.hack/Polarized/Cobra.and.Mongoose

by

Chad 'Graeystone' Harger

XXXXX

"That's a guard dog?" Piotr asks Helba. The watchdog in question is a monster with a skull for a face. Moments earlier Helba called Cubia the guard dog of The World.

"Can we fight it?" asked Annrika.

"You can slow Cubia down for a bit," answers Helba. "This could be our chance to stop this madness once and for all. Kite was the only one who figured out how to kill Cubia."

"But Cubia is here. Is it unbeatable?" asks Piotr.

"As long as a single Bracelet exist so does Cubia. Long ago Kite destroyed his Bracelet. When it shattered Cubia was killed," explains Helba. "Considering Cubia is not coming toward Chase shows that Kite is the recognized threat."

"If Kite destroys his Bracelet then we have our opening," says Annrika. But how could both the Bracelet and Cubia return?"

"Cubia is a hidden function of The World. It is always present just like the sky or an item. Cubia will only manifest when there is a threat big enough to warrant it," says Helba. "The Bracelets on the other hand." She shrugs and adds, "On a whim I tried to program one of my own awhile back. All I got was a pretty accessory for my character."

I look at my wrist. The Bracelet is glowing. Helba seems to be good programmer yet something like this is beyond her. I can't even begin to fathom its power. Aura would know the truth. I doubt she would entrust anyone with its full secrets. Not even Zelphie.

"Kite's making his move!" snarls Piotr.

We watch as Kite does the impossible and floats up into the sky to meet Cubia face to face. "I thought Balmung of the Azure Sky was the only player who could fly," says Annrika.

Piotr looks at Helba then Kite. "Like you he hacked his character," he growls with disgust."

Helba turns her head to Piotr. "I may have edited this form but don't think for a minute that I edited my stats. Like the Crimson Knights or the Descendents of Fianna, I earned my stripes the hard way."

"That's enough you two," I say. "I want to see how this battle ends."

"Da," grumbles Piotr. Helba merely smiles and nods in agreement.

Kite circles Cubia's body. Cubia doesn't bother to turn. Instead what appears to be oversized jellyfish erupt from Cubia's chest and fly straight at Kite. Kite raises his hand with the Bracelet. "Drain Arc!" he yells. His Bracelet releases countless beams. I shudder remembering what that power did to me. Instead of being torn apart the beams shatter against the jellyfish and Cubia. They aren't even affected.

"Its immune?" I hear Basilisk yell.

Now its Cubia's turn to attack. It lowers its body downward. Cubia opens its mouth. Energy builds up inside and is released. Kite waves his hands and just before the deadly beam strikes his people, they are logged out. Cubia roars in frustration. Annrika grabs my hand. I of course am not afraid. The protector of a fictional world isn't real in the truest sense of the word.

Cubia turns its attention back to Kite only to have Kite's dagger implanted in its face. Cubia tips over a little bit and moans in pain. Its body shakes then stops. The knife is gone along with Cubia's wound. Cubia tries the same attack as before. He fires the deadly beam at Kite. Kite uses the Bracelet again. The two powers collide and cause a shockwave. We get close to Helba as she raises her staff and raises a shield. The shield doesn't hold for long and we are blown backwards.

"That was not fun," says Helba who is barely standing.

"At least we had some protection," groans Annrika. "Look at Kite."

There is a crater were Kite landed. We see energy from his body escape. The crater is caving in around him. Kite is on his back while Cubia is trying to stay afloat. "Now's our chance," I say. Helba grabs my hand. "Let go!"

"Look," she says. Kite explodes out of the crater with a scream of hatred. I turn down the volume. I've never heard such a scream in my life. At least I don't think so. Once again the feeling of déjà vu comes over me.

Cubia is starts using powerful magic. The likes none of us has seen except maybe for Helba. Kite is barely phased by the attacks. Kite summons all the power he can. The air thunders with power as the area lights up. Cubia's body glows with power.

"We better leave," says Helba. "If CC Corp was ignorant of what's going on they soon won't be."

"We're not staying?" asks Piotr who doesn't like the idea. "Even if Kite wins he'll be too weak to fight us."

"Normally I'd agree but the area is becoming unstable. If we're caught up in it, good-bye character," points out Helba.

Piotr kicks the ground. "Damn it! This is worse than getting things done in the real world!"

The screen on my visor flickers violently. I watch in horror as Helba teleports us out of there. The last thing I see is Kite fly toward Cubia's head. Cubia tries to fire another blast from his mouth. Cubia is too late as Kite flies into Cubia's mouth and explodes out the back. I hear a death wail as Cubia's body starts to crumble. Kite is not satisfied with just destroying Cubia. Kite uses Data Drain and absorbs what is left of The World's guardian. I lower my head realizing we are fighting a battle we just can't win.

XXXXX

We appear in Mac Anu. Other players are carrying on as if nothing is happening. I want to scream at them and tell them what's going on. Piotr sees what I'm about to do. "Nyet, comrade. Its not worth it."

"We're getting nowhere fast and I can't stand it!" I yell not caring who hears me.

"Even if you told everyone here what happened who would believe you? Most people believe past crisis was either elaborate event or giant hoax," Piotr says calmly. "It's late and I need sleep. I will be out of touch for next few days."

"Is everything alright?" asks Annrika.

"Is fine," says Piotr. He flashes that toothy grin. "I want to shake things up a bit and see what falls. There are people in positions of power who will listen to me."

My frustration fades and I become curious. "Are you a politician?"

Piotr snorts and says, "Please comrade, no need for insults. I will e-mail everyone with news."

"I know someone in the game who may be able to help," says Annrika. "So that'll keep me busy."

"Let's meet in three days if that's enough time," I say. "Providing nothing happens between now and then."

Annrika and Piotr log out. I don't feel leaving yet. I end up wondering the streets as the doubt returns. How does Aura expect me to defeat someone who took out Cubia? Why did she choose me of all people? I stop in my tracks. That does raise a good question now that I think about it. There are plenty of players who're stronger and more skilled than I am. Piotr or Annrika are better fighters than I am. Unknown would be the best choice as far as I know. And yet there's something. Something is on the edge of my mind or on the tip of my tongue. I try to think of what it is when my line of thought is broken.

"Chase," says Unknown in that monotonic voice of hers.

I nearly jump out of my skin both in the game and in the real world. Being unaffected by fiction is one thing being caught unaware is another. "What do you want?" I ask. "And where were you?"

"Dance, not interested. Helba e-mailed. Tomorrow, you, I fight," answers Unknown.

"Uh, you mean PvP?" I ask.

"Simpleton. Dungeon," says Unknown. "Fight hard. Must. Meet, Dun Loireag. Two days. 3 pm."

"Alright, I'll be there," I say. With Annrika and Piotr busy I'll have nothing else to do in The World.

XXXXX

I wait for Unknown at Dun Loireag's Chaos Gate. Unkown is five minutes late. I decide give her a ten more minutes before I go do something else. Halfway to the five minute mark Unknown finally arrives. "Sorry, work, late," she says. "Hurry, leave, dungeon."

I don't say anything. There are times when my aunt comes home late from work. "Is something wrong?" I ask.

The answer comes from a player yelling, "Hey, it's Unknown!" A whole bunch of players come at us. Unknown must be really good to get this kind of attention.

Unknown grabs my hand and activates the Chaos Gate. "Fame, annoying," I hear her say.

We appear in a earth field. I use a fairy orb. I look at my map and I choke remembering what Annrika said during that fateful day. "There're only four magic portals!"

"Fight!" orders Unknown.

I barely have time to react as a bunch of monsters come right at us. Unknown and I attack with wild abandon and our skills. I see Unknown truly fight for the first time. She moves in fast graceful movements. She also is a good strategist. With small monsters like goblins she kneels and fights them on a level height so the monsters can't get in to close. With medium and large monsters Unknown gets in tight and fights close quarters. I'd like to try the same thing but I'm incapable. Either Unknown won a lot of contests and special events or she hacked her character. During a slight break in the fighting I ask, "How are you able to duck and jump like that?"

The way Unknown tilts her head makes me feel like if she did have a face she would have an eyebrow raised. "You, joke?" she asks.

"No."

"Body suit," she says.

"I understand now," I say. The body suit is actually a gaming accessory designed especially for The World. It's actually a pair of arm length gloves and leggings that use motion-capture technology. The latest wireless technology only requires a small receiver plugged into a computer's USB that way a player doesn't have to worry about long cords. With a body suit a player can jump, duck, block, and even make complex hand gestures. A different company that wasn't involved with the contest I won makes the accessory so the body suit wasn't included with my prize. "Considering the kind of power Kite has do you think I should get one?" I ask.

"Wise. Kite, fast, nimble, need edge. Body suit hard, train. Sooner, better," says Unknown. "Question, why fight Kite?"

Unknown doesn't know yet. I feel rude not keeping in her the loop. "When we get to the dungeon I'll explain," I say. We fight the rest of the way to the dungeon. Inside the dungeon I explain everything to Unknown. After I explain Unknown shudders. "You ok?"

Unknown surprises me by hugging me. "Sorry," she whispers with sadness. She lets go and I wonder what was that all about.

Unknown turns her head to the side. "E-mail . . .Helba?" she says with surprise. Her body stiffens. "We leave. Net Slum, Kite, danger!"

To be continued . . .