It had felt like years since they'd left the Digital World, and the depression had not worn off. Anna was browsing the Internet, Ruby and Rose in the lab with her, one throwing a rubber ball at the wall, the other reading.
Gem had gone with Alice and Cathy for ice cream with Amber, Michael and John had gone with Mikey to a comic convention, and Crystal had stayed behind as the other woman went shopping and Don, Leo, and Raph had gone to April's.
"…I miss 'em…" Rose muttered, looking downhearted, when Anna sat up straight in her chair.
"G-Gennai?! TENTO!!!"
The two girls shot up, and Rose called in her sister.
"Hello! Where are the others?"
"Out…AGUMON!!"
"GABUMON!!!"
"PATAMON!!!"
"No time for greetings! Something is affecting the Internet!"
"I know…a virus on the Internet…and it's tracking something…" Anna answered, frustration melting away in her eyes.
Anna went on another computer, trying to find out what the virus was.
"A D-Digiegg?!"
"WHAT?!"
"The virus is making it grow abnormally fast! I think it's gonna hatch!"
And so it did, showing a single red eye. A small window opened, a single word there.
'Hello'.
Anna went on her Digimon Analyzer, looking focused.
"My Digimon Analyzer doesn't even recognize it…I think its part Digimon, part virus…"
Anna looked surprised.
"That's what that e-mail was talking about! A kid from Japan told me if this little guy stays on the Internet, it'll wipe out all technology as we know it!"
They looked at the screen, and Anna gasped.
"It Digivolved!"
Everyone was on edge as another e-mail came from the Digimon.
'I'm hungry'.
It looked like Pac man on the screen, and everyone looked at Anna's wide eyes.
"He's eating computer data!! This is bad!! REALLY bad!!"
Anna connected all the computers, even her laptop, for more freedom within one, when she found it had Digivolved again.
"He's Digivolving faster than that Koromon we first met!!"
Crystal looked determined.
"Let's fight it, then!! Digivices?"
Rose smirked.
"None of us leaves our beds without 'em!"
"I'll send Agumon and Tentomon first, but it may take a while."
"Just speed it up! At this rate, he'll be fully Digivolved by the time the others get back!!"
Little did they know that someone else with a computer noticed what was going on…
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"Don, what's up?" Leo questioned, seeing the nearly panicked look on his brother's face.
"It's a Digimon!!"
"WHAT?!"
Both of his brother's crowded around the laptop, and saw the Digimon.
"Does this mean…?"
"Anna's probably found it by now…"
Don looked worried now.
"They've got another big fight on their hands…"
They saw it Digivolve to Rookie, and marveled.
"It doesn't USUALLY do that so fast, right?" Raph questioned a bit nervously.
"No. It takes a while for a Digimon to naturally Digivolve…at least, that's what Anna told me…"
They all looked worried, even Casey and April.
"I hope they'll be okay…"
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"Let's do this, then!"
Ruby looked determined, looking at her own screen, waiting for Agumon.
'Come on, buddy…don't fail me now…'
"They're online!"
Ruby never felt happier.
"GET HIM, AGUMON!!"
"FRY HIM, TENTO!!"
The attacks struck home, but they didn't defeat the virus Digimon.
"Another e-mail…"
Anna opened it.
'So you like to play games, huh?'
"I don't feel good about this…" Ruby admitted.
"Both of you Digivolve." Anna advised.
Ruby felt a sense of tranquility when she heard the next words.
"Agumon, Digivolve to…GREYMON!!"
"Tentomon, Digivolve to…KABUTERIMON!!"
The virus Digimon shot at them, though the dodged, and Kabuterimon shot right back.
"YES!! GET HIM, KABUTERIMON!!"
A Nova Blast found its mark, and Ruby smiled.
"AWESOME!!"
"Wait, something's happening!!"
The Digimon Digivolved again, and was dodging all of their attempts.
'Please hang in there, buddy…please…'
Even the combined attacks had no effect, and Ruby felt a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Greymon…"
They were shot down, and Ruby panicked.
"GREYMON!!! GREYMON, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"
"He passed the Champion level! He's an Ultimate now!!" Anna surmised, looking worriedly at her Digimon.
"Let's Digivolve again!!"
As the Digimon obeyed, the virus one moved faster, hitting them before they had time to finish, and Dedigivolved to Rookie as the virus Ultimate got away through an exit.
"Agumon, are you okay? Say something!"
"Don't take me out, coach…"
"Tento!!"
"I'm fine, just one question…who's Tentomon?"
Anna shook her head slightly at the joke, before turning to another computer.
"We're getting e-mails from all over the world! Here's one from that kid in Japan!"
'I'm sorry, Anna. This is all my fault. Find a way to slow him down.'
"What does he mean by that?" Rose questioned defensively, glaring at the screen.
"I don't know…hey, an e-mail from that Digimon!"
"Why does it keep saying 'Hello' over and over again?" Rose asked.
"He's at the telephone company! If we lose our phone connection, we're finished! It's our only connection to the Internet!"
Anna froze.
"No…"
"Anna…" Crystal sounded concerned.
"Connection…terminated…"
Anna started searching around in earnest, looking determined to find something.
"Yes!! My satellite uplink!! How I missed you!!"
Anna connected it quickly, knowing the gravity of the situation and the panic rising in her cousins.
"Connect, damn it!! CONNECT!!"
Anna was losing her patience, worried as she was, when it finally connected.
"YES!!! FINALLY!!!"
She started searching for the Digimon, finding he left the phone company, when an e-mail came.
'I'm close to him.'
"What does that mean?! Rose questioned.
"He's in Japan!!"
Rose smacked a hand on the desk.
"I'M TIRED OF THIS!! GET GENNAI TO UPLOAD GABUMON AND PATAMON!!"
Anna nodded mutely, doing just that. The four Digimon met up, and Crystal smiled, hearing Patamon's voice.
"PATAMON!!"
"GABUMON!!"
"Save hello's for later! Stay focused, guys!! This Digimon's dangerous!!"
They found him, and he chuckled darkly.
"Wipe that grin off his face, Gabumon!! Digivolve!!"
"You too, buddy!!"
"Gabumon, Warp-Digivolve to…METALGARURUMON!!"
"Agumon, Warp-Digivolve to…WARGREYMON!!"
As they beat on him, Crystal ordered Patamon to Digivolve.
"Patamon, Digivolve to…-!!"
The Digimon Digivolved to Diaboromon, using Cable Crusher and stopping Patamon from Digivolving. All Crystal needed to hear was the cry of pain.
"PATAMON!!!"
Tentomon went to save him, but was knocked back as well.
"TENTO!!!"
Crystal panicked.
"Its okay, Patamon!! I'm coming!! I promised!!"
Rose looked sympathetic.
"Sis…you can't…"
Her eyes hardened as Metalgarurumon charged.
"But YOU can!!!"
As the two Mega's pummeled him, they noticed they were slowing down.
"NO!! NOT NOW!!"
Ruby closed her eyes, feeling tears as Diaboromon started pummeling them.
"WARGREYMON!!!"
She watched as they were beaten senseless, armor cracked, movements slow, no strength left.
"No…"
"'Your Digimon's a loser. How could two Mega level Digimon get beat by a bug? Wargreymon quit like a coward-.'"
"NO HE DIDN'T!!!" Ruby raged, glaring at her cousin.
"It's an e-mail!" Anna defended.
"Stupid e-mails…stupid viruses…stupid Diaboromon…"
Ruby was sounding like Rose at the moment, but she didn't give a damn.
Wargreymon was hurt! Her best friend, her heart, her savior, was beaten down.
"Another e-mail!"
Anna clicked it open.
'Who can count backwards from ten?'
"A lot of people can…"
A timer started, showing ten minutes, and it started going down as Diaboromon multiplied.
"Oh shit…" Rose muttered.
"Where are the other's when you need them?!"
"Oh God…we just fired two nuclear missiles! I mean, the U.S.A did…Diaboromon's in the Pentagon's computer system!!"
Anna looked panicked, worry in her eyes as she looked around.
"A missile is heading for Japan!!"
"What about the other one?" Crystal asked worriedly.
"One sec…"
Anna looked focused, concerned, when dread crossed her features.
"No…"
"Anna…" Ruby stated worriedly.
"The other missile…it's heading…right above us…"
"What do you mean by that?!" Rose nearly shouted.
"It's gonna hit the neighborhood right above us!! Both missiles will land in less than ten minutes!!"
"Just GREAT!!! Just F$#ING GREAT!!!" Rose whined, slapping the desk.
"Th-There are over 75,000 Diaboromon and counting…"
Ruby looked at her screen, defeated.
'What now?'
"If we can destroy the original, maybe the rest will disappear!"
"But there are thousands!!" Crystal argued.
"Ruby…"
Ruby jolted up.
"Wargreymon!!"
"Have faith…I'll find the original…"
"Wargreymon…"
"I-I'll help you…" Metalgarurumon agreed, moving.
"Metalgarurumon…"
"They're so slow…it's because of all the e-mails!! They're slowing down our Digimon's processing speed!!"
She tried stopping them as the Mega Digimon raced to face off against Diaboromon.
'Please…be careful, buddy…'
'Don't get yourself killed…'
"No…"
The Digimon were in a spherical room, the walls crawling with Diaboromon, and both girls felt worry try to rip their hearts out.
The Diaboromon started firing, and they dodged the best they could…but it wasn't good enough…
The Digimon looked unconscious, beaten…defeated…
"Wargreymon…"
Ruby was near tears, feeling them about to escape.
"M-Metalgarurumon…"
The tears were in Rose's voice, if not on her cheeks, but she was pretty damn close to breaking down.
'There has to be SOMETHING I can do…anything…I wish I could help him…hold him…tell him everything will be okay…'
Ruby was unconsciously reaching to touch the screen.
'Metalgarurumon…I wish…Oh, I wish I could give you strength…I want to help…I feel useless again…please…I just want to help…'
"Ruby? Rose?"
Anna looked around.
"Where'd they go?"
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"Is that Ruby?!"
"ROSE?!"
Leo and Raph seemed surprised to suddenly see their eldest daughters on the screen.
"They loved their Digimon so much…they became digital…"
Don looked concerned.
"I hope it's enough…"
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"Wargreymon…"
Ruby hugged her Digimon tight, crying silently.
"It's okay…everything will be okay…just wake up…just wake up…"
"Metalgarurumon…"
Rose hugged him around the neck, letting the tears escape.
"Come on…wake up…it's no time for a nap…"
She buried her face in his metal.
"I'm right here…"
Ruby looked lost, seeing his eyes hadn't opened.
"There are so many people…they're looking to us…they need us to do this…just know you're not alone…I'll be right here beside you…I'd never dream of leaving…"
She looked up at him.
"Please…just wake up…there are so many kids…they believe in us…feel their hope! Feel their strength!"
He coughed before his eyes glowed yellow.
"I feel them."
They were encased in an egg made from the e-mails, and they moved away from their Digimon as they started transforming…Digivolving…
Energy from the e-mails strengthened them, and everyone watching looked wide-eyed at the scene before them. The egg started falling away, and Anna's eyes widened.
"Part Wargreymon…"
"Part Metalgarurumon…"
"They Digivolved together…and became…"
The egg disappeared.
"OMNIMON!!"
Ruby was on the shoulder with Wargreymon's head as a hand, and Rose was on the other. The Diaboromon started firing again.
"Transcendent Sword!!"
Omnimon deflected each and every one back at a whole wall of Diaboromon, destroying them.
"YES!!! GET 'EM, OMNIMON!!!"
"Supreme Cannon!!"
Omnimon was destroying Diaboromon like it was nothing, and Rose smiled.
"YES!!!"
"GREAT SHOT, OMNIMON!!"
Soon, there was only one left…the original…
"Get him, guys!! We're running out of time!!" Anna panicked.
"Then let's finish him!!" Rose ordered, but the Digimon was too fast to keep track of.
"One minute to go!" Crystal stated, worry filling her misty eyes.
Ruby looked at the screen with Anna's face.
"DO SOMETHING!!! SLOW HIM DOWN!!!"
Anna was struck by an idea.
"If I foreword him the e-mails…yes!! Come on, guys! Keep sending 'em!"
Anna was typing as quickly as her fingers and hands allowed, panic gripping her heart. When Diaboromon slowed down, Anna grinned in triumph.
"GET HIM, GUYS!! WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME!!"
"You heard the girl, Omnimon!! Get him!!"
Anna looked panicked at the clock.
"TEN SECONDS LEFT!!"
Omnimon dove in, his Wargreymon sword at the ready.
"FIVE!!! FOUR!!! THREE!!!"
Anna closed her eyes in prayer.
"TWO!!! ONE!!!!!"
She opened her eyes to see Omnimon's sword had struck at the last possible second, going straight through Diaboromon's head. Anna smiled.
"YES!!! WE DID IT AGAIN!!!"
That's when the phone rang, just as Ruby and Rose got back.
"Hello?"
"Anna."
"Oh…h-hi, dad…"
Everyone tensed.
"I was on the Internet for a while…know what I saw?"
"U-Um…no?"
"…The Digimon…again…"
"…Are you mad? Because we almost by a nuclear missile and all…"
"BY A WHAT?!"
"Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…"
"Anna…"
Her father had that 'You better tell me or no computer for a YEAR!' tone, and she obliged.
She explained everything…EVERYTHING…she even tried to explain the things she didn't understand herself!!
Ruby and Rose helped out, wrestling the phone playfully between them, though Crystal added in her own thoughts. After a while, the door opened, and Anna looked outside to see everyone come in, with Don in front with Leo and Raph, and smiled sheepishly.
"Oh…hey, everybody…"
"Are you all CRAZY!?!" Raph exploded.
"WE JUST SAVED YOUR ASSES!! DON'T GIVE ME THAT!!!" Rose shot right back, feeling irritated and tired.
"WHOA!!"
Amber got between father and daughter.
"NO FIGHTING!!! SIT!!"
They both backed down, but Raph seemed slightly embarrassed, looking away, as Leo stepped forward.
"Dad…" Ruby greeted respectfully, but she seemed defensive.
"Hun…"
He hugged her tight, and her eyes widened.
"I didn't think it would hurt so much…to see how broken you looked…"
She felt tears in her eyes.
"Wargreymon…"
"…I'm sorry I didn't notice earlier…"
"…It's not your fault…"
Rose looked at the scene with soft eyes, fighting the tears as she clenched her fists.
"Rose…"
She looked up with watery eyes, and surprise made her freeze as her father hugged her.
"Sorry…I just…didn't know how to say it…it hurt…worse than anything I've ever felt before…I…I never thought I'd need to worry about you…I guess…I need to worry MORE…"
"Dad…"
"Just to see that broken look on your face…to see how you clung to him like a lifeline…I'm sorry I wasn't there…"
"…It's okay…it wouldn't have changed anything…"
She hugged him back.
"I'm just glad it's over…"