.Hack: Penance
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine. Parentheses indicate thoughts. I know, I know, the cliffhangers abound and I'm evil for it. Trust me, as far as Hiroshi's half is concerned, this will be the last. And besides, it is suspense, isn't it? Hehehe... oh, I'm just teasing. But anyway, usual rules apply, comments and critiques are most welcome, read and enjoy, Freemasons run the country, et cetera.

One more thing; there will be some resolution in Chapter 20 as far as Kite's concerned, but kindly note that a far more satisfying epilogue will await him at the end of the whole ordeal. Unlike Heist and Relapse, the Chapter 20 mark is more when the perspective shifts; fear not, for our Hiro will be playing a large role after we leave his point of view :)

This chapter done to the tune of: AFI – Silver and Cold

Chapter 19 – You Can Only Lose Once

"Any sign of him?" Balmung asked, head turned away from the group and towards the night sky. All around them, dusty plains stretched to the horizon, filled with rocks and long-dead trees; colored lights, like large fireflies, blinked off and on as they danced about, all amidst the background of crickets chirping and wind whistling.

BlackRose shook her head. "Nothing on our half of the map."

"The portals were all still in place," Ryoko added. "It didn't look like anyone had been here before us."

Balmung nodded. "Including the character, it would seem... we didn't see him either."

"The way these portals are laid out," said Sanjuro, "there's no way something could've hidden from us without triggering one of them. He has to be in the dungeon." For emphasis, he pointed southwest, where – at the edge of everyone's vision – a dark, massive tower loomed over the field.

"How long as it been?" asked the female Heavy Blade.

"About a half hour," answered Balmung. One corner of his lips twisted back, the start of a frown. "No word from Orca or Kite either. I suppose we have no choice but to investigate the dungeon."

"All right, let's go!" BlackRose eagerly took the lead, the others following in a wide V formation. (There has to be something here, something about this field... what are they trying to do here?) After a moment, she thought again. (And just who ARE they, anyway? I don't like this at all.)

Accenting the thought, a faint gnawing sensation started in the pit of her stomach, prickles of uneasiness – and a faint chill in her player's room – causing goosebumps to swell up along her arms. She watched the tower grow larger as she neared, spotting the darkened flags hanging from poles which jutted out from the main structure. (Kite, I hope you found something.)

They rounded the back of the tower, spotting the entrance, which was marked with two brightly burning lanterns. Before any of them could cross the threshold into the building proper, a loud CRACK echoed through the entrance.

BlackRose slid to a halt. "What the hell?"

"That sounded like..." began Sanjuro.

Ryoko picked up where he trailed off. "A... gunshot?"

A low growl rumbled through the back of Balmung's throat. "It could be anything. Stay on guard." Outside of 'The World,' he sent a quick message to his armchair cohort. "Yasu, we just heard a gunshot from inside the dungeon. I think it's the character, we must be right behind him. We're going to check it out."

His reply came quickly. "Got it. Be careful."

The Blademaster took the lead, sword in hand. The group clustered together as it entered the tower, descending down a darkened staircase and into a dingy, blue-bricked dungeon. Torches lined the walls, casting just enough light to show the obscure runic patterns on the floor. Down the long hall ahead, a small portcullis barred the only other doorway.

"What the," muttered BlackRose as they reached the obstruction. "Why would this be locked? There's nothing in here," she turned around, "is there?"

"Maybe someone's..." Ryoko stopped, catching herself at the impossibility. "We're locked in the field alone, aren't we?"

Sanjuro's good eye stared through the gate into the darkness. "Nobody followed us in, but that doesn't mean there's nobody here."

BANG! "Goddamnit, I've had just about enough of you! Die!" BANG! BANG!

Silence, then a quiet clattering. The rusty gate creaked noisily as it slid up into the doorway.

All four of them were visibly hesitant, BlackRose glancing nervously at her companions, Ryoko with a worried expression on her face, Sanjuro and Balmung cradling their weapons and staring hard at the empty black portal. With great caution, they advanced through to the next room; four sets of eyes quickly scanned each corner, looking for the source of the noise.

They didn't have to look very far. Standing in the center of the room was a young, black-haired American, clad in a blue policeman's uniform. A nightstick was hooked into his belt on the left, a holster for a handgun on the right, the latter of which was empty. The gun in question lay on the floor near his polished black shoes, its bolt locked back to display an empty chamber. Before the man lay the rapidly dissolving body of a bipedal, reptilian warrior, a King Snakeoid, its large, jagged blade discarded a few feet away.

Hearing the footsteps, the policeman turned and faced the party, a crooked smile on his face – a face that everyone except BlackRose recognized. "What took you so long?" he said with a weak chuckle.

Balmung hid his surprise at seeing one so obviously out of place. "What is this?"

Dean gave a heavy sigh. "I think this is the last one."

"How do you know?" asked the winged warrior.

"How do I know anything?" Dean shot back, stepping closer to the group. "I just do, it's just there."

Another familiar figure entered the room, her liltingly mysterious voice piercing the dialogue. "Haven't you figured it out yet, detective?"

All turned towards Helba as she came into the room from the east, approaching with controlled, floating steps, her dress trailing behind her. Her lips were pursed into a thin line, the staff firmly in the grip of her right hand.

Dean scoffed. "Oh, it's you. Come on, not that AI crap again. You really expect me to believe..."

She raised her free hand and cut him off. "No." Her head crooked forward; though her eyes were hidden behind the visor, she gave off the distinct impression that she was avoiding Dean's gaze. "I now believe that assessment was," she glanced at Balmung, "somewhat hasty."

"As do I," said Balmung. "Orca and I discussed this earlier. We never stopped to think that perhaps this character," he gestured to Dean, "was meant for us to believe him a purely digital entity, free from the controls of someone offline."

He swore he saw the hacker smile. "A conclusion I reached as well." She looked back at the policeman. "I had once suspected that you were like the player who became trapped in 'The World', but your problem seems far more complex, one that could only happen by design. And I question the wisdom of constructing an artificial intelligence without some form of constraint or control, if they truly seek to seize the guiding force of 'The World'."

"So he's not an AI," said Sanjuro. "Then what is he?"

Helba turned her attention to the rest of the group. "Try and invite Dean Stollis into your party. Put his name into the flash mail and send it."

BlackRose blinked, shifting her gaze between the Wavemaster and the policeman. "Eh? Why?"

"To answer a question of my own. Go ahead, invite him."

The Heavy Blade looked questioningly at her companions; Balmung nodded, Ryoko shrugged, and Sanjuro simply stared. Facing the unusual character, BlackRose noticed for the first time that not only could she target him, but he had a name – the full name of the detective himself. She opened the flash mail menu and sent a party invitation to that name.

There was a collective, yet muted gasp as Dean recoiled, his eyes focused on something unseen. After a second or two he righted himself, and after a few more a message acknowledging the invitation appeared on BlackRose's heads up display. The officer's status appeared next to her other teammates'; a quick scan of his equipment menu revealed his official class as a Long Arm.

"He's... he's a hacked character!" exclaimed the rose-themed warrior, staring in disbelief at the information on her screen.

"How did I do that," muttered Dean, staring desperately at Helba. "How was I able to reply?!"

"You're being controlled, detective," answered Helba, "but, as far as I've been able to determine, you are indeed sitting at a computer, at this very moment. You simply don't know it."

His eyes widened in horror. "But... but how?!"

"I can't say for certain," was the hacker's reply. "This is the phenomena that marks those who have been trapped in 'The World' – an inability for their mind to recognize that they are in a computer game, connected to the internet by a headset they can no longer remove, a controller they can no longer release."

A sudden cry of alarm drew attention to Ryoko, who in turn directed it towards the northern entrance to the chamber. "Hey, look!"

Leaning against the frame of the doorway, blue wand tucked under his arm, Stolls clapped his hands together, a barely visible smirk on his face. "Oh, well done, Helba. Your reputation hardly does you justice."

BlackRose leveled a steely glare at the male Wavemaster, who approached and quickly found himself flanked on both sides as the party spread out and surrounded him. Officer Stollis remained in the center of the room, watching the silver-haired magician but too stunned to form words. Helba kept quiet too, though she nonetheless took a defensive posture.

"You're the one playing his character," she stated. "And you're forcing the real him to play these characters. Why?"

Stolls looked remarkably nonchalant. "A preemptive strike, if you will."

"Preemptive strike?" echoed Balmung, pointing his sword at the Wavemaster. "Explain yourself!"

"If you insist." He stopped to clear his throat. "Another tragedy approaches 'The World,' my young friends. One that will rattle the very fabric upon which it is built, and with it, the global information network."

"That's not possible," challenged BlackRose, her voice steady. "We stopped Pluto Again. What are you talking about?!"

Stolls cocked his head towards her, not a trace of humanity in his emerald eyes. "You only delayed it. With an immature series of protocols now governing and inhabiting 'The World', do you honestly believe that this place," he held up an arm, and passed it in a wide arc to his right, "this data, is in any way secure?"

"Aura is 'The World,'" Helba said coolly. "You underestimate her if you think she cannot protect it."

Ryoko rapped the bottom of her axe against the ground, causing Stolls to look in her direction. "And what business is it of yours?" she asked, gaining a measure of confidence. "You still haven't said what you're trying to do, and why."

"Hmm... that's a very good question, my dear Terajima," he said, in a patronizing way that made the Axewoman shiver on the outside, and boil on the inside. Focusing on Helba again, he took a step forward. "You see, I represent certain... interested parties, people who, like you, seek to preserve the state of 'The World,' and consequently the Internet."

BlackRose grumbled, hefting her blade. "Get to the point!" The four players tightened their circle around the Wavemaster as he approached the hacker, who held her ground.

"I'm getting there, I'm getting there," urged Stolls. His pace was casual, smooth and natural, as if he had all the time in the world. "See, they know a great deal about you, too, Helba."

"Oh?"

"Your real name, your occupation, your family..."

She chuckled dryly. "Is that a fact?"

A menacing smile appeared on Stolls' lips. "Your network access numbers."

They watched Helba, waiting for her reply. She stood silent, unmoving. Statuesque.

Seemingly roused from his shock, Dean looked over at the white-clad hacker. "Helba, what's he talking about?"

She remained silent. Suddenly, a small icon appeared over her head, a picture of a cable plugged into a hole, with a large red X over it.

BlackRose gawked. "She disconnected?!"

"Just a hiccup," replied Stolls, "localized to one district in particular." He pointed to Ryoko, and then to Balmung, who appeared to be similarly afflicted. "It'll only last for a few more seconds. Which reminds me."

Unimpeded, the Wavemaster advanced upon the frozen hacker. Standing on his toes to compensate for their difference in height, he leaned forward, threw his arms around her slender waist, and kissed her hard on the lips.

"What the... what the hell are you doing?!" shouted Sanjuro, who raced forward to pry the two apart.

Before he could get more than a few steps, Stolls parted willingly, their lips making a wet smacking noise; his hands drifted down to her waist. "Almost as good as the real thing," he said, seemingly to himself.

The frozen players snapped back to life. Helba, finding herself in the arms of the diminutive magician, recoiled in disgust, wiggling out of his grasp. "Ugh!" she grunted, taken completely by surprise. "You... you... what did..." she struggled through clenched teeth, clearly agitated.

"None of that, Miss Helba." He shook a finger back and forth in a 'no no' gesture. "Lord knows you could probably use it, couldn't you?"

"Rrrgh... you're disgusting!" she spat, more emotion in her voice than anyone had heard before. "How dare you..."

"Sanjuro, now! Kill him!"

Once more, their collective awareness was redirected at the sound of a katana slicing cleanly through flesh and cloth. What was left of Officer Stollis – both halves of him – dropped to the floor, where they lost all color and disintegrated into nothingness.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" shrieked BlackRose.

Stolls laughed. "Too late, Balmung!"

"It's a trap!" Balmung shouted back. "I just got a message from Kite and Orca, the whole thing's a setup! Helba, get out of here!"

"A trap??" said Ryoko. "What do you mean?!"

His eyes never left Helba. "It wasn't about Dean at all. They wanted you! You have to get out of here, now!"

The hacker inhaled sharply. "You... you were stalling."

Stolls smiled innocently. "Was it that obvious?"

"What did you do to me?!" she demanded, her lips and jaw the only parts of her body that moved.

"Oh, nothing to you, miss Helba. You'll find you can still remove your visor, and even shut off your machine if you're so inclined." He drew back one hand, leaving the other to trace the outline of her hip with the index finger. "But your character... oh, to hell with euphemisms. The hacking protocols you built within this oh-so-unique, and very shapely Wavemaster are exactly what we were looking for. So we're borrowing them."

"You mean... you're going to use her character?" asked Ryoko.

Stepping away from the paralyzed Wavemaster, Stolls nodded to Ryoko. "Something like that. I'm not handling the technical aspects, which reminds me of something el..."

"HYAAAH!"

A massive blade cleared through Stolls' neck, severing his head and sending it tumbling to the floor. BlackRose reversed her grip and followed up with an overhead smash, driving her weapon deep into his body, pure hatred fueling the blow and tearing a sizable chunk of digital flesh away.

The corpse collapsed to the ground and faded away, leaving behind a flickering, transparent facsimile of the slain Wavemaster. The ghost of Stolls shot an angry look at her.

"He was buying time again," explained BlackRose. "Now tell us, what the hell are you going to do with her?!"

"Remember what I said about the crisis? My employers? Our motives?" He spat invisibly. "All bullshit. It's all about money. That's all it's ever been about, and that's all you're going to learn." The ghost stepped back, craned his neck towards the ceiling, and shouted, "Monroe!"

Footsteps came from beyond all the exits, and within seconds a half-dozen heavily armed player characters entered the room, weapons brandished. Stolls shouted again. "Lock it down!"

The gates crashed, trapping the dozen occupants of the room inside. BlackRose's response was instinctual; she hefted her blade again and charged at the nearest foe. Above her own war cry, she heard one final instruction: "Keep them busy! We need five minutes!"

His eyes opened into another world, one he instantly identified as Dun Loireag. Kite wasted little time in getting his bearings, and began scanning the crowd. "Orca!" he called, cupping his hands around his mouth, eschewing the shout command and flashmail for the moment. "Orca!"

"There you are!" The call came from the corner; Kite spun on his heels and saw the burly Blademaster approaching. "We'd better get moving, I haven't heard from Balmung since I sent the message."

Kite sent a party invitation to the Azure Sea, and then followed up with a question. "Did you contact Lios? We need him to open the gate."

A worried look crossed Orca's face. "He unlocked the field already, but he said something was happening, he wasn't sure what."

- End of Chapter 19