.hack//Nightmare

 by

Richard Martin

This takes place before Tsukasa or Aura’s awakening. The characters are Phoenix, Charon, Sheena, Bolt, and Dante. Phoenix is trapped in the game because of his association with a boy in a deep coma. They are trying to defeat Azula who set Phoenix up. They are all at Net Slum with the strange boy…..

Phoenix: Are we ready?

Charon: We were way back.

Phoenix: Let’s go then.

(The character’s leave the boy and head to Azula’s Realm)

Azula: I have been waiting.

(All draw out their weapons)

Phoenix: Who are you?

Azula: Search your heart boy.

Bolt: We are going to stop you. We will revive the boy.

(Azula starts laughing)

Dante: Stop this nonsense!

Azula: SILENCE!

(A large spike comes out of nowhere and impales Dante through his stomach.)

Dante: AHHHHHHHHHHH Phoenix, Charon, Sheena, and Bolt: DANTE! (Dante goes flying up in the air on a Staff of Data)

Dante: NO, STOP, PLEASE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

(A strange creature appears in Dante’s place. It is a large skeletal monster with glowing red eyes that look like fireballs and has a sword in one hand and the staff in the other. In the real world we see Dante falls of his chair and lies on the floor. Back in the game It smiles and slashes its sword toward the hero’s. The edge of the blade catches bolt in the back)

Bolt: AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

(Bolts character flashes gray and falls on the floor lifeless. In the real world we see Bolt fall forward and hit his head on the monitor.)

(A character wearing a brown tunic and has a large staff warps into the area.)

Charon: Damos, is that really you?

Damos: It certainly is Charon.

Charon: I thought you had been deleted!

Damos: I did but that doesn’t suit me…. I’m using a hack.

Phoenix:!!!

Charon: Doesn’t that risk us all infection.

Damos: Yes but I heard of your dilemma and I’m here to help.

Phoenix: Good, what the heck is this thing?! Damos: It appears to be a virus monster. I’m sensing traces of Dante’s skills, is he the source of its resurrection?

Phoenix: Yes.

(Phoenix blocks a triplet of blows from the monster.)

(All the characters get cover in a broken down building)

Damos: Its name appears to be Bane….. It’s at level 1000…..

Phoenix: I thought the highest was 99.

Damos: Yes but this defies the possibilities of the game.

Charon: Makes sense to me…..

Phoenix: Well we’re all at level 99 right?

Sheena: Can we take this thing on?

Damos: I’ll try to put a hack, if it doesn’t work, then there will be a 29% chance of success.

Phoenix: You’ve gotta be kidding me!

Damos: No joke.

Sheena: What hack can you do? Damos: I’ll attempt to weaken it with something...

Sheena: What is it? Damos: It’s called The Pluto Kiss

Phoenix, Charon, and Sheena: WHAT! Charon: I thought that attacked the computers and destroyed them.

Damos: I remodeled it so it attacks unbeatable monsters and makes them vulnerable; luckily it always does the trick….

Sheena: Damos….I thought you said if it doesn’t work then it will lower out chance of beating him.

Damos: It’s because using it will give players a 99.9% chance of infection….which will probably either send us into a deep coma or simply delete our characters.

Phoenix: Only .1% chance of not getting infection, high stakes.

Damos: Indeed… are we all up to the challenge?

Phoenix: …

Charon: …

Sheena: …

Phoenix: I will do whatever it takes to let me log out again.

Sheena: But if you get infection….

Phoenix: Yes, I know, I will die.

Charon: I’ll do it.

Sheena: Me too.

(All characters run out to face Bane.)

Bane: You wish to fight me? Do you know who I am?

Sheena: Don’t know don’t care.

Bane: Fools. You ignorance will be your doom!

(Bane jumps at the characters) Phoenix: DAMOS! NOW! (The whole screen freezes. 0’s and 1’s appear all around Bane and move faster and faster. The screen glows dark blue. The numbers suddenly fly into Bane and a large explosion engulfs him.

Bane: NOOOOOOOOOOO! Phoenix: Now’s our chance, LETS GO! (All the characters run at Bane) Damos: I’ll stay back and heal. Be careful ok?

(A great battle ensues. Bane is badly beaten around and he notices that Damos is healing. He turns to him and charges up his staff.) Charon: DAMOS! WATCH OUT!

Damos: Wha…

(Bane fires a bolt from his staff.) Damos: Hnnnnggg……

(Damos falls to the ground.)

Charon: NO!

Sheena: Don't worry...I can heal...plus I'm not that good a fighting

Phoenix: OK. Hopefully this won’t take much longer.

(Phoenix and Charon continue to hit Bane. Sheenais healing) Bane: ARRRGHHHHHHH!!! Phoenix: Did we get him?

(Charon doesn’t answer.)

Phoenix: Charon? (Phoenix looks over and sees Charon’s lifeless body on the ground. In the real world Charon is slouched in his chair.) Phoenix: NO!

Damos: H-h-h-he must have been in-infected by the P-p-Pluto Kiss

Phoenix: Damos? You’re still conscious? Damos: Yes….I blacked out for a few seconds…..the hack must have saved me…..

Phoenix: Hmm…

Damos: It’s not finished.

Phoenix: What? Damos: B-b-Bane it’s in a weakened state buts it’s not gone.

Phoenix: I can’t fight anymore….I am too weak.

Damos: We’ll have to do the most drastic thing then…

Phoenix: What is it?

Damos: I will decline this field…

(Before Damos can react the strange boy is warped into the field.) Azula: WHAT YOU DEFEATED BANE. INCONCIEVABLE!!!

Phoenix: You again.

Azula: I will not stand for this you will all….

(The boy suddenly sits up and his eyes open. The realm is filled with bright blue and red colors. He stands up and walks toward the heroes.) Strange Boy: Don’t worry. Step back. I’ll take care of the rest.

(Phoenix, Damos and Sheena stand there in shock staring at the boy. Bane starts screaming and turns into a mutilated beast with its skin peeling and some organs hanging out of its body. Its sunken eyes look at the heroes. It attempts to stand up.)

Strange boy: Hurry up that’s impossible to beat, leave the rest to me.

Phoenix: O-okay

(Phoenix, Damos, and Sheena step back.) Bane: ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Azula: Do you not fear me? My creation? (The boy giggles.) Azula: Laugh all you want. Bane, destroy him! Bane: Acknowledged…...master………..

(The boy stops laughing. His eyes glow bright blue. Bane stands up and walks slowly to the boy. 0’s and 1’s appear all around the boy. They focus all in a line aimed at Bane’s chest. A bright yellow light engulfs the numbers. Bane is right in front of the boy. He raises his sword and…… the blast from the boy tears through Bane’s chest. Both Azula and Bane scream in unison, the field is bright yellow. Phoenix, Damos and Sheena all watch in awe. The field suddenly collapses and a loud “BING” echoes. Then the screen switches to a house in the real world. A young boy suddenly jumps up in bed. He is wearing a breathing mask and has an IV attached to his arm. His mother walks past his room. She then runs back and looks in the room. Her eyes fill with tears as she sees her boy awake. She runs up to him and hugs him. His father asks what’s going on and sees him standing up. He runs to them and they all hug. Meanwhile, in The World a strange boy named Tsukasa is lying on the ground in a dungeon….)