.Hack/Aftermath

Phase 4

Reveal

"What are you talking about?" Claire looked around confused. "Who's here?" her eyes scanned the large interior… nothing… Aside from the rows of wooden dust covered seats, two slowly swinging large metal balls… it was empty.

Mika looked around as well, then began walking to the end of the end of the long hall. "You didn't see it…? It was like… Things that have already happened… I saw Tsukasa…" she whispered the last three words to herself before stopping in front of a rather Large organ.

Claire put her spear against one of the chairs. "My contacts will be here soon…" She eyed the girl, who was on her hands and knees before the organ. She could have sworn Mika was having fun, wiggling her rear end as she looked under the wooden instrument.

"Ok…" Mika murmured as she managed to shiver a little bit more under the organ. "Hey! There's dust under here!" she then proclaimed, throwing back a large cloud of it. Thus pointing out that this had been put here recently…She stood up, and shook a little, dust covering her long dress as she faced Claire. "Know what that means?"

"That's the wavemaster…?" an older voice chuckled from the doors. The blade master started to walk forward, watching Mika, mouth slightly agape.

"Who are you?" Mika coughed, wiping her face a little bit as she cleared her throat.

"I'm Bear." He answered.

"Mimiru sent me." He smiled.

"What do you want?" Tsukasa asked.

"Well She wanted me to talk to you…"

"Hello Bear!" Mika jumped down every step in a childish way to shake off the dust before extending her hand to shake his.

Claire stood up, taking her weapon as she did. "They are coming right?" She asked, slowly making her way to the first row, where she sat down.

"Yes they are. I invited them, so you don't have to worry… They all took great interest in this." Bear looked over with a smile before sitting on the opposite side of the aisle with a slight grunt.

"Who did you invite…?" Mika looked back and forth between the two. She was now happily dust free.

"Some friends of Mine… Mimiru, Crim, Balmung." Bear shrugged. "I think Balmung invited some friends as well."

Mika blinked several times. "Balmung? … Balmung!" she asked with wide eyes. She was going to meet the famous Azure Sky. "Is he going to bring Kite, and Blackrose? What about Helba?" she questioned quickly.

"Maybe." Bear shrugged. "I really don't know."

"Bear!" a voice yelled. "Over here!" They turned to look and it was Mimiru, as she always did, trying to get everyone over to where she was…

Crim pushed her in the back with the end of his spear that wasn't connected to a blade. "Stop that." He barked, before walking towards them. "Balmung said he's coming soon… He just has to do one thing first."

"Balmung. You are part of System Administration. It's your duty to find out what's been going on. Understand?" Lios folded his arms, watching the winged warrior scowl.

"Yes sir…" And Balmung logged from the dark system admin chamber, buried somewhere amongst the alpha server's data.

"So that's what happened. It was really scary…" Mimiru sighed, then looked back at the gates. Still nothing.

"Twilight… Guardian…?" Mika whimpered and took a step closer to Claire, standing just behind her. "You couldn't kill it?"

"We did. It just took a lot of effort…" Bear smiled lightly. "Didn't get experience though."

"I know! That's such a Rip off! I mean jeez! The thing had like, 9999 hp!" Mimiru groaned loudly, throwing her arms around before they settled by her sides.

"But if this is going to be anything like what happened with kite… We'll encounter each of the 8 phases…" Claire scratched her chin.

"Skeith, Innis, Magus, Fidchell, Gorre, Macha, Tarvos…" A voice said, and their eyes directed to the Doors behind them. There stood Balmung.

"Its Balmung!" Mika broke off Claire and ran forward, stopping just before him. Her eyes were wide as she brought her hands up and touched Balmung's armor. She shuddered lightly and swooned, nearly fainting. "He's more handsome in person…"

Balmung just rolled his eyes. "This is her?" He said, Trying his best to ignore the woman walking around him, mentioning what she liked about the suit, tugging on some things lightly as she went.

"Yes. That's Mika." Bear gestured to the woman who was now rubbing her cheek against Balmung's wings, a large smile on her face.

"I See." Balmung sighed, gripping Mika by the arm and turning her to face him. "Please stop that. Its annoying."

"ok…" Mika sighed, pouting lightly as her right hand moved over her chest, gripping it lightly.

"Doctor! What's wrong?"

"Rebecca, Her breathing, its become unsteady."

"Its that Damned game of hers… It put her in this coma didn't it!"

"Yes… But there's a way to bring her out… Thankfully."

"How! I WANT TO KNOW!"

"Mr. Stewart, calm down. Please. I don't know how…"

"This is my daughter you're talking about!"

"Yes… But you've kept the game on right?"

"Yeah… It said so on the screen."

"It said 'Critical Error. Please do not Shut down Terminal or Game.' Correct?"

"Yes… Why? What's that mean?"

"Shutting down the terminal… will kill her."

"What would Kite think if he saw you doing that Anyway?" Balmung asked, knowing that might change her attitude. Mika just looked away.

"He'd Think it was kind of Cute." A voice laughed from behind Balmung. Everyone turned and Mika's eyes went wide as they laid upon the person standing in the doorway. With his orange hat, Vest, and pants. Green hair and blue eyes. Thick brown gloves and shoes. And finally, with his two small blades at his waist…

Kite had Arrived.