.hack//SIGN Fan Fiction / .hack//LIMINALITY Fan Fiction / .hack//Legend Of Twilight Bracelet Fan Fiction ❯ Episode Three: .hack//Liberty ❯ Others ( Chapter 11 )

Chapter Eleven- Others- The Real World

 

They looked at him for a split second before averting their eyes. Jeremie immediately threw his towel around his waist, his wet hair falling wildly on his chest.

“Ah, Sircosgi, no one told us you were a nudist!” One of the boys said. Jeremie recognized the voice from The World. Then again, by calling him by his character name, it SHOULD have been obvious.

“Heh, well, they didn't tell us much about you!” The other kid said to the teen. The voices clicked in his mind.

“Kite? Elk?”

“At your service.”

“Do you have aromatic grass?” Elk asked, joking around. Jeremie laughed.

“What are your real names?”

“Just call us by our character names. What do you want to be referred to as?

“Well, call me Jeremie.” Jeremie said. “It's my name now.”

“Right Jeremie.” Kite said. “Well, I'm sure you know what's going on.”

“No. WHY are you two in my room? At six thirty in the morning, nonetheless!”

“Bear didn't tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Kite laughed.

“You'll see.” Was all Elk would say. Jeremie walked over to his wardrobe and picked out some clothes. He got the red pair of karate pants that Ryo had gotten him back in the states. He put on his Elric Cloak. He pulled the towel from his hair and put it into his bathroom. He didn't bother putting his hair up. He walked back in to see Kite wearing the blue pair of the same pants that he had on. Kite was doing the hammer dance.

“Can't Touch This! Bun dun dun dun, dum bum, Can't Touch This!” Jeremie laughed then grabbed his stomach in pain.

“Guess I won't be getting much sleep tonight.” He said.

“Jet lag. Sue us.” Elk said as he stuck his tongue out.

“Okay.” Jeremie threatened. Ryo walked into the room.

“Ah, you guys have seen each other. I was wondering when you would stop bathing.”

“Tell nudist boy to wear clothes.” Kite complained.

“Excuse me!” Jeremie said, mock angry. “I didn't know I was going to entertain people tonight.” Ryo looked at the ground.

“Yeah, about that.” He laughed sheepishly. “It's a surprise party for you two. Erm, well, you see, according to your records, your birthdays are this week.” Jeremie nodded.

“I see.”

“Well, surprise!” Ryo said. Jeremie laughed.

“Well, I don't know who was more surprised, them or me.” Jeremie said. “Who else is here?”

“Anyone who asked Helba for flight arrangements.” He shook his head. “Silly hacker. She is coming as well.”

“WHAT?” Everyone else said at the same time. Ryo silenced them.

“She'll be wearing a cloak so no one can tell who she is. Remember, Cyber Hacking is a crime punishable by death, and she can't be recognized by any of us, just in case.” Jeremie froze at that.

“I had forgotten that little fact about Cyber Hacking.” Ryo looked at him.

“They have yet to execute the creator of Deadly Flash.” He said. Jeremie sighed.

“I don't want to live my life running from a crime I committed to save.”

“And you won't. They don't know who you are. Now you can build new homes, dreams and relationships. You have many friends worldwide, people who you can trust. It's never easy when you're in the hot seat, but you will look back on it and smile.” Kite nodded.

“I'm the one who helped kill Morganna. I got in trouble for `hacking' but, well, later on it doesn't escalate to as big a deal as originally thought. You just get forgotten, like we were.”

“You and Blackrose?” Jeremie said.

“You've done your homework.” Elk said. Jeremie smiled.

“Well,” Ryo said, “we need sleep. Boys, where are you going to go?”

“Well, we were going to hang with Jeremie here, but-“

“It's okay. I have enough sleep. I was going to get a snack and watch television, but now I have company.” He opened his fridge. “Grab whatever you want.”

“We might have to call in some more company.” Elk muttered upon seeing the stockpile Jeremie had.

 

Soon there were more guys in the room, all of them insisting to be referred to by their character names. They had Sora, a younger kid, Shugo, who was their age, Orca, Kite's friend and Ginkan, who was older than them by a few years. Ginkan looked at Jeremie's wounds.

“I wasn't sure how bad they were. You got a good stitch job.” He said. Jeremie smiled.

“I can't remember who did them.” Ginkan laughed.

“Well, from what I can see, it's pretty lucky you're around to remember that you can't remember.” The two of them laughed. Sora, in the meantime, had been given soda. Bad idea. At any time of day.

“BOING BOING BOING BOING BOING BOING!” He shouted as he bounced around the room. Everyone sighed.

“Let's hope he doesn't try to PK us.” Shugo said. Jeremie looked on his locked chest, where his weapons were kept. After the CC Corps fiasco, Ryo insisted that he had a manner of weapons in his room and office. Jeremie still had to look and see what he had. Orca and Kite were busy talking about something that happened back at their home. Ginkan shook his head.

“You know,” he said to Jeremie, “I never pictured you this young. I mean, well, you know what I mean. I had imagined you to be in the twenties.”

“I am. I'm twenty-one.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah. Well, there are those who act older than they are, and the vice-versa.” He looked at Ginkan. “I had always thought you were much older than you were.” Ginkan smiled.

“I try to appear that way, so Subaru can rely on me.”

“And does she?”
“On occasion.” Sora bounced into the bathroom. Jeremie sighed.

“Let me deal with him.” He said, following Sora.

“Heeheehee!” Sora cried as he squirted Jeremie's facial cream around. Jeremie put his arms underneath Sora's armpits and linked his hands behind Sora's head, binding him down. Sora cried out. Jeremie laughed. He called Elk in to turn on his sink. He wanted it cold. REALLY cold. The sink filled up, and Jeremie dunked Sora's head briefly underneath the water.

“MURDER!” Sora cried out, then sobered. Jeremie laughed.

“Feeling better?” He asked. Sora nodded. “No more sugar for you.” Jeremie walked in to see them putting on a movie.

“Ghost in the Shell? Good choice. Erm, should Sora watch this?”

“He's old enough.” Kite said.

“I think.” Shugo said.

“Let's hope.” Ginkan said.