.hack/PRESENT

disclaimer: Like one would have guessed, I do not own .hack

CHAPTER 3: FUGITIVE OF THE AZURE SKY

"WHAT!" shouted Balmung upon seeing a wanted poster with a poorly drawn image of him (one that looks like it's from .hack/GIFT). "They've put a bounty on my head!" despite Balmung's popularity with many of the players, he doubted that no one would give up an opportunity to receive 999,999,999 GP.

"999,999,999 GP!" yelled Rachel "We need to catch that Balmung!"

"But what about finding the Spring?" Nuke asked.

"Forget about that! I'd prefer a reward like this any day over some stupid mystery item."

"Are you forgetting something? It's Balmung of the Azure whatever! Do you know how damn high his level is?" Marlo said.

"Well there's three of us and one of him. We could all attack at once." Rachel said.

"Yeah, plus, I liked Orca better than Balmung, so I say let's get him." Nuke added. With that, the trio began to assemble their plan.

Meanwhile at the THETA server root town.

"2 A's, 1 B, 4 K's, and an S." Kite said, counting up the virus cores he's collected.

"These cores aren't spelling anything and we haven't run across any protected areas." Blackrose pointed out.

"Maybe there's another reason to these virus cores. I mean, the bracelet wouldn't lead me to them for no reason."

"Whatever. Let's get going. The event's still taking place." With that the duo warped to THETA: Quiet Oblivious Fort Walls. They found themselves in a desert like region with the sky red.

"Hey, isn't Mistral suppose to be with us?" asked the twinblade.

"Hm? Yeah, where is she?" wondered the heavyblade. Kite's bracelet began glowing again and the five arrows pointed toward the dungeon.

"I guess we can look for her later. For now, let's get the virus core."

"Oh fine. Let's go." The duo ran off to the dungeon, but unbeknownst to them, Balmung was hiding in the same field, under a number of old ruins.

'This is the only place where I can go without being seen. Hm… Orca… I will find the real culprit. I am Balmung of the Azure Sky! And I won't be accused for this false crime!' he thought as he jumped out from under the ruins in a triumphant manner.

"AHA! There he is!" yelled Marlo from a distance.

"Hm? Marlo?" the vulgar blademaster began slashing at the winged knight, barely missing every shot. "Marlo, what do you think you're doing?"

"Hold still will ya? I'm here for your damn head!" He took another swing and missed.

'So, he's after the bounty… with even my own allies against me, this will prove difficult…' Balmung turned around to run, but crashed into a familiar piece of green armor.

"He of the Azure Sky! I have come to contain you and collect my reward!"

"Piros! Keep your damn nose out of this! His head's mine!" Marlo yelled.

"The one of a nasty tongue! Thou wish to challenge me to the Winged one's bounty?"

"If you're challenging me, then bring it on fat faggot!" Axe and sword clashed. Balmung used this opportunity to gate out and find another hiding spot.

"HA! Hm? He of the Azure Sky is gone!"

"You idiot! If it weren't for you, I would have had him!"

"Well, if it wasn't for you challenging me, I would have had him within my grasp!" Rachel and Nuke had appeared on the scene by now.

"Marlo! You were suppose to tell us if Balmung was here or not! I need that moo-lah!" Rachel shouted.

"Well so-rry. If it wasn't for this weirdo, I would have told you."

"You depict me weird? Well take a look at your costume! You of the foul tongue look like that of garbage!"

"Oh shut up! And where is your party anyway?"

"They…..HUH? Where have they…NO! Thy friends have abandoned me again!"

"I really wouldn't say 'friends'" Marlo said under his breath.

Meanwhile in the Dungeon of the same area.

"Ah geez! The gott treasure's already been taken!" Blackrose said, kicking dust onto the open chest.

"Hm… virus core M." Kite said as he collected the virus core from the floating chasm in the same room. He yawned after storing it in his inventory.

"You can't be getting tired now. We still need to find that Spring of Myst!"

"Sorry, but we've been at it for hours now, and I'm just sleepy."

"Hm. I guess we can go to Carmina Gadalica and take a break. Plus, I need to restock on items." The heavyblade said as she pulled out her sprite ocarina and warped both of them out of the dungeon.

"No one in their right mind will ever think of looking down here." Balmung said a loud. He had managed to fly below Fort Ouph and grab onto a bar sticking out from the bottom. 'Hopefully my arms won't get tired… of course the won't. This is a game!' He just hung there in his own space. His thoughts were interrupted by the shouting of a familiar character.

"So, there you are! Now get your ass up here and fight!" Marlo shouted from one of the bridges of the fort.

"Huh? Marlo? How did you find me down here?"

"Whenever a player speaks, a dialogue box appears next to them in this game. I saw one below this rock and now I find you!" Balmung grabbed his hair with both hands as if to pull it out at his folly for yelling out his thoughts. He would slap himself in the face if it weren't for the fact that he had let go of the bar and was falling to his doom and with now wind to help him fly.

"HEY! Get back here! RRAAAHH!" Marlo jumped off the bridge in pursuit of the Descendant of Fianna.

"Gee, I hope he doesn't try that in real life." Said an NPC at the item shop.

"I swear, these games have a horrible effect on a young one's mind." Said a neighboring NPC.

It was quiet on the LAMBDA server. Kite sat by the edge of the walkway, skipping stones across the water.

"Ugh… there's nothing helpful on the boards and the NPCs and any other characters are not being very helpful. This is just pissing me off!" Blackrose sat down next to her partner and threw a stone in the water. Kite nodded and continued to stare into the background of the area.

"I've been thinking…" Kite finally said after much silence.

"Hm?"

"The Twilight Bracelet was given to my by Aura. Perhaps she's linked to this event as well."

"Possibly. But even so, where would we find her?"

"I don't know. Hm… then again, DELTA: Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground has a mysterious air to it. It may give us a lead."

"Good idea. It's getting late. I'm logging out. I'm beginning to get tired. We'll go the cathedral tomorrow."

"Yeah." Kite got up and dusted off the bottom of his orange pants. "Goodnight Blackrose."

"Sweet dreams Kite." Blackrose logged out.

''Sweet dreams'?… that's a first….' Kite scratched his head as the golden rings surrounded him in which his character vanished from the root town.

'I have been falsely accused of killing my ally, hunted by my fellow players, and ended up killing myself in a way I didn't think was even possible! Well, tonight, is when it will change. I will search everywhere and check every message on the boards for ANY information leading to the true player killer behind this! I won't rest until I have proven my innocence and turned in the culprit to be deleted.' "I AM BALMUNG OF THE AZURE SKY! AND I WILL AVENGE ORCA'S DEATH!"

"Keep it down, will ya! I'm trying to sleep here!" yelled Balmung's neighbor in the real world.

"Why can't everything I say just be typed out and no be spoken a loud?"

The Next Day

Kite logged onto the DELTA server. Blackrose was waiting at the Chaos Gate.

"Hey! You're late!"

"Sorry. I overslept."

"Well that's no excuse to keep a woman waiting. Now come on. Let's go." Kite typed in the key words and both characters appeared at the cathedral.

'Hm… the first field we ever warped to together…' Kite thought.

"Hey! C'mon sleepy! Move!" Blackrose was already to the doorway by the time Kite came back to his senses.

NEXT CHAPTER: UNPLANNED EVENT

Preview: The Race to find the "Special Spring of Myst". It's all fun and games, but Aura sees something beyond just a simple event. And another player killing has occurred? Is Balmung up to something again? Or is this part of what Aura has sensed?

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