The scenes listed take place a bit before Takato's dealing with Abaddon (i.e Sen). It is what the other's are doing before the rain ends and such.
Current year is 2004 somewhere around June.
Pacta sunt servanda Pacts should be respected
Essay taken from this page. I take no sort of credit for it at all.
http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/n/nihilism.htm
Never noticed the difference
Never noticed the change
Maybe I didn't care?
Maybe I didn't see?
Maybe I was just too full of hate?
Maybe I was just too full of fear?
Dreams never did make sense.
Reality even less.
By Minagata Yamato, 1985-2002
Ruki was used to seeing a lot of weird things in her life. They ranged from going into a different world to saving the world to merging with a digimon to become one being. She could now add another strange thing to her list of 'weird things that I've experienced' in her journal when she got home. It was now going to categorically called in her brain, relatives that you thought you never had and are probably not human. Or something similar but Ruki wasn't really picky on the title at this moment.
"I just said we're your relatives," the young girl with wildly spiked green hair said smiling. Ruki tried to equate the word relative to the punkish looking girl in a kimono. It didn't really seem to make sense.
"Relatives..." Ruki repeated. Her mind boggled and tried to think of any possible way that these people surround her could possible be her relatives.
It still didn't make any sort of sense. Then again life seldom did. The sky was now darkening rapidly and in the distant black ominous clouds promised rain tonight. The forest was silent, not a single bird or insect chirped and the wind was picking up causing whistling noise and whooshed through the mountain.
"What's wrong with you?" The girl asked. She smiled cutely and bent over to look at Ruki a bit closer.
"Nothing at all! I just took a little merry jaunt in the woods after something I wondered if I just hallucinated. Then I get attacked by two butt ugly digimon and not get killed. Then I manage to kill one and rip another's arm off. Then she appears and kills one, then you all appear out of nowhere. Oh and not to mention you go around and start claiming your my relatives!" Ruki listed off sarcastically. No one in the circle seemed the least bit intimidated. The old man with the pipe simply puffed more tobacco smoke into the air. The smell of it irritated Ruki's senses and made her a bit confused. The color was purple but Ruki didn't notice, she was too busy looking at the little girl in front of her.
"Now, that's not very nice. My name is Ninako and I think you should be a little more polite to me," Ninako said in a amused tone.
"Why should I?" Ruki retorted in a challenging voice. Ninako just smiled and placed her hands behind her back for a moment.
"Because I have your backpack and I'm not giving it back," Ninako answered with mischievous smile. From behind her back, she pulled out Ruki's battered backpack.
"Where did you..." Ruki began and looked around. She noticed she had indeed no longer possessed her backpack and that it had fallen off during her battle against the two digimon.
"Now, young lady are you going to listen to me?" Ninako asked in a surprisingly mature voice rather than overly cute and childish one. Ruki mentally blinked.
"What are you talking about? Your hardly older than eight!" Ruki snarled but Ninako smiled and that made Ruki feel very uncomfortable.
"I'll have you know that I'm 29 years old and that I am your aunt," Ninako said in an amused voice. Ruki's mind boggled at the thought and she came to a conclusion.
"You're insane," Ruki said. The smell of tobacco smoke was starting to get to her. It made her feel light headed and then she felt something warm. It was pushing away the confusion Ruki was feeling. Ruki blinked and reached into her back pocket and pulled out Kaho's charm. It was glowing faintly and the tobacco smoke dissipated without problems.
"Oh ho. So she's protected," the old man said impressed. He eyed the charm warily and continued to puff on his pipe without stopping. Five of the people in the circle backed off from Ruki a bit and waited for a second. A small stirring of leaves surrounded their feet and they seemed to shrink and morph. Ruki watched fascinated as five of the people began to mould themselves into red furred foxes. Only three out of the eight in the circle remained in their human forms.
"What the hell?" Ruki said agitated. She decided to add another heading in her brain about the weird things that head happened to her. Perhaps the title would be 'lycanthropes' in her journal. The elegant looking woman in her kimono approached Ruki without saying a word. Her purple eyes scanned Ruki carefully before stopping a few meters away from Ruki.
"So... You are Makino Ruki? Correct?" The woman asked in a controlled voice. Her purple eyes scanned Ruki again and her hands were at her sides. Ruki however didn't feel the least bit safe around this woman.
"And you are?" Ruki asked suspiciously. Perhaps she would awake in the morning and discover that everything was just a strange dream of sorts.
"I am Makino Harumi... I'm your grandmother," Harumi told her. Ruki could only blink and back away from the woman even more.
"Okay, this is insane! I'm supposed to believe any of this?" Ruki snarled.
"Sheesh. Your eldest son seemed to have begetted a little hellion," the old man said in an amused voice.
"Oh and what the hell are you? My fairy god father?" Ruki asked spinning around to face the old man. Ninako took this opportunity to jump on Ruki's back.
"She really is cute Oro," Ninako said while letting her hand run through Ruki's long hair. Ruki reacted by trying to throw Ninako off her back.
"Get off!" Ruki snarled and tried to grab Ninako but failed to get a grasp on her.
"Why?" Ninako asked in a disturbingly adult like voice. Ruki could have sworn that Ninako was getting bigger and heavier for some strange reason. Ruki growled and managed to get Ninako off her back but the price of Ninako grabbing the charm out of her hand.
"Hey!" Ruki responded and whirled around to beat the crap out of Ninako. She didn't care if the little kid was obviously insane or anything. She wanted the charm back. The sight that greeted Ruki was that of an older woman in a brightly colored kimono with the same laughing purple eyes and outrageously spiked and green dyed hair. There was no little girl any where for Ruki to see. Ruki mind boggled for a third time.
"Neat little thing you have here," Ninako said and began playing with the charm. The adult Ninako was quite well developed in terms assets. Or at least that was what Kaoru thought when he arrived, he hide himself in the bushes and watched. He could now die a happy man knowing he was gazing upon beauty. He smiled noting the red haired girl he saw last night looking a little worse for wear. He had just arrived and it looked like he was into for a good little show. Ruki readied herself and charged forward to grab the charm that Ninako had just stolen.
"Give that back you little prick!" Ruki said annoyed. Rushing forward quickly Ruki tried to grapple Ninako and take the charm away. Time seemed to slow as Ruki ran forward and it looked like Ninako was slow as molasses. Ruki could only smile a bit, this was going to be easy. It was then Ninako burst into a flurry of activity and Ruki was caught off guard. Ninako charged forward just as fast and Ruki thought that they were going to crash into each other at the speed they were moving, Ninako however veered to the right just in time while tripping Ruki. The momentum of the surge forward and then the abrupt trip sent Ruki flying forward off balance.
Kaoru was in awe as he watched Ruki fly into the air. He almost couldn't see what Ruki did as she ran forward. He watched Ruki as she roughly landed in a small stream of water and get mud all over her body. He also noted that he was no longer secure in his little hiding place. Standing right behind him was Harumi who was looked down at him when he turned his around his head to see what was standing over him.
"Um... Hi... Um... heh," Kaoru began pathetically and smiled. He knew the look on the woman's face from anywhere. He got it so many times from his mother, father, Kaho and his neighbours all too often. It was a 'what are you doing here' sort of like that usually meant he was in trouble.
"... Hi..." Harumi said and picked Kaoru up by the scruff of his neck easily. She walked up with one of her arms forward and holding Kaoru by the scruff of his neck like a puppy.
"Ouch! Hey!" Kaoru sputtered as he was lifted and walked out from his hiding place. He had no idea how the old woman found him, much less sneak up on him so easily. Ruki however didn't notice Kaoru being pretty much carried in by Harumi and was too busy trying to get the mud out of her eyes. She staggered onto her feet and shook her head a bit .
Thoughts of seriously harming Ninako immediately came to mind and that was when Ruki felt a burning pain on her neck. She then saw Oro standing beside Ruki with his pipe which embers were actually burning her skin.
"OUCH!" Ruki said and tried slapping away Oro's pipe. She gripped the back of her neck in pain and was about to kick Oro where it counted by missed as the old man simply sidestepped Ruki's attack. Ruki looked down at Oro's feet and realized that he wasn't standing in the stream, Oro was actually standing above the water and not even getting his feet wet. Oro jumped away from Ruki into the air and did a flip where he morphed into a silver furred fox with five tail and gracefully landed on his feet.
Harumi dropped Kaoru on the ground and walked away from him. She too began to morph into a fox and became a golden furred one with three tails. Kaoru eyes widened at what he saw while Ruki gripped the back of her neck in pain not comprehending why they were retreating.
"Don't worry Ruki-chan! You'd make your father proud!" Ninako said as she began morphing into a red fox. The charm disappeared into thin air as did Ruki's backpack which was no longer anywhere in sight.
"What the hell did you do to me?" Ruki asked as she tried to massage away the pain on her neck.
The group of eight foxes didn't answer and ran into the forest. Ruki was about run after them but she tripped over something and fell face first into the stream again. Pushing herself up from the mud a second time, Ruki seethed with anger and practically glowed with energy. She looked down at her feet and saw that her shoelaces somehow had been tied together.
"Hey are you all right?" Kaoru asked getting up from his spot and walked to Ruki. He was about to reach down and help her up but Ruki glared at him with barely restrained disgust. He stopped himself before touching her.
"Don't touch me, unless you don't want to father children," Ruki threatened and got out of the stream by dragging herself out. She began to untie her shoe lace and ignored Kaoru. Kaoru was simply amazed, who knew the old legends of people changing into foxes were real. Did that mean that Kaho had been always right with her legends?
"Um...So... They're your relatives?" Kaoru began nervously. Hell why was he talking to her? After seeing people turning into animals and have a fight that was too fast for the naked eye to see, Kaoru thought he would be more terrified or at least something other than apathy. Ruki looked pissed and wondered why he was exactly risking the girl's wrath for absolutely no reason. She may of looked cute and such but she looked more then prepared to kill him. Kaho was right it seemed, she didn't look the type who enjoyed being hit on. Ruki however continued to ignore him.
"Um, well I'm Irami Kaoru... I live in one of the farms from here...." Kaoru continued while his brain told him to leave the girl alone. Ruki gritted her teeth and got up from her spot. She was dirty, wet, lost her backpack and was angry. How was she going to go home now? Her backpack had her ticket, money, everything that she needed. Ruki was completely unwilling to return to Kaho and admit that she was wrong to run into Hikawa forest.
"Um... I don't know about you... But I think it's going to rain," Kaoru said in a sheepish voice. He had looked up into the darkening sky and saw black rolling clouds. As if on cue the rain began falling lightly. That wasn't so bad in Ruki's mind and she started walking away from Kaoru.
"Hey! I heard on the radio it's going to be a rainstorm!" Kaoru informed Ruki. On that thunder was heard booming and the wind and rain picked up after Kaoru's announcement and began drenching the two. Kaoru followed after Ruki through the rain and grabbed her hand.
"Don't touch me," Ruki said in a low voice and pulled her hand away from Kaoru's. He looked surprised and backed off from Ruki when she started to glare at him. The rain was coming down and the wind pelted them. The forest swayed and rolled like a wave.
"I know a place! We can stay there for a moment!" Kaoru shouted over the raging wind. Ruki looked up and was blinded by the rain. Her senses were clouded now and she was hungry as hell. Kaoru didn't wait for Ruki to answer and began walking into the brush of the forest.
"It's over here! Come on!" Kaoru shouted to Ruki. Ruki only glanced at him and then walked into a completely different direction away from him.
"You idiot! The winds here are really strong!" Kaoru shouted to Ruki but was lost in the wind. He was nervous about it all. He knew that the winds on this mountain could reach up to seventy kilometers every hour or more. The radio's weather report had warned them of a unexpected rainstorm with strong wind. Ruki however soon disappeared into the forest. Kaoru debated what to do, it was none of his damn business if a stupid crazy city girl decided to walk into a maelstrom.
'Damn me and my conscience,' Kaoru muttered to himself and ran after Ruki. He didn't notice that there was some strange wisp of green mist sticking to his legs as he ran through the forest to find Ruki. All he did notice was how the wind was not really pressing against him.
The trees of the forest swayed from the sudden arrival of the storm. Ruki found it very hard to move because of the wind and tried to bat away the branches that kept on moving because of the wind. She would be damned if she accepted that boy's help after being so humiliatingly beaten. Hell, Ninako wasn't even trying and she beat Ruki without problem. Rain blinded Ruki but it was rather warm. The red arches that led up to the temple could be seen from where Ruki was standing now. Kaoru slogged through the rain and wind without problem and quickly caught up with Ruki. He was surprised how he wasn't getting slowed down but didn't really bother finding out why. That girl, Ruki, needed to get in and the temple was only a few steps up.
"You stupid girl!" Kaoru said harshly and tried to grab Ruki by the arm.
"Don't touch me!" Ruki snarled wondering how Kaoru managed to find her so quickly.
"Sorry! But we need to get inside and get dry!" Kaoru shouted over the wind. The rain may have been warm but the wind was freezing cold. Ruki felt her neck prick with pain and gripped it with one of her hands. Kaoru noticed but kept quiet.
"Go away!" Ruki shouted and began walking away. Kaoru grabbed Ruki by the arm and was immediately greeted with a raised fist ready to smash his face in. His eyes widened and he closed his eyes for the inevitable pain but it never came. Ruki's arm was held back by Kaho was appeared out of nowhere and stopped Ruki from punching Kaoru. The strength of the grip on Ruki's arm from Kaho was tremendous and it shook with restrained power. Rivulets of water streamed down the old woman's face and hair, her white robes were completely soaked by the storm.
"Ruki..." Kaho said in a quiet voice. Somehow over the whistling wind, Ruki heard Kaho and she glared at her. Kaoru opened his eyes and saw Kaho standing strong in the wind and rain holding back Ruki's fist. It made for a strangely tense sight, Ruki looked defiantly back while Kaho retained her cool and waited.
"Fine!" Ruki shouted over the rain and put her fist down. Turning around she headed up the stairs to the temple. Kaoru let go Ruki's arm and looked at Kaho.
"You too," Kaho said and pointed up to the temple after Ruki who was going up. Kaoru was too confused and such to argue. He went up the stairs like a good little boy. Kaho followed up after them while the rain beat down on them.
******
Lopmon hated the rain. It was now official and stamped by the brain's approval. His fur was completely waterlogged and heavy. He swore that he's fur was sagging to the ground because it was so wet but valiantly, or to his mind, Lopmon walked back to the Lee apartment. He made a conscious effort to make sure no one saw him while he ran through the streets but there were occasions where he had to reveal himself to cross. People scurried out of his way or threw cans at him while he ran but he didn't stop.
'Ignorance is the root of fear and all evil,' Lopmon reminded himself as yet another human threw a can at him. Another seeing the commotion another man bent over to pick a few stones.
"You stupid digimon! Take that!" The man screamed and began throwing stones. Bending down occasionally just to pick up more stones, he chased after Lopmon with a vengeance.
'It also happens to be incredibly annoying,' Lopmon thought to himself as he ran. The man refused to give up the chase. Lopmon jumped up onto the wall of a nearby house and start jumping on the roof to avoid the man whom soon lost sight of Lopmon.
"Where'd you go? You digital freak? Come out!" The man screamed out in frustration. It was keening sound of anger and, oddly, loss. Lopmon didn't know who the man was, if Lopmon knew then he would have been far more sympathetic to the man. He had lost his home when D-Reaper entered the real world and prior to that, before Ruki became a Tamer not that he knew it, he had lost his wife to a digimon attack when it emerged. Hypnos reacted too late in trying to capture the digimon but that hardly matter. He despised this abomination from an equally abominable world; it didn't deserve to live and sure as hell didn't deserve recognition for saving the world. They were a disease, a plague that needed to be exterminated from the face of the earth.
Lopmon was no longer there; he was far away from the man and ignored everything around him. Lopmon was too busy trying to pick his way through the streets to get back home. He could see the apartment building that he lived in and saw various vehicles and people gathering around the entrance. Lopmon could see reporters, police officers and curious people gathered around the entrance. Lopmon could hear some of the comments from the people.
"Heard it was digimon that attacked this place. Rumor has it that it had a bomb... At least that's what all the news says about it... I don't get it, if it was trying to blow up this building why would it take the bomb and throw it into the Bay?" A woman about thirty years of age asked her younger companion, another woman besides her.
"How should I know? I'm worried about my children! I thought those dangerous creatures were eliminated or something," the young woman answered. A news reporter and cameraman soon approached the two women talking and stopped.
"Hi, I'm Hironobu Eichi of Japantoday. I'd like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind," Eichi smiled pleasantly and thrust his mike in front of one of the ladies.
"Uh... Sure," the young woman said in an uncomfortable voice. Eichi smiled and motioned his cameraman to come around.
"First off, how would you like to know that the digimon seen today actually lived in this building with a family?" Eichi began. Lopmon gagged and hide away while listening.
"What? How's that possible! Those digimon are dangerous. What type of family would accept a monster in it? What about their children? Are they mad?" The young woman asked shocked. She couldn't believe it. If she had a digimon in her house, she'd kick it out.
"Apparently, now this is just hearsay, that the digimon belonged to one of the famous Tamers who saved the world less than a year ago," Eichi continued. He loved the reaction that he just got from this woman; so far everyone seemed to agree that digimon were a dangerous threat. Now if he could only convince the general public, he would be doing a good deed for humanity in protecting it from the threat.
"A Tamer! You mean one of those children who have digimon as their pets?" The woman asked into the mike. Lopmon seethed with anger at the comment of him being a pet or an object in the possession of someone. Obviously the general sentiment for digimon was not a good one in Tokyo. The small little jaunt through Shinjuku to get to here proved that much. Lopmon could only sigh in frustration and reminded himself once more.
'Ignorance is the root of fear and all evil,' Lopmon said in his head over. It was not right to begrudge someone because they didn't understand but Lopmon couldn't help but fear for Shuichon. How would her friends react if they found out she was a Tamer? Would they shun her? Attack her? Insult her? Like so many other people have all ready done to Lopmon within the last half-hour he spent trying to get home?
Lopmon began to move away from the scene silently in the alleyway he hid in. There was no way he could go back into the apartment with so many people around the place. Lopmon began to get a sick feeling that the Lee family probably wasn't in the apartment any more anyways. It was all too possible that the Lee family went somewhere else to stay because of the bomb fiasco to avoid the media. Who knew what the media would do if they ever found out the identity of even one Tamer. There were a few places that the Lee family might have gone to, to avoid bringing attention to everyone and avoid giving ideas to the media of who the other Tamers might be. That eliminated Ruki, Takato, Hirokazu and Kenta's place and their family since the media might pester them. To house six individuals and in relatively short period of time. Where else could they be staying at? A friends place? What place would hold so many people? Ideally it should be in a quiet street area and such... Sensei Wong's?
Lopmon began to run towards Sensei Wong's house in the rain. There was no choice now but this. He was pretty much useless if he couldn't find where Shuichon was.
Cars swept by in the wet asphalt street spraying water into the air. The rain was still falling and night was falling soon. It was past dinnertime for most families and people were staying inside due to the rain, much to Lopmon's relief. The dull grey sky of clouds was a depressing sight to behold. It seemed that the city had turned prematurely black. Lopmon wasn't sure what time it was now and the lights in the city began to light up. They reflected off the black wet street and light up the sombre city color of grey. Sensei Wong's house was just a few blocks away from Lopmon. The serene Chinese style house had a wonderful garden with bamboo stalks and wisterias that Lopmon could see peeking above the walls of the place. Without missing a beat Lopmon leaped up over the wall and into a big mud puddle that was hidden from Lopmon's view by the wall. Lopmon became caked in mud and though it didn't look like it since he had brown fur in the first place.
"Wonderful..." Lopmon muttered and went up to Wong's door and knocked rapidly. Behind the door the sounds of talking could be heard and the shuffling of feet. It stopped just at the door and a voice came through the door.
"Who is it?" Wong asked quietly from behind his door. He sincerely hoped that it wasn't a reporter of some sort.
"It's me! Lopmon, open it up please," Lopmon answered. He then heard a very familiar squeal that could only belong to one particular little girl.
"Lopmon!" Shuichon said excitedly and threw open the door before Sensei Wong could react to reveal an even darker brown furred Lopmon. Wong raised an eyebrow but Shuichon didn't wait a second and launched herself at Lopmon for a good hug.
"Shuichon, wai... Ack..." Lopmon could only say. He was still covered in mud but he didn't have time to tell his Tamer. Shuichon hugged and noticed how wet and dirty Lopmon was. The mud from his fur got on Shuichon cheek and clothing as she hugged him tightly. She stopped hugging and let go of Lopmon when she finally noticed that she had dirtied her clothing. Mayumi walked into the hallway after Shuichon and saw the mess that she made.
"I guess we should bundle you off for a bath young lady... And you too Lopmon," Mayumi stated as she picked up her daughter. Lopmon sighed and tried to wipe some dirt off of his fur but only managed to rub in more.
"Great..." Lopmon muttered his breath. He looked down the hallway and saw Terriermon looking visibly upset.
"What's with you?" Lopmon asked Terriermon as he entered the house. He looked to down to see he was making mud tracks but Sensei Wong simple sighed.
"Don't worry I'll clean up after you. You just join Mayumi and Shuichon in the bathroom;" Wong said and walked into his house to get some mops to clean up the mud tracks that Lopmon made.
Terriermon was right besides Lopmon looking relatively calm.
"More children..." Terriermon said in a monotone voice. Lopmon stopped before the bathroom and looked at Terriermon.
"Oh... Yeah... Guess you'll have to keep acting as Princess Pretty Pants for at least another eight years..." Lopmon commented.
"Abaddon is Yamaki's illegitimate son..." Terriermon continued. Reika heard Terriermon and shouted from the bedroom where she was with her son Katsuyo and the rest of the Lee family.
"No, he is not!... At least I don't think so..." Reika responded annoyed. Katsuyo rolled his eyes and nestled into his mother's arms to get comfortable. Lopmon blinked and stared at Terriermon.
"... You're joking... I mean has Yamaki even confirmed that?" Lopmon asked.
"No... But I wouldn't put it past CLM," Terriermon answered. Lopmon was about to ask another question but Shuichon grabbed Lopmon from behind when he turned his back on the bathroom door.
"Come on Lopmon! Bath time," Shuichon said and dragged Lopmon through the door. The door slammed shut and Mayumi could be heard.
"Don't hold him so tight Shuichon!" Mayumi said as she gently pried loose Shuichon's grip on Lopmon.
"I want to clean him!"Shuichon said in cute voice. She walked over to the bathtub and plopped Lopmon in ungracefully. Mayumi sighed and looked at Lopmon who was looked quietly terrified but hide it from his face enough that Shuichon didn't notice.
"You can help but after he's cleaned, you are going in young lady," Mayumi said in non-comprising voice. Shuichon nodded and smiled at Lopmon who dreaded what was to come.
"You know I can clean myself," Lopmon began. He eyed Shuichon who was pouting and prayed to Zhuqaiomon that Mayumi would consider he's words.
"Yes... That's true, okay then. You can clean yourself. Please don't take too long," Mayumi said taking the hint. Shuichon was deprived and Mayumi took Shuichon by the hand and out the bathroom.
"But I want to help clean him," Shuichon began. Lopmon sighed and fiddled with the shower nozzle that was right beside him. It wasn't that he unappreciative of Shuichon offers to help clean him up but there was underlining sort of concern about the things that he had witnessed today. It didn't make him feel very comfortable.
'Ignorance is the root of fear and all evil,' Lopmon reminded himself and turned on the shower to clean himself. The moment he forgot that, was the moment that he will begin to fear and do evil.
During this time in the other room, Jen was busy explaining to the others in the house who Abaddon was. It was greeted with silence and some strange looks from his brother and sister who quite obviously didn't get it. Reika looked skeptical at it all. Terriermon had re-entered the room with Sensei Wong.
"So, he seems to be the only person who knows what's going on," Jen explained to his father mainly. Janyuu looked thoughtful and crossed his arms.
"Not to mention that I am sure that CLM is his father. I mean that not even she knows if CLM had other women in his life," Terriermon added in. Jen could only sigh and look apologetically at Reika.
"Ignore him. I somehow doubt Yamaki would do something like that," Jen said in a meek voice. Jen grabbed Terriermon and covered his mouth.
"Ack... You tyrannical fascist! There's something called freedom of speech in this country!" Terriermon said as he struggled in Jen's grip. Jen ignored Terriermon and shut his mouth up.
"I have to admit I wouldn't know at all since Yamaki has never told me that but then again I've never asked," Reika said in amused voice. Katsuyo simply slept in his mother's eyes; the conversation did not interest him in the least. His dreams were far more entertaining, thank you very much.
"In any case, this Abaddon obviously knows more than what he lets on. Is there any chance that we can see him?" Janyuu asked. Jen shook his head to his father.
"I told you, Takato has the card and all. He's the only one that can get Abaddon here," Jen answered. Janyuu paused in thought and turned to his older son and daughter.
"Okay, it's your turn to tell what happened when I was out," Janyuu said to Jaarin and Rinchei. The two siblings looked at each other and nodded.
"Well, as you know some digimon attacked us. Lopmon sort of blew the thing away with his attack when it was right outside our apartment door. It seemed to be rigging the bomb but Lopmon sensed it. Anyways when it blasted right threw the door everyone in the apartment heard it and the bomb was out in the hallway. Lopmon went out and got it but everyone saw him. They panicked and, there was what?, two minutes left in the timer of the bomb. So Shuichon gets the bright idea of making Lopmon digivolve to Antylamon and throwing the bomb into Tokyo Bay... Oh yeah and then that bastard of a landlord told us that we couldn't live in the apartment because 'we represent a danger to the normal people in the building'," Rinchei explained bitterly. Janyuu sighed and looked at his son.
"I know how you feel. I'm kind of angry myself but it can't be helped," Janyuu said but Rinchei could only glare at his father.
"What do you mean it can't be helped? I know the look that guy was giving Shuichon! He hated her even though she's just a kid! I'd say Jen take Terriermon over there and kick his ass!" Rinchei stated coldly.
"Why do you say that?" Janyuu asked surprised by his older son's reaction.
"Why? The asshole said to us when Shuichon wasn't around that we should get rid of her, 'if we knew what was good for us. Freaks don't mix with good families'," Rinchei answered. Janyuu face went dead cold and neutral while Jen and Terriermon could only remain silent. Jaarin put a comforting hand on Rinchei's shoulder.
"There's nothing we can do about that... All we can do is change the present and try to find out what's going on with the more important issue. One man's hatred can't drag us down to hate back at him. It'll only expand the ever-widening circle of fear," Janyuu said in a sad voice to his son. Rinchei could only sigh and look at his father.
"So then what's the important issue at hand then?" Rinchei asked his father.
"You could start by telling what digimon attacked you," Janyuu said nodding.
"It was something called an Ekamon, I saw it on Shuichon's thingy," Jaarin answered.
"And?" Jen asked getting into the conversation.
"Well... It was weird. I mean, it bleed blood but... It was like blood but it was black. It made a huge mess in the hallway," Jaarin said not quite sure.
"Like black blood?" Janyuu asked baffled. Jaarin nodded at her father's unspoken question.
"That's impossible. Data from a digimon doesn't react like that in the real world. When data comes from a dying digimon and finally deletes, it just dissipates into the air," Jen said in a similar mystified voice. Janyuu thought to himself and turned to his youngest son.
"Maybe we should do a small experiment... If Terriermon is willing," Janyuu explained.
"Experiment? If it's going to be another program put into my being or putting probes into my body, then no," Terriermon reacted.
"No... Actually you probably won't like it at all. I want to make a small cut in you to see if you bleed," Janyuu said with a straight face. Everyone in the room froze and stared at Janyuu.
"Um... Excuse me? The point of that would be?" Reika asked the question that was on everyone's mind.
"He wants to see if Terriermon's data will react the same way," Jen said silently, realizing what his father was thinking. Sensei Wong walked out of the room and within a few moments came back with a rather sharp looking knife.
"I think this should do it," Wong said in a calm voice while Terriermon's eyes went buy-eyed.
"Oy! Just one second! I haven't agreed to this yet!" Terriermon began. He eyed the knife warily as it past to Janyuu's hand.
"It probably won't hurt that much... I won't do this if you don't want me to Terriermon," Janyuu said in a reassuring voice. Rinchei walked out the door of the bedroom to stand watch at the hallway while Jaarin took that moment to close the door to the bedroom to keep Mayumi and Shuichon from coming in.
"... Ah... Well... Oh crap... Why does this always happen to me? Fine..." Terriermon muttered. Terriermon extended out his left ear towards Janyuu who grasped it. Jen held onto Terriermon's body tightly to make sure his partner didn't move.
Janyuu cut into the ear very quickly and pulled out. It was a rather shall cut and waited to see specks of data to float up into the air. Terriermon had been gritting his teeth in hopes of lessening any pain to come. It wasn't bad as some painful things that had happened to him luckily. The data never rose from the wound; instead a thin imperceptible welling of black data began to surface. Janyuu looked at it for a moment and then put a finger into the black data. It was indeed liquid and it stuck to Janyuu's finger like blood would. He frowned not comprehending what had happened or why it was happening in the first place.
"Jen, I need to borrow your cell phone," Janyuu said. Jen reached into his pocket and to get out his phone to give to his father but realized he didn't have it with him. Terriermon brought his ear to his eyes and saw that it was bleeding. The sheer novelty of it inspired morbid fascination in Terriermon. He never would have expected that he would bleed data rather than simply watch it fade when he got cut.
"Um. I left it with Takato..." Jen admitted.
"I'll just use Wong-san's phone," Janyuu muttered distracted.
"What are you doing?" Jen asked his father. Who past the knife to Sensei Wong handle first.
"I'm calling Yamaki and then I'm calling Shibumi. Something is seriously wrong here," Janyuu muttered. He went out into the hall.
******
Kenta fumbled with the Makino family phone in the kitchen while Hirokazu used Jen's cell phone to call their home. Not a moment to lose and everything to gain. The phone rang and they waited. Not knowing whether or not their family was alive or dead or worse.
"Come on. Come on... Pick up the damn phone," Hirokazu snarled. He hated waiting for his parents to pick up the phone, it was taking too damn long. Anything could have happened during this time. What if they were dead? What if Guardromon had been deleted? So many what-ifs that it made Hirokazu's head spin in circles.
"Hello? Shiota residence..." The familiar voice of Hirokazu's mother filled the air. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mom? Is that you? Are you all right? Is Dad all right? Where's Guardromon?" Hirokazu began shooting off his mouth.
"Huh?... Dear what's wrong?" Hirokazu's mother, Sayumi, asked baffled.
"I know this sounds crazy and all but I want you to get out of the house. Stay at a friends place or a hotel or something!" Hirokazu said quickly.
"Does this have anything to do with that digimon down in Shinjuku?" Sayumi asked suspiciously. She swung her hair back and looked behind her to see Guardromon waiting to use the phone to talk to Hirokazu. She wrinkled her brow and wondered why her son insisted on having the hunk of metal around. There was no point, didn't Guardromon have a home in the digital world? Guardromon stood by and waited for Sayumi to stop using the phone.
"Yes... I mean no... I don't know! You might be in danger! I want you to get out of the house!" Hirokazu shouted into the phone frustrated at his mother. Sure she didn't like digimon, including Guardromon, but now was not the time for anything petty as intolerance.
"I don't see why and all... Let me guess you want to talk to Guardromon?" Sayumi asked in a tired voice. There some things that she didn't get about her own son.
"... Your not going to budge from the house are you?... Fine then! I want to talk to Guardromon!" Hirokazu answered annoyed. Sayumi at the other end simply past the phone to Guardromon and walked away.
"It is I," Guardromon spoke into the phone.
"Am I glad to hear from you! I need you to keep an extra sharp look out for my mom and dad!" Hirokazu said.
"I think I know why you're asking. It's all over the news... Why is you humans always have to be so confusing? One moment we're praised for saving the world, then next we're cursed for destruction," Guardromon answered.
"No, it's not only that. Some of the other guys families been attacked. I don't care how my mother feels! Drag her out of the house if you have to! Get her out of there!" Hirokazu snarled and then noticed the line had been cut.
"We are sorry but the phone line you have been on has just been cut... We apologize and hope to have services back up as soon as..." Hirokazu simply dropped the cell phone on the ground and ran out the Makino house without a single thought. Hirokazu ran down the hallway and past the kitchen where Kenta and Seiko were. Kenta was about to go after Hirokazu as he ran out into the rain without a single thought but Kenta couldn't go after him. He had to call his house first and see if he's family was all right. The phone was finally answered, Kenta didn't wait for a single second.
"Mom! Are you all right?" Kenta asked desperately. He didn't want to know what had happened to Hirokazu's parents if it inspired him run into the rain like that.
"..... hiss...." The other line answered. It was full of white noise and indecipherable noise. Kenta felt his blood go cold and his hand trembled.
"Mom?... Anyone?..." Kenta asked into the phone and waited. His voice now trembled.
"............" Silence and then the cheerful voice of the operator.
"We are sorry but the phone line you have been on has just been cut..."
Kenta slammed down the phone and ran out the Makino house. MarineAngemon flew after his partner and left the house behind. They were heading to their homes. Seiko sat in the kitchen chair and watched Kenta charge off. It was a disaster, it was horrific and yet Seiko forced herself to be calm. Renamon was somewhere hidden in the house to dry off and Rumiko was busy getting changed into drier clothing. Seiko was the silent witness of Kenta and Hirokazu's distress.
'Breathe Seiko. You must be calm,' Seiko reminded herself over and over again. Yet she couldn't help but worry about Ruki. Her granddaughter was a thousand times the risk taker than those two boys put together. Yet it was vital that she remained calm and collected. She looked down on the kitchen table to be greeted by the sight of the ancient box that Seiko had given to Ruki so many years ago and it's contents, such as the black journal that glared back at her.
'Ruki always said that I was the rock of this family... Because I never panicked, I wonder if she knows that I want to slap some sense into her for going away from home without telling anyone again,' Seiko thought to herself. Her thoughts plagued her and the implications of everything that was happening weighed heavily in her mind. Yet calm clear headed rationalism prevailed and Seiko found herself trying to distract her worries away. The journal that Ruki had written in gleamed back like a beacon of sanity to Seiko. It was wrong in all sorts of levels, it was a breach of trust but how could Seiko justify the complete lack of knowledge she had of her own granddaughter? How many other things had Ruki hidden away from her and Rumiko? Without thinking Seiko opened another page of the journal to read.
'Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy.
In his early writing, anarchist leader Mikhael Bakunin (1814-1876) composed the notorious entreaty still identified with nihilism: "Let us put our trust in the eternal spirit which destroys and annihilates only because it is the unreachable and eternally creative source of all life--the passion for destruction is also a creative passion!"
Nihilism, in fact, can be understood in several different ways. Political Nihilism, as noted, is associated with the belief that the destruction of all existing political, social, and religious order is a prerequisite for any future improvement. Ethical nihilism or moral nihilism rejects the possibility of absolute moral or ethical values. Instead, good and evil are nebulous, and values addressing such are the product of nothing more than social and emotive pressures. Existential nihilism is the notion that life has no intrinsic meaning or value, and it is, no doubt, the most commonly used and understood sense of the word today.
Penetrating the façades buttressing convictions, the nihilist discovers that all values are baseless and that reason is impotent. "Every belief, every considering something-true," Nietzsche writes, "is necessarily false because there is simply no true world". For him, nihilism requires a radical repudiation of all imposed values and meaning: "Nihilism is . . . not only the belief that everything deserves to perish; but one actually puts one's shoulder to the plough; one destroys"
The caustic strength of nihilism is absolute and under its withering scrutiny "the highest values devalue themselves. The aim is lacking, and 'Why' finds no answer". Inevitably, nihilism will expose all cherished beliefs and sacrosanct truths as symptoms of a defective Western or Eastern mythos. This collapse of meaning, relevance, and purpose will be the most destructive force in history, constituting a total assault on reality and nothing less than the greatest crisis of humanity:
While nihilism is often discussed in terms of extreme skepticism and relativism, for most of the 20th century it has been associated with the belief that life is meaningless. Existential nihilism begins with the notion that the world is without meaning or purpose. Given this circumstance, existence itself--all action, suffering, and feeling--is ultimately senseless and empty.
The Skeptic Empedocles' observation that "the life of mortals is so mean a thing as to be virtually un-life," for instance, embodies the same kind of extreme pessimism associated with existential nihilism. In antiquity, such profound pessimism may have reached its apex with Hegesis. Because miseries vastly outnumber pleasures, happiness is impossible, the philosopher argues, and subsequently advocates suicide. Centuries later during the Renaissance, William Shakespeare eloquently summarized the existential nihilist's perspective when, in this famous passage near the end of Macbeth, he has Macbeth pour out his disgust for life:
Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more; it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
When we abandon illusions, life is revealed as nothing; and for the existentialists, nothingness is the source of not only absolute freedom but also existential horror and emotional anguish. Nothingness reveals each individual as an isolated being "thrown" into an alien and unresponsive universe, barred forever from knowing why yet required to invent meaning. It's a situation that's nothing short of absurd.
The common thread in the literature of the existentialists is coping with the emotional anguish arising from our confrontation with nothingness, and they expended great energy responding to the question of whether surviving it was possible. Their answer was a qualified "Yes," advocating a formula of passionate commitment and impassive stoicism. In retrospect, it was an anecdote tinged with desperation because in an absurd world there are absolutely no guidelines, and any course of action is problematic. Passionate commitment, be it to conquest, creation, or whatever, is itself meaningless. Enter nihilism.
Camus, like the other existentialists, was convinced that nihilism was the most vexing problem of the twentieth century. Although he argues passionately that individuals could endure its corrosive effects, his most famous works betray the extraordinary difficulty he faced building a convincing case. In The Stranger (1942), for example, Meursault has rejected the existential suppositions on which the uninitiated and weak rely. Just moments before his execution for a gratuitous murder, he discovers that life alone is reason enough for living, a raison d'être, however, that in context seems scarcely convincing. In Caligula (1944), the mad emperor tries to escape the human predicament by dehumanizing himself with acts of senseless violence, fails, and surreptitiously arranges his own assassination. The Plague (1947) shows the futility of doing one's best in an absurd world. And in his last novel, the short and sardonic, The Fall (1956), Camus posits that everyone has bloody hands because we are all responsible for making a sorry state worse by our inane action and inaction alike. In these works and other works by the existentialists, one is often left with the impression that living authentically with the meaninglessness of life is impossible.
Camus was fully aware of the pitfalls of defining existence without meaning, and in his philosophical essay The Rebel (1951) he faces the problem of nihilism head-on. In it, he describes at length how metaphysical collapse often ends in total negation and the victory of nihilism, characterized by profound hatred, pathological destruction, and incalculable violence and death.
By the late 20th century, "nihilism" had assumed two different castes. In one form, "nihilist" is used to characterize the postmodern human, a dehumanized conformist, alienated, indifferent, and baffled, directing psychological energy into hedonistic narcissism or into a deep resentment that often explodes in violence. This perspective is derived from the existentialists' reflections on nihilism stripped of any hopeful expectations, leaving only the experience of sickness, decay, and disintegration.
In his study of meaninglessness, Donald Crosby writes that the source of modern nihilism paradoxically stems from a commitment to honest intellectual openness. "Once set in motion, the process of questioning could come to but one end, the erosion of conviction and certitude and collapse into despair" (The Specter of the Absurd, 1988). When sincere inquiry is extended to moral convictions and social consensus, it can prove deadly, Crosby continues, promoting forces that ultimately destroy civilizations.
In The Banalization of Nihilism (1992) Karen Carr discusses the antifoundationalist response to nihilism. Although it still inflames a paralyzing relativism and subverts critical tools, "cheerful nihilism" carries the day, she notes, distinguished by an easy-going acceptance of meaninglessness. Such a development, Carr concludes, is alarming. If we accept that all perspectives are equally non-binding, then intellectual or moral arrogance will determine which perspective has precedence. Worse still, the banalization of nihilism creates an environment where ideas can be imposed forcibly with little resistance, raw power alone determining intellectual and moral hierarchies. It's a conclusion that dovetails nicely with Nietzsche's, who pointed out that all interpretations of the world are simply manifestations of will-to-power.
Side note:
I swear, if my teacher accuses of me being a nihilist again I am going to scream! If I were a damn nihilist I probably would have committed suicide ages ago or went nuts and murdered everything in sight for absolutely no reason!'
Seiko closed the journal again and thought. What was this journal about anyways? So far Seiko had only seen essays. Were there no confessions? Any deep secrets revealed? Or any clue as to why Ruki acted the way she did? Or were these essays explaining things that she was and was not?
Seiko got up from her chair and walked out of the kitchen. In the hall where she stood she went over and picked up the cell phone which Hirokazu had hastily dropped. The rain seemed to letting up and outside the city seemed to light up like a ethereal ghost. The wet walls caught the shine of the city lights. The garden was slick with water and was hidden partially by the semi-opaque darkness that was settling now.
"Ruki..." Seiko quietly said to herself. There must be something in that journal to reveal where Ruki was. Or some clue as to what was going on. It was too much of a coincidence that her disappearance marked attacks on the other Tamer's families. Seiko turned around and entered the kitchen to read into the journal more.
The rain finally stopped.
******
Beep... Beep... Beep...
Katou Takehiro hated hospitals. He hated their smells. He hated their sounds. He hated how they felt. So sterile and unforgiving. But most of all he hated the memories associated to this place. This ward of loss and pain, the feeling of helplessness and sadness. Where he lost his wife and where he lost his daughter's innocent unfettered smile. True, he was not injured badly but the doctor insisted staying one night at the hospital. Takehiro was ready give the doctor a piece of his mind for forcing him to stay in such a infernal, misbegotten place but checked himself against anger. After all the doctor couldn't have possibly known what had happened here so many years ago. In this same hospital and in this ward.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
But why, oh why, did they put him in a room with a seemingly comatose woman next to him? This was the worst torture that he had ever experienced, next to the near loss of his daughter Juri. There was no way in hell he was getting any sleep tonight. He turned to look at the woman that lay in the other bed on the other side of room. Equipment steadily feed data to inform observers that she was still alive, not that the piece of electrical junk can save or improve it's ward's life. Takehiro noted that she was beautiful in a sort of earthly macabre way. She seemed unusually young and seemed to be asleep. But he knew better, his wife looked that way when she slept her last night on earth in a room similar to this one.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
The equipment in the room that monitored his wife's vital signs while providing any other news. Actually, the news that everyone and everything gave him was bad. He remembered his daughter standing by his side in silence, not comprehending why all the doctors were in such a flurry of activity. They rolled out machines that they had no understanding of and said words that baffled them to extreme. Juri only stared at her mother and watched her life be snuffed in a such effortless endeavour so quickly that there was no time for Takehiro to break down and cry or react with anything but numb acceptance. He remembered the look of confusion on his young daughter's face when Takehiro unemotionally accepted the doctors and nurses apologies. Juri never did understand why he didn't cry that day or at the funeral. He was just too stiff and stern to her.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
What could he have done? Cry? Bend over his wife's dead body and kiss her? Say a Buddhist prayer to send her off to the afterlife? What the hell could he have done? His heart had been shot to pieces that day and his daughter could only look up at him and ask.
"What happened to mommy?"
"... This was her fate..."
Now that he thought about it. What kind of answer is that?! It was the most unsatisfactory and idiotic answer he could give to a person. Why did someone die? Because it was fate?
Takehiro got up from his bed wincing from his wounds. The bandage over his right arm where stitches had patched up the gaping wound. It had cut into his muscle a bit and the doctor said corrective surgery would be needed to fix when time past. But he wasn't willing to wait in a hospital bed for that time. He just wanted to go home and go back to his family.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
It was then that Takehiro swore he had seen something. It looked like a dark figure standing over the comatose woman he shared the room with this night. Takehiro stood in silence and then tried to see what was there. It was just emptiness and the loneliness of the room became quite apparent. The machine continued its work while Takehiro approached the bed of the comatose woman. It was still raining outside and Takehiro was finally at the end of the bed. He could have sworn he had seen someone standing over the woman just a few seconds ago. It looked like a boy in dark clothing with strange glowing eyes and fair hair.
Shaking his head, Takehiro looked down at the base of the bed and picked up a clipboard that was attached to read off information of the patient.
"Kimatori Ayahiko... Infirmed 2002, December 22... Cause of coma unknown... Proceed with regular care..." Takehiro read off and frowned. Information that was almost useless to him and put the clipboard down into it's slot at the base of the bed. He took a good look at around and saw nothing around him. He then looked at the woman who was supposedly in a coma.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
She looked like she was asleep almost. Takehiro turned his back on her and walked out of the room without looking back. He was going home, damn the doctor and their professional medical advice. Takehiro couldn't take it any more and this room. The machine wouldn't shut up and now he was seeing things.
Takehiro opened the door and left the room. In a shadow that now began to move slightly, Sen revealed himself by leaving it. The shadow was like undulating water that parted way when Sen stepped out from it. Frowning Sen walked over to his mother side and sighed.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
'I got too careless...' Sen realized how close he was to getting caught. He noted how ironic it was that Mr. Katou in the room, recovering from his injuries. Sen could only stare down at his mother smile sadly but couldn't reach out to touch her. The plan had been revised and was now on the roll. Soon everything would be over and what was expected of him from his client would be done. And he would reap what he had sowed.
"... Pacta sunt servenda... Not that you realize that Mr. Matsuda..." Sen muttered to himself. He faded into the darkness leaving his mother alone again. If he had only stayed for just ten seconds, Sen would have seen his mother do something he would have thought impossible.
Kimatori Ayahiko cried a single tear. One of many she had shed without her young son's knowledge.
*******
Yamaki stood in the elevator of the Hypnos building. The clear glass of the elevator allowed him a complete view of Shinjuku. The city lights were just turning themselves into beacons that obscured the sky. The dull black clouds still that insisted on remaining in the sky and made for a slightly depressing scene in Yamaki's mind. The thrumming of rain had long since ceased echoing through the hallways of the seemingly empty building. The steady veering of gears caused the door to finally open and let Yamaki into a bubble of activity. Technicians and others ran around the place checking wires and monitors, trying to understand what was going on. This was life, as Yamaki knew it, the constant sounds of beeping equipment and computers spitting out information. It seemed strange and ironic that the government decided to make Hypnos a recognized government organization, visible by the public though information was still tightly controlled. Hypnos was just used as a research platform for the digital world and various studies on digimon. Though it still could monitor data spikes of bio-emerging digimon, such an event hadn't happen in a year now.
"Status report!" Yamaki barked as he entered the room from the elevator. Megumi ran down to Yamaki to explain the situation.
Now the government was demanding answers why a digimon was seen jumping on the roofs of Shinjuku and attacking the Bay. All Yamaki knew of the situation was that the Lee family had been attacked by a digimon and had to get rid of a bomb. The apartment had been cordoned off and a team of investigators were all ready at the scene to investigate. Not that that stopped people from forming ridiculous conspiracy theories about the entire thing. People accused Yamaki to being a corrupt government official or an incompetent or some sort of megalomaniac for the simple fact that he was blond or for some other such silly reason. It was irritating to the extreme.
"We're being swamped by the media and government for answers. Half of us don't even know what the hell is going on. Hypnos observed a data spike of a digivolving digimon at the Lee apartment but other than that Hypnos didn't register any other activities," Megumi answered when she came up to Yamaki. The technicians checked the equipment.
"I want the equipment checked. It seems that more digimon have entered our world somehow. Hypnos must have sensed something," Yamaki said curtly. His cell phone rang and Yamaki resisted the urge to take the batteries out of the phone.
"There's nothing wrong with the equipment. We're also checking the entire month's observations by Hypnos but nothing has come up at all. No digimon realized during that month sir," Megumi went on explaining. Yamaki reached down and turn on his phone.
"Check the entire year if you have to. It must have realized into our world somehow," Yamaki ordered and put the phone up to his ear.
"Yamaki... This is Janyuu;" Janyuu called from Sensei Wong's home tiredly.
"I'm kind of busy Janyuu," Yamaki answered. He walked to a computer screen monitor to check some information that was streaming in.
"I know but there's something very wrong," Janyuu explained.
"What do you mean wrong?" Yamaki asked.
"First off have you sealed off my apartment floor?" Janyuu asked.
"Yes, a team has been sent up to see what had happened and such. It should be secure," Yamaki answered. He wondered why it was so important for Janyuu to know that.
"That's good, it seems that something is changing about digimon themselves," Janyuu mused.
"What do you mean by that?" Yamaki asked. It was then a klaxon warning went off and filled the air of Hypnos.
"We have a breach! Initiating level 3 protection!" A technician shouted and people began furiously typing away at their computers like their lives depended on it. Then again with a boss like Yamaki, it wasn't all too far off base to assume that your life really would depend on your performance. Yamaki forgot about his conversation with Janyuu and began furiously typing into his computer console in front of him. He accessed network to see what was wrong.
"What the hell is that thing doing?... Oh my god! It's going to 'realize' right in here!" A random voice from the cell phone could be heard. Janyuu gripped the phone and listened. He could tell that Yamaki had dropped his cell phone and the constant running of feet and shouts could be heard.
Reika stood right besides Janyuu and pressed the speaker button to listen in to conversation. The sounds of panic could be heard through the hall. Everyone could hear it and Katsuyo simply roused himself from his sleep in his mother's arm.
"GET BACK TO YOUR DAMN POST! IF YOU DO YOUR JOB, IT WON'T 'REALIZE' IN HERE!!" Yamaki could be heard shouting. He sounded a bit far from the dropped cell phone on the ground.
"IT'S ABOUT TO EMERGE!! SITE OF ENTRY! HYPNOS IN ONE MINUTE!!" Megumi could be heard shouting.
"DO A FULL LOCKDOWN!!" Another voice shouted.
"THE DAMN COMPUTER IS GOING INSANE!! WE TRIED INITIALIZING LEVEL 1 PROTECTION!" Another woman cried out. More panicked shouts of information and running feet echoed throughout a cavernous room. Klaxon warning blared throughout the entire thing.
"TRYING TO OVERRIDE!" Megumi announced over the noise.
"JASON 2 IS OFFLINE!! VIRUS REPORTED IN THE MAIN COMPUTER!" A random voice exclaimed.
"WE'RE SHUTTING DOWN DAGON!!" Another could be heard.
"POWER'S GOING OUT?!! WHAT THE #$*&?!" Another one and then sounds of a small explosion off somewhere in the building. The klaxon warning no longer blared throughout the complex.
"Switch to auxiliary power!" A single deadly calm voice ordered. Yamaki didn't sound the least bit disturbed about everything was happening.
"Where's security? All non-essential personnel are to evacuate from Hypnos immediately!" Yamaki ordered in the same calm and controlled voice.
"WE CAN'T THE DOORS JAMMED!" A voice answered back from the floor below. Two men were busy trying to pry open the metal doors.
"Gunfire has been reported on Level 12! Security is pinned down!" A man reported.
Reika hardened herself for anything that the phone might reveal. Katsuyo was now fully awake to the sounds of panic and shouting from the phone. He heard his father's voice shouting out orders and Megumi's updates. Janyuu could only grip the phone in his hand tightly. Everyone came out and gathered around the telephone to listen on the speaker.
"... Prep up Shaggai! We'll destroy the digimon before it comes in here!" Yamaki ordered.
"30 seconds until it 'realizes'!" Megumi announced.
The phone began to experience white noise and sound was now hard to hear. It was a torturous wait and every now and then a random word filtered through the noise. Reika turned her back from the phone away from anyone who might have been looking at her. She didn't want them too see her worry and placed all her hope on what Yamaki was doing. Katsuyo looked up to see his mother's face and saw something in her eyes. Random voices of people could be heard through the phone. The rest was garbled that only bits and pieces of it made sense.
.... garble... crackle... "fail"... snap... "penetrating".... crackle... crackle.... "Security".... sshhhh.... "OH NO!!!"..... crackle... ssshhh... snap... "Tell Reika, that".......
Then the phone went silent. A dial tone replaced the garbled white noise and a fairly cheery, if annoying beep could be heard. It stretched into the silence and no one could breath. The last voice before the silence was Yamaki's and eyes turned to see Reika's back facing away from the group. Janyuu took the liberty to hang up the phone and the familiar sound of the dial tone was completely cut off.
***(what really happened)***
"30 seconds until it 'realizes'!" Megumi announced. She was sweating badly and her uniform was now sticking to her like a second skin. She was terrified and adrenaline rushed through her body but somehow she just wasn't panicking yet. Perhaps it was her experience with the D-Reaper and such, or perhaps it was because Megumi kept on thinking how Reika would react in a situation on this. The klaxon
"Shaggai can't be prepared that quickly. It's doomed to fail!" A technician shouted to Yamaki.
"I DON'T CARE! DO IT!" Yamaki roared. A few non-essential personnel were busy trying to force the doors open downstairs. The klaxon warning was dead now and weak murky ambience from consoles and emergency lights were the only sources of light in the room. The silence could now be heard in the room and banging sounds of all sorts could be heard echoing. They sometimes sounded nearby or far away but it was unnerving. Yamaki swore he just heard the scream of a terrified man and the sound of tearing flesh bouncing around the building right outside the metal doors leading up to the main Hypnos observation room. They were echoes and it was impossible to tell where they were coming from. Yamaki tried not think of it and began furiously typing away at his computer to revive the Shaggai program he had left. It was simply matter of precaution in Yamaki's mind, just in case there was a genuine need for it but he never imagined that he would be using it in this fashion or situation. Paranoia is virtue contrary to what psychologists claim and Yamaki's paranoia had it's moment to shine.
"It's now penetrating the Digital World's barriers... Is it me or is it getting foggy in here?" A man in one of the rising chairs next to Megumi asked nervously.
"Shut up... Shaggai online... Now tracking" Megumi snapped as she typed furiously away at her computer. There was nothing left for the other technicians to do but wait and hope that they could use Shaggai in time. It was taking too long and yet Megumi couldn't help but hope.
"Ten seconds until it 'realizes'," Yamaki counted off from a screen down below near a console. His sunglasses glared from the screen's brightness.
"Oh yeah! Sure! No pressure on me!" Megumi snapped and continued working. Her fingers flew over the keyboard in a blur. Megumi somehow completely lost all feeling of attachment to the situation. It was as if she was not really inside her body but outside it watching. It seemed all so hopeless now and yet she still worked. It was rather freaky, little questions entered her head such as how they were all going to die or what type of digimon was trying to enter here.
"5." Yamaki casually, if coolly announced. Truth be told he was scared but it never really surfaced. He had his silver lighter in his hands and he was opening and shutting the lid. Yamaki didn't really ask his brain how the lighter got into his hands but right now he could careless. All he knew was he was too young to die and how Reika and Katsuyo would be like if he wasn't there to watch them.
"4." Shink. The lighter opened to make sharp metallic sound. For every second Megumi could hear the damn lighter open with that same metallic sound echoing throughout the room. The room was deadly silent except for the occasional beeping noise from the screen overhead showing the digimon trying to 'realize' in the main Hypnos observation. A dance of a tracer and digimon was lighted on the above screen. Many people in the room kept they're eyes on the ceiling watching the dance on the screen.
"3." Shink. The sound of the metallic rasp of the cigarette lighter. The tapping of keyboards from Megumi. Her fellow tracker had given up and took to staring up at the ceiling to watch the progress. Yamaki and Megumi were the only one's not watching and were not in complete silence. The sounds of banging, shouts, screams and such were gone now and could no longer be heard echoing throughout the building.
"2." The tracer had finally caught up with the digimon, now it was a matter of implanting Shaggai to do its work on the creature. Fog bellowed into the room and blinded everyone. Megumi however was far to busy typing to notice the familiar feeling of moisture. Yamaki finally stopped playing with his lighter and noticed on the ground the cell phone he had dropped on the floor. It was still working he noticed and he picked it up. He stopped counting. The ceiling was completely invisible now and no one could tell if Shaggai had worked or not.
"OH NO!! We're not going to make it!" A man began to weep. He was obscured by the fog and by the time Yamaki looked up to see the timer, it was all ready zero seconds. Silence filled the room, a sort tangible silence that one could taste on their tongue. Then the fog dissipated and revealed to the view of everyone, Hypnos. There was no rogue digimon ready to tear them apart or some terror, just darkness and gloom.
"Shaggai has been successful," Megumi announced mechanically before collapsing back into her chair, nerves frayed. Silence filled the room and Yamaki took the opportunity to take the cell phone to his mouth to speak to Janyuu.
"Tell Reika that I'm all right..." Yamaki said and then noticed the line had just cut him off from finishing his sentence. The sound of silence filled his ear. There was no dial tone of any sort and the power had just died from the phone.
"We're alive!" Megumi's fellow co-worker on the rising chair cheered. He raised his fist into the air and pumped it. Technicians began weeping and some hugged each other.
"No thanks to you Warui!" Megumi said annoyed. Warui stopped celebrating and looked fairly embarrassed. Megumi went back to work and tried to see what had happened. Yamaki could only thank God for giving him at least one effective employee in times of crisis.
"Contact security! I want a full report on what just happened! Also, I need a cell phone to use!" Yamaki ordered without waiting. He didn't have time to celebrate, he needed to find out what the hell just happened.
"I got a cell phone right here for you sir... Wait... It's dead..." A technician offered and then saw that his cell phone was completely dead.
"Hey... What the... My phone's dead as well," Megumi proclaimed.
"Then use the damn computer then and get security up here!" Yamaki snapped.
"WAH!! YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SO MEAN! I JUST WENT THROUGH A LOT BACK THERE!" Megumi cried, she broke down finally. She really needed some vacation when this was over.
Yamaki, for once, felt guilty but brushed it away. He could only hope that Megumi wouldn't mention his little retort to Reika. There would be hell to, mainly paid by him, if Reika found out.
***(Continuing on with the Lee family)***
"... I'm sorry... I don't know what's going on any more..." Janyuu tried to say in a firm voice. Reika still turned away from them before slowly turning around to face them. Reika walked up to Mayumi and passed Katsuyo into her arms gently. Katsuyo looked confusedly at his mother and wondered why he was in the arms of another woman and looked at his mother with his blue inquisitive eyes.
"Oh... Don't worry... I just need some time... Just take care of Katsuyo for me... " Reika began softly with a slightly pained smile. Mayumi held Katsuyo closely and was about to comfort Reika but Reika reacted first by running out the front door of the house.
"WHILE I GO AND SEE WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED OVER THERE!!" Reika shouted. She threw open the door and ran out into the streets without her shoes on. The rain had stopped and night had fallen over the city. Sensei Wong was so surprised at the speed Reika had run out of the house from that he didn't have time to grab her.
"Mrs. Yamaki! Come back here!" Wong shouted after her and began running after Reika who was barrelling down the street towards Hypnos. Lopmon finally came out of the bathroom, clean and dried, to witness Reika run out of the house. The entire Lee family had not even expected the normally calm looking Reika to go ballistic and run out of the house.
"I should go after her as well who knows what's out there, come on Terriermon," Jen said in quickly. Janyuu however stopped his son.
"No... Wong-san can take care of her. She's heading towards the Hypnos building, we know where she's going. The most important thing for you to do is find your friend Takato and learn more about this Abaddon," Janyuu firmly explained. Mayumi with Katsuyo in her arms motioned Shuichon to the bathroom to clean up. Shuichon was about say something but closed her mouth. She looked up at Katsuyo in her mother's arms and wondered if her little brother or sister was going to look like him in her mother's arms. Lopmon moved out of the way and walked towards Janyuu.
"If Hypnos has been taken down what is going to be watching the pathways between the two worlds?" Jen asked his father.
"Lord Zhuqiaomon would be now be the only entity watching over the Digital World," Lopmon answered. He walked up with the towel around his neck and looked thoughtful.
"This is insane..." Terriermon finally said.