A/N: Whooo! Chapter 3. I thank you all for the reviews, it really inspired me to keep on writing. (I have to be poked with a stick usually.) Now we'll see how intense Miki's phobia really is, as Shugo tries his best to get some help from Miki to help Yuki. Also, I felt the need to add this: Miki acts so different suddenly after she becomes Shugo's friend because...she has friends. That had always been her personality, but when her friend moved and her sister became obessed...she kind of gave up. The insults she had always returned with a smart remark became too much without a friend, so she became the person she was eariler...quiet, shy, and though she tried her best to hide it...scared. Then she met Shugo and Rena. She then could stand the insults and shrug then off because she had people to support her. With that cleared up...I persent to you chapter 3 of .hack/CONNECTION! (AKA hackCONNECTION)

Chapter 3; The World Phobia

Saturday had sprung up on them like a portal in a dungeon when you didn't use a Fairy's Orb. Before Shugo could think 'I hope this works!' the doorbell had rung and he was running to awnser it. Miki stood there on the porch, waving at her parents from their old car before they drove away. She then spun around. "Hiya Shugo!"

"Hiya Miki!" he said. "Well don't just stand there, come in!" he said noticing that his friend was still standing on his doorstep peering in. She walked in causiously. "Nice house 'ya got." she said. She seemed kinda scared. Like...something was going to jump out and attack her. "Want something to drink?" Rena said. Miki looked over at her. "Not really." she said, still nervous. "C'mon, lets go up to my room." Shugo said. Miki fallowed him as he walked up the staircase. Rena grabbed a soda for herself, and ran up after them.

The threesome stepped into Shugo's room. It was relatively neat. However...the two computer screens where on, both with The World headsets set messily on them. a beat up copy of a The World manual sat at the end of a sloppily made bed. There was some miscellious clutter on the floor. It looked like he had hurried to clean up.

Rena went over and sat on the bed, with Miki fallowing slowly. Shugo stayed behind and closed the door, and unknown to the girls, locked it. Miki looked around his room. She looked like she was dying to ask a question about what they where going to do. Shugo sat down on the bed beside Rena.

And there was silence.

Rena didn't want to mess up Shugo's "plan", Shugo didn't want to mess up his own plan, and Miki was scared.

After about 2 minutes of uncomfortable silence...Rena tried to break the ice. "So Shugo, what are we going to do today?" Shugo blinked. He had spaced. "Oh yeah!" he said, "I know what we where gonna do." He took a deep breath.

"We'regonnaplayTheWorld." Shugo said so super fast that no one could hear what the hell he was trying to say. Both of the girls stared at him. Rena patetically, Miki confusedly. Shugo sweatdropped and tried to say it slower. "We're going to play The World." Miki froze for second. Then, in a blink of the eye, Miki was in Shugo's closet with the door shut. Sobbing noises came from inside." Rena ran over to the closet.

"Miki?" she said. "Are you OK?" Miki said nothing. Sobbing noises still came from inside. Shugo came over. "Miki?" he said, "Please come out." The crying got louder. "No." Miki said, her voice muffled by the wood door of the closet. "I'm not coming out. And I'm not playing." Shugo opened the door. Miki sat in the corner of his closet, crying. "Lemme alone," she choked out amongst the tears. "I don't want to play The World. It's evil." Her crying got worse. Though he barely heard it above the tears, she was murmuring to herself. "Yuki…I'll save you one day…I'm too weak today Yuki…but someday…" her crying was uncontrollable. Shugo walked over and sat beside her.

"You could start today though." Shugo said simply. Rena was peeking in at the door. Miki looked up at him, still crying, but surprised. She didn't think he heard her whispering. "You may not help Yuki today, but there's no use not trying." Miki blinked. "B-but—" "You won't be as obessed as Yuki." He said assuringly. "We're hooked on 'The World', but we aren't like Yuki," he gestured to Rena and himself. "There's nothing to loose but a few hours." Rena said.

Miki stood up. She wasn't crying anymore but tears still flowed from her eyes. Shugo stood up with her. "Shall we log on?" he said to her. Miki blinked.

"How do I do that?" she said, confused. Shugo and Rena sweatdropped.

A/N: Alrighty! There was chapter 3 for you! In chapter 4 Miki makes a character and logs on, and tries to save her sister! How she'll do that—Shugo and Rena don't know either, as she's a complete noob. At least she has a plan! Pwease review! If you review my story, I'll try my best to review yours. I'm off to go do something, see you in the next chapter of hackCONNECTION!