.hack/PRESENT

Disclaimer: As you know all ready, I do not own .hack.

CHAPTER 9: PHASE 1.5

Kite, Blackrose, and Mistral stood in a seemingly endless desert field. They have just stepped through the door opened by the bracelet and were transported to this empty void with a twilight sky.

"Uh… does anyone have a clue where we are?" Blackrose finally said after a time of silence.

"I don't know." Kite responded.

"There's nothing here. I don't even see the town." Mistral's eyes scanned the area. Nothing was in sight except the red orange sand.

"Who dare enter?" a voice spoke to the group.

"Huh? Is someone there?" Kite looked around but could only see the emptiness.

"You. You bear… that item… you entered… why?"

"Item? This bracelet?"

"You… you… are aligned…aligned… with her…"

"Her? You mean Aura?"

"Must…. Kill….you must… die…" A bold of lightning crashed from the sky to the ground and in an array of bright energy, the data bug revealed itself. Claws for hands, its torso was white. It stood on legs whose bottoms were pointed. It possessed an eye in the center of its face that glowed blood red (A/N- picture in your head something similar to the monster that appeared in the final episodes of .hack/DUSK).

"Wha...what are you?" Kite equipped his strongest weapon.

"I am…" the beast stopped as if to ponder on what to say "I am…… PRESENT."

"Present?" Kite took a closer look at the beast before him. "Present, are you in any way connected to Skeith?" Kite took note to its resemblance to the first phase. The monster only grew more intense.

"You dare compare me to Skeith!" Kite took a step back sensing the beast's anger.

"Ugh… okay… it's agreed. I find a way to get you a new wing or repair the torn one." Crim said to Balmung.

"Hm. I'm glad we've come to this agreement." The winged (or single winged) knight said as he logged out.

"Hmmm…. I w0nd3r h0w 7hi5 w0u1d 7urn 0u7."

"What?" Crim looked around to see Sora sitting on the edge of a building. "You again. I'll make sure I defeat you this time around."

"D0n'7 m4k3 m3 14u6h. Y0u c0u1dn'7 hi7 m3 83f0r3, wh47 m4k35 y0u 50 5ur3 y0u c4n 5ucc33d n0w?"

"We're both at the same level. What makes you think you're any better?"

"83c4u53 I'm much c0013r 7h4n y0u 4r3." Sora began to lie down on his side.

"What are you talking about! Get down here and we'll settle this with a single duel!"

"0k4y, 8u7 I h4v3 4 1i7713 9if7 f0r y0u fir57. H3R3!" Sora tossed a brick at Crim's head.

"OW! AH! Hey! Do you know how much that hurts? Ah..geez…RRR.."

"Hmm… I 9u355 y0ur h4r5d3r 70 kn0ck 0u7 7h4n 7h47 57upid 4x3m4n. N0 ma773r. I'11 ju57 ki11 y0u."

"I believe you'll be the one to fall today." Crim leapt into the air. He drew his spear back ready to swing. As he was about to attack, the area around the two started to shake violently. Both players fell to the ground. "Hey! What's going on over here?"

"Wh04. I didn'7 kn0w 7h3y pu7 34rthqu4k35 in thi5 94m3." Before anyone could say anything else, Kite, Blackrose, and Mistral came flying out of nowhere. Present floated down in front of them. It raised its right hand and caused stone pillars to rise from the ground, surrounding the entire setting.

"We're stuck. We have to fight that thing." Kite said.

"444h! N07 7h47 7hin9!"

"Huh? Sora?"

"7h47… 7h47 m0n573r… i7 100k5 1ik3 7h47 7hin9 7h47 M0r94nn4 cr3473d!"

Sora stepped back, recalling how he was imprisoned in Skeith's wand some time ago.

"Die…." Present moved to ground level and was within attack range. Kite jumped forward and slashed outward with both blades, but the beast had moved to the other side of the enclosed area instantly.

'Ugh… this one's fast….' Kite thought as he turned to use the Staccato skill on it but couldn't react quick enough to select the skill when it got near. Its movements made it impossible to be within range for magic and Mistral was wearing down her skill points and items just trying to keep the team alive from its attacks.

"I'm going in!" Blackrose shouted.

"….. Pha Juk Rom." Present said as the level four earth spell knocked all three players to less than 50 HP.

"Phal Repth!" Mistral said, healing all members completely.

"We can't keep this up forever. Kite! Think of something!"

"How come I always have to think of something every time?"

"You're the group leader, why else?"

"Well, it would be good if you or Mistral would contribute to thinking of strategies."

"I'm busy just trying to stay alive over here!"

"Sorry, but I have to make sure you two don't get killed! Any more Rip Maens and I'll be outta SP!" Mistral added.

"Hey! Quit the chatter and get busy with that data bug, phase, or whatever it is!" Lios said as his bulgy character model appeared and hovered above the three. Present looked at him and snapped its sharp fingers. In an instant, the NPC like character was turned into a round pink pig.

"Whadda? He just turned Lios into a pig!" Kite pointed at the newly formed Lios.

"Hm… actually, I think it suits him pretty well." Blackrose said. Present held out its other arm at Lios and cast Vulcan Pha. The fire from the summon spell soon cleared after a few moments. All that remained of the administrator was 6 strips of over done bacon.

"Uh… is bacon even programmed into this game?"

"I don't know, but seeing how things have been a bit crazy lately, I doubt there is anything that isn't possible for the time." Kite said.

"I have had enough of this. It is time I finish all of you." The beast held up its right hand and a familiar looking bracelet appeared around its wrist.

"DATA DRAIN?" the group exclaimed. Present soon unleashed the tendrils of data, but rather aiming them in one direction, the lines of coding spread in all directions. Three hitting the players as they were infected with all status effects and stat down's possible.

"Ugh… more like Drain Arc…" Kite managed to say.

"What do we do? This thing is too powerful. Even for us!"

"This monster is getting on my nerves! And why the hell would it name itself 'Present' anyway?"

"Well, Lios did say it tampered with the system data that was connected to the prize for the Spring of Myst event. It probably took it and named itself that."

"That thing has our prize? It's because of this that we only got a fortune wire?" Blackrose's eyes were filled with fire. "As soon as these effects wear off, I'm going to kick its sorryass all the way to Net Slum!"

"Do you two find it funny how Present hasn't attacked us since it used 2128 Drain on us?" Mistral finally said.

"Hm?" Kite shifted the camera angle to look at Present. It was just floating in the air and not doing anything. It remained perfectly still like a statue. "weird…" Everyone's status effects wore off by that point. Blackrose was the first to attack, using all SP she still had left to damage Present as much as possible even after project break and before data drain.

"Blackrose! That's enough! It won't get any weaker while it's still in its invulnerable mode." Mistral informed. The heavyblade just continued to whack at the monster.

"I don't think she'll stop…" Kite said as he held out his right arm. The blue and green shards of the bracelet formed around his wrist and began expanding. "Data… DRAIN!" five tendrils of data shot out of the bracelet and collided with the monster. Present was reduced to but a collection of floating stones that somewhat resembled his original form.

"Alright, let's get it! Mistral! Blackrose!" The trio attacked in unison. Blades and magic combined to take down the beast in a matter of seconds.

"Hey! All right. Way to go!" Crim said from atop one of the stone columns surrounding the area.

"Hmmm… y0u'r3 4 107 57r0ng3r 7h4n y0u 100k." Sora said.

"Hey! Wait a minute! Were you two just standing there the whole time?" Blackrose yelled.

"Oh, well, yeah. We…"

"Why the heck didn't you come down and help? You must have seen how badly we were loosing!"

"50rry, 8u7 4f73r my 3xp3ri3nc35 wi7h 50m37hing 1ik3 7hi5, I d0n'7 w4nn4 g37 inv01v3d."

"Hate to say it, but I was scared of what may happen if I lost to something like those bugs."

"You chickens! Why I otta…"

"Uh... Blackrose…" Kite stepped in front of his partner, trying to prevent any more conflict.

"Good work. I see you got rid of it." Lios' character appeared next to the group. "I was finally able to log back on."

"Hey! Now that the monster was killed, don't we get our prize for the event?"

"Yes, you do. This area here was originally the location to the prize. Coincidentally, the monster had also stationed itself here."

"So, what's our prize anyway?"

"Y34h. 5pi7 i7 0u7."

"Actually, this is Kite's, Blackrose's, and Mistral's reward. They were the group that defeated the monster. So I'm afraid you two aren't even supposed to be here now that it's over."

"Huh? Hey, wait a min…" Before Crim could say anything else, the Sora and him were warped out of the area.

"One thing that still puzzles me is why Present just stood there after Drain Arc." Kite said.

"I believe I can answer that." came a voice from above. A familiar white-clad wave master slowly floated down next to the group.

"Helba."

"It's been a while Kite. Anyway, I was analysing data from that fight. It seems this 'Present' is failed copy of Skeith."

"That would explain why it looks a like."

"Yes. It also seems that this failed version couldn't contain the data for executing data drain abilities. So it put itself in a temporary overload and couldn't move for the time being."

"Ah. I get it now."

"Although I must commend it on how it handled our pig-headed friend here." Helba said pointing her staff at Lios.

"So, what is the prize for the Spring of Myst event anyway?" Blackrose asked, getting anxious.

"Ah, yes. Your present from CC Corp is…."

NEXT AND FINAL CHAPTER: PRESENT

Preview: Kite and co. have been on quite a crazy adventure. Now they can all relax.

A/n- I know how I'm leaving it at such a cliffhanger, but don't fret. I'll have the next chapter up within 24 hours.