.Hack//Heist
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun
Disclaimer: .Hack isn't mine. The fact that this is a text document and not a cartoon or game should've been your first clue.
Notes: Takes place shortly after Mutation begins. Well, okay, it STARTS before that, but this is where it is now. Thoughts are indicated (like so). Every able-bodied person should have to work at a video or convenience store at least once in their lives.
Chapter XXI - Unauthorized Access
------------
The field changed once more. Mac Anu faded into distant memory as the rings fell before his eyes, drawing him into a wide, barren field. His party materialized on both sides of him, joining him in observing the empty field around them.
Devoid of all but the earth beneath their feet, the field stretched off well beyond the horizon; the lack of any rock, tree or distinguishing feature in the terrain only enhanced the fact that the sky was equally empty, a clear navy blue with not a visible star, despite the lack of any cloud cover whatsoever. No ambient noise greeted their ears, which was accented by the fact that air was almost perfectly still, stale and stagnant, as if undisturbed for years.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked BlackRose, throwing a look at Stolls.
The Wave Master gave the field careful scrutiny, searching for anything even remotely out of place. "Delta, Zero Optional Spire. This is it, all right..." He craned his neck slightly, listening to the voice only he could hear - that of his real-world partner, Shinji. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Right... this isn't a regular field. Supposed to be Admin only; guess they forgot to decorate."
"It wasn't locked, either," said Kite, recalling mild surprise that such a field had been left open, if hidden from normal view, its keywords exposed only by Shinji's hacking. "Do they even know about this?" he asked, wondering how the company could have forgotten about such a 'feature' of their own product - a question he quickly dropped in light of his own set of circumstances.
"No idea," replied Stolls with a shake of his head. "Clearly, they didn't remove it... or couldn't. Somebody left it open." He squinted. "And those guys seemed to know... damn, maybe they're expecting us?"
Kite absently dug through his pocket and produced the fairy's orb he'd bought. (Maybe there's something else here,) he thought as he held it aloft. A flash of light briefly obscured his vision, consuming the orb and transmitting the information directly to his player's visor.
"Hmm," he muttered, blinking twice. "Well, there's no portals. But... wait."
Though no obvious portals or dungeon entrances appeared on the map, a gentle pulsing sensation appeared in his mind, as if drawing him in a seemingly random direction - not unlike a portal, but far too weak. Not visible on the map, but despite the lack of a guide he somehow knew where it was... whatever 'it' was. As the location grew more definite, he briefly wondered if it was Delphi.
"What is it?" asked BlackRose.
The location grew into a specific point, and it pulled Kite's eyes to it like a magnet. He pointed in the direction of the disturbance. "There! There's something this way."
"I don't see anything," said Stolls. "Let's get a closer look."
Kite took the lead, breaking into a jog towards the point in his head, Stolls and BlackRose following close behind. He tried hard to focus on the sensation tugging on his mind, but the bleak and blank field offered little to ease his growing concerns. He was all too grateful when the disturbance grew near, and he slid to a stop and began tracing the empty air carefully with his eyes.
"It's around here somewhere," he said. "Almost like a portal, but different." His eyebrows creased in confusion. "Faint."
"I can't see a thing."
"Me neither," concurred Stolls. After a nod, he added, "He says the firewall's right here, that must be what you're sensing. Can you open it?"
The Twin Blade took in a deep breath, steadying himself. "I'll try," he said as he stepped forward, raising both hands. He gingerly caressed the air, searching for the precise direction to aim his data drain. Centering on where the pulsing felt strongest, he took two steps forward and flattened one hand, bracing it with the other.
The dead sky was split by a burst of light; calling up the hacking ability, Kite kept his eyes trained on the invisible target before him, ignoring the crystalline shards which began to form around his outstretched wrist. The shards began to spin, causing ripples of force to shake his body and sending more bursts of light and static through the field.
(Come on,) he thought, feeling whatever it was that blocked the object from his sight begin to melt away. (Just a little more...) He grit his teeth, planting his feet firmly in the ground as another shockwave rattled his body, causing the field to explode in a photo negative of itself.
"Almost... got it..." Kite grunted, the spinning shards a blur as they angled outward, directed at the point he willed them towards.
One last burst of light rocked the area, causing the entire field to vanish instantly. Ground and sky disappeared from around them, leaving all three standing in an empty field of white. The sole noise to be heard was of Kite panting, his beating heart almost audible to his companions.
He heard Stolls murmur in amazement, heard his cloak rustle as he spun around rapidly, taking in this new development with no small measure of shock.
The shock became mutual when Kite sensed someone behind him, detected a hand on his shoulder without feeling it. He heard his name, and jumped slightly, startled; remembering the voice's owner, he turned to her and nodded.
"I'm fine," he said quietly, a soft sigh following quickly afterwards. "I... think that did it."
"Were you able to open it?" asked Stolls.
Kite scratched the back of his neck. "I think so... it was a lot like a gate, but..."
"One sec," Stolls interjected, turning away from Kite and BlackRose, who exchanged blank looks. "What's up?" he asked. He then broke into a grin and shouted, "Yes!"
Kite peered quizzically at Stolls, who turned back around and said, "We're in." His grin changed to a smile, and he nodded to the young Twin Blade. "Nice job, Kite. Shin, let's get the data and get outta here."
BlackRose let out a relieved sigh. "That was easier than I thought it'd be."
"Same here," said Kite. (Almost too easy,) he thought. With a hidden smile, he added, (Of course, it always looks too easy in the movies...)
The Wave Master rose up on his toes as he stretched, letting out a loud groan in the process. "Mmm... says it'll be about five minutes. Might as well get comfy."
(Comfy.) He glanced again around the white nothingness that now formed the field, at the empty space where even a ground should have been. (Right...) Slowly he descended into a seated position, legs folded under his knees, forming a small circle with the other two in his party.
"So, what do we do next?"
Stolls leaned backwards, propping himself up on his arms. "Well, for starters we find out just what this stuff is. Like I said, I don't think it's accounting data, it just doesn't add up." He tilted his head back, gazing up into nothingness. "Of course, we also need to get the goons off our back. With the data, maybe we can force them to cut a deal."
"They tried to kill you," said BlackRose. "What makes you think they'd try to deal?" After a second's pause, she added, "And aren't you supposed to give that to the company that hired you?"
Kite flinched briefly, attempting to tighten his hands into fists, his fingers instead digging into the solid whiteness beneath him. He remembered what Stolls had told him, about armed corporate thugs trying to kill both him and his partner.
(This is too big... too much.) He sighed. (What if they come after me?)
"First, despite all appearances, they're corporate; I know these guys, they'll bargain if they think we've something to bargain with. Second... we're mercenary." He mimed Kite's action, scratching his fingers against the intangible ground. "If our employer lied to us, then I won't feel too guilty about selling Cyber Connect's own data back to it."
Kite looked up at Stolls, joining BlackRose in watching as he continued, his voice growing heavier. "Look, it's not as simple as good guys and bad guys. This isn't about honor, or morals, or justice, or any of that." He sighed, deeply and slowly, his head lowering and shoulders sagging. "I'm sorry... me, Max, Shin, we're all in this for the money. That's what it's all about. That's all it's ever been about," he finished, his voice nearly a whisper.
"We're thieves," he added, an afterthought and an admission of guilt rolled into one.
Kite's eyes left Stolls and wandered over to BlackRose, only to find her staring back at him questioningly.
A private message sifted down over his eyes, its sender obviously unwilling to voice the message aloud: what are we doing?
Hiroshi looked away from her eyes, the window containing her question drifting away towards the corner of his HUD. He swallowed hard, once again faced with the fact that he was helping men break the law.
(It's all too big.) Not for the first time, he wanted someone to tell about this, and the only person he could was in no position to be spoken to aloud, not while Stolls was near.
Movement drew his attention back to Stolls, whose head was now lifted, with eyes open and alert. "Shin?" he called. "Everything all right?"
A familiar noise crackled through the empty field, air swirling, metal clinking; someone was approaching, and fast. Kite's eyes went skyward as a shadow of a man suddenly appeared in the brilliant white void. "Dean!" he cried, scrambling away from the descending silhouette. "Look out!"
Stolls narrowly dodged as the figure descended, a steel-tipped, razor-edged spear striking where he had been sitting.
Kite's eyes went wide as the tall, athletic figure of Tamon became visible, spear raised menacingly at Stolls, who stared back at him, jaw slack and eyes wide.
"Max," he whispered.
"Protected sector compromised," said Tamon, speaking with the trio of voices that all too readily identified him as someone else. SomeTHING else. "Tagged entities Zero, One, and Three identified."
A second passed, and then another, before Kite could draw the appropriate conclusion; the voices registered with his memory, their lifeless harmony sounding far too similar to another he remembered to be anything but.
Stolls voiced the thought first. "Delphi," he muttered, meeting the steely gaze of the Long Arm with one of his own. "Shinji, how much more time?" His eyes narrowed, taking a firm grip on his wand. "All right then."
One voice spoke, the baritone; "Warning: theft in progress."
The second continued in its place as Tamon stepped forward, a piercing falsetto. "Suggestion: tagged entities Zero, One, and Three are responsible."
"Action," began the third, chillingly monotone. "Termination of tagged entities is desirable."
The voices came together to speak once more. "It is so," they said as their puppet leaped towards Stolls, spear at the ready.
"Haaaaaah!" yelled Stolls as he dove and rolled away from Tamon, spear again just missing the Wave Master. He quickly got to his feet and raised his wand high.
Before Kite could join the fray, a wide length of steel cut in a long arc towards Tamon, clipping his upper back and pulling him away from Stolls. BlackRose immediately followed up with a powerful overhead swing, but the Long Arm was ready this time, and brought his spear up horizontally to block it.
"Remember me?!" shouted BlackRose, a confident, contemptuous smirk on her face.
Spotting an opening, Kite leapt into action, blades flying. He swung high at the tip of Tamon's spear, shattering the parry between him and BlackRose and opening him up for a backhanded slash with the second blade.
Tamon narrowly dodged, ducking back and deflecting another strike from BlackRose; quickly learning from his earlier mistake, he stepped out of the block just in time to repel Kite's attack as he closed in once more.
Several clashes and clangs echoed through the emptiness as the spear bounced back and forth between the heavy and twin blades, the possessed Long Arm deftly escaping further harm but unable to offer his own counter until a powerful upward swing from Kite left him critically exposed. Tamon took the opportunity and charged out of the pincer attack, swinging his spear in a steady, yet weak arc to his right. The blade reflected harmlessly off the back of BlackRose's armor, a one-in-a-million strike against a surface dominated by exposed skin and flesh.
The Heavy Blade was nonetheless put off-balance; Kite stepped forward in her stead and continued the attack, hooking both blades at Tamon as he lunged forward, and just as quickly he drew them back, his swords reflecting off the spear as the Long Arm braced himself.
A shout from Stolls preceded the appearance of several small flames in a sphere around Tamon, which instantly converged and exploded. More concussed than singed, Tamon was blown back and off his feet, crumpling to the ground loudly and without a hint of grace.
He recovered just in time to roll away from a leaping slash by BlackRose, her head cleaving the air where his neck had been just milliseconds earlier. Pressing the attack, she dove forward, leading Tamon's dodge and scoring a powerful crossing slash to his chest as he struggled to stand.
Stolls chanted again, louder this time; a wall of flame streaked along the ground towards Tamon, who almost succeeded in dodging before the flame collided with his leg, sinking beneath the blue slacks he wore and causing direct damage to his body. He started to bring his spear against BlackRose - the nearest target - but Kite reacted first, lurching forward and crossing his arms, forming a vise with his swords and trapping the shaft of the spear in it.
Kite stared into Tamon's lifeless olive eyes, at once unnerved and emboldened; with a grimace and a loud "Hah!" he pulled his swords in opposite directions, turning the spear like a screw and prying it from the Long Arm's hands. Disarmed, Tamon was helpless to defend himself as Kite pressed the attack, thrusting both blades forward and burying them deep in his chest.
He released the blades and stumbled back, flinching at the macabre sight of the Twin Blade standing with two swords buried almost to the hilt in his own body. His surprise grew as he took in the expression on Tamon's face - or rather, the lack thereof.
"Critical damage detected," said the voices, coming from outside Tamon's lips. "Engaging primary defen-"
The voices fell away when a large blade cut through Tamon's waist like a knife through butter; BlackRose skillfully drove the blade through without stopping once, splitting upper and lower body and sending both away to the floor, the space where flesh and blood would normally be replaced by darkness and lines of code.
Slowly, the body lost all color, descending to cold shades of gray; it quickly stretched vertically into the white sky and vanished without a trace, offering only a faint hiss as it departed. The blades formerly imbedded in its chest hovered for a moment at their former place of rest before dropping to the ground in a sound that could have been steel against dirt.
Kite cautiously stepped forward and retrieved his blades, eyeing the spot where the upper half of Tamon had landed. (Is that it?) he wondered silently. (No, that can't be... what about that shadow thing? Wasn't that the real Delphi?)
"In pace requiescat," said Stolls, his voice soft, tinted with a hint of remorse.
Kite blinked. (What does that mean? Wait...) he trailed off in his thoughts. (If he... his character was data drained by Delphi, and that put him into a coma... what happens to him if his character dies?) Immediately, he chided himself for the thought; (no way, it can't be that simple... but still, if there's no relation between the character and the player, then how...?)
The questions went unanswered. "Is he... dead?" asked Kite, unsure of whom he was inquiring.
"I don't know."
Metal slid against metal as BlackRose sheathed her blade. "If Delphi could possess the character... I don't think it's gone just yet."
Stolls shook his head. "You're right. We should get out of here. God only knows whether the Admins have figured out we're here or not. Shin, what's the word?"
After a long pause, Stolls nodded. "Let's get out of here. You guys got chat plug-ins?" When Kite and BlackRose nodded, he continued. "Good. Log out and meet us at #Alias. We'll dig through this stuff together. Password's Origin."
"All right, I'll be right there," said Kite as he issued the logout command, the white nothingness falling away to a black nothingness.
His senses seemed to come back to life as the visor and headset went dead, signaling his escape from The World. Hesitantly, he pulled the gear free from his head, short tresses of spiky black hair mussed by its presence. With a sigh, he set it down next to the monitor and pulled out the keyboard.
A previously unnoticed ache in his lower back forced him to stretch slightly, deliberately arching his back until a satisfying *crack* rattled his spine. Satisfied, he fell back into his chair and kicked his feet up on his desk, dragging the keyboard into his lap like a kitten, his fingers lovingly petting the keys that would lead him to The World's chatrooms.
Silently, he prayed against all evidence that he'd done the right thing.
- End of Chapter XXI
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun
Disclaimer: .Hack isn't mine. The fact that this is a text document and not a cartoon or game should've been your first clue.
Notes: Takes place shortly after Mutation begins. Well, okay, it STARTS before that, but this is where it is now. Thoughts are indicated (like so). Every able-bodied person should have to work at a video or convenience store at least once in their lives.
Chapter XXI - Unauthorized Access
------------
The field changed once more. Mac Anu faded into distant memory as the rings fell before his eyes, drawing him into a wide, barren field. His party materialized on both sides of him, joining him in observing the empty field around them.
Devoid of all but the earth beneath their feet, the field stretched off well beyond the horizon; the lack of any rock, tree or distinguishing feature in the terrain only enhanced the fact that the sky was equally empty, a clear navy blue with not a visible star, despite the lack of any cloud cover whatsoever. No ambient noise greeted their ears, which was accented by the fact that air was almost perfectly still, stale and stagnant, as if undisturbed for years.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked BlackRose, throwing a look at Stolls.
The Wave Master gave the field careful scrutiny, searching for anything even remotely out of place. "Delta, Zero Optional Spire. This is it, all right..." He craned his neck slightly, listening to the voice only he could hear - that of his real-world partner, Shinji. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Right... this isn't a regular field. Supposed to be Admin only; guess they forgot to decorate."
"It wasn't locked, either," said Kite, recalling mild surprise that such a field had been left open, if hidden from normal view, its keywords exposed only by Shinji's hacking. "Do they even know about this?" he asked, wondering how the company could have forgotten about such a 'feature' of their own product - a question he quickly dropped in light of his own set of circumstances.
"No idea," replied Stolls with a shake of his head. "Clearly, they didn't remove it... or couldn't. Somebody left it open." He squinted. "And those guys seemed to know... damn, maybe they're expecting us?"
Kite absently dug through his pocket and produced the fairy's orb he'd bought. (Maybe there's something else here,) he thought as he held it aloft. A flash of light briefly obscured his vision, consuming the orb and transmitting the information directly to his player's visor.
"Hmm," he muttered, blinking twice. "Well, there's no portals. But... wait."
Though no obvious portals or dungeon entrances appeared on the map, a gentle pulsing sensation appeared in his mind, as if drawing him in a seemingly random direction - not unlike a portal, but far too weak. Not visible on the map, but despite the lack of a guide he somehow knew where it was... whatever 'it' was. As the location grew more definite, he briefly wondered if it was Delphi.
"What is it?" asked BlackRose.
The location grew into a specific point, and it pulled Kite's eyes to it like a magnet. He pointed in the direction of the disturbance. "There! There's something this way."
"I don't see anything," said Stolls. "Let's get a closer look."
Kite took the lead, breaking into a jog towards the point in his head, Stolls and BlackRose following close behind. He tried hard to focus on the sensation tugging on his mind, but the bleak and blank field offered little to ease his growing concerns. He was all too grateful when the disturbance grew near, and he slid to a stop and began tracing the empty air carefully with his eyes.
"It's around here somewhere," he said. "Almost like a portal, but different." His eyebrows creased in confusion. "Faint."
"I can't see a thing."
"Me neither," concurred Stolls. After a nod, he added, "He says the firewall's right here, that must be what you're sensing. Can you open it?"
The Twin Blade took in a deep breath, steadying himself. "I'll try," he said as he stepped forward, raising both hands. He gingerly caressed the air, searching for the precise direction to aim his data drain. Centering on where the pulsing felt strongest, he took two steps forward and flattened one hand, bracing it with the other.
The dead sky was split by a burst of light; calling up the hacking ability, Kite kept his eyes trained on the invisible target before him, ignoring the crystalline shards which began to form around his outstretched wrist. The shards began to spin, causing ripples of force to shake his body and sending more bursts of light and static through the field.
(Come on,) he thought, feeling whatever it was that blocked the object from his sight begin to melt away. (Just a little more...) He grit his teeth, planting his feet firmly in the ground as another shockwave rattled his body, causing the field to explode in a photo negative of itself.
"Almost... got it..." Kite grunted, the spinning shards a blur as they angled outward, directed at the point he willed them towards.
One last burst of light rocked the area, causing the entire field to vanish instantly. Ground and sky disappeared from around them, leaving all three standing in an empty field of white. The sole noise to be heard was of Kite panting, his beating heart almost audible to his companions.
He heard Stolls murmur in amazement, heard his cloak rustle as he spun around rapidly, taking in this new development with no small measure of shock.
The shock became mutual when Kite sensed someone behind him, detected a hand on his shoulder without feeling it. He heard his name, and jumped slightly, startled; remembering the voice's owner, he turned to her and nodded.
"I'm fine," he said quietly, a soft sigh following quickly afterwards. "I... think that did it."
"Were you able to open it?" asked Stolls.
Kite scratched the back of his neck. "I think so... it was a lot like a gate, but..."
"One sec," Stolls interjected, turning away from Kite and BlackRose, who exchanged blank looks. "What's up?" he asked. He then broke into a grin and shouted, "Yes!"
Kite peered quizzically at Stolls, who turned back around and said, "We're in." His grin changed to a smile, and he nodded to the young Twin Blade. "Nice job, Kite. Shin, let's get the data and get outta here."
BlackRose let out a relieved sigh. "That was easier than I thought it'd be."
"Same here," said Kite. (Almost too easy,) he thought. With a hidden smile, he added, (Of course, it always looks too easy in the movies...)
The Wave Master rose up on his toes as he stretched, letting out a loud groan in the process. "Mmm... says it'll be about five minutes. Might as well get comfy."
(Comfy.) He glanced again around the white nothingness that now formed the field, at the empty space where even a ground should have been. (Right...) Slowly he descended into a seated position, legs folded under his knees, forming a small circle with the other two in his party.
"So, what do we do next?"
Stolls leaned backwards, propping himself up on his arms. "Well, for starters we find out just what this stuff is. Like I said, I don't think it's accounting data, it just doesn't add up." He tilted his head back, gazing up into nothingness. "Of course, we also need to get the goons off our back. With the data, maybe we can force them to cut a deal."
"They tried to kill you," said BlackRose. "What makes you think they'd try to deal?" After a second's pause, she added, "And aren't you supposed to give that to the company that hired you?"
Kite flinched briefly, attempting to tighten his hands into fists, his fingers instead digging into the solid whiteness beneath him. He remembered what Stolls had told him, about armed corporate thugs trying to kill both him and his partner.
(This is too big... too much.) He sighed. (What if they come after me?)
"First, despite all appearances, they're corporate; I know these guys, they'll bargain if they think we've something to bargain with. Second... we're mercenary." He mimed Kite's action, scratching his fingers against the intangible ground. "If our employer lied to us, then I won't feel too guilty about selling Cyber Connect's own data back to it."
Kite looked up at Stolls, joining BlackRose in watching as he continued, his voice growing heavier. "Look, it's not as simple as good guys and bad guys. This isn't about honor, or morals, or justice, or any of that." He sighed, deeply and slowly, his head lowering and shoulders sagging. "I'm sorry... me, Max, Shin, we're all in this for the money. That's what it's all about. That's all it's ever been about," he finished, his voice nearly a whisper.
"We're thieves," he added, an afterthought and an admission of guilt rolled into one.
Kite's eyes left Stolls and wandered over to BlackRose, only to find her staring back at him questioningly.
A private message sifted down over his eyes, its sender obviously unwilling to voice the message aloud: what are we doing?
Hiroshi looked away from her eyes, the window containing her question drifting away towards the corner of his HUD. He swallowed hard, once again faced with the fact that he was helping men break the law.
(It's all too big.) Not for the first time, he wanted someone to tell about this, and the only person he could was in no position to be spoken to aloud, not while Stolls was near.
Movement drew his attention back to Stolls, whose head was now lifted, with eyes open and alert. "Shin?" he called. "Everything all right?"
A familiar noise crackled through the empty field, air swirling, metal clinking; someone was approaching, and fast. Kite's eyes went skyward as a shadow of a man suddenly appeared in the brilliant white void. "Dean!" he cried, scrambling away from the descending silhouette. "Look out!"
Stolls narrowly dodged as the figure descended, a steel-tipped, razor-edged spear striking where he had been sitting.
Kite's eyes went wide as the tall, athletic figure of Tamon became visible, spear raised menacingly at Stolls, who stared back at him, jaw slack and eyes wide.
"Max," he whispered.
"Protected sector compromised," said Tamon, speaking with the trio of voices that all too readily identified him as someone else. SomeTHING else. "Tagged entities Zero, One, and Three identified."
A second passed, and then another, before Kite could draw the appropriate conclusion; the voices registered with his memory, their lifeless harmony sounding far too similar to another he remembered to be anything but.
Stolls voiced the thought first. "Delphi," he muttered, meeting the steely gaze of the Long Arm with one of his own. "Shinji, how much more time?" His eyes narrowed, taking a firm grip on his wand. "All right then."
One voice spoke, the baritone; "Warning: theft in progress."
The second continued in its place as Tamon stepped forward, a piercing falsetto. "Suggestion: tagged entities Zero, One, and Three are responsible."
"Action," began the third, chillingly monotone. "Termination of tagged entities is desirable."
The voices came together to speak once more. "It is so," they said as their puppet leaped towards Stolls, spear at the ready.
"Haaaaaah!" yelled Stolls as he dove and rolled away from Tamon, spear again just missing the Wave Master. He quickly got to his feet and raised his wand high.
Before Kite could join the fray, a wide length of steel cut in a long arc towards Tamon, clipping his upper back and pulling him away from Stolls. BlackRose immediately followed up with a powerful overhead swing, but the Long Arm was ready this time, and brought his spear up horizontally to block it.
"Remember me?!" shouted BlackRose, a confident, contemptuous smirk on her face.
Spotting an opening, Kite leapt into action, blades flying. He swung high at the tip of Tamon's spear, shattering the parry between him and BlackRose and opening him up for a backhanded slash with the second blade.
Tamon narrowly dodged, ducking back and deflecting another strike from BlackRose; quickly learning from his earlier mistake, he stepped out of the block just in time to repel Kite's attack as he closed in once more.
Several clashes and clangs echoed through the emptiness as the spear bounced back and forth between the heavy and twin blades, the possessed Long Arm deftly escaping further harm but unable to offer his own counter until a powerful upward swing from Kite left him critically exposed. Tamon took the opportunity and charged out of the pincer attack, swinging his spear in a steady, yet weak arc to his right. The blade reflected harmlessly off the back of BlackRose's armor, a one-in-a-million strike against a surface dominated by exposed skin and flesh.
The Heavy Blade was nonetheless put off-balance; Kite stepped forward in her stead and continued the attack, hooking both blades at Tamon as he lunged forward, and just as quickly he drew them back, his swords reflecting off the spear as the Long Arm braced himself.
A shout from Stolls preceded the appearance of several small flames in a sphere around Tamon, which instantly converged and exploded. More concussed than singed, Tamon was blown back and off his feet, crumpling to the ground loudly and without a hint of grace.
He recovered just in time to roll away from a leaping slash by BlackRose, her head cleaving the air where his neck had been just milliseconds earlier. Pressing the attack, she dove forward, leading Tamon's dodge and scoring a powerful crossing slash to his chest as he struggled to stand.
Stolls chanted again, louder this time; a wall of flame streaked along the ground towards Tamon, who almost succeeded in dodging before the flame collided with his leg, sinking beneath the blue slacks he wore and causing direct damage to his body. He started to bring his spear against BlackRose - the nearest target - but Kite reacted first, lurching forward and crossing his arms, forming a vise with his swords and trapping the shaft of the spear in it.
Kite stared into Tamon's lifeless olive eyes, at once unnerved and emboldened; with a grimace and a loud "Hah!" he pulled his swords in opposite directions, turning the spear like a screw and prying it from the Long Arm's hands. Disarmed, Tamon was helpless to defend himself as Kite pressed the attack, thrusting both blades forward and burying them deep in his chest.
He released the blades and stumbled back, flinching at the macabre sight of the Twin Blade standing with two swords buried almost to the hilt in his own body. His surprise grew as he took in the expression on Tamon's face - or rather, the lack thereof.
"Critical damage detected," said the voices, coming from outside Tamon's lips. "Engaging primary defen-"
The voices fell away when a large blade cut through Tamon's waist like a knife through butter; BlackRose skillfully drove the blade through without stopping once, splitting upper and lower body and sending both away to the floor, the space where flesh and blood would normally be replaced by darkness and lines of code.
Slowly, the body lost all color, descending to cold shades of gray; it quickly stretched vertically into the white sky and vanished without a trace, offering only a faint hiss as it departed. The blades formerly imbedded in its chest hovered for a moment at their former place of rest before dropping to the ground in a sound that could have been steel against dirt.
Kite cautiously stepped forward and retrieved his blades, eyeing the spot where the upper half of Tamon had landed. (Is that it?) he wondered silently. (No, that can't be... what about that shadow thing? Wasn't that the real Delphi?)
"In pace requiescat," said Stolls, his voice soft, tinted with a hint of remorse.
Kite blinked. (What does that mean? Wait...) he trailed off in his thoughts. (If he... his character was data drained by Delphi, and that put him into a coma... what happens to him if his character dies?) Immediately, he chided himself for the thought; (no way, it can't be that simple... but still, if there's no relation between the character and the player, then how...?)
The questions went unanswered. "Is he... dead?" asked Kite, unsure of whom he was inquiring.
"I don't know."
Metal slid against metal as BlackRose sheathed her blade. "If Delphi could possess the character... I don't think it's gone just yet."
Stolls shook his head. "You're right. We should get out of here. God only knows whether the Admins have figured out we're here or not. Shin, what's the word?"
After a long pause, Stolls nodded. "Let's get out of here. You guys got chat plug-ins?" When Kite and BlackRose nodded, he continued. "Good. Log out and meet us at #Alias. We'll dig through this stuff together. Password's Origin."
"All right, I'll be right there," said Kite as he issued the logout command, the white nothingness falling away to a black nothingness.
His senses seemed to come back to life as the visor and headset went dead, signaling his escape from The World. Hesitantly, he pulled the gear free from his head, short tresses of spiky black hair mussed by its presence. With a sigh, he set it down next to the monitor and pulled out the keyboard.
A previously unnoticed ache in his lower back forced him to stretch slightly, deliberately arching his back until a satisfying *crack* rattled his spine. Satisfied, he fell back into his chair and kicked his feet up on his desk, dragging the keyboard into his lap like a kitten, his fingers lovingly petting the keys that would lead him to The World's chatrooms.
Silently, he prayed against all evidence that he'd done the right thing.
- End of Chapter XXI