Digimon – End Users

Episode One - Of all the roads to take

Sara Lee stomped her feet to get out the cold of the October air, or at least she tried to, she was so penned in that even reaching into her bag for a tissue was difficult. She was beginning to wish she'd never agreed to go along with Nikki to this thing. Sara and her best friend were standing outside the Empire theatre in London's Leicester Square with a horde of others. Tonight was the première of the big movie from award winning director James Caprice, tonight was In Time night, at least according to Nikki. The thing that Sara found strange was that Nikki wouldn't even be seeing the movie tonight, she'd have to wait for it's general release like everyone else. No one standing behind the metal barriers was going to see this movie tonight, and Sara suspected that many of them didn't care about the movie, or what it was called, only who was in it.

The stars had already begun arriving and the photographers had already begun taking their photographs. Those flashing lights were going to give Sara a major migraine later.

"Ooh, look, there's Jennifer James-Crowley." Said Nikki, standing on her tip toes to get a better look, which was ridiculous considering they were at the very front of the horde.

"I thought she was in that other movie, er...Gimmie a Break?" Said Sara.

"She was, it's a rom-com." Replied Nikki.

"So, is she in this one or not?"

"No, she's more the comedy type, thrillers aren't really her thing."

"Then why is she here?" Asked Sara as Jennifer James-Crowley finished posing and moved on to signing autographs.

"Sara it's how it goes." Said Nikki in an exasperated tone "You get loads of celebrities turning up for films that they're not in. How would you fill the seats otherwise?"

Sara thought that maybe you could fill the seats if you gave a ticket to every person that worked on the film, surely they deserved that?

"Haven't you ever watched one of those movie première specials on T.V?" Said Nikki.

"Think I'm always doing something else." Said Sara, who didn't know who half of the people on the red carpet were.

"Well, it's good press, to have loads of celebs turn up. The photographers and ratzi-"

"Ratzi?"

"Paparazzi, honestly Sara! Anyway, the ratzi and that take pics of the other celebs and say where they were when they were taken, were the celeb was, not the pap, and then the movie gets free advertising."

"Makes sense I guess." Said Sara, who always had a flick through of Nikki's magazines but never really got the idea. Why was it so important what a celebrities hair was like that you had to put it down on shiny paper and sell it for 45p?

Nikki gasped, but Sara knew at once it wasn't the gasp, that would be louder, and more shrill, and on a level only dogs could hear.

"It's Peter McGray!" Said Nikki, as the level of noise from the crowd increased. Peter McGray was a major hottie, or something like that, Sara had read it only last week.

"Isn't he just so...so...oh!" Said Nikki.

"Yeah, yeah, very oh." Said Sara in a vague tone as she fiddled with her mobile.

"Sara!"

"What?"

"You're not paying attention!"

"Oh, but come on Nik, you don't need me here, why'd you make me come along, you know I don't get this stuff?" Said Sara.

"I need morale support for when I meet him." Said Nikki in a nervous voice.

You're not going to meet him, he's just going to walk by! Was what Sara wanted to say, but dare not do so to Nikki. Nikki may have been a trend tracker and endless celebrity information hog but she was a really good person and had been there for Sara many a time. She and Sara had spent so little time together since Sara had started her new job that when Nikki had asked Sara if she would go to London with her she had jumped at the chance, thinking a good shopping spree was in order. Oh well, it may not be a new pair of FCUK shoes but at least they got to spend some time in each other's company.

Another limo pulled up and many a mobile was reached into the air ready to take video. The door was opened and Sara knew who'd gotten out even before she'd seen him. She put her fingers in her ears as a song of screams went up that sent the pigeons flying in fear of their lives.

Jaden Grace had arrived.

According to Nikki's mags Jaden Grace, whose name had made Sara snort with laughter when she'd first heard it, was the worlds number one star at the moment. Voted Wolds Sexiest Man for the past two years running (though Sara wondered by whom, surely they didn't vote in Afghanistan?) and the man to be seen with. If the reports were to be believed he was also quite a womaniser with a string of actresses and models left in his wake. He'd been photographed with some of the most famous and desirable women in the world and had more fans than a sahara desert hot house on barbecue and ginger bear Thursday.

Sara wondered if her ears were bleeding.

Nikki was screaming along with the rest and saying something but Sara could hear nothing but the roar of the crowd. She wondered if Jaden Grace himself was wearing earplugs and was wishing she'd brought her own. The man himself began to walk along the red carpet, obscured to Sara by many a waving arm and bellowing head. He moved along their side of the carpet and began signing autographs, which was another things that Sara didn't get, it was someone's name on a bit of paper, who cared? Nikki moved back a little, holding out her own piece of paper ready. It was only then that Sara actually saw Jaden Grace for the first time. He was glowing. To Sara's eyes his entire body was surrounded by a halo of light coloured green at the bottom and moving into a blue so dark it made those things behind it fade away.

Sara lowered her hands from protecting her ears, noise forgotten. Her heart thumped as she stared in awe and apprehension at the actor. To those around her he was the hottest man alive and the star of In Time, but to Sara he was something else; he was an End User.

Sara reached up behind her left ear and felt the glossy quartz in it's cool metal base. She played her finger over the quartz until the vision subsided and she saw Jaden Grace as everyone else did. She tried to calm herself as he approached.

How she knew that the halo of light around him meant he was an End User Sara would never be able to say. She just knew it, like she knew that ice was cold and chocolate was good.

Jaden Grace continued along the line, signing every bit of paper thrust at him, reaching Nikki and signing hers as she mumbled something or other. He took a step in Sara's direction, standing in front of her and finding no bit of paper there he simply looked up at smiled, then froze. His smile retreated in the light of what he was seeing. Sara didn't move, didn't say a word. He was an End User, and so was she, he would see an aura around her too.

Jaden Grace stared for a few moments, then blinked twice and carried moving along the line as if nothing had happened. Now THAT was acting. Sara was more than a little impressed, she was still standing there with her mouth open and he'd made it seem like a momentary brain freeze.

Autographs signed and pictures taken Jaden headed into the cinema. Sara had the distinct impression that some of the light flashes from the cameras opposite were for her benefit. Stupid ratzi! What did she care though, they would never guess the truth.

"What was that?" Said Nikki, a look of jealousy on her face.

"Er...dunno." Said Sara, sounding quite convincing.

"He stared at you!"

"Look, Nik, don't get all accusational. Maybe I remind him of his sister or something."

"He doesn't have a sister!" Said Nikki. Sara knew without looking that Nikki wasn't the only one wondering what Sara could have done to get the attention of their precious Jaden Grace.

"Then a cousin maybe." Said Sara "Or a friend from school or something. Like that guy you saw a couple of months ago who you were convinced you dated in Year 9 but it turned out not to be him."

"Oh...yeah, yeah there was that. I guess."

Phew!

"I mean, what else is it gonna be, you'd have told me if you knew him." Nikki continued, with only the hint of a question.

"Course I would, Nik, I'd have introduced you." Said Sara, linking her arm through her friends. "Still, at least you got a longer look at him than most."

"Oh he's even more gorgeous close up!" Said Nikki, back on track again "I so tried to say something but it all came out wrong."

"Never mind, we'll come back for his next movie and you can see if you can get your mouth in gear to ask him out."

Nikki laughed "Yeah, me and every other woman here."

Now that Jaden Grace had gone by the crowds were moving off and back to where they came from. Sara and Nikki had put the money in for a room in a hotel so they didn't have to go back on the tube in the dark.

"Back to our luxury hotel then, Sara?" Said Nikki.

"Ah yes, a shared room with almost no space to put your feet and a wonderful view out of the window of some bins. What more could we ask for?"


Sara sat on a bench in Hyde park. Nikki was back at their cheap hotel and had protested about Sara going out when it was getting dark, but there were lots of people still walking in the park so had relented and began composing her next blog for when she got home.

"Are you sure he was a End User?" Asked a voice that only Sara could hear.

"What else would he be?" She replied, just as silently.

"Maybe it's lurve!" The voice teased.

Sara chuckled quietly "Nikki will kill me if it is."

The last of the day's weak sun was draining away, giving birth to a premature dusk as the clouds clustered about in all directions. The shadows merged into one another to form a darkness that seemed to be spread thickly around the trees and below the benches, hiding well the creature that lurked beneath the one Sara sat on.

The winged creature below the bench was why Sara had no need to be afraid even if the shadow's were to turn to proper darkness. The creature under the bench would protect her.

"What will you do?" It asked, it's voice defiantly feminine.

Sara sighed. What would she do indeed. For months and months she had been the only known End User on the planet, sure there were others in the lower ranks and even a few Guidposts, but only one End User, until now. How long had this Jaden Grace been an End User? He could have been Jacked before Sara was. She'd kept it quiet from her friends and family, so why shouldn't a talented actor and Oscar winner be able to do the same to the world? Sara couldn't decide how to feel. She was jealous that she was no longer the only End User, but enthralled by the idea at the same time.

She felt behind her left ear, touching the Digivice there. She had quite a lot of control over it now, not like when she'd first been Jacked. She didn't even need to press many of the buttons any more, but sometimes it was nice to. She moved her finger to the metal setting and touched the menu button, flush against the base. She pressed it a few times, seeing the images come up and change in front of her eyes. No one else could see them, the signals from the Digivice somehow intercepted her normal vision and adapted it. She cycled through the menu's until she found the one she wanted.

"Watch out for me will ya?" She asked.

"No problem, Sara." Said the voice.

Sara pulled up the light blue menu in front of both eyes and set it to 100% opacity. She could select it to be seen in just one eye or to be see through, so she wasn't blinded every time she needed it, but this time the situation warranted her full attention.

Before her eyes was a list of the Ranks; End User, Interm, Guidpost, Breaker, and Maltype. There was just one listing for Maltypes, which Sara was thankful for. There were multiple listings for Interms, a few Guidposts, and many, many Breakers. So far there had never been a listing for End Users, but now there was. She used her mind to bring up the sub menu for End User's and found Jaden Grace to be listed there. Well, that was it then, the D-Crystal had identified him as and End User, there was no denying it now. His name, age, and gender were listed, these things Sara knew already from Nikki's mags, but his partner was missing, the D-Crystal couldn't identify that. There was also a picture of him in the corner, a snapshot taken from when she'd looked at him, when he'd looked up and smiled at her.

She sighed again and rubbed her temples. Those stupid flashing lights had given her a headache after all. She would have to take some painkillers, she had a job to do now.

Brining up the options for Jaden Grace, Sara sent out the Signal.


Laughter, male laughter, could be heard when the elevator doors opened. Jaden Grace was leaning against the back wall of the lift, with his PA; Jimmy Clueco, doing the same. Jaden wore a a jet black Armani suit that went nicely with his mild tan and bright blue eyes. His short, light brown hair was styled to within in inch of it's life and would take hours to get back to normal.

Two supporting actors and an assistant director said their good byes to Jaden and Jimmy as they left the elevator and headed to their rooms. The elevator doors closed and the lift continued upwards.

"So," Said Jimmy, in his trans-Atlantic accent "Was a good night then?"

"Wasn't bad." Replied Jaden.

"Didn't like the after party though I take it?"

Jaden smiled as he turned to Jimmy "It was okay, but I did just have one in Paris, so, thought I skip this time."

The elevator doors opened and Jimmy and Jaden got out and walked down the hall. Jaden was never one to want to stay in the most expensive room but he would always end up having one of the larger ones. He took out his card key and swiped it through the port in the door, opening it.

"So, what about that brunette you were eyeing up?" Said Jimmy with a grin.

"I wasn't eyeing her up, just reminded me of someone is all." Said Jaden convincingly.

"You sure?" Continued Jimmy, not ready to give up just yet "I could have always got her name and number, could have bought her back for you then-"

"Whoa there." Said Jaden "You know Christine would hang me up by my unmentionables if I had women coming back here."

"Mentionalbes, unmentionables, I think it's all the same to Christine." Said Jimmy.

"Exactly."

"Anything you need before I go?" Asked Jimmy.

Jaden shook his head "No, you go on, go back to the after party if you like."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow." Said Jaden with a smile as Jimmy walked off.

Jaden went into his hotel suit, closed the door behind him, and let the pretence drop. He leaned his head against the door as the façade he'd kept up for the two hours since he'd met that woman faded away, falling about him and disappearing.

"Is something wrong?" Asked a gender ambiguous voice from behind him.

Jaden reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out his Key. There were two parts to the thing that he'd been told was a Digivice. One part was the Key, it was made up of a circular, metal base that was moulded at the back so that it would fit behind the ear comfortably, and the quartz crystal which sat in the metal base like a diamond sat in a gold ring. For Jaden the base was a brassy blue and the crystal a vibrant green.

The second part was, worryingly, inside Jaden's head. You could get a lot done if you had the right face and paid the right people. Jaden was such a man and had been able to have a scan of his head without having to see a doctor or have the results go on his medical records. There was something inside his head. A cluster of sorts was behind his ear and functioned as a port for the Key but that cluster then spread, vine like, into his brain. It was everywhere, tendrils lighting up the scan he'd had done. The Radiologist had given Jaden the most worrying look but despite the fact that Jaden had somehow been invaded by...something, he felt fine, better than fine.

Without opening his eyes Jaden put the Key behind his right ear and felt it connect. He hated having to keep his hair short, it meant he couldn't wear the Digivice out in public, but he'd only just finished filming two weeks ago, and he'd had to keep it the right length for the movie.

"What happened?" Asked the voice.

Jaden turned to the brown ball like creature on the coffee table. The creature was spherical with four darker brown stripes than moved horizontally around his head from near his eyes to under his tail, though to describe it as a tail wasn't entirely accurate as it was more of a large stump. The creature also had little horns that were moulded around his head before sticking up. Jaden walked over and sat on one of the plush sofa's, heaving a great sigh and letting his head fall back.

"I saw someone today, Natamon." He said.

Natamon lightly bounced onto Jaden's lap. "You see a lot of people."

"This one was different."

"Why."

"An aura. She had an aura, I could see it."

Natamon gasped "You're psychic? You've suddenly become a psychic?"

Jaden chuckled "No you nut. It wasn't about me, well, not really, it was about her."

"I don't understand."

Jaden shifted his position, slouching down and getting comfortable. He reached behind his ear and felt for the menu button. He pressed, pulling up the green menu in front of his eyes, until he reached a page which had always before been blank.

"End User." He said.

"A what?" Said Natamon.

"She's here, in the Ranks menu, under End User."

"You said the Ranks menu was blank."

"It was, now it's not, now she's here." Jaden replied, pressing another button on the Digivice and bringing up her information. He made an annoyed noise and forced himself to get up, dislodging Natamon. He moved around the back of one of the sofa chairs and pushed it towards the large plasma screen. Sitting down in the chair he touched one hand to his Digivice, and the other to the T.V. The information on his Digivice appeared on screen. Natamon bounced over and sat on the top of the chair.

"Is that her?"

"Yeah," Said Jaden "Lemmie pull up her info."

He pressed the button again and the information on the woman was displayed.

"Well that wasn't exactly worth it, it only has her gender displayed." Said Natamon.

"Guess it can't tell me her name."

"Where'd you get the picture?" Asked Natamon, referring to the image in the corner.

"That...that was when I looked at her." Said Jaden, looking at the pictures of the woman looked wide eyed and shocked.

"Oh," Said Natamon "So it's like with Digimon then?"

"It would seem so, but what's an End User?"

"What's a Breaker, what's a Maltype? We don't know any of these."

"Yeah, but those are all empty. Why is-"

Jaden was cut short as the screen changed without him doing anything. A flashing icon and a message were displayed.

"'Incoming data from...question mark, type, End User, accept, decline?'" Read Natamon aloud.

Jaden touched his finger to his Digivice and clicked on 'Accept.' Another screen came up, this time showing a flashing dot with three question marks above it and another dot with Jaden Grace written above it.

"Ooh, it's a map!" Said Natamon.

"To what though?"


Jaden took the path that lead around the Oriental and into Hyde Park. He hated walking and using the Digivice at the same time but he couldn't rightly find whatever it was without the map now displayed in front of his eyes. Of course he could have put the information to his mobile, but walking around staring at that would make him a target. Not that he was particularly worried with Natamon around, but the Digimon currently resided in his zipped up back pack and it would take him a minute to get out.

It had taken Jaden twenty minutes to get out of the Oriental unseen. Sometimes he felt like a prisoner, no matter where he went. It was dark now, the sun having dipped well below the horizon giving way to night. He didn't really like the idea of being in Hyde park at night but he had to find out what that signal was.

He moved past some trees into an open area by the lake, as he did so the dot on the map he was tracing disappeared.

"Crap!" He hissed, reaching up to play with the Digivices settings.

"Leave it." Came a voice, floating on the wind.

Jaden slowly put his hand down and turned. He could see no one, nothing. He would have liked to say that the moonlight scattered off the water as the wind rustled in the trees but the lake was dull and flat and no such thing happened.

"Who are you?" He called in a voice which seemed to echo about him.

Footsteps fell lightly on the path, a figure emerged from the tree line and approached him. This was stupid, this was really stupid! Here he was, out in Hyde park at night, completely exposed and all because he'd followed a stupid dot!

The figure came close enough for him to make out who it was. He could still not see any detail, but the aura was unmistakeable.

"You." He said.

"Hello, Jaden Grace." Said Sara. "You er...might want to mess with you Digivices settings a bit, get rid of the aura you can see, it'll be a bit distracting."

Jaden didn't move. How'd she know about the Digivice?

"It's alright." she said "I've got one too, I saw your aura, you're an End User, like me."

"What's an End User, who are you?" Demanded Jaden.

"My name is Sara, Sara Lee." Said Sara "Yes, I know, named after a desert."

Jaden's lips had curled into a smile at the name but he quickly regained his demeanour.

"And what's an End User?" He asked, knowing now that more information would be added to his data on his woman.

"There will be plenty of time for that later. Now, I presume your partner is in that bag of yours, yes?"

Jaden's breath caught. She knew, she knew Natamon was in there!

"Let him out, if you would, it's got to be stuffy in that bag." She said.

Jaden slowly took the bag off his back and put it on the floor. He opened it up, allowing Natamon to bounce out.

"Interesting." Said Sara, after a moment "His name?"

"I'm Natamon." Said Natamon, looking over Sara carefully.

"Very good, and this is Lymon." Said Sara as another shape approached, this time it floated down to the floor where it glowed slightly, allowing Jaden to see it better. It was a chibi pixie creature with light beige skin and huge purple eyes. It had four twinkling pink wings and bubblegum pink hair. The small creature wore a little blue dress with a belt at the waist and a pointed hat to match. It's feet were an odd shape and seemed to have built in heels. It didn't look that much bigger than Natamon.

"Y-you have one too? A Digimon?" Said Jaden.

"And a Digivice, yes, it is what defines us as End Users."

"You never said what that was." Said Jaden, staring down at the twinkling little Digimon...was she wearing a hat?

"No, I didn't." Said Sara "Because it will be easier just to show you."

"Show me? Show me what?"

"Show us what you have Jaden Grace and Natamon." Said Sara, taking a few steps back.

"Blister Sparks!" Said Lymon as a series of twinkly sparkles, like fireworks, were let loose from her body, straight at Natamon.

Natamon cried out and jumped away.

"What are you doing?!" Cried Jaden.

No answer.

"Blister Sparks!" Said Lymon, again shooting the twinkling sparks at Natamon.

Natamon jumped into the air and "Brazen Bites!" He said, showering Lymon in brown shards. Lymon took the hit then came back with her own "Blister Sparks!"

Jaden had backed off after failing to grab Natamon out of the air. Before one eye, and half transparent, came an image of Lymon as well as the information on her. It said she was a Vaccine Type and classified as a Wicked Wisp Digimon, and what did In-Training mean? Jaden had little time to wonder as another shot came from Lymon's hands as she flew over Natamon, hitting him straight on.

Natamon cried out, what was he supposed to do against someone who could fly? He didn't even have legs!

"Natamon, go for her wings!" Shouted Jaden, suddenly spotting an opening.

"Brazen Bites!" Said Natamon, throwing the brown shards from his mouth straight up at Lymon's wings. She was hit hard and her wings rendered useless. She fell and hit the ground with a painful sounding thud.

"Very good." Said Sara "But let's see how you do against this."

In the light from Lymon's Blister Sparks Jaden, half crouching to avoid getting hit, saw Sara reach behind one ear with the opposite hand. From it she pulled a misty and stippled string of light, coloured pale blue. Her hands moved over the light, changing it's appearance.

"Lymon!" She said, reaching behind her ear again "Digivolve!"

"Lymon! Digivolve to...!" Said Lymon as her body was engulfed by the light that Sara had pulled from behind her ear and the little Digimon was lifted into the air in a glowing bubble. Her form was warped, changed, and the bubble broke. Another creature, about five feet tall, holding a staff and looking almost like a human girl landed on the ground. She looked like a more elaborate version of her other self with beige skin and large purple eyes. She had long blue hair and a slightly lighter blue jacket which was fitted at her torso but big and cape-like at her legs. She wore a baby blue skirt over a pink leotard and the sleeves of her shirt were slightly baggy and woven in a loose mesh to end with large pink cuffs. On her head she wore a pink witch-like hat with large purple sections to it and her mint blue staff matched her mint blue leg plates which sat over her calves. Her feet had chunky toes and were shoe-less apart from pink heels. Her staff had a purple crystal ball in it's tip from which protruded a mint blue crook. All down the shaft of the staff were two twirling plates, one in blue and one in pink that wrapped around each other.

"Magemon!" It said with a flourish.

"What the-" Said Jaden and Natamon together.

Magemon pointed her sceptre at Natamon.

"Gliding Ray." She said, causing a wave of rippling light to burst from her sceptre and over Natamon, blowing him backwards.

"No!" Cried Jaden, running after him.

He found Natamon by the base of a tree, slightly beaten looking, a few twigs raining down.

"Are you alright!?" Jaden said.

"I...I think so." Said Natamon in a trembling voice. "I thought she would kill me, Jaden, I think she could have."

Jaden picked him up and turned around. Sara was there, close enough for him to see properly since earlier that day. The creature that had been Lymon was standing behind her. Sara held up her hands.

"It's alright. It's fine, no more okay? You both did really well, just think of it as an initiation, okay?"

"Initiation into what!?" Said Jaden angrily, clutching Natamon to him.

"Police." Sara said, looking behind Jaden, confusing the actor until he turned and saw the blue flashing lights. She moved away and began jogging along the path, away from the approaching cop car "They'll have seen the commotion, come on."


Jaden didn't want to follow her, she had just attacked his best friend after all. He was tempted to run the other way and for a moment didn't know what to do. Regardless he couldn't stay where he was and risk getting questioned by the police. What would they do if they saw Natamon? Grudgingly and with much trepidation, he followed Sara.

The night air was cool and the water of the lake made no noise save for the occasional fish biting at something near the surface with a delicate 'splish'. It was dark in this part of the park, with few of the street lights nearby and none of their light quite reaching the spot where Sara and Magemon sat on a grassy bank. Jaden jogged to a halt nearby.

"I'm sorry about that." Said Sara when he approached "It was necessary."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean." Said Jaden in a dangerous tone, keeping his distance and holding Natamon in his arms, he had no intention of letting him fight again and would take the hits himself if need be.

"Have you ever heard of Dia?" Asked Sara.

"What?!"

"Dia, D.D.I.A? No, didn't think so. Few people will have. It stands for Digital and Data Interception Agency. It's a secret government agency fronted by Mithro Sciences."

Jaden frowned. He'd heard of Mithro Sciences "They do tests on animals and stuff."

"They do tests on Digimon." Said Sara.

Jaden said nothing. This woman had just finished giving his friend a butt kicking and now she was speaking to him like they were just having a casual conversation.

"Do you remember that explosion, the chemical one? The one that happened in Colorado, it was on the news everywhere?"

"Of course." Snapped Jaden "A chemical plant exploded, produced a big cloud of chemicals and everyone for miles had to be inoculated."

"What you heard was a lie." Said Sara, then paused, not really knowing how to continue. In the time that she'd worked for DIA she'd never had to go through this to anyone, it had never been her job, she was also put off slightly by the thought that he was an End User. Should she be talking to him like this, like he didn't know anything? Then again he really didn't look as if he knew anything about Digimon, he'd probably never even seen the Source. Of course having a Digimon partner would make many a person try to find out more about them. This was difficult.

"What really happened," continued Magemon, seeing Sara struggle "Is that a lab that was experimenting on Digital lifeforms was overrun by those lifeforms. The explosion was intentional, a self destruct system most of the workers didn't even know about, to protect the secret of what they were doing there."

"You expect me to believe that?" Said Jaden hotly "Who the hell are you people and why did you attack us?.

"If you told your family that you were friends with a bouncing, talking head, would they believe you?" Said Sara, ignoring the question for now..

Jaden opened his mouth to speak, then grunted and closed it again.

"As I was saying." Said Magemon primly, sitting with her legs crossed, back straight, and hands clasped neatly in her lap "The explosion was intentional, the effects were not. Normal explosions are not intrinsically harmful to Digital life, so it was rigged with computer viruses as well as normal explosives, the combination of these had unexpected side effects."

"The Digimon were destroyed, as hoped." Said Sara, frowning slightly at the thought of so much loss of life, both Digital and DNA based "But their data was not. There is currently no known way to permanently delete a Digimon, you can only return them to a data state."

"The chemical cloud you mentioned was actually a data cloud, made up of the Digimon killed during the explosion then blown away on the wind." Said Magemon "It was proof of what was going on and the US government stepped in. They found that exposure to the cloud could cause...abnormalities in humans. They quickly developed a 'cure' for the inhalation of the cloud."

"Medicine, a tablet, or pill for our friends from across the Atlantic, was distributed to those that would be affected by the cloud. All of this happened very quickly and most of the people around there didn't suspect a thing." Said Sara "The medicine itself was designed to gather up the data in the body and have it pass out harmlessly as waste water, meaning urine. The trial worked well and no one was reported sick. So, in light of the whole incident, the US government set up an agency, which, after gathering many partners and forming close ties with other countries, eventually became the D.D.I.A. Of course, no one really thought there would be a long term need for it. Natamon there is proof they were wrong."

"Why are you telling me all this!?" Said Jaden. He couldn't take all this. It was one thing to be, what Natamon called, a Digidestined, but it was another to have this weird girl and her mon attack him and then come up with this stupid story to justify it. Not that he'd heard any justification for what they'd done so far. Though, despite what he told himself, he wasn't leaving and going back to the hotel. He could easily avoid the cops if he walked a certain way back but this woman had piqued his curiosity. Besides this Lymon or Magemon or whatever she was called was the first friendly Digimon he'd seen besides Natamon, well...friendlier.

"Just listen." Said Sara patiently "This relates directly to you."

"No, I won't listen, you listen." Said Jaden, feeling his head starting to pound. "Why. Did. You. Attack. Us?" He said, emphasising every word.

Sara gave a sigh "I am sorry, but first of all Natamon is fine, isn't he? Digimon heal fast so you don't need to worry about that, second, the reason we did it was to test you, to find out what you know. Okay, sure." She said quickly, forestalling whatever Jaden had been about to say "We could have asked, sat you both down and given you a questionnaire, but that would not only have taken longer but not given us as much information."

"About the both of you." Said Magemon "It's important for us to understand you, know your limitation, strengths and weaknesses."

Jaden glared. If he'd been hearing this conversation as an outsider then perhaps he could have agreed with the two of them, but they'd just hurt Natamon and doing so, then making excuses for it, made Jaden's blood boil. Sara and Magemon looked at each other for a moment. Though neither shrank back from the man's stare both understood how he felt.

"Okay, we get that your angry." Said Magemon "That's fine, your allowed to be angry, but please also listen, listen and try to take in what we say."

"It's important." Said Sara.

Jaden was quiet for a moment then said "Talk then."

"Right, okay," Said Sara "Like I said, there is no known way to destroy the data that comes from a deleted Digimon. Remember, this data was coming out of people's bodies as waste water, where was it going then?"

"I dunno, a processing plant." Said Jaden with a shrug.

"Precisely." Said Magemon "A processing plant that had no process to remove the data, or even a way to detect it. When the water was cleaned it was pumped back out into the oceans, along with the data."

Jaden looked at them suspiciously, not wanting to believe a word they said. "So...you're saying all...this data, is out there in the ocean? So what?"

"It wouldn't stay in the ocean." Said Natamon.

"What?" Said Jaden, looking down at the monster in his arms.

"The ocean becomes rain, rain becomes lakes and rivers and then becomes the ocean again." The small monster said, then; "What? I saw it on the Discovery Channel."

"Natamon is correct, this is the stuff we all learned in school, but it's a simplistic version of the truth. What do you think happens to all that water that rains down on towns and cities? From what we're told it all goes into rivers and stuff, but have you ever seen that? Loads of mini rivers going into one big one? Why, even here, we have the Thames, but I don't see a million little rivers running into it every time it rains."

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't" Said Jaden "It goes into sewers and stuff."

"You're not following the process through Jaden. Think about this! When it rains outside the average home on the outskirts of London, rains on their driveway and patio, where does that water go?" Said Sara, it was a small mental leap but one he needed to get if he was going to understand his situation.

"I don't know, do I! I guess it must evaporate or something!" Shouted Jaden.

Sara smiled.

"What?"

"It evaporates. Water that came from the ocean, that contains indestructible data evaporates, releasing that data into the air. All over the world Jaden."

"So people all over the world are breathing in data?" Said Natamon, a fast thinker despite his appearance, and certainly faster than his partner.

Sara nodded "All over the world, yes. So far it only seems to affect homosapians, there has never been a report of an affect on any other species, animal or plant."

"And...how does it affect people?" Asked Jaden, fearing he knew the answer.

Sara reached up behind her ear and removed her Key, holding it out. Jaden shook his head in disbelief.

"No, that can't be it!"

"How do you think you got it? You just woke up one morning with it, didn't you. It was just there one day. How did you think that happened?"

"I-I don't know." Said Jaden. It was something he had wondered about for a while but had, over time, seemed irrelevant. He knew it worked and knew that it meant he had a connection to Natamon, what else mattered? Besides, he had thought there was some big reason for him to have one, not just a stupid little coincidence brought on by people's pee!

"When the cure was given to those who were vulnerable to the original infection, it was to prevent quite awful abnormalities occurring, but when the cure went through their bodies it changed the data. First of all it seems to have made it so that it only affects humans, second, it has changed it so that it only affects certain people. We don't understand much of it, but it would appear that the data is able to blend with certain DNA strands, producing this result. Though why it would we have no idea."

Jaden was silent for a moment then shook his head again "I don't see why I have to care about this. This is something that has happened to me and I've accepted it, why should I bother with how it affects anybody else?"

"You are an End User."

"What does that mean!?" Said Jaden, getting frustrated with how he kept asking the same question without getting an answer.

Sara sighed. "There are five Ranks; End User, Interm, Guidpost, Breaker, and Maltype."

"I know that! I've seen it, you're listed under End User, it was blank before."

"As it was for me." Said Sara with an almost sad smile. "End Users are those who have D-Crystals and Digimon partners, like you and I."

"D-Crystal?"

"The name we gave to the Digivice." Said Sara, holding hers up then putting it back behind her ear "I have listings for all the other types, but until today I didn't have a listing for End User. You are Digidestined, Jaden."

"Natamon said that." Said Jaden, looking down at his friend who smiled up at him "but he couldn't tell me what it meant."

"That's another thing we don't understand; how Digimon have knowledge of these things without ever being told, but a Digidestined is basically and End User; one who is destined to save the Digital World, and in turn, the Real World."

"Save the world?" Said Jaden with a mocking chuckle "Like using different light bulbs, my house is already completely solar powered so I think I've done my bit."

Sara smiled, then sighed, standing up "It's difficult to explain, it would be easier to show you."

"Show me how?" Said Jaden as he backed of a little, worried that another butt kicking was in order.

"There is a Dia base in this city, we can go there tomorrow."

"Can't, I'm flying to Italy tomorrow, got a flight booked first thing."

Sara looked worried. She checked her watch, it read 10:37.

"Blast! I've gotta get back to my hotel, my friend is waiting, she'll be worried if I don't get back." Sara said as Magemon stood, then Magemon became yellow light and shrank, sparkles floating away from her, and she was Lymon again.

"How did she do that?" Said Jaden, wondering if Natamon could do the same.

Lymon flew up and landed on Sara's shoulder as she walked away. Jaden sighed and turned to leave.

"Jaden." Said Sara. Jaden turned, Sara wasn't facing him. "I've not told anyone about you yet, but...it's my job to do so. I have to report any digital or data based activity and must especially report the existence of those who have D-Crystals. More than anything we need more End Users."

"What will you do?" Said Jaden after a moment, realising that she felt torn.

Sara was quiet for a moment, then "I don't know. Just be careful, Jaden, you're more vulnerable than you realise."

To Be Continued...