.hack/REWARD

Phew... after all that work in Summer School, I've finally been able to update .

Disclaimer: I do not own .hack. If I did, I would have used the 8 phases version 2's names in the games instead of the original 8 XP.

CHAPTER 3: OPERATION MUNCH

Kite logged into Carmina Gadelica.

"H3y, 480u7 7im3 y0u 5h0w3d up." Sora said sitting on a nearby bench.

"Hi sora. You said there was an "in73r357ing 4r34"... I mean... "interesting area" the other day?"

"You bet. Come with me." Sora punched in the words 'Circular Maze Run'.

Three gold rings surrounded them and they reappeared in another two-dimensional field similar to what Kite ran into the other day. The only difference was the entire back ground was black and there were blue walls forming single-person pathways.

"Huh? What is this?"

"FREEZE MORTALS!" a very deformed figure cried from the top of the system of paths.

"000... 4 m0n573r 7h47 74lk5..."

"I am no mere monster. I am INCUBUS, the Illusion of Deceiving!"

"...'Illusion of Deceiving'...?" Kite asked, scrathing his head of blue hair.

"Hey, I didn't ask for that name, OKAY?"

"Hmmm... 7hi5 c0u1d g37 in73r357ing..." Sora said, showing one of his blades in a threatening manner.

"Keh... don't think this is any other battle you've fought before. Watch this! Initiating Operation Munch. Activating Program!" upon saying those words, five arrows similar to the Twilight Bracelets wrapped around kite and engulfed him in a mass of binary digits.

"Wha..what is this? AAAH!" Kite yelled in pain. The plethora of zeros and ones dissappeard and revealed a lone circle with a single eye, orange hat, and a mouth that opened at one end. "AH! I'm deformed in another 2-D sprite!"

"And that's not all Bracelet Bearer." Incubus said. Kite looked around in surprise. Transperent blue and green shards of the twilight bracelet were scattered across the field between rows of blue walls. "My bracelet!"

"That's right, you cant' use it if you dont' have it. Whatmore, I shattered your pathetic item! HAHAHAA!"

"D4mn m0n573R! H0w c0m3 I c4n'7 83 in 4ny 0f 7hi5?" Sora said as a two dimentional sprite of a twinblade sitting on the side of the field in a colum on the right.

"Quiet! Now... go forth minnions!" Incubus said as ghost-shaped sprites were released from the center of the field.

'Darn... I can't use weapons in this form... I'll have to get the bracelet... but it's scattered all around...' A ghost was nearing Kite 'No time to think... gotta get going!' "waka-waka-waka-waka-waka-waka-waka!" Kite said as he collected Bracelet shards in his mouth while avoiding ghosts.

"Sigh... there's nothing to do..." Blackrose said as she sat down on a bench in Carmina Gadelica. As she did, a crackling sound was heard near the chaos gate, and in a flash of light, Sora fell out through the large rotating ring.

"D4mn m0n573r! H0w d4r3 h3 r3j3c7 m3!"

"Sora?"

"Hm? 0h, it'5 y0u Mimiru."

"I'm BLACKROSE! Don't confuse me with that wannabe!" She gave Sora an angry look.

"Y34h wh473v3r. 5tupid m0n5t37,ph453 0r wh473v3r 7h47 7hing is!" Sora began to mumble.

"...Huh? Phase? What Phase?" Blackrose instantly got up off the bench.

"Hm? 0h, Mr. 8lu3-h4ir is 0ff in Circu14r M4z3 Run battling some... HUH?" Sora stopped and looked around to realize Blackrose had already left.

"Waka-Waka-Waka-Waka-Waka-Waka-Waka-Waka!" Kite was gobbling up bracelet shards. He had already been taken by teh ghosts 2 times and one more would certainly make him go into a coma. He found himself heading for a corner but turned as a ghost cut off his route. "Waka-Waka-Waka-Waka-Wa...HUH?" Kite looked to find another ghost heading toward him. He looked back and forth. 'I'm stuck! Oh boy... this is it...' Just as the Ghost reached Kite, three gold rings formed next to him and a circular head of Blackrose appeared next to him.

"Huh? What the hell is this? Why am I..." she couldn't finish as a ghost attacked her and reappeared near the center of the field.

"Thank you blackrose!" Kite said as he used this oppurtunity to sneak around the corner as the ghost was delayed.

"Huh? Hey? What's going on here? And why do I look so retarded?"

"No time to explain...Waka-Waka-Waka-Waka..." Kite took the last bracelet shard and spit up the full Twilight Bracelet. "BLEH!... DATA...DRAIN!" 5 blue and green shards were launched toward Incubus. The second phase turned into a mere grey blob ontop of the field.

"Uh..." Blackrose said, perplexed on the whole situation. Kite gated out with her and found themselves back in Carmina Gadelica. "...what the hell was all that?"

"It's a long story, I'll explain later."

"Well, tell me another time. I gotta go. See you tomorrow." Blackrose said logging out.

"Hm..." Kite looked back down at his bracelet. He ran a finger over it and licked it. 'Hm... not that bad...'

Meanwhile, in a dark isolated room.

"Hm... so, Incubus failed as well... Mr. Maggot, are you ready for the next operation?"

"Yes sir. Preperations are complete."

"Excellent. Soon, my plan for 'World' domination will be complete. HAHAHAAA!HAHAAAHAAA!"

'...he really needs to learn not to laugh so loud for so long...' Maggot said as he closed the link between them.

Sorry if this chapter seems a bit shorter than the others. I'll try to make the next one longer. Until then, see ya.

NEXT CHAPTER: OPERATION POCKET

Preview: Kite and co get ready for the battle against Phase 3 v.2. This next field may be two-dimensional as well, but at least graphics have improved slightly, and thankfuly, it'll revert back to RPG style. But little does Kite know, Data Drain operates VERY differently here.