[Disclaimer: I still don't own digimon. Would ya' believe it? No, I'm not making money off this. You get the picture.
Speaking of pictures, the ones from this series can be viewed at http://www.angelfire.com/anime3/mnemx9/Arek.html as usual. When new pics come up, I'll put a =____= around his/her name, just because I'm a nice guy. In case you haven't already figured it out, this fic is actually the second in an epic series. You don't have to read part one of the series if you don't want to, but it'd probably make more sense if you started by Reading The White DigiEgg. You should know that I plan to put up new sections to the story at least once a week, usually on Sunday. I'm trying to increase my production, but sometimes it's hard to find the time. Of course, if you're the forgetful type, you can always join my new mailing list. Simply leave your email address in a review, and I'll email you every time a new chapter comes up. Now then, I feel I've wasted enough of everyone's time. Let us begin…]
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Digimon: Legends
The Crest of Corruption
Hey, this is Tai! The past few weeks have been pretty quiet for us DigiDestined. Matt and I have been taking it easy, recovering from the injuries we received in the big battle against Protomon. All the others though have been hard at work, scouring the Digital World for Jack and Stormdramon without much luck. Mimi, Willis and Michael all went back to New York, so they can't go looking much without D-3s. Oh by the way, TK and Kari have been out on a couple dates and they seem to be having a lot of fun. Davis is, as you would expect, pretty jealous whenever he sees them together. I should be pretty happy, but I've had an uneasy feeling lately.
Day 21
"What do you think, Stormdramon?" asked Jack. "It looks like this place is pretty damaged."
"Well," replied Stormdramon. "This is probably our best chance at finding a way home."
All around the pair lay an endless desert. A thin layer of clouds overhead revealed the glowing red light of the approaching dawn in the east. The desert winds had long since calmed, and all was perfectly still. Before them lay what appeared to be nothing more than a large mound of sand, probably twenty feet high at its greatest, yet nearly a mile in diameter. Closer inspection though had revealed a structure hidden beneath the sand. The exterior had been made out of a local red stone, but Jack and Stormdramon knew not to be deceived by external appearances. Based on what they had been able to gather, the technology to return home awaited them inside. They had located what seemed to be the main entrance, but a cave-in had blocked it. Several tons of stone covered the ancient door, preventing any entry.
"Would you care to do the honors?" asked Jack.
"Gladly," said Stormdramon, charging an electric field around himself.
When Stormdramon's energy was fully charged, he released a bolt of electricity in his Raging Storm attack, quickly peeling away the first few layers of rubble.
"Well, it's a start," said Jack.
"Don't worry," said Stormdramon. "I'll get us through soon enough."
"As long as we don't have to sit through anther day in the sun," said Jack.
"Well if SOMEONE hadn't eaten the last of the beef jerky, I might have enough energy to digivolve and get us in that much faster," huffed Stormdramon.
"Alright, alright," said Jack. "Point taken. I'll tell you what. The sooner you get us in, the sooner we can get back to our own world, and the sooner you can eat. Sound fair?"
"Deal," said Stormdramon as he charged up his attack again.
After about five or six more shots, Stormdramon finally blasted through the rubble. Coughing from the thick dust and sand, Jack quickly made his way forward to the door. The door was at the back of a small alcove. The stone overhang was only a few inches over Jack's head, so he had to crouch slightly. As for the door itself, it appeared to be made of iron. Years of wear-and-tear had clearly taken their toll on it, but the door remained intact, albeit with signs of aging. There was no visible handle and a very heavy lock built into the door ensured that it wasn't going anywhere.
"This looks like it could be a problem," said Jack, bending over to examine the lock.
The lock was made up of several thick interlocking teeth. Judging by the level of security that was clearly observable, there was also likely to be a backup mechanism; probably a series of retractable metal bars attaching the door to the frame. Jack tapped the door twice with his knuckles, listening closely at the sound.
"Definitely trouble," said Jack. "That door must be nearly a foot thick."
"I can handle that thing, no problem," said Stormdramon, coming up behind Jack.
"There's a big difference between blowing up a few rocks and getting through a solid foot of iron," said Jack. "There's got to be an easier way."
"Well I'm not searching this whole place for a back door which may or may not exist," said Stormdramon. "I say we find a way in through this one."
"Easier said than done," said Jack.
"It'll be a piece of cake," said Stormdramon, leaning against the wall next to the door.
Suddenly, a square panel measuring roughly a square foot across that Stormdramon was leaning against began to glow with a blue light. Stormdramon immediately fell back in surprise, causing Jack to chuckle a bit. The light slowly faded as Jack began to wipe the dust and dirt away from the panel. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be some type of electronic screen.
"What is it?" asked Stormdramon nervously.
"Some kind of scanning device I bet," said Jack. "Maybe like a hand-print identifier. Hard to believe you'd find that kind of technology way out here. Something tells me this place wasn't built by digimon."
"And what is THAT supposed to mean?" asked Stormdramon in an offended tone.
"Oh just relax," said Jack. "I didn't mean anything by it. Wait a second… I have an idea."
Jack pressed his hand against the panel and waited several seconds, but nothing happened.
"Strange," said Jack. "I would've figured it would have some kind of reaction. Hey Stormdramon, you try again."
"Alright," said Stormdramon.
He cautiously placed his hand on the panel, which immediately turned blue again.
"Seems to me that it must only react to digimon," said Jack.
"Maybe this place was built by digimon after all," said Stormdramon. "Particularly, digimon that didn't want humans to come barging in."
"Very funny," said Jack.
Suddenly, they both heard a whirring noise behind the door. Metallic scraping and a series of clicks followed. Then the vacuum seal on the door was broken and the door slid open on its own. The glow beneath Stormdramon's hand faded.
"I guess we're supposed to go inside now," said Jack.
"Yeah, I guess," said Stormdramon.
The two nervously approached the open door. It led immediately to a long staircase heading down into an incredibly dark hallway. The pair stared down into the blackness inside, having to adjust there eyes after travelling through the desert for a couple of days in search of this place.
"After you," said Jack, swallowing.
"Oh no, I really think you should go first," said Stormdramon.
"You're supposed to be protecting me," said Jack.
"I'll flip ya' for it," said Stormdramon.
"We've been lost in the Digital World for fifteen days," said Jack. "We've been chased, starved, nearly drowned, almost eaten by a Seadramon, and got one step too close to an Okuwamon who is definitely not a morning person. What are the odds that I have any change on me?"
"Fine," said Stormdramon. "We'll go together."
"Right…" said Jack. "Together."
Very nervously, the pair slowly made their way down a flight of metal stairs into a long, dark hallway. Everything was made of metal and seemed to have a slightly bluish sheen to it. It was quite warm, and the air was very dry and stale, probably recycled. They could both smell a hint of ozone. The hallways were fairly narrow, and all had a few metal doors placed along them at seemingly random intervals. Their eyes were already beginning to adjust and the two of them could tell that the technology used in this place was quite impressive, but not advanced enough to prevent it from falling into disrepair. However, in addition to the damage done by aging, it looked as though this place had seen some action. Metal walls had been torn away, revealing the wiring underneath. There were scorches and dents every so often. There were pieces of broken equipment strewn about the place. Some of the doors had been blown open, and some of the hallways had even collapsed.
The place was a huge subterranean labyrinth in which all the halls looked the same. Most of the doors were either locked or jammed shut. There were even occasional machine-type digimon like Datamon and Mekanorimon to be found, but all had been deactivated long ago.
"So," said Jack. "This is where the digivices were created. It looks so run-down."
"I think I've been here before," said Stormdramon, rubbing his head. "Yes, it was a very long time ago, before I met you. It's hard to remember. I… I think I had been through a really bad fight. I… I can't remember too well."
"It's alright," said Jack comfortingly. "Just think it through and tell me what you do remember."
"I… I remember hearing Gennai's voice," said Stormdramon. "He said something about the digivices and other DigiEggs. Then he put me on a shelf with two other eggs. He said that they were going to send the three of us into the real world."
"Why?" asked Jack.
"I'm not sure," replied Stormdramon. "I couldn't quite make out what he said. Keep in mind that it was eight years ago. My memory isn't THAT great."
"What happened next?" asked Jack.
"I… I think they said something about a search," said Stormdramon. "Yes… that's it. They were searching for someone… DigiDestined! Yeah, that's right, they were searching for DigiDestined."
"Anything else?" asked Jack.
"Just three words," said Stormdramon. "New York, Colorado, and Japan."
"I think I get it," said Jack. "Eight years ago, three DigiEggs appeared in the real world. They were Willis' digimon, the Greymon that turned up in Japan, and you. Why didn't you ever mention this before?"
"I didn't remember," said Stormdramon. "I guess this place jogged my memory."
"Anything else?" asked Jack. "This could be really helpful."
"I…I…!" suddenly Stormdramon fell forward, gripping his head tight. "It hurts! Get it out! Why… why can't I…?!"
"Shh…" hushed Jack, trying to calm his friend down with by placing his hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, it's alright. You did good. Just calm down."
The pain left Stormdramon's eyes, but he was still sweating and breathing heavily.
"I'm okay," croaked Stormdramon.
"You sure?" asked Jack.
"Positive," said Stormdramon, returning to his feet.
"Alright then," said Jack. "We'd better keep looking."
The two of them continued to search the strange facility, moving deeper and deeper in as their quest for something useful. After nearly an hour of wandering through long hallways, empty warehouses, cluttered workshops, and the occasional break room, they eventually came to a large door. Upon opening it, the pair discovered what looked like the command center. It was dark, but they could make out computer-covered walls, as well as a large, circular console in the very center of the room, fully equipped with a chair and cup-holder. On the far wall was a large window that looked down onto a huge central room where assorted junk had laid undisturbed for years. Jack sat down at the main console, looking it up and down.
"Man, Izzy would have a heyday in this place," said Jack. "I wonder if any of this stuff still works.
"Only one way to find out," said Stormdramon, quickly tapping a large button on the side of the console.
Several seconds passed. Slowly, the computer whirred to life. All the keys and monitors on it were suddenly illuminated with a bluish light around the edges.
"That's more like it!" said Jack, cracking his knuckles. "It's about time we had some light."
"Speaking of light, I'm gonna' check for a switch," said Stormdramon. "There's got to be one around here somewhere…"
As Stormdramon felt along the wall, Jack began to type fervently at the keyboard. Several minutes passed before Stormdramon finally came across something.
"Aha!" said Stormdramon. "I've got it!"
He quickly flicked the switch up. A single, white overhead light brightened, but quickly fizzled out.
"Ah crap," said Stormdramon. "You'd think that with all this technology, they could come up with a better light-bulb."
"Hey Stormdramon, check this out," said Jack. "It looks like there are hundreds of mechanical digimon here, and they're all linked to the main computer. We have everything from Datamon, to Mekanorimon, to Guardromon, to an entire armory full of Tankmon."
"Great," said Stormdramon. "And this helps us how?"
"Just a minute," said Jack, returning to his work. "It says that the main generators are down. Most of the repair bays and workshops are unsalvageable, and those that aren't need both power and repair work."
"What else?" asked Stormdramon.
"Hmm…" muttered Jack. "According to this, the base was abandoned when it fell under heavy attack from some guy named Piedmon."
"That would be the leader of the Dark Masters," said Stormdramon. "You really should pay more attention."
"Anyway," said Jack. "If we plan on using this place to repair my digivice we should probably expect to get our hands a little dirty repairing the equipment that we need to fix it."
"Fantastic," said Stormdramon sedately. "Last time I checked, neither of us was a mechanic. Is there any useful information you can provide, or should I start looking for the exit right away?"
"Hold your horses," said Jack. "I'm not as dumb as you seem to think. I already have a plan."
"And that would be…?" asked Stormdramon.
"Simple," said Jack confidently. "I just use the base email system. I can send a message to the others and tell them exactly where we are. You and I can be back in the real world by dinner time."
"Then what're you waiting for?" asked Stormdramon. "Get typing!"
"Hold on a minute," said Jack. "It looks like someone has mail. I'd better check it out…"
Jack quickly opened the email marked "Hello!". The message read as follows:
"Greetings, young one. I know exactly who you are and what you are doing here. I know you even better than you know yourself. With this thought in mind, I have a question for you. Have you ever considered your true potential; your true purpose? Do you realize that you are meant to be part of a much greater plan? Well I will show you just how much of a role you have to play. The time approaches, and I will not be denied!"
"What the hell is this?" asked Jack, leaning forward on the console.
Without warning, a bundle of wires burst from the console and coiled around Jack's wrist, holding him tight. He immediately tried to pull away, but the wires holding him seemed almost alive, and were not about to let go. Stormdramon quickly turned to help his friend, but he too found himself seized by a thick bundle of wires, which seemed to spring from the wall. They slithered around his neck, pulling him back against the wall and threatening to crush his windpipe.
"Stormdramon!" shouted Jack, immediately going for his digivice.
More wires burst from the console, binding Jack's arm to his side just out of reach of his digivice. More wires appeared out of the floor, holding his feet firmly in place. Stormdramon tried to free himself, but more and more wires continued to overtake him by the second.
"Jack!" shouted Stormdramon.
Soon, they were both overtaken and unable to fight back. Everything went dark.