Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Revival

Chapter: 26/ Waking Up

Riley sat at the table in the break room, going over the latest series of images from the digital world. A frown furrowed across her face as she analyzed the cloaked figure that had so recently destroyed one of their Tracers. Final data reports sent by the Tracer indicated a number of unusual arrangements of code within the being, but what they were could not be accurately assessed as the Tracer had been destroyed before it could conduct a thorough job. However, what could be said for certain was this: the cloaked figure was not a digimon.

Riley took a sip from her coffee cup and set it back down. At that moment, Tally poked her head in.

"Hey," the shorthaired woman greeted cheerfully. "Haven't seen you in a while. What's going on?"

"New assignments it seems," nodded Riley. "Yamaki has me jumping through hoops, going from one thing to the next." She raised her coffee mug to her lips again and took another drink. "Lately it feels like I'm doing his job instead of my own. I've had to file reports and interviews…things that he would normally be doing."

"Weird." Tally raised an eyebrow. "He's not the sort to shirk his responsibilities… Well, except when it comes to things that are outside his workaholic life…"

Riley arched an eyebrow at her, and Tally waved a placating hand at her as she grabbed her Hogmon mug.

"Sorry. Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it…"

"No, you're right." Riley chuckled. "Yamaki has the habit of putting my relationship with him on the side when it comes to anything involving the digital world. He's not shirking his job off on me by the way. He's still as involved as ever. I just seem to be taking care of the little things."

"That's not a bad thing, is it? You're getting more experience in the field and in operations after all. That makes you more valuable. It'll make it less likely some guy from the government is going to up and fire you because they don't like Yamaki and how he handles things. And we all know that your position isn't from favoritism…"

Riley shrugged. "I didn't say I was complaining. I'm just a little irritated. Yamaki's not filling me in on something, that's all."

"Oh?" Tally sat down in a chair, an intensely interested look appearing in her eyes. "A little trouble in paradise?"

"Nothing that's kicked Yamaki out of bed and onto the sofa so far, if that's what you mean."

"Not sure how I can help you there if it's not something like that." Tally took a swig from her mug.

"Do you and Kuroda get into a lot of fights?"

"No. We don't even live together…yet." Tally's face became reflective then and she massaged her fingertips along the rim of her cup. Riley smiled at her friend.

"That's been on your mind lately, hasn't it?"

"It's been three years," groaned Tally, slumping onto the table. "We've slept together, gone out, done a lot of things… Did you know he's really a closet Otaku? And that at night, when we're having sex, he can get really experimental, like when he tried this one thing involving a ball…"

"I really don't want to hear any gross details."

"I was joking about that last one," smirked Tally. "He's really rather sweet and gentle. He only gets aggressive towards the end."

"Tallyyy…"

"Sorry." Tally laughed lightly and took another sip before continuing. "Feels a little bit like the shoes on the other foot though. I used to complain about your sex life and the lack of mine. Now I'm wondering when Kuroda and I are going to go any further and…" Tally paused, sighed, and shook her head. "…But I didn't want to get onto that subject. What do you think Yamaki's up to?"

"It used to involve bad news for someone," Riley replied, flipping over a photo and looking over a data chart. "Now I can't even begin to guess. Maybe I just don't want to guess."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that maybe I should see that Takahashi guy—the one that's supposed to psychoanalyze the Tamers or some such." Riley leaned back in her chair and groaned. "Maybe I need to go on vacation. I haven't used any of my free time in months."

"Hmmm…" Tally leaned over and picked through the photos that Riley had sprawled in front of her. "Do you think it has anything to do with this weird cloaked guy that we picked up yesterday?"

Riley shrugged nonchalantly. "Probably not. He's been like that for the past few days though. I'm tempted to hack his email to find any clues."

Tally chuckled at her coworker's joke. "I'll ask Kuroda if he can help. That's one of his specialties."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "When you say that, it doesn't sound like the meaning it should have…"

"Riley!"

Riley laughed lightly. "Momentai, Tally. Momentai."

Kuroda yawned as he made his way down the halls of Hypnos.

Damn it, Tally, he grumbled mentally. You tell me to relax, and then you end up keeping me up all damn night. My dear, you are nothing but contradictions.

He shook his head, trying to clear the fog of exhaustion from his mind. He was tempted to go to the break room to grab himself a cup of coffee—anything to get rid of the feeling that he was moving through waist deep mud—but he knew Tally would be there as that was always her first stop in the day. As much as he loved her—cared about her—whenever it came to the morning after an exhausting bout of sex, he preferred to have a little distance to recuperate.

At least she's understanding about that, he mused, stopping at a nearby vending machine. No coffee, but a soft drink ought to at least get me going. Ugh…I can already hear Tally telling me that my mouth tastes like carbonated sugar water…

Kuroda paused in his scrounging of the necessary yen to make his purchase, analyzing his last thought. A second later, he leaned forward and struck his head lightly against the machine.

Ow… "I really need some time off from this…"

"I know the expression is 'use your head'," chuckled a voice from next to him, "but I was pretty sure they meant that for more constructive purposes than attempting to damage the vending machine."

Raising an eyebrow, Kuroda turned to find one of the Monster Makers, Daisy, standing next to him with an amused look on her face. Sighing, Kuroda regained his posture and pushed his glasses up on his face.

"I've just got a lot on my mind right now. How's Urocyomon doing?"

"Shibumi's doing a double check on his code now," she said, fishing out some yen from her wallet. "Going over his data with a fine toothed comb I guess you could say, just in case something hitched a ride. But he's awake."

"Oh?"

"You look pleased," Daisy observed. Kuroda snorted.

"Is there a reason why I shouldn't be?"

"You've made it pretty clear that you're not a fan of digimon. Or the digital world for that matter."

"It's a sick show that should be wiped off the face of the Earth. Urocyomon…I think is an exception. He's human."

"And yet he's a digimon, heart and soul."

"Did you come here to get something, or did you come here specifically just to rag on me about my beliefs?"

Daisy frowned at the man, but inserted her yen bill into the vending machine all the same. A second later the two of them were both leaning side by side, knocking back their drinks.

"Anyway, it probably won't be a good idea for you to see Urocyomon for a bit. Shibumi aside, Yamaki is going to have a talk with him and that could take a while."

"So I gathered. Besides, I still have a project to finish up. I can't really take any personal time away from it until that's done and over with." Kuroda reached up and began massaging his head. "I'm really hoping to have some good news today."

"We're here to help you know."

"I know. I've talked to Yamaki about freeing up some resources. You guys are the best authority on anything that has to do with digimon and the digital world. You would be the ones to go too. I guess Yamaki hasn't gotten around to it yet, has he?"

"He did. He spoke to us yesterday. He's pulling Babel and Curley off their projects to help out."

"For a team that works surprisingly well together, you keep getting spread out a lot."

A smug smirk appeared on Daisy's face. "When you're this good, the least you can do is share your knowledge with everyone. Anyway, there's going to be a meeting today in the main control room. We're going to be brainstorming a solution to the Gateway problem, so let's see what we can come up with."

"What time is the meeting?"

"Within the next hour or so," replied Daisy, checking her watch. "Didn't you get the email?"

"There've been problems with the server…"

"Oh, right." Daisy laughed a little. "Well, either way, let's get cracking on a plan."

Yeah, thought Kuroda, taking another swig from his bottle. Let's.

Marcus let go of a heavy groan as he pushed himself up from off the ground. Pain racked his body, but for the moment, it seemed to be bearable. Flipping himself over, he breathed heavily and glanced over at the wall of fire directly in front of him.

Huh? He gasped mentally, trying to regain his usual flow of thought. What…is that?

Movement caught his eye, and the number one street fighter of the digital world saw an inky blackness creep out from beneath the wall of fire. All at once, a memory of a hazy, dark beach assaulted his mind, and he found himself pulling himself up, getting his feet away from the shadow before it could touch him.

"Agumon!" he shouted. No sooner did the words leave his mouth did he sway on his feet, vertigo suddenly seizing him. He quickly managed to regain his sense of balance, fighting the disorientation down before returning his attention to what mattered: finding Agumon.

It didn't take him very long to do so. The orange-scaled dinosaur was lying right next to him, snoring loudly. Breathing a sigh of relief, Marcus leaned down and shouldered him.

Just like how we first met, Marcus grinned. Nice to see that you're still okay, buddy. Now…what the heck is going on? The last thing I remember is…Agumon dark digivolving. My DNA went wild or something… Corrupted? Is that what happened? It all started after Agumon, Urocyomon, and me wound up in that Dark Ocean place.

"Urocyomon…" he whispered before looking around furtively. "Where are you? Urocyomon!"

No sign of the digital fox could be seen. All that he saw was desert and the strange wall of fire with the eerie darkness creeping out from underneath it. Furrowing his brow, Marcus struggled to recall events from before he became unconscious.

We were fighting digimon in the Dark Area…we were ambushed by them, and then the world did some kind of weird color flip. I activated my DNA and Agumon went wild…and then we were fighting other digimon.

"This isn't good," Marcus said to himself. Urocyomon's missing, and something seems to be wrong with my DNA. I'm not even sure where to begin. I don't even know what this weird wall of fire is. What is it?

Reaching out, Marcus tapped one finger against it, and a spark of electricity made him pull back reflexively. But…for an instant he could have sworn that he was being pulled by some great force.

I wonder if Urocyomon got pulled through this, he wondered. He could be in the Dark Ocean. Those shadow guys seemed like they were interested in him after all…

Marcus narrowed his eyes. Yes. Now that he thought about it, the shadowy creatures that they encountered were definitely interested in Urocyomon, even going so far as to call him a 'catch'. Could they have taken him? And if so, where could they have gone?

Does this wall have anything to do with it? he wondered. Shifting his grip on Agumon, he took a deep breath…

…Only to be stopped as a yellow ribbon wrapped itself around his waist and yanked him backwards.

"Well, well, well," crowed LoadKnightmon as Marcus and Agumon hit the ground hard. "It seems we have an intruder that needs to be dealt with…wouldn't you say RhodoKnightmon?"

RhodoKnightmon folded her arms together and nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. I think it's time that we taught this intruder a lesson he'll never forget."

Marcus growled in exasperation. For the first time he could remember, he was not looking forward to this. However, he knew there was no way around it. It was fighting time again…

"Hellooo," sang Suzie as Henry opened up his door. The older boy stared at her for a second, taking a moment to wake up before replying.

"She's awfully loud," observed Terriermon with a yawn. Henry found himself nodding in agreement before catching himself.

"You're in an…exuberant mood this morning."

"I've got every reason to be," replied Suzie happily, placing her fists on her hips proudly. "I don't have school today."

"That's not the sort of attitude I would expect from someone who tried to keep their school from being destroyed," noted Terriermon, glancing over at Henry. "What went wrong with your upbringing?"

"Terriermon…" Henry sighed and shook his head. "I wouldn't go around thinking that you have a free day, Suzie. You have a meeting with Mr. Takahashi today, don't you?"

"Don't forget that you have homework to do over vacation too," called out Mayumi from over in the kitchen.

"Thanks for reminding me," pouted Suzie. "I don't see why I have to see that guy. I feel fine, and Lopmon is doing great too."

"It's just a precaution," said Henry, heading down the hallway. "It is important for Hypnos to know if there's anything that they need to look out for with Tamers, and you have been under stress lately."

"I know…but…" Suzie folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. "Oh, never mind. So…how was it last night?"

"How was what?"

"Earth to Henry," chided Terriermon. "She's talking about your date with Noriko. You know, I'm kind of curious too. Lumemon and I backed out to give you guys your privacy…"

"You mean how you stalked us?"

"We stayed at a discreet distance. Momentai! Besides, it was just in case a digimon showed up, which was your suggestion by the way."

"And neither of you are telling me what happened," observed Suzie, feeling a little irritated. "Come on… I finally get you and Noriko to go out on a date, and you won't tell me what you did? At least tell me you didn't go to a computer store or something."

"They did. I saw that much at least." Terriermon grinned at Henry. "You really know how to show a girl a good time."

Henry groaned as he entered the kitchen and began to root through the cupboards for breakfast. At the stove, Mayumi offered her children a playful frown.

"Now, now, Suzie. Leave your older brother alone. He's entitled to his privacy."

"But I got them together! I think I should at least know how it went!"

"Just leave them alone, Suzie," said Mayumi, giving Henry an approving look. "They've earned their privacy." A smile spread across Mayumi's face just then. "So…how did your date go?"

"Mom, didn't you just get done saying that Noriko and I earned our privacy?"

"Ohhh…what mother can resist being curious? You're no longer my cute little boy after all. You're turning into quite the handsome young man, and you've got a nice, pretty girl too. I like Noriko, and I won't have you mistreating her. Speaking of which…shouldn't you have taken her somewhere other than a computer store?"

"I rest my case," said Suzie triumphantly.

Henry groaned and shook his head. "It's not like that's the only thing we did, Mom. Although…"

"…Although?" Mayumi prodded, raising an eyebrow.

"…Well…I could use some advice on things to do. I'm really not used to the whole dating scene."

Mayumi smiled. "I can help you with that."

"Thanks Mom."

"Just remember to have her back by eight and always use a condom."

"Terriermon!" Henry exclaimed, going red in the face. The long eared rabbit digimon giggled mischievously.

"Just trying to head you off, Henry. I don't suppose you can actually listen to my advice this time before you have a bunch of little Henry's popping out all over the place."

Henry clasped one hand over his face, wondering just what he must have done in a previous life to deserve this kind of torment. Giving the teen a sympathetic smile, she ruffled his hair.

"Well…you're at that age now."

"You mean the age where he's supposed to ignore our advice?"

"That too. Hmmm…" Mayumi's smile became a teasing one now. "I wonder if it's about time I explained the birds and the bees to him…"

Never before in his life did Henry wish for a digimon attack then now.

Strings of colored light ran through Norn's hands. Her eyes were distant looking as the light twisted themselves around her fingers. After a few moments, she nodded.

"Program construction complete."

"Glad to hear that, Norn," came the voice of Prometheus as he materialized behind her. Turning, Norn's eyes met his.

"I take it that your mission was a success?"

"Stirred up a hornet's nest," said Prometheus. A grin spread across his face just then. "I also found a Demon Lord in GranDracmon's castle. That works in my favor as I recall. Just in time too, though perhaps not…quite fast enough." Prometheus scowled. "GranDracmon is going to be siccing his minions on us faster than I expected. I'm afraid that we're going to have to step up our time table."

Norn frowned. "I thought you said that time was important—as in not rushing things."

Prometheus shrugged and held out his hands helplessly. "Things change, Norn. Better to go when the wind blows sometimes. I have planned for this eventuality too. I should point out that Suzie isn't the goal. She's just a test. From her I can sink my teeth into the real targets and get things moving in the right direction."

Norn's frown deepened.

"Given your rather lofty goals, I don't see how stirring up GranDracmon this early in the game can help you."

"Provides a distraction, and an added bonus once things get out of hand and GranDracmon is forced to intervene directly. Hopefully by then, the plan will be close to completion. Until then…you know what I expect."

Norn nodded. Follow your orders.

"Exactly," said Prometheus, hearing her thoughts. A frown furrowed across his face. "Still, it is risky, so we're going to have to approach this very carefully." Raising one hand, a globe of light materialized. The light shifted and began to take shape until the face of a young boy appeared within it. "This is the boy who has been troubling young Suzie. He is perfect for the job at hand. You know what is needed." Prometheus looked over at Norn and the ball of light winked out of existence. Prometheus pocketed his hand and stood in a casual manner, his hair blowing across his face as a gust of wind swept over him.

"Push her, Norn. All the way."

"And what about Maelstrom?"

"He'll be working on her in his own way. Don't strike until the signal is given of course. In this case, timing is everything, and the right time…is…well, that's the question, isn't it?"

A gleam appeared in Prometheus' eyes, and Norn felt herself unconsciously shudder at it.

"There can be no way to determine the 'right time' when our time frame is so short. My attention is already taken up with these programs you're having me devise, so I am unable to search for everything that you require for this stage of your operations."

Prometheus chuckled.

"Oh, don't worry. The digital world has a way of giving you exactly what you need, when you need it the most. Faith may answer or it may not, but patience has the tendency of awarding big dividends. And with the state the digital world is in, I feel that we can expect that moment very, very shortly."

A/N: Shorter than usual chapter, but I did want to make my schedule for updates. Fortunately, all the important scenes that I wanted to cover in this chapter, I covered, so all is well.

Prometheus' words at the end are something that I've been thinking about lately. We've seen only a few instances of something going on in the digital world…something that's been viewed as bad but aside from the Dark Ocean (which until recently has been merely background to the digital world and not directly causing chaos), and at least a couple bio-emergences of unusually powerful digimon, we haven't seen much evidence of what the problems are (which was not helped by the fact that the Knighthood group exterminated an entire sector and is actively working to 'keep things quiet there'). So, in the upcoming chapters, we'll be seeing a bit more of that while advancing the plot.

'Till next chapter.

-Crazyeight

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