Digimon Re:Link, Episode 05 : "Puppet Master"
As of late, the situation I've been thrown into has been escalating more and more. The danger has become that much more apparent to me since watching Greymon being taken control of by this unknown enemy we've been facing. And that's not even getting to the fact that I'm apparently in possession of a supposedly legendary Digivice, meaning that this enemy is keeping tabs on me and has painted a bullseye on my back. Frankly, the thought that they would have known about this before I did is disturbing.
Maybe that's why they've been targeting the Digital World's British Region. Because I'm here. And without DemiGreymon fighting by my side, I'm all but defenseless. Either that or my anxiety's getting the better of me and I'm thinking too much about everything. Surely, there's more to their motives than just me and a small object that I'm holding?
I've been out of action for a couple of days since that battle at the Interminal, but apparently they - whoever this other "they" are - are getting closer to solving the mystery behind this threat, thanks to something that was left behind after my brother's Growlmon saved the day. A black, screw-like object - currently codenamed a "Dark Drill" - was removed from Greymon's chest, freeing him from their control. The weird thing about this was that I vaguely remember seeing the object during the battle, but not against any other Digimon we've faced.
That got me wondering. Where does it actually go? Did my Greymon's weird evolution glitch prevent that from happening, or were they deliberately leaving behind a clue for us? Either way, it's a step towards uncovering their identity. That's all well and good, but I'd also like to know who the unknown entity I'm working alongside is supposed to be. Why are the good guys being so bloody secretive?
I happened to bring it up in conversation with Thoma - apparently now my teammate - as I was discussing the matter with him over a phone call. I had to ask him, who are you working for? And why won't they tell me anything? Also, where did you get my number...?
"That's classified information."
...Seriously? I am fully aware of the existence of Digimon, have been to the Digital World numerous times, and was involved in a top secret, real world mission with the aim of preventing a giant walking tangerine from trampling all over a retail complex. On top of that, I've been made completely aware of other past, real world incidents involving Digimon, at least one of which was a large scale assault on Tokyo - freakin' Tokyo, the largest metropolitan area in the world - that have apparently been 'covered up'. How much more classified can you get?
"I'm sorry. That's classified information."
GAWD.
"What I can tell you, however, is that we now have a better idea of who our enemy is. It seems that an organisation of hackers is behind the recent incidents."
So much for that stuff about super enhanced security that's supposed to stop them from getting in. Then again, the act of hacking itself has become increasingly complex in the real world, so this shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Sure, it's downright scary what they're capable of, but even the most advanced security measures can only last for so long without a hole being found.
"Origin unknown, location unknown, and yet they are exclusively targeting the British Region. We currently have no way of knowing what their motives are."
"Well, I found out the other day that my Digivice is apparently key to the fate of the Digital World, whatever that means. I've been under attack basically every time I've been there, and one real world incident happened right near where I live. Would you happen to know anything about that?"
"... No."
Not even classified information? Actually, he hesitated before answering that. Hm.
"But you do propose an interesting theory. If what you say is true, perhaps you are their target. We can't know for certain. What I can tell you, however, is that we have captured an image of someone working for them. Based on the limited information available, they appear to be a key figure from your past."
"From my past? Care to fill me in?"
"You'll find out for yourself soon enough."
In other words, someone out there is out to get me. Either that or I'm being paranoid.
"There's been some unusual activity towards the southeast coast of the Region, so it's best that we investigate. Make sure you and your brother are ready in one hour."
"OK, gotcha."
A key figure from my past, huh? Presumably, it was safe to assume that there was a common link to Digimon. The first and only person that came to mind was that old friend who I used to write those terrible fanfics with. But enslaving the inhabitants of the Digital World would be way out of character for him, so I immediately ruled him out.
But if it's not him, who else could it possibly be? Guess I'll find out later.
Before I knew it, my phone was ringing again. A foreign number. +81, I wondered what country that belonged to.
"Hello?"
"Oh! Hi, Ste-kun! How are you today?"
I didn't immediately recognise the voice over the phone; but there's only one person in the world who calls me by that nickname.
"…Sora? Is that you?" Your long-distance bill will be enormous! Also, how did you get my number…?
"Yes, it's me! Sorry, I hope I haven't called at a bad time. I just wanted to check up on you!"
"Oh okay. Well, I'm doing fine, I guess. Just found out what's going on over there. I was told about some hackers or something."
"So they were behind the attack the other day?"
"Yup."
"I see… That reminds me, how is DemiGreymon? Is he okay?"
"Oh, well… he's still a bit shaken, after that happened."
At the time, he was just quietly sitting in the Digivice for those couple of days. He wasn't saying much. I wondered if he was too afraid to go back. Not that I'd blame him.
"I've seen it happen with my friends' partners before… but, they made it through in the end! I'm sure you will too. Stay strong, and look out for each other, okay?"
"Will do!"
"Anyway, I'd better get going now. I'm packing my things as we speak."
"Oh, really? So you're moving over soon then?"
"Tomorrow."
…
What.
"Moshi moshi? Ste-kun? Are you still there?"
"Oh, sorry… well, uh, let me know if you need a hand with anything when you get here. I'll show you around town, too."
"No, it's okay, really. Don't force yourself to-"
"I mean… I somehow feel as if it's my fault you're having to come all the way over here in the first place. It's the least I can do."
"… Well, okay. I'll let you know."
"Okay, I'll speak to you soon!"
And then she hung up.
… Huh. Not even a "Seeya." Was it something I said? Or is that another cultural difference?
Well, better not dwell on it too much.
Still… tomorrow? Seems like they've had to rush her schedule because of what's happening on the other side. You'd think that, for all of twelve seconds it takes for her and Piyomon to get here, they would be able to lift that lockdown briefly to let them in, especially if it's that important for them to be here. It just seems unfair to have her go right out of her way for the Digital World's sake. That's an incredibly tall order for one person. Is there really nobody else who could help out instead? I don't know who or what is running that place, but they're raising so many questions that it's not even funny.
I looked into the Digivice screen to see that DemiGreymon had half-eaten a piece of meat. That was unusual for him, though it was easy to tell why.
"You okay, mate?" I asked him.
"… Yeah, I'll be fine."
"Look, I'm sorry about the other day. I promise you, I won't let it happen again."
"No… don't blame yourself. It's my fault. I should have been more careful."
He glared at me, with a look of determination in his eyes, "I won't let it happen again."
A little while later, we'd arrived by the Interminal, where we previously left off. Took a lot of work getting Georgie here, he really wasn't interested in being dragged along today but he caved in in the end.
"Hey there," Thoma was already waiting for us, with Gaomon by his side.
"At least someone's eager," I noted his presence, as it looked like he and his partner had been waiting a while.
"Who's this?" Georgie asked.
Right, I should introduce you guys to each other.
"Georgie, this is Thoma H. Norstein."
"Good morning," the blonde haired boy greeted my sibling.
"Thoma, this is my brother Georgie."
"Alright Tom! How's it goin', mate?" my brother went to shake his hand.
"Please, call me Thoma," he accepted the handshake.
Georgie glanced at me, as if to say "What's his problem?" And I responded with a brief, apologetic shrug.
Thoma then reminded us why we were here today.
"As I informed you earlier, there's apparently been some Hacker activity originating from the southeast coast," he held his Digivice out, as it projected a holographic map of the region. Hm. I wonder if mine can do that?
"So we're just calling them Hackers then?" I asked, mostly curious about the capitalisation.
"Unless you're willing to share any alternative code names we can use."
Well, I had a colourful selection of choice phrases in mind. Mostly consisting of expletives. None of which are particularly appropriate for whoever's reading this.
"Nah, that works. They're doing exactly what it says on the tin, after all."
"Anyway, they appear to have been active in this particular area recently. No one knows what they're doing there as the town has long been deserted, even before they showed up."
"Wait, so… nobody lives there?" My brother asked.
"Precisely."
"Then why would they be hangin' around there?"
"It's possible that they've established a base at this location. However, their activity has been minimal at most. It's an unusual location, considering the fact that they're at the Region's edge. The entire British Region is on lockdown, so they can't simply leave from there."
"Hang on. So they're basically floating around doing nothing?" I asked.
"That appears to be the case."
Thoma noticed as I rolled my eyes and let out a huff.
"Something wrong?"
"It's a trap. And it's me they want."
"And what brought you to that conclusion?"
Oh, I don't know. Everything I've been through so far.
But again, maybe I'm being paranoid. I can't help it.
"Still, you may be right," Thoma nodded, "Perhaps once you're there, they will act, and we will learn of their intentions."
You mean to tell me I'm the sacrificial lamb?
"Of course not. If we're taking that into account, your safety is a high priority."
And yet, I'm essentially being sent to the front line. How does that work? My brother was noticeably frowning as he shared my sentiment.
"If we are to learn more about the Hackers and what they're up to, then we have no choice but to take the bait. However, in doing so we in turn will lure them out. We'll use the opportunity to collect valuable data, and strike if necessary."
Somehow I don't see that ending well considering two of us here haven't been in this game for very long, buuut he seems to know what he's talking about so it's probably best to follow his game plan.
With a click of his fingers, Thoma lit his hand up in a blue flame of Digisoul, "We don't have much time, so we'll travel by the fastest means we have available." He touched the top of his Digivice, and his dog-like partner Digimon was encapsulated by a glowing, egg-shaped sphere of light.
As the evolution sequence was being triggered, Georgie decided to have a quick word with me;
"Don't let 'im push you around," he whispered, through gritted teeth.
"I know, I know," I replied.
"Gaomon, shinka! GAOGAMON!" Standing in place of Gaomon was… well, a bigger version of Gaomon. Only he was now on all fours. He still had the boxing gloves but his claws had torn through them. Gone was the headband, instead he appeared to be wearing some kind of hardened, red scarf thing with claws at the ends. Always good to have an extra set of hands, I guess.
The three of us climbed aboard the blue dog-like Digimon, who was stoic and yet raring to go.
"Steven, I'd advise you to hold onto your hat," Thoma instructed.
Hm, I guess he does have a sense of humour.
"Gaogamon, let's go."
"Yes, master!"
Within seconds, Gaogamon was dashing at full pelt as he carried us on his back. He was going crazy fast. My Dad doesn't even go this mad when driving in a hurry!
We were more or less following the nearby river as that led to our target location on the coast. But I don't recall much of the scenery as it all went past us like a blur. Or maybe I didn't pay much attention to it as it was already similar enough to what I knew at home.
What I did notice up ahead at one point was a group of Digimon trying to calm down a Tyrannomon, a big, red T-Rex - hence the name - with green spines running along his back. He had that familiar red glow in his eyes as his presumed friends surrounding him were trying, without much luck, to make peace with him. As I glanced up at the sky I noticed the also-familiar floating rectangles, in which peoples' faces could be seen. One in particular was looking utterly hopeless as his Digimon had been taken by a Dark Drill.
"Shouldn't we help them?" I asked.
"No, ignore them. We must proceed to our objective," Thoma replied, "For all we know this could be a ploy by the Hackers with the intention of slowing us down. If these game players know how to resolve the situation, I'm sure they'll-"
"Sod that!" Georgie held out his Digivice, as Guilmon materialised from it, ready to attack.
"Pyro Sphere!" The little dragon's voice echoed as he shot a fireball at Tyrannomon's chest. The other Digimon surrounding him stepped aside, avoiding the attack and clearing a path for Guilmon. The possessed Tyrannomon was slow to react as Guilmon quickly pounced at the larger dinosaur, swiping at his chest and destroying the Dark Drill. The other Digimon watched in astonishment as the T-Rex collapsed, freed from his spell in the blink of an eye.
"Nice one, mate!" Georgie congratulated his partner as he quickly recalled him to his Digivice.
"Phew… that was close, he almost didn't make it!" Guilmon sighed in relief.
"Hm," Thoma had no comment.
Wait… almost didn't make it? What did he mean by that?
Also, what was the deal with those gamers back there? What were they even doing there? Has there been any information shared about the Dark Drills at all? Surely they would have locked the players out too, at least for the safety of their Digimon? Or at least a lengthy period of 'maintenance' until we're done with this mess? Anything?
"If you're wondering about them," Thoma apparently read my mind, noticing as I glanced back at the Digimon we'd sped past, "there was a warning issued to the game users. This Region is on lockdown, so they shouldn't have even been able to gain access. Also, the Digital World is currently inaccessible to players in Great Britain. It's likely that they were able to access the 'game' or this Region via a loophole, like a proxy server. Either that or the players remained logged in to ensure that they can continue playing."
The security here is terrible.
"I completely agree. But given the sudden nature of these events, it cannot be helped."
Still, I wonder what would have happened had we left them alone. Guilmon's words were on loop in my head. What did he mean? What price would Tyrannomon and his tamer have paid, had we not intervened?
…Also, why haven't they been invited along for our mission? A few extra tamers and Digimon would have gone a long way. But no.
I looked into my Digivice screen to check up on DemiGreymon. I got the impression that he got the gist of what we just saw, assuming he didn't somehow see it himself. We made eye contact, and he glared at me again with that same look of determination in his eyes. He gave me a nod. He was ready, for anything and everything. I think.
A little while later, we'd finally arrived at our destination. It was pretty much how Thoma described it to us earlier: a dilapidated ghost town on the coast. The beach was even littered with wreckages of small boats. Since most seafaring Digimon tend to swim, I wondered what the boats were doing there to begin with. Either way, it was an eerie sight. Not helping was the bright red glow of some kind of force field going all around the coast, illuminating the area.
"We're here, but there's no sign of their presence," Thoma noted, looking at the radar on his Digivice.
"You sure we got the right place?" I looked at the radar on mine, "I mean, it looks like a dump, but…"
"What's all that red?" Georgie asked.
"That's a Firewall," Thoma explained, "An impenetrable barrier that's been activated all around the edge of the British Region, locking anything and everything in and out."
I looked out to the sea, watching as the waves crashed into the outside of the barrier, which glowed brightly as each wave hit. The water on the inside was static. It was a bit surreal, but at this rate nothing here was going to surprise me anymore.
Well, so I thought.
"I'm detecting something ahead," Thoma was looking at a purple blip that appeared on his radar, "That's likely them, but…"
But what?
By the looks of it, Thoma wasn't sure what to make of the situation. I looked at my own radar and the signal appeared to be coming from the beach, at most about a hundred yards away. But nothing was there.
We watched and waited. An eerie silence filled the area as we were all on edge, keeping our eyes peeled.
And then before we knew it, a portal appeared. Out of it stepped a young man, wearing some kind of goofy looking trench coat. He also donned a ridiculous pair of gold-trimmed sunglasses. It was almost like he was attempting to cosplay the Digimon Emperor. Maybe he'd have nailed the look had it not been for his frizzy ginger hair -
…Wait.
Oh dear God, no. I recognised this person. And I really wished I hadn't. Why did it have to be him, of all people? I thought I was done with this guy forever. And yet here he was, back to haunt me yet again. Georgie watched in surprise as I began trembling in anger, a side of me he's rarely seen. I felt a sudden rush of adrenaline as the very sight of this person almost instantly filled me with anger and dread. I tried to calm myself down as an outburst here would achieve nothing. Meanwhile, Thoma was glued to his Digivice screen, as he noticed something completely different that caught him off guard.
DemiGreymon materialised out of the Digivice, standing in front of me to protect me from the scumbag who stood before us.
"Steven," DemiGreymon snarled, furiously, "I know him."
The young man stared at us, with a smug grin on his ugly mug. The portal behind him opened wider as a larger figure appeared from other side. Out of it stepped a Monzaemon: a giant, yellow teddy bear with red eyes, a zipper on its back, and a pair of plasters forming an X shape on its white belly. Some kind of dark energy was locking its arms like a pair of handcuffs. No resistance. No attempt to break free whatsoever. It was almost like this Digimon had its soul sucked out. I mean, it was kind of a creepy and lifeless looking Digimon to begin with, but it had noticeably given up on living altogether.
If my history with this person was anything to go by, there was a very specific reason he picked a Monzaemon, of all things. But I'll fill you in on that when this fight's over and done with.
Oh, and for the record: this person was definitely not that old friend of mine.
The guy continued to smirk as he opened the palm of his hand, revealing a black, needle-like object. The thing we were calling a Dark Drill. The only reason we saw the tiny object from that distance is because it was glowing in a red aura, as it slowly hovered into the air from his hand, now aiming at the Monzaemon standing behind him.
Guilmon materialised out of Georgie's Digivice. He was now in a fighting stance, irises narrowed, snarling, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Just like the other day against Airdramon.
"D-Did we get any info on how that thing works?" I asked Thoma.
"Like other tools in the past, it's used to take control of the Digimon... that much is obvious," Thoma watched the scene, noticeably angered at the sight, "but you may have noticed that the Dark Drill specifically targets the chest area."
DemiGreymon cringed as he was reminded of what happened before. I glanced at Thoma, dreading what he was about to tell me next.
"That's where the DigiCore is located."
The what?
"It contains a Digimon's primary data and their memories. In fact, it's their very life force and their core essence."
"You mean…"
"It's our soul," DemiGreymon finished the sentence, as the glowing Dark Drill shot into Monzaemon's chest in a split second.
As the small object drilled into the torso of the giant teddy bear, it was only now trying to resist its capture. It collapsed to the ground, thrashing about as it struggled to regain control of itself. As this was happening, the boy retreated back into the portal, which then disappeared.
"Gaogamon!" Thoma ordered his partner, "There isn't much time, hurry!"
"Yes, master!" without hesitation, the blue dog-like monster pounced into battle.
"Steven! Georgie! Evolve your partners, now!"
We were already a step ahead as we charged our Digisoul energy, my hand lit up in a red flame and my brother's a golden yellow flame, and then transferred it to our Digivices.
"Guilmon, Digivolve to… GROWLMON!" the red dragon-like Digimon charged towards the bear.
"DemiGreymon, Digivolve to… GREYMON!" the helmeted T-Rex soon followed.
"Gaogamon, Greymon, restrain him! Growlmon, attack the chest!"
Monzaemon was struggling even before our Digimon pounced on him. He stood back up to try and attack the Dark Drill in his chest by aimlessly throwing his arms about, without any success as they were still handcuffed by the energy barrier in front of him. Greymon and Gaogamon pinned the bear down as Growlmon charged the blades on his arms, attempting several swipes at the chest area, each one bouncing off the energy barrier locking Monzaemon's arms in place.
"Can't… break… through!" Growlmon snarled as he continued to attack, none of his attempts any more successful than the last.
"…What? No…" Thoma watched his Digivice screen, "This… this can't be…!"
Our Digimon continued their efforts as Monzaemon let out a final roar. One last burst of strength broke his arms free from the handcuffs.
"Alright!" Growlmon saw the opportunity, "PLASMA BLA-"
"Everyone, fall back! Now!"
"What the-?!" Growlmon noticed a sudden change in Monzaemon. It's eyes now had that all-too-familiar, faint red glow in them. Along with Greymon and Gaogamon, the dragon did as instructed and retreated, back to where we were standing.
"What're you thinking of, mate?!" Georgie gave Thoma an earful, "We had a perfect chance to-"
"Monzaemon is dead."
"…What? Dead?" I asked, confused, "What do you mean he's dead? He's still standing right there!"
Thoma gave me an uncharacteristic look of dread, "His DigiCore has been deleted. Permanently."
Our Digimon glanced at Thoma, horrified by the news. Even Gaogamon, who was normally as stoic as they come, was taken aback.
"…Wait, w-what does that mean?" I asked, nervously.
"Normally when a Digimon dies, its Core is able to return to a safe zone where it can be reborn again. However, the Dark Drill has destroyed and effectively replaced Monzaemon's DigiCore altogether," he clenched his fist, "It's ingenious… and yet, inhumane."
"Bloody hell," Georgie took the words straight out of my mouth.
I thought back to that battle with Airdramon the other day. I was reminded of that dead, soulless look in its eyes. As I connected the dots, it was no wonder we were seeing exactly the same thing with Monzaemon. To think the same thing could've happened with that Tyrannomon we saw earlier. Or even my own partner Greymon the other day.
"Your orders, master?" Gaogamon urged his tamer, as the giant monster teddy bear slowly approached.
"I'm afraid we have no choice but to destroy it. Be wary of the fact that this is still an Ultimate level Digimon we're up against. We'll need to hit hard and heavy with brute force attacks-"
"Got it!" Growlmon snarled, charging straight back at Monzaemon at full pelt.
"No, wait! Growlmon! Fall back!" Thoma called out, "You're at a huge disadvantage by yourself!"
"PYRO BLASTER!" Growlmon spewed out a red hot flame, which basically did nothing to the teddy bear. Its paw glowed brightly, before swinging and smashing into Growlmon at full force, sending him tumbling way back to where we were.
"You idiot!" Georgie ran to his partner's aid as Growlmon reverted back to Guilmon. Welp, there goes our anti-virus specialist.
"Uuugghh… my bad," Guilmon apologised before fainting.
"Damn it. Our options now are limited," Thoma turned to me, "I have another attack plan in mind, but if this fails, then I will evolve Gaogamon further to match Monzaemon's power level."
Wait, you can do that? And more importantly, why haven't you done it already?
"The evolution process is much more straining than you'd think… trust me, you'll find out for yourself soon enough. But that's not important right now."
Yes it bloody well is!
"For now our Digimon will combine their attack power and hit Monzaemon with everything they've got."
"Just like that one time, master?" Gaogamon asked.
"Exactly."
"Uh, okay," I turned to Greymon, "I don't know what exactly he's planning, but get ready for it."
"Way ahead of you!" Greymon was already cooking up a flame in his mouth.
"SPIRAL BLOW!" Gaogamon blew a powerful tornado from his mouth.
"Greymon, shoot your flame into that!" Thoma instructed him.
"NOVA FLAME!" Greymon shot out a stream of fire, which merged with Gaogamon's attack to form this huge, flaming tornado. Monzaemon shielded itself with its arms before being struck by the raging whirlwind of fire, which exploded on impact as the bear disappeared into a cloud of smoke.
It looked like a clear victory for us, but I couldn't help but be pessimistic in this scenario. All too often I've seen the trope in anime where the enemy vanishes in a huge cloud of smoke after being shot at by a missile or something, and then the smoke clears and there's barely a scratch on them-
…Aaaand that's basically what happened here. Monzaemon's arms glowed as he swung them both to clear the smoke away. Looks like our attack damaged him to an extent, but…
"Still not good enough… but we've got to keep trying." Thoma began charging his Digisoul again, this time engulfing his whole body in a blue flame. Gaogamon snarled as he was prepared to up his game.
I turned to Greymon, "Gaogamon's gonna be a sitting duck. Keep the teddy distracted!"
"You got it!" Greymon charged ahead to protect our ally, shooting fireballs at Monzaemon, who still appeared to be unphased by the blasts.
Thoma watched carefully, as he aimed his Digivice at Gaogamon. Out shot a powerful beam of light, engulfing the dog in a bigger, egg-shaped sphere of energy.
As Greymon ran in for melee attack, he… well, pretty much repeated Growlmon's mistake earlier. He was brushed aside as Monzaemon prepared its next attack, generating and then shooting a giant blue heart shaped projectile in Gaogamon's direction. Hang on wait, no! You can't do that, you cheating bastard!
"Gaogamon, chou shin-kAAARRRRGGHHH!" We learned that hard way that Digivolution wasn't a free action as the heart thing penetrated the sphere, exploding from within. Gaogamon fell to the ground, and had instead reverted to his prior form.
"No…" Thoma watched in frustration.
Greymon was on his own now, and we were all out of options. Well, I suppose I could try and make him evolve further. But I wouldn't know how to do that. Maybe Thoma's right. Maybe it is too much of a strain to suddenly pull off all by myself. Of course he'd know, as he's clearly been in this game much longer than I have.
No. I can't accept this. I have to try. I can't let that guy who haunted me so much in the past beat me this time. I charge the Digisoul in my hand, creating the same old red flame. But it's not nearly powerful enough, nothing like what engulfed Thoma only a moment ago.
I've got to keep trying. And yet, no matter how hard I try I just… can't. It's like something's holding me back, restraining me like a metaphorical ball and chain. I couldn't even take advantage of my adrenaline rush to make more Digisoul appear. What am I doing wrong? I watched helplessly as Greymon backed away from the bear that was slowly approaching him. Luckily he still had some fight left in him after he was effortlessly smacked aside a moment ago.
Next bit took me by surprise; the giant bear leapt up way high in the air. Was he now going to finish Greymon off from above? We just couldn't compare to that kind of speed and power.
I kept trying, and trying, and trying to charge my Digisoul more. I could see the flame slowly increasing in size as it made its way up my arm. Maybe this'll be the miracle that will end this fight in our favour.
But it wasn't.
"YOKAI SLASH!" A black blur shot past Monzaemon in midair, faster than you could blink. And seconds later the bear split in half, dissolving into data particles that scattered across the sky and disappeared.
Just like that, the battle was over.
The blur landed nearby, revealing a vaguely familiar looking Digimon. Standing next to it was a familiar face, that of a certain someone who also saved my bacon only the other day. It was none other than the gothic lolita fashion aficionado, Victoria.
I had no words as I let out a gasp of relief and the flame of Digisoul on my arm fizzled out.
"You're welcome," she huffed. Her partner Digimon glanced at her, almost like he was silently disapproving of her attitude.
The Digimon standing next to her was the evolved form of her drawing-come-to-life Samanomon. This new form looked like a taller version of his prior self, now clad in black samurai armour. On his helmet was an icy blue Kanji symbol forming the crest, which extended to the mouth plate below the visor. His horns also protruded from either side of the helmet. I would only later learn that the Digimon's name was Samumon.
I'm not sure how an ice-spewing sea creature would evolve into a samurai, but I have to admit it was kinda cool. No pun intended.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Victoria," Thoma approached her, offering a handshake and introducing himself.
"Ah, Mr. Norstein. I've heard about you. It's a pleasure to meet you, too."
What the heck? Are they in cahoots with each other?
"And these are my teammates, Steven and Georgie. I believe you and Steven have already met?"
"We are acquainted, yes."
I glanced at my brother; so far, I could tell that he already disliked her more than he did Thoma.
"As you are no doubt aware, the situation with the Hackers has gotten increasingly dire. Not only do they possess the ability to take control of Digimon, but it turns out they are able to destroy its DigiCore, effectively killing it and turning its body into a remote weapon."
"That… that's awful…"
"What's more, I learned some new information thanks to that portal's appearance as well," Thoma turned to me, "And I can confirm that they're not based in the British Region at all. In spite of the increased security measures in place, they are accessing the region from another, unknown location."
In other words, locking them in did absolutely nothing!
"Unfortunately, that's exactly the case. And yet their reasons for specifically targeting this region remain unclear. Then again, as we saw earlier; someone from your past is working for them. Could you tell us what you remember about this person?"
Right, I should probably fill you in on that now, too.
You may recall me bringing up a school bully that I beat in a V-Pet battle at school. I mentioned him briefly back in Episode 1. I was a bit of an easy target for bullies back then but this guy was... particularly bad. Especially, and notoriously, when the Digimon V-Pet craze hit my school - almost like something had possessed him. One by one he would battle other kids with his V-Pet, beat them, and then break the poor kids' pets under his foot. Even after the school officially banned them, his antics would continue. That is, until he finally challenged me. Luckily my MetalGreymon was able to defeat his Monzaemon, and after that I recall he was suspended from school for more than a week.
Yeah, basically his reason for attacking us with a Monzaemon today was as petty as that. It was as if he just had to beat me with that particular Digimon. I had a feeling this was going to be a recurring theme.
"For what it's worth, we already have most of that information on file, but I appreciate hearing your perspective of it," said Thoma, "We're still not entirely clear on the details regarding the battle back then… but more importantly, how do you feel after getting that off your chest?"
Come to think of it, I'd never really talked to anyone about it until then. Not even my brother. But he was very young at the time so he wouldn't have remembered anyway.
"Better," I nodded. Note to self: actually tell people about these things, don't just bottle your frustrations up for years.
I have to admit, while I don't know him very well my opinion of Thoma has improved since I first met him the other day. Sure, he comes off as a bit of an elitist, but at least he's willing to show compassion for those around him… even for that Monzaemon we just defeated. I get the impression he's been through a lot.
"Glad to see you're all gathered here!" Dave appeared out of nowhere to greet us, "Just in time for the bad news I'm about to deliver."
"Do tell," Thoma frowned, preparing for the worst.
"Word is the Hackers have already planned their next attack. Their target location is the Greymon Valley."
"Oh no…" DemiGreymon was noticeably horrified.
"The Greymon Valley?" I asked.
"It's an area that's home to many dinosaur type Digimon, but as the name suggests it's highly populated by Greymon-species," Dave explained.
Thoma added, "It's a volcanic region to the west. Due to its current location it essentially correlates with London in the Real World."
I have to admit, this place sounded kinda awesome. Though, last time I checked there weren't any active volcanoes in Britain, let alone London.
"Its location is never set in stone, in fact it's notorious for shuffling around to the most random spots every time the Digital World undergoes a reformatting!" Dave laughed.
Maybe it's just me, but it hardly seemed like a coincidence that this Greymon Valley would just so happen to take the place of London when me and my Greymon-species partner Digimon happen to get involved with the current events of the Digital World.
"Anyway, the higher-ups have informed me that you guys need to go there tomorrow, in order to defend it from the inevitable Hacker attack. They're expecting Takenouchi-san and Piyomon to join you as well."
"Wait, tomorrow?" I asked, "But… Sora told me that she's flying over from Japan tomorrow."
"…She's what?" Even Dave was confused.
"From Japan?" Victoria's interest was piqued.
"Tomorrow?!" Thoma shook his head, "Those damned bureaucrats… what on Earth are they thinking? That's absurd!"
I'm glad we agree on that one.
"Thank you for notifying me of this issue, Steven. I shall see to it that Takenouchi-san's travel plans are rearranged."
Arguably, it'd be better for her if they were thrown out altogether, but… nothing I could do about that. Oh well.
A little while later we'd parted ways, after arranging to meet up again by the Interminal first thing in the morning. I'm gonna be dreading this all night long, now.
As I returned from the Digital World, I only had one objective in mind and that was to call Sora. This was gonna cost me, I thought, but given the sudden change in the situation I felt that I needed to fill her in. More importantly, I had some questions to ask. Usually I'm hesitant when it comes to the phone, but this was a special case, I guess.
I pulled up her number on my phone, dialed it, and the phone began ringing. After a moment I got a response.
"Hai, Takenouchi desu."
"Uh… Sora? Is that you?"
"Oh, Ste-kun! I'm so sorry, I wasn't expecting you to call!"
Neither was I, but there we go.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
"Well, good news. I know a guy who's having a word with his higher-ups. He's convincing them to let you stay in Japan a bit longer."
"It's okay, I know. They cancelled my flight and it's been moved to a later date."
"Wait, you knew already?"
"Yes, I got an email from them a moment ago. They told me everything."
"You mean the same things about the lockdown being lifted to let you and Piyomon into the British Region that I was just about to tell you?"
"That's right."
"Wow, they didn't hang about."
"I had all my things packed too… but, honestly, I'm relieved. Everything happened so fast and I wasn't sure if I was ready for it yet."
"Yeah, I won't lie. I thought it was insane to make you move here so soon. Frankly I'm not sure why they're having you come all the way over here in the first place. It's just…" so goddamn stupid that I had no words beyond an exasperated grunt.
Sora was silent for a moment. That was weird.
"I see… I'm sorry to make you worry."
Stop apologising already!
"Actually, I wanted to ask you about that. How do you feel about this whole moving to England thing? Is this what you want? Are you really OK with it?" More importantly, I wanted to know if she even had a say in the matter.
Silence again. Was she hiding something? Or did she just need time to think of a suitable answer?
"Well… putting everything aside, I think it would be a wonderful opportunity. Mimi-chan moved to America with her family, and she had all kinds of stories to tell. I've always wanted to experience another culture like that."
"By any chance, was it New York she moved to?"
"That's right. How did you know?"
"Just a hunch, based on the anime."
"Oh, of course! I should have known!" She laughed.
I had a hard time laughing with her on that remark. I wondered just how much personal information had practically been given away through an otherwise harmless TV show. Yeesh.
"But I'll admit, I've never heard of Chelmsford before. What's it like there?"
"It's no New York, let's put it that way. You could walk from one side of town to the other in less than an hour."
"I see! Odaiba's like that, too."
I owe that place a visit one of these days. Ideally when none of this crap is going on anymore.
"Anyway, I'll leave you alone now. We're heading to the Greymon Valley first thing tomorrow, so rest well, Sora!"
"Sora-senpai."
"…Huh?"
"From now on, you will address me as Senpai!" she giggled, playfully.
"…Oh! I think I've heard that phrase before. That's like for someone who's a year above you at school or something, isn't it?"
"That's right! But in this case, I'm your predecessor as a Chosen Child of the Digital World. Also, I'm a year older than you!"
Chosen Children. Is that what we're officially referred to as?
…Wait a minute, when did you learn my birthday?
"So essentially, this can apply pretty much anywhere, right?"
"You're a fast learner! Age doesn't always matter though; if a younger person has joined before someone who's older, then they'll be the Senpai instead."
"Hang on, so… when you join me at University, you'll be in your first year, and I'll already be a year ahead. Technically, wouldn't that make me your Senpai?"
"…"
"…How about we drop the Senpai thing and forget this conversation happened?"
"Okay."
Whew, dodged a bullet there.
"Well, I'd better go get some sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow, Ste-kun!"
"Sure! Sleep well-"
And then she hung up. I was again left wondering if that was a cultural difference, but… oh, whatever.
From that point I pretty much spent the rest of the day dreading what would come tomorrow. Today's battle was tough enough, but now the stakes were raised even higher. What if a stronger foe than Monzaemon appears? Will DemiGreymon be strong enough to defeat it? More importantly… will I be strong enough?
Guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
つづく