[copy/paste disclaimer here. And ANGELIC LAYER is a copyright of CLAMP.]
VERSION UP and starting animation plays....
Backstep 05
Shades of Grayscale
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Location - Buck and Parker's camp in the Digital World
Time - five days before Digital Conundrum
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Parker and Buck held their digimentals before their bodies, basking in the light that glinted off of them. Their digimon, in a battle-ready position at their feet, glanced a moment towards them. There was a questing look in their eyes, as if they were waiting for the humans to do something.
Daisuke and Fladramon were standing opposite them with pride in their eyes, but the other Chosen Children behind him cowered nervously. Ken, Iori, and Miyako had nervous grins covering their faces, but their eyes showed all - Daisuke was acting stupid again.
Parker nodded as if they had secretly agreed on something, then stared at the digimentals in their hands. In unison they yelled out the phrase that would activate the strange objects.
"Digimental Up!"
The digimentals vanished from the men's hands in a flash of golden light, and a similar aura formed around their digimon. Tentomon and Elecmon grew into golden silhouettes, the tallest being almost seven feet in height. In seconds the auras about the digimon faded, revealing the strange new forms that they had assumed. In almost the same voices they announced themselves.
"Tentomon, armor evolve! Scarabmon, flying Time!"
"Elecmon, armor evolve! Kyuubimon, mysterious Truth!"
Before Parker was a strange hybrid between a human and a scarab beetle. It stood a little taller than Parker, with a pair of large, transparent wings shielded by a golden shell engraved with the same strange clock face as the digimental. His muscular arms and legs were also shielded with gold, and his feet and hands were gargantuan and sharp as blades. Two whip-like tentacles grew from his waist, one by each of his hands. The digimon turned his head to face Parker, his golden teardrop-shaped face dominated by his large green eyes.
"Don't worry, it's just me," Scarabmon buzzed in his tinny voice.
Parker could do nothing but just gasp in disbelief. "You're Tentomon?" he breathed, shocked.
The insect shook his head. "No. I'm Scarabmon, the armored form of Tentomon with the Digimental of Time."
"But you're still the same guy, right?"
"Mentally, yes, but physically, no," Scarabmon stated.
"Oh," Parker said blankly, averting his eyes from Scarabmon's frightening form to look at Buck. The reporter was standing behind a large golden fox-like creature with nine flowing tails and a red rope tied with bells around his neck. Buck petted the fox warily, and received a coo of acknowledgement.
"So, you're ... Kyuubimon?" Buck asked.
The fox nodded. "I am," it replied in a feminine voice.
"And what is 'Kyuubimon' supposed to mean?" Buck asked skeptically.
Kyuubimon sighed warily and looked up at Buck. "It's a slurring of the Japanese words for 'nine tails' and the English word 'monster'. Geez, you ask too many questions." He turned back to face Fladramon angrily.
"You stole our breakfast!" Scarabmon buzzed angrily at Daisuke and Fladramon. He spread out his wings and jumped into the air. Parker looked upon him in amazement and muttered something to Buck.
"I wonder how he could fly with all that gold," Parker whispered.
"Don't ask me," Buck said, looking up at the sky.
Fladramon jumped into the sky and attempted to kick Scarabmon in the abdomen, but Scarabmon dodged and struck him with both the whips at his sides. Fladramon crashed to the ground before Buck and Parker and jumped to his feet. Fireballs formed around his right fist, which he shot out with a swift sweep of his arm. "Knuckle Fire!" he yelled out in perfect English.
Scarabmon swiped the fireballs away with his whips, sending them into the sky behind him. He arched about the sky over the Chosen Children and extended his whips rigidly towards Fladramon. The whips hardened into golden spears that fired from his sides in a burst of light.
"Scarab Stinger!"
Fladramon jumped away from the spears to Daisuke's side. The spears struck the ground before Parker's feet.
"Coward!" Kyuubimon shouted as he sprang from Buck's side towards Fladramon. Nine balls of flame formed before each of his tails. "Demon Fireball!" The fireballs were released from his tails and flew towards Fladramon's chest.
Fladramon dodged from the fireballs, but they tailed closely behind the dragon. He jumped into the air to strike Scarabmon with his pronged claws, yet the attempt was futile. The fireballs crashed into Fladramon's back, causing him to careen down to the campground below.
Fladramon crashed on his back before Daisuke and moaned wearily. Daisuke was about to crawl to the fallen digimon's side when Kyuubimon leaped onto Fladramon's chest. The fox-like digimon brought his face close to Fladramon's and let cold saliva drool onto his body.
"Now, Buck, Parker, Scarabmon and I don't mean any harm to you and your friends," Kyuubimon growled. "We just want an apology from all of you and reimbursement for all the food you ate." Fladramon trembled, but Kyuubimon only brought his face closer. "You understand?"
Fladramon nodded his head and turned towards Daisuke. "Kyuubimon wants you and the others to apologize to the Americans and give them some sushi and instant ramen when we get back to Tokyo," he groaned in Japanese.
Daisuke nodded reluctantly and told the other children the news. They soon bowed low and muttered a dull "Sorry" in their native language.
Kyuubimon walked off of Fladramon's back and turned back to Buck and Parker. "They've apologized," he said.
"Well, that's a relief," Buck sighed.
"Are they going to pay us for damages?" Parker asked angrily.
"Fladramon said that the kids would buy us some food when they get back to Tokyo," Kyuubimon stated. The digimon's body started to glow and shrink as he reverted back to Elecmon. The digimental armor was compressed into a beam of light that shot out towards Buck's digivice.
Tentomon, who had already reverted from his armored form, flew down to Parker's side and settled himself on the man's shoulder. "Well, at least something good came out of this," he buzzed.
Buck walked down to where he had set down his backpack and slung it over his shoulders. He called Parker over with a slight movement of his head. Parker made his way over to Buck and stowed away the portable oven.
"Come on, Frank," Buck groaned. "We have to find a way out of this Digital World. We already know that the Digimentals won't get us anywhere."
Parker nodded. "Right." He pulled his backpack over his shoulders and walked away from the campground, averting from the Chosen Children. Tentomon and Elecmon tagged behind them, weary from the battle.
A voice in English behind the two men halted them. "Wait!"
Parker and Buck took a glance back. Fladramon had reverted back to V-mon and was now in Daisuke's arms. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "We're on our way back to Tokyo! Wanna come?"
Parker's eyes widened, but he pulled Buck beside him. "Should we go with them?" he asked warily.
Buck nodded. "Sure. How else are they going to get us our food?"
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Location - United States Embassy, Tokyo, Japan
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It only took a flash of Parker's NSA badge to admit an instant-ramen laden Buck and Parker into a private suite at the United States Embassy in Tokyo. The two had left Elecmon and Tentomon outside so they could find their way to their suite without suspicion. According to Ken, leaving Wormmon to find his way home on his own was the only way he had escaped wary eyes from his parents.
Surprisingly, Ken's advice had worked for Parker and Buck. When the two were secure in their second-story executive suite, Tentomon and Elecmon popped their heads from behind one of the elegantly covered beds.
"What took you two so long?" Elecmon asked, jumping onto the top of the bed. For the first time the digimon sounded gleeful. "We've waited here forever."
"Well, it takes time to go up an elevator with armed guards surrounding you that don't bother to help carry a month's supply of instant noodles and sushi," Buck groaned, dropping bags of instant ramen onto the bed.
"We're going to have to thank Miyako for getting this food from her convenience store," Parker sighed, setting his bags of sushi onto an antique wooden table. "What was that store called again?"
"I think it was 'iMart'."
Parker scoffed and plopped himself onto the other bed. "Doesn't sound all that original. Like some kind of laptop computer."
"Yeah." Buck walked off into an alcove, the clicking of a sliding door shutting following soon afterwards. "I'll be taking a shower," he called from behind the door.
"All right," Parker replied. Running water hissed from behind the bed momentarily, followed by Buck humming "Outdoor Man" severely off key.
"Great - I'm stuck with a tone-deaf Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist," Parker droned, reaching over to a phone placed on a nightstand. It was already six in the evening, making it three in the morning at NNL. Nevertheless, Parker took the phone off the hook and dialed the Conundrum number. Knowing Talmadge, he would probably still be awake, smoking a cigar and waiting for a call.
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Location - NNL
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Talmadge, half asleep, was staring off at the television in a corner of his private office. Currently the television was tuned to CNN, with scenes of Nicolae Carpathia shaking UN delegates' hands and the usual caption beneath: "Nicolae Carpathia, the newly instated Secretary General of the United Nations, will have a conference with the ten highest United Nations delegates five days from now at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The meeting will be viewed only as a live webcast."
"Great," Talmadge sighed, pulling a cigar from his wooden cigar box. He lit it and chewed upon it a while, never pulling his eyes away from the television. How could polite-looking Nicolae Carpathia be one of the masterminds behind Digital Conundrum, as Parker had said?
The intercom on Talmadge's desk buzzed, causing the burly man to automatically pound the speaker button. "Talmadge here."
"Sir, it's Conundrum," a female voice called from the other end.
"Patch him in."
Parker's dreary voice filled the stuffy room. "Hello Bradley."
"Good evening, Frank. How is it going on your end?"
"Well, Buck and I got ourselves out of the Digital World."
"You did? How?"
A scoff from Parker, then silence. "Well, a couple of Japanese kids ran into us. Luckily, we had some translators on hand, so we followed the kids to a television set. These televisions have the ability to have us communicate with people on Earth, and they can transport us back here with the help of the digivice."
Talmadge nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Good job, Frank. So, where are you?"
"That's a good question," Parker said, nervous. "Buck, our translators, and I are at the American Embassy in Tokyo."
"What?" Talmadge, enraged, stood up from his chair and slammed his hands flat onto the desk. "How did you manage to get to Tokyo?"
"Hey, I told you that the kids were Japanese," Parker laughed. "And they were the ones that sent us back to Earth. I think their digivices are set to return them to Japan."
"Then that probably explains it." He paused a moment to chew on his cigar in thought. "Frank, do you think that you could find another way to the Digital World from where you are?"
"I think so. The kids used a program called Digital Gateway to transport themselves to the Digital World via computer. There's a catch, though."
"And what is it?"
"You'll need a D3 version digivice to open a Digital Gateway on any computer."
Talmadge sighed. "And you and Buck don't have one?"
"Nope. But Buck and I are planning to run into the kids again tomorrow. So don't worry - Buck and I will be trying to find a way to save the world soon."
"All right. I'll expect to hear from you again, Frank."
"Right."
Click.
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Location - Buck and Parker's suite in the United States Embassy, Tokyo, Japan
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Parker hung up the phone and gently laid his head back on a comforter-sheathed pillow. Tentomon hovered over and landed by Parker's side. The shell on his back clicked as the digimon folded in his wings.
"You tired, Frank?" Tentomon asked.
Parker nodded. "Yeah. Saving the world for who knows how many times I've done it takes it all out of me." He sighed and patted Tentomon's head. "Would you mind waking me in a few hours so I could make some noodles?"
Tentomon shrugged. "Sure thing."
"Good." And immediately Parker was snoring.
--Water dripping from the sky.
Rain.
The rotting remains of a fishing village - not a New England one, no ... a traditional Japanese version. Two boats still tethered to a pole (a dock?) by an algae-crusted rope.
An ocean in the shades of an ancient black-and-white printer. Waves crashing onto a grayscale beach ... once ... twice ... and yet again....
A rocky bluff, the remains of a New England style lighthouse near the end, far on the horizon....
Parker sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes. He looked to his side, finding nothing there. Where was Tentomon?
"Darn," Parker cursed, swinging his legs over the ledge of the bed. His feet splashed into water, splashing onto his clothes. Again he cursed, pulled himself onto the bed again, and chanced a look around. The bed he was on was settled on the sandy bottom of the ocean, the gray water sloshing about the bed skirt. There was nothing else to be found - just the ocean, the village on the horizon behind him, the lighthouse to the opposite direction, the perpetual rain....
And everything was in a shade of grayscale.
"What is this, a black-and-white movie?" Parker asked out loud. But nobody answered him. The village was deserted, the lighthouse abandoned, the ocean calm except for the falling rain.
A light appeared on the horizon before Parker. Shades of strange creatures, even people, were starting to take shape. An angel with three pairs of wings was at the center of the light, and a Japanese boy with a white hat (or at least it looked so) seated upon the back of an ivory sphinx was some distance behind him. Hovering above the calm ocean was a pink light, a young girl its source. The children and the angel seemed familiar - where had Parker seen them before?
The white light started to blot out the grayscale landscape, inching its way towards Parker. Parker did all he could to shield his eyes, but it was all in vain. Everything vanished, leaving only the sound of the rain and the whispered words in a voice Parker recalled from a previous timeline....
"God's Typhoon."--
The buzz of a microwave signal awoke Parker an hour later. Warily Parker rubbed his eyes, expecting to view the ominous grayscale ocean before him again. This time the television greeted him, and Tentomon at his feet, staring at the screen. An animated show was airing currently - "Angelic Layer," from what Parker could make of the English words on the title card.
"Hey, Frank, I've set up some sushi and wasabi for you over here." It was Buck, seated cross-legged on the other bed, picking ramen noodles from a cup with chopsticks. Elecmon was beside him, watching the television and chewing on sushi. A plate with some rolls of sushi and a green paste were beside the digimon.
"Thanks, Buck," Parker said, standing from the bed and taking the plate. He was relieved to find that the carpeted floor of the suite wasn't sopping with brine. Dropping a piece of sushi in his mouth, Parker asked, "So, Buck, what else have you been up to?"
"Oh, nothing much," the journalist said, slurping ramen into his mouth. "Just took a shower, then got some food and turned on the TV. No shows in English though."
"Not even CNN?"
"Well, I did see part of their evening report." Buck dropped his chopsticks into his now-empty plastic ramen cup and threw it into a wastebasket. "Said something about our good friend Nicolae having a meeting with United Nations members sometime in the next couple of days. Did you know that he's now the Secretary General of the UN?"
Parker almost choked on his sushi in shock. "Secretary General? You've got to be kidding me. I mean, a guy that trashed your apartment and is probably plotting to do away with us this very moment - I don't see him as head of any peace organization. And besides, he isn't even human!"
"Well, the UN and the rest of the global political scene seem fooled now. I mean, look at all this talk he has of uniting the world equally in a Global Community." Buck said 'global community' as if it were capitalized.
"Like that's ever going to happen," Parker scoffed.
"But remember - we found out that the Digital Conundrum disk had plans for uniting, even conquering the world. And the codes mentioned that this was to be a demonic empire."
"Well, at least half the world's population won't have to endure it."
"But what if we prevent the disappearances, eh?"
"Then the world wouldn't buy into this 'Global Community' business so easily," Parker said, mimicking Buck's pronunciation of 'global community'.
"So yet another reason why we have to save the world."
"Hey, who said anything about we?"
"Well, you're stuck with me," Buck sighed. "And the digimon seem to be glued to us."
Parker looked at Tentomon and Elecmon, who were still staring at the television. "They look glued to the screen to me."
"You've got a point." Buck stretched himself out and lay on the bed. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get ourselves an early sleep." He closed his eyes and started to slow his breathing.
"Okay. I won't bother you," Parker sighed, throwing the last of his sushi into his mouth. Lazily he walked over to the bathroom sink and placed the plate inside, not bothering to pour any water upon it. He then slowly walked into the main room, switched off the lights, and climbed upon his bed.
"Hey, Tentomon," Parker groaned, "why don't you and Elecmon keep the volume down while we sleep, all right?"
Tentomon kept his eyes on the television, but replied nevertheless. "All right, Frank."
"Thanks." Parker rolled over on his side to take a glance at Buck. The reporter seemed to flicker with a static-like aura, much like the interference on a television. No, that couldn't be, Parker told himself. He closed his eyes, and the last thing he remembered seeing was Buck flashing with static and the room fading into gray.
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Location - unknown
Time - four days before Digital Conundrum
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Parker awoke the next morning, his eyes blurred with sleep. He drowsily attempted to sit up - it took more effort than he could recall. For some reason the mattress beneath him was giving way like sand. And through his short hair Parker could feel little granules of grit scattered through it.
"Some executive suite," Parker moaned, finally rubbing his eyes. He looked down and saw Tentomon on his lap, a distressed look in his bulbous faceted green eyes.
"Frank, do you know where we are?"
Parker shrugged - what kind of question was the digimon asking? "We're at the American Embassy in Tokyo, in our suite. Why?"
"I don't recall having an ocean view from our room. And the last time I saw you, you were in full color."
Parker flashed a you've-got-to-be-kidding glare at Tentomon, but the digimon only raised a talon to point at something behind him. With a game smile upon his lips Parker turned back. The view made his jaw lower in shock.
It was the grayscale ocean from his dream. The rotting Japanese fishing village was to the left, tatters of cloth signs hanging limply from poles. Far to the right was the rocky bluff, the ruins of the lighthouse dotting the horizon. Everything was a monotonous grayscale, colors muted by darkness.
"You're right, Tentomon," Parker breathed at last. "We didn't have an ocean view. Now where are Buck and Elecmon?"
"They're at the village," Tentomon buzzed. "The digivice picked up something strange there."
Parker brought himself to a standing position and smiled. "Well, then. Let's go drop them a visit."
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Location - the Center
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Minutes had passed since the mysterious new angel digimon had revealed himself to Takeru and Hikari. The Guardian - for lack of knowledge of his true name - stood at a limp military attention, basking in the light emitted from the Crest of Hope motif carved into the floor. The two Chosen Children leaned on a railing across from the digimon, exhausted.
"I wonder what he's the Guardian of," Takeru asked to nobody in particular. "He sure doesn't look like Angemon."
"And he doesn't look like Holy Angemon, either," Hikari sighed. "You think Koushirou or any of the others know?"
"I doubt it." A sigh. "But at least we found him."
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Location - abandoned fishing village, unknown region
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Parker and Tentomon found Buck seated atop Kyuubimon, the journalist's eyes staring down at the digivice in his hands. Buck's long bangs blew about his face in a nonexistent wind, and it was all he could do to not tuck them behind his ears. Upon hearing Parker and his digimon partner approach him, Buck raised his head away from the digivice screen.
"Good morning, Frank," he sighed, at last pulling his bangs away from his face. "You know where the heck we are?"
Parker shrugged. "Beats me. You think the digimon know?"
Kyuubimon and Tentomon shook their heads. "We've never been here," Kyuubimon growled. "For all we know, we're in a black-and-white movie before a dark ocean."
"Maybe that's what we should call this place - Dark Ocean," Parker scoffed.
"Makes sense," Buck nodded. He looked back down at his digivice. "I've been getting a strange reading on this thing," he muttered to nobody in particular. "There are two blue stars in the direction of the building before us." He pointed to a ramshackle wooden structure that had a frayed bluish banner with Japanese characters written upon it in fading white dye.
Parker looked in the direction of the building Buck pointed at. "It looks like one of those restaurants in rural Japan, like what Daisuke and his friends told us about yesterday when they got us our food," he mused. "Don't see any food, though."
"I'd doubt it - the place looks like it's been abandoned for years," Buck stated. "But the readings say that these two things are in here." He chanced a look at Parker. "Should we go?"
Parker nodded. "It doesn't hurt to." He took his digivice from his pants pocket and picked his way through rubble towards the rotting building. Tentomon flew shortly behind him, followed by Buck mounted on Kyuubimon.
It took only a square kick into the moist wooden door for the group to enter the building. Immediately Buck jumped off of Kyuubimon and rushed to Parker's side, digivice in hand. There was nothing of true interest in the moldy, rotting shack - just a few low-set tables that had seen better days, floor cushions torn with stuffing poking out, plates and chopsticks with what looked like the remains of sushi decomposing as they waited for those that were eating them. Scuba air tanks were littered on the floor, pressure indicators showing that they were still full. A display case once filled with food was now home to collapsed iron racks, a few broken light bulbs, and a pie tin or two. Behind the display case was a doorway, concealed by the tatters of a cloth that was printed in Japanese style. Other than the two human men and their digimon partners, there was nothing else alive in that rotting shack.
"Your data must be screwed up," Parker sighed. "There's nothing here - unless that digivice was detecting the air tanks."
Buck looked down at his digivice again. "No, the air tanks aren't what I'm picking up. Whatever it is, it's behind the display case."
Parker gazed in disgust at the partly concealed doorway. The heavy air of death was about the entire town - especially in the shack. Reaching inside his jacket, Parker drew out his gun - he forgot that he still had it since running into Carpathia - and inched his way towards the door. Slowly he drew back the tattered curtain and pointed the muzzle of the gun beyond it. There was no rustling of a creature running away in fright. Cautiously Parker swiveled inside the room. Nothing there - with the exception of a rusted gas stove, an oven, and scattered pots and pans. How could the digivice be picking anything of value in the mess?
"Coast's clear," Parker called out, waving his free arm. Immediately Buck, Kyuubimon, and Tentomon picked their way to the door and stood behind him. They stuck their heads beyond the doorway for a better look.
"It looks like a tornado blew its way through here," Buck gasped in disappointment. "I've seen cleaner kitchens than this."
"Are you sure those objects are in here?" Kyuubimon asked, looking up at Buck wistfully.
Buck glanced at his digivice again. "I'm darn sure. These two things are in this room, straight ahead." He pointed to a relatively clear spot in the room.
"Well, then. Let's check it out," Parker said gamely. Gun still in hand, he made his way past rusted culinary equipment, the cacophony of iron scraping on wood bringing mixed expressions to Buck and the digimon. Tentomon flew immediately behind Parker, while Buck and Kyuubimon padded after him.
Moments later Parker was standing in the clear area of the room. He searched above and below, but nothing of interest caught his eye. Even the rotting ceiling was tiring to gaze upon. "Nothing here," he said at last. "Must be a false reading." He pocketed his gun and sighed.
Buck looked back down at his digivice. "But I was sure that there was something on here - the signal's still on the screen! Here, let me check it out." He shoved his way through pans to Parker's side, Kyuubimon behind him.
"Sure," Parker scoffed. "Journalists are always the one with an eye for detail."
Buck narrowed his eyes, but made no comment. He moved the digivice in a sweeping pattern, but soon shook his head to the side. "This is strange," he said at last. "The digivice says that there's two objects right beneath us. But I don't see anything."
"Nothing above, either," Parker sighed. "I still think it's a dud. Come on - let's go." He turned around to leave the way he came, but something made him halt. It sure wasn't a pan in the way of his feet. Invisible wall was instantly crossed out - he was even with Kyuubimon's hind feet. No - what had stopped Parker was something in his heart, something that had been hidden for sixteen years....
"Frank, turn around." It was Buck, whispering. Warily Parker obeyed, and saw why his journalist partner was in awe.
Two beams of blue light had emerged from the ground before them. Dog tags, United States Military issue, were suspended in each of the beams, each on a long chain. They were unmarked, except with different names on each of them. The one before Parker bore the name FRANCIS PARKER; CAMERON WILLIAMS decorated the tag in front of Buck.
"Well, how about that?" Parker gasped. "Custom-made dog tags." He grabbed the dog tag before him and slipped it over his head. The cold metal had a strange warmness to it.
"Frank, are you sure you want to take that?" Buck asked. He reached his hand inside the beam of light before him, but refused to take hold of the dog tag.
"Hey, if our Digimentals were marked by a blue light, and if these are, too, then I guess it's okay to take them."
"All right." Reluctantly Buck took the dog tag and placed it over his head. The light before Parker and Buck, though, still remained. An image was forming inside both of the beams, an image familiar, yet faded from memory. Within moments colored static interference invaded the light, taking the form of a hooded figure - strangely in full color.
"Who's this wacko?" Parker laughed mockingly.
The hooded figure started to speak. "I am Gennai, messenger of the force of Light."
"Sounds like a Star Wars reject," Buck muttered.
Gennai continued to speak, as if the message were prerecorded. "The two items that you have retrieved are Tags. These Tags, when combined with your Crests, will allow your digimon to become stronger and evolve to higher levels." The image in one of the beams of light changed into that of one of the dog tags and a symbol resembling a clock face. "The Crests are scattered about the Digital World, Earth, and the World of Darkness. You must find them so you can defeat the blasphemous beast known as-"
And then the light turned dim, and the images vanished.
"What was that all about?" Buck asked, turning to Parker.
"I don't know," Parker shrugged indifferently. "Let's get out of here."
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Location - the Center
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Only God knows how many minutes Takeru and Hikari stared at the mysterious Guardian. Eventually, though, Takeru walked away from the railing he was leaning upon and made his way to the gate that would lead back to the Dark Ocean. Tentatively he picked up one of the air tanks and sighed. No matter how long he could hold his breath, there was no way that even both of the tanks could sustain a person for long.
Hikari silently crept up behind Takeru with a sheepish smile playing on her lips. "Come on, Takeru," she whispered resignedly. "Let's get back. The Guardian will certainly follow us."
"Yeah, I guess," Takeru sighed halfheartedly. "But there's not enough air for even the both of us to return to the Dark Ocean."
"Then we could go to the Digital World, or even Tokyo." Sparkles returned to Hikari's eyes. "You know, I haven't had decent ramen in months."
A rumble shook the entire Center, knocking the two children off their feet. Two beams of light - one silver, the other gray-blue - shot out of two areas on the edge of the great bier in the center of the room, just near the dauntless Guardian. The strange angel digimon, aware of the disturbance, purposefully - yet haltingly - walked out of the light he was encaged in. He turned to face the Chosen Children, his hidden eyes boring into their souls.
"Time and Truth have been awakened," he whispered, the sound echoing through the Center. "The second Guardian harkens."
"Gee, I just thought he knew you wanted some ramen," Takeru said blankly.
"It is time to seek the second Guardian," the angelic Guardian continued, making his way towards the children. His wings were spread wide, prepared for flight. The flat, listless expression upon his half-hidden face started to turn square, serious.
Hikari trembled and pulled herself towards Takeru. "I don't like that look," she whispered.
"I don't either," Takeru shuddered.
Unexpectedly the Guardian glided at blinding speed towards the children, gathering them in his arms. Takeru and Hikari hardly had a chance to scream as the Guardian rammed into the portal that led to the Dark Ocean. The shattering of glass was the last sound that filled the children's ears before all turned dark.
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Location - abandoned fishing village, Dark Ocean
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Parker, Buck, and their digimon had exited the rotting restaurant, their Tags mysteriously shining with a silver glint in the darkness-suppressed world. Warily Parker brought out his gun and kept it in his hands. He walked further into the town in the general direction of the ocean.
"I don't like this place," Parker grumbled as he walked off. Reluctantly Buck and the digimon followed him - there was no reason to split up.
The entire fishing village followed the same suit as the shack Parker and Buck had explored. Every building was rotting into the ground, the smell of brine and the air of recent death all around. Even the old dock at the very outskirts of the town was falling to the same fate. Parker only took a small step onto the wharf to test the stability, and the wood fell beneath in soggy flakes.
"We can't even get out on the dock," Parker sighed. "Just our luck."
"What, you think there's boats down there?" Buck asked sarcastically. "Look, as far as we know, we don't even know how to get back home from this Dark Ocean place. We're stuck. There's no way we're gonna save the world here."
"Yeah, you're right." Parker sighed again. He stared off at the horizon, towards the ruined lighthouse upon the bluff. A white flash of light emerged from beneath the bluff, shooting into the sky. "Maybe we should check out that lighthouse before it gets too late."
"It's probably just as moldy as this place," Buck scoffed.
"Who knows? It might have a way for us -"
A deep rumble shook the ground beneath the men and their digimon. Water sloshed up onto the high wharf, splashing onto Buck and Parker. Parker lost his train of thought as he stared off at the horizon. Something was rising from the water, something dark - darker than the depressing grayscale.
A form could soon be seen upon the far-off sky. It was macabre, almost like a sinister cross between a man and a squid. Horns grew from the creature's head, and its red eyes glared straight through the men.
"You know what that is?" Buck breathed, backing into Kyuubimon.
Parker shook his head. "I have no idea."
to be continued....
Itsudemo Aeru Kara, ending animation, and credits play....
{author's notice}
HEY! Due to popular request, Parker and Buck will offer a FAQ session after part 06 of DIGITAL CONUNDRUM! They will welcome your questions not only of the DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, SEVEN DAYS, and LEFT BEHIND references in this fic, but of whatever will come in later parts! And - of course - a preview of when all the mayhem will start again: BACKSTEP 09 - ANGEL'S TRUMP SOUNDING!
VERSION UP and starting animation plays....
Backstep 05
Shades of Grayscale
-------------------------------------------------
Location - Buck and Parker's camp in the Digital World
Time - five days before Digital Conundrum
-------------------------------------------------
Parker and Buck held their digimentals before their bodies, basking in the light that glinted off of them. Their digimon, in a battle-ready position at their feet, glanced a moment towards them. There was a questing look in their eyes, as if they were waiting for the humans to do something.
Daisuke and Fladramon were standing opposite them with pride in their eyes, but the other Chosen Children behind him cowered nervously. Ken, Iori, and Miyako had nervous grins covering their faces, but their eyes showed all - Daisuke was acting stupid again.
Parker nodded as if they had secretly agreed on something, then stared at the digimentals in their hands. In unison they yelled out the phrase that would activate the strange objects.
"Digimental Up!"
The digimentals vanished from the men's hands in a flash of golden light, and a similar aura formed around their digimon. Tentomon and Elecmon grew into golden silhouettes, the tallest being almost seven feet in height. In seconds the auras about the digimon faded, revealing the strange new forms that they had assumed. In almost the same voices they announced themselves.
"Tentomon, armor evolve! Scarabmon, flying Time!"
"Elecmon, armor evolve! Kyuubimon, mysterious Truth!"
Before Parker was a strange hybrid between a human and a scarab beetle. It stood a little taller than Parker, with a pair of large, transparent wings shielded by a golden shell engraved with the same strange clock face as the digimental. His muscular arms and legs were also shielded with gold, and his feet and hands were gargantuan and sharp as blades. Two whip-like tentacles grew from his waist, one by each of his hands. The digimon turned his head to face Parker, his golden teardrop-shaped face dominated by his large green eyes.
"Don't worry, it's just me," Scarabmon buzzed in his tinny voice.
Parker could do nothing but just gasp in disbelief. "You're Tentomon?" he breathed, shocked.
The insect shook his head. "No. I'm Scarabmon, the armored form of Tentomon with the Digimental of Time."
"But you're still the same guy, right?"
"Mentally, yes, but physically, no," Scarabmon stated.
"Oh," Parker said blankly, averting his eyes from Scarabmon's frightening form to look at Buck. The reporter was standing behind a large golden fox-like creature with nine flowing tails and a red rope tied with bells around his neck. Buck petted the fox warily, and received a coo of acknowledgement.
"So, you're ... Kyuubimon?" Buck asked.
The fox nodded. "I am," it replied in a feminine voice.
"And what is 'Kyuubimon' supposed to mean?" Buck asked skeptically.
Kyuubimon sighed warily and looked up at Buck. "It's a slurring of the Japanese words for 'nine tails' and the English word 'monster'. Geez, you ask too many questions." He turned back to face Fladramon angrily.
"You stole our breakfast!" Scarabmon buzzed angrily at Daisuke and Fladramon. He spread out his wings and jumped into the air. Parker looked upon him in amazement and muttered something to Buck.
"I wonder how he could fly with all that gold," Parker whispered.
"Don't ask me," Buck said, looking up at the sky.
Fladramon jumped into the sky and attempted to kick Scarabmon in the abdomen, but Scarabmon dodged and struck him with both the whips at his sides. Fladramon crashed to the ground before Buck and Parker and jumped to his feet. Fireballs formed around his right fist, which he shot out with a swift sweep of his arm. "Knuckle Fire!" he yelled out in perfect English.
Scarabmon swiped the fireballs away with his whips, sending them into the sky behind him. He arched about the sky over the Chosen Children and extended his whips rigidly towards Fladramon. The whips hardened into golden spears that fired from his sides in a burst of light.
"Scarab Stinger!"
Fladramon jumped away from the spears to Daisuke's side. The spears struck the ground before Parker's feet.
"Coward!" Kyuubimon shouted as he sprang from Buck's side towards Fladramon. Nine balls of flame formed before each of his tails. "Demon Fireball!" The fireballs were released from his tails and flew towards Fladramon's chest.
Fladramon dodged from the fireballs, but they tailed closely behind the dragon. He jumped into the air to strike Scarabmon with his pronged claws, yet the attempt was futile. The fireballs crashed into Fladramon's back, causing him to careen down to the campground below.
Fladramon crashed on his back before Daisuke and moaned wearily. Daisuke was about to crawl to the fallen digimon's side when Kyuubimon leaped onto Fladramon's chest. The fox-like digimon brought his face close to Fladramon's and let cold saliva drool onto his body.
"Now, Buck, Parker, Scarabmon and I don't mean any harm to you and your friends," Kyuubimon growled. "We just want an apology from all of you and reimbursement for all the food you ate." Fladramon trembled, but Kyuubimon only brought his face closer. "You understand?"
Fladramon nodded his head and turned towards Daisuke. "Kyuubimon wants you and the others to apologize to the Americans and give them some sushi and instant ramen when we get back to Tokyo," he groaned in Japanese.
Daisuke nodded reluctantly and told the other children the news. They soon bowed low and muttered a dull "Sorry" in their native language.
Kyuubimon walked off of Fladramon's back and turned back to Buck and Parker. "They've apologized," he said.
"Well, that's a relief," Buck sighed.
"Are they going to pay us for damages?" Parker asked angrily.
"Fladramon said that the kids would buy us some food when they get back to Tokyo," Kyuubimon stated. The digimon's body started to glow and shrink as he reverted back to Elecmon. The digimental armor was compressed into a beam of light that shot out towards Buck's digivice.
Tentomon, who had already reverted from his armored form, flew down to Parker's side and settled himself on the man's shoulder. "Well, at least something good came out of this," he buzzed.
Buck walked down to where he had set down his backpack and slung it over his shoulders. He called Parker over with a slight movement of his head. Parker made his way over to Buck and stowed away the portable oven.
"Come on, Frank," Buck groaned. "We have to find a way out of this Digital World. We already know that the Digimentals won't get us anywhere."
Parker nodded. "Right." He pulled his backpack over his shoulders and walked away from the campground, averting from the Chosen Children. Tentomon and Elecmon tagged behind them, weary from the battle.
A voice in English behind the two men halted them. "Wait!"
Parker and Buck took a glance back. Fladramon had reverted back to V-mon and was now in Daisuke's arms. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "We're on our way back to Tokyo! Wanna come?"
Parker's eyes widened, but he pulled Buck beside him. "Should we go with them?" he asked warily.
Buck nodded. "Sure. How else are they going to get us our food?"
-------------------------------------------------
Location - United States Embassy, Tokyo, Japan
-------------------------------------------------
It only took a flash of Parker's NSA badge to admit an instant-ramen laden Buck and Parker into a private suite at the United States Embassy in Tokyo. The two had left Elecmon and Tentomon outside so they could find their way to their suite without suspicion. According to Ken, leaving Wormmon to find his way home on his own was the only way he had escaped wary eyes from his parents.
Surprisingly, Ken's advice had worked for Parker and Buck. When the two were secure in their second-story executive suite, Tentomon and Elecmon popped their heads from behind one of the elegantly covered beds.
"What took you two so long?" Elecmon asked, jumping onto the top of the bed. For the first time the digimon sounded gleeful. "We've waited here forever."
"Well, it takes time to go up an elevator with armed guards surrounding you that don't bother to help carry a month's supply of instant noodles and sushi," Buck groaned, dropping bags of instant ramen onto the bed.
"We're going to have to thank Miyako for getting this food from her convenience store," Parker sighed, setting his bags of sushi onto an antique wooden table. "What was that store called again?"
"I think it was 'iMart'."
Parker scoffed and plopped himself onto the other bed. "Doesn't sound all that original. Like some kind of laptop computer."
"Yeah." Buck walked off into an alcove, the clicking of a sliding door shutting following soon afterwards. "I'll be taking a shower," he called from behind the door.
"All right," Parker replied. Running water hissed from behind the bed momentarily, followed by Buck humming "Outdoor Man" severely off key.
"Great - I'm stuck with a tone-deaf Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist," Parker droned, reaching over to a phone placed on a nightstand. It was already six in the evening, making it three in the morning at NNL. Nevertheless, Parker took the phone off the hook and dialed the Conundrum number. Knowing Talmadge, he would probably still be awake, smoking a cigar and waiting for a call.
-------------------------------------------------
Location - NNL
-------------------------------------------------
Talmadge, half asleep, was staring off at the television in a corner of his private office. Currently the television was tuned to CNN, with scenes of Nicolae Carpathia shaking UN delegates' hands and the usual caption beneath: "Nicolae Carpathia, the newly instated Secretary General of the United Nations, will have a conference with the ten highest United Nations delegates five days from now at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The meeting will be viewed only as a live webcast."
"Great," Talmadge sighed, pulling a cigar from his wooden cigar box. He lit it and chewed upon it a while, never pulling his eyes away from the television. How could polite-looking Nicolae Carpathia be one of the masterminds behind Digital Conundrum, as Parker had said?
The intercom on Talmadge's desk buzzed, causing the burly man to automatically pound the speaker button. "Talmadge here."
"Sir, it's Conundrum," a female voice called from the other end.
"Patch him in."
Parker's dreary voice filled the stuffy room. "Hello Bradley."
"Good evening, Frank. How is it going on your end?"
"Well, Buck and I got ourselves out of the Digital World."
"You did? How?"
A scoff from Parker, then silence. "Well, a couple of Japanese kids ran into us. Luckily, we had some translators on hand, so we followed the kids to a television set. These televisions have the ability to have us communicate with people on Earth, and they can transport us back here with the help of the digivice."
Talmadge nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Good job, Frank. So, where are you?"
"That's a good question," Parker said, nervous. "Buck, our translators, and I are at the American Embassy in Tokyo."
"What?" Talmadge, enraged, stood up from his chair and slammed his hands flat onto the desk. "How did you manage to get to Tokyo?"
"Hey, I told you that the kids were Japanese," Parker laughed. "And they were the ones that sent us back to Earth. I think their digivices are set to return them to Japan."
"Then that probably explains it." He paused a moment to chew on his cigar in thought. "Frank, do you think that you could find another way to the Digital World from where you are?"
"I think so. The kids used a program called Digital Gateway to transport themselves to the Digital World via computer. There's a catch, though."
"And what is it?"
"You'll need a D3 version digivice to open a Digital Gateway on any computer."
Talmadge sighed. "And you and Buck don't have one?"
"Nope. But Buck and I are planning to run into the kids again tomorrow. So don't worry - Buck and I will be trying to find a way to save the world soon."
"All right. I'll expect to hear from you again, Frank."
"Right."
Click.
-------------------------------------------------
Location - Buck and Parker's suite in the United States Embassy, Tokyo, Japan
-------------------------------------------------
Parker hung up the phone and gently laid his head back on a comforter-sheathed pillow. Tentomon hovered over and landed by Parker's side. The shell on his back clicked as the digimon folded in his wings.
"You tired, Frank?" Tentomon asked.
Parker nodded. "Yeah. Saving the world for who knows how many times I've done it takes it all out of me." He sighed and patted Tentomon's head. "Would you mind waking me in a few hours so I could make some noodles?"
Tentomon shrugged. "Sure thing."
"Good." And immediately Parker was snoring.
--Water dripping from the sky.
Rain.
The rotting remains of a fishing village - not a New England one, no ... a traditional Japanese version. Two boats still tethered to a pole (a dock?) by an algae-crusted rope.
An ocean in the shades of an ancient black-and-white printer. Waves crashing onto a grayscale beach ... once ... twice ... and yet again....
A rocky bluff, the remains of a New England style lighthouse near the end, far on the horizon....
Parker sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes. He looked to his side, finding nothing there. Where was Tentomon?
"Darn," Parker cursed, swinging his legs over the ledge of the bed. His feet splashed into water, splashing onto his clothes. Again he cursed, pulled himself onto the bed again, and chanced a look around. The bed he was on was settled on the sandy bottom of the ocean, the gray water sloshing about the bed skirt. There was nothing else to be found - just the ocean, the village on the horizon behind him, the lighthouse to the opposite direction, the perpetual rain....
And everything was in a shade of grayscale.
"What is this, a black-and-white movie?" Parker asked out loud. But nobody answered him. The village was deserted, the lighthouse abandoned, the ocean calm except for the falling rain.
A light appeared on the horizon before Parker. Shades of strange creatures, even people, were starting to take shape. An angel with three pairs of wings was at the center of the light, and a Japanese boy with a white hat (or at least it looked so) seated upon the back of an ivory sphinx was some distance behind him. Hovering above the calm ocean was a pink light, a young girl its source. The children and the angel seemed familiar - where had Parker seen them before?
The white light started to blot out the grayscale landscape, inching its way towards Parker. Parker did all he could to shield his eyes, but it was all in vain. Everything vanished, leaving only the sound of the rain and the whispered words in a voice Parker recalled from a previous timeline....
"God's Typhoon."--
The buzz of a microwave signal awoke Parker an hour later. Warily Parker rubbed his eyes, expecting to view the ominous grayscale ocean before him again. This time the television greeted him, and Tentomon at his feet, staring at the screen. An animated show was airing currently - "Angelic Layer," from what Parker could make of the English words on the title card.
"Hey, Frank, I've set up some sushi and wasabi for you over here." It was Buck, seated cross-legged on the other bed, picking ramen noodles from a cup with chopsticks. Elecmon was beside him, watching the television and chewing on sushi. A plate with some rolls of sushi and a green paste were beside the digimon.
"Thanks, Buck," Parker said, standing from the bed and taking the plate. He was relieved to find that the carpeted floor of the suite wasn't sopping with brine. Dropping a piece of sushi in his mouth, Parker asked, "So, Buck, what else have you been up to?"
"Oh, nothing much," the journalist said, slurping ramen into his mouth. "Just took a shower, then got some food and turned on the TV. No shows in English though."
"Not even CNN?"
"Well, I did see part of their evening report." Buck dropped his chopsticks into his now-empty plastic ramen cup and threw it into a wastebasket. "Said something about our good friend Nicolae having a meeting with United Nations members sometime in the next couple of days. Did you know that he's now the Secretary General of the UN?"
Parker almost choked on his sushi in shock. "Secretary General? You've got to be kidding me. I mean, a guy that trashed your apartment and is probably plotting to do away with us this very moment - I don't see him as head of any peace organization. And besides, he isn't even human!"
"Well, the UN and the rest of the global political scene seem fooled now. I mean, look at all this talk he has of uniting the world equally in a Global Community." Buck said 'global community' as if it were capitalized.
"Like that's ever going to happen," Parker scoffed.
"But remember - we found out that the Digital Conundrum disk had plans for uniting, even conquering the world. And the codes mentioned that this was to be a demonic empire."
"Well, at least half the world's population won't have to endure it."
"But what if we prevent the disappearances, eh?"
"Then the world wouldn't buy into this 'Global Community' business so easily," Parker said, mimicking Buck's pronunciation of 'global community'.
"So yet another reason why we have to save the world."
"Hey, who said anything about we?"
"Well, you're stuck with me," Buck sighed. "And the digimon seem to be glued to us."
Parker looked at Tentomon and Elecmon, who were still staring at the television. "They look glued to the screen to me."
"You've got a point." Buck stretched himself out and lay on the bed. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get ourselves an early sleep." He closed his eyes and started to slow his breathing.
"Okay. I won't bother you," Parker sighed, throwing the last of his sushi into his mouth. Lazily he walked over to the bathroom sink and placed the plate inside, not bothering to pour any water upon it. He then slowly walked into the main room, switched off the lights, and climbed upon his bed.
"Hey, Tentomon," Parker groaned, "why don't you and Elecmon keep the volume down while we sleep, all right?"
Tentomon kept his eyes on the television, but replied nevertheless. "All right, Frank."
"Thanks." Parker rolled over on his side to take a glance at Buck. The reporter seemed to flicker with a static-like aura, much like the interference on a television. No, that couldn't be, Parker told himself. He closed his eyes, and the last thing he remembered seeing was Buck flashing with static and the room fading into gray.
-------------------------------------------------
Location - unknown
Time - four days before Digital Conundrum
-------------------------------------------------
Parker awoke the next morning, his eyes blurred with sleep. He drowsily attempted to sit up - it took more effort than he could recall. For some reason the mattress beneath him was giving way like sand. And through his short hair Parker could feel little granules of grit scattered through it.
"Some executive suite," Parker moaned, finally rubbing his eyes. He looked down and saw Tentomon on his lap, a distressed look in his bulbous faceted green eyes.
"Frank, do you know where we are?"
Parker shrugged - what kind of question was the digimon asking? "We're at the American Embassy in Tokyo, in our suite. Why?"
"I don't recall having an ocean view from our room. And the last time I saw you, you were in full color."
Parker flashed a you've-got-to-be-kidding glare at Tentomon, but the digimon only raised a talon to point at something behind him. With a game smile upon his lips Parker turned back. The view made his jaw lower in shock.
It was the grayscale ocean from his dream. The rotting Japanese fishing village was to the left, tatters of cloth signs hanging limply from poles. Far to the right was the rocky bluff, the ruins of the lighthouse dotting the horizon. Everything was a monotonous grayscale, colors muted by darkness.
"You're right, Tentomon," Parker breathed at last. "We didn't have an ocean view. Now where are Buck and Elecmon?"
"They're at the village," Tentomon buzzed. "The digivice picked up something strange there."
Parker brought himself to a standing position and smiled. "Well, then. Let's go drop them a visit."
-------------------------------------------------
Location - the Center
-------------------------------------------------
Minutes had passed since the mysterious new angel digimon had revealed himself to Takeru and Hikari. The Guardian - for lack of knowledge of his true name - stood at a limp military attention, basking in the light emitted from the Crest of Hope motif carved into the floor. The two Chosen Children leaned on a railing across from the digimon, exhausted.
"I wonder what he's the Guardian of," Takeru asked to nobody in particular. "He sure doesn't look like Angemon."
"And he doesn't look like Holy Angemon, either," Hikari sighed. "You think Koushirou or any of the others know?"
"I doubt it." A sigh. "But at least we found him."
-------------------------------------------------
Location - abandoned fishing village, unknown region
-------------------------------------------------
Parker and Tentomon found Buck seated atop Kyuubimon, the journalist's eyes staring down at the digivice in his hands. Buck's long bangs blew about his face in a nonexistent wind, and it was all he could do to not tuck them behind his ears. Upon hearing Parker and his digimon partner approach him, Buck raised his head away from the digivice screen.
"Good morning, Frank," he sighed, at last pulling his bangs away from his face. "You know where the heck we are?"
Parker shrugged. "Beats me. You think the digimon know?"
Kyuubimon and Tentomon shook their heads. "We've never been here," Kyuubimon growled. "For all we know, we're in a black-and-white movie before a dark ocean."
"Maybe that's what we should call this place - Dark Ocean," Parker scoffed.
"Makes sense," Buck nodded. He looked back down at his digivice. "I've been getting a strange reading on this thing," he muttered to nobody in particular. "There are two blue stars in the direction of the building before us." He pointed to a ramshackle wooden structure that had a frayed bluish banner with Japanese characters written upon it in fading white dye.
Parker looked in the direction of the building Buck pointed at. "It looks like one of those restaurants in rural Japan, like what Daisuke and his friends told us about yesterday when they got us our food," he mused. "Don't see any food, though."
"I'd doubt it - the place looks like it's been abandoned for years," Buck stated. "But the readings say that these two things are in here." He chanced a look at Parker. "Should we go?"
Parker nodded. "It doesn't hurt to." He took his digivice from his pants pocket and picked his way through rubble towards the rotting building. Tentomon flew shortly behind him, followed by Buck mounted on Kyuubimon.
It took only a square kick into the moist wooden door for the group to enter the building. Immediately Buck jumped off of Kyuubimon and rushed to Parker's side, digivice in hand. There was nothing of true interest in the moldy, rotting shack - just a few low-set tables that had seen better days, floor cushions torn with stuffing poking out, plates and chopsticks with what looked like the remains of sushi decomposing as they waited for those that were eating them. Scuba air tanks were littered on the floor, pressure indicators showing that they were still full. A display case once filled with food was now home to collapsed iron racks, a few broken light bulbs, and a pie tin or two. Behind the display case was a doorway, concealed by the tatters of a cloth that was printed in Japanese style. Other than the two human men and their digimon partners, there was nothing else alive in that rotting shack.
"Your data must be screwed up," Parker sighed. "There's nothing here - unless that digivice was detecting the air tanks."
Buck looked down at his digivice again. "No, the air tanks aren't what I'm picking up. Whatever it is, it's behind the display case."
Parker gazed in disgust at the partly concealed doorway. The heavy air of death was about the entire town - especially in the shack. Reaching inside his jacket, Parker drew out his gun - he forgot that he still had it since running into Carpathia - and inched his way towards the door. Slowly he drew back the tattered curtain and pointed the muzzle of the gun beyond it. There was no rustling of a creature running away in fright. Cautiously Parker swiveled inside the room. Nothing there - with the exception of a rusted gas stove, an oven, and scattered pots and pans. How could the digivice be picking anything of value in the mess?
"Coast's clear," Parker called out, waving his free arm. Immediately Buck, Kyuubimon, and Tentomon picked their way to the door and stood behind him. They stuck their heads beyond the doorway for a better look.
"It looks like a tornado blew its way through here," Buck gasped in disappointment. "I've seen cleaner kitchens than this."
"Are you sure those objects are in here?" Kyuubimon asked, looking up at Buck wistfully.
Buck glanced at his digivice again. "I'm darn sure. These two things are in this room, straight ahead." He pointed to a relatively clear spot in the room.
"Well, then. Let's check it out," Parker said gamely. Gun still in hand, he made his way past rusted culinary equipment, the cacophony of iron scraping on wood bringing mixed expressions to Buck and the digimon. Tentomon flew immediately behind Parker, while Buck and Kyuubimon padded after him.
Moments later Parker was standing in the clear area of the room. He searched above and below, but nothing of interest caught his eye. Even the rotting ceiling was tiring to gaze upon. "Nothing here," he said at last. "Must be a false reading." He pocketed his gun and sighed.
Buck looked back down at his digivice. "But I was sure that there was something on here - the signal's still on the screen! Here, let me check it out." He shoved his way through pans to Parker's side, Kyuubimon behind him.
"Sure," Parker scoffed. "Journalists are always the one with an eye for detail."
Buck narrowed his eyes, but made no comment. He moved the digivice in a sweeping pattern, but soon shook his head to the side. "This is strange," he said at last. "The digivice says that there's two objects right beneath us. But I don't see anything."
"Nothing above, either," Parker sighed. "I still think it's a dud. Come on - let's go." He turned around to leave the way he came, but something made him halt. It sure wasn't a pan in the way of his feet. Invisible wall was instantly crossed out - he was even with Kyuubimon's hind feet. No - what had stopped Parker was something in his heart, something that had been hidden for sixteen years....
"Frank, turn around." It was Buck, whispering. Warily Parker obeyed, and saw why his journalist partner was in awe.
Two beams of blue light had emerged from the ground before them. Dog tags, United States Military issue, were suspended in each of the beams, each on a long chain. They were unmarked, except with different names on each of them. The one before Parker bore the name FRANCIS PARKER; CAMERON WILLIAMS decorated the tag in front of Buck.
"Well, how about that?" Parker gasped. "Custom-made dog tags." He grabbed the dog tag before him and slipped it over his head. The cold metal had a strange warmness to it.
"Frank, are you sure you want to take that?" Buck asked. He reached his hand inside the beam of light before him, but refused to take hold of the dog tag.
"Hey, if our Digimentals were marked by a blue light, and if these are, too, then I guess it's okay to take them."
"All right." Reluctantly Buck took the dog tag and placed it over his head. The light before Parker and Buck, though, still remained. An image was forming inside both of the beams, an image familiar, yet faded from memory. Within moments colored static interference invaded the light, taking the form of a hooded figure - strangely in full color.
"Who's this wacko?" Parker laughed mockingly.
The hooded figure started to speak. "I am Gennai, messenger of the force of Light."
"Sounds like a Star Wars reject," Buck muttered.
Gennai continued to speak, as if the message were prerecorded. "The two items that you have retrieved are Tags. These Tags, when combined with your Crests, will allow your digimon to become stronger and evolve to higher levels." The image in one of the beams of light changed into that of one of the dog tags and a symbol resembling a clock face. "The Crests are scattered about the Digital World, Earth, and the World of Darkness. You must find them so you can defeat the blasphemous beast known as-"
And then the light turned dim, and the images vanished.
"What was that all about?" Buck asked, turning to Parker.
"I don't know," Parker shrugged indifferently. "Let's get out of here."
-------------------------------------------------
Location - the Center
-------------------------------------------------
Only God knows how many minutes Takeru and Hikari stared at the mysterious Guardian. Eventually, though, Takeru walked away from the railing he was leaning upon and made his way to the gate that would lead back to the Dark Ocean. Tentatively he picked up one of the air tanks and sighed. No matter how long he could hold his breath, there was no way that even both of the tanks could sustain a person for long.
Hikari silently crept up behind Takeru with a sheepish smile playing on her lips. "Come on, Takeru," she whispered resignedly. "Let's get back. The Guardian will certainly follow us."
"Yeah, I guess," Takeru sighed halfheartedly. "But there's not enough air for even the both of us to return to the Dark Ocean."
"Then we could go to the Digital World, or even Tokyo." Sparkles returned to Hikari's eyes. "You know, I haven't had decent ramen in months."
A rumble shook the entire Center, knocking the two children off their feet. Two beams of light - one silver, the other gray-blue - shot out of two areas on the edge of the great bier in the center of the room, just near the dauntless Guardian. The strange angel digimon, aware of the disturbance, purposefully - yet haltingly - walked out of the light he was encaged in. He turned to face the Chosen Children, his hidden eyes boring into their souls.
"Time and Truth have been awakened," he whispered, the sound echoing through the Center. "The second Guardian harkens."
"Gee, I just thought he knew you wanted some ramen," Takeru said blankly.
"It is time to seek the second Guardian," the angelic Guardian continued, making his way towards the children. His wings were spread wide, prepared for flight. The flat, listless expression upon his half-hidden face started to turn square, serious.
Hikari trembled and pulled herself towards Takeru. "I don't like that look," she whispered.
"I don't either," Takeru shuddered.
Unexpectedly the Guardian glided at blinding speed towards the children, gathering them in his arms. Takeru and Hikari hardly had a chance to scream as the Guardian rammed into the portal that led to the Dark Ocean. The shattering of glass was the last sound that filled the children's ears before all turned dark.
-------------------------------------------------
Location - abandoned fishing village, Dark Ocean
-------------------------------------------------
Parker, Buck, and their digimon had exited the rotting restaurant, their Tags mysteriously shining with a silver glint in the darkness-suppressed world. Warily Parker brought out his gun and kept it in his hands. He walked further into the town in the general direction of the ocean.
"I don't like this place," Parker grumbled as he walked off. Reluctantly Buck and the digimon followed him - there was no reason to split up.
The entire fishing village followed the same suit as the shack Parker and Buck had explored. Every building was rotting into the ground, the smell of brine and the air of recent death all around. Even the old dock at the very outskirts of the town was falling to the same fate. Parker only took a small step onto the wharf to test the stability, and the wood fell beneath in soggy flakes.
"We can't even get out on the dock," Parker sighed. "Just our luck."
"What, you think there's boats down there?" Buck asked sarcastically. "Look, as far as we know, we don't even know how to get back home from this Dark Ocean place. We're stuck. There's no way we're gonna save the world here."
"Yeah, you're right." Parker sighed again. He stared off at the horizon, towards the ruined lighthouse upon the bluff. A white flash of light emerged from beneath the bluff, shooting into the sky. "Maybe we should check out that lighthouse before it gets too late."
"It's probably just as moldy as this place," Buck scoffed.
"Who knows? It might have a way for us -"
A deep rumble shook the ground beneath the men and their digimon. Water sloshed up onto the high wharf, splashing onto Buck and Parker. Parker lost his train of thought as he stared off at the horizon. Something was rising from the water, something dark - darker than the depressing grayscale.
A form could soon be seen upon the far-off sky. It was macabre, almost like a sinister cross between a man and a squid. Horns grew from the creature's head, and its red eyes glared straight through the men.
"You know what that is?" Buck breathed, backing into Kyuubimon.
Parker shook his head. "I have no idea."
to be continued....
Itsudemo Aeru Kara, ending animation, and credits play....
{author's notice}
HEY! Due to popular request, Parker and Buck will offer a FAQ session after part 06 of DIGITAL CONUNDRUM! They will welcome your questions not only of the DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, SEVEN DAYS, and LEFT BEHIND references in this fic, but of whatever will come in later parts! And - of course - a preview of when all the mayhem will start again: BACKSTEP 09 - ANGEL'S TRUMP SOUNDING!