it was discarded."
A shouted command came from Deisart's helmet, the voice no longer calm or collected.
"Run!"
Before any could move to strike or retreat, the shadowy apparition raised an arm skyward; a shockwave burst in a circle from the center of the room, rolling across the ground and shaking the entire room.
Nearest the point of origin, Tamon was blown off his feet and to the ground. The unforgiving rock floor struck back of his head before the rest of his body had finished falling, drawing a cry of pain and alarm past his lips.
"Tamon!" shouted Stolls, flailing his arms wildly in an attempt to keep steady.
The phantom slowly descended to the ground, approaching the fallen Long Arm; Its feet touched the ground, yet its legs kept still as it moved.
"Viral scan completed." The voices came again; in a more intellectual moment, the Wave Master might have noticed that they did not come from the apparition. "Entities... unknown," they continued, an analytical edge to their tone.
"Haaaa!"
A loud battle cry preceded a large blade slicing diagonally through Its body, splitting the creature in two; BlackRose ducked right, quickly recovering from the swing and attacked again, slashing sideways through Its waist and dividing the halves into quarters.
A bright bolt of electricity rocketed from Its severed right hand, lashing out at BlackRose, who barely brought her weapon up in time to block. The bolt struck the blade in a brilliant explosion, knocking her back several paces.
Startled but unharmed, she prepared to charge again, and found herself preempted as Kite and Deisart sprung into action; attacking from both sides, the two quickly dismembered what was left of the floating apparition. Blade and axe sliced again and again through otherwise empty air, meeting no resistance but nonetheless shredding the human-shaped void in seconds.
A blast of fire soared through the air, expertly weaving between the warriors to strike the shards of the creature, incinerating them almost instantly. Nearby, Stolls held his wand high, eyes wide, lips parted to reveal gritted teeth.
The remains quickly dissipated, taking the sounds of battle with them. Nothing was heard, save for hard panting, sighs of relief, and the groaning of a weary Tamon as he got to his feet.
"What... what just happened?" asked the Long Arm, blinking as he glanced at each of his companions. "What was that thing?"
Kite slowly relaxed, eyes fixed on the spot where the phantom stood. "Did... did we get it?" he wondered aloud.
BlackRose stepped forward. "I think so. I've... never seen anything like that monster. What was that... that 'Delphi'?"
A single voice - cold, mechanical, monotone - caused all to start, weapons raised, muscles tensed, eyes searching. "Analysis: the purging has failed."
A second voice answered it, high in pitch yet equally lifeless. "Status: the primary defense system has been compromised by hostile entities."
Everyone stood rooted to his or her spot, sharing the uncertainty of what to say or do as the third and final voice spoke, the ground seeming to tremble from its deep baritone. "Conclusion: the primary defense system is obsolete."
(Primary defense system?) thought Stolls. (What on Earth are they talking about?)
The first spoke again. "Suggestion: a vessel for the primary defense system is desirable."
Then the second. "Warning: all previous vessels were confined to one location."
And then the third. "Action: a different vessel is required."
"It is so," said the three, the voices again merging to speak as one.
All eyes returned to the center of the room, where the darkness began to gather once more, slowly reforming the body of the apparition.
Kite lunged forward and struck at the shadow's neck, narrowly missing as It suddenly sprung into action, ducking down to dodge the attack. It responded by dashing behind Kite, one arm raised high, energy crackling and condensing in Its open palm.
The Twin Blade was quick to react, but not quick enough; the shadow struck Kite on the back, the ball of energy exploding and blasting him several feet forward onto his stomach, where he slid to a stop just before a statuesque Deisart.
"Kite!" shouted BlackRose as she leapt at the humanoid blackness, sword held high. With a mighty growl, she brought the blade down towards the apparition, which quickly retreated backward. It took to the air as Deisart rushed forward, swinging in a wide arc at Its back; the large axe barely grazed the soles of Its feet, and BlackRose was forced to take a step back to dodge the swing.
Both recovered from their respective attacks just in time to see a second bolt of fire race towards the apparition from Stolls; without turning to face him, It thrust an arm out and summoned an even larger fireball, which quickly and unerringly flew straight towards his own.
Stolls watched in shock as his fireball deflected harmlessly off the phantom's; he went into a diving roll away from the massive fiery projectile, only to be blown against the wall as it collided with the ground and exploded, tossing the Wave Master aside like a rag doll.
The apparition descended towards BlackRose and Deisart, but was interrupted halfway as a spear hurled through the air and struck a glancing blow to Its side, knocking it away.
"Go!" shouted Tamon, racing forward to retrieve his spear as it clattered to the ground. "Everybody go, now! Get out of here!"
BlackRose glanced at Deisart, who obediently vanished from sight. She muttered a curse under her breath as It turned to face Tamon.
"Let's go!" came the shout from her right; a hand took hers, and she glanced right to see Kite standing next to her, a Sprite Ocarina in his free hand.
Stolls wearily moved to his feet, an unfelt pain coursing through his body. He rubbed his back, stumbling for a moment before righting himself.
His eyes widened as he hastily scanned the area. Deisart, Kite and BlackRose were nowhere to be seen; Tamon charged the apparition alone, spear whistling as it sailed through the air, mere inches away from It, which dodged with automatic finesse.
"Tamon!" shouted Stolls, dropping his wand and cupping both hands over his mouth, forgetting that his companion could hear him from anywhere in the room, or on Earth. "We gotta go!"
Tamon slid backwards as he leapt from the shadow's arm, which slashed at him like a knife. He threw a desperate glance at Stolls, releasing one hand from his spear to gesture vaguely at the Wave Master. "Dean, get outta here! Log out, now!"
Stolls caught his breath. (Dean? Why did...) "Max, what is it?!"
"I said go!" screamed Tamon, his voice cracking. "I... I can't! I can't log out!"
The silver-haired avatar felt his controller's blood turn to ice. "What?! What do you mean?"
Tamon adjusted his hold on his spear and leapt forward. "You want a piece of me, bitch!" he shouted, aiming his weapon at the creature's chest.
It deftly spun and kicked at his spear as it neared, knocking it from his hands and sending him towards the ground. The apparition dove down and caught him in mid-air by the neck, holding him aloft.
Stolls' vision faltered, flashes of light and static racing across his eyes. He barely saw Tamon frantically struggling to get free; translucent, crystalline shapes surrounded him, and lines of code and data raced through the void that was the apparition, faster and more frequently than before. The shapes gathered to form a crude sphere around Tamon and slowly began to rotate.
"Maaaaaax!" cried Dean as his vision finally gave; his hearing went next, but not before an agonized scream could reach him, lasting for a full five seconds before subsiding.
-
Dean gasped in surprise and tore the goggle and headset off, throwing it violently to the ground. He stumbled backward and fell on his rear, panting heavily as he briefly scrambled away from the terminal; a chill swept through him as his sweaty blue shirt clung possessively to his body, a physical byproduct of his mental exertions.
The interior of the visor flickered; the words "SYSTEM ERROR" flashed over and over in big red letters, a slight buzzing from the headset the only sound in the room aside from his breathing.
- End of Chapter II