Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Revival

Chapter: 37/ Source of Wrath

Norn stepped down onto the gray, sandy beach of the Dark Area and took a look around. Her eyes narrowed slightly in distaste.

"Well, well, well…" spoke a dark voice from behind her, laughter tinting it. "Of all the beings that come here, I never expected the digital world's god to be among the damned."

Norn turned towards the source of the voice, but found no one but the beach around her. Norn sighed and shook her head.

"You have changed much," continued the voice, this time from off in the direction of the water. "But no matter what appearance or name you take, I know you. But I am curious about one thing. Why do you take the form of a human now? Is that why Anubismon sent you here?"

"The Judge of the Dead has nothing to do with this," replied Norn, not looking amused. "I came here of my own free will."

"No one comes here of their free will," said the voice, its laughter disappearing. "Not even me."

Norn felt a flash of power behind her and she turned just in time to see a cloaked figure with frightening demonic horns arching from a crimson hood with an upside down star symbol emblazoned on its surface. A red robe clothed its body, and a pair of demonic wings extended outwards. Despite the beings appearance, Norn could sense a dark majesty and cruel wisdom about him. Even fallen, he has not become prey to lesser beings of this world.

"Daemon," greeted Norn. The demon's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you here? You do not dabble in darkness."

"I bring you a gift."

Raising one hand, Norn summoned a portal of energy and a youth with dark hair was dumped unceremoniously to the ground. The boy gasped as he struck the sand and lay there, trying to get his bearings. Daemon eyed the child before turning his gaze up to Norn.

"What is this?" he asked. Behind his tone, something slithered, as though there were another entity living inside him, speaking through him. "A joke? You give me a pathetic, weakling human to toy with? You should know that humans are not supposed to be in this world."

"Things have changed, Daemon, as you know. And this gift is more than just a toy for you. It is your key to escaping this world. How long has it been since the Digidestined—the East's Chosen Children—trapped you here? You still have not been able to escape, Daemon."

"And you expect this human to do what I cannot?"

Norn merely looked at Daemon impassively. "You saw it yourself when you invaded the human world of the Eastern Quadrant. You'd do well to not underestimate humans, Demon Lord. It has been your undoing once already."

Daemon became silent, considering her words. "Why?" he asked finally, suspicion plainly apparent in his tone.

"You do not need to know why. It is enough for you to know that you have a way out."

"Do not take me for a fool, Yggdrasil." Orange flames flickered at the tips of Daemon's fingers. "I may have underestimated the Digidestined, but I do not underestimate you no matter what you look like. You have something going on, and you mean to use me as a chess piece."

"Yes," nodded Norn. "I do."

Daemon eyed her for a moment before he glanced down at the fallen human. "You truly are a strange one…" he mused.

"If you are to leave this world," said Norn, raising one hand in front of her and placing her other hand over it, "then you will need to be connected to this human. The two of you will need to be…biomerged." A soft glow enveloped Norn's hands and she removed one to reveal a black and gray colored device. "This is the D-Arc. It is presently used amongst humans in the Southern Quadrant, where this child is from."

"I see." Daemon narrowed his eyes. The Southern Quadrant—a place where only the fittest survived. He remembered that world well. "And I suppose you want me to go there, do you? As a part of your master plan?"

"If you desire to leave this place, then yes." Daemon looked as though he were about to scoff at the digital deities words before she continued. "After all, your kingdom's existence will depend on you're going there."

"Oh really?" asked Daemon, amused. "And what, pray tell, is happening that would cause such a thing to occur?"

Norn stared at Daemon for a moment before replying.

"I was bid to tell you this." She paused before continuing. "Proteus."

Daemon's eyes narrowed and his chest rose as he took a deep breath. His clawed hands flexed, pulling into fists before opening.

"You have heard of—?"

"I have," interrupted Daemon. "But only in whispers. The infection is happening in the digital world now I take it?"

"Yes," replied Norn. "The Seal has been damaged. The First, Prometheus has awakened to deal with it. A test is required before he can continue, and then he may proceed. Regardless of the outcome however, the call has been made."

Daemon snorted. "As if I could care about what those beings do. However, I shall do as you desire in this case, and this case only. After all, interesting times are upon us, and I would hate to miss out on it."

"Very well," said Norn, her body beginning to fade from view. "I shall leave the rest to you then."

With that, she disappeared, but the black and gray colored digivice continued to hang in the air. With a distasteful snort Daemon grabbed it and then looked down at the human boy on the ground.

"Shall we begin, boy?" he asked, a dark aura beginning to appear around his body. The boy's body jerked reflexively as he finally became aware of his surroundings. He looked up and immediately began to push himself away from Daemon, fear cutting across his face. Daemon laughed and grabbed the child by the back of his shirt. The boy struggled, kicking at Daemon, but the Demon Lord of Wrath did not so much as react to the blows, and instead continued to chuckle at the child's resistance.

"You have fire in you," he noted with amusement. "Excellent. You are as I am. You have hatred in your heart. Fear. Anger. Yggdrasil chose you well. But…not quite enough. We're going to have to change that." Turning, Daemon began to walk towards the dark water that crawled and receded along the beach. His robes darkened as the water touched them. The boy increased the ferocity of his attacks, fear lending him strength even as the skin of his knuckles broke open trying to pound Daemon. Giving a sadistic chuckle, Daemon drove him beneath the waves and held him under. The boy thrashed and clawed at Daemon's robed arm, trying desperately to free himself, but his attacks did nothing.

"Don't fight it," Daemon said. "You'll only make the bonding process…worse."

The boy's attacks became increasingly desperate as bubbles began to escape his lips. A cruel smile drew across Daemon's face.

Yes…

The boy's arms stiffened and against his will his mouth opened, gasping for air and finding none to be had. Seeing this, Daemon raised the black and gray D-Arc to the sky. A dark light emerged from its screen, enveloping the two and merging them together.

…

Atsuo…

The name rang through Daemon's mind as he opened his eyes, finding himself within a dark tunnel, illuminated only by ghastly, orange colored lights that made the place appear almost haunted. Daemon snorted, not at all impressed with the place.

So this is where the seed of his anger was planted, mused Daemon. How…interesting.

Daemon glanced around, finding a small beam of light emerging from the far end of the tunnel—an exit. It wasn't too far off either. Taking a step forward, the Demon Lord began to approach the exit. As he did so, the light brightened and he could begin to make out a wall at the other end. Just above it stood clear blue sky. Daemon paused, considering it.

This is the child's memory that is the source of his hate? he thought. It hardly seemed possible. It was tinted with far too many positive emotions. He could feel them resonating in the tunnels and in the air.

Distantly he could hear the sound of voices and Daemon continued to move towards the tunnel, aching to hear more. He felt that whatever was being said was important.

"…What are you? Chicken?"

"No! I just…"

"Then go down there, Atsuo. You said you'd do it. You can't back out now."

Daemon came to a stop at the edge of the tunnel and looked up. He did not fear being seen, as this was the world of memories and he could not alter whatever happened here, for good or ill. He found a trio of boys, one with light brown hair, another with dark brown hair, and the last with black hair standing above him by a guardrail. A rope was tied to the railing and one boy was holding the other end out towards the one standing in the middle. A boy with dark hair. He almost seemed to shrink within himself as he looked pleadingly at the holder of the rope. Despite the fact that he appeared much younger, Daemon recognized the child right away.

Such a far cry from the child who attacked me in a desperate bid to get free.

"B-But my Mom was telling me to stay away from places like that until the Tamers found that nasty digimon that's been attacking the city," stuttered Atsuo. "You've heard the news and stuff…"

"Hey, you lost the bet. You can't back out now. Besides, what are the odds that there's going to be a digimon down there? The tunnels are a dump. Everyone knows it. And they're only used in case of flooding anyway. My teacher said so."

"Yeah, but…"

"Just get in there, Atsuo Yamaguchi!" snapped the other boy, this one with the light brown hair. "Are you going to be a promise breaker now? What are you going to do if everyone finds out that you can't keep a promise, huh?" The boy stabbed a finger and looked to the side, laughing. Apparently, he was talking to some other child that Daemon could not yet see. "What do you think? If Atsuo backs out, that means he has to suffer the punishment! He won't be able to come to school anymore if that happens."

The boy next to Atsuo, the one with black hair, regarded him carefully.

"Are you going to wimp out on us? You said you'd do it. If you don't, we won't let you hang out with us anymore."

"All right! All right!" exclaimed Atsuo, trying to placate the other boys before his voice dropped and became a bit more submissive. "…I'll do it…"

The black haired boy dropped the rope down into the pit below and Atsuo carefully climbed over the railing, taking hold of the rope with shaking hands as he did so. He took a deep breath and held it for a moment.

"Hey!" shouted one of the boys, pushing down on Atsuo's head irritably. "Get going! We don't have all day!"

"I'm going! I'm going!" shot back Atsuo, beginning his descent. "Sheesh…"

He moved with a bit more assertion now, his anger cutting out his fear, Daemon surmised. He watched him until he touched down on the ground. Atsuo let go a sigh of relief and released the rope. He stared at the entrance to the tunnel, directly at Daemon, though he couldn't see him.

Movement caught Daemon's eye, and the boy spun around.

"Hey!" he shouted up at the boys above him as they withdrew the rope. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you don't chicken out," replied the boy with light brown hair, a superior smirk on his face. "Go on. We'll let you back up when you do as you promised."

Fuming, Atsuo turned back towards the tunnel and began to walk towards it. Carefully he stepped into it, and paused.

"There!" he shouted over his shoulder, his voice echoing down the tunnel. "I'm in it! Now can we forget about this?"

"You can't just stop there," said the black haired boy, rolling his eyes. There was a series of affirmatives being made as more boys drew up to the railing.

"Fine…" growled Atsuo, taking a step forward. Darkness fell over him as he left the light and passed through Daemon's form like a ghost. Daemon turned and continued to watch him. The boy moved even deeper into the tunnel, passing into the orange lights that illuminated it. He glanced around, holding his arms close to his body. He swallowed anxiously before continuing.

"There's nothing down here," he muttered to himself. "Jeez…why am I so scared of this place?"

As if to answer his question, one of the lights far ahead of him winked out of existence, and the sound of glass shattering could be heard distinctly upon the air. Atsuo pulled to a halt and blinked.

Daemon chuckled softly as the boy stood there, waiting to see if it had only been a coincidence.

Another light died with the sound of breaking glass, and Atsuo spun, hurling himself towards the exit.

"Let me up!" Atsuo shouted as he cleared the tunnels. Hitting the wall, Atsuo jumped up, desperately trying to get out of the pit. "Let me up!"

"Jeez…what a baby," laughed the light-brown haired boy, holding the rope. "Here you go," he said, lowering the rope, only to snatch it back up at the last moment. "Oop. Too slow!"

"This is not funny!" exclaimed Atsuo, pounding his fists against the wall. "Guys! There's something in the—!"

Before he could even finish, the last of the lights in the tunnel cracked and died. A blue clawed hand covered by a black, tattered sheet shot out of the entrance and grabbed Atsuo, pulling him into the darkness. Atsuo gave out one last horrified scream before being abruptly cut off by a cold hand covering his mouth. Daemon's eyes gleamed as he considered the incident carefully.

"So this is where it began," he mused.

…

Kuroda blinked as the lights turned back on in the main control room. He looked over at Tally questioningly and the woman looked back at him, equally surprised.

"Um…the power's back on," she said, checking systems. "I'm getting reports from all sectors about the interruptions. Doesn't look like anyone was hurt, although…" Tally scowled. "…For some reason, there are several employees being reported as unconscious. It looks like Yamaki and Shibumi are among them."

"Great." Kuroda brushed his hand over his mouth. "Better have someone give Riley a call. In the meantime…" Kuroda pressed a few buttons and activated a number of screens on the wall surrounding them, providing them with an external view of the building. Kuroda frowned. Wreckage was plainly evident, as were the group of children and digimon standing amongst it, but the mist that had previously covered their cameras was gone.

Nice to know that those kids had us covered, thought Kuroda, adjusting himself in his seat. "All right, Let's initiate emergency protocols. Get all the kids in here and get everyone who needs help down to the emergency ward right away."

"I'll contact all available Monster Makers and have them report up here right away," said Tally.

Kuroda bit the inside of his mouth.

This is going to go over well with the sponsors, he thought. I can tell that already…

…

Ryo sat in class, carefully jotting down notes when his cell phone vibrated in his pants pocket. Quickly pulling it out, while making sure as to not be noticed, he flipped it open. He had received a text message from Hypnos informing him that his presence was required due to an emergency.

I wonder what's up, he thought, raising his hand. "Mr. Yoshida?"

"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Akiyama?" asked the teacher, adjusting his glasses as he looked up from the chalkboard.

"Yeah," he said, giving his teacher a slightly embarrassed look. "I just received a message from Hypnos. I've got to get going."

"I…see. Very well." The teacher sighed in exasperation. Ryo couldn't blame him. With his identity as a Tamer a well-known fact, there were numerous occasions where he had to interrupt the class in order to fulfill his duties. Very few teachers appreciated the interruptions and Ryo had the distinct feeling that some of the teachers believed that he was abusing the power his connection with the government gave him. None had given him any hassle over it, especially since he always brought in a note from Hypnos to placate the school about such accusations, but the feeling was there.

Getting out of his seat, Ryo collected his things and dumped them into his bag. A minute later he was heading towards the door, not noticing the look that he was being given by a brown-haired girl sitting by the windows.

…

As soon as Ryo was in the hall, he immediately began texting Jeri to apprise her of the situation. Although her status as a Tamer was debatable, due largely in part to the fact that her partner, Leomon, had been killed three years ago, the Tamers still preferred that she be a regular part of the team. Jeri herself, despite expressing doubts about it at first, also agreed with the assessment, and began to alter her approach towards taming, striving to provide support from the sidelines in whatever ways she could. As such, Hypnos offered her some latitude in how she conducted her affairs regarding taming and meetings at Hypnos, but only in so long as she did not become directly involved with frontline battles.

She would probably like to meet that Itsuya guy, thought Ryo as he sent his message, remembering his meeting with the psychiatrist. Jeri had expressed an interest in looking into that field, so it seemed natural that the best place to start would be with the person who was helping them now.

A few moments later, Ryo's cell phone vibrated as he received Jeri's response. The Legendary Tamer's face brightened noticeably as he read her message. She would indeed be coming, and would meet him at the gate as soon as she could. Ryo smiled and closed his phone.

For the briefest of moments, he wondered what exactly he was to her. As far as he knew, they were friends—no, scratch that. They were definitely friends. She had been there for him, listening to him whenever he needed an ear to talk to—often providing encouragement to get him to talk due to his past nature of dealing with his problems on his own. But there were occasions where she would do something that got him thinking…

No, he thought, shaking his head and laughing softly to himself ruefully. I doubt there's anything like that between us. Rika's probably right about me. I just might be a little full of myself to think that. Besides, there's Takato…right?

Ryo pushed the thought away. This wasn't the time to be thinking about such things. The two of them had to get to Hypnos as soon as possible. Fortunately, Cyberdramon was always close by so the trip would be relatively quick. As he exited the schools' main entrance, he pulled out his blue digivice and activated the tracking program. As he suspected, Cyberdramon was on the rooftop, standing guard. It wouldn't take him long to notice his Tamer out on the school grounds.

I wonder what's going on that made Hypnos text me, he wondered, pressing the button on his digivice and expanding the D-Arc's tracking range. Although he knew Shinjuku was outside his digivice's effective range, he couldn't help but wonder if there was something that he had missed. Not for the first time did he wonder if he should have persuaded his father to live in Shinjuku. Hypnos had had a hard enough time getting him to leave Kyushu in order to have all the Tamers nearby in the event of an emergency.

Dad… Ryo sighed. The man, even after all this time, still had a hard time accepting that he was a Tamer, and that it was his duty to protect this world from any incursions that threatened it. Were it not for the fact that he himself experienced similar issues with trusting others and leaving his home dimension in the hopes of living a more 'normal' life, he would have thought that they weren't related at all.

Guess it's true what they say. The apple doesn't fall very far from the tree.

The shadow of Cyberdramon fell over Ryo and a moment later, the beast landed.

"Going somewhere?" growled the cybernetic dragon-warrior. Ryo smiled at his partner.

"In a few minutes. We've got to wait for Jeri before we leave."

Cyberdramon nodded. "Where are we going?"

"Hypnos. I guess Yamaki wants to see us or something. I don't know the details, but a meeting was called. I haven't gotten around to calling any of the others to see what they know, but I guess we'll find out when we get there."

"Ryo! Cyberdramon! Wait for me!" shouted the voice of Jeri as she threw open the doors to the school and began to run towards them. Ryo's smile softened as he saw her while Cyberdramon stood his ground impassively.

"Wouldn't dream of leaving you in this place," joked Ryo as the brown-haired girl approached them. Jeri giggled.

"Oh, you. My Prince Charming."

Ryo found himself blushing lightly at the compliment and turned towards Cyberdramon. "Well, we're all here. My partner may not be a chariot for princesses but he can be as gentle as a puppy when he wants to be."

Cyberdramon growled menacingly at Ryo, but knelt down so that Jeri could easily climb onto his shoulder. Within short order, the two Tamers had composed themselves upon the warrior digimon.

"All right, buddy," said Ryo, clapping his partner's shoulder guard. "Let's go."

With a powerful lunge, Cyberdramon leapt into the air and within seconds, they became a rapidly receding dot in the air.

…

From her vantage point in the classroom, Nako Yamamoto watched as the two disappeared from view, her thumb exerting pressure on the pencil in her hand until it snapped in two. The upper-half of the pencil struck her desk with a clatter as she narrowed her eyes to dangerous slits.

Bitch…

A/N: And now Daemon himself has entered the picture, shedding some light on Atsuo's character in the process. Massive things are approaching as we move to finish out Suzie's Arc.

Small bits on Ryo and Jeri this chapter, though not much I'm sorry to say. These two have been strangely absent for much of the story even though they're supposed to play a rather large role in the overall plot. I plan to rectify that however as their part becomes more central and we move onto Prometheus' core plan.

Sadly, my updating schedule is going to be a bit more hectic now. My work schedule has been shifted around, becoming a bit more unfavorable, so I may not get as much time to work on this story until the school year starts for me. I'll just have to play it by ear and hope for the best.

Until next chapter. :P

-Crazyeight

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