I do not own anything.


Chapter Ten: Innsmouth Pt. 1

Jun was torn between searching the cabinet for food and pressing ahead. Understandably you don't eat anything from an evil alternate world however the constant rumblings of her stomach had her rethinking that notion. Orgemon solved the dilemma by opening open most of the cabinets as well as the fridge. Most of them barely had any food in them besides beans and bottles of water. Holding up the bottle Jun examined it to find it looked exactly like any other kind of water bottle on Earth. Orgemon took another bottle from the fridge and quickly gulfed down its contents letting out a burb once he was finished. The two waited for a few minutes until Orgemon shook his head signaling the water was okay to drink.

"You want me to test the beans too?" Orgemon asked holding a can in his hands.

"No, the water's enough, besides, I don't want to start eating everything we come across. Even if it's alright for now we don't know if it'll affect you later on." Jun answered standing eye to eye with Orgemon. For Jun it was surprising to hear the conviction in her own voice as well as the concern she felt for her partner.

Placing the cans back Orgemon made a mental note to keep an extra eye on his partner. She was worried more about him than herself. The feeling was still strange; having someone care about your well-being than their own but it also filled him with a sense of warmth. Jun hadn't eaten any solid food for what was probably two days and had been running herself (literally) rigid during almost that entire span of time. Given that he knew it was only a matter of time before she collapsed. All Orgemon could do was hope they weren't in too a bad a situation when they did. Once he climbed up to the roof to get a good look at the town he felt some of the optimism he had die inside. The atmosphere barely had any smell to it besides the salty air carried off from the ocean, beyond that the place seemed just as dead the tunnels. Never had he thought he'd miss the bombastic colors of Digital World as much as he did in that instant.

"So exactly where are we supposed to find a computer in all this?" He questioned once he climbed down to find Jun by the front door.

"I…I really don't know." Jun sounded defeated as she slumped against the door frame. "If my Digivice can do something cool like track a computer signal then that would be awesome but I'm not sure if it can or if there are any computers in this town." She turned to Orgemon hoping he had some idea of where they could start looking. "Did you see anything up there? Like maybe a satellite dish or something?"

"Well now that you mention it yeah I did."

"Perfect!" The maroon-haired girl immediately shot up with a smile. "That's a start. In the Digital World computers can act as portals right?"

"Yeah." Orgemon answered.

"So could the same work for this place? If it's a manifestation of dark thoughts then there must be a computer somewhere! Think about all the things people put on the Internet every day. Some of it has to manifest here somehow." Jun paused to give thought to the words she'd just spoken. It felt vile yet she knew it was the cold hearted truth. "Speaking of which if I get out of this I'm going to rethink deleting stuff on my computer. "Which direction was the satellite? On which house?"

"South of where we are." Orgemon pointed down the street. "No buts, this time you stay as close to me as possible." He put both his hands on Jun's shoulders so she could only look him in the eye. "Stay as close to me as possible, you see something tell me. The minute you feel a chill run up your spine. Got it?"

Vigorously nodding her head Jun kept as close to Orgemon as possible with her club still at the ready. What she didn't tell Orgemon was she'd been getting a chill up her spine since she'd arrived. A gut feeling told her Orgemon probably was having a similar feeling.

Even for Orgemon's superhuman eyes it was hard to see beyond five feet in front of them thanks to the ever present fog. He didn't need his super hearing to hear the constant drops of water running down rooftops and buildings. The more they walked the more they realized the town was a strange mix of the tunnels and the forests; the desolate coldness of the tunnels mixed nicely with the packed and cramped space of the forest. Every corner they turned they were somewhat happy to find it was deserted. If there was something they both knew it was the local inhabitians had to have been unfriendly to say the least.

"Huh?"

'What is it?"

Jun pointed her finger to the left and Orgemon followed it to find they were standing in front of a pharmacy. Like all the other buildings it was in pristine condition with the exception of the windows having the blinds closed.

"We don't know what we're going to find so we might as well be prepared." Jun reasoned.

"Fine but like I said earlier; stay behind me."

Thankfully the doors were automatic and opened as soon as they stepped within reach. The inside was as empty as the streets were, shelves upon shelves of medical items yet no one inside, not even a clerk at the register. Grabbing a bag from the front Jun quickly began grabbing various items off the shelf while Orgemon watched with a confused expression.

"Uh Jun do you even know what half the stuff you're grabbing is?" He asked not wanting to discourage his partner.

Pausing brief a troubled look came across Jun's face. "Yeeeah nope! Trust me though, I've seen tons of movies where the heroes need to get stitched up and I remember names of all the medicine they used!"

Watching her move up and down the ales Orgemon secretly wished he'd paid more attention to Joe when he was healing him. It might have just saved him whatever unfortunate "medicine" he was sure he was going to end up taking.

"All done." Jun stated once they were back at the front of the store. Inside the medical bag were various painkillers, bandages, anti-infectious, and a whole slew of pills and medicines Orgemon didn't want to identify. "That's everything I think we're going to need. Can you think of anything? Some kind Digi-medicine you Digimon take when you're hurt or sick?"

Having paid close attention to the shelves he shook his head. "Nah, from what I saw this place is strictly for humans." The words troubled Orgemon as they left his lips. True in the Digital World there were a great many places that seemed to have been built for humans and by humans but in the end you were able to tell they were built for Digimon. This pharmacy gave him the opposite feeling. "Let's just keep moving towards that satellite dish."

As childish as it was Jun braced herself when they passed through the doors. No alarm sounded causing her shoulders to relax. "The doors open automatically the lights were on yet both the cash register and the alarms were off. Strange."

When they came out they immediately noticed the fog had gotten thicker along with the moisture in the air. A little drizzle had begun to fall over the town. "Now I wish I'd gotten a raincoat. Who knows maybe we'll pass by a clothing store on the way." Jun sighed. "Ever considered something more than your…skirt?"

A small tick mark formed on the Digimon Hunter's forehead. "It's a loincloth!" He hissed. "Besides I'm a hunter, what the hell would I want with some designer crap that's just going to get torn up?"

"Camouflage maybe?"

The tick mark receded as Orgemon tried to imagine himself dressed in camou painting. Even he had to admit he'd probably look twice as scarier as he usually did. Jun on the other hand had a different image as evident by the laughter she was trying to keep in. It struck him that maybe this was her way of keeping the two of them calm. In ordnance he let out a small chuckle. Maybe when this whole mess was over he'd try the idea out. Who knows, it may just end up working.

SWAT!

For what they assumed to be a full minute Jun and Orgemon stood frozen in the street while a serious of screeches, roars, and explosions filled the sky above them. Grabbing Jun's hand the virus type Digimon bolted into the nearest building; small home with five windows all around. Inside they scrambled under the nearest table as well as any away from the window.

Outside the noises continued while thunder began booming. To Jun just hearing the noise was more terrifying than seeing the actual battle, it gave her imagination too much fuel to run on. Orgemon on the other hand listened closely to the screeches trying to identify them as well as the attacks being fired. He counted a few viral Birdramon, Airdramon, Megadramon, and on the opposite side he guessed where a pack of Devidramon and Ladydevimon.

A miniature earthquake shook the small house causing several items to fall to the ground. The walls seemed to buckle under the impact almost as if they were about to come down on top of them any minute. The shock was swoon replaced by a chorus of attacks firing off in all directions followed by the pained howls of dying Digimon. One of them was definitely a DeviDramon meaning Daemon's forces had lost. Shooting a look across the room Orgemon saw Jun hold hold up five fingers then shake her head.

Five deleted while the rest retreated.

A short series of clicks, snarls, and snorts later and the cost was clear. Crawling up the wall to peer through the cracks Jun saw it looked like a tornado had just pasted through. Houses were destroyed, some were smoking with small fires flickering in the rain, small craters in the middle of the road, holes in buildings and claw marks all over the place.

"Daemon must have Dagomon backed up against the wall if his forces have to fight to hold this place down." Orgemon deduced examining the damage. "I don't see any Control Spires in the distance so that must mean old squid-face has been able to at least hold some ground."

"Would it be too much to ask that they both end up killing each other?" Jun proposed without thinking. She cursed herself for asking such a meaningless question since the answer was obvious. "The only good thing about that is we don't have to worry about some kind of air raid while we're walking." She bristled at the very thought.

"Something wrong? You looked pretty shaken up there for a second."

Placing both her arms around herself Jun began to speak with sadness tinging in her voice, "My family lost a lot relatives and close friends during World War 2 when the Americans started fire-bombing cities. Our grandparents told us stories about it; the terror they felt, the way the buildings burned along with the people. The smell of burning flesh and the way smoke filled the air to the point you couldn't breathe." A chill ran up her spine as she watched a small fire flicker and die in the rain. "My great uncle, he was caught in one of the bombings at Kagoshima. He had burns all over his body and he was so shell-shocked from what he saw he went crazy. Since I never saw it I could never understand what it felt like but now I do." The experiences in the forest came back to Jun's mind with painful clarity. "I hate being stuck on the ground with the feeling of some higher power waiting to blow you apart." Unwrapping herself she continued walking with Orgemon soon overtaking her. Jun wondered if the Revenants felt the way she felt about Dagomon. "This sucks ass." She thought. If she could she would order Orgemon to beat the living data out of Dagomon if they ever met him. Daemon too. Hell Jun would kill to get a few swings in herself.


The house wasn't what Jun or Orgemon were expecting. For starters the door had an electrical lock on it with a scanner on a reinforced door. All the windows were boarded up from the inside too making it look as if someone had gone to great lengths to make sure no one could see inside the small house.

"Maybe this means there's something worth it inside." Orgemon chuckled preparing bust the door down.

BEEP! BEEP!

"Orgemon wait!" Digging into her pocket Jun found her Digivice emitting a feint red light similar to that of the scanner. Gently pushing him aside she held up the device to the scanner.

A thin red light shot between the scanner and Digivice followed by a series of clicks and bolts turning. Cautiously she began to turn the lock until she felt there was no danger.

Peering inside all Jun saw was darkness and the feint outline of furniture until she managed to flip on a light switch. "You've got to be joking." While the place looked perfectly normal Jun could just tell there was something simply off about the room.

"Someone was here." Orgemon stated sniffing the entire place. "The scent's so feint I can barely pick it up but it's still here." He shook his head with a look of amazement in his eyes. "The scent's at least a few hundred years old."

"What?" Jun yelled spinning on her heel.

"No, no, not like in human terms! Er, well, it's really old okay!"

The house contained only a kitchen, living room, wash room, two bathrooms, and two bedrooms. Though on the surface they looked normal Jun and Orgemon could spot little differences like grease stains, food missing from the kitchen, sheets being found in odd places, and the occasional indent on the wall. Yet strangely there wasn't a computer in the entire place, hell, even the TV was stuck when they turned it on.

"Well this was a bust." Orgemon grumbled.

Jun was about to agree when she heard a quiet creek in the floor boards. For the first time she looked around at the walls realizing they'd missed something as they explored the small house. Putting both hands against the wall she began to feel around until she felt a slight bump in the wall, like there was something embedded inside it. Following the bump into one of the bed rooms Jun had to push the bed aside to find it continued into the floor.

"A secret room. Why am I not surprised?" Jun joked feeling around again for some hidden lever or switch. "Gotcha."

CLICK!

The floor shuddered before pulling back to reveal a short ladder leading into a small chamber.

"I can't fit down there." Orgemon groaned.

"You don't have to." Jun called fiddling around to find a light switch. "From the look of this place it looks like it was built for only one person to be inhere. Finally flipping the light switch Jun went slightly bug ended at what lay before her. It seemed like something out of some kind of spy thriller; a queen sized room hidden beneath the bedroom, it's occupant being a small desk with a cracked computer, stacks of opened cans, broken clubs or baseball bats, countless half-empty lined the walls, and operating table in the left corner. "I really need to start expecting this kind of stuff."

Jun noticed something about the walls when she moved closer to examine the crates, they had writing carved into them. The entire chamber had writing scribbled over every inch of free space possible.

"A room full of crazy." Jun muttered visibly unnerved by the writing around her. It told her whoever made this place had obviously gone insane at some point. Very insane. "What if this guy's still around?" Jun thought fearfully. It was obvious whoever created this place was deranged and probably wouldn't think twice about murdering an intruder. She could already see it, the cricking of the ladder followed by the-

THUD!

"AH!" She shrieked spinning around with her club. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break into your house! I'm…Orgemon?"

Her partner lay in a compacted hemp moaning about how cramped his legs and hips felt. Above them the entrance had grown by a noticeable few feet, possibly by Orgemon forcing his way through. Small streams of saw-dust and pebbles pelted down Orgemon's head giving him a more ridiculous look than before.

"I…I told you to wait up…." Sighing she placed the club down. "Never mind."

"Cut me some slack will ya'?" The Digimon Hunter bemoaned pulling himself up before rubbing his hips. "For all we know there could be some pscyho hiding in the corners waiting for ya."

If only Orgemon knew that was exactly what was running through Jun's mind and why his sudden entrance nearly gave her a heart attack.

Spiking his head forward Orgemon began to sniff the chamber expecting to find a fresh scent; only there was none. "No one's been here in a while, the scent's almost totally dead."

Jun was amazed Orgemon was able to pick up a scent period with all the opened food cans and pieces of snacks lying near the corners of the room. Certain pieces were piled up and in bags like the owner had made a garbage can, forget about it, and continued the process all over the room. Disposable food wrappings along with opened cans that had become overtaken by rust. There weren't any bugs or ants crawling over the wasted remains however it was clear tree roots and shrubs had gained a foot-hold within the small room. Strangely whatever pipes that were visibly had pieces of tap and clothe glued in place to prevent leaks.

"Well looks like someone decided to buckle down here instead of upstairs." Orgemon noted pointing toward the far end of the chamber.

The light bulb flickered on and off giving the scene an even more ominous appearance. A poorly maintained bed sat scrounged up against the wall while not even a good five feet away from it was a desk which sat an old-style desktop and a chair. A visible layer of dust covered both, forming thick clouds when Jun blew over it. Getting a closer look at the computer Jun found old didn't do it justice, it was more like a dinosaur.

It closely resembled the types of computers employed in offices during the early 1970s despite the numerous cables stretching from the ceiling to its processor. Just looking at the thing gave Jun reservations on if their little trip had been nothing but a waste of time.

"God I hope there's still some juice left in this thing." Jun thought pressing the on button. A minute passed then two before the screen lit up and started loading. "Least it didn't explode in my face."

Behind her, Orgemon was busy digging beneath the bed finding a number of boxes filled with journals and computer parts along with a set of scuba gear. "What the hell?" Flipping through the books he found many of them contained mathematical calculations or vivid descriptions of Digimon. While he couldn't understand much of the writing Orgemon knew he was looking at someone's private research. "Hey Jun, I think you should probably take a look at this."

He handed her a journal with a faded green covering. Cracking it open Jun found it was written in English. "Boy am I glad I took foreign language in sixth grade." Cautiously she tested the metallic arm chair before fully sitting down in it. The seat wasn't totally uncomfortable yet Jun could tell time had done some work in the chair. "The guy who wrote this was an American named Dylan Blakely."

Day Four,

After everything I've been through in that hell of a forest this town is a God-send. I say that even though it's as deserted as a desert. I guess I shouldn't expect more from a ghost town. Literally there's everything you'd expect to find in a sea-side town but there's no people to operate any of the machinery or even give proof the town itself was built. It's a scary thought though, thinking this place was built by something other than human hands. I doubt those monsters in the forest built it. What's stranger is why this place hasn't been demolished by those things.

Maybe those monsters had something to do with the townspeople. I shudder to think what may have happened to them. Whatever it was I know I have to do everything in my power to keep it from happening to me. I'll find a place to stay, someplace quiet, hey who knows? Maybe I'll run into a local who'll be able to help me out.

Day Seven,

Screw the forest, this town is just as hellish. Two days I ago I saw some kind of…thing walking out of the water by the beach. I bolted as soon as I saw it only to find there were all over town. Dear God, they looked like something out of a horror film; humanoid in shape but from there they had all the features of fish. What the hell are they? Could they have eaten the townspeople? Hell, could they be the townspeople? There are so many questions I've got but I don't even know where to start looking. How the hell did I get here anyway? All I was trying to do was stop Noburu from committing suicide. Now I'm stuck in some God forsaken town run by fish men.

Day Eleven

Staying in any of the buildings isn't safe. I spent two nights in a house and woke up when three of those fish-men walked right in. I panicked when I saw them. Their eyes…I'd never anything so alien and cold. They chased me through the house until I managed to get to the kitchen. Whatever the hell these things are they can be killed. I know because I gutted them like fish when I found a butcher's knife and used it on them. Sure they're scary but they're not superhumanly strong. I've watched them for a few days, turns out they're not any stronger than the average man. That makes me feel just a little better because it means I've at least got a fair chance in a straight up fight.

The problem is what am I going to do for sleeping? If this town is full of them then they probably know every part of this town like the back of their hand. What can I do? Sleep in the garbage cans?

Whatever I do I know for sure I'm going to have to act fast because these things now know there's someone in their town. Shit, this sounds like the story line for a horror or suspense story.

Day Fourteen,

Water. It's everywhere I look in this place. It rains almost nonstop so everything's either soaking wet or moist. I don't know why but it seems like wherever this place is it's got a rainy climate. I wonder if it's South America.

Day Seventeen,

Apparently this town's called Innsmouth. I can't read any of the strange writing plastered all over town, I heard one of those fish-men talking about it. It's creepy how these things know how to speak English.

Day Twenty-one,

I don't know how to describe it. It's been two days since I saw that…thing and I still can't exactly sum up what it was. Besides big, horrific, and aquatic I don't think any other description does it justice.

I was down by the shoreline where what seemed like hundreds of those fish-men had gathered. They had torches set up like some kind of ritual was about to take place. They were dancing and chanting in almost perfect rhyme. Watching it from the shadows of some shacks I was reminded of some weird pagan cultures I'd studied in college.

When they stopped I felt the air instantly drop to almost sub-zero levels. That was when that thing showed up.

Cthulhu. If there was a comparison to be made Lovecraft's flagship monster did the job.

The scene looked like it was torn out of some ancient story; the fish-men kneeling in the sand while the Cthulhu look-alike towered over them. I was just as frozen as the fish-men were though it wasn't out of awe, but out of fear.

Looking back I know now they worshiped it as a god. Whatever this place is, it isn't Earth. At least no documented part of world. Whatever this place was that thing was the god or ruler of this place. Don't ask me what happened next because I don't really remember. I was paralyzed as the thing moaned and waved its arms. Its voice was oddly mesmerizing; doubtlessly otherworldly yet somewhat enticing.

Even now I can still hear it reverberating in my ears. Shit my hands are still shaking like leaves. Regardless I think I can at least say it was somewhere between twenty and maybe thirty feet tall, easily casting a shadow over the beach. Besides its aquatic body I knew remember it had bat-like wings along with some kind of golden arm band. Lastly its eyes were so such a demonic shade of crimson I thought I was looking at the Devil himself.

They called it Dagomon. It sounds a lot like an old oceanic god named Dagon.

Jun paused to catch her breathe to find Orgemon sitting cross legged on the bed and the computer had finished booting. "Is that a pretty accurate description of Dagomon?"

"Yep."

"Wonderfully, so we're stuck in a town ruled by Cthulhu's computer avatar." Jun joked in her head. After taking a few deep breaths she began to pick up where she left off.

Day Twenty-Five,

I think I've found a place to stay; a small shack by the residential area. These things don't live in the houses. That seriously worries me. If they don't live in the houses then who the hell does?

Day Thirty-one,

The houses aren't safe. Sometimes they come into the houses, sometimes they don't. Regardless I can't afford to stay in the houses or in any building those things have access to. I don't think they've forgotten about me. Sometimes I'm afraid to go to sleep because I think those things are always watching me. The crazy thing is I don't think I'm going crazy, I think they really are. Everything in this town is creepy as hell, like some kind of limbo. I miss sleeping in my own bed. I miss sleeping with my arms around Kumiko. I miss seeing her face. Her smile. Oh hell I should just stop before I have a full blown break down.

Day Thirty-six,

At long last I've figured out how to avoid those damn things. Inside one of the houses I found the perfect place to build a little hide out. An underground chamber, it's perfect.

Day Forty-four,

Construction workers don't get enough credit for what their job. I can still barely write with all the digging I had to do. Well hopefully the hard parts over with, now all I need to do is start filling this place up. Maybe I'll get to that in a few days, who knows, for now all I want to do is sit with my back up against the wall. At least it's safe here. Safety, that's the one thing I haven't felt since I got here.

As Jun continued reading she felt her heart begin to cry in sympathy for the writer yet at the same time she couldn't help but feel happiness. The thought disgusted her but she couldn't help it. It felt good knowing that there was someone besides her that had endured prolonged exposure to this realm. Sure there was Kari but somehow Jun felt a stronger connection to this man, Dylan Blakely, than she did with the younger Kamiya. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that like Blakely; Jun had done no great wrong or carried some powerful secret that tore her from her mundane life.

Speaking of which the next entries focused intensely on Blakely's gathering of supplies and his longings for his wife and children. He had married a Japanese women, had a young daughter, and was expecting another child when he was taken to the Dark Ocean.

"He had a family." Jun thought mournfully. It didn't take much for Jun to picture what the man was feeling.

What started unnerving Jun was when the diary entries reached the eighties, then the nineties, and at last she reached the one-hundredth day. By that point she could tell he was starting to slowly slip into insanity. The entries started become more erratic and unhinged. Whole pages were filled with descriptions of his wife, his daughter, his parents, and his life before he was dragged into the Dark Ocean.

Jun had just finished reading the hundred and twelfth entry when Orgemon spoke up. "Now you know the guy had to be going bat shit if he'd started writing poetry."

Jun truly had nothing to say at the Virus-type's remark. Rather he was being sarcastic or not she didn't know; it was probably for the best she didn't know.

To summarize what Jun had learned from the diary Dylan Blakely was an IT worker who'd come over to Japan to help teach its budding computer industry. While teaching he met and fell in love with a Japanese woman named Kumiko, almost four years after they were married they had a daughter named Masumi. He talked about the hell he had to go through to get Kumiko's parents to approve the marriage. He talked about all the fun things they did together and the joy he felt when he learned they were going to have a second child. The pages containing these thoughts and emotions went on all the way up until entry number one hundred and thirty-three.

Day One Hundred and thirty-three,

I'm not sure if I've started to go crazy yet or not. For the past few weeks all I've done is just stare at the walls. Scurry around town. As crazy as it sounds I've managed to start translating some of the writing around town. On one had they look like hieroglyphs yet at the same time, as crazy as it sounds, they remind me of lines of digital code.

Speaking of code I was near a computer when I blacked out. Almost a hundred days after I got here it's all coming back; I was near a computer screen when I saw a brief black light flash and wham, I'm here in Innsmouth.

Day One-Hundred and thirty-nine,

There. Are. Other. People. Here. People and monsters.

I saw them being carried off by those fish-men into the ocean. Some of them were crying, some had such dispassionate looks on their faces they might as well have been living corpses. The monsters were strange as hell; they weren't like the fish-men, they were…I don't know how to describe them perfectly. Some looked like dinosaurs, some humanoid, some like normal animals.

They all were forced to wade into the water then they vanished beneath the waves. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out what I saw. This place, this things practice ritual sacrifice. As if things couldn't get bad enough. On one hand I feel like ramming my head into a wall for not doing anything to save any of those people. On the other, I know there's nothing I could have done to save them, to be honest half of them looked like they didn't want to be saved.

I'm beginning to wonder if this place is hell. Is it?

"O-Orgemon," Jun started, visibly shaking. "I-I-If Digimon are m-made of d-data then they don-don't eat humans right? I-If so t-then why did…" Her voice broke off before she could finish.

Orgemon had been hoping he wouldn't have to tell Jun the truth however it seemed that hope had been misplaced. "In the Digital World human beings become data. To be simply when you enter it your flesh and blood gets transformed into computer data, just like us."

"But how's that possible?" Jun nearly screamed.

"Damned if I know!" Orgemon growled. "Ya' still feel pain and hunger like a normal human being but you can still be hurt…and absorbed. Digimon like me absorb data to become stronger but there are some Digimon out there who do it 'cause they like to." His voice had grown colder and darker until it was little more than a snarl. "I've hunted a few of 'em. In human terms I think ya' call them serial killers."

Bile began to rise up to Jun's throat then settle back down in her stomach. Just when she thought she couldn't get more creeped out the world just proved her wrong. "Can I…is it the same here?"

"I'm not going to let that happen." He firmly stated bringing reassurance to Jun's nerves.

Almost ten entries later Jun stopped again to show the journal to Orgemon who went wide-eyed at the page's contents. "I'm pretty sure by this point he's started to go a little crazy but maybe he was onto something. What do you think?"

Scrambled over the page was Digi-Code, their translation right next to them. He may have gone crazy but Dylan Blakely had managed to decipher the language of the Digital World.

While he never was as literate as many other Digimon Orgemon knew the correct translation of his kind's language when he saw it. That's exactly what he was looking at. "It's right or at least as far as I can tell it's right."

"Then we're taking this journal with us." Jun stated with fire in her eyes. "He filled the next few pages with translations, with calculations. The writings all over town, all of its in here. He figured out how this world works, how it feeds on negative energy and sucks people in. He figured out a way out of here."

"He what?" Orgemon shouted.

With an adamant nod she showed him the entry that had kindled the fire in Jun's gut.

Day One-hundred and seventy-five,

It's take some time, number crunching, spying, guessing, and a hell of a toll on my sanity but I think I've finally figured out the way to get out of here: the lighthouse.

No matter what it's always on, sometimes even acting as a calling beacon to Dagomon. I've seen a large number of revenants, humans, and Digimon emerge from it or get stopped before they could reach it. Whatever is there must be important for those things to guard it so closely. I've checked it out ten times with my scanners, every reading says the same thing. In various mythologies and old stories there always seems to be some kind of mystical beacon connecting hope and despair: a crack in a boulder, a figured riding a magical horse, a shooting star, a flash of lightning, and the sounds of trumpets or horns. That's what that lighthouse is.

Getting there won't be easy. Every time I get close to it the fog seems to thicken. At least twice I almost got caught by the locals. I've scooped the place out using all those methods Uncle Kurt taught me from the war. Who knew I'd end up using them.

I don't know what I'm going to find there. Maybe a giant computer screen that'll hopefully lead me back home. Maybe all this is just the delusional hopes of a mad man. Whatever it is it doesn't matter because I know one thing for certain; I've got to try. I have a family waiting for me. I'm not like the rest of the people they've brought here.

I haven't given up on life.

I set out tomorrow evening when the visibility is greatest. I'm armed with as much as I need to be so unless some wild Digimon shows up nothing's going to stop me. Scratch that, it could be a monster shrimp or fire-breathing dragon and it still won't stop me.

I pray to God that there's light at the end of the tunnel. I pray no one else ends up trapped in this hell hole but if they do then I leave this journal for them. If someone is writing this all I can say is this; don't give up hope. This place, if you stay in it too long it'll suck all the life out of you until you're wading into Dagomon's dominion. No matter what don't give into the despair. There's something worth living for on the other side. You may not believe it but it's there. May the give you strength.

Kumiko, Masumi, Eric. Wait for me.

Neither Jun nor Orgemon spoke a word for a long time. Both of them were wrestling with their own separate thoughts. Jun's heart had gone out to the poor IT worker whose footsteps she felt she was following. If the man had departed to the lighthouse that raised two possibilities: he either made it or he didn't. If he'd made it Blakely no doubt would have reported his experience to someone. Davis, Matt, Tai, and the others probably would have heard of it since it was likely one of the earliest known encounters with digital life forms. The fact that there was no such account pointed strongly in the other direction. Jun didn't want to dwell on it too much.

Orgemon never was the praying time however hearing the tale of Dylan Blakely had altered that slightly. To be honest he doubted Blakely made it to the lighthouse. He had guts and Orgemon could admire that but something in his gut told him the man had probably met his end. The fact he had family only served to make him bow his head as a small sign of respect. Flickering his eyes over to Jun he wondered if she was thinking the same thing. While he had to admit she was optimistic evens she had to have come to the same conclusion.

"So we're heading to the lighthouse?" He finally spoke up.

Jun was still staring at the journal when Orgemon asked his question. Again she felt various emotions raging back and forth inside her. The revelation that Dagomon had been possibly eating people for the past thirty years made her stomach churn in disgusted fury. Her sympathy turned to anger upon reading what was probably the last thoughts of an innocent man torn from his family and life.

Slamming the book shut Jun at least answered her partner, "Yeah Orgemon. We're going to the lighthouse." She paused looking across the room at a stack of boxes in the corner. "And if we can kick Dagomon's ass a little."

The Digimon Hunter chuckled lightly while following her gaze. Once he saw what she was looking at his chuckling immediately died. "Jun…are you sure about this?"

A small pile of firearms and ammunition sat quietly in the corner having collected dust like everything else in the room.

"We don't have much a choice do we?"

With somewhat of a heavy heart Orgemon watched Jun pack whatever she could into her bag before going near the firearms. He suspected she'd grown a special attachment to the journal from the way she gently placed it into the backpack before proceeding to the guns.

Most of the rifles were out of ammo but there was still one hunting rifle that seemed to be in working condition with ammo. Ammunition for the hand gun was easy to find. They both suspected Blakely had brought the more powerful weapons along for his trip to the lighthouse.

Jun had six shots for the hunting rifle and twenty-five rounds for the hand gun. Sorting through the weapons was absolutely sickening to her. She'd never liked violence let alone guns yet now her life hinged on her usage of them. "What's everyone going to think of me when this is over?" Her mind questioned as she loaded the guns. "None of them ever had to pick up a gun before so why am I the one who has to?"

Lining up a few cans for target practice Jun found she had to place both hands on the handle to keep her hand from shaking. It barely helped as her hands continued quivering throwing off her aim. Suddenly a pair of oversized stronger hands clapped over hers. The warmth from them spread from her hands to the rest of her body.

"Thank you Orgemon." She breathed.

"No problem partner."

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three shots. Three cans lying on the floor with holes in them.

"Maybe I'll get lucky and I won't have to use this thing."


Surprisingly Jun's hopes panned out as they came upon the door to the lighthouse.

In Blakely's journal he had described almost constant patrolling of the area and fog that seemed thick as butter. Jun and Orgemon found none of that. Besides a tedious walk from the town and through a small patch of forestry they weren't attacked or mislead.

"This is too easy." Orgemon mumbled still looking around for a surprise attack. "If this place is so important then no way Dagomon would leave it totally defenseless."

"That's the thing Orgemon, I don't think he had a choice." Jun pointed across the horizon to the forest beyond the town. "I think Daemon's been keeping him on the defensive."

Several Control Spires casted multiple shadows over the area standing opposite of the lighthouse. While Jun could only see the flashes of light Orgemon could just barely hear the cries of battle. All but one of them crumbled into black humps in the far off distance.

"Good point." Orgemon agreed.

The only form of security they came to was a few rusty locks Orgemon easily shattered with a few tugs. With a shuttering crick the doors opened.

"Oh come on." Jun groaned walked under the stone archway. "The town was one thing but is just Dagomon trying to be funny!"

Apparently the old saying bigger on the inside was true for the Dark Ocean. Instead of a narrow stairway spiraling upward there was a pseudo living room with couches, a few bookshelves, chairs, a doorway leading to another hall, and a desk beyond the door. Only to the furthest corner to the left did they see a stairway. The furniture was surprisingly modern and cleaned.

Once Jun's eyes lay sight on the computer she dropped her bags and weapons. In an instant she had sat down then began rapid typing. The dinosaur they'd found never did finish booting, it was simply too out dated to be of any use, unable to process the information its satellite had given it. What sat before Jun was a different beast entirely.

"What's first on the list?" Orgemon questioned coming up behind her.

"I'm gonna see if I can open up a chat room with Izzy or any of the others. God I hope one of them is at their computers."

For the second time Jun's prayers were answered.

Five minutes after she'd started a picture came up of Izzy arguing in his room with what looked like Tai, Davis, Matt, Kari, Mimi, and TK. From what she could see she'd picked a bad time to call.

"Guys! Hey guys! Davis!"

Seven pairs of eyes snapped at Jun. Relief, shock, and joy flashed through all seven before they immediately rushed toward the screen. Matt had a pleading look in his eyes as he homed in only to be pushed aside by Davis who looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"JUN! Jun are you okay?"

"Davis!" Never had she been so happy to hear her little brother's voice. "Yes I'm fine! Listen I'm in Innsmouth, it's the town in the Dark Ocean!"

"Stay right where you are because I'm coming to get you!"

Suddenly Davis was pulled back from the screen by Tai and Kari while Izzy surged forward. More yelling followed, this time Matt's voice joining in. In the background Jun could see Mimi and TK having to hold Matt back while he called out to her.

What joy Jun felt at seeing the faces of her friends was replaced when she remembered all she'd learned from her track across the Dark Ocean. "Listen to me! There's a serious threat in here! Dagomon and Daemon are at war and-uh?" The screen had frozen. "No…no! No!"

"J-Jun! Say that again! Dagomon and Daemon are what?" Izzy called back.

"Fighting each other!" Jun realized her time was limited so she had to say what was important. "You guys have to destroy the Control Spires and keep Ken away from here! Daemon's planning on using him to resurrect the Seven Deadly Digimon! Dagomon's coming after Kari because she's the only one who can stop both him and Daemon! No matter what you can't let either of them get out! You have to-" When Jun stopped talking it was not because the screen had frozen but because she felt a familiar chill run up her spine. It meant only one thing.

"Crimson Claw!"

"Wing Blade!"

"Jun get your head down!"

Yanking Jun from her set Orgemon pressed her body against his as he bolted for the window. Jun screamed in fury and sorrow. They were close. They were so close. She expected some searing blast to break apart the lighthouse and send the whole structure crashing down on them. No such event happened. An artic gale whipped over the duo causing them to hiss in pain. Jun slid from Orgemon's grasp while the former seemed to be carried off higher and higher into the lighthouse. Feelings of nausea consumed her while the world appeared to vanish in a haze of fog and mist.

"You've…got to be…joking." Jun muttered before her eyes shut for good.

THUMP!

"Ow…" The maroon haired girl moaned slowly coming to. Coughing to exhale the dirt in her mouth she pushed herself upward. "Orgemon did you see what attacked us? Orgemon? Orge…" To her horror she was lying in the middle of the street, alone. It could have been her imagination but the fog surrounding town seemed to have grown thicker to the point she couldn't see three five feet in front of her. "Shit."


Sorry about taking so long to update! Been busy with a lot of things. So how was this chapter? Leave a review!