Adventure: Unto the Third Generation

Chapter 05: Impotence

"And tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special guest, all the way from Tokyo: Yamato Ishida!"

The audience burst into applause. I crossed the stage waving at them, a smile on my face. This was far from my first time in front of a crowd, but I still wished local authorities had allowed Gabumon to accompany me. He always made me feel more at ease.

I took my seat. "I appreciate the welcome, Jimmy, but you know my friends call me Matt."

The host laughed. "Alright then, Matt. So everybody has read your brother's book-"

"Yeah, T.K. won't let me forget it!"

"-so we all know how you saved the world two or three- Exactly how many times was it?"

"After the second vampire monster, I lost count."

"Nevertheless, nevertheless! And on top of that, is it fair to say you have one of, if not the, strongest Digimon on earth? MetalGarurumon?"

"Most days it's more like Gabumon has me. And I believe I'm tied for the position with some guy. Wish I could remember his name…"

The host laughed appreciatively. "Of course, of course. So what can we expect from the Teenage Wolves this album season?"

I let my face drop as though the topic struck me by surprise. Of course the entire dialogue was scripted in advance. "Actually, the Teenage Wolves have broken up. It was a recent decision and still a sore point for me. Those guys are great musicians and I hope we can collaborate again in the future, but for now we've decided to explore different paths creatively."

"Ah, I'm so sorry to hear that. I've been a huge fan from the start. Still, a sixteen year run is nothing to sneeze at, and considering none of you have been teens for a while I guess it was always gonna happen."

"Yeah, maybe so."

"So with the Wolves out of the picture, do YOU have any big musical projects on the horizon?"

I shook my head. "Nothing musical. But I do have two huge announcements."

"Lay 'em on me, Matt."

"First, in cooperation with NASA and Japan's Unit of Digital World Inquiry, Gabumon and I have started training for a special program. I can't give out explicit information at this time, but in nine years we will be the first human-Digimon pair to walk on the face of Mars."

The crowd erupted into applause.

Once it finally subsided, the host turned back to me. "That is astonishing news! What else could possibly be worth mentioning?"

I smiled. A genuine smile this time, no staging or scripting to it.

"Actually this blows the Mars thing out of the water. See, in six months, I will be going on the real adventure of a lifetime. I am going to marry my best friend, Sora Takenouchi."

And I was happy. Purely happy, with no doubt or apprehension or frustration.

Some days, I wonder if it wasn't for the last time.

"Digiports don't just close. We need to try again. We need to try something."

My wife shakes her head. "We've tried all we can Matt. This is beyond us. Something new has to be happening."

She doesn't say it, but I know what "something new" means. Something like the Dark Masters. Something like Apoclymon. Something like Diaboromon.

Something really, really bad.

Mimi speaks up, "Don't worry, Mark's with them. He knows how to fight. I know he'll protect everyone until we figure out what to do."

"Taji can protect herself too," I retort, anger seeping into my tone. "If it's a Kuwagamon or something normal. But this isn'ta normal problem. And you don't get to reassure the rest of us. You are the only one who knew what they were planning, and you told us nothing!"

"That's enough," says Ena.

It's been an hour and a half since we realized the kids were missing. Sora called everyone. So far Mimi, Ena, and Takeru have arrived; Kari, Davis, and Yolei weren't picking up. We did get through to Haruka, but her daughter Mai is among the ones who didn't go missing. Lucky her.

I regret my attack on Mimi almost as soon as I say it, but I'm not wrong. I half expect Palmon to leap to her defense, but the Rookie is still in the corner with the other partner Digimon. They are cowering like children. Except for Gabumon, of course. He stands with me as always.

"Whatever," says Mimi. "I'm sorry, Matt, that your children didn't see fit to tell you about their little trip. And I'm sorry that you don't trust them to look out for themselves. Given our history, maybe they should've been better prepared for something like this."

My wife is about to say something, but Mimi raises a hand. "No. I'm sorry. Really. That was out of line. I'm gonna leave and make some calls, see if everyone is having our connectivity issues." She takes out her phone and approaches the door. "Come on Palmon."

And the pair exit.

Ena sighs. "Do you always have to be an abrasive asshole?"

"Sorry. I'm freaking out. Taji can probably protect herself, but-"

"Tama's there too," Sora finishes.

I nod. When the chips are down, both of us know that Taji can and will keep herself safe. Tama just isn't like her. He's never been a fighter, the kid doesn't even like camping. I can't imagine what possessed him to leave for the Digital World like that. I only hope he comes back alive.

Takeru comes in from the backyard, locking his phone. "The good news is I know where Kin is. Apparently he's with Vicky. Exactly what he's doing at his girlfriend's house this late at night is a question I'll pursue later. For now he's safe. And he knew what the others were planning."

I raise an eyebrow. "And did he know any reason we wouldn't be able to get back into the Digital World?"

"Nope. He just knew they were leaving. But he can't access the Digiports either, so the problem isn't only on our end."

"That much I assumed," says Sora. "It doesn't really give us much more to work with."

"It doesn't," my brother agrees. "All of this is beyond us, but there may be someone who can help."

He doesn't elaborate. He doesn't have to.

I groan. "Come on. You want to try and reconnect with him now? He doesn't give a shit. I thought we were on the same page there."

"I don't know if I believe that," says Takeru. "And even if I do, what choice do we have? Izzy might be distant, but he knows the Digital World better than anybody. If he can, I believe that he'll help."

Sora nods. "I'm sold. Koushiro is our best shot. Do you know where to find him?"

"Probably, and I know how to find out. You coming with me, Patamon?"

"Of course, T.K." The Rookie Digimon flaps across the room to land on his partner's head. "No worries, I'll lead the way."

"Then Biyomon and I will come too," Sora says. My wife turns to me. "How about you?"

I consider, then shake my head. "No, I'll stay here. One of the others might get your message and swing by."

"I'll stay too," says Ena.

"Fine by me," says Sora. "We'll be back with Koushiro soon."

"Of course," I mutter. "Izzy will save the day, looking out for the rest of the team like he always does."

No one responds, but as she leaves I see that look in Sora's eyes again. The one I saw for the first time five years ago. The one I've come to hate.

As I hear Takeru's car pulling away from the driveway, I put the crutches back under my arms and hoist myself off the couch.

Ena instinctively steps forward to help me, but stops herself. "Uh, what's up Matt?"

"Going out for a smoke break," I say. "Let me know if anyone calls."

I don't smoke, not anymore. I quit two years ago, but I don't feel like anyone needs to know that. For one, I don't want to give Sora that satisfaction of thinking one of her speeches got to me. For two, it gives me an excuse to go out by myself every night, to get away from everybody.

It isn't always this bad. I love my family. I do. But anytime something important comes up, something that matters, I realize how they see me. I'm like a caged wolf. All this anger and aggression, and none of it goes anywhere or does anything. My time ended, and then Tai got to play the hero all ofthe time. Then he went off and it was Sora. That was bad enough, but the man who abandoned all of us so long ago? Not to mention walked out on his own family? I can't be compared to that. I can't be less than that.

It isn't the crutches. It isn't the legs that don't work anymore. I could live with that if that were all it was.

"Matt, those are some strong kids you raised," Gabumon says from behind me. "They'll be okay."

"Yeah, I know that."

His clawed hand reaches for mine. "The others are only trying to help. It's okay to rely on your friends sometimes."

I fight the urge to jerk away from him. "Yeah, I know that too. I haven't forgotten."

My phone rings.

I take it out of my pocket. It isn't one of the others. I don't recognize the number. Usually I wouldn't answer, but in situations like this I can't take that chance. What if Taji made it back to our world and is calling from a borrowed phone?

I place it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Have I reached Ishida?"

Involuntarily I pull the phone back from my ear. The voice… I'm pretty sure it is human, but there is a digital, painful hum. I switch my phone to speaker and respond, "Yeah, this is Yamato Ishida. Who are you?"

The voice pauses for a moment. "Your children are still alive, for the moment."

A chill runs down my back, but almost immediately it is subsumed by rage. "Who is this? Are you the one who closed the DigiPorts?"

The voice dodges the question. "Would you like them back?" I can almost hear him sneering at me from the other end of the line.

My own anger hits me like a wave. My crutches almost slip out from under me from the shaking, so I throw myself against the wall to avoid collapsing. I suppress a scream through gritted teeth and stare at the phone, waiting for him to say something else.

He doesn't.

I take a deep breath and speak. "What do you want?"

"I would like to meet you. In person. Please bring your partner, and no one else. I'll be at the Bridge of Dreams."

"Why? What is all this for? What is it you want from me?"

"Hmm… We'll see. Just come. Feel free to try and kill me, if you want to. You've got an hour."

The line goes silent.

I put the phone back in my pocket and just slouch against the wall, thinking. It was a person who had taken my kids away. A person who threatened my family. A person who was arrogant enough to try and goad me into doing something reckless.

A person who is clearly leading me into a trap.

"Well Matt?" Gabumon speaks up. "What is it you're going to do?"

I turn and look away from my house, at the quiet cityscape of Odaiba's residential district. Somewhere past that, he is waiting.

"We can be at the bridge in twenty minutes. Let's go."

"So Patamon can sense where the other Digidestined are?"

Takeru nods. "That's right. He only got around to telling me a few days ago, but apparently he's had that power for a while."

"I didn't know it was important!" insists Patamon, who is seated between his partner and Sora in the front seat.

"We've tested it out a little. It seems he only registers the original eight, plus Davis, Yolei, and Cody. For whatever reason the kids and other Chosen are exempt."

"I wonder why he could do something like that," says Sora. "But wherever it comes from, I guess it's pretty useful. It'd be nice if Biyomon could do something like that."

The Rookie in the back seat coughs uncomfortably. "Well, now that you mention it Sora…"

"What?" Sora whirls around in her seat. "You can sense the others and you never told me?"

"I didn't know it mattered! It just started happening one day, and we never really needed to locate one of them so…. I guess I forgot to mention it."

"That's a pretty big thing to forget!"

"I think this conversation can wait, guys. We're here."

Takeru's car pulls into the motel parking lot and stops.

Koushiro is slow to open the door, but no slower than he was on the day of the funeral. It's clear that he hadn't been sleeping. He wears the same clothes as he did the other day too, and the smell from the motel room is overpowering. Has he been sleeping at all?

But now isn't the time for Takeru to be worrying about the Digidestined of Knowledge.

"Izzy, something's wrong with the Digital World."

It hadn't been a particularly complex plan. It was well documented that Digiports could be used to move across great distances on Earth. One simply had to enter from one place and exit at another. You could even use the same Digiport, once you made it into the Digital World.

So, theoretically, it made sense that this principle would also apply to locations off-planet.

In 2018, NASA put two satellites in orbit around Mars. These satellites were specially constructed to remain connected to Earth's internet at a great distance, and thus be accessible from the Digital World. At the same time, the Unit of Digital World Inquiry (UDWI) devised an algorithm that could activate Digiports at a distance, so long the appropriate number of Digivices were being used. These actions were taken as part of achieving a singular goal.

Since humanity reached the moon, going to Mars has also been within our grasp. The only limitations on this feat were one, the amount of fuel that would be needed, an amount that was prohibitive by the 2010s, and two, the length of time human passengers would be in transit. Seven months isn't terribly long for interplanetary travel, but it was still something most people wouldn't like to sign up for. Especially B-list celebrities like me, who the agencies relied on to attract public funding.

I signed up for the mission as soon as I got offered the job. Part of it was the fame, part of it the adventure, and a whole lot of it was the paycheck. Being a rockstar was nice, but we were only slightly better than a garage band and it was only my fame that kept us relevant. The royalty checks were slowing down and I knew we couldn't keep the show going forever. And the program needed me as much as I needed them, so it didn't feel like I was accepting a handout.

Gabumon and I were in training for nearly a decade. Considering all the redundancies on the space capsule, it felt like a waste of time, but since we would be the only crew aboard NASA didn't want to take any chances. During that time, NASA set up two more satellites in orbit around Earth, and the UDWI did a lot of tests with their Digiport system to make sure they could safely send an object the size of a rocketship through the Digital World and drop it into space without anything exploding.

During my training, Sora and I got married and Taji and Tama were born. Keeping up with twins and my weekly training was hard to say the least, but we were all happy. Sora's career had taken off and I still felt like someone the kids could look up to. For nine years, I was actually an adult.

In 2027, we had lift off.

The trip to Mars was uneventful. Well, no, it was awesome. Just like we practiced, but better. The rocket fuel ignited and we were pushed up through the blue sky into the black. Before my eyes could fully adjust, my ship entered the vicinity of the first Earth satellite. There was the bright light of an opening Digiport, enhanced a dozen times to absorb an entire goddamn spaceship, and suddenly we were facing a blue sky again.

The exhaust from my ship scorched the earth in the region of dessert we appeared, turning sand to glass. NASA would catch hell for that from Digital World environmentalists for years to come, but at least the area was evacuated. We were only there for a second though. Before we made it a mile off the ground, a second Digiport activated and spit us back out into space.

And then I saw Mars.

We touched down as planned, and exited in our space suits. I set up a tripod and snapped a pic with Gabumon. We collected the samples we'd promised the lab coats back home and were back on our rocket within the hour.

One of the Martian satellites snapped us into the Digital World, the Digiport snapped us back to Earth's atmosphere, and that's when the call came in.

"Base to Ishida, base to Ishida. We think there's a problem."

I could have told the bastards that myself. Earth was getting much bigger much faster than in the simulations.

"Yes! How do we fix it?"

"It would appear the slowing function on your vessel has malfunctioned. We will be routing you to a location in the Pacific Ocean, away from any ships or population centers. Emergency services are already on route. We recommend… bracing for impact."

I'm not ashamed to admit I pissed myself. The man had said it himself, the priority here was making sure that when I crashed and exploded it would kill as few people as possible. Couldn't blame them for it, but that left me without so much as a paddle. All the damn testing they did with the satellites and the Digiports, and none of us ever thought to test the shuttle.

As the Pacific Ocean grew and grew, Gabumon's paw fell over my hand. "It's okay, Matt. We'll face this together. As friends. I promise to protect you."

My mind filled with images of my children, my wife. "Yeah, that's right buddy. I'll protect you too."

We hit, and then the damndest thing happened: We lived.

When the surgeries ended, I decided to let my hair grow out again. It hid the worst of the scars, and I'd always liked it longer. If nothing else, it was fun in times like this, when the air pushes it back as Garurumon runs down empty city streets.

These are the times I live for. When I ride Garurumon, it feels like I can run. My caged wolf is loose again.

As we move, I notice how few cars there are parked on curbs. So many people are dependent on Digiports for transport now. I wonder how many other people are stranded in the Digital World just tonight. How many children?

With any luck, I'll straighten that out myself.

The Bridge used to be a moderately popular tourist location in Tokyo when I was young, but every piece of Earth history and architecture is less popular now. If people wanted to see something amazing, they'd just hop over to the Digital World. This night, the place is completely deserted.

Garurumon comes to a halt and we look around. In a growl, my partner asks, "Don't think he stood us up, do you?"

I shake my head, not that he can see. "Why bother with the taunts and intimidation if he isn't going to face us? He knew about the kids, so this isn't a prank caller. Something's up."

"Correct."

The voice is still digitized, painful to listen to. When Garurumon turns to face him, the figure is five blocks away, but that filter makes him sound like he's right on us.

The figure steps under a streetlight to give us a clear look. He wears glasses, with golden frames and opaque purple lenses. Uncomfortably familiar. His hair is black and neatly combed. A long blue cloak with golden lining obscures most of his form.

He's as tall as I am, but what I can see of his face makes it clear he's pretty young. Twenty years-old, at the most.

"Whatever you're about to say, I know you aren't Ken Ichijouji. Don't bother."

The figure bows. "Hit the nail on the head, Ishida. I am my own man. The only thing I have in common with your dead friend is a taste for the theatrical. Still, I think the title of Emperor fits me better than it ever did him."

"I don't care who you think you are. What did you do with the kids?"

"Kept them out of your reach. I want to see if any of them have the potential to be an interesting combatant. We're hard pressed for those, after what happened to Kamiya-"

"Shut up about Tai," I interrupt. "You implied that you closed off the Digiports. How? And how do we undo it?"

"You see? This is why I had to bother with the kids! The older Digidestined could've been fun, but you all had to grow up and be so mature!" The figure throws his hands up in the air, pushing aside his cape. His outfit underneath is just a blue suit with a black jacket and tie, but his left arm has something wrong with it. It's a metal casing, covering his arm from his elbow to his fingers. From this distance, it's hard to make out the details, but it looks heavy.

The figure drops his arms. "Except maybe you, right?"

I don't say anything, but Garurumon crouches below me. To an outsider, it might look like he's lowering to let me off. I know better. He's preparing to pounce.

"You're the other one, right Ishida? The one who can't hold down a stable job. The one who isn't Tai. When was the last time you were at all useful to your friends?"

"If you don't tell me how to get my kids back, I'm not responsible for what happens to you."

"And what about what happens to you?"

The figure makes a gesture with his metal arm and a Digiport opens in front of him. Just like with Devimon the other day, it opens without any computer terminal as a source. There's a bright light and suddenly two DarkTyranomon are between us and him.

"You have to be kidding me." I try my best to sound frustrated, but my snarl looks more like a smile. "Garurumon, show him what "Digidestined" means."

Garurumon bounds forward. The first of the dinosaurs move to intercept, but my partner is ready for him. "Howling Blaster!" Blue flames spill forth from the wolf's mouth and slice through the tyranosaur's chest. It crumbles into data without time to scream.

The second DarkTyranomon is quicker on the draw. It plows through the data that was its comrade and enters close quarters with Garurumon. The wolf attempts to leap over the intruder, but DarkTyranomon grabs his forpaws with its own heavy claws. I cling tightly to Garurmon's pelt with both fists, trying not to fall off now that he stands vertically.

The two Champion Digimon are too close now to use their breath weapons against one another, so the struggle becomes physical. Garurmon tries to break Tyranomon's grip, while DarkTyranomon tries to force us to the ground. I've seen a lot of DarkTyranomon, and this one isn't impressive. In a real fight, Garurumon would end him just like he did the other. But my partner's main strength lies in digital damage output, not physical might. In this regard, they seem equally matched.

Looking over their shoulders, I can still see the so-called "Emperor." He seems unconcerned about this bout. Amused. He thinks he's untouchable. Just like every other bad guy has.

It doesn't matter that he's human, that he is mortal. He put my kids in danger, and my friends' kids. He deserves the same as any other monster.

"Garurumon, there's more than one way to end this fight."

The magic of having a Digimon partner is never having to explain yourself.

Garurumon stops struggling. Instead, with his paws locked over the dark Digimon's shoulders, he hoists himself up so his muzzle points past its head. "Howling Blaster!"

Once again, a beam of blue fire flies through the air. The Emperor doesn't move. The beam strikes, and my view of the target is obscured. When the flames clear, the man is still standing.

A distortion surrounds him. Blue and white energy. Data, but not the kind that emerges from a Digimon's wound. It's a sphere around the man. A shield. He spreads his arms and speaks, his voice sounding as though he were directly behind me. "Wow, and I thought you were supposed to be a hero. Or at least smart. Killing in cold blood the only person who can save your twins? I'm starting to wonder just where your priorities are, Ishida. The fans would be very disappointed."

My teeth grate together. I can see what he's doing, trying to make me angry. It's working.

"Garurumon, go."

The attack already threw the DarkTyranomon off balance. With his front paws, Garurumon pushes himself up and over the Champion. DarkTyranomon falls on his back, and we're back to running.

The Emperor is close. Three blocks away. Two blocks. He's almost underfoot. But then, as Garurumon nears an alley, something large and black shoots out and hits us from the side.

Garurumon roars in pain and I fall to the ground. Instinctively I duck and cover, tucking my head close to my chest to cushion it from impact. When my spine hits the road I see black for a second. I blink my eyes, pushing the pain away. I've had worse.

My partner has degenerated into Gabumon. He looks bruised, but still stands between me and our attacker. I know he won't abandon me, but the odds aren't looking good. Especially now that I have a good view of the opposition.

The monster which struck from the alley has black, leathery skin and bat-like tattered wings. Its entire body is riddled with muscles, and a long, cruel-looking tail twists from its hindquarters. Massive arms end in sharp, crimson claws. The beast glares down with four red eyes, and I'm grateful to find emptiness rather than hunger. I did not plan to end this night by being eaten by a Devidramon.

Gabumon raises his claws, as though he intends to strike at the Champion. "Don't worry, Matt. We stand together."

"Don't be an idiot," I say from the ground. "That thing will take us apart."

"Quiet right,"says the Emperor. "How nice to find you still have the barest remains of reason. How surprised would your wife be?"

"Go to hell."

"One day, Ishida. But for now, I'm left with a decision. Should I show you the same mercy you offered me moments before? A vicious, unprompted assault? Or, should I take this moment to find out if we can both aspire to be better. If we can both exhibit the rare gift of true reasonability."

He gives me a second to bite. I keep my mouth shut.

"Here is what I offer: You get to keep your life. I call off my monsters. Your twins are safely returned home, along with their friends, and the Digiports are opened. What I ask: You tell Gabumon to stand down. He consents to returning with me."

I scrunch up my eyebrows. "What do you want Gabumon for?"

Now it's the kid's turn to play silent.

My partner turns to look at me. "Matt, maybe we should consider it. For Tama, and Hiro."

At first, I keep my mouth shut so I don't curse out my friend. He would never abandon me, despite how often I find myself fretting over just that scenario. This is the exact opposite. He's only offering because, to him, Tama and Taji might as well be his children too. He's been around all their lives, watched out for them before they had names. Who wouldn't trade their own well-being for that?

Then I realize that I'm keeping my mouth shut because I'm considering it. My own disloyalty cuts deeper than any abandonment issues ever could. "Screw that! And screw that kid! We'll get them back, Gabumon. Both us, together."

"Wrong answer. Devidramon, now!"

The monster shrieks and Gabumon's full attention is engrossed by it. But not mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement. The kid. His metal arm swings through the air to point at Gabumon. Something small and dark is fired.

I don't get a chance to say anything. Whatever it is, Gabumon is thrown off of his feet when it connects. In midair, he shifts into Tsunomon, his In-Training form.

My partner doesn't land on the pavement. He floats just above it, encased in a ball of black and gray energy. The matter it's composed of looks almost like data, but wrong. Corrupted.

In the alley across from me, Devidramon vanishes into another spontaneous Digiport. The boy-emperor makes a gesture with his metal arm, and my best living friend floats toward him.

I try to lift myself off the ground with my arms, to crawl towards them. To try and enact any kind of plan. But I'm too weak. Helpless, once again.

When the unconscious Tsunomon reaches the boy, the human levitates the Digimon over his unarmored hand. He looks my partner over with an inscrutable expression. The metal hand lowers, to be hidden once more beneath the blue mantle.

"There was no need for this unpleasantness," says the boy. His voice sounds disgusted. "We both could have gotten what we wanted. For the Digidestined of Friendship, you seem very averse to teamwork."

"Give him back to me."

The boy turns away. "Sadly, I am bound by forces other than admiration. Double sadly, I'm a man of my word. I take very little joy in this, Ishida. I would have loved to bring your happy family together again.

"Maybe you'll see your children again. In the next life."

A door of light opens. The child walks through it. With him goes Tsunomon.

And suddenly I'm alone on deserted city street. There's no one to lash out at anymore. Not even my crutches are with me.

With my fist, I strike the sidewalk.