This is the final chapter of the first part of this story! Didn't have parts originally - they came into being when the file I was using to write the story became too large to have everything all in one place. So from here on, I move to the second. It seemed like a good place - you'll probably understand why after reading. Enjoy!
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Chapter 20: The Journey Begins
"I'll say one thing about this place, it does a good job with the food," Reyn said as he set his tray down on the table in the seventh-floor conference room. "This is better than cold cereal in the morning. I'm surprised they can afford their own cafeteria."
"Dad says they do a good job with money management here," Iris said with a yawn. "Are we early? What time is it?"
"It's about 8:35, if that clock is accurate," Shockavimon reported. "I think we're early. What time is everyone supposed to be here?"
"8:45 AM," Salmandmon recited automatically. "About 10 minutes from now. Everyone should know, Reyn said it enough yesterday."
"Ha, ha. Some people need the reminding."
"You think any number of reminders is gonna be good enough for Mr. Tardy?"
Iris giggled a bit. "Well, I think it's been working. He wasn't as late as he usually is last time we needed to all get together. Besides, I'm sure Derek's gonna bust his ass so he can get up here. Maybe Datacarnomon, too...nothing like a good kick in the ass from a metal dinosaur to keep you moving."
"I wouldn't hold my breath," Shockavimon replied. "I've never seen a person who was so bad about being on time. Amazing that he could be paired with Data."
"Yeah, well, he's been slipping, too. Remember when we were all meeting for that gaming session? He was the last one there, a good five minutes after when everyone agreed to meet."
Iris spent a few minutes pondering that as the idle chat continued around her. Then promptly at 8:45, Skylar pushed his way into the onference room, a tray on his hands and a dragon on his shoulders. "Looks like I'm here on time. No thanks to this load, I couldn't even wake him up this morning. Probably reading that book 'til all hours again. But man, I've never seen anyone sleep so deeply."
"I've never seen HIM sleep so deeply," commented Shockavimon. "He's usually the first one up and the last one down. That's annoying, though, so I kinda hope this is a trend."
"You had him on your shoulders the whole way?" Reyn asked.
"Eh, it's not that bad. I mean, I'm stronger than I was thanks to this whole merging business, plus it's not like I haven't carried backpacks this heavy."
"Oh, yeah, you're mister 'I never go home without all my textbooks even if there are six of them and I have no homework.'"
"You can talk when your grades are as good as mine are."
"Psh. I could spend my life studying and that'd never happen."
The group waited and chattered until, at around 8:55, the rest of their group made its entrance. "Do I even need to bother at this point?" Isaac asked.
"Hey, you're earlier than you usually are," Skylar grumped. "Not that that's saying much."
"Oh, clam, I tuned you out long ago," Isaac shot back. "Anyway, this time it was Data's fault. Derek will back me up on that."
"I told you, you told me the wrong time," Datacarnomon griped. "You said 9:45."
"I did not, and it's not like everyone else didn't say it, either. Hell, Reyn was saying it so much I thought he'd turned into a broken record."
"Come on, it's important that we all know what time we're meeting, isn't it? I just wanted to be sure everyone remembered."
"Is there a particular reason everyone is harping on an insignificant point of contention, or is your purpose this morning solely to exacerbate my irritation?" Blackcanismon grumbled.
"You'll have to excuse him, he didn't sleep well," said Dereek, sounding a lot brighter than his partner. "Man, I've almost forgotten what it was like to actually sleep in the dark. I feel a lot better than I thought I would after yesterday."
"Well, I hope you're all at least awake and fresh enough for this. We've got things to talk about."
"We do?" Skylar asked blankly.
"Yeah. Now wake up your dragon so we can get to it."
Breezedramon eventually responded to repeated prodding, and everyone got situated on or around the table. Reyn took a deep breath and began. "So, a few of us were talking last night...well, I guess it was just Iris and Shockavimon and me and Salmandmon. But anyway, we were looking to the future, and we came to a consensus that...well, we have the ability to go to the digital world right now, and I think we need to take advantage of it."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Skylar burst out. "Wait a sec, that's nuts! We'd just be leaving this place to Emperius!"
"Well, what do you want to do, just wait for them to send more and more guys after us?" Iris shot back. "We've got to take the offensive sometime, otherwise they're just going to keep sending more and more guys that we're not gonna to be able to fight off!"
"And they're gonna be able to here?" Breezedramon jumped in.
"Well, they're not defenseless! They've got Talomon, Felismon, Dorumon, Elecmon, Commandramon, and probably Striekdramon and Leomon and Gharialmon, too! Plus, they've got those data fracture bombs, and they're even making them less horrible! This is our best shot and we should take it on!" She stopped and realized everyone was giving her strange looks. "What?"
"Er...nothing," Isaac said quickly. "Okay, I get what you're saying - we're not quite as defenseless as we look over here. But still, you're suggesting going to the digital world, and that has to be a dangerous prospect in itself."
"Yeah! There's loads and loads of vernicious digimon over there!" Breezedramon added. "We could be obeliskerated and disremembered over there! We're not strong enough to deal with all the digimon!"
"It's gonna be tricky for us because we can't evolve on our own, and if Marsmon and Suijinmon are anything to go by, the stronger digimon could be a real pain or worse," Datacarnomon agreed. "Not that we're not pretty darn good at what we do, but it only takes one mistake."
"Oh, come ON, you guys! We're never going to get anywhere unless we take some action! We can't keep waiting for them to come to us! I mean, Emperius is going to keep recruiting, and we're not going to get a whole lot more digital support here! We've got to take a stand! We can get stronger if we actually put some effort into it!" Iris stopped again, noticing more stares. "Okay, what the hell, guys? Stop staring at me and stay something!"
"Easy, Iris," Derek said quietly. "It's just...well, strange to hear you talking like that. You seem really different."
"That hardly puts me in unique company this morning. We had a rough day, that gets to you."
"It's not just this morning, though. You've been a little different for a while now. I mean, I'm not trying to criticize, it's just...you've been the quiet and cautious type for as long as I can remember, and all of a sudden you're a lot more, well, daring, I guess."
"I have no idea what you're-" Iris came to a dead stop. Wait a sec...
"You're one to talk about differences, Derek," Reyn cracked. "You're more sunshine and rainbows lately than I've ever seen you in your life."
"That may be putting it a little strongly," Isaac snickered.
"Hey, you try spending years and years not getting along with your parents. Dad and I have actually been able to reach some kind of understanding with each other, it's a real load off both of us."
"Nah, I think it started before that," said Isaac. "About the same time Reyn stopped being such a lazy slug."
"Excuse me!"
"Hey, truth's truth, bud, get used to it. I've never seen you so active in your life, you're actually working out and stuff. I've been trying to get you to do that for ages."
"Just because I'm not built like you doesn't make me lazy. And you don't even have to work that hard at it."
"Gotta work some. Being all brains is all well and good, but a good body helps make it that much better."
"I'll take your word for it," Skylar droned.
"I've just had a lot of excess energy lately! I gotta put it to some use when we're not fighting for our lives! You can't tell me you haven't felt it!"
"Not as much as you seem to have! And you're also getting way more into the whole take-charge thing than you did before! Heck, you might have shown some kind of leadership, even."
"Now you're just laying it on."
"I don't think so," Iris said quietly. "So...it's true..."
"Wait, you knew about all this?" Salmandmon asked.
"Not specifically, but in general...Shockavimon, you remember yesterday, we were talking with Kirsten..."
Shockavimon nodded. "Yeah, you're right...I've noticed it, too."
"I thought you might, if you had a moment to consider it. Amazing..."
"Hey! Care to let the rest of us into the loop?" Derek cut in.
"Oh, sorry. What it is, is that we've all been changing...not just physically, but mentally. We've started acting different from how we used to." Nothing but a sea of blank faces around her; she felt impatience creeping up again, but batted it down. "I'm not the only one who's noticed, either. Derek, you've, well, gotten more relaxed and upbeat, just in general, and Isaac's right, it wasn't just after you and your dad reconciled."
"Wh...really?"
Iris nodded. "Yeah. And Reyn, they're right, you've been a lot more active, and you've also kind of taken on a leadership role. You got us all ready for the military assault yesterday, and you've taken the initiative on talking with the President a lot. Heck, you were the one who organized this meeting."
"I...well, I mean...I wasn't trying to lord over all of you..."
"I don't think anyone's been complaining, exactly. We just kind of took to it automatically anyway. Isaac, well, you've been somewhat less overbearing than normal, and I heard you try to make an actual bet with someone at least once, which is at least once more than I've ever heard you do in your life."
"Hey, yeah, I remember that now. It just seemed kinda right, for some reason."
"Which is completely wrong for you, given what I know about you. And Skylar, you've been more emotional overall, and...well, to be honest, you've been stumbling over your words."
"WHAT? No way, I have not!"
Iris rolled her eyes. "I rest my case for the emotional part. Two weeks ago something like that wouldn't have gotten even a slight rise out of you. And I'm not kidding, it's been like five or six times, and that's just that I've noticed."
"But...that's ridiculous! How could I be doing that and not know it?"
"Well...the thing is, I don't think any of us have noticed the changes in ourselves, just each other. I mean, listen to how you all reacted...heck, how I reacted."
"But wait a moment, that's just nuts," Derek argued. "How could we not notice that we've been acting different? We should be the first ones to realize it!"
"But we weren't. And I think that's because it doesn't feel different to us. Think about it...it has to be the merging that's doing this, that's been the cause of everything else. We're becoming one with beings who are the same as us, and yet different from us...it's a union on a level that's basically unprecedented, even conjoining our minds...isn't it possible that that kind of connection could be altering us? Like we're taking in aspects of our partners, kind of towards a median point. It's like...like...oh, I can't remember that word, some sciency word involving flowing..."
"Osmosis?" Nine astonished pairs of eyes landed on Breezedramon, who seemed confused by all the sudden attention. "What?"
"Where the flaming hell did you come up with that?" Salmandmon practically shouted.
Breezedramon shrugged. "Iunno. Probably Sky. Don't see why you're all getting so conflusterated over it."
"W-wait a moment!" Skylar stammered. "You mean I've...I've really been jumbling up my words like this goofball?"
"Goofball? It's only because of me that you can create great huge tornadoes with your mind!"
"That doesn't change the fact that you're a goofball!"
"He's got ya there, Breeze," Datacarnomon chuckled. Breezedramon just shook his head and grumbled something about how everyone was against him.
"I've heard it a few times, Sky," Iris explained, "and what's more, you seem to be reacting more when anyone says something about it. Like just yesterday, you were explaining something and mixed up a word, and when I just asked what you said, you nearly blew your top. It's like you know, but you don't want to accept it."
"But...I don't..." Skylar just fell quiet, unable to process this new discovery.
"And it goes the other way, as well," Shockavimon continued on, looking around at the digimon, who seemed to have seen this additional revelation coming after what had just been revealed. "We're taking on aspects of our human partners. Sal's finally started relaxing of his own volition, and he's lightened up in other ways as well. B.C.'s not so unreadable anymore, and he's more understandable somehow, even when he uses his weird vocabulary it's clearer than it used to be. Data's more...well, I hesitate to use the word 'arrogant,' but if I had to pick a word it would be that one."
"You hesitate? That's gotta be yours!"
"...Maybe? I can't really tell myself very well, but maybe you're right. Plus, you're also not jumping to make bets all the time...maybe a blessing, that one. And Breezedramon's more serious than he used to be, and that's a freaking miracle." Breezedramon gave an indignant huff. "Oh, cool it...wait, did Skylar say you were reading?"
"It's an interesting book!"
"You've never found a book interesting in your life!" Datacarnomon exclaimed, aghast. "You got bored reading training pamphlets, for frag's sake!"
"Whoa, guys, let's not go overboard here," Salmandmon stepped in before a row could break out. "No need to start fighting amongst ourselves again. Jeez, how did this even happen? I would have thought I'd notice something this big...but it can't just have happened over night, right?"
"Definitely not," Iris agreed. "I think if it had been more sudden, it probably would have been brought to our attention sooner. So I guess it's been a process that's been ongoing since we started merging, and maybe got a bit stronger when we hit our second forms."
"So how far do you think it'll go?" Reyn asked, his tone betraying his concern.
"Jeez, it's not a death sentence, Reyn," Isaac remarked.
"I'm serious. I want to know."
"How are we supposed to know?" Shockavimon replied. "This is brand new for us, too, remember. Maybe this is as far as we'll change, or maybe we'll change more. That's about as specific as I can tell."
"I doubt it would change us completely, though," Datacarnomon added. "More likely it'll taper off and stop entirely somewhere down the road."
"Oh? And where are you getting this information from, oh-so-wise one?"
"Just a hunch, you know?"
"Since when do you rely on hunches?"
"Given what we've just talked about, probably recently. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it. I'd think we'd notice if it was something really major, don't you?"
"Well...maybe..." Reyn shook his head. "I guess it's not worth worrying about at this point, especially since I doubt we could change it anyway." He didn't exactly sound convinced of that himself, but pressed on before anyone could point it out and extend the discussion. "I think we should get back to where we started - heading to the digital world."
"Right...I guess you guys have a point in that we've got some level of defense here, even without us being in the fray. But trust me, being in the digital world isn't gonna be a walk in the park."
"Yeah, you said that before, but we need to do something to stop Emperius, and just waiting around here isn't gonna do it," Iris countered. "Besides, we think we might have hit on a way to overcome that power hurdle."
"Perhaps you could provide to our multitude your overarching blueprint for success forthwith, instead of tantalizing us with mere prospects?" Blackcanismon asked.
"C'mon, B.C., you could probably guess," Salmandmon replied with a smirk. "Where else would one get lots of power on short notice?"
Breezedramon's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah! The Catalysts!"
"Catalysts?" asked Derek.
"Catalysts are ancient objects in the digital world that act as power conduits," Datacarnomon explained. "No one knows where or why they originated, but it was likely to be at the same time as digimon themselves came to be. The Catalysts provide a power boost to the digimon that touches them...and on first contact, the boost is permanent. For many digimon, this is a requirement for them to be able to evolve to a higher form; the energy required for the boost just can't be naturally achieved except under very specific circumstances. I think if we visited them and used their power, it could be enough to get our merged forms to a higher level...that'd probably be enough to at least put up a good fight against digimon like Marsmon and Suijinmon."
"Certainly, however, inevitably we shall face challenges we must surmount in order to even procure access to the Catalysts."
"Better than sticking around here and not being able to get more power at all. It's not like they could re-create the Catalysts here - we don't even know how they work, there's no way the humans could figure it out knowing as little about us as they do."
"Yeah, and besides, it's not like staying here is gonna be that much less dangerous, especially if they start throwing more Mega digimon our way," added Shockavimon.
"I guess I can't argue that," Isaac said. "Okay, you've convinced me. Guess sooner's better than later, huh?"
"You can count me in, too," Derek agreed. "Though I'd kinda like to know what we're in for a little better. These Catalyst things, what are they like? How much trouble will it be to get to them? That kind of thing."
"Easy enough," replied Salmandmon. "They're not exactly complex things - just glowing orbs of power aligned with a specific element. Don't ask me why it works like that - like Data said, there's a lot we don't understand about them."
"Is there just one of each type?" Iris asked.
"Oh, no way! One of each type, how stupid would that be? What if something happened to one? I don't have a count or anything, but there's a bunch of them of any given type. All we have to do is find ones that we can use."
"And how long will that take?" This time it was Skylar with the follow-up.
"Considering that we've all actually used them before, shouldn't be too long," Shockavimon said with a laugh. "I'd wager we could all remember where we found the ones we used. Even Breezedramon could do that."
"Oh, come on!" whined the blue dragon. "Why do you all go after me? I've been at your side this whole time, it's not like I'm holding you back!"
"Yeah, that's kinda why we do, bud," Salmandmon chuckled. "We've known you for long enough that there's no doubt what you're like - a big scaly goofball."
"Wait, you said you've used them before?" Isaac asked.
Datacarnomon nodded. "Yeah. Back when we could evolve on our own, we used them to break past a limit similar to this one. Evolving takes a lot of energy, and if you're a variable-state digimon you generally can't store enough in your base form normally to get to that Ultimate level. So we used a Catalyst to boost our energy in our base forms, making it so we could get past that hurdle."
"But you said they could only be used once-"
"No, I said the boost was only permanent the first time. Anyway, I don't think it's as important for us as it is for you guys. Or maybe we have to use it while merged. We should be able to experiment with that."
"Could humans even use them?" Reyn asked.
"Maybe not your average human, but I'm pretty confident that you guys will be able to. The alignment tends to be the most important thing, and you guys are pretty well aligned due to our symbiosis."
"It sounds promising...all right, we should start making preparations, then. If we can, we should leave today...the sooner we get that boost, the sooner we can come back if that's what we feel we have to do. Isaac, Datacarnomon, I'm gonna leave the set-up to you guys. Figure out how to extract that energy from Commandramon and make it so the ten of us can use it."
"Leave it to us. I think we can cook something up."
"Great. The rest of us should start making our preparations. And we'd better let the President know what we're gonna do, too...he's probably gonna need to make some plans of his own."
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As they left their meeting room, Skylar excused himself and Breezedramon and split off from the rest of the group. Ducking into another unoccupied room, Skylar sat and looked at the dragon with some concern. "It looks like something's bothering you, Breezedramon. What's up?"
Breezedramon drooped a little bit. "It's nothing...it's just the others."
"What's different about it this time? They've ribbed you before and you didn't seem to take it that hard. And you've done the same. I thought it was just something you guys did."
"It's not that it's different...it's just...I dunno..." the dragon flopped onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. "Sometimes I think they don't think I'm serious."
"Uh...well, you don't always act serious-"
"Not like that. I feel like they don't think I'm serious about fighting against these guys, and protecting people from them. I mean, I know we all make fun of each other for our quirks and stuff, but sometimes it feels like I get it a lot more. I mean, I guess sometimes I talk funny, and I guess I'm a bit of a tornado head, but that doesn't mean I'm not totally serious about this!"
"Of course it doesn't. You really think that's a problem?"
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time. It's screwed things up for me before. It made a bunch of people hate me and stuff, and that really hurt!"
"Really? Wait, I think I remember something a little bit...wasn't it something to do with some bird digimon? Gah, I can't think of it-"
"Falcomon. Not just some bird digimon, my closest friend, or so I thought. And then...well, it kinda all went to pot before I even knew what happened."
-5 years ago-
"I...I just don't know what to do, Breezedramon." It was bright and sunny that day on Pinion Peak, my old swooping grounds. It was a nice little down located high in some bluffs near the coastline, populated by winged digimon of all shapes and sizes. Far away from most anything that caused any sort of trouble, there wasn't much to dislike. Anyway, bright and sunny. Except Falcomon was being a gloomy gus. "Swanmon was like a mother to me. I can't believe...she's really gone. I just...I just can't get my mind off it."
Swanmon was a nice lady who unfortunately got sick and died just a few days before this all happened. It was sad, but Falcomon was really feeling bad because of it. I wanted to cheer him up, of course. It was only right - he was my friend, and that's what friends do! Isn't it?
"You just need to put your mind off of it! Think about happy stuff, like the time we outraced those Flymon! Or when we spent that scavenger hunt procrastinating and still beat everyone else!"
He looked at me with that same ol' gloomy expression. "I can't just put my mind off it, Breezedramon! She meant a lot to me!"
"Aw, Falcomon, all you need are a few good jokes! Come on, laughter's the best medicine, isn't it?"
"Breeze...please, just stop..."
I guess I probably should have stopped. "Hey, I know a good one. You know how Diatrymon looks like a collapsed building? Well, I was wondering, if it crashed, how could you tell? I mean, it's already a mess, so-"
"Would you just shut up?" Falcomon had never screeched like that before, and it totally rocked me. I pretty much fell off my perch and landed on my back, and I just stared at him from the ground.
"I can't take it anymore! Your constant idiocy, your continual blathering, your...you just can't understand! You won't take anything seriously! You just go along on your merry way, not giving a damn about anything in the world except your own ignorant joy! You're...you're just so insensitive!"
"W...what?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My best friend for years, calling me insensitive? An idiot? Just for trying to cheer him up?
"I'm not your friend! No one's your friend! We can't stand being around you, we can't stand listening to you prattle on like nothing's ever wrong with your lovely little life while we have problems and issues to deal with! Sometimes we just need someone who'll listen to us, who cares about our problems! And you don't care! I hate you! Go away and stop bugging me!"
"But...b-b-but...Falcomon!" He just flew off without giving me another look. I was totally in tears. I mean, I couldn't believe it! He thought I didn't care about him? We'd been best buds for years, I thought he knew how much I liked him and cared about him! Wasn't I helping out? It hurt a lot, and I spent the rest of the day kinda bawling my eyes out.
So then I asked some other people. And they said the same thing! Well, not exactly, they didn't say they hated me, at least not outright. But they said it was so annoying how I didn't care about them, and that they really didn't want to talk to me most of the time. I tried telling them I did care, but they didn't even listen! They just had me pegged a that one guy who hangs around and makes things worse for everyone else.
I was crushed, really. I couldn't understand why they thought so badly of me. But I couldn't handle the thought of sticking around if they thought I was just making things worse. So I just up and left. Didn't say good-bye or anything, not that I think they would have cared. I wasn't really all that worldly, so it was kind of strange and confusing being all out on my own.
Believe it or not, lucky coincidence, I happened to run into Datacarnomon out there. Never would've expected that I'd end up fighting alongside him one day. Anyway, we chatted a while, and I found out he'd had trouble in his past, too. He said I should try to make up for it, prove that I wasn't what they thought I was, then they'd know I was being honest. I think I gave him some advice, too, but I don't remember what it was and it probably sucked. But anyway, I set myself to trying to prove that I took things seriously. Not exactly an easy thing to do, because its hard to figure out what you do to prove that kinda thing. But when Emperius rolled around and they were looking for guys to help fight against them, I thought it was perfect! What better way to prove you're serious about caring about people than fighting against bad guys trying to hurt others?
-Present Day-
"I remember that a little more clearly now," Skylar said solemnly. "I missed the actual event with Falcomon, but somehow I remember that he was the start of it...and I do remember some of those other guys...man, they were pretty nasty. I think your memories of them are a little generous."
"Eh...maybe. I don't like to remember. Anyway, I guess it bugs me that the other guys act like I'm just some comic relief goofball. That's not what it was supposed to be like! I really care about this, I'm totally serious!"
"Whoa, calm down there, buddy. I don't think that's the case. I mean, yeah, they joke about you, but they've never accused you of being a burden or not taking this seriously. On the contrary, I remember some dreams where they really expressed how thankful they were that you were there fighting with them. They wouldn't do that if they thought you were a drag on them or were just comic relief."
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely. They care about you and they want you by their side when the chips are down. And I think they wouldn't make so many jokes if they weren't totally comfortable and friendly with you."
"Thanks, Sky. That makes me feel better. I guess I just wish the others had seen it that way."
"They should have. They should at least have listened to you, or given you a chance to explain, or even explained themselves. You didn't get it, you were doing what you thought was right. And it was part of who you are - the guy who tries to be upbeat and carry everyone's spirits when things are tough. I've heard Reyn say a few times that we are who we are and we should be proud of it, not hide it because other people don't like who we are. So you should be proud to be a goofball!"
"I...guess so? I don't wanna be a downer, definitely!"
"Exactly. So keep that chin up and keep the jokes comin'. I think we're all gonna be able to use a bit of humor in our near future."
"All right!"
(==========)
President Monroe's head remained bowed as Reyn finished his explanation of their plans. "...I see. It sounds like a reasonable idea...of course, you can understand where I might have concerns about this course of action."
Reyn nodded. "Of course. They're things we're worried about as well. But I feel we will only struggle more as time wears on unless we become stronger...we just can't risk getting overpowered like that again, next time we may not be as lucky. Besides, we can also cut off their reinforcements from the other side if we get the chance...that could lower the burden on you guys."
"Well, if you feel this is the best option, I certainly won't stand in your way. I have the feeling you've a little better grasp of the matter than I do." President Monroe stood up. "If this is the case, I need to help set the course over here as well...would you please take me to see the other allied digimon? I wish to speak with them."
"Uh, sure, I suppose." None of the six were entirely sure what the president was planning, but all the same they took him down to the common room where the digimon were milling about. As soon as everyone was gathered and at attention, the situation was explained to them. Predictably, reactions were mixed to the news.
"I guess I understand, but do you really think we can hold out here?" Elecmon asked.
"Figures, the going gets tough and they decide to skip out on us," grumbled Talomon.
"Hush, you, it's not like it's going to get easier for them," Felismon chastised.
"You think maybe you could send us a little back-up while you're there?" Commandramon asked. "We could probably use a platoon or twelve."
The president help up a hand for silence. "If I could have a moment...given the nature of this situation, I feel we're going to need more firepower than our armies alone can provide. For that reason, I'd like to request that you join with our military-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Talomon shouted. "Hey, I'm not taking any orders from any humans! I'm my own mon, not a dumb pet or someth-" The raptor was silenced by a bat from Felismon's paw on his nose. "Hey!"
"You should be honored!" Commandramon exclaimed stiffly. "To be part of a platoon defending innocents against an unjust invasion, there is no more noble cause!"
"Maybe you think that, army brat-"
"Please, give me a moment," the President interjected. "I'm not looking for you to be taking orders from anyone. In fact, you'll be the ones giving the orders."
All eyes turned back to him, symbiotes included. Strikedramon was the one who finally broke the silence. "Really? You wanna put us in charge?"
"I know it sounds rather unusual, but I believe it makes sense. You know more about our enemies than we do; you'll be better able to guide our men as to the proper course of action against any one of them. And you'll probably be the best weapon against them in the end anyway. Your knowledge and strength will be vital, but I don't want to send you out there alone. So having our men back you up will be a way to help support you, as well as give them the best idea of how to deal with what we're up against. It's the best course of action for everyone."
"You think the soldiers will really be willing to accept that idea?" Derek asked uncertainly.
"I imagine there will be some reluctance, but anyone who puts up a fuss will have to answer to me. Besides, I don't think they'll be so eager to protest when they see what they have to go up against...they'll probably welcome some kind of insight into how best to fight the battles they'll be up against."
"That is indeed a wise strategy," Leomon said with a nod. "The better equipped you are to deal with these foes, the less you will require us to shoulder the burden. I will accept your proposal."
"As will I!" Commandramon jumped in, almost sounding annoyed that he wasn't the first to say it. "It would be a great honor to lead your brave soldiers into battle against our enemies! I'll make sure they come away victorious!"
"Thia ain't what I was expectin'...but hell, so long as they ain't Numemon, I think I can do that jus' fine," Gharialmon agreed.
"Well, heck, I'm not letting all of you have all the fun," said Strikedramon. "Count me in!"
"I guess this seals it...I'm really going against Emperius..." Dorumon said quietly. "Well, they deserve it after all they've done. I'll do it!"
"I've had enough of them making us all feel inferior," Elecmon declared. "I'll do whatever is best to defeat them!"
"This is a real turnaround from when I got here, but I like it," Felismon remarked. "I'm game...well, that's seven of us. Ball's in your court, Talomon."
Talomon was quiet for a few seconds. Finally he gave a small huff. "Hmph...well, if I'm gonna be the one in charge, I guess that's okay. Fine, you've got my bond, for now."
Felismon rolled her eyes. "Honestly, when are you gonna can the whole reluctance act? No one's buying it. We all know you're more eager to get back at Emperius than anyone."
"It's no act." But he said it a little too defensively for the rest to believe him.
The president nodded and smiled warmly. "Thank you all so much...I'm truly grateful for your help. I'll make sure you're all treated well and that the soldiers know who's in charge. We'll have units assigned to you as soon as possible. With you guiding us, we may just be able to weather this menace."
(==========)
"So, you're going over to their home turf..." Elliot sighed quietly. "I don't suppose there's much room for discussion. You're absolutely sure about this?"
Derek nodded. "As sure as we're ever gonna be, at least. We may be the strongest weapon we've got right now, but it's still not enough. This is the only way we're going to be able to ensure we can take these guys down once and for all."
"Ohhh...Derek..." Myra moaned, close to tears. "I wish you didn't have to go...I'm worried sick about you already...what happens if you can't come back? If you...if you..."
"I won't. I know it's not exactly an appropriate statement, but...don't worry about me. I'm not going alone, and I can handle myself."
"Mister and Missus Katran..." Blackcansimon started respectfully. "My vocabulary may be entirely inadequate to provide reasonable reassurance of your progeny's security, but I ensure you that the totality of my endeavors will be directed at his survival. His vitality in the whole of our intentions is paramount, and it promises to be an unmitigated catastrophe if the unthinkable should perchance occur. Therefore, I humbly request you provide in me your trust to his continued existence."
Elliot allowed himself a smile. "You certainly are an eloquent little fellow. I guess there's not really a lot of choice for me here. Derek, you watch yourself out there, and Blackcanismon, you keep his back."
"Thanks, dad. You don't let them get one over on you over here, either. It'd drive me crazy if we went to all this trouble only for you to get slammed in the meantime."
"Heh...I think I'm with you on that one. We'll hold down the fort until you get back."
(==========)
"Nooooo! Sky, don't go!" Benny sobbed, latched on to his older brother like a barnacle. "I'm scared and I don't want you to goooo!"
"I guess I should have seen this coming..." Skylar mumbled as patiently as he could manage as he tried to pry Benny off of him. "Listen, little dude, I'm sorry, but we've gotta do this. Otherwise things are probably gonna get worse than they already are."
"Oh, Skylar..." Corrine dabbed at her eyes a bit. "I hope you know what you're doing. This sounds very dangerous..."
"Yeah, it's probably gonna be dangerous and then some. But I'm not gonna be reckless. You know how I am, Mom...I know how to take care of myself."
"Yes...yes, I suppose you do."
"And he's got me, too!" Breezedramon piped up. "We'll be able to face all sorts of encanflinangerations when we're together!"
"Well, you've faced enough crap over here," Kirsten said resignedly. "If that didn't prove you could do it, I don't know what would. C'mon, Benny, you gotta get off of Skylar."
"No! Don't go, Sky! Please!"
"Benny, please...man, he's really not making this any easier." Kirsten managed to break Benny's death grip after a few seconds of struggling, then had to hold tight as he tried to squirm free.
Skylar thought quickly for some way to get Benny to calm down. "Hey, buddy, look at me. C'mon, eyes on mine." Reluctantly, the sniveling boy looked at him, eyes red from all the tears he'd shed. "Listen, I'll be back, and I'll be fine, don't you worry about me. I promise. Heck, I double promise. You remember that?"
"...R-really? Double promise?"
"Double promise. You know I don't break those."
"That's right, he doesn't!" Breezedramon had no idea what Skylar was talking about, but obviously it was working to help calm Benny, so he wanted to help out.
"O...okay." Benny sniffed a bit and rubbed his eyes. "I'll...I'll be waiting for you...please come back."
"Like I said, double promise." Skylar straightened up and took a quick glance around. "I...don't see Dad. He's not still being thick, is he?"
"He's...stopped denying the reality, but I think it's still kind of working its way through him," Corrine said. "I didn't think it would help to pile it on right now."
"Gosh, I hope we don't give him a psychicalantilogical breakdown."
"He should be fine, eventually. Well, I guess it's time to get everything prepared."
Kirsten stepped forward and embraced Skylar tightly. "You be safe out there, Sky. I want to see you again, too."
"Hey, I'm not in the habit of breaking little kids' hearts. I'll be back and we'll see this through to the end. That's a promise you can count on."
(==========)
"No. Absolutely not."
Isaac frowned at his father. "Dad, I'm not asking permission. This is happening whether you consent to it or not. I'm just letting you know so you know where I am, kind of."
"You are dreaming if you think I'm going to allow you to go to a...a world of those freakish things. It's bad enough that they're coming here, I will not allow you to go there, no way, no how."
"I don't think you're gonna win this argument, Dad," Ashley said, rolling her eyes.
"Dad, it's not up to you. We need to be able to stop Emperius somehow, and nothing over here is going to give us enough to do that. We've got the chance, we're taking it. It's not a question anymore."
"It's too dangerous, Isaac," Lilith protested, unable to manage more than a shaky whisper. "What if something happens to you?"
Alphonse had yet to give up. "This is lunacy. You're putting yourself in a position that's too dangerous. I won't allow it-"
Isaac had had enough. He stepped forward and raised up his metallic arm to Alphonse's eye level, stopping him short. "Do you see this? This isn't some little gadget I invented, this is part of my body. I remember how you used to say that I spent so much time around machines that I would become one someday. Well, guess what, that day was just yesterday."
"To be fair, it was just one particular machine that caused that," Datacarnomon cracked.
"This is beyond the point of you being able to say yes or no. Heck, this is beyond the point of me being able to say yes or no, but I wouldn't say no anyway at this point. We're doing this. Yes, it's dangerous, and yes, it won't be easy, but I think I'm equipped to handle it a this point. If you don't, well, that's your problem. You've been filled in on everything that's happened and happening, and if you don't get why I have to do this now then you're just gonna have to keep wondering. You understand?"
Both parents were quiet for a minute. Finally, Alphonse nodded stiffly. "I...I see. I guess, then...all I can really say is...be careful."
Lilith nodded slowly and tearfully. "Please be careful, Isaac..."
Isaac nodded. "You have my word, Mom, Dad. I'll make sure not to take any risks I can't handle."
"And I'll see to it that he lives up to that," Datacarnomon said. "He is pretty much the entire future of robots in this world, so losing him would be too horrible to contemplate."
Ashley stepped forward and caught Isaac in a tight embrace, surprising him with her vigor. When she finally broke, she gave him her regular snappy grin, though with a bit of teariness behind it. "Hey, you take care of yourself out there, little bro. Try not to end up like a tin can. Same goes for you, Dinobot."
"Hmph. Who do you think you're talking to? I'd do better out there than you would."
"Yeah, well, I'm not the one going. Enjoy it for me!"
(==========)
"At this point, I guess it would be kind of silly to think I know better than you do about this," Emil said heavily. "Still...are you sure you can handle this, Iris?"
"If I can't, I'll make myself handle it. They're not going to beat me, I'll make sure of that."
"Iris...please, if you have any second thoughts, please reconsider.…" Heather was holding back tears, though it looked like she might break at any moment.
"I'm not having any second thoughts, Mom. I'm determined to see this through to the end."
"But...it's so dangerous..."
"She can create lightning bolts with her mind," Shockavimon pointed out. "She's as dangerous as most of us. She's easily better-equipped than most humans, if anyone's able to handle it it's her."
"I know you're worried, and I know you're going to be worried, but I can't just sit around here and let everything come to me, you know? Sometimes you have to make things happen, and that's what's going on here. Besides, I'll have Reyn and Skylar and Isaac and Derek with me, and you know they wouldn't let anything happen to me. Not unless they wanted you to kill them, anyway."
"Then I guess there's not much else to say," Emil concluded. "Just be careful out there, okay? Don't push yourself too hard. And Shockavimon, you see to it that she stays safe, too."
"Absolutely. She means as much to me as she does to you, and you've got a fifteen year head start on protecting her. I need to play catch-up."
"That's the kind of attitude I like to hear. Thanks, Shockavimon."
"And hey, Dad, you'd better be careful, too. I doubt they're gonna stop making attempts to break through here just because we took a detour. You'd better make sure we have somewhere to come back to."
Emil nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't do anything less for my little girl."
(==========)
"I have to admit...ever since hearing about all this, I had a feeling that this was eventually going to happen," Minerva said resignedly. "There's not much point in arguing it...we'll be keeping you in our prayers and wishes."
"If you need anything before you go, let me know and I'll get it for you right away," Traylor added, as serious as Reyn had ever heard him. "Anything at all...I just want to help you out any way I can."
Reyn nodded. "Thanks, Dad, but I don't think I'm gonna need anything more at this point. Salmandmon says that we can get food and stuff while we're over there, and I don't think it's gonna help to drag along a bunch of supplies I may never use."
"Yeah, it's probably best to have as little load as possible," Salmandmon agreed. "Digimon don't usually carry much with them, so it's easy enough to find anything we'll need over there."
"Jeez...I can't believe you're going to a whole freaking other world," Wallace griped, shaking his head. "I can't even go on a road trip. At least I won't have to listen to you two bugging me all the time."
"Maybe you can use the quiet time to get a job or do something even remotely productive."
"Ha ha. You're such a laugh riot."
"I can't believe you're really going over there," Cayden said, sounding more curious than apprehensive. "What's it gonna be like?"
"It's gonna be a new experience for him, that's for sure," Salmandmon said. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he comes back in one piece. Or at least no more than two."
"Hey! One only!" Alisin exclaimed.
"Okay, okay, if you insist."
"I dunno, I kinda like the sound of two pieces," Wallace said. "Maybe I can only be around the one without the mouth."
"Both of them will be able to create fireballs, though, so don't think you're out of the woods."
"It's nice to see that you can still act like brothers, even after all this," Minerva said with a shake of her head and a thin smile on her lips. "I just wish there was more we could do."
"There's plenty you can do, Mom. I doubt Emperius is gonna stop sending guys over just because we're leaving. There's gonna be more injuries before this is all over, and they're gonna need the kind of help you've been trained to provide. Just give them as much support over here as you can, and that'll be plenty of help for me and the rest of us."
Treylor nodded solemnly. "I think we can do that. Stay safe, Reyn. We'll be praying for your success."
"Yeah, definitely. There's no way I'm gonna let them stop me."
(==========)
The once-empty room in the back of the building was now host to a very large mechanical contraption, with a slightly raised platform on the floor big enough to accommodate all ten of the travelers. "Looking good, Isaac. Is it gonna work?"
"At least once. On such short notice, I didn't really have a chance to make it repeatable. But if they can get over here from there, we should be able to do the same, so getting back won't be a problem."
"As long as it gets us there, I'm satisfied." Reyn turned to the rest of the group. "This is pretty much the point of no return, guys, at least for a little while. Are you all ready to go? Anything you're forgetting?"
"We're not bringing that much, so I don't think that's too much of a problem," Skylar replied. "I'm ready to get over there and do what we need to do."
"Same here," Iris agreed. "The best weapon we have is ourselves, anything else is pretty much details at this point."
"No sense in putting it off," Derek finished. "Let's do this."
Reyn nodded. "That's what I like to hear. Can one of you digimon brace us for what we should expect with this whole transfer business?"
"It'll feel weird, but it shouldn't be harmful or anything," Datacarnomon said. "If it's anything like when we went through, we should be ready to go right away. Well, as long as we end up on the ground rather than in mid-air."
"Emperius did more work with their TTM than we did, we should be better oriented," Shockavimon reasoned.
"We should just be ready for anything," Salmandmon said. "No telling if we're gonna land in a safe and quiet spot or somewhere less hospitable."
"Right, then...let's get this going."
The ten got themselves onto the platform. An audience gathered near the entrance of the room, comprised of humans and digimon alike. Rudy was at the control panel, making the final preparations. "Are you all ready?"
"Yeah, we are."
"Excellent. I'm powering up the transfer matrix right now. It should just be a minute..."
Ryen nodded, feeling a mild sense of unease start to rise in his gut. Almost unconsciously, he put a hand on Salmandmon's shoulder and gripped it somewhat tensely, which didn't go unnoticed by the reptile. "Hey, you okay?"
"Fine...just, you know, a touch antsy."
"Don't worry. It'll be fine." Nonetheless, as Salmandmon reached up to hold onto Reyn, Reyn could feel him holding on pretty tightly as well.
"Hey, shove over, you big lunkhead."
"Hey, no pushing."
"Settle down, you two," Iris said, a little testily. Skylar and Isaac stopped moving around, but still gave each other nasty looks.
"We're ready to go!" Rudy stated loudly. "Prepare for transfer!"
It suddenly became very bright at the platform. Reyn barely had time to realize that it was actually happening before his mind went completely blank.
Here we go-
(==========)
(==========)
So, part one is wrapped up. More of a technical milestone - I'm not like making a whole new story link or anything, and updates should continue fairly uninterrupted right here, or as uninterrupted as I can make them (see last week's note). But the story's definitely getting to a new place, as are the people inside it.
The writing is a little more challenging for the next part. I'm going from a fairly condensed, familiarized location to a largely expanded novel one. I'm sure I will surprise no one when I say descriptiveness is not my strong suit, and having a wide area to cover only makes that more of a problem, since I have to describe many more locations than I did before. I'm hoping I can do a little better job of that in coming chapters, or at least make up for it by writing better in other aspects. Either way, it's going to be no simple task, but if it was easy I probably wouldn't be doing it in the first place.
That's all for now. Now I'm off to study for a big test which happens tomorrow morning. Hope you all get to sleep in!