Digimon.EXE 3

By Wolf O'Donnell

Author's Note: The final act is about to begin. I have decided against creating the fourth Digimon.EXE fanfic as I promised, however, fans of this series will receive a Digimon.EXE timeline featuring information on the Digimon.EXE Universe, events that occur in between the fanfics and info on what would have happened in the fourth fanfic. Only fans that have reviewed all three Digimon.EXE fanfics will receive the timeline. I hope you enjoyed the Digimon.EXE Series.

* * * * *

File 15: Fly High

Juri sighed, as she looked out of the hospital window and up at the night sky. Behind her was the snoring of her father, whom lay asleep in a chair beside her bed. It seemed that she was the only one awake, though that was not quite true.
"The stars shine so brightly tonight," commented Juri.
"Yeah, they do," agreed Leomon.
"You know, up there amongst those twinkling stars is the Orbital Space Ring, our home," stated Juri sadly, as she looked up skywards. "Up there in all that beauty is where the fighting will start. What if by the time I'm allowed out of hospital, our home is gone?"
"Juri?"
The girl turned round, taking her D-Tector from the window sill. She walked over the cold, tiled floor and climbed back into the hospital bed.
"I was thinking about Takato," continued Juri quietly. "He's up there too and so our friends. Will they be hurt by the fighting?" Silence followed her question. "Oh, why does Hypnos want to destroy our world so badly? Don't they have to live in it too? It's their world as much as ours."
Juri thought bitterly about the time she had been threatened by Hypnos to do their bidding. She had almost ended up killing Takato then. Why did it have to be this way? Why did suffering always have to be a constant that humanity would never shake off?
"Human beings are strange," stated Leomon calmly and thoughtfully. "They're capable of evils that even a devil wouldn't think up of, yet they're also capable of generosity that no angel would attempt. Human beings are poised between the Devils of Hell and the Angels of Heaven, yet at the same time, they are the Devils and they are the Angels all wrapped up in one." He paused for a while to think up of what to say next, how to make his point even clearer to her. "It doesn't have to be this way, but if we continue with petty revenge like Yamaki does, the cycle of suffering will never be broken. Devils beget devils. I guess, that's the way this world works."
"Oh, Leomon," sighed Juri quietly. "I hope Takato and the others'll be all right."
"They will," stated Leomon reassuringly. "If anybody can stop Hypnos, it's Takato and his friends."

Though the Orbital Space Ring was the result of joining several space stations together and in the end fortifying them, there were those spaces stations and satellites that could not be joined to the Space Ring. These were clumped together to form the Military Outposts, whereas some were forgotten altogether.
The Space Station that was Hypnos HQ was one of those forgotten space stations. It consisted of two space stations joined together and each had a tower in the middle that stretched skywards. The thing was like a space station version of the twin towers in West Shinjuku that Takato had visited with his friends back when Hypnos had attempted to attack the Earth's Environmental Disaster Prevention System.
Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, the Hypnos Base had air inside it. Space suits were not necessary inside the space station, as they made Takato and company made their way up from the hangars.
Dr. Lee and Dr. Merzuno had managed to scrounge up a couple of UN Soldiers to protect them. The entire band was made up of five UN soldiers, Reiko Manun, Alice McCoy, Jenrya Lee, Ryo Akiyama, Ruki Makino, Dr. Merzuno and Takato Matsuda himself. There was also another with them, something called Determination.
They had ended up inside a small room with one chair and an elevator. The elevator's doors remained sealed shut tightly and no one could pry them open. There didn't seem to be anything they could plug their D-Tectors into, only the chair with padded back rest and arm rests. Wires trailed from it and connected up to the large computer to the side of the room. Connected to the chair was what a helmet, making the thing look like one of those special chairs they have in a hairdressers.
"Wow, it's been ages since I've seen one of these," said Dr. Merzuno as he looked at the chair carefully.
"What is it?" asked Jenrya curiously.
Dr. Merzuno sat down in the chair and found that it was rather comfortable.
"It's a Biofeedback Headset," replied Dr. Merzuno. "I think your Grandfather invented this piece of technology, although it looks as if Yamaki's made some improvements. It allows us to 'jack in' to the Digital World, enter it, as if we were really there." He pulled the helmet down over his head. "You're not physically there, but to all intents and purposes, you feel as if you're there."
"Wait," protested Jenrya. "You're not actually going to use that thing are you?" The thing reminded him more of an electric chair than anything else and he feared that Dr. Merzuno could get electrocuted if he used it.
"This thing's connected to the base's computer system," stated Merzuno calmly. "If I use it, I can get the elevator working again." He then flicked a switch. "I'll be back soon," he told them, before the machine activated.

* * * * *

The floor of the Hypnos Computer Network. This floated in a black screensaver with the Hypnos symbol floating in a bottom-left to top-right direction.
A white data stream struck the metallic floor and as the light subsided it revealed Dr. Merzuno, who glowed with a slightly golden aura. He looked around him, seeing his surroundings and saw a console not too far away from him. The human made his way across the metallic floor carefully, his shoes making an echo sound around him as he walked up to the console. He looked over it carefully and then pressed a few buttons. That should do the trick.
There was a laugh and Dr. Merzuno spun round. He backed up against the console in shock.
"You!" he cried out.
A smile spread across Beelzemon's face, as he floated in front of Dr. Merzuno.
"Hello, Dad," he greeted sarcastically. "So nice of you to come and visit after all these years. How long has it been, hm? Six? Seven years? Eleven?" He clenched his fist tightly, as he advanced towards Dr. Merzuno. "Eleven years alone in the DarkNet with nothing but vicious viruses as company. Do you know how many Digimon and viruses have attempted to delete me?"
"You must stop this, Beelzemon," said Dr. Merzuno with a shake of his head. "You cannot continue like this."
"Oh and why not, human?" asked Beelzemon, saying the word, 'human', spitefully. "You humans are all alike. It's time for all of your kind to be judged. In the past eleven years, I have become as powerful as a God, and soon I shall become even more powerful! Powerful enough to eradicate you human vermin." His smile widened, as he brought out his two guns and aimed them at Dr. Merzuno. "And you, Dr. Merzuno, shall be the first to be judged."
Dr. Merzuno could not believe that his creation was acting this way. It made him regret ever creating I.M.P.M.O.N.
"No, you will not destroy the human race, Beelzemon," protested Dr. Merzuno. "I won't let you!"
Beelzemon laughed at Dr. Merzuno's comment. He had never heard such a thing.
"Oh, and what can a weak, worthless human like you do, huh?" he half-asked, half-shouted at his creator. A bulge formed in the back of his back and two wings, with feathers as black as night, spread out behind him. "I am the Angel that shall cleanse the world of you human scum!"
"You underestimate what humans can do, Beelzemon," called out Dr. Merzuno, as he raised his hands up in the air. A golden sphere of energy formed above his hands. "I created you and I can just as easily delete you."
Beelzemon merely laughed in response before he attacked.

* * * * *

"It's worked!" exclaimed Ruki, as the elevator doors opened.
The entire chair suddenly sparked viciously and Dr. Merzuno's entire body convulsed once, twice and then three more times. More sparks flew and the equipment burst into flames, as Dr. Merzuno slumped unconsciously into the chair. The UN soldiers quickly covered their hands with insulative material, before pulling him out of the flaming wreckage.
"Will he be all right?" asked Ryo concernedly, as he walked up to them.
Alice quickly checked his pulse.
"He's still alive," she said. "We need to get him to a medic and quick." She looked at the soldiers and then realised that they needed to stay with Takato and the others. "I'll take him back to the shuttle."
"I'll go with you," volunteered Ryo.
Reiko nodded in agreement, before she turned to one of the soldiers.
"You, go with them," she ordered. "The rest of you, follow me."
Takato looked as Ryo and the soldier helped Alice take Dr. Merzuno back. He wanted to go with them, to make sure that the scientist was all right, but deep down he knew that he had other things to do. They all had something just as important to do and that was to ensure that Hypnos' twisted plans were stopped. He nodded silently in agreement with Reiko and followed her into the lift.
It was slightly cramped, but they all managed to fit. The doors closed and the elevator carriage went upwards, taking them up through the Hypnos Base. It stopped and the doors slid open. The soldiers were the first to step out, scannning the area for any danger with their bare eyes, but they couldn't see any. They gestured for the others to come out.
The corridor they were in branched off into several other corridors, each leading in different directions. In each one, there were a number of doors that led to... somewhere.
"I think we should split up," said Jenrya decidedly after evaluating the situation. "We should each go in a separate direction and keep in contact with our D-Tectors." He then suggested that they should keep the phone function switched on at all times, and thus turn their D-Tectors into walkie-talkies.
"Good idea," agreed Reiko with a nod of her head. "We should go off in twos, one soldier and one Reservist. That would be the best plan." She then suggested which directions they were to each take and they then went off their separate ways.
Ruki couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. The soldier she was with had a gruff look to him and seemed like the sort that would... No, she tried not to think of that. That soldier wouldn't betray her trust, would he? She hoped not. Still, she kept an eye on him, just in case. It was better to be safe than sorry, after all.
A machine suddenly appeared in front of them. It was shaped like one of the robotic tanks that the UN still used, which was fair enough. The machines were designed by Yamaki and he was the Head of the Hypnos Organisation. It turned to face them and then opened fire, spraying fire in their general direction.
The soldier and Ruki leapt in separate directions, narrowly avoiding being toasted to a crisp.
"That was a close one," sighed Ruki. Her breath was heavy and her heart was beating so fast, it could have leapt straight out of her chest. Never had she been so scared in her life. "Sakuyamon," she said to her Digimon, "do you think you can switch it off?"
Sakuyamon, who had digivolved to her Mega Level last night, didn't reply for a while.
"Perhaps," she finally managed to say. "I could give it a shot."
Ruki saw the modified tank turn to face her. She swore and scrambled to her feet, leaping out of the way moments before flames arced through the air and turned the metallic wall red hot. The auburn-haired girl turned her head to see the tank turn to face her again.
"We need a distraction!" she called out to the soldier. "Grab its attention, so we can get to its Log In Port!"

Ruki wasn't the only one that was having troubles with modified tanks. Jenrya was dealing with a tank that had been modified to shoot razor sharp icicles. Takato was dealing with a tank that had fully functioning drills attached to it. They were all having difficulties getting to the Log In Port.
"It's no use," sighed Takato, between gasps for air. He had been running from the tank for quite some time and he had been unable to get close enough to its log in port to deal with it. "What we need is a distraction."
The tank turned once again to stare down at Takato. It charged at the youth.
The soldier, that had accompanied Takato, rushed in and pushed the youth out of the way. He then himself rolled out of the way of the spinning drills and whipped out his own D-Tector. The soldier rushed to the Log In Port and slammed his D-Tector in. He struggled to use his D-Tector, as the tank spun round in an attempt to throw him off, yet he kept going. As it spun round, he ran round it and pressed the buttons on his D-Tector.

Ruki saw the opportunity, as the UN Corporal grappled with the flame-throwing tank as best as he could. He was holding reasonably still for her.
"Thanks! I owe you one!" she called out quickly, as she rushed towards the Log In Port. She connected her D-Tector to the tank. "Sakuyamon.EXE Log In!"

* * * * *

A data stream fell through the sky and struck the metallic ground. As the light subsided it revealed Sakuyamon clad in golden armour.
In front of Sakuyamon was a maze of paths, each with paths that branched off the main paths and ended shortly soon after. Floating in set patterns above these paths were strange objects that looked like a cross between a UFO and a metallic claw. Well, there was nothing for it. She would have to traverse the paths. She didn't get very far, however, before something red leapt at her.
Sakuyamon leapt back and stared at it. It was a strange virus that was made out of a red blob. The surface was reddish-purple and shone like a slick of oil. It had one eye in the middle of its forehead, two blobby arms and on its head was a metallic helmet of some sort.
"What is that?" wondered Sakuyamon out loud.
"No idea, but you'd better delete it quick," came Ruki's reply.
"Right," agreed Sakuyamon, as she held her staff firmly.
The blob-like virus suddenly leapt through the air and attached itself to Sakuyamon's head. To Sakuyamon, it felt as if the thing was trying to devour her whole. Could this be DAEMON or a part of DAEMON? She tried her best to shake it off, but found it almost impossible. It held on too tightly, as if its very survival depended on attaching itself to her.
"Sakuyamon, hold on, I've got a Burner DMD," called out Ruki. She used it.
Seconds later, Sakuyamon's body burst into flames and roasted the red blob like creature. It flew off her head and then she leapt straight at it. She thrust her golden staff straight through its body.
"No, this can't be!" protested Sakuyamon, as she saw the strange virus look up at her. "It's still intact!" She pulled her staff out and watched as the hole shrank and disappeared, as the virus healed itself. "Well, let's see if you can handle this! Spirit Strike!"
Four spirits of elemental energy, each shaped like a fox, flew through the air and struck the strange virus. Nothing happened.
Whilst preoccupied with the virus, she did not notice the strange UFO-shaped program flying closer to her. Only when it overshadowed her, did she noticed. Sakuyamon leapt out of the way, as the UFO-shaped ProtectGrab Program lunged down at her and tried to grab her with its thick metallic claws.
The strange virus leapt through the air in an attempt to grab her again.
This time, Sakuyamon was ready for it. She spun round and kicked at it, sending it flying into the ProtectGrab.
"Spirit Strike!" The Digimon let fly with her powerful attack, which hit the ProtectGrab. It exploded, taking out the blob-like virus.
"Sakuyamon, I don't know what you did, but you did it!" cried Ruki all of a sudden. "The tank's stopped. I'm logging you out right now."

* * * * *

Ruki unplugged her D-Tector from the now dormant tank.
"Are you all right, Sakuyamon?" she asked her Digimon first.
"I'm fine," came the reply from Sakuyamon. "What about you?"
"Well, this stupid hunk of junk did singe my hair a little," admitted Ruki in a joking manner, "but apart from that, I'm fine." A thought suddenly occurred to her. "I wonder how Takato and Jenrya are doing?" It wouldn't have surprised her if they were dealing with tanks too. If so, then they would need her help. "We've got to go back and help the others," she said to the UN Corporal and to her Digimon.
"But we've been expressly ordered to go split up," protested the soldier.
Ruki ignored his comment.
"You've also been ordered to accompany me," she retorted. "Now are you going to stay here or are you going to follow me back? Your choice. Personally, I'd think it'd be best if you went and helped keep me safe, don't you?" She turned round without giving him a chance to reply to her comment and then walked away.
The Corporal thought about his orders. There was no other thing for it. He had to follow her and keep her safe. He sighed angrily.
"Hey!" he called out to her. "You'd better wait up or you're going to be sorry!" He then ran after her.

To be continued...