A/N: -prays not to be killed-

Ack! Okay, I admit it. This took forever. And I deserve to rot in Fanfiction purgatory.

Basically EVERYTHING went wrong in getting this out. I'm still not happy with this chapter, but hopefully that'll give me the incentive to get the next one out in less time.

In my fanfiction (all of it- including stuff that I have yet to write, unless otherwise stated), Balmung is aged around twenty-three. His age is fanon (in other words, I made it up.) Kite, on the other hand, is in the eighth grade, so he is either thirteen or fourteen. His age is canon (as it's been confirmed not only in the game, but in the LoT manga, albeit vaguely.)

This chapter is dedicated to three people: my partners-in-crime, Sepik and Christine, and my buddy Sargent Snarky. Sepik, for giving me an AWESOME idea about the beginning, Christine, because you know I'd be lost without her meticulous editing and Miss Snarky, because she poked me back into existence. Several times.

Disclaimer: Don't own dot hack.

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Silence reigned immediately after Balmung's outburst. The air was heavy, tense even, between the two consciously perceiving people in the hospital room. And for one brief moment, Kite reflected that the American idiom of, "air so thick you could cut it with a knife," perhaps had more truth to it than let on.

His next coherent thought was that this could not possibly end well.

Timidly, he looked up and met Balmung's eyes, only to see the hatred and rage that was expected, but not welcomed. To his credit, Kite had not been overcome by a full-blown panic attack (as he was ever-so famous for because of that incident in school last year), though his stomach was twisting rather uncomfortably and he was fairly positive the patients three doors down could hear his heartbeat.

Balmung's thoughts, meanwhile, were racing down one track. This is the boy that caused Orca's comatose state. He's here. The thought sickened him at how far the hacker would go to hurt his victims – had he not done enough by simply placing Orca in this hospital room to begin with? What exactly was he planning to do next?

Yet at the same time…

He's right here. This is the perfect opportunity to avenge Orca. He growled, tugging none-too-gently on his adversary's arm; not noticing or perhaps not caring about the slight wince of pain that crossed the other's face.

"You," he stated dangerously. "What is your name?"

"Kite-"

"Not that one. Do not lie." Balmung was all but utterly infuriated. "Your real name. What is it?"

Kite swallowed hard, visibly nervous now. "I-I can't tell you that."

"Why not? Are you afraid of what might come to pass? Or are you just not brave," he sneered at the word, "enough to be a publicized hacker and dangerous criminal?"

"I told you before, I'm not a hacker!"

"And I told you to not lie to me! You are not leaving until-" Balmung was cut off suddenly by an ear-shattering noise. Startled, he broke eye contact with Kite, searching for the source.

It was coming from the heart monitor.

"Yasu…!" Taking advantage of Balmung's distracted state, Kite broke free from the painful grip on his arm and ran to the bedside. Sliding onto both knees, he stared desperately into his friend's face while grabbing one of the unresponsive hands. "Yasu! Yasu!"

Momentarily bewildered, Balmung watched the machine next to Orca's bed go crazy. Rather than seeing the radio waves flat-lining as was expected, he was surprised to see exactly the opposite. According to the machine, Orca's heart was pumping one-hundred-and-eighty-three beats per minute.

And then, almost as quickly as it began, the heart rate dropped back to a normal level, taking the infernal noise with it.

Kite blinked, looking slowly between Yasuhiko's immobile body and the numerous machines in the room, as though trying to comprehend exactly what just happened. And for that one moment, Balmung of the Azure Sky saw not the notorious hacker which he hunted so relentlessly, but a normal boy simply worried for his friend.

...Friend?

The moment was promptly ruined as a team of doctors burst through the door, surrounding Balmung, whom they saw as the adult, and showered him with questions as to what had occurred. At some point in all the confusion, he noticed that Kite had somehow slipped away.

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Later that day, Balmung found himself pondering over the events as he put away the week's groceries.

It had come as quite a shock to find the very man - no, boy - that he had promised to, mere hours after he had sworn to hunt him down. It was even more surprising that the hacker was in Orca's…hospital room.

Hospital. He hated that word. Even after all this time, it was still difficult to wrap his mind around the fact that a simple video game could put someone so close to death's door. Or for that matter, that the game could have such an impact on people.

Reaching up to the cabinet above the stove, he opened the small door. Balmung grabbed one of the many bags and hurriedly placed the tuna into the compartment before his cat sniffed it out particularly. The blasted thing had a dangerous obsession towards fish, and tended to get revenge in very...creative manners if he did not buy it at least once a week. At the moment, however, Balmung just didn't want to feed his fur ball.

Once that was settled, the man went to his room, sat down in front of his trusty laptop, and just thought about how things stood. His cat followed, living proof that the attempts to hide the fish had failed. Balmung didn't take note, being too caught up in his own thoughts. How had things gone so wrong?

Frankly, Balmung was entirely too confused about the whole situation online for his own comfort. He definitely knew that the boy he met in Orca's room today was the same one in the temple, but what was he doing there? Was it to cause further damage to his victim? Honestly, though, he didn't see the little brat as that kind of person. Granted, he was probably some angst-ridden teenager, but during the battle with the Data Bug the kid didn't seem like a sadist…

There was the problem right there. Kite wasn't an adult; he looked barely to be a teenager. This hacker, this great criminal that Balmung had built up in his mind to be an embodiment of manipulation, was in fact just the opposite - a kid. Not even one that appeared to be a bully, either. No, in real life, Kite had seemed timid and unsure of himself. Shy, even. Certainly nothing like what Balmung had pictured. And because his previous image was completely shattered, Balmung could not for his life find a way to blame Kite for what had occurred. Even if it was completely obvious that it was his fault, to some degree.

Unexpectedly, the infamous cat rubbed across his left leg, purring in a gesture of mock love. Ignoring it, Balmung groaned and buried his face in his hands. Even if Kite was guilty, it didn't excuse how he himself, had acted back in the hospital room. Aside from being downright rude, he had jumped to conclusions without even giving the boy a proper chance to explain.

"This would be so much easier," He muttered. "If I didn't know that, with my invariable luck, I will probably run into him again online soon." Getting tired of his cat's false affection, he stood up abruptly, and, grumbling all the way, went to open a can of tuna. From what he had seen, the kid seemed to be obsessed with that game and would no doubt be online again. There would be plenty of time to talk with him then.

That afternoon, Kite did not log into The World once.

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A/N: Is it just me, or are there more and more dot hack fanfictions popping up that are of the video game variety? Every time I see one on the front page, I squeal. No joke.

Balmung continues to be impossible to write in character. I love the poor guy to death, but his personality in the games is just…ugh.

See you next time! Hopefully it won't be another FIVE MONTHS, eh?