.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 after the end of Quarantine – right after the end, before the clear game segments. (Thoughts look like so.) Y'know, one of the hardest parts about writing fanfiction – writing good fanfiction, at least – is getting the source material right; particularly with the games, it's not always easy, or even possible, to just check out a given scene, or instantly reacquaint yourself with the characters, or whatever. It's a whole different beast from regular fiction; not more difficult, just different.

What I'm getting at here is I just wanted to once again thank all you who've been providing feedback thus far. There's not enough space here for you all, but you've been giving me vital corrections and advice, and for that I'm indebted to you. You know you are, you magnificent bastards, you :)

This chapter done to the tune of: lostprophets – Last Train Home

Chapter 28 – Dreaded Word

News: Conference Keynote Speaker Changed

Just days before the final night of the Global Cyber-Terrorism Conference, Cyber Connect's President, Yusuke Hakamura, announced that he would not be able to deliver the keynote speech on Saturday, citing personal matters that would necessitate his absence from the event. Vice President Kyoya Takahashi will instead deliver the speech, which will cover the growing role of private industry in network security, both locally and globally.

Complicating the matter is Takahashi's involvement with the online game 'The World', specifically losses of key staff many times during its development phase; anonymous police sources indicate that Takahashi is thought to have known about the coma victims, who were found unconscious while playing the game. Of further concern is that Aldous Rosenberg, Asara Corporation's CEO, who had hotly contested Hakamura's position as keynote speaker several weeks prior, will renew objections to Cyber Connect's dominance during the conference.

Neither Takahashi's nor Rosenberg's offices could be reached for comment.

He stepped casually up the main broadway of the Aqua Capital, approaching the bridge that spanned the canal between the two halves of the city. Overhead, the sun had begun to set, casting a golden hue over the buildings and causing the water to sparkle.

The body seemed almost alien to him – short, thin, and young, silver-haired and green-eyed, clad in black robes, leather gloves and boots, and carrying a blue staff. He shivered, recalling that, not long ago, he had been playing a character far closer to his true self, and against his will.

Dean shook off his anxiety, adjusting his hold on the controller and guiding Stolls toward the bridge. Just as he suspected, an all-too-familiar Twin Blade stood at its center, leaning forward on the railing, his red cap and clothing setting him apart from the crowd without looking out of place.

"Kite!" he called, waving his hand as he drew near. "Hey, man!"

The teal-haired boy turned towards the Wavemaster, and smiled, dispelling Dean's fears about the gravity of his question. "Hi, Stolls!"

Stolls joined Kite on the bridge, and rested his wand over his shoulder like a rifle. "How you doin', man? What's happening?"

"Oh, I'm all right, thanks," he answered, "and thanks for coming. I needed some advice."

Nodding, Stolls replied, "Yeah, your email said you needed to ask me something. What's up?"

"I've been thinking about what you said today," Kite began, but stopped when Stolls held up a hand.

"Wait, hold up," he interrupted. "Before we go any further, is this in relation to our current problems with bad men here to do bad things, or is it about something else entirely?"

"Something else."

Stolls let out a sigh of relief. "Ah, good. For a moment I was worried I'd be working overtime tonight." When Kite gave him a strange look, he added, "I'll tell you about it after we square away your stuff. Anyway, you were saying?"

"Well... it's about BlackRose."

His lips curled into a smile. Stowing his wand in the recesses of his off-screen inventory, he folded his arms across his chest. "I'm listening."

Kite scratched the back of his neck, shifting his weight to one foot and sliding the other behind it. "You know how Valentine's Day works here, right?"

Stolls nodded. "Kinda-sorta. Girl gives the guy chocolates, guy gives the girl a present a week later or something, right?"

"Actually it's a month later," said Kite, "but yeah."

"All right. So I gather that your dilemma involves this young lady, this holiday and – stop me if I'm wrong – the fact that you two have a date on that same day."

"Yeah, that's right." Kite took a deep breath, and looked away somewhat bashfully. "The question is, I... I..."

Dean could almost see the hesitation in the Twin Blade's puppeteer. "Why don't we take this someplace private," he said, "it sounds like you've got a lot to say."

Hiro nodded to him. "Yeah... good idea. Let's go."

"All right, lay it on me, man."

Tucked away in a private room, little more than a table and chairs in a normally inaccessible building, Stolls and Kite sat opposite each other, the former watching the latter as he started to speak. The light was just dim enough for Stolls not to notice the flush of color in the Twin Blade's cheeks, though his quiet voice and timid posture told much of the story just the same.

"I think I..." he began, but quickly stopped and hung his head, changing his words. "I really like her, you know? She's been a really good friend... I-I don't know, maybe more than a friend, and more than a partner, but," he looked up, "we've never met each other. We've never even seen each other."

Stolls nodded studiously, but said nothing.

"I feel like we know each other so well," said Kite, "but... I don't even know who she is. Her name... what she looks like, what she's like when she's not in 'The World'. Well, I've seen her... I mean, what kind of person she is." He sighed. "She hides a lot of it. She's more fragile than she acts... but even stronger than she thinks."

Dean couldn't help but smile offline, taking care not to let his character mimic the action. "She's a nice girl," said the detective.

"She is," said Kite. "But still... every time I think about it, I wonder how we're going to act when we see each other for the first time." He clasped his hands together, resting them on the table. "What we'll do, or say... if we'll have anything at all in common besides 'The World'."

"So, you're worried about meeting her for the first time?" asked Stolls.

"That too," Kite replied. "And... I guess I'm just nervous, because I don't know how to say it. I'm not even sure I understand it. I got to know her through an online game... one that nearly..." his voice quivered, "nearly killed us."

Stolls felt a tinge of pity for the boy. "I think I understand," he said. "And I think we've had this talk before, haven't we? Or at least one like it?"

"Maybe," said Kite, half-smiling. "Heh... I can't believe we've come this far, when you think about how we met."

Stolls bared his teeth in a broad grin, chuckling warmly. "That was one hell of a night, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was," Kite replied, laughing with him. He let out another sigh. "But, uh... I guess what the problem is, is that I-I really care about her, and I really... like her." There was a subtle, strategic pause in the last three words, one which did not go unnoticed.

Dean leaned forward, arms folded on the table. "'Like'... isn't the word you wanted to use, is it Hiro?"

Kite shuffled his feet under his chair, and glanced down sheepishly. "Well..."

The way he trailed the 'l' sold it. (Bingo,) thought Dean. "I think I hear you, man," he said. "You're thinkin' it, I'm thinkin' it, but neither of us knows if that's it."

Sitting up straight, Kite revealed his blushing face. "Y-yeah... I guess I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel about someone I've never met."

"Well, it's not like there's a sign or something," said Stolls. "It's different for everybody. It's not supposed to feel any particular way. You just... you just see someone, and you know it, you can feel it."

"Did you know?"

He leaned back in his chair, online and offline. "Not any more than you, my friend. And I met the girl in real life." His face fell as long-hidden memories were recalled, a face and a name he'd just as soon forget, one who he knew had since forgotten him.

There was brief moment of silence, just a few seconds long. "What happened?" Kite asked in that soft tone of his.

"We just went in different directions," said Stolls. "She moved out to the east coast... and I went to jail."

Kite blinked. "You mean..."

Stolls cut him off again. "Short version is, she left me because I got busted. Didn't want to be with a convict, and I can't fault her that; I wouldn't have waited for me, either." He scoffed. "I'm lucky my folks didn't shut me out..."

"Dean..."

"Oh, sure, they proved I was guilty, hell, I confessed..." he frowned, "but they wouldn't do anything except love me as their son. They'll always think of me as their little boy, that's what they said. Claire, though..." he trailed off, remembering where he was. "Ah, I'm sorry, Hiro man, I'm rambling. You've got problems of your own..."

Kite hurriedly waved a hand back and forth. "No, no... it's all right, really. Are you okay?"

Dean groaned. "Ah, it's just been a long night. It's like every one of my problems just came back to haunt me at once. My old boss is gunning for me, a woman I like thinks I'll only bring trouble... well, okay, I guess those are the only two that are the same, but it's still been a long night."

Another short pause. "I see," Kite murmured. "Who... who is she?"

"Remember that BT woman I told you about? Well... I guess I can't put it to words either. She just... there's something about her, something that genuinely intrigues me." He grunted in frustration. "I don't... act normally when she's around. I'm conscious of how I talk, how I look, what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling... and just tonight, I got jealous." He closed his eyes. "Jealous, for god's sake! I've only known her for a couple months, we haven't even gotten to know each other that well, and to hear her chat with an old friend makes me jealous."

Hiroshi watched as Dean opened his eyes and stared back at him. "Hiro, I want you to do something for me, all right? You get the chance, you tell BlackRose what you told me. You don't have to say it exactly, just say what's on your mind." His smile was forced, but gradually became legitimate. "I guarantee you she's on the same page."

"I... I will, Dean." Hiro smiled back. "Thank you. But what about you?"

"That... depends on too many things to say right now," Dean said slowly, "but we'll see." Seeing the look of concern in Hiro's eyes, he continued, "Don't worry about me, Hiro man, things'll work out somehow. They always do..." he caught himself, "well, okay, not always, but often enough."

"If you say so," said Hiro, with tangible uncertainty.

"I'll manage," Dean reassured him. "Sorry for kinda rambling there. I know we came here to talk about you, but it did take a load off to tell somebody. You're all right, Hiro, man." Jokingly, he added, "I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

They shared another chuckle. "Really, though, thanks for listening. You're a good guy, Hiro. I see why she likes you."

Another smile, this one paired with a blush, though he made no effort to hide it. "Thank you, too."

"Don't mention it. And don't sweat the convention, I'll be there too."

"Really? What for?"

"Just for fun." Kite tilted his head at Stolls, prompting him to try again. "Well, that and bigwigs from Asara and Cyber Connect are gonna be there, two in particular that Felix's guys have been seen with. Call it a hunch."

"What do you think will happen?"

Stolls shrugged. "Probably nothing in public, that's not his style. He's good at sleight of hand, if I know him he's using the convention as cover to do what he wants with Aura. Whatever it is, it involves both companies."

"So what do we do in the meantime?"

He rubbed his chin. "Hmm... I think there's a couple things to do, three to be exact. One, I want to drop by Tokuoka's again and see if he'll say anything else about Aura. Two, we need a way to track Felix's hackers and find out where they're working."

"And the third one?" Kite asked.

Stolls smiled. "Find out what BlackRose likes, and get you to get it for her," he said with a wink. "Just in case."

- End of Chapter 28