Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
Author's Note: The fourth act has a markedly different tone than the others. I don't know if it's good or not, but it's what happened. This stuff's going to take a lot of editing.
Act IV
Into the Breach
Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead!
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger...
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot!
Follow your spirit; and upon this charge,
Cry, "God for Harry! England and Saint George!"
William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act III
Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge...
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry 'havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war...
William Shakespeare, Julius Ceaser, Act III
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
-Dale Carnegie
Colonel Jeffery Winters, United States Air Force grumbled as he woke up from his restless slumber for the second time, bashing his head on the narrow confines of his cockpit. The word had come down from an old friend higher up in command that something big might be coming down. Whispers had reached him of international conspiracy and other events. And when that same old friend had warned Winters that he better sleep in the saddle that night, he had understood immediately what it had meant. But that meant that he and the rest of Raptor Wing was sleeping in the cockpits of their aircraft tonight, getting ready to get up early tomorrow.
Raptor Wing was his responsibility after all. It was in a transitory period, having lost its experimental designation, but, due to a shuffle of paperwork in Air Combat Command, lacking a new unit designation. So the only unit under ACC command flying the brand new F-22A Raptors sat on the ground, out on the tarmac of Langley Air Force Base without a unit designation, and with a group of disgruntled, complaining pilots sitting in their aircraft, stirring gumpily.
Something was different, Jeffery realized as his groggy mind awoke. Something was really different this time. It was only eleven o'clock in the evening, but something was definitely different. And then the wail of the General Quarters alert broke through his exhaustion.
Ground Crew, lugging their equipment with them burst out of the nearest hangers, running toward the planes. Fortunately every plane had run a pre-flight check before settling down for the night, and the new Raptors were remarkably reliable when it came to crash launching. Still...Jeffery began to hit buttons on his console as the computers in his jet came to life, and the starters began to click madly. At the same time he vowed that if this was a drill of some sort he was going to kill somebody.
The PA system cut in unexpectedly. Attention, attention, all non-essential personnel, evacuate the base immediately. I repeat, all non-aircrew personnel, evacuate the base immediately. This is not a drill. This is not a drill.
That was no drill. Jeffery hammered his fighter into wakefullness just as the voice of the senior watch officer came on.
What is it Jack? Jeffery watched the computers bring system after system to readiness.
Nothing official, if that's what you mean. I can't contact any military base, anywhere. I can't contact anything anywhere.
Jeffery paused for a moment, halfway to a switch. You mean you have a communications problem?
No. Something's jamming half the radar too. And, well...we tap all the command nets. Our last contact was with Norfolk Naval Base. They reported that they were under attack, and then they went off the air. We haven't managed to raise them since.
What the hell? Jeffery demanded as his engines roared to life.
I don't know. Nobody else is responding, the Pentagon, the White House, NORAD, anybody. I don't know what's going on. But I do know one thing.
Yeah, what's that?
That jammed area on our radar. It's a cloud. And it keeps getting closer.
Jeffery taxied his plane clear of the ground crew, hardly paying attention as the crew below scattered.
How long before it gets here?
About ten minutes.
Raptor One, launching now. Jeffery was slammed back into his chair as the fighter slammed forward, and the F-22A entered the air, the first of his wingmen right behind him.
I want you to get out of here Jeffery. The watch officer was sounding more frightened now, but his voice remained calm.
The hell I will. You think I'm abandoning this place? Jeffery demanded, as his remaining wingmen began to launch.
All right, try something for me then. They're advancing from the northeast, fly towards them, but don't get too close. I want to test something.
Winters turned his plane around, roaring over the ground, no longer carrying about flight restrictions limiting him to the speed of sound. He was almost to where his radar was blotched when suddenly every system in his jet went crazy. Computers began to spin random numbers up and down, weapons systems began to randomly lock onto phantom targets, communications gear emitted strange noises, his Heads-Up display began to flash like a strobe. Hauling as hard as he could the experienced fighter pilot was just able to get his plane around before the systems froze completely.
What the hell was that? He demanded.
I was afraid of that Raptor One. I've seen this before, last time those digimon invaded our world. You're dealing with a full scale disruption field, it disrupts all electronics in a large area. You can't even get close to them. Get out of here while you still can.
Like hell I will. Jeffery responded instinctively.
Be reasonable. You can't even get near these guys. And you may be the only capable air force unit remaining on this end of the east coast. You have a bigger responsibility now than to us. Go out and do your duty.
Colonel Winters sighed as he saw the logic of the remark. Copy Langley. Get our families out safe.
They're already on their way, you have my word.
Right. Raptor Wing, form on me. We're heading south at Mach one. Keep a tight formation. The thirty-six F-22A fighters formed behind their leader and, afterburners flaring, burned south, away from Langley, away from the approaching cloud of darkness.
Five minutes later Langley Air Force Base was gone. The invasion had begun.
Author's Note: The fourth act has a markedly different tone than the others. I don't know if it's good or not, but it's what happened. This stuff's going to take a lot of editing.
Into the Breach
Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead!
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger...
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot!
Follow your spirit; and upon this charge,
Cry, "God for Harry! England and Saint George!"
William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act III
Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge...
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry 'havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war...
William Shakespeare, Julius Ceaser, Act III
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
-Dale Carnegie
Raptor Wing was his responsibility after all. It was in a transitory period, having lost its experimental designation, but, due to a shuffle of paperwork in Air Combat Command, lacking a new unit designation. So the only unit under ACC command flying the brand new F-22A Raptors sat on the ground, out on the tarmac of Langley Air Force Base without a unit designation, and with a group of disgruntled, complaining pilots sitting in their aircraft, stirring gumpily.
Something was different, Jeffery realized as his groggy mind awoke. Something was really different this time. It was only eleven o'clock in the evening, but something was definitely different. And then the wail of the General Quarters alert broke through his exhaustion.
Ground Crew, lugging their equipment with them burst out of the nearest hangers, running toward the planes. Fortunately every plane had run a pre-flight check before settling down for the night, and the new Raptors were remarkably reliable when it came to crash launching. Still...Jeffery began to hit buttons on his console as the computers in his jet came to life, and the starters began to click madly. At the same time he vowed that if this was a drill of some sort he was going to kill somebody.
The PA system cut in unexpectedly. Attention, attention, all non-essential personnel, evacuate the base immediately. I repeat, all non-aircrew personnel, evacuate the base immediately. This is not a drill. This is not a drill.
That was no drill. Jeffery hammered his fighter into wakefullness just as the voice of the senior watch officer came on.
What is it Jack? Jeffery watched the computers bring system after system to readiness.
Nothing official, if that's what you mean. I can't contact any military base, anywhere. I can't contact anything anywhere.
Jeffery paused for a moment, halfway to a switch. You mean you have a communications problem?
No. Something's jamming half the radar too. And, well...we tap all the command nets. Our last contact was with Norfolk Naval Base. They reported that they were under attack, and then they went off the air. We haven't managed to raise them since.
What the hell? Jeffery demanded as his engines roared to life.
I don't know. Nobody else is responding, the Pentagon, the White House, NORAD, anybody. I don't know what's going on. But I do know one thing.
Yeah, what's that?
That jammed area on our radar. It's a cloud. And it keeps getting closer.
Jeffery taxied his plane clear of the ground crew, hardly paying attention as the crew below scattered.
How long before it gets here?
About ten minutes.
Raptor One, launching now. Jeffery was slammed back into his chair as the fighter slammed forward, and the F-22A entered the air, the first of his wingmen right behind him.
I want you to get out of here Jeffery. The watch officer was sounding more frightened now, but his voice remained calm.
The hell I will. You think I'm abandoning this place? Jeffery demanded, as his remaining wingmen began to launch.
All right, try something for me then. They're advancing from the northeast, fly towards them, but don't get too close. I want to test something.
Winters turned his plane around, roaring over the ground, no longer carrying about flight restrictions limiting him to the speed of sound. He was almost to where his radar was blotched when suddenly every system in his jet went crazy. Computers began to spin random numbers up and down, weapons systems began to randomly lock onto phantom targets, communications gear emitted strange noises, his Heads-Up display began to flash like a strobe. Hauling as hard as he could the experienced fighter pilot was just able to get his plane around before the systems froze completely.
What the hell was that? He demanded.
I was afraid of that Raptor One. I've seen this before, last time those digimon invaded our world. You're dealing with a full scale disruption field, it disrupts all electronics in a large area. You can't even get close to them. Get out of here while you still can.
Like hell I will. Jeffery responded instinctively.
Be reasonable. You can't even get near these guys. And you may be the only capable air force unit remaining on this end of the east coast. You have a bigger responsibility now than to us. Go out and do your duty.
Colonel Winters sighed as he saw the logic of the remark. Copy Langley. Get our families out safe.
They're already on their way, you have my word.
Right. Raptor Wing, form on me. We're heading south at Mach one. Keep a tight formation. The thirty-six F-22A fighters formed behind their leader and, afterburners flaring, burned south, away from Langley, away from the approaching cloud of darkness.
Five minutes later Langley Air Force Base was gone. The invasion had begun.