Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.


A/N: We have now reached the halfway point in this tale.  It will be ending in just a few more installments.  Also, many of the mysteries will be revealed inside the next chapter which should be done fairly quickly since the majority of it deals with the history of this world.


Thoughts; emotions; and pervading both, so many regrets. Enough regrets to drown one's soul. Carving out a meaning for one's existence was all that could be hoped for. It was not an ideal existence. It could never be an ideal existence. But soon, all of it would end and things could begin anew. He would ensure that things did not take such a hopeless turn this time around.

"Nice day, is it not?" A strange voice drawled, cutting through the maelstrom of sound that surrounded him.

Ryo's eyes snapped open. The man sitting next to him smiled and raised a hand in greeting. Frowning, Ryo concentrated but all his senses were met with nothing. He could sense just about every living person on the planet if he chose to but it was as if the man sitting next to him did not exist.

"I knew a person once," the man began in a conversational tone. "He was a brave and gallant man. But, he did not know how to live for himself. He had been a pawn since the day he was born and I warned him that it would lead to a bad end. I know a little of such things, you see, because I was very much like that man."

"Brave and gallant?" Ryo questioned sardonically.

The man laughed openly, causing other passengers inside the train to stare at them. "That was actually very good. I haven't had someone throw my own words back at me in quite some time."

Ryo bowed his head. "Your entrance was very dramatic. Since my powers don't work on you, I suppose we will have to do this the old fashioned way." He began to reach inside his jacket.

"Hey now," the man raised both hands in the air, "I did not come here to fight you. Well, at least not yet." He grinned suddenly. "Surely, there's a bit of time before Ruki shows up."

Eyes narrowing, Ryo withdrew his hand from inside his jacket pocket. "The old fool sent you."

"Who else would?" The man quipped. "However, I meant what I said. I did not come here to start a fight with you."

"Then why exactly are you here?"

"I wanted to know whether you've begun hearing the voice yet?"

Ryo blinked, tilting his head sideways. "How would you know about that?"

The man sighed, leaning back in the small chair. "I see. You don't remember me at all. So, have you started hearing the voice yet?"

"If you know that then you know that the time for all things to end is coming."

"I will not let that happen."

"I expected as much." Ryo slowly rose to his feet. "You know that the only way to stop me before I reach the Providence of God is with a bullet."

"I told you I did not come here to fight," the man said quietly.

"We rarely get what we want. Was that not part of the message you were trying to impart to me just now?"

The man chuckles softly. "The loss of memory has not dulled your wits, I see. You do us Chosen credit. If only the others were still around."

"The... Chosen." Ryo's eyes seemed to lose focus for a second.

The man quickly stepped forward grabbing Ryo's shoulder. "Yes, the Chosen. Focus Ryo, fight it back."

Ryo's eyes came back into focus and he slapped the hand away from his shoulder. "Stay back," he snarled pulling out a revolver from his jacket.

There were screams from the other passengers on the train and a general scramble to get away from the two men. Ryo ignored the others, focused completely on the man standing across from him.

"Who are you..." Ryo questioned softly. "Who are you that you look at me with sadness in your eyes?"

The man slowly shook his head. "Even if I told you, I doubt you would remember me." There was a blur of movement and suddenly Ryo found himself looking down the barrel of a handgun. "I am not the man I used to be and I don't even have half his power but if a bullet will settle this then I won't hold back."

The two men stood still, guns pointed at each other. It was an effective stalemate or at least until the first man blinked. The world shrunk down to just the two of them, their eyes focused on each other.

The train suddenly jolted and both men dove backwards firing their weapons. The first three bullets from both guns collided in mid-air and fell to the ground in small, smoldering bits. Both men rolled to their feet and took cover behind some seats while shooting at each other.

Ryo could hear screams from the passengers huddled at one end of the train's compartment. A shot rang out, nicking the corner of the seat he was huddled behind. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and came face to face with the man once again, their guns pointed at each other.

Both men's attention was suddenly diverted by the sound of the compartment door at the far end of the train opening. A woman rushed into their car only to be sent flying backwards as Ryo coldly aimed his gun in her direction and squeezed the trigger.


Ruki Makino felt the bullet strike her in the shoulder, sending her crashing to the floor. Disbelief filled her for a moment before her survival instincts took hold. Rolling backwards quickly, she came to a crouch just in time to see the man she had seen yesterday rush towards Ryo. He moved inhumanly fast, his left leg arcing up in a kick that sent Ryo's gun flying. A blinding combination of punches soon followed that sent Ryo crashing to the floor. The man bent over his body and lifted him up by the collars. Drawing her revolver, Ruki was about to tell him to back off when she saw him stumble.


"Is that all you got?" I hear Ryo say softly, his eyes closed. A second later his fingers jab into my chest. He gives a sharp twist and I feel several of my ribs break.

Rising to his feet, Ryo knocks the gun out of my hand. He shoves me against one of the side windows of the subway car with so much force that it shatters behind me. Before I can recover, he is pushing me through the window until the top half of my body is suspended out of the car. A twist of my head brings the sight of a river rushing below us. A part of me wonders how that can be since we are supposed to be underground. I turn back just as Ryo's face comes into sight.

"Before you die, I would like to know your name."

I notice that he is holding my gun in his right hand now. My chest feels as though it is on fire. I stare up at him but look past his eyes to see the being hiding behind them. My lips twist in a grin.

"I killed you once, I will do it again."

His face twists for a second, his finger tightening on the trigger.

"Ryo." The shout distracts us both.

Ruki has gotten up and has her gun trained on Ryo. With a small smile, Ryo turns towards her, his gun still pointed at me. He squeezes the trigger and lets go of my collar. The bullet punches into my chest sending out a spray of blood that tints my vision red. The impact throws me backwards and I close my eyes, letting darkness claim me.


"Ryo," Ruki whispered quietly as he stepped back into the subway car. There was a feeling of disquiet within her as she gazed at him. Why had he shot at her? Staring into his eyes now was like looking into the eyes of a complete stranger. It was unsettling to say the least. Her eyes widened as he slowly reached into his jacket and pulled out a grenade. "Don't make me do this, Ryo," she said quietly, preparing herself to shoot him.

Holding the grenade aloft in one hand, he grinned at her. A flick of the wrist sent the grenade flying and he dove backwards. Ruki did the same, just as the grenade exploded. The blast sent her flying backwards and she could feel the train grind to a halt. The air was filled with thick, black smoke. Coughing, she struggled to her knees, an arm clutched to her already injured shoulder and then he was there, standing in front of her. Leaning down, he cupped her face in his hands.

"You should not have come here."

His voice was quiet, his eyes closed. It almost seemed as if he was struggling with something. Before she could speak, he kissed her hard. She gasped softly as he pushed her head back, forcing his tongue into her mouth. There was a bitter metallic taste in the kiss and she realized that he was bleeding. She tried to struggle but the bullet wound as well as the shock from the grenade blast and the thick smoke was all combining to make her woozy.

In the end, she fainted in his arms from lack of oxygen.

She woke up alone, slumped against one corner of the subway car. Judging by her surroundings, it had only been a few minutes since she had lost consciousness. Her shoulder was throbbing but she ignored it for the moment. Struggling to her feet, she stumbled towards the nearest door and pushed it apart. Her eyes widened as she spied all of the train's other inhabitants slumped in their seats and on the floor, unconscious. There were splotches of blood near several of the bodies.

'...until two months later he suddenly made off with an entire vial of a virus we had confiscated from the Order of the Dark Path.'

Victor's words suddenly flashed into her head. With a small gasp, she covered her mouth but then lowered it as common sense took over. If she had been infected, she would likely be as unconscious as these people. So, why wasn't she?

Putting the question out of her mind for the moment, she started towards the exit. The local authorities would be here before long and she needed to get back to the compound.


One Day Later


"So, how is he?" Gennai ran his hand over the glass surface of the large tube that held the body of a man inside. Various tubes were connected directly to the man's body.

A scientist stepped up behind him. "He has been unconscious since we recovered him from the river late yesterday. Still, all signs point to a full recovery."

"And what about the test data?"

"It met and in some cases exceeded our expectations. We have finally created an Analogue capable of standing up against a Star Born. However, we will still need one final test to make sure everything holds up."

"I see." Gennai lowered his head thoughtfully. "Have you learned why the previous model failed?"

The scientist nodded. "I believe so. It has to do with memories. When we created the first model, we made the mistake of suppressing the memories that come with the original neural net. However, our process in doing so was flawed and certain images began to leak into the Analogue's subconscious. It was these images and his drive to know what they meant that caused the Analogue to turn against us. This model had no suppressed memories and so, he has performed just as we have wished. It seems curiosity was a very troublesome trait in the original."

"Don't I know it," Gennai said softly to himself. "However, if we are going to begin mass production of these Analogue's, we have to do something about the memory problem. Currently, the neural net we found on Earth Prime is the only way to bestow any type of intelligence on these creatures. We need other options."

"Director Cairn is not going to like that. He believes the experiment to be as close to success as we are likely to achieve."

Gennai frowned, turning away from the glass tube. "Victor still works for me despite everything. Before this whole situation comes to a close, you will have to find a middle ground."

"What do you want done with him?"

"Like you said, we need him for one more test. When he has recovered, sedate him and have him taken to one of the cells downstairs. We will keep him caged until we need him again."


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