.hack//LIMINALITY Fan Fiction / .hack//SIGN Fan Fiction ❯ .hack//CHECK ❯ Dance ( Chapter 27 )

Chapter 27 // Dance

. . .

"You never took me dancing. Ever. I do remember the only time we've ever danced. It was the wedding reception. Both of our families were there. I remember it, mainly, because it made me laugh. The band was supposed to play a song for a slow dance, but instead they played the Jitterbug. It made me laugh because we were standing there, waiting for a waltz, holding each other, but brass instruments began to blare, and you started swinging me about. Don't think I didn't discover your little secret, though. Yes, I know. You paid the band extra money to do that. Much to my surprise, you were an excellent dancer. Why didn't you take me dancing?"

. . .

Salsa music blared from Deacon Blue's person. A vibrant piano set the rhythm alongside the lively drum beats.

Deacon Blue rushed forwards. The trumpets flared. Excel brought her axe down in an overhand fashion. Deacon Blue dodged to the side, and body checked Excel. 200. The guitars began to lead. Deacon spun and slashed Excel. 1248. Deacon turned his head to see Dash running towards him.

The brass burst in, and Dash jumped in, blade reared to strike. Deacon Blue jumped backwards to evade Dash's attack. Excel rushed Deacon Blue with a body check. 150. Excel brought her Axe around. Deacon Blue hopped backwards to avoid it. The chorus began. Dash stepped in with a flurry of attacks which Deacon blocked and dodged. Deacon Blue tossed his sword into the air, and jumped up after it. Excel hoping to attack him from behind brought down her axe, which Dash narrowly avoided by stepping to the side. Deacon's palms glowed with a bright light. "Hypersonic Blaster!", shouted Deacon Blue as he extended one of his palms towards Dash. A beam of intense light shot from his palm and went through Dash. 1113. He extended his other palm, "Same for you!" Excel dodged, and disappeared. A trumpet solo with a staccato rhythm erupted. Deacon Blue landed on the giant Snowman's top hat, caught his sword, and blocked Excel's assault. Excel pushed Deacon back, and rushed Deacon with a heavy overhand attack. Deacon hopped to the side, and slashed Excel; knocking her off of the Snowman's hat. 967. *Bang!* She landed in a heap next to Dash.

Dash began to chuckle, "Pretty good. Congratulations. You've now graduated from 'n00b' to 'scrub'."

The salsa music began to fade.

"Now?", asked Excel as she picked herself off of the snowy ground.

"Now.", replied Dash.

The two of them collided fists, and began to do so again and again, in rapid succession. "Come Forth...", they began.

I've done it now..., thought Deacon Blue.

. . .

Naomi walked out of the Grunty Stables. "Holy crap.", she said as she looked towards the town square.

An ape and a turtle towered over the giant snowman.

Why do I have the feeling that someone has found the 'Ducks'?, she thought as she began running to the town's center.

. . .

Stan stepped out of the weapon shop, and saw the large animals in town square. "That doesn't look good...", he said as he began to run to the town's square.

. . .

Deacon Blue found himself staring at a pair of giant animals. One of them, an ape with white hair, and dark skin. The other, a turtle with a shell decorated in weird symbols. By now, a small crowd had formed below.

"Ready?!", shouted Dash as he retrieved a scroll from his pocket.

"You bet!", replied Excel she grabbed a scroll.

"FUSE!", they both yelled.

The air around the two summons began to swirl into an all-out tornado. When the winds subsided, there was a single figure. It was the ape, but he was wearing parts of the turtle like an armor. Deacon's attention quickly focused to its fists which seemed to be the turtle's claws being used like knuckle weapons.

The lumbering beast picked Dash and Excel up, and sat them upon its shoulders. "Yes?", its deep, resonant voice inquired.

"Kill him.", commanded Excel.

"Will do, boss!", replied the beast as it tipped its hat (which was shaped like the turtle's head).

If my guess is correct, one hit from that thing, and I'm a goner..., thought Deacon. He ran to the opposite side of the snowman's hat, and jumped off. The big ape lunged forwards, and punched the snowman in the face, destroying it. Bits and pieces of the snowman flew from the point of impact, and landed all over town. Deacon Blue bolted into an alley.

"It's been a long time...", he muttered as he used and Emperor's Soul to replenish his SP. "Okay, Wonder Wolf, time to shine!" He put his weapon onto his back, and thrust both hands onto the ground. Light shot from the ground around him. A multitude of strings burst in, and a new song had begun.

From nowhere, a huge wolf, a little taller than an elephant, skidded in front of Deacon blue, and jumped on top of a nearby roof. Its white fur emanated a warm light, its majestic, bushy tail wagged, and it's bright, blue eyes looked at Deacon Blue seemingly awaiting orders. Deacon Blue smiled as the saxophones began to play, "Hey, boy. You miss me?"

Wonder Wolf released a howl. "Don't you know it.", replied the wolf. Deacon Blue jumped onto Wonder Wolf's back, and stood there, arms crossed.

"This guy looks tough.", said the wolf as he saw the large, armored ape slowly plodding towards him. The melody began.

"Let's show them what we can do!", shouted Deacon, "Wonder Wolf, Guardian of Peace, CHARGE!" The large wolf hopped over a building, and into the town square.

"... The heck is that?!"

"COOL!"

"WHOA! I want one too!", shouted onlookers.

"WHAT?!", shouted Dash.

"Whatever that thing is, it can't be legal!", complained Excel.

"Oh, it is!", shouted Deacon Blue.

The wolf approached the large ape, and the ape threw a punch. Wonder Wolf hopped to the side to avoid it. The ape's claw was stuck in the ground.

"Wonder Wolf, get Excel!", commanded Deacon Blue. The wolf ran up the ape's occupied arm, grabbed Excel with its mouth, and jumped off of the ape's shoulder, landing behind it. Wonder Wolf proceeded to wildly shake his head with Excel in his mouth. Red numbers were flying every which way. He then tossed Excel into the air, and swallowed her whole. *Cough, cough... Ptew* Wonder Wolf spat out Excel's ghost. The ape's armor disappeared. The monkey turned around. A piano solo started.

"Wonder Wolf, close the gap!", shot Deacon Blue. The wolf ran towards the ape.

"FIRE~!", shouted Dash. The ape began to hurl energy orbs from its palms, but the wolf dodged each one as he rushed the giant ape. When Wonder Wolf got close to the ape, the ape threw a punch. The wolf dodged to the side. The ape threw another punch, and the wolf hopped onto a cabin. The refrain started. The ape threw a hook that was aimed at Deacon Blue, but Deacon ducked it, narrowly. "Let's end this!", shouted Deacon Blue. Wonder Wolf hopped backwards onto another cabin, and opened its mouth. Multi-colored orbs of light began to gather to form a large white ball of light in front of the wolf's open mouth. "NOW!", shouted Deacon Blue. A deafening howl could be heard throughout the town as the white, energy-filled orb shot through the air, and found Dash. A bright explosion illuminated the area. ELEMENTAL HIT. ELEMENTAL HIT. ELEMENTAL HIT. DEATH. Dash fell off of the monkey as it began to fade into nothingness. "Why?", he asked, weakly.

"Wonder Wolf attacks with every element, and includes a 'Death' effect.", explained Deacon, "That's why there's only one Peacemaker Mark V."

"Congrats, Deacon.", said Dash as his ghost hit the snow, and vanished.

Naomi and Stan arrived in the town square. Deacon, still standing on Wonder Wolf's back, looked down, and said, "You're just in time. We can log out, now."

Naomi and Stan looked at what remained of Minescotia's town square. The giant snowman had been destroyed, there were large craters in the ground, and the cabins' roofs were bent in the middle. "What the hell happened here?!", shouted Stan.

"Nothing much," said Deacon Blue, "just a minor scuffle." Deacon Blue hopped off of the wondrous wolf, and it disappeared. "The GM's will fix this in a few minutes." The music stopped.

They all walked to the Chaos Gate as the bits and pieces of snowman began to assemble towards the center.