Fall From Grace

Chapter 6

The operation Zero was going through was making slow progress. It had been four days already and so far they had only disconnected roughly ten percent of the Fury essence from his life data. At that rate it would take them another month to finish, providing there were no setbacks or drops in speed. He had regained consciousness once at the beginning before being stunned again, now scientists were forcing his code to remain subdued so he remained unconscious for the duration of the process.

Rika and Renamon were alternating between worrying themselves sick and figuring out ways to speed up the process. Yamaki was close to losing it with them constantly suggesting things that wouldn't work. Especially when Renamon suggested entering his mind again.

Seeing him again just one wall apart was torture knowing he was really so far away. Both females were constantly trying to get inside the room with him, but they knew they would only be in the way.

Four days became four weeks. Still progress was slow, but it had picked up in pace. The projected forty day operation would now only take thirty days, meaning two more days remained. It was probably the best news they could get given the circumstances.

Rika and Renamon were attached to the wall, gazing through the window as they impatiently waited for Zero to be returned to them. Yamaki remained as far away from them as possible, he didn't want to be seen as getting in their way when they were that desperate.

The two females waited and waited until the day came when the surgery was complete. The Fury essence was extracted and neutralized as the systems forcing Zero unconscious were disengaged, allowing him to wake up. Only he didn't.

He simply laid where he was put as everything was removed from the room, leaving him alone as he appeared to be sleeping. The wait wasn't over.

Shade scratched his muzzle again as he went over the responses from the other Sovereigns and Fanglongmon himself. All shared the same opinion as he did but all agreed that there was only one safe course of action against this threat. To recall all digimon, and their tamers should they choose to go, into the digital world and seal the two worlds apart. The gates would cease to function and any humans still in the digital world would be cut off from the real world. It was a risky and hefty solution but necessary given the magnitude of the threat. Of course if the threat was removed then there would be no need for such drastic action. Shade secretly hoped that someone could end this threat before the recall was put into action, it would no doubt upset a great number of humans.

He sighed as he sat in his chair, feeling helpless against such an issue. If he was to directly take action then it could be seen as an act of war. No, humans must intervene in human affairs and digimon in digimon affairs. Anything else risked a war neither side wished to start, they had come too far together to start breaking bonds and alliances.

But he needed to find evidence to identify those responsible and get it to humans who could do something about it, humans that wouldn't think he was trying to blame others for something. Humans he could trust. HYPNOS.

With another sigh he summoned Dorumon, preparing to send his friend to gather his trusted digimon for recon. If anyone could find out who was behind this threat then they would be the ones. Then it was just a matter of contacting HYPNOS and delivering the intelligence.

The tension in the building was so high that even Yamaki was pacing back and forth outside the cell. Zero should have woken by now, hours ago in fact. Yet he remained unconscious. If he didn't wake soon then Rika and Renamon might turn on him, blaming him for Zero's lack of life. It would be total hell if the dark fox died though.

But Zero seemed to have a habit of saving Yamaki's ass right at the last minute. First when they picked up a Blood Renamon in the digital world after two months of searching, and a second time when his eyes opened slowly within the cell.

Scientists rushed in with Rika and Renamon close behind. Even Yamaki found himself inside the room. Zero looked straight up at the ceiling even as Rika and Renamon called to him.

"Zero! Zero! It's us!"

His eyes slowly drifted down to rest on the two females. His face showed no expression, almost as if he was looking right through them. His mouth opened, dry lips parting as he formed his first words.

"I'm not Zero."

Everyone stopped. He sounded like Zero, looked like Zero even down to the marks on his neck. Yet he seemed confident that he wasn't who they thought he was.

Rika was the first to recover. "What do you mean?"

He cleared his throat. "I am a copy, the master copy to be exact. Others were made from me in that horrific room, the process of cloning was far from pleasant. Each copy was sent to the digital world but complications always arose. I may have been unresponsive within the tube but I heard and saw all that went on within that room. Each one was unruly in different ways, almost as if one trait of Zero was dominant over the others. Some were forgetful, others violent. Some were arrogant while more were jokers. Each one was affected in one way or another and when they reached the digital world all they did was find each other and destroy themselves. Three groups were made and sent, all were lost in the same manner. I was the only one to remain balanced." He coughed suddenly before resuming. "You may wonder why they simply didn't repeat what they did to create me, the answer is simple. They can't. Zero, the real Zero, is no more."

Rika and Renamon felt as if a hole was blown through their chests. Renamon gripped the black fox's arm tightly, struggling to ask one question. "H-How?"

"Zero was disassembled and loaded into a database, studied like a lab rat before they made me with his body. The process only works once. As far as I can tell he is still inside that computer, a last resort or something like that. I only know this because his memories were carried over to me, yet I know I am not your Zero." His eyes became distant. "I can remember the trouble the scientists went through to get my Fury essence back inside me, thinking they could control it. They were wrong. As soon as it was integrated with me it took over, they had to contain me to save themselves. Another reason why they didn't try to repeat ghetto process that made me." He fixed the females a serious look. "I know how you feel for Zero, don't give up. He's still onboard that ship inside the core database. You can recover him but it will take more than you two. I also suggest blowing that ship to hell, if even one member of that ship survives then Zero will never know peace. Alive or otherwise. Get him back, the existence he currently has in that system isn't life. You can retrieve him and give him his body back. Take his data to the digital world, to Fanglongmon. He will do the rest. Trust in him and Zero will return."

The Blood Renamon suddenly burst into violent coughing, flecks of data leaving his mouth. The readouts attached to him went haywire, showing a complete failure and breakdown of his digital matrix.

"They made a flaw with me... One simple flaw... I don't have more than a few seconds left... Promise me you will find him... Promise..."

Rika and Renamon didn't need convincing to find Zero. "We will find him, you have our word."

He forced a grateful smile onto his muzzle before he glowed a brilliant blue. In one instant he vapourised, fading away to the four winds. Rika and Renamon remained where they were for a few seconds before turning to Yamaki. One look was shared between them before all three marched out of the room.

A look of determination, a look of resolve. They would find Zero even if it was the last thing they did.