[The results are in for the couple poll! Unfortunately, only two people voted - I found one in a review, and somebody e-mailed me their vote. The results are: one for Cameron/Chloe, and one for a one-sided Cameron/Chloe/? triangle. Both choices were so similar that I decided to combine the two ... meaning that in future chapters Buck and/or Chloe might have some competition! The Dramatis Personae will be updated at a later date to reflect this change. Don't worry, the other Chosen Children will have couples, as well ... just wait!
[On to other business ... I don't own Jeopardy, nor any branch of CNN, nor The A Team, nor the Wailing Wall, nor the King David Hotel (I don't even know if it exists). And I don't own Disney, Microsoft, Time-Warner-AOL, NBC, PBS, or Fuji-TV (if I did, I wouldn't be writing this). And, no, I don't own Boeing. And I apologize to the guy in my history class who thought that there was a Japanese POW camp in Nagasaki during World War Two ... that's where I got the inspiration for the dinner scene early on in this chapter.
[ONE MORE THING ... this is an EDITED chapter. Why? Well, I'll tell you when this installment's finished. But to make up for that, I have a treat at the end...! And for you younger readers, this chapter has FOUR graphic deaths, so cover your eyes!
[Okay, that was a lot ... let's get this chapter started....]
{ VERSION UP and starting animation plays }
Backstep 15
The Last Chosen Child Found! Tsion's Revelation
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Location - Assembly Room, UN Headquarters, Manhattan, New York
Time - seventeen days into the Digital Conundrum
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Frank Parker leaned back into a chair in the back of the room, near the cardboard box, once the meeting had begun. Nicolae Carpathia had entered the room only seconds after Buck and Elecmon made their exit, but Doctor Rosenzweig had distracted Parker with tales of previous news interviews - long enough for Buck to be well away when the good Doctor had finished.
Now the meeting had begun, and Buck still hadn't returned yet. Nicolae was in the middle of a speech - something about uniting the world into a Global Community.
For a creature bent on ruling the world, he sure had a good idea.
"I wonder why he hasn't noticed that Buck's missing," Parker whispered, turning back at the cardboard box behind him.
Tentomon's head popped out of the box. "I wonder why he hasn't noticed you, either, Frank," he buzzed, seemingly yelling in Parker's ears. "Besides, he should be coming back by now."
Parker sighed and turned to face the meeting yet again. No wonder I joined the military, he thought with a sigh. I don't see how Buck puts up with writing on all these meetings. They're so boring, they'd put Tom Brokaw to sleep.
Parker may have gone to sleep right then - he couldn't recall - but the next time he opened his eyes, he heard the door near his chair burst open with a bang.
"Sorry I'm late," the latecomer said, smoothing his hair and rubbing his neck. He stopped by the cardboard box and lowered a red stuffed animal with blue stripes inside. "Just had to use the restroom, that's all."
Nicolae turned to the direction of the door, glancing at the man with a pasted-on smile. "Cameron Williams! How nice of you to finally come! Here - we have a place set for you." He moved to the only remaining empty chair at the table, which was between a dark-skinned man in traditional Botswana dress clothes and a familiar woman in a red formal work suit.
"I know her," Parker breathed as Buck strode by. "She was the steward on the flight in the other timeline!"
Buck settled himself in the chair and took a glance at the woman next to him. She gave a friendly wave and mouthed a "thank you" before turning back to Nicolae.
"Ah, now we have the whole party here," Nicolae sighed triumphantly. "Now let us get down to the meat of the matter. You, there -" he pointed at Parker - "you have a weapon, do you not?"
Parker always carried two guns - one in a pants pocket or waist holster, the other in an ankle holster. He pulled out the one in his jumpsuit pocket - not that Nicolae really needed one. Besides, why would Nicolae ask if he could just produce a monstrous machine gun from inside his suit coat?
"That will do fine, Mr. Parker," Nicolae said, walking up to Parker and taking the gun from his open hands. "I assume that this is NSA issue, with nine bullets?" he asked, weighing the weapon. "No, wait - you fired it about three weeks ago, so there are seven bullets in here."
Parker gulped audibly. Sure, Nicolae would know about the last time Parker had used the gun - he was there! But talk about it so casually … what was he planning to do?
Nicolae strode away from Parker, fingering the gun as he walked. It was a decent weapon - all black, with the exception of a wooden handgrip. The man walked up to his place at the head of the table and gave his made-for-television smile.
"Now, if I shall ask the two regional governors of England to stand?"
I think I missed something when I was asleep, Parker thought as two men - probably in their fifties - stood from their chairs, blocking his view of Buck. The chrononaut scooted over a few chairs, only to see his friend loosen his tie and collar. Buck's face looked a little green, with sweat on his forehead marked distinctly by the lights around the central table. Something was glowing beneath his shirt with a faint silver light.
Okay, we're screwed now, Parker thought, his eyes wide in horror.
"I do not need you two anymore," Nicolae snarled, raising the gun to one of the men's heads. "You have given me all the money I need to start ruling the world the way it should be." He turned to the party seated at the table. "I suggest that you scoot away from the table so that none of the gore gets on your clothes," he smiled.
Parker could see Buck cover his mouth, as if he were about to vomit.
Then the shot went off.
Parker could remember seeing Nicolae pull the trigger, waiting for it to click before releasing it. The bullet sped through the first man's head, passing from ear to ear before imbedding in the brain of his compatriot. Then there was the loud thud as the two hit the floor, their limp bodies falling like rag dolls.
Nicolae wiped the gun handle and dropped it on the floor - strangely, it did not make a sound upon meeting the ground.
"We have witnessed the death of two profound men," Nicolae started with great - obviously false - melodrama, posing before the crowd. "I had selected them to rule England - but instead, one of them took the gun from this NSA agent's hands -" he pointed to Parker " - and shot himself, killing his fellow governor with him." He pulled his handkerchief from a pocket and wiped his eyes. "What a tragic loss."
Parker could almost see the event happen - he could feel one of the men pull the handgun from his pocket, see him run back to the main table and shoot himself….
It's all a lie, Francis….
Parker perked up at the voice - it sounded like Buck, as if he were right next to him. But that can't be, Parker told himself - he could see the journalist sitting at the table, cheeks puffed, trying to hold in his sickness! And that accursed Crest of his was shining beneath his shirt, blanking out the entire room….
Nicolae killed the men … with your gun, Francis….
No - two men were killed with my gun, but not by Nicolae! Parker yelled in his head, trying to block out Buck's displaced voice.
Must I show you what the D3 saw? The voice continued, increasing in volume. Must I show you what the Crest of Truth exposed to me? Must I make you feel the torment I've lived with since I received this goddamn curse?!
Deep in the blinding light, Parker could see the scene he had originally burned into his impeccable memory - Nicolae calmly walking to Parker's side, taking the gun he had kindly asked for … returning to the front of the room, leveling the gun with the men's heads … the explosion that rocked the room, signaled the snuffing of their lives….
The light was abruptly shut off, and Parker was sitting again in the United Nations assembly room, now abuzz with conversation. Nicolae was walking around the central table, seeming to comfort the shocked witnesses. Security guards had walked in, hands on their guns; they had surrounded the dead bodies, granting no glimpse of their grotesquely mutilated forms.
"How much time has passed?" Parker asked himself, rising from his seat. He strolled down to the central table, hoping to have a word with Buck - but Nicolae was already making his way to the journalist, a kind smile pasted on his mouth.
Disgusting man, pretending to be so generous, Parker grumbled, standing some distance away from Nicolae. He managed to hear their conversation, with some difficulty.
"So, Cameron, what did you see?" Nicolae asked in an even tone into Buck's ears. "Did it shock you?"
Buck put his hands to his mouth and stood up, knocking over his chair. He brushed past Nicolae without an apology, dashing to the door that the cardboard box was stationed by. Parker turned around to see his path - it looked like he had gone to the men's restroom … and the digimon had escaped from the box to follow him.
Buck ran into the restroom and searched frantically for a sink, finally finding one just across from the nearest stall. Glad to find the room abandoned, he turned on the cold water faucet and vomited.
Damn that Crest of Truth! Buck cursed in his mind, tears streaking down into his face, dripping into the running water. He had felt nauseous upon entering the assembly room the second time, almost like his second encounter with Dagomon in the Dark Ocean. The Crest of Truth seemed to amplify his sensitivity to darkness - and evil - leaving him too weak to defend himself….
Probably expects me to fuse with the Guardian again, Buck told himself, splashing his face with the icy water. He heaved again, and brushed his long hair from his face as he released his anguish. But why become the Guardian in front of all those people? Nicolae would have shot me, too!
No, wait … Delores had the chance to kill me … and that mysterious voice told her otherwise….
Buck gripped the edge of the marble countertop, looking down at the swirling water collecting in the sink basin. He had let the water run, hoping to drown out the experience with its soothing rumble.
"You know what he is…."
What am I? Buck finally threw the question at himself. I'm Cameron Williams, senior writer for the Global Weekly newsmagazine! Winner of the Pulitzer Prize! I won the Ernest Hemingway Award for my story in Israel! I'm a Chosen Child, partner of Elecmon, my digimon! I'm … the bearer of the Crest of Truth … the one chosen to transform into the Guardian….
Was that what the voice meant? And what did Kyuubimon mean by … something else…?
Could it be … the truth…?
He didn't know if the door had opened while he was sick, but when he finally looked up into the mirror five minutes later, he found Frank Parker, Tentomon, and Elecmon surrounding him, staring down with quavering eyes.
"Are you alright, Buck?" Parker asked, placing a hand on Buck's shoulder. "You didn't look very well at the meeting."
Buck groggily nodded his head and switched off the water. He pulled out a paper towel from a dispenser and wiped his mouth. "I guess I'm okay now," he managed, tossing the paper into a wastebasket. "Did I offend Nicolae?"
"Why ask?" Elecmon grumbled. "He's the enemy - shouldn't you offend him?"
Buck shrugged and prepared to respond, but Parker spoke up before him. "He thought you were too overwhelmed by the situation." He took Buck's hand and led him from the room. "Besides, such a shocking scene would make almost anyone sick. I couldn't believe what happened."
"What's that?" Buck mumbled as Parker led him through the restroom's exit, the digimon following behind.
"Nicolae shot two men, then told the room that it was a murder-suicide."
"Really?"
Parker nodded. "You don't sound so sure."
Buck shook his head. "No … it's just that the rest of the people at the table thought it was only a murder-suicide." He looked down at his chest, and pulled out the Crest of Truth he kept hidden beneath his shirt. "Do you think … this thing protected us?"
"Well, if it did," Parker laughed, "it'd be the first good thing that thing's done for you! Now come on … we have to go back to your place for dinner."
"You're not going to get much," Buck smirked, letting go of Parker's hand. "I only have instant ramen. I hope you're not sick of it already."
Parker shrugged. "It's better than nothing."
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Location - Buck's apartment, East Village, Manhattan, New York
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It grew dark early in New York, and by the time the instant ramen was already steaming from their Styrofoam containers, the nearby skyscrapers were already lighted like beacons. The digimon were in front of the new television Parker bought on the way home from the United Nations, watching Jeopardy. Reruns had dotted the TV pre-season lineup - some stars from popular shows had been casualties in the disappearances that occurred three weeks before.
Buck pulled out two cups of ramen from the microwave in his kitchenette and walked cautiously into the living room, where Parker was sitting amidst pillows he bought from a nearby store. The journalist handed him a cup and set his own down on the floor while he rushed to get utensils.
"You know, Buck," Parker said in between mouthfuls of ramen after Buck returned, "I just got a message from Owsley."
"Really?" Buck asked, stirring his ramen with a fork. "What'd he say?"
"Something about making a Digital Gateway on your computer so that it could send us to Chicago. Think we should try it?"
Buck slurped up some noodles, then sighed. "I'm not so sure. What if we end up in the Digital World instead?"
"Hey, Ramsey might already be angry at me for spending more than a thousand dollars on pillows and that TV. There's no way I'm going to spend his good money on airline tickets. And riding on the digimon is out of the question."
Buck took in another mouthful of ramen. "Good point. I'm going to pack a few changes of clothes. If I'm not going to be here for a few years, then there's no reason to leave them here." He drank the last scraps of soup and noodles and set the empty cup on the floor. "So, when are we going?"
"How about when Jeopardy's over?" Parker shrugged, looking back at the digimon. They had been answering the questions that flashed on the screen every fifteen seconds or so - usually incorrectly.
"There was an interment camp in Nagasaki!" Tentomon buzzed, raising up a talon. "Come on! How can you not know that?"
"What is the site of the second use of the atomic bomb?"
"Correct, James!"
"I told you the atom bomb was dropped there!" Elecmon scolded, standing on his hind legs and scratching the other digimon's face with his clawed paws. "You're such a dumpling-head!"
"I knew that!" Tentomon covered, a sweatdrop rolling down the side of his head.
"They're so funny when they watch TV," Parker laughed, slurping down the last of his ramen.
"I know," Buck chuckled slightly. He took both his and Parker's empty ramen cups and threw them in the trash, being sure to place the forks in the sink before doing so. "I'm going to pack up now," he called, making his way to his room. "Call me in fifteen minutes."
"Okay," Parker sighed, lying down on the pillows to view the TV. Another question flashed on the screen: These are the mountains that cross through northern Romania.
"The Carpathian Mountains," Parker muttered - and to his surprise, none of the contestants got the answer correct.
Minutes later Parker was seated in front of the computer in Buck's office, staring off at the screen as the digimon waited by the door. Buck was long running late for their appointment - by five minutes, exactly - and Parker was in no mood to go looking out for him.
He had had no time to think about the loss of his only family - and if darkness was to cover the earth, now would be the time to mourn.
Patricia had always been a kind woman, a loving mother to their son, Jimmy. She wasn't fond of Parker's drinking habits - nor of his constant torture his memories of war had brought him. They had divorced while he was in the Hanson Island mental facility, in the days before he was chosen for Project Backstep.
The last time he saw Patricia and Jimmy was last year, in a world near the brink of a demon-wrought Armageddon … a world where he was a fugitive under the shadow of a man he once trusted … a world he escaped in a backstep.
"Frank?"
Parker shook his head in surprise and turned to face the door. Buck was standing in the doorway, a worn brown leather jacket on his back. Slung across his shoulders was a black leather bag, his silver D3 visible in a mesh pocket on the outside. He smiled slightly as he stepped into the room, Elecmon scampering up onto his shoulder.
"Are we going now?"
Parker nodded and took out his D3. "Sure am."
He brushed the screen saver off Buck's computer, then thrust his D3 at the computer screen. A new window materialized in a flash, the words STEELE RESIDENCE, CHICAGO scrolling above an image of Owsley's abandoned room.
Buck unzipped his bag and took out his D3 as well, imitating Parker's stance. He gulped audibly - he still didn't like the prospect of traveling this way.
Tentomon flew to Parker's side and stared at the screen. "You're supposed to say 'Digital Gate Open' to activate the portal, Frank," he buzzed.
Parker laughed, rubbing his neck as a sweatdrop rolled down his head. "Right. I knew that." Once again he thrust the D3 so that it almost touched the computer monitor.
"Digital Gate … open!"
And in a flash of blue-green light, the two Chosen Children and their digimon disappeared from Buck's apartment for the last time.
The Digital Gate than closed, but instead of the screen saver flashing on, the monitor turned dark. White words in boldface capital letters scrolled onto the screen.
WHAT COINCIDENCE … TWO CHOSEN CHILDREN AT THE SAME MEETING … I ASSUME DELORES COORDINATED THAT. THAT YOUNG ONE, FRANCIS … BEARER OF THE CREST OF TIME … HE'S FOILED MY PLANS ONCE - I'LL MAKE SURE HE'LL PAY IN THE FINAL BATTLE….
AND CAMERON, WITH THAT CREST OF TRUTH THAT HE BELIEVES PLAGUES HIS SOUL … HE HAS NO IDEA HOW WRONG HE IS. SOON THE DAY WILL COME WHEN THAT GUARDIAN WILL PART FROM HIM … SOON A DAY WILL COME WHEN THE - HEY!!! DAMN SCREEN SAVER!!!! I'M NOT DONE YET…!!!!!!!
And before the mysterious messenger could finish, the Global Weekly screen saver popped onto the screen, erasing the bizarre monologue.
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Location - Steele residence, Mount Prospect, Chicago, Illinois
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Talmadge, Ramsey, Owsley, Donovan, and Chloe were eating a simple dinner of Chinese take-out when they heard a ringing thump above their heads.
"What the hell was that?" Donovan mused, setting down his chopsticks. He thumbed his stubby goatee as he looked at the ceiling. "Did something fall?"
"Must be a shelf in one of the rooms," Ramsey grumbled, stabbing his fork forcefully into a pile of noodles smothered in teriyaki sauce. "Who owns the room right on top of us?"
"Me," Owsley muttered meekly, nibbling on a sprig of broccoli. "I'll go check it out."
"Me, too," Chloe added almost immediately. She pushed herself out of her chair and walked over to Owsley's side, tugging on the computer specialist's arm and yanking him out of his seat. Then she ran out of the kitchen, into the parlor, and up the stairs to what were now Owsley's quarters.
Geez, this Chosen Child stuff must really be getting to her head, Owsley moaned as he lazily dragged his feet behind the girl. We may be the same age, but does she really have to act as a child?
Chloe was waiting at the top of the stairs when Owsley finally reached the last step. She had taken off her light jacket before eating, so now her bare tanned arms were exposed - along with a few tattoos that encircled her upper right arm.
"You're too slow, Andrew," she scoffed, pulling him up to the top. "Now come on - I hear some moaning in Raymie's room."
She still considers it to be her brother's room, Owsley mused, following the girl closely as they turned left down a corridor, then finally to a half-open door on their right. Chloe pushed the door open all the way, flipping the light switch in her room on at the same time.
"Hey! Who turned up the lights?"
Owsley's ears perked up when he heard the familiar voice. "Frank?" He pushed Chloe out of the doorway, running into the room to view the scene.
Frank Parker was lying on the floor, rubbing his eyes as he looked up at Owsley. Buck was on top of him, a heavy leather bag resting on his back. Two stuffed animals were beneath Parker, shoving their way from beneath the man's large frame.
"Get off of me, Frank," a tinny voice murmured. "You're squishing me."
"Tell that to Buck," Parker moaned. "Come on, Buck - get up!"
"Fine," the journalist grumbled, clambering to his feet. He picked up his bag - which had been flung to the floor as he stood up - and watched as Parker climbed up almost catlike to an upright position. The two digimon they had almost crushed shook themselves and stood up, revealing a stuffed animal they had seemed to have tackled.
"Hey, I remember seeing those things!" Owsley stammered, pointing at Tentomon and Elecmon. "When you guys came out of the computer at … well … my old place!" He removed his glasses and wiped them on his shirt before putting them back on. "And … they moved!"
"And we can speak, too," Tentomon said, lifting a silver talon. "I'm Tentomon."
"And I'm Elecmon," the blue-striped red digimon next to him said, standing on his hind legs and raising a forepaw. "We would have told you, but…."
"We wanted to surprise you," Parker laughed, looking at Buck with a swift eye. "Ain't that right, Buck?"
Buck nodded his head. "Yeah. That's right."
"So, this is Chloe?" Parker said, noticing the girl standing in the doorway next to Owsley. She seemed to be in shock, her tanned skin turning a shade of blue.
"Yeah. I'm her," she said after a few moments. "I saw both of you on that program Andrew had on his computer." She moved her eyes over to Buck, a smile inching its way across her mouth. "You put up a good fight in that garden, Buck. What exactly happened to you?"
Damn - she knows about it, too, Buck grumbled inwardly, moving a hand over where his Crest of Truth lay hidden beneath his shirt. "Long story," he stammered, unable to move his eyes away from the young girl. "I'll tell you some other time."
"You know," Owsley barged in, "you should have some dinner. We have Chinese food down in the kitchen. Just leave your stuff in here - we'll deal with it later."
"Should we come?" Tentomon asked.
Owsley shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"
Buck removed his bag from his shoulders and took off his leather jacket, throwing them both on a bed. He picked up Elecmon and walked over to Owsley and Chloe, Parker and Tentomon following close behind.
POP!
"What was that?" Buck asked, turning back to look into the room.
Standing on the floor, near where Parker and the others had landed earlier, was a … bird. It was two feet tall, with brown feathers covering its body and white feathers on its head. Black claws were on its wings - three on each - and silver claws were on its feet. A golden beak was pruning the feathers on its belly meticulously. A belt-like headband held two brown and white feathers upright at the top of its head. The creature's blue eyes roamed the room, soon settling on Chloe.
"Chloe?" it said, its voice like that of a cultured American businessman.
"You've got to be kidding me," Chloe gasped, looking down at the bird. "Hawkmon?"
"Hawkmon?" Buck, Parker, Owsley, and the other digimon said in unison, puzzled. "Who's that?"
"He's my partner!" Chloe sighed, pushing her way through the men. She knelt before Hawkmon, taking the bird-digimon into her arms. "I can't believe you're back after all these years!" she exclaimed, bringing Hawkmon deep into her chest.
"At least - you still - have - the same - grip," Hawkmon moaned, flaying to get out of the girl's grasp.
Chloe pulled Hawkmon away from her and set him back on the floor. "Well, it's good that you're back," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "How did you get here?"
"Through the computer," Hawkmon scoffed, dusting off his feathered wings. "Now, is there something for me to eat?"
Chloe smiled. "As a matter of fact, we have Chinese food downstairs. Oh - I should introduce you to Andrew, Frank, and Buck." She pointed to each of the men as she said their names.
"I know Frank already, but who're Andrew and Buck?"
"I'm one of Frank's friends," Owsley said, pointing at Parker.
"Actually, my real name's Cameron," Buck said, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "But I prefer to be called Buck these days."
"Oh, yes," Hawkmon said as if to himself. "Cam! I remember you now. You don't mind if I still call you Cameron?"
"Just call me Buck, please," Buck sighed, exhausted.
"Fine," Hawkmon muttered. "So - where's dinner?"
Talmadge, Ramsey, and Donovan were watching television in the living room when Chloe, Parker, Buck, Owsley, and the digimon finally made it downstairs. The men were watching CNN, staring at the screen hypnotically.
"If you want food, Andrew, the leftovers are on the table," Ramsey called from behind a couch, seemingly irritated.
"You think there's enough for all of us, Nate?" Parker called out, attempting to imitate his colleague's sourness. "There are four hungry stomachs waiting out here."
Ramsey pealed his head away from the TV, finding the group standing by the foot of the stairs. Parker, Buck, and Chloe - I can't believe Donovan let her in here, Ramsey thought - were each carrying what seemed to be beaten-up stuffed animals. The former chief of security gaped, then tapped the shoulder of Talmadge (who happened to be sitting next to him).
"What is it this time, Nate?" Talmadge grumbled. "There's something interesting on CNN."
"Bradley … Buck and Frank are back."
"WHAT?" Talmadge roared. He stood up from the couch - as did Ramsey - and looked back towards the stairwell. Sure enough, Parker and Buck were there - as were Owsley and Chloe. But what's up with those stuffed animals Frank and Buck always carry around? Talmadge asked himself as he walked with open arms towards the group.
"Frank! It's so glad for you to come back!" the head of Project Backstep exclaimed, enveloping Parker in one of his famous bear hugs. "What took you so long?"
"It's a long story, Bradley," Parker groaned, pulling away from Talmadge before Tentomon could start to complain. "It'd take me forever to tell."
"I see." Talmadge stepped away, his icy eyes staring at the digimon in Parker's hands. "And what's this thing you're carrying - not to mention what Buck and Chloe are holding, too."
Parker tried to stifle a chuckle, but ended up releasing a hearty laugh. "Bradley," he managed after a while, "it's about time Buck and I showed you something." He brought his head down towards Tentomon's and whispered, "You can talk now."
"Oh, right," the insect in Parker's hands stammered. "I'm Tentomon."
"I'm Elecmon," the digimon in Buck's hands said in a hoarse voice.
"And I'm Hawkmon," the bird in Chloe's hands said, giving a mock salute with a wing.
"We're all digimon!" the three creatures exclaimed in unison.
Talmadge looked down at the digimon again, this time bending down close to each of them. "Digimon, you say?" he mused, bringing his face close to Elecmon.
"That's right," Elecmon grumbled, shifting his eyes away from Talmadge.
The head of Project Backstep turned to face Parker again, his eyes cold. "Parker, do these creatures have anything in relation to those on that disk?"
Parker shook his head. "No - I mean, they're the same species … I mean, they're digimon, like on the disk, but they're not bad - they don't have anything that could destroy the world … I think." He looked down at Tentomon again. "Is that right?"
Tentomon nodded his head. "We have no reason to take over the world."
"See?" Parker laughed. "They're perfectly harmless."
"Well, they'd better be," Ramsey snapped, pointing a finger into Parker's face. "And you'd better make sure that they don't try to trash this house!"
"Nate," Parker sighed, "the most damage they'll do is eat all the food. You'd better make sure you have a full refrigerator."
Ramsey scoffed and turned from Parker with a turn on his heel. "Just warning you, Parker," he sneered before walking off towards the television.
The next morning found Owsley, Parker, Buck, Tentomon, and Elecmon lying asleep in Owsley's appropriated room. There wasn't much in the way of free space in the small bedroom, making it nearly impossible for the grown men to even find a place to sleep on the floor.
Buck was sleeping by the computer when he heard a soft ding on the speakers. Drowsily he rubbed his eyes, then climbed into the chair before the computer. Brushing away the screensaver, he found the e-mail program, set to monitor Parker's e-mail.
"Damn it, Frank, don't make it too easy for us to eavesdrop on you," Buck moaned drunkenly, looking at the new messages Parker had received within the past twelve hours. There were four in all - and two of them were addressed to Buck.
"Somebody must be playing a joke," Buck grumbled, clicking on the earliest of the received mails. The message flashed on the screen, showing a brief memo….
Buck-
I have to thank Secretary-General Nicolae Carpathia for obtaining your temporary e-mail address. According to him, you weren't at the UN meeting yesterday afternoon. Now, I've managed to get the security tapes from that conference room, and it shows that you're there. Also shows some other interesting things I would rather tell you in private than online. Nicolae insists that you did not attend this meeting, though, and has made me take your place as publicity director. And he has also forced me to demote you. By the time this reaches you, your stuff from your office will be en route to the Chicago Global Weekly building. You probably remember where our Chicago headquarters are. You'll have a lower pay, but you'll still answer directly from my boss, Mr. Bailey. He'll give you your assignments.
I'm sorry I've had to do this, Cameron, but I had no choice.
Your friend,
Steve Plank.
"Oh, shoot!" Buck cursed, deleting the e-mail and slamming his hands on the desk. "How can Nicolae ignore that I was there yesterday? He spoke to me…."
Blankly, Buck looked down at the dog tag that hung down his neck. Did the Crest blind Nicolae from knowing that Buck saw what really happened at that meeting? If that was so, why did he still ask him what he saw after the shooting…?
"No, I'm not going to think about that now!" Buck whispered harshly, bringing himself to look back at the e-mail program again. He clicked on the other e-mail, finding a considerably longer missive that Steve's.
Frank Parker and Cameron Williams,
If this has managed to reach you, then you know that some troubling times have come upon our world. I assume by now our digimon partners have returned - mine hasn't so far, but I'm a patient man.
I know we've promised to keep in touch with each other after what happened sixteen years ago. However, I've realized that it has been nearly impossible, with our lives being so busy. But I've been able to get much information on the two of you, along with your friend Chloe. I am sorry about Svetlana, as well for all the others who have disappeared in that event three weeks past.
I'm sorry, I'm getting off the topic. Now, I know that Cameron is an able journalist - I'm to understand he has a Pulitzer Prize, am I correct? If he can spare some time, I would like him to come visit me in Jerusalem. There are a few things I would like to show him. Don't worry, CNN will also air what I am to share with Cameron - so don't be jealous, Frank!
I hope to hear from you soon about this, Cameron - and I would also like to hear from you too, Frank and Chloe.
-- Tsion Ben-Judah
Your fellow Chosen Child
PS: I hope that that poem I sent you earlier helped out.
"Tsion Ben-Judah," Buck mused, leaning back in his chair. "The last Chosen Child … this could be our chance to get all of us together…."
The Steele house was almost empty when Frank Parker and Tentomon came down for a late breakfast. A note had been left on the refrigerator when he came in: Team went to New Hope to move stuff to our new HQ. I'll come back to give you your assignments. Talmadge.
"New Hope … wherever that is," Parker muttered, opening the refrigerator. There was a tray of crab sushi before him, virtually untouched. He took it out and closed the refrigerator door before making his way to the dining table in the center of the kitchen.
Buck and Chloe, along with their digimon, were already seated at the table, their empty cereal bowls evidencing that they had already eaten. Chloe looked somewhat drowsy, her mussed-up blond hair tumbling around her sunken face. Buck was leaning on his left hand, and was toying with his Holy Ring in the other.
"Anything interesting happening today?" Parker asked blankly, opening the tray and taking out a sushi piece. He placed a slice of horseradish on top.
"I got demoted," Buck grumbled, looking down at the ring in his hand. "Nicolae didn't think I was at that … meeting … yesterday."
"You've got to be kidding," Parker scoffed, throwing the piece of sushi into his mouth. "Nicolae talked to you there."
"Well … apparently digimon like him don't have good memories."
Parker sighed. "I guess so."
Buck sat up and put the ring back on his hand. "On a lighter note, I got an e-mail today from somebody important."
"Oh?" Parker asked, throwing another piece of sushi into his mouth. "Who?"
Buck chuckled. "You're not going to believe me … it was from Tsion Ben-Judah."
Chloe sat up at the mention of the name. "I think I've heard that name before."
"You're right!" Parker exclaimed. "He's one of those people we had to find!"
"The last of the Chosen Children," Buck said, almost to himself. "He told me that he wanted me to go to Israel to meet him."
"Then what are you waiting for?" Parker burst, standing up from his chair with such fervor that he toppled it over. "Go to Israel!"
Buck shrugged. "Well, I would, but….."
"But what?"
"What if it's a trap? I mean, we've been getting e-mails from Tsion since we met the digimon! What if he's trying to lure us?"
Parker sighed, a forced breath of air escaping from his mouth. "Buck, the Guardian told us to find Chloe and Tsion. Chloe hasn't done anything bad, so I'm sure that Tsion won't, either. Just go to Israel, okay?"
Buck nodded. "Fine. But I'll bring Elecmon, just in case something happens."
-------------------------------------------------
Location - Ben Gurion Airport, Jerusalem, Israel
Time - twenty-two days into the Digital Conundrum
-------------------------------------------------
Four days later, Buck walked out of the air-conditioned flurry of Ben Gurion airport, a black leather bag over one shoulder and his cell phone over one ear. A man in a thick accent was speaking to him on the line, and it was near impossible to hear him over the din of foreign voices around him.
"Where … are … you?" Buck yelled into the phone, looking around as he neared the passenger pick-up area. There were many men, all of them in neatly-groomed short-sleeved suits, standing by dark, boxy limousines.
"I am the one with the cell phone to his ear!" the voice replied loudly into his ear.
Buck scanned the long line of valets before him, barging his way through other masses of people as he did so. A minute later he could see a short man, dressed in light safari clothes like Buck, with one of those cell phones that looked like a relic from an episode of The A-Team. He had brown hair neatly groomed behind his head, but his stubby beard had graying spots that betrayed his age. The man looked up and, noticing Buck, waved his hand sheepishly as he gave a giant grin. He turned off his cell phone and tucked it into his pocket as Buck ran up to him.
Buck looked down at the man in shock as he stood before him. This was the last Chosen Child he and Parker were called to search for? He looked so … old….
"Tsion Ben-Judah," the man smiled, extending a hand.
"I'm Cameron Williams," Buck chuckled, taking out his own hand and giving the older man a hearty handshake. "But please, call me Buck."
"Well, in that case," Tsion said, "you may call me Ben. I find that it is easier for my foreign friends to say that." He released his hand from Buck's and opened the door of his limo. "Please, come inside! Do you have any other luggage? My porter would be glad to take it for you."
Buck shook his head. "This bag has all I need," he said, patting the bag with his hand. A faint muffled sound could be heard with every pat from inside the bag. Without giving notice to the ruckus inside his bag, Buck climbed into the car, making room for Ben to sit down across from him.
Ben closed the door behind him and sat with his back to his driver. The car was modeled like a European car, so the driver's side was on Buck's right. Ben muttered something in Hebrew, then the limo rumbled to life and slowly turned into the line of cars leaving the airport.
"Where are we going, Ben?" Buck asked Ben, slinging his bag off his shoulders. He unzipped the main pocket, and Elecmon's head burst out of the opening, seeming to catch his breath.
"Buck, next time, don't pat the bag when I'm inside," the digimon grumbled, clambering out of the bag and onto Buck's lap.
I'll take care not to, Buck thought as Ben started to speak.
"We are going to the Wailing Wall," Ben stated, looking down at the strange creature on Buck's lap. "If I remember, that is Elecmon, right?"
The digimon nodded. "Yeah."
"Nice seeing you again," Ben chuckled, reaching into one of his pants pockets. He pulled out a stopwatch-like device, much like what Buck had found what seemed like months ago, and a dog tag on a chain. The glint of the twilight sun marked the indentations where a symbol and Digital Hieroglyphs had been written.
So he is a Chosen Child, Buck mused, looking at the items Ben had revealed. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take a look at your Crest," he ventured, holding a hand out as if asking for something.
Silently, Ben took the chain the dog tag was on and placed it gently in Buck's hand. The journalist raised the side of the Tag that had the Crest's symbol and name towards him. It was a strange design, almost like a broken cross within a starburst. The Digital Hieroglyphs beneath it rearranged themselves into the words Crest of Spirit.
"Thanks for letting me look," Buck said, placing the Tag back into Ben's hand. Ben thrust his ancient-looking digivice into his pocket again, but put the chain with the Tag around his head, tucking it beneath his shirt.
"You're welcome," Ben said, folding his hands on his lap. "I do not understand, though, why my partner has not come back yet. I see you with Elecmon - and I assume that Frank and Chloe's have returned, too?"
Buck nodded. "Yeah. So, what was this thing you wanted to talk to me about?"
Ben sighed. "A few years ago, I and a few fellow rabbis were gathered to find the identity of one known as the Messiah - the Faithful and True one. There have been many prophecies not only in the major religious texts - the Bible, Torah, and Koran - but in folk tales, songs, and those sorts of things. We had to comb through all this information, but just a month ago - the day before the disappearances, as I recall - we had finally narrowed down the field to one man."
"And this is important because…?" Elecmon grumbled, standing on his hind legs and folding his forelegs like an impatient human.
"Well," Ben said, "in all our reading, we ran into a rather long tale of the end of the world. And it ends with the Faithful and True revealing himself and destroying the darkness that plagues the world."
"I see," Buck mused. "So, could you tell me?"
Ben shook his head. "I promised to keep it confidential until the CNN broadcast tomorrow afternoon." He looked out a window, finding that the car had stopped at a broad gate overflowing with people curiously looking inside. A duo of voices, calling from inside, seemed to beckon to the now-darkening sky. "It looks like we are here. Buck, you should hide Elecmon - and take your bag."
"Aww, not the bag again," Elecmon muttered as Buck picked him up and put him in the bag. Buck left the bag slightly unzipped, though, enough for the digimon to peak out of.
Ben opened the door, allowing Buck to step out first before he did. He took Buck's hand and led him through the densely packed crowd, picking his way through men and women staring off at the ancient wall that towered some way in the distance. The thunderous voice at the front still kept its constant tone, like it was being amplified by hidden speakers … though there was no obvious wiring networked through the rocks.
At last Ben and Buck had made it to the front of the crowd - which, strangely, was not as dense as the far back. There was nearly fifteen feet of space between their location and the wall. And at the base of the wall was the source of the two mysterious voices….
"I smell digimon," Elecmon whispered from the bag.
And it seemed that Elecmon was correct. The two creatures (how could they be called human? Buck thought) were probably only three feet high, wearing ragged robes that sagged to the ground. One was obviously male, his face covered with long white hair that hid his eyes. A white beard draped over his chest, fluttering with every word he spoke. In his hands was a simple wooden staff with a cat's paw at its head, which he seemed to support himself on.
The other creature had hair tied into a bun, yet was done low enough to hide her eyes as well. Her mouth was almost stitched together like a horror film reject, but the opening in her face flapped up and down wither her words. She held a broom, which she supported herself on.
Buck took out his D3 and pointed it at the two creatures. A screen showed up for the male one: Jijimon, Final level, special attack - Hand of Death. He browsed through the statistics, then pressed a button to reveal the other's information: Babamon, Final level, special attack - Empress Haze.
"They're digimon," Buck gasped, putting his D3 back into his pants pocket. "Did you know about this, Ben?"
The rabbi nodded. "One of the legends I read in my research told about them. Back in ancient days, digimon were thought to be divine beings. These two were destined to tell of the Faithful and True one's arrival in the old days … and to tell of his return during the darkness."
"Jijimon and Babamon," Buck mused, gazing out at the two digimon speaking in the distance. Their message was strange, like the archaic ramblings of Old English, familiar words twisted into a syntax Buck didn't understand.
"Their names mean ancient man and ancient woman, respectively," Elecmon grumbled from inside his bag. "Rumor has it they come from the court of the Supreme Deity Himself."
"I see," Buck muttered. He turned towards Ben. "Ben, if you don't mind-"
An explosion echoed off the walls of the ancient temple, bringing the crowd around the area crumbling en masse to their knees. Buck shoved Ben to the rocky floor as two men, faces and bodies covered in soiled white robes, ran to the front of the crowd, only feet away from them. Both of the intruders were carrying semiautomatic machine guns, pitted with scars from a conflict that had ended over a year ago. One of the men yelled out something in Arabic.
"What did he say?" Buck asked, bringing his head close to Ben's ear.
"Something about them being a disgrace before God," Ben rasped, barely heard over the silence. "They want to kill them."
"Right," Buck whispered, bringing his head up to view the conflict.
Babamon took up her broom in a sweeping position, her sewed-shut mouth now flapping in speech with its limited movement. "Hear ye, intruders upon the sacred ground on which we stand! We, the messengers of the Supreme Deity, have come to prophecy of the day when the Faithful and True shall once again walk this earth."
"We only have a short time," Jijimon continued, taking his staff into a battle-ready. "For as long as we stand here, we shall give you the blood shed in war for you to drink! The pure waters from the heavens shall not fall here unless we see it fit."
"And as for those who rise against us before the due time," Babamon said, "they shall only run into death! Empress Haze!!!"
Babamon swept her broom high over her shoulder and brought it down as if she were to hit a man with it. A fiery aura enveloped the bristles of the broom, shooting out towards the assassins as she brought it down. Fire blasted against the bodies of the frail men, charring them with such efficiency that they had no time to scream. Ten seconds later, as the fire died out, only two dark shadows on the ground and two melted hunks of metal evidenced the men's existence.
"Holy Mother of God," Buck gasped, looking out towards the diminutive remains of the men. A digimon that was an agent of the Supreme Deity had the power to do this? The Guardian had never shown such strength against an enemy! Slowly Buck got to his feet, straightened the bag on his shoulder, and helped Ben up.
"I did not think the prophets would use such power during their time on Earth," Ben mused, dusting himself off. "Now what was it you were about to say, before we were so rudely interrupted?"
Buck looked back towards the entrance of the ancient temple complex. The crowd was milling out, the shock of the assassins' deaths weighing silently above them. "Well, I wanted to see if we could talk to Jijimon and Babamon," he sighed, "but I guess we have no hope … you saw what happened." He started to walk off. "Come on, Ben - you could drop me off at my hotel."
Child of Truth, come forward….
Buck froze in midstep. Where did that voice come from? It sounded a whole lot like Babamon - but that wouldn't be right! The voice seemed to echo in Buck's mind, not across the entire temple.
I know you want to speak to us, Jijimon's voice entered Buck's heart. And we want to speak to you, as well. You are the Chosen Child we must speak to - you are the only one we can speak to.
But take Tsion, too, Babamon continued, for he must be told this as well.
Puzzled, Buck turned around to face the wall again. He walked to Ben's side, looked down at him. "They want to speak to us," he trembled, looking back at the two digimon. In the arising moonlight the prophets seemed to glow with an ivory aura.
Ben shrugged. "What an honor, for us to speak with the prophets. This will be the chance of a lifetime."
Slowly Buck and Ben advanced towards the two digimon prophets before them. Jijimon and Babamon had laid low their weapons on the ground, and were now seeming to stare at them with their hands clasped in front of their bodies. Babamon gave a strained smile as the two Chosen Children were at a comfortable speaking distance away from them.
"So, you want to speak to us, Jijimon and Babamon?" Buck ventured nervously, keeping his hands on his bag strap.
Yes, Jijimon whispered, nodding his head.
We wish to tell you things of the Faithful and True one that we can not tell those that are not Chosen, Babamon continued, bowing her head.
"What are these things?" Buck asked blankly. He knew Ben was to probably say the gist of what the prophet digimon were about to on television the next day - but if he heard it now, it would save him the trouble of watching it.
Jijimon started the strain of descriptions, alternating with Babamon for every phrase they said. They nodded their heads in deep reverence as they switched off.
He shall be a male child, born of a digimon and human.
He is to know great pain, never to know true love.
Though one may love him, he can not accept it.
He will be killed by one whom he believed to be righteous.
But he will only rise again to bring end to seven years of darkness.
And he shall be one of the Chosen Children of this age.
"A Chosen Child?" Buck gasped, looking down at the digimon incredulously. "You've got to be kidding. Who is he? Frank? Ben? Me?"
Lo, you may know his identity already, Jijimon lowed, bowing his bearded head.
"But just tell me who exactly he is!" Buck hissed, his eyes narrowed.
We cannot, Babamon replied calmly; in seven years he will be revealed.
It is time for our rest, waiting for another day, Jijimon yawned, bending his head back as he covered his beard-covered mouth with his free hand. We shall be silent now.
"But … I have more questions," Buck ventured, bending down so he was even with the digimon, who had picked up their staffs and started to retreat.
Babamon turned around, a smile straining on her sewed-together mouth. Only one more, Cameron.
"Well … how exactly did you get here?" What else could Buck ask? He could have asked about his mother … but Ophanimon had given a cryptic answer, and these two digimon prophets seemed to be on the same level as the Archangel.
Babamon opened her mouth and gave a hearty cackle. That is a ridiculous question. But like the Guardian who takes a host in a digimon and a human, Jijimon and I have chosen hosts as well. However, our hosts were in the Golden Land, but we had permission to take their bodies, yet only reveal our digimon forms on Earth. Then the Guardian opened a Digital Gateway to this place, and here we are.
"I see," Buck sighed. "Well, good night to you."
The two digimon slunk away without a reply, retreating to the remains of a small building on the far side of the wall.
Ben bent down by Buck, and looked off where the digimon had gone. "What did they tell you?" he whispered, taking a quick glance at Buck.
The other man shrugged carelessly. "Oh, something about the identity of the Faithful and True. Probably something you already know."
Ben nodded. "We should be getting back to the car now. I will have my driver drop you off at your hotel. Is that all right with you?"
"Sure," Buck replied blankly. Jijimon and Babamon had taken their seat by the wall, and now seemed to be sleeping with their strange weapons held lightly in their hands. The two digimon had that soft air of mystery about them, that aura that filled Buck with questions to ask them - but would he ever have another chance? The last prophecy that Babamon had told him echoed in his mind.
He shall be one of the Chosen Children….
But which one of them - Frank, Ben, or Buck - was the Faithful and True?
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Location - Suite 730, King David Hotel, Jerusalem
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At nine-thirty in the evening, Buck lay on the king-sized bed in his hotel room, staring upwards into the dark ceiling. He had kept the lights off, and - despite much complaints from Elecmon - had turned off the television. His bag, holding his cell phone, leather jacket, D3, suit, and laptop, was on the floor by the foot of the bed. Elecmon had climbed onto the bed and nested himself in the silken sheets by Buck's feet.
"Buck?" Elecmon grumbled shortly, turning his head to face his partner. "You've been staring at nothing since we've checked in. What about dinner?"
"I called room service earlier," Buck mumbled, his eyes still on the ceiling. "They'll be here shortly."
As if on cue, there was a harsh knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" Buck moaned, stretching himself to a seated position. He laboriously rose from the bed and walked to the door that led to the hallway outside.
"Room service," a male voice in labored English called from beyond.
Buck was already at the door when the man had replied. Peering through the peephole, he saw a young Israeli man behind a metal cart draped with a white linen tablecloth and a few items wrapped in foil. The man had a nametag that said King David Hotel in English and something in Hebrew. Seeing that the man was safe, Buck undid the intricate locks and deadbolts, finally opening the door almost a minute later.
"I apologize for coming so late," the man at the cart managed, bowing his head. "Your order is number five-six-two?"
Buck nodded. "Yeah."
The man looked down at the cart, then picked up two foil-covered plates from it. "Here you are - two supreme pitas. Enjoy."
"Thanks," Buck smiled, closing the door as the room service man went back on his rounds. He set the deadbolts in place before returning to the bed, placing one of the plates in front of Elecmon.
"What's this?" Elecmon grumbled, poking at the foil with one of his claws.
Buck sat down on the bed, across from Elecmon, and removed the foil from his plate. Beneath was a steaming fresh pita sandwich, filled with a chicken Caesar salad - minus the croutons, of course.
"It's a pita bread sandwich," Buck muttered, taking his sandwich and shoving a bite into his mouth. "Take off the foil and see for yourself."
Elecmon sighed. "If you say so." He clawed his way through the foil, finding the shreds of pita bread, lettuce, chicken and tin foil on top of his plate. "This is supposed to be a sandwich?" he asked, looking up at Buck.
Buck looked down at the mess on Elecmon's plate, and had to force a bite down his throat in order to stifle a laugh. "That's what you get when you dig your way though tin foil, Elecmon," he chuckled as he chewed. "You're supposed to remove it gently from the plate."
Elecmon stood up on his hind feet, looking up at Buck. "Oh." He picked up a piece of lettuce from his plate, taking care to pluck off any shreds of foil, and held it to his mouth. "Well, at least lettuce is better than nothing." He threw the piece into his mouth.
Buck smiled, taking another bite into his sandwich. At least he's happy, despite the circumstances, he thought, watching as Elecmon threw handfuls of Caesar salad and pita bread into his mouth. But how could I … with what's happened to me…?
He sighed, reluctantly taking another bite. Buck didn't think so much could happen in almost a month - learning he was a Chosen Child, finding Elecmon, meeting Parker, his transformation into the Guardian, loosing friends and family … his life was in turmoil as it was already; why should there be seven years more? He had presented his dilemma to Parker and Chloe at O'Hare Airport in Chicago earlier that day, before leaving for Jerusalem.
"Frank … I … I don't know…."
"What is it, Buck?"
"Frank - you've seen what's happened to me over the past few days. I don't deserve it - I don't deserve this!" Buck took out his Crest of Truth from behind his shirt.
"Buck, I know you probably hate that thing - but it's done more good as a whole! You defeated that … dragon … and kept the truth about that United Nations meeting between us."
"But Frank … I can't live with this for the rest of my life … even with our new employer…."
Frank and Buck had strangely been hired by Nicolae Carpathia to work for his regime. Talmadge said it was a good idea - "It'd be nice to have some men on the inside," according to him. The interview with him was online, and it was rather one-sided - actually, Nicolae had only sent a single e-mail to Frank's address:
Frank Parker and Cameron Williams,
Now, I know who the hell you two are, and I know you know the true identities of me and my friend Delores. However, I like to keep my enemies very close. So, as of noon today, the two of you are under my employ. Frank, you are to be my personal pilot; Cameron, I give you charge of that newsmagazine that demoted you.
I know, you ask yourselves, how can this be? But trust me, in the next three days, it will all come to pass.
Sincerely,
Nicolae Carpathia
Secretary General of the United Nations
"How are we going to work for him if he already goddamn knows that we're Chosen Children?" Buck had nearly burst out at the airport, tucking the Crest back underneath his shirt.
"I've been undercover for ages, Buck," Frank smiled. "It's fun."
"It'll be rather hard for me."
"Listen, Buck - I doubt that the Guardian will take over you again. He's too weak, remember? You'll be fine."
Frank had left the gate that separated the terminal from the ticket booking area, but Chloe had stayed behind. She had been quiet throughout the conversation - Buck doubted she knew much about the subject. Chloe had brought Hawkmon with her; the strange bird was cradled in her arms like a child's toy.
"Buck, I'd just like you to know … well … I've seen what's happened to you before - on the D3. You know that much already. And I'm sorry about it, really. You don't deserve it."
"So, what, you pity me?" Buck had gulped, looking down at the younger girl.
"Oh, no! It's just that … I worry about you, Buck. That's all."
Buck didn't really remember much about what happened after that moment. He recalled Chloe finding that her digivice was shining, only to discover that it had transformed into a D3 with a lavender handgrip. She even had a Holy Ring now on her right hand. Maybe her pity had unlocked them, Buck thought sullenly as he bit into his pita again. Besides, her Tag did read Crest of Love. But why pity a man nearly ten years her senior?
Buck awoke the next morning to the sound of the television. He rubbed his eyes and clambered from the covers, finding Elecmon nestled at the foot of the bed, watching CNN. "You should see this, Buck," the digimon muttered, keeping his eyes on the television.
Buck moved up to the foot of the bed and walked to the French doors that led to the balcony, opening them before settling himself before the television. Outside it looked like it was past noon (Damn, I overslept! Buck thought) - meaning it was almost time for Ben to pick him up for the broadcast.
Despite the lateness of the hour, Buck stared at the captions scrolling down the bottom of the screen: "Nicolae Carpathia, Secretary General of the UN, signs contract that gives him full ownership of every media outlet, including: Disney, Microsoft, Time-Warner-AOL, NBC, PBS, Fuji-TV, Global Weekly newsmagazine, et al."
"There goes your job, Buck," Elecmon grumbled, his eyes still on the screen.
"Elecmon, you know that that stupid digimon gave me ownership of Global Weekly … well, at least from now on." He sighed - the prospect of working for a digimon that had taken the world by storm still didn't settle well with him. "Was there anything else on the news?"
"Nick's in town," Elecmon muttered. "Came here this morning on his new plane. Claims he got it from President Bush. And guess who's piloting it."
For the first time that morning, Buck managed a smile. "Frank's coming?"
Elecmon nodded. "Yep. Oh, yeah - I should also note that Nick signed something rather 'monumental'. I tried waking you up, but you're like a log when you sleep."
"And what's that?"
"He signed a peace treaty with Israel - it's supposed to last for seven years before renewal." Elecmon scoffed. "As if they ever will again."
Buck continued to stare at the television unblinkingly. The treaty lasts for seven years … and there will be seven years of darkness after the sounding of the Trumpet of Hope….
"Actually, I was kind of surprised you didn't wake up two hours ago," Elecmon muttered again, taking a remote into a clawed paw and pressing the power button. "I heard some yelling from the window - sounded like those two digimon we met yesterday."
"Jijimon and Babamon?" Buck gasped, looking down at Elecmon. "But that can't be - the Wailing Wall is miles away!" They must have a good speaker system, he mused.
"Buck, you have to expect this kind of thing from agents of the Supreme Deity." Elecmon climbed onto Buck's lap and rose to stand on his hind legs. "Anyway, they said, 'Thus starts the terrible week of darkness!'"
"The terrible week of darkness," Buck mumbled. "The signing of the treaty marks the start of the Seven-Year Darkness…."
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Location - Ben Gurion Airport
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Frank Parker walked out of the cockpit of the Boeing seven-seventy-seven, trying to fight the temptation to open his dress suit. Even in waning days of August, it was still like an oven in Jerusalem.
Still, working undercover in Nicolae's regime had its perks. Parker had taken a quick course in operating a heavy jet - it wasn't much different from piloting the Sphere - and it hadn't taken much money out of his credit card. Thank God for business-paid classes, he told himself as he stepped onto the tarmac.
Now on the dark asphalt, Parker wished he had stayed inside the air-conditioned lounge with Tentomon and his first officer, Montgomery MacCullum. Parker and Montgomery - Mac for short - had spent the past few hours in front of the big screen television, watching the treaty signing on CNN. When the two of them had heard the mysterious calling of the start of the terrible week, Parker had run to his private quarters.
Tentomon had been sitting on the plush bed, looking up at Parker concernedly. "Frank, did you just hear that?" he buzzed silently, being sure to not make his voice carry to the lounge. Parker couldn't afford to have Mac know about the existence of his digimon - much less know about his Chosen Child status.
Parker had nodded. "Yeah. So?"
"Those two voices were of two legendary digimon prophets."
"And…?"
"Their names are Jijimon and Babamon - the ancient couple who proclaims the words of the Supreme Deity in times of trouble."
Parker had shrugged. "So?"
"They've proclaimed that the Seven-Year Darkness has started - officially."
Parker scoffed. "I thought it started when that trumpet blew."
"No … that was only to save the Chosen Children from this eventual fate. But according to legend, the two digimon prophets would choose two Chosen Children from the Golden Land and take host in their bodies so they could exist in this world."
"Like … Buck and the Guardian?"
Tentomon nodded. "Except these humans aren't conscious of what happens to them during the period they have allotted on Earth."
Parker shrugged away the memory of the conversation. So there were more humans that could be possessed by digimon? At least Buck isn't alone, Parker thought, looking out at the rising heat that masked the golf cart speeding towards him. The chrononaut could make out the greased blond hair of Nicolae - the treaty delegation had finally returned.
Parker ran back into the plane and ran to the lounge in the center of the plane. Mac was still in front of the television, which was still tuned to CNN. "Hey, Mac, start the takeoff checklist - the boss is back!"
Mac rose from the beige leather couch he sat on and turned off the television. "Right, Captain. Don't want to get the boss angry." He ran past Parker towards the cockpit, taking out the pre-flight notebook and checking the gauges.
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Location - CNN Jerusalem Branch
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Buck entered the green room adjacent to the main studio of the CNN branch office, surprised to find only Ben sitting on a couch across from the main entrance. From the way the light shone on his face, it looked like he had already gone through makeup. In the rabbi's lap was a booklet of notes, smelling like they had just been printed.
"Ah, I see you were able to make it, Buck," Ben said, looking up at Buck. "Please, sit down."
Buck shook his head. "Nah. That's alright." He looked around the room, finding a television mounted on the wall across from him. "You nervous about the telecast?"
"Not at all," Ben shrugged. "I have my notes, and I have been rehearsing for the past week." He tilted his head to the side. "Your bag is missing. Where is Elecmon?"
"I left it at the hotel - I was afraid security would check it if I brought it along."
Ben smiled. "Good choice. Security had to search my folder, thought I had some kind of plans in it."
Buck was about to answer when a girl in a casual business suit barged her way into the door. "Rabbi Ben-Judah, five minutes till airtime. We'd like you out for prep."
Ben stood from his couch and walked to the door. "Guess it's time to say good-bye again," he smiled. "Are you staying after the airing?"
"No - I'm going to my hotel, then leaving for the States again." Buck sighed. "Don't you plan on coming, too?"
"Maybe someday, Buck - but not now." He turned towards the woman, who had started to tap her toes in steady rhythm. "I'll arrange a meeting, all right?"
Buck shrugged. "Sure."
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Location - Nicolae's jet, somewhere over the Mediterranean
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Clear skies and a smooth runway had made the takeoff of the now-christened Global Community One a breeze for Parker and Mac. Now miles above the earth, Parker looked over at his copilot, who was maneuvering the plane with ease over the clouds covering the Mediterranean Ocean below.
This is nothing like piloting the Sphere, Parker thought with a smile, leaning back in his chair. "So, Mac, how are things going?"
The burly man next to him shrugged, keeping his eyes on the instrument panel before him. His fiery hair was threatening to cover his faceted emerald eyes. "I can take it from here, Frank. You still want to watch that broadcast from that rabbi from Israel?"
Parker had told Mac about the telecast - and obviously made a point that he wanted to view it. But knowing his employer, there was no chance Parker was even going to get access into the lounge. "Sure. Holler when anything goes wrong."
With some difficulty, Parker slid out of his leather padded seat, taking care to remove his earphones, and exited through the reinforced cockpit door. He bolted the door, then made his way down a corridor through the conference area before reaching the spacious lounge.
As expected, Nicolae was seated on a couch before the big-screen television, remote control in hand. A gaggle of advisors, all in similar suit and tie, had crowded around the man, their attention drawn the murmuring man on the screen. Parker walked further into the room, hoping to get a good vantage point without Nicolae's notice.
The man on the screen looked to be bordering forty, with a graying beard upon his chin. He wore the traditional skullcap of a rabbi on his head, and from the looks of it, he seemed to be wearing a conservative suit as well. The man had his eyes boring into his worldwide audience, his message scrolling across the bottom of the screen in English.
"An interesting man, this Tsion Ben-Judah," Nicolae mused, reclining into his seat. "Talking about the identity of the Jewish messiah … I wonder what kind of ratings this would get."
Parker's eyes shrunk in surprise. The man on the television was Tsion Ben-Judah, the last Chosen Child? Compared to himself and the others, this rabbi was … ancient.
"Good afternoon, Captain Parker," Nicolae greeted, causing Parker to snap his head towards him. "I see you have decided to watch this broadcast, as well. How is Officer MacCullum doing?"
"He's piloting Global Community One to Dulles, as planned," Parker nodded, trying his best to look polite. He may be my boss, but that doesn't mean I have to be nice. "Permission to sit down, sir?"
Nicolae patted the empty space on the couch to his right. "Permission granted. Captain Parker, you need not be so formal around me."
That's the first time anybody's told me not to act formal, Parker mused, taking his seat on the far side of the couch. He leaned back and looked at the screen, watching as Rabbi Ben-Judah showed sources from where his team of religious experts had gathered information.
"Now, as according to Jewish religious text, the Faithful and True one is to be a man, destined by God to be the ruler of the nations. He will be killed by his own people…."
Parker stopped paying attention at that point. Why bother to watch a program that went in such detail in a controversial subject? Finding the Jewish messiah wasn't something that really pertained to Parker - and if this was what the rabbi wanted to tell Buck, then there was no doubt that the journalist would be uninterested, too. Yet there was that term the rabbi incessantly used: The Faithful and True one….
The Faithful and True was destined to bring peace between the Earth and Digital World … and instead his death brought their separation, Parker recalled, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. But the rabbi … he believes that this man has not come yet. Darkness has fallen on this world already - would the Faithful and True make the world emerge from that?
Maybe this was a subject worth Buck's attention - and Parker's. In feigned boredom Parker rested his head in his hands, staring intently at the screen for an answer.
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Location - CNN Jerusalem Branch
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Buck looked down at his watch and sighed. He had planned to check out of the hotel by three in the afternoon. It was already two-thirty, halfway through Ben's telecast. The rabbi was dragging on about the identity of the Faithful and True one, a prolonged rehash of Jijimon and Babamon's discussion from last night. Convinced there was no more reason to stay and watch the end, Buck made his way out of the green room and down the hall that would lead to the nearest exit. He was sorry to disappoint Ben this way, by not watching the show through … but there was no reason to learn what he already knew.
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Location - Nicolae's jet, somewhere over the Mediterranean
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The plane had passed over the Strait of Gibraltar when the aged rabbi on the television finally shut his notebook. Fifty-five minutes of research and prophecies had nearly put Parker to sleep, but Nicolae's cook had sent him a bottle of dark lager at regular intervals. Parker didn't know how the cook knew he liked beer - but then, he thought, it should be obvious.
Now the rabbi seemed to be wrapping up. He scrolled through the prophecies again - all one hundred and six, as Parker recalled - before stating his brief conclusion.
"I asked a mathematician what the odds were for one man to have fulfilled all these prophecies. He said that there was almost a billion-to-one chance that any one man could have fulfilled them all. And according to ancient texts, I and my team have come to a conclusion as to who this man is."
"I bet he will proclaim himself as this messiah," Nicolae scoffed, taking a glass of seltzer water from a tray held by a young server. "That would be a laugh."
Damn ignorant digimon, trying to make a joke at the wrong time, Parker grumbled to himself, taking a swig from the newest bottle the cook had handed him.
The voice on the television continued on, ignoring the banter that filled the airplane's lounge.
"This man is…."
The proclamation was sharp enough to make Nicolae spew out his seltzer water.
{ 'Til the End of the World, ending animation, and credits play }
NEXT TIME ON DIGITAL CONUNDRUM
Eighteen months is a long time ... and much happens for the Chosen Children. But this lull in the Digital Conundrum ends with a violent death, a nuclear attack on American soil, and the unearthing of many mysteries. Parker reunites with a former friend from Backstep, but why was he hired by Nicolae in the first place? And why does a new ally of the Chosen Children seem to have more than a crush with the digimon that rules over the world?
In the meanwhile, Buck gets a cryptic message from Ben, who needs some assistance for a strange mission. But this road trip holds more for these two Chosen Children than they imagined! Who is the mysterious digimon that appears to the two of them in Israel? And what are the gifts she brings to them? Find out in Backstep 16: Spirit Evolution! The Gift of Sakuyamon!
A/N: You can definitely tell where I edited the story! Yes, Ben's answer will remain hidden, because I'm afraid that if I ever did post a name, a whole lot of people will be out to hurt me. (Oh, the problems of writing fics in the Left Behind universe....) However, I do have something that may tide your disquiet ... the animation that goes with the new ending theme, 'Til the End of the World! So, yeah, here it is below....
'Til the End of the World (TV-size)
performed by: Clay Crosse
[intro]
{Like in animation for Itsumo Itsudemo, the faces of the Chosen Children (Frank, Buck, Chloe, Ben) appear on a background like that of a starry sky. When the intro melody repeats, their partners appear. After the last digimon appears, a bright light shows in the center of the screen, revealing the shadow of a man (revealed in the final chapters of the story).}
In a world where people come and go
In a place where no one ever stays
The greatest friend you'll ever know
Is the one who will not walk away
{Screen turns parchment color. With each line, a different Chosen Child, his/her partner and all evolutions appear. They are shown in this order: Frank, Buck, Chloe, and Ben. Frank's images slide from the right, Buck's from the left, and so forth.}
I could hold you with the strongest arms
I could hear you in a silent prayer
And I could feel your deepest scars
I would stand beside you anywhere
{Silver-white background - camera moves upwards to show the Guardian holding Buck, raising him into the sky. Fade out to Ophanimon, who turns her head to the sky. Fade to a scarred, masculine hand - camera moves up to show it's the Faithful and True. A shadow of a man stands with his back to FT - he is revealed in final chapters.}
If you believe in me, I will be with you
'Til the end of the world
If you believe in me, I will be with you
'Til the end of the world
'Til the end of the world....
{Like in animation for Innocent ~ Mujaki na Mama de ~, an image of the world is shown, with Frank, Buck, Chloe, and Ben superimposed one-by-one over it. Sun rises over top of the earth - fade to the digimon looking out expectantly like in Days - Aijou to Nichijou - animation. The Chosen Children appear behind their partners, also looking out hopefully towards the audience, with the crumbled remnant of the world as the background. As the last line is sung, the Faithful and True appears in the sky behind the Children.}
THERE!!! I hope that made you forget that this was an edited chapter! Don't worry, this is probably the last controversial thing that occurs in this fic until its very end ... so no more edited chapters! Until next time, wait for the next exciting installment of Digital Conundrum!