DR: Hey, it chapter three, alright? I don't own Digimon, and BlackTerriermon is a creation of Digidestined of Courage, okay? Surprisingly enough, the two rabbits of doom are not here right now. Takato and Henry took them out for…a stroll! Yeah, a stroll…… *looks around and sweatdrops* But I have someone here, and it's not Rika……thank God for that…
Ryo: How come!? I just came here to see Rika, and she's not here!? Come on, I have important things to do!
DR: *sighs* I won't ask…
Ryo: I have fans, you know? I have to sign autographs, photo shoots, and stuff like that!
DR: At least you won't be making a cameo in Matrix 2…
Ryo: A movie!? It's brilliant! I have to call my agent…*takes out a cell phone*
DR: YOU have an agent? What's next, Rika in a pink tutu?
*Rika shows up in a pink tutu* Rika: Where are you, rabbits of hell!? DON'T HIDE, THAT'S FOR COWARDS! YOU!!!!! *Points at DR and Ryo*
Ryo: Whoa…hot stuff…
Rika: *goes berserk* someone has to pay for this! *Chases after Ryo, who has run away*
DR: I guess I have to go stop Rika before she slices Ryo to shreds…wait, it's Ryo we're talking about here……okay, let's just go to the story, which hopefully will be not as insane as life in this house…on to chapter three, where Ms. Asagi gets even more suspicious, Jeri's partner makes his first appearance in my series, Ryo returns to Shinjuku to drive Rika crazy, and Takato shows us his hacking skills!
"FORGET THE Y2K, THIS IS MADNESS!!!"
Chapter 3
The Price of Freedom, Part II: Black Messengers
"Trinity Burst!"
The words were music in Rapidmon's ears. "All right, let's rock and roll!"
Immediately, the three Ultimate Digimon began glowing. WarGrowlmon was fiery red, while Rapidmon was emerald green and Taomon was as yellow as the sun. Their powers combined had already defeated one Mega Digimon before. They could do it with another. WarGrowlmon roared multiple times, visibly enjoying the new surge of power within him. Taomon simply stood still, her sharp eyes constantly looking at Piedmon, then at Takato, then at Piedmon again. How does he think of these things? She wondered at the same time her body began to glow even more. She could feel it. It was the time. She looked at Rapidmon, who had the android equivalent of a grin. Then, she looked at WarGrowlmon, who replied with, well…a growl. The three Digimon looked at Piedmon, who was still a little in shock after the scene.
"Trinity Burst!!!" The three Digimon shouted as they launched themselves towards Piedmon. As expected, Piedmon simply disappeared into thin air, to reappear a few meters away. But Takato had a plan. Well, not really a plan, just a magic word. At the very moment Piedmon looked at him, a smile of triumph on his masked face, Takato smirked and launched his counterattack.
"Trinity Burst, return!"
Piedmon didn't have to time to face the coming attack, as the three Digimon turned 180 degrees and launched again their powers combined towards him. Piedmon's back received the powerful blow, soon followed by a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, three exhausted Rookie Digimon appeared, but Piedmon was nowhere to be seen. Takato managed to walk a few steps towards his Digimon friends, as he was as concerned about them as they were concerned about him. He first talked to Terriermon.
"Buddy, are you okay? Sorry about the shield thing, but…"
"No prob, buddy! I'd rather take the big-ass shield than the big-ass swords!"
"Hmm…Terriermon, I think Henry told you something about those words…"
"Well, I don't see Henry around here, do you?"
"No, but he's probably watching this on TV."
"D'oh!"
Takato chuckled a little bit before facing Renamon. "What about you, Renamon? Are you okay? About the card, well…I just…huh?" Takato couldn't finish his sentence before Renamon fell down to her knees and lowered her head.
"You saved my life by risking your own, Omni-Tamer. I'll be eternally in your debt."
Takato sweatdropped. "That's not really necessary. I just did what I had to do."
Terriermon took the opportunity to strike back. "Of course! After all, Rika would be VERY sad if something happened to Renamon, right?" *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*
Takato sweatdropped…again. "I…don't get your point, Terriermon." He lied, at the same time he placed his right hand behind her head, on classic anime expression. It was then when Guilmon made his trademark comment.
"Takato, I'm hungry!"
Well, at least he dropped the third person thing…
And you just had to show up…
It was then when Piedmon finally reappeared. "TAMER!!!!!!" he shouted. Takato and the other adopted a fighting stance, even if they knew they didn't really stand a chance against a Mega, but Takato relaxed after noticing Piedmon's state. He was as badly hurt as Takato, if not much worse. Injuries covered his battered body, and data gushed out of his system. He wouldn't survive another attack. The virus Digimon leaned on a nearby tree, unable to counter any other strike. Renamon stepped forward to deal the finishing blow, when Piedmon interrupted her. "Tamer…you've proved to be quite a challenge. All the compliments I heard about the one who defeated D-Reaper were certainly true. It just makes me feel more determined to acquire your valuable data. This won't be the last time we meet, Omni-Tamer." And he disappeared for the time being. Well, not really.
*****Back to school*****
The students cheered in complete joy. Takato had defeated the evil Digimon, and Shinjuku would be safe for the time being. Kazu, Kenta and Jeri cheerfully celebrated with the other students, while Henry silently acknowledged Takato's job. The smile on his face said more than a thousand words. However, there was someone who didn't seem to share the same excitement. Rika Nonaka had her eyes fixed on the image on the screen. Only after the battle was over Rika could notice how badly hurt Takato was. His body was covered with bruises and cuts, while his school uniform was permanently damaged with fissures and blood stains. She then noticed how Guilmon looked perfectly fine, just a little tired (and hungry). It was easy to guess what happened. He received the full power of the Trump Swords, allowing Guilmon to save his energy for the rest of the battle. Impressive, Gogglehead. Stupid, yes…but impressive.
Rika looked at Renamon, or at least at her back, as the vulpine Digimon was right in front of Takato, her eyes fixed on the place where Piedmon had been standing second before. Terriermon and Guilmon had joined her, almost expecting the Demon Man Digimon to appear from out of nowhere to attack. That's exactly why they couldn't see how Takato closed his eyes, and allowed gravity to do its job. Rika was the first to react to the fact of Takato falling unconscious.
"Takato!!!!!"
*****Who knows how many hours later…*****
The relative calm of the Hypnos building was suddenly interrupted by the sound of doors being slammed open. Daneel was the first to react. Looking towards the source of the noise, he couldn't help but smirk a little bit when Rika Nonaka made her way inside the main room. Her glare was the perfect repellent, as no one dared to get near her. Slowly, the rest of the Tamers joined the furious redhead.
"Okay, so how long do I need to wait before I get some attention!?" Rika shouted in frustration.
"You know, there's no need to overreact, Miss Nonaka." Daneel replied as he stood in front of the Tamers. Rika easily recognized the guy he had met that very morning. "You…you work here…" Rika forced her mind to remember the man's name. "…Mr. Randt?"
"Indeed. And, by the way, Daneel will do." Daneel turned his back to the Tamers, and walked to a nearby door. Noticing that the kids didn't follow him, he sighed. "I guess you came to see him. Please follow me."
Daneel guided them through a series of passages, doors and turns, until they reached the infirmary. Behind the door, Takato, Yamaki and Riley were having a very straight-forward conversation. Daneel opened the door, much to Yamaki's disgust.
"I thought I told you to keep an eye on the radar, rookie."
Daneel chuckled. "Sorry, but Mr. Matsuki has visitors."
Right after Daneel said those words, Rika entered the room, with her eyes fixed on Takato. He was wearing no t-shirt, but his whole torso was bandaged. His goggles rested on a table nearby, and his tired, brown eyes looked at her in expectation. Daneel knew Rika wasn't going to jump to Takato's arms, crying like a little girl, but her reaction was much unexpected. Before anyone could react, she was already strangling him.
"That was the stupidest thing you could have possibly done. You're a stupid, stupid, stupid Gogglehead!!!!"
Barely able to breathe, Takato managed to say a few words. "Good to know you were worried about me…Rika…"
"Are you okay, Takato?" Henry asked at the same time Rika released her grip on Takato's throat.
"I'm fine…"Takato weakly said. It was obvious he was lying. The way his hands tried to cover his wounds was obvious. Jeri sat down next to Takato, and placed her hands on his. A year before, Takato would have blushed bright red. But time passes, and people change.
"Takato, Rika is right. That was too dangerous."
"Jeri, can you think of any other way I could have saved Taomon and Rapidmon from deletion, while defeating two Ultimates and a Mega at the same time?" Jeri's silence was enough of an answer. Besides, there were two Tamers who had a different opinion of Takato's actions.
"Forget about the danger! That was awesome!" Kazu said, visibly excited. "There's absolutely no way I could have seen that one coming!"
"You impressed me very much, Takato." Kenta added. Takato saw how Henry nodded in agreement. "How did you think of that idea?"
"I don't know." Takato admitted. "I guess it was something of the moment…" A thought suddenly crossed Takato's mind, and his expression changed to an alarmed one. "…wait a second. Piedmon escaped, and Panjyamon was deleted. What happened to BlueMeramon?"
As usual, Renamon appeared from out of nowhere, right behind Takato. "He was deleted, too."
"Jeez, Renamon! How many times I've told you not to do that!?"
But my Tamer insists that I should keep doing it… Renamon thought. Rika seemed to enjoy Renamon's "little prank". The vulpine Digimon continued her explanation. "I had been able to freeze him using the card you slashed for me. In a frozen state, it was easy to get rid of him."
Takato sighed in relief. Everything had turned out quite well. Everything but…
"Yamaki…is there something else you want to know?" Takato asked the blonde man. Yamaki, who had been fidgeting with his lighter the whole time, walked a few steps forward, shaking his head.
"No, I think you've explained us everything quite clearly. But the question of what to do now still remains."
"Excuse our ignorance, but…" Henry stated. "…what's going on?"
Yamaki looked at the brunette and began explaining. "We didn't understand how was it that Digimon had reappeared in this world, as the gate had been sealed after D-Reaper. When we saw how young Takato here fought the wild Digimon, we realized the Tamers might have something to do with the Digimon's return. As Takato has explained, we were right."
"But…" Takato interrupted. "…I want to make this clear. This is all my responsibility. The others had nothing to do. I opened the Gate and brought our Digimon back. I never considered the idea of wild Digimon re-emerging in this world. It was a mistake. I deeply apologize."
"Well, you know what has to be done. You opened the Gate, now you have to close it." Yamaki said. Now it was Rika's turn to react.
"What!?" Don't tell me you're going to force us to send our friends back to the Digiworld!"
Takato couldn't help but notice Rika's use of the word "friends" instead of "partners". Hiding a smile, Takato tried to make things clear.
"That wouldn't be necessary. I made sure every trace of Juggernaut was deleted before retuning here. Guilmon and the others wouldn't have to go back."
Henry sighed in relief, a smile slowly forming on his face. He didn't know what he'd do if he were forced to lose Terriermon again. However…
"Where's Terriermon?"
It was then when everybody noticed the little one's absence. Takato smirked. "I guess he really meant it when he said he was going to empty all the fridges in a five mile radius."
"Aw, man! Terriermon!" Henry shouted as he stormed out the infirmary. Takato's smile disappeared as soon as Henry left. "However…"
"What?" Riley asked.
"…I don't know how to close the Gate. I don't think Ruki……the Digivice has that capability."
Sorry…
It's okay…I guess your abilities are a little limited in this world…
However, Rika had thoughts of her own. Did he just say "Ruki"?
Yamaki was really worried. "So what!? What can we do now? Wild Digimon are a threat to our world. We must do something about it!"
It was Daneel's turn to speak. "Then let the Tamers handle it. I mean, a wild Digimon every once in a while shouldn't be much of a problem. I'm sure they'll be able to handle most of them before someone notices them."
Yamaki was now fuming. "What!? That's not a solution! We can't just let this problem go by!"
Daneel smiled in response. "And who said wild Digimon are a problem? I don't think there's an enemy these kids can't defeat. So why don't we let them handle it? It's the price they have to pay for keeping their partners here. I don't see a problem with that. Do you, Mr. Matsuki?"
Takato shook his head, a big smile on his face. He was starting to like this Daneel guy. "Nope! Now, if you excuse me, I have to look for Guilmon before he raids the nearest supermarket."
Takato tried to get up the bed he was laying on, but the pain suddenly became unbearable, and his legs were unable to respond. "Takato!" Jeri exclaimed in fear at the same time she helped Takato get back to the bed. Rika looked at the scene from a distance, hiding any feeling she could have at the moment. Riley went to Takato's aid, too.
"You still need a lot of resting, Takato." She said. "We already called your parents. They'll come for you after they close the bakery. Until them, please wait here."
"Aww…waiting is so boring…"
"Don't worry, Takato, as Jeri and I will be here to accompany you, woof, woof!" Jeri's sock puppet "said" cheerfully. Takato groaned in response. It was going to be a long afternoon.
*****Somewhere else in the Hypnos building*****
I can't believe Jeri forgot about me…
Avoiding the people's fist and the immense amount of wiring, Elecmon slowly walked through the main rooms of the Hypnos facility. However, he couldn't help but feeling a bit nervous, as he wasn't used to that environment. But I shouldn't be surprised…after all, she told me what happened to Takato…
He looked to his right. Next to him, little Calumon looked just as scared as he knew he looked. Elecmon sighed, and continued his thoughts, at the same time he wandered without direction, Calumon following him closely. Takato brought me back to life, to make Jeri happy. It's not that I don't want to be with Jeri, but…was this really correct? To challenge the way destiny works just to make a girl happy?
"Whoa! Look who we have here! It's cream puffs and sparkly dude!"
Elecmon didn't need to look back to recognize that voice. He remembered almost everything about his past life, and there's no way he could have possibly forgotten about Terriermon. Ignoring the bunny Digimon's comment, he approached him, in hopes that Terriermon would help him find Jeri. Calumon was obviously very excited with Terriermon's appearance.
"Hello, Terriermon. Have you seen Jeri? I can't seem to be able to find her."
"My guess would be the infirmary. Takato's there, so…"
"I see…can you take me there?"
"Only after I find some food! I'm starving!" Elecmon sighed. It was time for some lying.
"I think Jeri has some food in her schoolbag. If we can find her, I can convince her to give it to you…"
"Then what are we waiting for!? Let's go!"
However, they hadn't walked five steps when they found Guilmon's familiar figure. The virus Digimon was simply sniffing around.
"Hey, Guilmon, buddy! Had any luck?" Terriermon asked his friend. Guilmon simply shook his head.
"Guilmon's still hungry. Black spaghetti is not good."
"Black spaghetti?" Elecmon wondered. Terriermon simply shrugged. After all, the only thing he could see in that room was computers and…
"Guilmon, don't tell me you've been eating wires."
"Wires? Does that taste good?"
The others sweatdropped. "Let's…let's just go to the infirmary." Elecmon decided. Terriermon silently agreed. The four Digimon, guided by Terriermon, made their way through the multiple halls of the Hypnos complex. But once again, it wasn't long before they found another familiar figure. However, this time it wasn't an expected one.
"Hey, aren't you Henry's teacher?"
Ms. Asagi didn't respond. She seemed to be very busy looking at the blank screen and the high-tech paraphernalia. "HEY!" Terriermon tried again, and he was successful that time. Ms. Asagi lowered her head to find four Digimon looking at her with odd faces. "Ah..oh…hi."
"Are you looking for Takato, too?" Terriermon questioned. Ms. Asagi still looked visibly nervous, looking around everywhere, visibly looking for a way to avoid the conversation.
"Hmm…yes! Yes, I'm looking for Takato, too!" she finally said, but the four Digimon noticed the small trail of sweat going down her face. What's wrong with her? Elecmon wondered. Should I be suspicious? He decided to discuss the topic with his Digimon friends later…or at least, with the smart ones. Terriermon kept the cheesy smile on his face. "Then why don't we all go together!?" he exclaimed, jumping to the teacher's head. Noticing that she was trembling, the rookie Digimon gently pulled her hair, if that's possible. "Let's go!"
That's how the group of a human and four Digimon finally reached the infirmary, where Takato received them happily. Elecmon was relieved with Jeri by his side, but he made a mental note to discuss Ms. Asagi's actions in a future occasion. Terriermon, seeing how his work was done, proceeded to leave. He had never believed Elecmon's words in the first place. "I did my job by bringing you here, now I shall look for my Tamer. Tada!"
Takato couldn't help but smile. After all, he liked the little fella. Meanwhile, Guilmon sniffed the air, guiding his nose to Jeri's schoolbag. "Jeri has food! Jeri has food!"
Elecmon looked at the reptile Digimon. "What!?"
Jeri smirked as she revealed the contents of the bag. "Heh, I guess you got me. I bought this on the way here. Why don't you have some?"
Elecmon sweatdropped as he watched Guilmon eat-no, inhale the food Jeri gave him. I can't believe this…what's next?
Rika, who had been entertaining herself with the scene Guilmon was performing (believe me, watching Guilmon eat can be pretty amusing), gave Elecmon the answer.
"Knock knock." A voice from outside the room echoed in the redhead's ears. And this certain male voice activated Rika's Digimon Queen Mode.
"YOU! What are YOU doing here!?"
Ryo Akiyama was wearing a broad smile, as usual, when he walked inside the infirmary. Monodramon followed his Tamer's steps and entered the room. Takato watched how the smoke was accumulating around his loved one. He guessed he had to explain a few more things.
"I…I asked him to come here."
"WHAT!?" Rika shouted, forcing Takato to retreat a few inches backwards.
"Don't ask me why, but I thought it was necessary. You know, it's never bad to be cautious."
"Well, at least someone here appreciates my skill." Ryo stated. Rika was about to explode for the who-knows-which time that day.
"Oh, come on! Don't tell me you're scared of Piedmon! If you're going to run away, Henry and I can take care of him. Piece of cake, Goggles!"
Takato sighed. "No…it's not that. It's…"
"Oh, just spit it out." Rika retorted. Ryo seemed rather curious to know, just like Monodramon. Renamon was silently watching from the shadows.
"What's wrong, Takato? Is there something you want to tell us?" Jeri wondered. Takato simply shook his head and looked at Rika. "No, nothing you have to know……"
Wuss…
You know Rika wouldn't believe me…
Just like she didn't believe you the last time…
Dreams……
*****Once again, we visit Takato's dream world. Of course, this is serious…*****
Images…
Pictures. Sights of what's been, of what is, and of what could be…memories and predictions…
Time overlaps into one in Takato's mind. A voice echoes in Takato's heart. It is not Ruki, it is not him. It's a voice, and it's a multitude at the same time. It's the same voice he heard when he was gifted with the Omnivice.
"Past, present and future gather to an entangled web of events and possibilities. The Thread of Destiny, it is called. And every single being in all of the universes is a part of it. Time and space, they mean nothing to the Thread of Destiny. Time compressed in a second, a moment which last for an eternity. The Chrono Paradox… the time devourer…" the first voice said. It seemed ancient, filled with wisdom, yet tired after a thousand battles. It was so close to a growl, Takato didn't doubt it was not human. A Digimon, maybe?
"Only one being exists beyond the Thread of Destiny. Only one being can challenge fate itself, and stop the future-no…I'm wrong. If it's not stopped, there won't be a future…" The second voice said. This was definitely a human voice. A mature voice, filled with authority, but Takato could perceive hidden sadness in it.
"Let me guess… that's me, right?"
"Indeed, it is you." A third voice replied. This one was rather childish, but Takato couldn't help but feel great respect for it. He could sense in immense power coming from it. "The Omni-Tamer is the fighter of destiny. You have no destiny, that's why you can change the flow of the coming events. If you fail, there will only be nothingness. Nothing would exist, no good, no evil, just a void of infinite solitude."
"But I can sense you three are powerful. How come you can't do a thing about this?"
"That's not possible." The third voice replied. "We've already done our part. We have already challenged fate by ourselves, and preserved order…temporarily. But as living things, we're governed by the Thread of Destiny. We can only do as much as the Thread allows us to do. You, and only you, can challenge the thread of destiny. Of all the gifted ones, you're the most apt. You must be the real Omni-Tamer."
"…gifted ones? You mean there are others like me? Other Omni-Tamers?"
"No." The second voice explained. "There's only one Omni-Tamer. You're unique, Takato. In all of the infinite dimensions and alternates realities, there's only one Takato Matsuki: you. About the Gifted……yes, I've met a few of them. I'm one of them myself. But I'm weak. That's why you're the future's hope. We know it's an overwhelming task, but we trust in you. We have to, anyway."
"Gee, thanks. Anything else I have to now, besides the fact I'm up to horrible challenges from now on? I can tell Piedmon was nothing compared to what I have coming."
"Piedmon is something we can't control." The first voice explained, his elder voice calmly soothing Takato's tired mind. "We can help you in several ways, altering events and choices around you. We'll try to make things easier to you in every way possible. But we can't control individual events."
"Besides…" the third voice added. "…if you can't handle a simple Mega, we can consider ourselves as good as dead."
Takato sighed. "That's…not very encouraging."
The second voice chuckled. "Excuse my friend here; he can be a little…too direct sometimes."
"Don't worry, I know someone like him." Takato explained.
"Oh, yes, we're keeping an eye on Terriermon, too." The second voice added.
"How come?"
"Well, the Thread of Destiny has predicted the absolute destruction of all dimensions." The first voice explained. "But the Thread is not completely against you. We have the theory that the Thread sometimes act like a living things. It doesn't like the idea of disappeared, and that's why it designed a…backup plan."
"The Prophecy…" the second voice completed. Takato sighed. "A prophecy, huh? How come I didn't expect that?"
The third voice laughed. "Yeah, kind of clichéd, huh?"
"Quiet, you!" The first voice exclaimed before explaining the details.
"The prophecy talks mostly about you, but it mentions several factors that will be crucial when the time comes. It's taken a while, but we've discovered who the prophecy mentions."
"So, what are you waiting for?"
"Sorry, but we can't give you the details. You'll find out by yourself, anyway. Just to tell you, everyone, and we mean EVERYONE, will play a part in the prophecy. One other thing you must remember: everyone has a secret. Don't force yourself to find out about them, though. They'll come out when the time comes." The second voice said.
"So…was that everything you had to tell me?"
"Not really." The first voice continued. "A big challenge lies ahead, very close to you. Not only your strength, but your mind and your feeling will be put to test. It was a challenge we didn't expect, as it is the product of a human's mistake. But we have faith that you'll find the way to victory."
"Well, thanks for the confidence." Takato commented. The third voice chuckled again.
"One of our friends is on the way there. He'll give you more details about this new threat. He is a little rookie, but he might be of help. Good luck!"
"Trust in your strength. Your partner's power lies within your heart." The first voice said.
"Remember this, Omni-Tamer: you're not alone. Love, friendship and confidence are the keys to victory. And I know you have the three of them. Take care, Takato." The second voice finished. They were about to leave, but Takato had one more question.
"Who are you!?"
"We? We are the Triad. You'll hear more of us one of these days. Until then, good luck." The first voice answered. Before Takato could say anything else, he was pulled back to the world of the awake.
*****Back to the freaky Hypnos building*****
If Rika didn't like the first one, it's obvious she won't believe something as freaky as this!
True. So, what are you gonna do?
So, tell me, what do you know about this?
Nothing more than the stuff you know. But you know, they're all looking at you.
"Takato…Takato! Earth to Takato, do you copy?" Ryo joked as he waved his hand in front of Takato's eyes.
"I'm here, Ryo!"
"Well, it certainly looked like you were out of it for a while." The self-proclaimed Digimon King affirmed. Jeri nodded in agreement. Rika had her violet orbs fixed in Takato, and she was sure about something. Gogglehead is hiding something from us. That's for sure.
Takato met Rika's eyes, and confused her with the sweetest smile. Rika, of course, preferred to look away. Jeri, who had noticed the exchange, giggled a little bit. Ryo simply rolled his eyes, declaring his ignorance. Takato didn't stop looking at Rika's beautiful eyes (A/N: At least in his own opinion…but that's not something we should discuss right now…).
As much as I'd love to share this with someone, especially you, I think it's better to keep this between Ruki, me and the Triad. Although I wonder how many others know about this. They said everybody has a secret. Probably someone very close to me also knows about this. Anyway, no matter what I'm supposed to deal with, I'll face it, and that's it.
You're more intelligent than you look, Gogglehead. I admire you.
…thanks.
As soon as he finished that thought, the entire complex got filled with a red light. The alarms went off, and the sound of footsteps filled the four Tamers' ears.
"Now what?" Rika ask exasperated. Jeri got up, her eyes widened in alarm, while Elecmon stood firm next to her. Ryo and Monodramon, oblivious to the noise, looked around looking for the source, while Takato simply remained seated, his body crying for a little more resting. I guess it's time.
"Let's go check." Takato said as he got up, his expression soon changing to a grimace as the pain grew within his body. Ryo and Jeri immediately went to his aid, but Takato became clear enough when his look changed to one of fierce determination. Rika reached the same conclusion she had been thinking of for the last weeks. He's changed. I don't know how, I don't know why, but he's changed since the day he received that…thing. She thought as she looked at the Omnivice, who now seemed to glow with a faint crimson. Takato hadn't walked two steps when Daneel stormed inside. He seemed to have run the whole way to the infirmary.
"I guess you'd like to know. Another Digimon is on the way."
*****Five minutes later…*****
"Rookie! ROOKIE!"
"I have a name, you know!?"
"Okay, Daniel, go get your butt on that computer, right now!"
"It's Daneel! DANEEL! And don't you forget it!"
Takato rested with his back on a wall, enjoying the artificial scenery around him. There were people running around everywhere, while the immense virtual screen displayed multiple alarm signs. Janyuu had told him it had been pretty much the same when Megidramon had appeared in the Digital World. However, Takato didn't think this appearance would be that big. He softly placed his left hand on the Omnivice, squeezing it gently.
Scared?
A little…
Takato looked to his right. Guilmon seemed awkwardly calm, considering the ruckus around him. In a corner, Elecmon, Renamon and Terriermon seemed to have conversation. Ryo, Rika, Henry and Monodramon looked at the screen while Yamaki and his gang did their job. Kazu and Kenta were nowhere to be seen. Takato decided to eavesdrop on the Digimon's conversation, something he found abnormally easy, as they were not very attentive.
"So…what are we gonna do about her?" Elecmon said. Renamon seemed to be considering the question, while Terriermon simply shook her head.
"Absolutely nothing."
"What? She seems definitely suspicious, Terriermon." Renamon commented. Terriermon shook his head again.
"So what? She'll still nothing but a teacher. What can she possibly do? And what could we possibly do about her? I say we let her be, and if she really has something up, well, I'm sure we can deal with it."
Renamon listened with utmost attention. Am I going nuts, or that does actually make sense? The data Digimon thought. Meanwhile, Takato the eavesdropper considered some other thoughts. Ms. Asagi? Are they really talking about her? Suspicious? Weird…
Definitely. So, what are we gonna do?
Keep an eye on her, of course. As far as we know, she could be a small part in this whole "Prophecy" conspiracy.
Are you really being serious or just paranoid?
I guess it's a little of both things. Now…it's time for a little test. How's your memory?
Better than your, if you want to know.
Good, because it's time to play hackers.
Leaving the group of three Digimon to finish their conversation, Takato slowly walked past Rika and the other Tamers, approaching to the computers where (surprise!) Ms. Asagi watched Daneel very closely. Searching through his backpack, Takato found something he had been preparing for a moment like that: an USB cable. If these mainframes don't have a port for this thing, I'll shoot myself……voila!
Making sure no one watched him; Takato connected his Omnivice to the central computer. Tell me again why are we doing this?
Hey, I'm a kid, I'm curious! I just want to check it out, that's all.
You know I won't buy that excuse!
You just tell me what you find in there…
What do you want, exactly?
Everything somehow related to Digimon, of course…
Well, there's a lot of Digimon stuff in here…log files, records from the last Digimon appearances…
I want that! Download it!
WHAT!? Takato, that's vandalism!
Oh, shut up and do as I say!
…you're crazy. I'm working on it…anything else?
Anything more recent?
Well…whoa, Gogglehead! How long has that Daneel guy been working here?
Hmm, I believe he said this was just his second day. Why?
Well, he has already done lots of stuff in here…this is huge! An immense Digimon database, I mean! Dozens, no, hundreds of Digimon are registered in here!
Well, what are you waiting for? Get it!
Okay, okay, geez…hmm, this is interesting…
What?
This file is not about Digimon…this one's just about you, Takato.
What!? Get it!
Let me see…crap! It's a firewall! This file's top secret, Goggles, I can't get it!
Well, that's certainly disappointing…and intriguing…
Takato!!!! I'm being tracked down! He found us!"
Immediately, Takato looked up, where Daneel was fiercely typing on the keyboard. "Boss, we have a leak!"
"What's that supposed to mean? What about the wild Digimon?" Yamaki questioned.
"Who cares about that!? Someone's accessed our central computer! We have a hacker!"
"That's impossible!" Riley stated. "Our security is hacker-proof! No one can access it from the outside!"
"Then he's working from the inside, as simple as that!"
Yamaki, Daneel and the rest of the Hypnos staff began searching for the mole. Takato hurried Ruki to finish the job. Ruki, move it!
These are rather long files, I need more time!
We have no more time! They'll get to me anytime soon!
Meanwhile, Daneel had looked on all of the computers in the room. Most of them were off, and those which were turned on weren't connected to the Main Database. Then who's doing this? If no computer is doing…wait, there's a computer I haven't checked!
"MATSUKI! Where's the Omnivice!?"
Daneel made a mad dash towards Takato, whose eyes were wide open in fear. Daneel soon reached his right arm and lifted it up…to reveal the Omniwatch.
"Why should I have the Omnivice, if I'm not going to battle?" And why do you know of the Omnivice, Daneel?
Daneel sighed and released Takato. The brown haired Tamer watched how the young genius returned to his place in front of the screen, visibly confused.
Mega-Hacker Takato, 1-Daneel, 0
That was close.
Definitely not an experience I'd like to repeat…
I'm with you on that one, Ruki…
Takato slowly walked next to Yamaki. He still found it very difficult, even if the battle with Piedmon had been almost eight hours before. "So, where's this one merging?"
Yamaki looked up to Riley and Talley, who were trying to pinpoint the field's location. Finally, a map of Shinjuku appeared, and a red dot signaled the location of their next opponent. Henry was the first to notice the awkward detail.
"Rika, that's abnormally close to your house."
A further inspection allowed Rika to reach the terrible conclusion. "That's MY house!" She exclaimed in alarm, Renamon immediately taking her place next to her Tamer. Takato motioned the others to follow him.
"Then what are we waiting for!? Let's-ow, ow, ow, ow…"
Immediately forced to lean on the nearest wall, Takato clutched his own body in a futile attempt to ease the unbearable pain. Henry shook his head. "Nope, WE'RE going to Rika's house. You're staying in here until your parents come. Jeri, please stay with Takato."
"But…"
"Did you bring a deck of cards with you?"
"No…"
"Then you'll be safer here. Please."
Jeri could refuse to Henry's request. "Okay, I'll take care of Takato."
"But I…"
"You're staying here, Gogglehead, and that's it! Brainiac, let's move."
"Hey, what about me!?" Ryo complained.
"Well, I never asked you to come in the first place." Rika replied before leaving. Henry and Terriermon followed her closely. Ryo sighed and stood next to Takato. "Well, I guess I'll relax and watch the action from here. But I'm still worried about Rika's family."
Takato smiled. "Rika and Renamon will protect them, so it's okay. But I'd really like to know what kind of Digimon is going to appear from that field."
Takato looked at the multiple screens in the room, avoiding Daneel's gaze. As much as he'd like to deny it, he was sure the young Hypnos worker still had some suspicions. But Takato had suspicions of his own, so they were even.
The countdown to the prophecy had begun. It would reach zero almost four years later.
*****Rika's house*****
Rika and Henry rushed to the redhead's house, and they actually made it in record time. When they arrived, the house was already covered in thick Digital Fog, and finding the entrance took longer than usual. Rika opened the door, and the two Tamers got in. Renamon swiftly fell from the sky right next to Rika, while Terriermon was in his usual place on Henry's head. They could hear the sound of footsteps and car tires from outside. Hypnos' cameras (or
"Yamaki-vision" as Daneel would call them) were approaching. And Henry was not like Takato at all. "Let's get this over with."
"Mom! Grandma!"
"Henry, is this when we shout "Rika's motheeeeeerrrrr!!!!!!" very loudly?"
"Shut up, Rabbitmon!" Rika replied with her fist clenched.
"What she said." Henry agreed with his colleague. Their bodies froze for a second when a shadow appeared in front of them, but it didn't last long.
"Grandma!" Rika exclaimed as she met her relative. The elder woman simply pointed towards inside and said a short sentence. "He's in the kitchen."
"Wait here. We'll be back in a while." Rika said as she walked inside the house. Henry followed Rika, noticing that Rika's grandmother wouldn't stop staring at Terriermon.
The two Tamers slowly made their way through the thick fog, noticing how a certain noise grew louder as they approached the kitchen. They stopped for a second when a loud voice broke the relative silence. A very familiar voice.
"And you call this sushi!? For God's sake, DC could make better sushi than this!"
Not wasting anymore time, Rika slammed the kitchen door open, revealing a mess of massive proportions. The fridge was opened, but its contents had been spread through the whole room. Open packages, leftovers and other garbage filled the floor of the wooden kitchen. And in the middle, a small black Digimon was enjoying the last bites of a chocolate bar. Rika could not believe what she was looking at, and neither could Henry. Or Renamon, or Terriermon, or the cameramen behind them. This can't be happening to me…
"Oh, a welcoming party? How cool!"
Henry hadn't wasted any time analyzing the newcomer.
"BlackTerriermon, a dark animal Digimon in the rookie level, type unidentified. This virus/data hybrid is an altered version of Terriermon, adapted to handle a higher attack power and viral evolutions. His special attacks are Crimson Blast and Dark Tornado."
Terriermon immediately jumped down to meet his dark counterpart. "Hmm…hi there."
BlackTerriermon looked excessively excited, probably a consequence of the exaggerated amounts of sugar he had consumed. "Hey there buddy, want some?" He said, offering Terriermon another chocolate bar, courtesy of the Nonakas. Terriermon didn't reject it, of course. Once he had swallowed the first bit, he gave a first impression. "Hey, I think I really like this guy!"
"I think I'm getting a headache…" Rika commented.
"Get an aspirin!" Both Terriermon shouted at the same time, shaking hands after that. Rika looked at Renamon, who immediately understood the order.
"So, buddy, by any chance do you know someone by the name of…"
"Power Paw!" BlackTerriermon couldn't finish the question as Renamon attacked with her sharp claws.
"Whoa! Hey, what's your problem!?"
"Henry, what's Ms. Congeniality doing!?" Terriermon complained. Henry shrugged.
"He's a wild one. He must be deleted." Rika simply said. BlackTerriermon shook his head.
"I'm no wild one, I have a-whoa! Watch it, foxymon!"
Terriermon laughed. "Foxymon! Great minds think alike, huh? Buddy? Hey, where did he go?"
BlackTerriermon had run through the narrow space between Rika and Henry, and was now on a mad dash outside. Renamon, who was a much faster runner, caught up with him soon after he had reached the yard. "Diamond Storm!" she shouted, and the glowing shards were launched towards the virus/data Digimon.
"Come on, foxy, I don't want to fight!" He shouted, but the sharp diamonds made their job, sending him backwards until he crashed with the wall next to the main entrance. Henry, Rika and Terriermon reached the scene, to be joined by Rika's grandma and the cameramen.
"Rika, he seems to be friendly. Is this really necessary?" Henry wondered.
"Yes."
"I never saw you trying to kill Calumon!" Terriermon complained, but Rika remained silent. She had a secret reason to fight. A reason named Takato. She had seen him in the battlefield, and he was good. Better than her, in fact. And she couldn't allow that. She knew that BlackTerriermon was nothing compared with Piedmon and two other Ultimates, but the small rookie would only be the beginning. She would show everyone who's the best Tamer.
"Renamon, walk all over him."
Renamon immediately assumed a battle stance. She was still tired after the morning's battle, but she wouldn't disappoint her Tamer. She could not lose. Meanwhile, BlackTerriermon had found a way out of the hole his body had made in the wall. He watched the scenery around him, especially the vulpine Digimon, who seemed to be ready to beat him to a pulp. I'm a newcomer to a strange world, and I get this? No friends, no Tamer…I guess there's not another choice. I really hope this is worth it, because I'm not listening to any of my dreams again!
"Okay, foxymon, you wanna play rough? Then let's play rough!"
A fierce battle was about to begin.
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End of chapter 3……
DR: Okay, I'm done, and since the rabbits are not here yet, there will be no…
Terriermon/BlackTerriermon: TOP TAMERS TRIVIA!!!!!
DR: *sweatdrops* Okay…I guess I'll let you do this…go ahead.
Terriermon: Thanks, pal! Anyway, in the fifth movie, which is the first Tamers movie…
BlackTerriermon: duh!
Terriermon: Quite, you! Anyway, two new Digimon were introduced in that movie. The villain, Mephistomon, and Minami's Shiisamon…
BlackTerriermon: Technically, Shiisamon is not Minami's partner, but…
Terriermon: Whatever! Anyway, do you know which their Mega forms are? Send your answers!
BlackTerriermon: I'll see you soon! Bye!
Terriermon: And don't forget to momen-
DR: -review!
Note: To readers of my Chosen series, I'm posting the two final chapters of "The Last Sorcerer" together, so it will take a while (I DI have an excuse this time, yahoo!). Please, bear with me.
Next Chapter: BlackTerriermon alone didn't have a chance against Rika's determination and Renamon's power. But what happens when he gets help from the strongest Tamer ever? What began as a fight for survival suddenly becomes a full-scale Tamer confrontation! Don't miss the next chapter of "Forget the Y2K, This is Madness!!!": Takato V.S. Rika: To Be A Tamer. It's gonna be a bomb!!!!
Daneel Rush (daneel_ff@hotmail.com)