Patrick just starred at digimon in front of him.
"But…your…me?" he stuttered
The digimon walked over to Patrick. It was defiantly a Warmarinedramon, but it looked different. It had a large rifle in a back holster that Patrick had never seen before. Also, he had far more armour on the legs and arms.
"I'm sorta in a hurry, but what I can tell you is this," he looked around him at the also startled digidestined, "I'm from the future. Well, sort of. I'm actually about a day older than you, but I'm coming from a time period four years in the future"
Patrick thought to himself, and then it hit him, "The portal…"
The Warmarinedramon shoved something into his hand. It was a CD case. "That's the disk wha-dya-call took. Use it to get to the future, then pass it on when you're done"
"Why don't you come with us?" Tai asked, "You'd already know what was going to happen!"
"Can't"
"Why not?"
"Because that would cause…"
"A time paradox" Patrick finished
Warmarinedramon smiled, "Yep. You got it!"
"Well can you at least tell us what's going on?" Sora asked
"Nope. Cody'll fill youse in on the future. I'm just here to give you that disk"
He then revealed a large watch on his right arm, pressed a button, and disappeared as quickly as he appeared.
The occupants of the demolished gym were paralysed with confusion. Patrick slowly looked down at the disk in his hand. A broad smile creped across his face.
"Well guys," he turned to the others, "Are youse ready for an adventure?"
They all nodded. "Yeah! Let's get Kari back!" Salamon shouted optimistically.
They all started to walk towards the portal when Patrick stopped them. "Wait. We don't know what's in there. I try to always be prepared for anything"
"Yeah, that's why he sleeps with a G36K under his pillow" Blackagumon whispered to the others.
"I heard that, jackass! Now come on, time to suit up and arm up"
"Wow...is this an armoury or what?" Tai stood in front of the large table dominating the computer room. Patrick immediately went over to a console and logged on. While it was logging on, he dived under the table and produced a large pile of rucksacks.
"Where did you get all this?" Sora asked.
Patrick smiled "Do ya want short version or the long, detailed version?"
"Pick the short version" Yolei whispered
"Errrr…short version"
"Dammit, I was afraid you'd say that" Patrick put one in front of each of them, except Sora. "Some friends of mine" he said simply.
"Who" she asked as Patrick handed her a rucksack.
TK nudged her, "Really, you don't want to know"
Patrick sat back at his console, "Ok, here's the plan. Sora, the lunch hall is in the west wing, try and get food that will last a while."
"On it" she said as she ran out of the room. "Oh yeah, and bring marshmallows. Lots of marshmallows" he shouted after her, then turned to the others.
"Yolei, see those radios over there," he pointed to a bunch of headsets beside a console, "Program them all to the same channel as mine, yours and TK's"
"Sure" she sat down at the console and got to work
"Tai, there are some medical supplies down near the gym. Take your rucksack and get all of it"
"Anything in particular?"
"Hey, I ain't a doctor, I don't know anything about medicine. Though bring as many bandages as you can."
"You love giving out orders don't you? Feels weird, usually I'm the one giving the commands"
"Just remember I'm the one with USAS" he turned back to his console.
"What's that?"
"An automatic shotgun," Blackagumon answered, "Trust me, you don't want to get on the wrong side of it, unless you plan on having a career as mince meat"
"Ok…I'll take your word for it" He left in the direction of the gym
Patrick turned to TK, "Right, since you're the only one I can trust with a firearm, heres your job"
"Trust? Hey, I learnt everything from you"
"No, I taught you and Yolei the basics in a three minute crash course. Which is three minutes more than the others. Trust me, it would take days to learn everything"
"Anyway," he turned back to the table in the middle, "I want you to prepare four USPs with about three magazines each. By the way, and I'll be having my Deagle back now" He brought his hand up
"Oh, sorry, here" He passed Patrick's Desert Eagle to him.
"Thanks. Then I want you to go get a few M4's from the riflemen in the gym. They use the same calibre ammo as the M16s, but you should be able to find a near limitless supply from around the school."
"Ok, so I'm guessing the handguns and the M4s are for each of us, but what about you?"
"I'm taking that G3A3 as my main weapon, but I'll keep the SAW and the PSG-1 in my bag just in case."
Patrick turned back to his console and took out a PDA from his pocket. He plugged it into the computer and started typing.
Half an hour later
Patrick hit the 'Synchronize' button, triggering a 'Do not disconnect' screen on the PDA. He turned to the centre table. Yolei had finished programming the radios pretty quickly and was now helping TK scavenge as many 5.52mm rounds as possible. Tai returned from the gym about five minutes ago with a bag full of medical supplies, then promptly left to find Sora, who was still at the kitchens. All the digimon were exploring around the school.
"Right," He stood up and took some Flak Jackets from the table and threw two at TK and Yolei, "Put these on"
They hesitated slightly, but then just shrugged and put them on. TK's looked fine on him but Yolei's was far too big. He was about to suggest trying another when Tai and Sora arrived.
"Finally!" Patrick said, "Where have you two love-birds been?"
"Excuse me?" Tai asked
Patrick smiled, "Never mind. Have you got the grub?"
"Yep," Sora dumped the packed rucksack on the table.
"Marshmallows?"
"What is so urgent about these marshmallows?" She asked angrily
"Yeah, that's what took us so long – finding the damn marshmallows!" Tai added
"We're gonna be doing quite a bit of camping, and camping ain't complete without marshmallows!"
"Patrick's addicted to marshmallows," Blackagumon added in, as he came though the door with the other digimon.
"I got that idea," said TK as he wrestled with a jammed M4.
"Here gimme that" Patrick grabbed the carbine off TK and hit it hard on the table, "There, try that"
He handed it back to TK who immediately was able to eject the cartridge, "Cool" he muttered, and then set the rifle down.
"Ok everyone, listen up," Patrick patted the pile of Flak Jackets, "Find a Jacket that fits you." The last two words were directed at Yolei, who immediately removed her jacket.
"Then take an handgun and some magazines that TK has left out. Put them all in the designated holsters in the jacket.
Everyone did so, and so everyone was ready, once Patrick had showed Sora which way the handgun goes in the holster.
"Ok, Tai, you take the food, since you seemed so eager to help Sora with it"
Tai grunted something, then put the heavy rucksack on.
"Sora, you take the ones with the medical supplies. I'll take the one with the SAW and the PSG-1 while TK takes the excess rifles and ammo. Yolei, take one with…well…everything else."
Everyone nodded in agreement. "What else...errrr…" Patrick turned to Yolei, "Radios?" he asked
"Oh yeah" she scrambled over to the bunch of headsets she had been working on and gave one to Tai and Sora, then showed them how to use it.
"Right, final thing" he nodded to TK, "Rifles?"
TK handed a carbine to everyone, except Patrick, who was already readying a G3A3 AR. He showed them how to clip it to the side of their rucksacks for quick removal. Patrick then gave one of his three-minute crash courses that he had noted to himself to do.
When everyone was ready, Patrick picked up his PDA and the disk his future self had given him. Then they headed down to the gym.
The digidestined and their digimon assembled in front of the large, silent portal. Patrick went over to the consoles and inserted the disk.
Nothing
Patrick looked at the console. Nothing happened "Errr…what now?" he asked the others.
They all shrugged, "Wait I guess…" Just then a small green light appeared beside the disk drive. Patrick looked back at the others; "Worth a shot" He pressed it.
Suddenly the consoles whirred to life as loads of other lights switched on. Patrick didn't need to press anymore as the familiar crack of electricity signalled that the portal was opening.
The others watched as the large white disk expanded to its usual size. Patrick came over to them. "Ok, is everyone sure on what to do?"
Sora nodded, "Secure a perimeter with our digimon as quietly as possible and wait for further orders"
"You learn fast. Now in ya go"
Tai and Sora approached the portal, and then stopped. They looked at each other, only about half a metre from the white beyond.
"You first" said Sora
"Ladies first" Tai replied
"Oh for…grrrrrr" Patrick stared growling. He walked up to the two and pushed them both the short distance into the portal.
He turned to the digimon, "Fetch"
The digimon nervously walked up to the portal. One by one they jumped through. Patrick finally turned to TK.
"Right on it" TK said and ran towards the disk.
"WAIT!" Patrick stopped him. TK looked at him, "What?"
Patrick walked over to the broken M16 lying on the ground and carefully removed the M203 grenade launcher. He chucked it over to TK. "Put that on"
TK looked confused. "Why not you?"
Patrick held up his rifle"G3A3s don't support launchers. M4s can, and as I said before, I can trust you"
He placed a few HE grenades into his pocket as TK clipped the M203 onto his carbine.
TK nodded. "Thanks" he said.
"No prob, NOW GET YOUR ASS THROUGH THERE!"
TK quickly ran and jumped into the white disk.
Now Patrick was alone. He sighed and scanned his rifle across the broken gym. Daylight was just breaking outside. Patrick just remembered that he hadn't got any sleep tonight. In fact, he hadn't slept since Sunday night, though he still felt perky enough to fight on.
He looked out the window at the sunrise. "Hope your ok Emma, wherever you are" With that, he ran into the portal.
Just after he disappeared, the portal started to close, and eventually disappeared, soon followed by the consoles powering down.
And once again, for the first time in days, the school was silent.