Disclaimer: Ok, I don't own .hack or anything from it save the characters I have created. Bandai owns the rest.

PG-13: I could probably get away with PG, but not sure just how violent it might get later, so better to be safe.

Author's Comment: So you know, all areas mentioned can be reached in the game and are to a great degree accurate.

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Trotting down the long, narrow corridor that just seemed to go on forever and ever, Mycinity tried to find something in the wavy blue graphics on the stone floor, or the similar ones on the walls, but to no avail. She had was fairly certain she was on the right path now though, especially as she began to make out the opposite end of the room despite the darkness. At the four-way crossroads earlier, she'd gone left instead of right, and that had just sent her on a wild goose chase against some powerful monsters that she almost hadn't survived.

Kite obviously had forgotten that her level was not anywhere equal to his own, and thus by herself this dungeon was more of a task of running rather than killing. Still, she had leveled up twice so far.

At last Mycinity spotted what she had been looking for, the twin pillars marking the entrance and stairway to the next level, her destination for her rendezvous with Kite. Rendezvous, not too long ago she would have immediately used the word tryst instead, but after everything… she just wasn't sure now, although part of her had to admit, it was a fun idea nevertheless.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Mycinity surveyed the room and sighed. More corridors and boring stone walls. Making her way over to one side of the wall, Mycinity leaned back against it, resting her sword against the protruding pillar to her right and waited. What should she say when Kite arrived? Everything seemed so uncertain. Well, perhaps she should just let Kite do the talking for now. Still, she had to know what he was, and why everything that had happened had happened.

Footsteps came now from the stairwell now, and Mycinity turned to see who it was. She was certain it was Kite, even though it was somewhat earlier than she'd expected. Still, she had gotten lost in the dungeon, and he most likely knew his way. Pushing off from the wall to greet him properly now, a slight smile crossing her face, Mycinity began to speak, then stopped as she saw the thin female figure appear out of the shadows of the stairwell. Mycinity recognized her, it was the other girl, the Heavy Blade that she had seen Kite with that one day at Fort Ouph, and the one he had arrived with the day that Kenji…

The Heavy Blade glared at Mycinity, then pointing a finger out at her said, "Ok bitch, it's time you and I understood one another."

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"You gave him what!?" SN Slayer shouted as Nightstar winced. This was why she'd hesitated about telling him. "Surely there was some other way you could have paid him! Gods, now some loony has my Member Address, with my email account?"

A pleading look on her face, Nightstar replied, "Please SM, calm down. It's not so bad. Really, if you think about it, the whole thing was a steal. There are some powerful people involved here, they could have gotten your Member Address if they wanted to anyway."

"But it's the principle of the thing! If they just went in and stole it, it's one thing, but for someone to just give it to them like that without asking me… you of all people should know how I feel about things like that."

"I know, why do you think I took so long to tell you. Look, I'm sorry but-"

"That's just what the world's coming to these days," SM Slayer interrupted, "people have no respect, no honor anymore. They think right and wrong are just words, not truth. How could you do this to me Nobiki? I mean…"

Nightstar moaned as SM Slayer continued to go on and on. This wasn't at all how she had wanted it to go, but then she hadn't expected much else out of him. The Kite incident had shaken his convictions, and whenever that happened he always fell into a state of disbelief, denial, and reflection, then bounced back with his moral convictions twice and strong as before. Which meant that there was only one thing she could probably say that would catch his attention. Unfortunately, she really hadn't wanted to say it here.

Meanwhile SM Slayer was finishing up this round of ranting by shouting, "How can I ever trust you again Nobiki?!"

Taking a deep breath, Nightstar answered, "You can trust me because… because I…"

"Because you what?!"

"Because I still love you!" she all but yelled back at him. "I'm sorry if I disappointed you, but I did all this because I still love you, Gods know why."

SM Slayer just blinked, standing there dumbfounded. For the first time in awhile he was caught with nothing he could think to say whatsoever. Finally he squeezed out, "Nobiki I…"

"Damnit Tadeoshi," Nightstar interrupted, "why do you always have to go off and be this way. So self-righteous and conceited, you totally forget about those around you! Don't ask me why I do, but I do still love you damnit! It wasn't something I wanted to say like this, online, but you didn't leave me much choice now."

Guilt filled SM Slayer as he watched Nightstar burst into tears. She was right too, he did always have to go and be an ass to her. "Nobiki, I'm sorry, I didn't… Looking, I'm a real dumbass, I know. I don't mean to hurt you, never hurt you, it's just… I'm sorry." He then reached out and drew her into a tight, warm embrace, holding her close to him. Tears beginning to subside, Nightstar returned the embrace, clinging to him for comfort as well as what she felt might be the last vestiges of her own sanity. As they finally parted, SM Slayer said, "Nobiki, I want you to know how I feel about you. I-"

He was silenced by a finger being pressed against his lips. Smiling happily at him now, Nightstar said softly with a hint of seduction, "Shhhh, not here. Let's finish this offline, ok?"

SM Slayer just looked at her for a moment, smiled, and nodded. "Of course, whatever you want Nobiki."

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The crowd had cleared in the streets of Carmina Gadelica not too long before, but two figures were still seen rolling around in the main market area. At last KenRyu had pinned down Wakizashi long enough to where she could get her tiny fingers wrapped around his throat, and not very much long after Wakizashi was gasping, his face going white as KenRyu throttle his head back and forth.

Then suddenly, without warning KenRyu released the samurai's throat and turned her head, not realizing that Wakizashi's head had been smacked hard against the stone pavement. Still not noticing her friend's dazed state, she glanced around from her straddled position and said, "Hey, what happened to Mycinity?"

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Reaching for her sword with her one had, not taking her eyes off the newcomer, Mycinity frowned at the Heavy Blade. "Bitch? Bitch!? Why you… just what exactly are you doing here, bitch?"

Flames burned in BlackRose's eyes at the use of the last word, and she took a step forward, her Executor dragging slightly along the stone floor. "I'm here because you seem to have the wrong idea about Kite's status. He's mine got it?"

Blinking at those words, Mycinity gave the Heavy Blade a quick look over, then shouted back, "Yours? Does he know that?" As BlackRose's eyes shifted down and away, an 'urk' coming from her lips, Mycinity grinned, and her confidence began to grow. She'd know girls like this all her life. Laying claim to everything and everyone, never caring if the other person even consented. They ruined the social status of everyone they touched, but never themselves. No, they had the protective barrier called 'popularity'. "I thought as much. You yell at me for my relationship with Kite, even if it really is none of your business, and yet you're in the same boat as me. How pathetic."

"Shut up! You don't know anything. Kite and I are partners, we have been since the beginning. You don't know the first thing about him, and yet you think you have a relationship with him? Kite and I have the relationship!"

"Then why are you here? Worried that I'll steal your man away, or that he might like me more? Give me a break. I don't see Kite asking you to meet alone in lower level dungeons." While it was true that Mycinity hadn't really thought of this meeting as anything more than a chance to finally learn who Kite was, she wasn't very well about to let BlackRose know that. Besides, there was still the chance it really was like that, and she wasn't going to lose to some other woman, not again. Then it came to her. "Hey, how did you know we were meeting here? Could it be… you were spying on him weren't you? Oh my God, you really are pathetic."

As the two had been bickering they had slowly been inching closer and closer to one another, and now stood so close that a body couldn't even have squeezed between the two. Glares like beams of bloody death shot between the two as they postured, on the brink of hysteria. Clenching her teeth together, BlackRose shot back, "Well maybe if you weren't trying to grope all over him like some two bit whore I wouldn't have to worry about him. You're just some newbie with a crush on Kite because he's so much greater than you and everyone else you know, so you stand there in awe hoping he'll stick around and protect you like your friend did when Kite and I came to save you because you can't protect yourself, you need others to sacrifice themselves for you!"

Smack! The slap from Mycinity's right hand impacted so fast across BlackRose's left cheek that had her face not lurched off to the side she might not have even realized what had hit her. The large red handprint on her cheek though was quite evident enough, had BlackRose been able to see it. Whipping her head back up, rage the likes of which even the great Achilles had never known consumed the Heavy Blade as she lifted her Executor high with one hand and slashed down hard, a ear-wrenching war cry erupting from her lungs as she attacked.

Had Mycinity not taken a step back from the impending scream, she never would have seen the attack coming. As it was, she just barely dove to the side, somersaulting back to her feet and turning just in time to barely parry off the next slash that BlackRose came in with. "How DARE you! Don't think I'll let you get away with that!"

Mycinity again parried and dodged away. She was filled with the same rage that BlackRose currently possessed, but somehow her instincts were holding it in check, perhaps sensing that the degradation of BlackRose's fighting ability due to her rage was the only thing saving her from being PKed in an instant. Still…

"How dare me? How dare you! You don't know anything about me, so don't ever talk about Kenji that way, ever!"

"Kenji? Is that your friend's name? The one who got killed by the Data Bug?"

"HE'S MY BROTHER!"

BlackRose stopped her swing in mid-stroke, shock covering her face. "You're… brother?" She then lowered her sword as she turned her head away, shame and guilt now replacing her rage. "I'm sorry… I didn't know."

Sensing the sudden mood shift, Mycinity lowered her blade as well, her own rage still lingering, yet quite diminished. What on earth could have stopped that insane rage that had filled the girl's eyes until a moment ago? "It's ok… I just…"

"No," BlackRose interrupted, "you were quite right to slap me like that. I crossed the line. I didn't know that…" BlackRose turned her head to look back at Mycinity, compassion and sympathy now apparent in her expression. "So… you're brother's in a coma?"

The tears began to well up in Mycinity's eyes as her thoughts drifted back to Barricade, and the day he… "Yeah, he is. That's why I needed to talk to Kite. He stopped that thing, and I thought… he might know how…"

A hand touched Mycinity's shoulder, and she looked over to see what it was, she saw BlackRose lean in to wrap her arms around her in a hug. "I'm sorry, I know what you're going through and it's just…" She paused and released Mycinity, stepping back and turning her back on her, head lowered and shoulders hunched over like some tremendous unseen weight rested upon them. "My… brother's in a coma too, from playing "The World".

Mycinity's eyes opened as wide as saucers. "Really, your brother too?"

BlackRose nodded. "I was watching when it happened too, and I didn't know what to do. No one believed that the game had caused it, but I knew. That's why I started playing, to find out the truth, and to save him. And, then I met Kite, and we've been working together ever since."

Tears began to flow down Mycinity's cheeks. How could she have misjudged this girl so much? Taking a step towards BlackRose before stopping herself, hand beginning to reach up in an attempt to comfort the girl, Mycinity said, "I'm sorry, I was feeling sorry for myself, but you've been going through this even longer. I… I don't know what to say."

Turning and looking back at Mycinity, BlackRose smiled and with a slight chuckle said, "Hey, you know what, we're a lot alike, you and I."

A short giggle escaped Mycinity's lips. "Yeah, we kinda are aren't we?"

Smiles beaming across both their faces now, Mycinity said, "Hey, how about this, until this is all over with and our brothers are back to themselves, we both back off our fight for Kite's affections."

BlackRose's eyes narrowed to slits. "How do I know you won't try to seduce him behind my back?"

Smiling slyly, Mycinity replied, "What? Don't you trust me?"

"Equally sly BlackRose responded, "No, I don't. But I guess if we're going to get anywhere we'll both have to learn huh?"

"Yeah." The pair then began to giggle.

Then from supposedly out of the very air itself a voice rang out, "I don't believe you two. Must I do everything myself?" A slight breeze then picked up from the far side of the corridor, and out of the darkness a tall man dressed completely in black emerged. No, Mycinity noticed, floated! The man was hovering over the floor, and as he came closer, she began to remember his face.

BlackRose meanwhile contorted her face and shot out, "Who the Hell are you?"

The man stopped his approach and looked straight at BlackRose, still hovering a good two feet above the floor. "This does not concern you BlackRose. Run along like a good girl and let me deal with this."

"Run along? I don't think so you big black meanie. If you know who I am then you must know what I can do!"

"You can't do anything little girl."

Anger surged through BlackRose's electronic veins as she began to step towards the man, but Mycinity then said, "It's you! I remember you now. You're that man who was threatening Kenji and I to stay away from Kite."

Looking back at Mycinity, BlackRose blinked. "He what!?" Then turning back towards the black figure shouted, "Ok dumbass, start talking!"

The figure's nostrils began to flare with impatience, then in a commanding tone answered, "I said this does not concern you girl. Now go."

Suddenly a wave of energy swam up out of the floor and smacked straight into BlackRose sending her flying back towards the stairwell screaming. Trying to turn her body, she found herself unable to move, and closed her eyes to brace for the impact. Only when it came it seemed far softer than she expected, than it should have been. It was then that she realized she could move again, and that she was still above the ground, but not from the wave; something was supporting her. Looking up, her face lit up as she saw Kite's face smiling back down at her. "BlackRose, are you all right?"

BlackRose felt her cheeks burning cromson. "Kite I… I mean yeah, I'm fine."

"Good." His face then lifted up towards the floating guest as his expression shifted into one of flustered adversity. Setting his partner down, Kite began to walk in towards Mycinity and the threatening figure beyond. The figure turned to face Kite fully, his face showing a slight apprehension at the Twin Blade's arrival. As Kite passed Mycinity, placing himself slightly between her and the visitor, Kite flat out demanded, "What do you want with us?"

Mycinity took a sigh of relief as those words left Kite's lips. He was here, they were safe. He obviously wasn't afraid of this guy, no matter how intimidating he appeared. And yet… he hadn't asked who the person was, like she and BlackRose had. Did Kite… know who this person was?

Taking a deep breath, the darkly clad man replied, "Kite please… I ask that you leave here with BlackRose. I'm doing this for your own good."

Glancing off at Mycinity for a moment before returning his gaze to the hovering foe before him, Kite replied, "What's in my best interests? What does a hacker like you want with someone like Mycinity?"

The hacker took another deep breath, then answered, "Kite, you have a mission to perform. It became your duty, no, your calling and destiny the moment you were given the Twilight Bracelet. If you don't succeed, this world will be destroyed, and Orca will be lost forever. So will Kazu. If not for yourself, for your partner's sake. You cannot allow yourself to be distracted by petty things and minor people."

"Who decided this? I didn't ask for this power, but Aura entrusted it to me, to use as I felt it must be used. What does it matter if Mycinity is my friend or not? Her brother's in a coma too after all. Isn't our mission the same?"

"No. She still desires you, not the mission. I have watched unlike you at her childish fantasies, games and fan clubs. The greater good of 'The World' must go before the adolescent crush of some silly little girl! If you had just stayed away and not interfered before we wouldn't have this problem!"

Kite's eyebrow cocked at the last sentence. "Stayed away before? What are you…" Suddenly the realization of the truth came upon Kite as his eyes widened in shock and horror. "It was you! You put that Data Bug in that dungeon! You were trying to get rid of Mycinity by driving her comatose! Are you insane?"

Horror with a tint of fear rose up out of Mycinity at Kite's words. "You mean… my brother is in a coma because of him? Because of me?"

"That's sick! I won't let you get away with this!" BlackRose approached now, stopping to the side of Kite with her sword up in the ready. At her action, Mycinity followed suit.

Scanning his eyes over the three enraged players, the man pleaded, "Understand Kite, it was necessary. It still-"

"It's wrong, and disgusting is what it is! You preach about saving 'The World' from this virus, and yet you go about acting just like it?" Kite took a step forward, weapons drawn.

Floating a step back, the hacker narrowed his eyes for a moment, the lifted his chin smugly and chuckled. "Just what are you going to do Kite? We both know there's only one way you can harm me, and it's not an option. After all, you wouldn't ever Data Drain another human being. That would make you no better than the Virus, no better than what you claim I am."

Gritting his teeth with a mentally conflicted growl that spoke just how right the hacker was, Kite glared daggers at the man. "Don't…"

"I'm sorry Kite, but this is for the cause." Suddenly the wind in the room began to pick up again, and sensing what was about to come, both BlackRose and Mycinity dove in at the hacker, blades slashing down. They never landed though as the great swords collided with a barrier that arose around the hacker.

As the two stared in surprise, a sudden shockwave ripped out from the barrier smacking straight into BlackRose sending her flying back. As it reached Kite, who braced himself for the impact, the wave slammed into him, forcing him to slide back across the floor, still on his feet. Then another shot out, even stronger than the last, this one focused on a dumbfounded Mycinity. Smashing her with unthinkable force back against the stone wall, Mycinity fell to the floor leaving an indentation upon the wall in her wake, as Kite was driven even farther back.

Glancing down at his right hand as the wind continued to race at him, reaching speeds that he was struggling to withstand, Kite struggled with what he had to do. It seemed so easy, using the bracelet on monsters, electronic data with no real life behind it, but on a person. It was almost as if he were being asked to kill a man, only worse. How could he do it, even against someone as twisted and dangerous as this hacker? Helba had told him that he wasn't stupid because he wouldn't use it on a person, and yet that was the only option now. Or else Mycinity would…

Looking back up at the hacker from behind his left arm that he was using in an attempt to shield himself from the wind, Kite's eyes widened as he spotted Mycinity's unconscious body rise up into the air, held fast by some unseen hand. Then the hacker lifted his staff high, sparks and energy flickering about it, and pointed his free hand, palm up, straight at Mycinity. It was just like when Skeith had Data Drained Orce.

That thought snapped something inside Kite's mind as a primal scream echoed forth from him, the bracelet on his right arm now visible and pulsing. As the scream reached its apex, a pulse wave erupted from the bracelet, silencing the wind as if it were little more than a piece of paper trying to stop an oncoming juggernaut.

The hacker's attention turned to Kite, and a shocked look crossed his face as the bracelet began to open and unfold into its active form. And then a motion behind Kite caught his attention, and upon seeing it his face went from shock to pure, unhindered fear. With it his the buzz about his staff vanished and Mycinity's body suddenly dropped to the floor.

Kite paused, checking his rage as he saw the sudden facial change in the hacker, as he realized it wasn't him that the hacker was looking so terrified at. That's when Kite heard the familiar voice of a calm, self-assured woman say form behind him, "Liet, just what exactly do you think you are doing?"

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Author's Notes:

Well, I told you it'd be out faster. I probably should have waited for more reviews, but then I suppose after more than a month without updating on the last chapter, I deserve that. Well maybe I'll wait for more reviews on this chapter before posting the next.

Ok, quick note, Achilles is a Greek hero from the Trojan War, son of the goddess Thetis, who was famous as the greatest warrior of the Greeks. He proved it when he killed Hector, the best of the Trojans. The story comes from the Iliad, and opens with the word "Rage" in reference to Achilles, who spends much of the epic poem quite enraged at Agamemnon.

As for next chapter, instead of hinting, I'll just tell you the title of the next chapter. "Liet vs. Helba." R&R everyone.