A/N: WOOHOO! Chapter...nine, is it? Fanfics...they grow up so fast. Sniff. I remember when Named by Submission was just a wee prologue...
Hmm...okay!
...wow, the song looks like it has a bunch of The World puns. (Yes, I do add in these notes as I move along the story...) In this chapter! The debut of Balmung of the Azure Sky! Gotta love him. I know I do. Heh. Also our pal, the zesty BlackRose. Woot. Let's get this show on the road!
Disclaimer: .hack belongs to CC Corporation! Ooh. Spookeh.
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Chapter 9: Daunted
The world I love, the tears I drop
To be part of the wave can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you?
The world I love, the trains I hop
To be part of the wave can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to...
Can't Stop - Red Hot Chili Peppers
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"Papa, I'll be frank...did Helba give you any leads whatsoever on...where to find these two players?"
"Of course. Member addresses--well, address. Only one player, apparently..." Bear shifted uncomfortably, reading a name off an invisible note on his palm. "Balmung of the Azure Sky." Both Wavemaster and Blademaster were quiet for a moment before frowning at one another and continuing. "He should...be able to take us to the .hackers." He smiled grimly, but the cynical Tsukasa raised an eyebrow, leaning on his orbed staff.
"Do you think a Descendant of Fianna would really waste his time with people like us?" Tsukasa snorted sardonically, flicking a tuft of pearly hair out of his eyes. "And they're hackers. People say Balmung is going to be an admin soon. Do you realize how dumb we'll look?"
"It's our only chance, Tsukasa," Bear berated. "You're worrying too much. Balmung's a player, just like the rest of us."
The Wavemaster scoffed, apparently having an intense dislike of being belittled. "He's probably got some kind of inflated ego." The elder man stared, eyebrow slightly raised. Tsukasa shrugged. "Wouldn't you?"
Bear ignored the traces of femininity he could hear outside of the headset and folded his arms. "He's logged on. I'm going to send him a Flash Mail..." He smiles faintly, though neither find anything funny about the situation. "Don't be rude."
"What exactly will we accomplish by finding these .hackers?"
Bear didn't respond for a moment; then, after a pause, finger hovering above an invisible object, he smiled once more. "We'll try to help Sora...and...maybe helping these .hackers fight Morganna is for the best." And finally, he stopped to fold his arms. "Now, we wait." He tapped his foot, but in mere moments, gold rings seeped out from the ground's textures and rose to Bear's height; clad in shimmering silver armor with folded wings, the white-haired player looked at the duo rather condescendingly.
"...May I help you?" Cold and unforgiving. Tsukasa scoffed. He had expected this from the beginning.
Still, the blue-painted Blademaster remained cool. He cleared his throat, attracting Balmung of the Azure Sky's attention. For a split-second, he cringed. Why did he cringe?
"Yes, you may." Obviously, Bear had no intention of taking crap from a level 60 player. "All we need you to do is...help us find two players." A pause. Balmung nodded slowly, puzzled russet eyes an incentive to continue. "...A Heavy Blade named BlackRose, and a Twin Blade named Kite. .hackers?"
The Descendant of Fianna was silent, stiffened, and rigid. His eyes had widened considerably, and his fingers twitched angrily at his sides.
Tsukasa smirked. "Well?"
"...Those players," he said, voice ragged with aggravation, "should not be part of this World." He thrust his arm out to the side, causing Bear to stumble slightly backwards yet regaining his footing. The pale Wavemaster in tan and brown robes remained horribly indifferent, apparently unfazed by his rage. "Why do you seek them out!? Are you, too, hackers!?" sneered Balmung, hand shifting to the hilt of his blade.
Bear stammered, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish's. But no sound came out.
Tsukasa rolled narrowed amethyst eyes and shifted forward slightly, leaning once more on his staff with the rust-colored orb.
"Answer me!"
"No." The Wavemaster spoke, quickly and monotonously as well as unimpressed by the angered assumptions. Again, the armored knight froze in place, eyes reading a simplistic question--what? Tsukasa's posture straightened, and his eyes softened as if to relay a sympathetic message as he inquired: "Do you know Yasuhiko?"
Balmung said nothing. He stopped. Slowly, he slid out of a battle position, eyes vacant and unemotional. "How..." The power in his voice had faded. "...do you...know that name!?"
"Yasuhiko. One of six or so people who fell into a coma while playing The World," the Wavemaster recited, eyes raised slightly as if reading something off his eyelids. Bear stared unblinkingly. "After I woke up from my own coma, I...watched The World for a while. Until I was ready to play again...but I knew...I wasn't the only one."
Strands of paper-white hair fell over Balmung's eyes, shielding his expression. Hoarsely, he spoke: "...W-what relevance do the .hackers hold to you?"
"A player killer named Sora fell into a coma six months ago. He woke up recently with amnesia and with a piece of data infused in his mind. It was probably transferred through the headset and its connection to the game." Tsukasa's expression was grim and morbid as he spoke; his businesslike attitude warranted a strange sense of respect. "The data comes from an AI named Morganna. That's all papa--I mean, Bear and I know."
Balmung refused to make eye contact, silently lamenting on the loss of his best friend and partner. Resigned and with little hope for The World's future, he whispered, "I will take you to them.
"I will take you to the .hackers..."
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Over the distant horizon of Mac Anu, a tanned girl with shrimp-colored hair and gold body paint leaned against the wall embracing the Chaos Gate. Occasionally, she glanced around impatiently, as if waiting for something whilst players appear and disappear; her sword was on the ground next to her, immense and ready to hack at some unsuspecting person.
"Lady BlackRose." One eyelid lifted and she studied her caller with a burgundy gaze. Immediately, BlackRose lifted her sword from the ground and slid into her battle position, eyes flaring and vein pulsating.
"Balmung, what do you want!?" Their first meeting had not gone well, suffice to say, and BlackRose was never the kind of person to easily forget a misgiving or a grudge. Yet, one must imagine aggressive BR's surprise when Balmung had made no combat-ready retort or witty comment concerning his dislike for hackers.
The Descendant stepped aside, revealing a quiet Bear and a stiff Tsukasa.
She looks like Mimiru, Tsukasa thought suddenly.
"These people request the assistance of the .hackers. A relative of theirs fell ill by Morganna's hands; a piece of her data is infused into the mind of coma victims. They want a solution and they want revenge. Can the power of the Bracelet help them?" Balmung folded his arms, eyes downcast--he was once too proud to make such a request.
BlackRose, however, was slightly less formal, and slightly disturbed. "Did you get food poisoning or something?" Stares. "Ah...okay, sure, why not. Wait for Kite to log on, though. He's got the accessory; I'm just...an add-on."