Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I don't own Pokemon either!
Author's Notes: Ah...the new villain has been received rather nicely. To the reviews!
... : You should look into getting a new name. It's hard to pronounce. O.o
Anyhow, concerning Shaun's movement...it's sort of explained a bit in this episode, but the doctor assumed Shaun was just your average teen who lives on the street. Once I write 'Past Journeys', you'll realize that Shaun is anything but average. And yes, you have a knack for pointing out injuries.
Oh, and I'm glad you liked the 'mugged' line. :P
dee-unlm1t3d: Welcome to Zero 2 dee! I'm glad you think my fic instigates such anticipation in you! Just out of curiosity, have you read the rest of this fic?
SR71will: Eh, I figured as such. I still have some work to do with chapters that are completely plot-oriented like that.
Anthony1: I'm running out of things to say to you. Seriously. O.o;
Um...let's see...uh...ooh! You said 'chpater' again! ;
Silver Warrior: Where'd you get that idea? O.o Dragomon's just keeping tabs on them...and he's sort of giving a commentary of sorts to himself. UmbraDevimon is in no way a pawn of Dragomon's. Not in the way you're thinking anyway. :P
Bohemiat: To clarify, TK wasn't mugged. As for Kari, she couldn't just say what really happened to Tai when her mom was right there. ;)
Now begin!
UmbraDevimon has made his mark.
However, it was only part one of his one-two punch.
Part two will proclaim his return to dominance.
"Hey everyone. It's TK. We all thought Ken tried to kill Yolei, and we also thought he was beyond the condition of Shaun and (Agumon). But as it turns out, it was really an old foe...and now he's returned as UmbraDevimon. He completely mutilated everyone except Davis and myself, and he let us go...just because he only did all of that as a message. And even after all that, I got another shocker...officially, Shaun doesn't exist."
Episode 25: The Dark Obelisks
/Ichijouji Apartment, Ken's Room, Thursday October 21st, 10:23 PM/
Ken sighed as he stared at his computer screen blankly. Come on, connect already!
It had almost been one week since UmbraDevimon had made his (rather painful, in Ken's opinion) return to power. The Digidestined were nearly fully recovered (they all still felt a little sore, and TK's partner still felt lethargic after what he had been through), and Shaun and (Agumon) were almost back at full strength (although not at 100%).
Right now, Ken was waiting for Shaun to contact him. Ken had sent a message via D-Terminal to Shaun; he had wanted to speak with him via instant messaging. Why, might you ask?
It's simple; it stemmed from TK's little discovery that had been made last Friday.
On Wednesday, when Yuuko Kamiya had finally allowed Kari to go to school, TK had held a private meeting in the computer lab with all of the New Digidestined...excluding Shaun. The news had come as quite a surprise to them...and Ken was quite intrigued by it.
He intended to investigate the matter further.
And now he was waiting for Shaun to reply. Come on, answer!
On his screen, an IM program was running. Since his last use of it (when he spoke with Wormmon; see 'Episode 5' for more details), he had changed his username. Instead of 'd1g1m0n3mp3r0r' it was 'r3p3nt3nc3'. It was sort of fitting to him...especially considering how life had gone for him recently.
Suddenly, there was beeping sound effect that accompanied the arrival of new text.
Ch1ld-of-W1sdom: Hello Ken.
Ken exhaled with relief. Finally! He quickly went to work.
r3p3nt3nc3: What took you so long?
Ch1ld-of-W1sdom: I had to sign up for this you know. Do you know how long it took me to find a username that wasn't taken?
Ken nearly laughed out loud. He had forgotten how long it usually took to get a username.
r3p3nt3nc3: Oh.
Ch1ld-of-W1sdom: Indeed. So...what did you want to talk to me about?
r3p3nt3nc3: It concerns...well, TK told us about the hospital. He said that an official called him about your records...or more precisely, the lack of them. Mind explaining?
Ch1ld-of-W1sdom: Before we continue, I want to compliment your typing style. I appreciate how you don't revert to using letters and numbers to substitute words.
Ken frowned. Shaun was dodging his question.
r3p3nt3nc3: Answer my question.
Ch1ld-of-W1sdom: ...
r3p3nt3nc3: Please Shaun...who are you? Really?
Ch1ld-of-W1sdom: ...I can't say.
Ken's eyes widened slightly. What was Shaun hiding?
r3p3nt3nc3: Why not?
Ch1ld-of-W1sdom: I just can't. Now if you don't have anything else to talk about, I'm going to hang up. I need sleep.
r3p3nt3nc3: Actually, I do. TK also told us about your diagnosis.
Ch1ld-of-W1sdom: Yes. And?
r3p3nt3nc3: TK was told that you wouldn't be able to move in a week. How could you have moved...AND gone through a digiport?
There was a small pause. Ken remained silent as anxiousness built up in him. Had he struck a nerve?
Then there was a beep.
Ch1ld-of-W1sdom: Well...everything that UmbraDevimon did to me...I've actually gone through worse...and after that...pain doesn't seem to hinder me as much. I guess my body just got used to it...
Ken's eyes dilated as wide as they could. His mind almost refused to believe what Shaun was telling him. Almost.
r3p3nt3nc3: But how?! What on earth could you have gone through that was worse than what UmbraDevimon did?!
Ch1ld-of-W1sdom: ...I can't say. I'm sorry Ken, but I have to cut this conversation short.
Before Ken could even type his reply in, Shaun disconnected, leaving Ken alone...if you didn't count the sleeping Minomon.
Ken growled as he rubbed one of the several bruises that still remained on his body. He had gotten no answers...only more questions. After the hospital incident, he wasn't sure that Shaun was who he had said he was.
Who ARE you?!
/Unknown Sector, Gennai's House, 10:29 PM/
Shaun sighed as he leaned back in his chair to reflect over the conversation he had just had with Ken. In hindsight, it was a bad idea.
He was getting too careless...he couldn't hint at stuff like that! He just couldn't! Man, I'm getting too comfortable around them...
But he had no choice. If he had had any other alternative, he wouldn't have interfered in 01-000-ALPHA when the Emperor had set up his deathtrap (read 'Episode 5' for more info).
But there hadn't. And because of that, he had made himself known by saving them. He had no choice but to bear with it.
"Having second thoughts?"
Shaun tilted his head to see Gennai, who was standing in the nearby doorway, looking at him silently. He knew what the old man was hinting at. "Sort of...but I'm too deep in this to back out now. But with the whole hospital records situation...they're getting suspicious."
"I don't blame them. You have a crest that the Order did not make, you officially don't exist...and you went through the Digiport in a condition that would've resulted in the death of your average person!" Gennai pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Shaun.
Shaun stared intently at the old man's seemingly closed eyes. In that moment, Shaun knew that Gennai was just as afraid of the unknown future as he was. "I know...but what else can I do?"
Gennai replied with one phrase. "Simple. All you can do."
Shaun groaned as he leaned back against the chair. Of course, Gennai was right...after all he had done to help, he couldn't back out of fighting by the Digidestined's side now...and with UmbraDevimon coming out of the blue, he could not and would not back away.
"Well Gennai...I'm heading to sleep," Shaun yawned as he trudged into an adjacent room, where (Agumon) was slumbering quietly. He had recovered quite well from UmbraDevimon's torture session, but he wasn't at 100% just yet.
Putting no more thought to it, Shaun got into a nearby bed and fell asleep instantly.
Then, he dreamed.
/Kamiya Apartment, Kari's Room, Odaiba, 10:55 PM/
Kari looked quietly at the ceiling as the sounds of cars echoed through her window. It was the only sound, even if it was rather minute.
It helped her to think. For her, absolute silence never was good for thinking; it was too constricting.
Over the past week – ever since last Friday, that is – Kari had been worried about TK. He had become a little distant, and he didn't talk as much...it was as though his mind was on something else.
Well of course, his mind would be on UmbraDevimon.
Even though UmbraDevimon's sudden emergence had shocked them all, TK seemed to be hit worst of all. I mean, come on; it's not everyday the killer of your partner/friend reappears in a more powerful form. Plus, they had not dared to enter the Digital World since then; they were still too weak to face UmbraDevimon.
"Kari?"
Kari was jarred from her thoughts by Tai, who quietly snuck into Kari's room. He wore nothing more than a white T-shirt and some blue boxers, but hey; everyone has their own preference of pajamas, right? Kari looked up at Tai silently as she asked, "What is it?"
Tai sighed as a look of concern came to his eyes. "Before I head to bed, I have to ask...will you guys need the older kids' help to fight UmbraDevimon?"
You see, last week, when Kari had come home 'muggified', Yuuko had immediately resigned Kari to bed (as a matter of fact, Mrs. Kamiya had forbidden Kari from going to school until Tuesday). Later that night, Tai had snuck into Kari's room and asked what had really happened. I mean, Tai had been through his fair share of fights...and he knew Kari's wounds weren't manmade. So Kari had explained everything.
Kari weighed the options in her head. She didn't want to move everyone away from their school...after all, High School was more demanding than Middle School...
But she had to be reasonable and logical. UmbraDevimon was too powerful. She could sense his power...and he was a greater foe than anyone she had encountered before (well, with the possible exception of Dragomon). Plus, with his two servants Arukenimon and Mummymon, he had backup. And Arukenimon's Spirit Needle ability lead to a potentially endless supply of Megas...and as much as she hated to admit, the New Digidestined – even with Ken and Shaun's help – wouldn't be able to cut the mustard.
Begrudgingly, Kari finally nodded. "Yeah...if we ever need help, we'll call you."
Tai's face morphed into a light smile as a look of content replaced the concern. "Kari...that took a lot of guts for you to say. Thanks."
Kari beamed in response. "You're welcome. Now get to bed...you have a soccer game tomorrow."
Tai chuckled as he left Kari alone...with nothing but a slumbering Gatomon and her thoughts to keep her company.
/Next Day/
/Unknown Sector, Gennai's House, Friday October 22nd, 5:46 AM/
Where am I?
Shaun's vision was blurry. He was in an oddly familiar city...and red flames danced through the area. It was familiar...but he didn't want to remember.
Yet at the same time, he wanted to remember.
People. Digimon. Many were running from the flames. Some were running toward the flames in an attempt to save anyone trapped within.
Laughter. Harsh, malicious laughter.
Shaun turned his eyes upward. He saw a demon in red, who was glaring at the burning city with glee.
Hatred. Burning, all-devouring hatred. It coursed through Shaun's blood, nearly driving him over the edge. He couldn't remember...why did he hate this devilish figure with such a blazing ferocity?
Then, the demon formed a gray orb of pulsating energy above his head, targeting a certain building. Then, he threw it as he shouted, "Apollyon Crusher!"
The building was brought down in a tremendous explosion.
On impulse – and for a reason he couldn't identify – Shaun screamed.
"NOOOOO!!!"
Who am I?
Then it all disappeared. Shaun was suddenly surrounded by a multitude of people as he stood in front of a computer. He was confused...why was this scene so familiar?
A slight blush came to his face as a blonde girl no older than he stepped forward and kissed him on the face. He had forgotten that feeling...the feeling of intimate attraction to a member of the opposite sex.
Then he held his D-3 towards the computer. A flash of light tore him away from the crowd of people.
Am I me?
Now, he was facing two-headed beast. Two cannons protruded from his back, and the top head seemed to be made of pulsating blue-yellow energy. Shaun and (Wargreymon) stood silently in the face of the foe.
Beside Shaun was another boy who looked eerily like him...but the boy's partner was easily as tall as a Metalgreymon. An iron mask covered the bipedal dragon's face, and four red wings twitched quietly. His veins pulsed out of anticipation for battle.
Shaun glanced to his right at the boy. "Ready?"
The boy – whose hair was a tad darker and his skin a little more tanned – smiled as he clenched his right fist, which was covered by a metallic gauntlet of some kind. "You know it."
(Wargreymon) and the strange, draconic Digimon took flight towards the two-headed beast. The cannons on the beast's back flared a dark purple before firing. "Dimension Destroyer!!!"
The battle was on.
Or have I...Shaun was no longer fighting. Now he was standing on a rocky plateau...and he looked nervous. Fidgety. And he wasn't in a stance of firm calmness; instead, he was calm and unalert. This was before the battle with the two-headed creature...a long time before it.
His eyes were looking at a spectacle unfolding in the sky.
Four lights were revolving around a larger, central light.
Dark blue.
Violet.
Dark red.
Green.
And the light that was in the center of it all was pure, blazing gold.
The five lights suddenly burst off into different directions. The dark blue one crashed somewhere nearby the plateau. Shaun went off towards the dark blue light's crash site. The other four lights burst off toward the horizon.
When Shaun found the dark blue light, it was the Crest of Wisdom.
...become something else?
Shaun's eyes snapped open. He was sweating profusely...but he was back in reality. With one quick look around, he realized he was back in Gennai's house, and in his own bed. That dream again...
To be more accurate, it was more like a slideshow of memories. He often remembered them...but they had been returning with a rather large increase in frequency lately.
But why?
Was it a sign of things to come?
Gah...I've got to eat something. My brain's too sleepy still. As Shaun got out of the bed and trudged to the kitchen, the memory of the five lights remained.
/01-000-ALPHA, Ruins of the Emperor's Base, 6:45 AM/
UmbraDevimon sighed as Arukenimon ran a hand through her slightly thinner hair. "It will grow back."
Arukenimon paid him no mind. Ever since last Friday, she had already used 300 more hairs to create three more Mega Digimon. Even now, they stood in the darkness, remaining silent until orders were given.
Things were going according to plan...there was just one thing left to do. But first...he had to deliver some messages.
He silently summoned six Black Gears to his lower right hand, and he mentally programmed them with a certain hologram...then, he opened six portals. One Black Gear flew into each.
The portals led to Tai's room at the Kamiya Apartment.
Matt's room at the Ishida Apartment.
Sora's room, which she was sharing with Mimi while she was visiting Japan, at the Takenouchi apartment.
Joe's room at the dormitory he was housed in during his stay at the medical school he went to.
Izzy's room at the Izumi Apartment.
And finally, Ken's room at the Ichijouji Apartment.
They all would do the same thing. Each Black Gear would emit a hologram of his head that said the same thing.
"Digidestined. You are to go to the computer lab at the school where TK Takaishi and the rest of the New Digidestined go at 3:30 PM this afternoon. If you are all not there at that time, I will destroy Primary Village."
And he wouldn't hesitate to do so.
/Junction M-H, Odaiba School, 3:21 PM/
"WHAT?!"
Kari nodded in reply to the others' outburst. "I'm telling you; Tai told me this morning that a Black Gear delivered him a message!"
Kari was walking alongside TK, Davis, Yolei and Cody towards the computer lab. She had just told them what Tai had witnessed upon waking up that morning. As you could see, their reactions revealed their shock.
"What happened to the Black Gear after that? Did it go into Koromon?" asked TK out of fear.
Kari shook her head. "No...it disintegrated immediately after the message was played."
"Why would he want to bring Tai into this?" asked Davis out of curiosity.
Cody shook his head. "I doubt he just wanted Tai to come. If that were true, he would've just said 'Tai', not 'Digidestined'. Perhaps he sent several messages to the rest of the older kids as well."
Everyone nodded. That made sense. TK then made a quiet realization; perhaps UmbraDevimon wanted revenge on the older Digidestined as well. Why else would he go so far as to threaten them with the destruction of Primary Village (not that TK would put it past the devil, of course)?
Then they stepped foot into the computer lab. To their mild surprise, a number of people were already inside.
Tai, Matt, Sora, and Izzy in their standard high school uniforms.
Mimi, this time wearing a purple tank top and pink capri pants.
Joe, who looked rather nervous despite his well-dressed appearance (his usual medical school clothing of khakis, a white undershirt and a blue jacket).
And of course, all of their partners (Koromon, Tsunomon, Biyomon, Tentomon, Palmon, and Gomamon). Along with them were the New Digidestined's own partners (Demiveemon, Upamon, Poromon, Patamon, and Gatomon).
It was a rather odd scene...but it evoked some fond memories in TK and Kari's mind. It was like a reunion of sorts. TK smiled as he walked toward his older brother. "Hey Matt...I take it you got the message?"
Matt nodded in reply as Tsunomon sat quietly on his head. "Yeah, we all did. Any idea what he wants us for?"
"Who knows...but it can't be good if he wants to threaten Primary Village," replied Joe as sweat beaded on his brow. "Oh boy, I don't want to think about it..."
Suddenly, the computer lab door opened to reveal Ken (trench coat and all) and Minomon. His eyes boggled at the group of Digidestined in front of him. "Is this a reunion?"
This caused a general round of laughter to emerge from the older kids. It was good to see that they were so relaxed, despite the great evil that was now upon them. It meant they would be able to handle stress without breaking down.
Suddenly, a flash of light emerged from the computer. When the light faded, Shaun was standing there with (Koromon) in his arms. He silently looked up at the others...then toward Ken. "Thanks for sending me that message."
Ken nodded with a smile. "No problem."
You see, earlier that morning – after Ken had awoken to UmbraDevimon's message – he had sent a message via D-Terminal to Shaun. He basically relayed UmbraDevimon's entire message, along with telling him to be at the computer lab before 3:30 PM.
As you can see, Shaun decided to come.
Demiveemon smiled as his eyes fell on everyone. "Wow! I've never seen so many Digidestined in one place before!"
Gomamon laughed as he patted Demiveemon on the head. "Oh, just you wait! Once we get this business with UmbraDevimon over with, we'll have a lot more meetings like this!"
"I sincerely doubt that."
All 13 Digidestined, along with their partners, whirled around to face the source of the sound. It came from the computer monitor.
There, as real as sin, was the face of UmbraDevimon. TK impulsively clenched his fists at the sight of old nemesis. And for the record, so did Tai and Matt. Matt demanded, "What is it that you want UmbraDevimon?"
"Come to 01-000-ALPHA. I will explain everything there."
Then the connection was cut.
Sora frowned as she looked at where UmbraDevimon's face had once been. She then said what everyone was thinking about, "What does he want?"
"I don't know," said Davis as he pulled out his D-3 and pointed it at the computer. "Digiport open!"
The light enveloped them all.
/01-000-ALPHA, Outside the Emperor's Base, 3:30 PM/
Flash.
The Digidestined all landed on their feet. The wind roared all around them, kicking up the sand and rubble of the base's ruins. Davis quickly pulled the goggles down over his eyes and smiled. "Thank goodness for goggles!"
Izzy quickly held a hand over his eyes and yelled, "Cover your eyes!"
The Digidestined all did (except Davis). Slowly, the winds began to die down...and when they opened their eyes again, UmbraDevimon was standing fifty meters away, in all of his terrible glory. He smirked and said, "Welcome Digidestined."
The Digidestined all glared daggers at the demonic Mega. No words were launched at the mighty beast.
That is, until TK yelled. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"
UmbraDevimon shook his head out of mock sympathy. "Dear little Takaishi...don't be so rash. Allow me to explain the final step in my plan." Mummymon and Arukenimon – both in their battle modes – stepped forward by their creator's side.
"Well spill it out you horned, putrid, freak!" yelled Mimi. Yolei blinked as she glanced sideways at the Child of Sincerity. Man, Leomon wasn't kidding about her!
UmbraDevimon smirked malevolently. All seven of his former foes had gathered...with six new additions. He would enjoy breaking them. "Gladly. You see, the final step in my plan involves the Black Gears." At that, one Black Gear materialized in his hand. "You see, the Black Gears are a two-for-one deal. The Control Spires need the Dark Rings and Dark Spirals to transmit their power. And without the Spires, the enslaving devices are useless. My Black Gears have no such limitation."
"We know this already! Get to the point!" demanded Ken out of frustration. The less he was reminded about his creations, the better.
UmbraDevimon smiled as the sky suddenly started to turn darker. "I will. You see, the Black Gears do not need their creator to prosper..." UmbraDevimon smiled as a look of shock crossed the original seven's faces; they realized what he was saying. "That's right...you never destroyed all of my Black Gears! They've been growing...festering...waiting in the core of this planet for their master to return!"
Shaun paled as he suddenly felt a great rumbling beneath the ground. "What...what's going on?"
UmbraDevimon laughed heartily as tremendous fissures burst open in the desert ground. "Now my Black Gears...COME FORTH!!!"
Perhaps the sky was turning dark because of the impending darkness that was approaching...it was foreshadowing the coming evil.
Then it happened.
They came with all the speed and ferocity of a tidal wave. They were innumerable. Countless. Hundreds upon hundreds. They gathered in the darkening sky like a swarm of angry hornets. All of the Black Gears gathered in a sphere of tremendous size. The mere sight of the Black Gear swarm sent a chill down all 13 Digidestined's spine.
Koromon numbly said, "There's...so many..."
"Now my Black Gears...SPREAD OUT!!! INFECT THIS WORLD!!!" At UmbraDevimon's command, the sphere broke as the Gears flew into every corner of the world. 100 yards away from the group lay a Control Spire...and five Black Gears merged with it.
Izzy blinked out of astonishment. "What?! The Gears merged with the Spire?"
"Of course...that's part of my final step. The Spires are still useful to me...because when my Black Gears combine with them," UmbraDevimon then pointed his upper left hand at the Spire, which began to change.
For one, it grew twice as tall. The conic top of the Spire then opened; the four triangular pieces of the top then morphed into statues of Devimon's head. Each of the four heads faced north, south, east, and west; their mouths were wide open, as if they were roaring. Slowly, Black Gears began to trickle out of the mouths.
"They become...THE DARK OBELISKS!!!" roared UmbraDevimon as his Black Gears continued to spread. He then turned to face the traumatized Digidestined, who were taken aback by the sudden development. "You see, even though the Spires no longer broadcast their dark power, they have another use for me...with my Black Gears powering them now, they have transformed into the Dark Obelisks...and their purpose is to produce even MORE Black Gears!"
Ken went dead quiet as he went over the facts in his head. With all those Gears already in existence...how many more would come when the remainder of his Spires were converted into Dark Obelisks? My creations are being used...why can't my past sins be laid to rest?!
UmbraDevimon smiled as he pointed to the crumbling base behind the Digidestined. "And don't forget...Arukenimon's been rather busy this past week! Come out my three servants!"
Then they appeared out of the base's shadows.
The one on the left looked like a variation on a mythical creature of old. Although rather small – he was no bigger than a Garurumon – his appearance made up for it. His body looked like the striped body of a tiger, with yellow fur and black stripes crossing along the thighs, tail, and back ankles. The tip of the tail, however, was the fanged mouth of a green snake. Leathery red and burgundy wings sprouted from the shoulder blades. The front legs were skinny and gangly, and the super large claws were like the talons of a mighty (albeit extra-large) eagle. White, fluffy fur surrounded his neck and chest, and yellow hair extended from the back of his head, which was covered by a metallic helmet with a pointed, backwards spike. His yellow eyes glared quietly as he bellowed, "I am Gryphonmon, and I am as deadly as the mythical creature of old! My Mobius Bite shall paralyze you, and my Mythic Blast will annihilate you!"
The one on the right was...a Wargreymon...a Wargreymon that was black. His skin, gauntlets, shoulder pads, and shield were completely colored pitch-black. Silver armor covered his shins, and yellow padding covered it. Yellow threads connected his silver breastplate together, his gauntlet's claws were colored dark gray. Yellow, spiky hair extended from the back of his head, and his dark gray helmet protected his head. His yellow eyes stared silently as he roared, "I am Blackwargreymon...and I will destroy ALL who oppose me! Beware my Terra Destroyer and Black Tornado!!!"
Finally, the center one was the largest one of all; almost as big as UmbraDevimon. Unlike his predecessors, he was primarily a quadruped, and not a biped. His entire body was covered by a black exoskeleton, with stripes of silver covering the four legs and the pair of arms that extended from the middle of the body. His silver claws were long, sharp, and extremely lethal. A bump of bulky armor extended from the back, and four red insect wings extended from it. His head was slim, and three prongs extended out from his face; they all swept backward, but the center one was easily fifty feet longer than the other two. Sharp, curvy pincers extended from his lower jaw like tusks, and they clacked together eagerly at the sight of the Digidestined. His red hair extended from the back of his head, and his yellow eyes glowered at the children. He yelled, "I am Grandkuwagamon! My mighty pincers can cut through anything...even the fabric of time and space itself! My Dimension Scissors will strike you down mercilessly, and beware my Catastrophe attack...for it is what its name suggests!"
Shaun was feeling queasier by the second. Blackwargreymon...he had appeared sooner than expected. And Grandkuwagamon and Gryphonmon...they were completely new! The changes kept coming...and Shaun knew now that they wouldn't stop.
"And this is only the beginning!" laughed UmbraDevimon as the Digidestined turned around to face him again. "Arukenimon's hair will always grow back...I have an endless supply of Megas to aid me! And one fatal flaw that every foe you've faced was this...they either chose one world or another to conquer first. With my new servants, I can easily multitask! In a matter of days, my Black Gears will enslave all Digimon in this world! Then I will assemble them into a massive army that will spread out and conquer both worlds at once! Of course, I'll have Gryphonmon, Blackwargreymon, and Grandkuwagamon go to the Real World first...after all, I have to soften up you putrid defenses! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"
The devious plan of UmbraDevimon was finally clear: he would invade and conquer both worlds at once. After all, the Digidestined had always had a shelter to fall back to before...to rest and regroup if necessary. But UmbraDevimon was no fool; he would send Gryphonmon, Blackwargreymon, and Grandkuwagamon to the Real World to pave the way for his invasion force. And if necessary, he would have Arukenimon create another Mega or two – there were still plenty of Control Spires...er, Dark Obelisks left. As for the Digital World...well, there was Mummymon, Arukenimon, and – of course – UmbraDevimon. And with all of his Black Gears, it would be nigh impossible to free any of his army's soldiers...not for long anyway.
How could they fight UmbraDevimon on two fronts?
"And now," said UmbraDevimon as his lower right hand's index finger glowed red. "I will let my three newest servants begin paving the way to my conquest!"
The Digidestined gasped; he was about to tear open another hole to the Real World!
Unbeknownst to anyone...they were being watched.
/Unknown Sector, Gennai's House, 3:46 PM/
Gennai silently walked down the stairs to the deepest reaches of his house. He had to act now, and quickly.
He had witnessed UmbraDevimon's explanation of his plan via a camera from sector 01-001-ALPHA. It had been long-distance...but he had heard it all.
And he had to act.
There were going to be repercussions for what he was about to do...but the consequences of inaction would be far more severe.
He arrived in the dusty basement of his house to see old equipment, dusty books, and rusted machinery; the fallback spot for the Order. In the very back was a very large device with a single blue button. Several antennas stuck outward from it, and they were covered with dust.
He manually opened a digiport on a nearby computer to Odaiba. He would need it. Gennai then walked over to the machine and let his finger hover over the blue button. If he pressed it...he would completely seal the Digital World off from the Real World. No more communications between realms. No more portals being opened. It would completely guarantee that UmbraDevimon would be unable to send his army to the Real World...but it would also keep the Digidestined in.
"God help them," said Gennai as he pressed the button. Then, without hesitation, he leapt into the Digiport.
The antennae suddenly started pulsating. Blue electricity leapt from the rods as an invisible force field erupted from the device. In moments, it encompassed the entire Digital World.
/01-000-ALPHA, Outside the Emperor's Base, 3:49 PM/
"...what?" UmbraDevimon felt something. He suddenly felt...closed off. But why?
He tried to open a portal to let his three newest servants enter the Real World...but to his shock, he couldn't. "What's going on?! Why can't I open a portal?!"
The Digidestined looked at UmbraDevimon out of confusion. Davis scratched his head confusedly as he asked, "Is he broken or something?"
Shaun, however, had an idea about what was going on. If it is...then...oh no...Gennai! "Everyone...we have to leave. NOW."
"WHAT?!" yelled the others out of confusion. Tai preposterously asked, "But...we can't just run!"
Shaun glared straight at Tai – which it pained him to do – and shouted as loud as we could. "NOW!!!" He quickly pointed his orange D-3 at the Digiport and – with a thought – designated what section he wanted to go to. That sector was 11-000-IOTA. "DIGIPORT OPEN!!!"
Before UmbraDevimon could do anything, a bright light enveloped the Digidestined. Arukenimon grumbled as the light faded to reveal no one. "Rats! They got back to the Real World!"
"No they didn't..." mumbled UmbraDevimon as he thought about the latest predicament. He could feel it now...he knew that access to the Real World was now impossible for some reason. "They simply went to another place in the Digital World...an impenetrable barrier has just been erected between the two worlds. We are stuck here...but so are the Digidestined." UmbraDevimon chuckled as he thought about it.
Both he and his enemies were stuck in the same world.
Now it was only a matter of which one would fold over first.
/11-000-IOTA, Gennai's House, 3:54 PM/
Shaun quickly walked down the stairs as the others tried to untangle themselves from one mother of a dog-pile. Before going any further, he had to verify.
Upon stepping into the basement, it only took the sight of glowing blue antennas to confirm his suspicions; Gennai had activated the Great Seal; a last resort by the Order in case an utter catastrophe had to be contained within the Digital World.
And now it was keeping UmbraDevimon out of the Real World.
But it also kept them in.
Now he had to break the news to the others.
Quietly, he stepped back upstairs to see the others beginning to check out their surroundings. It didn't take long for Izzy to make the connection. "Hey! We're in Gennai's House!"
"I thought I recognized this place," replied Biyomon as she glanced out a nearby window to see some swimming fish. "It's the only place with this kind of view!"
Shaun sighed as he said, "Guys...I have something to say."
Everyone looked silently at the Child of Wisdom. In the back of TK's mind, something was telling him that Shaun's news wasn't exactly good news.
"Due to UmbraDevimon's plan, Gennai had to activate a failsafe called the Great Seal...it's a machine that the Order made a long time ago, and it erects a nigh impenetrable barrier between our world and the Digital World. This seals off the Digiports, as you might guess..."
Silence fell over the group. Tai silently stepped forward and asked, "Shaun...what are you saying?"
Now's the hard part, thought Shaun with a frown. "Simply pressing the button used to activate it won't turn it off. Only Gennai knows how to turn it off...and now, we're stuck in the Digital World until it's turned off. No going home for us."
Gennai had been right about one thing: there were repercussions for activating the Great Seal.
The moment it was turned on, every single computer-based network shut down in the Real World.
The moment it was turned on, access to the Internet was completely cut off.
And since the Digidestined couldn't get home...
Tai missed his soccer game.
Matt didn't make to his concert later that night (resulting in a very upset Jun).
Mimi never made her daily call to her parents in America.
And none of the Digidestined ever made it home that night.
To be continued...
Next time...
Episode 26: The Clown and the Puppet
Author's Notes: Wow. 25 episodes have come and gone. In that time, new characters have arisen, new plots have surfaced, the Emperor's become more ruthless than ever, the final battle was much bigger in scale, the mighty Devimon has arisen as UmbraDevimon, and he has an ingenious plan for succeeding.
And now, the Digidestined are stuck in the Digital World, just like in Season 1. But now, the stakes are much higher.
Before I go, let me tell you that the events of Digimon: The Movie never happened.
And I want to thank everyone who's reviewed this story so far. After all, it's all about the readers, eh?
See you next time!