Sorry for the wait and the bad grammar; English isn't my native language, so... Still, I try to improve, so let me know when you spot a mistake in the writing so I can correct it.
Cyber-Guilmon Bread to MitzvahRose, who notice I'm using songs as the chapters' titles!
That's all, please enjoy.
Falling in the Black.
Chapter Three.
In Noctem.
In just a day and a half the city –the world- had fallen in the most complete chaos… Every single aspect of human life that involved electronics had crashed down and every try to fix whatever was wrong had failed miserably.
Computers and telecommunications just wouldn't work anymore.
All the weirdoes that had been predicting the End of the World for next Tuesday for the last twenty years were having the time of their lives, telling all their new followers "I told you so".
Communications between nations were literally impossible, setting all kind of fears and mistrusting out of the balance. Each country was trying its very best getting ready to fall fighting, expecting an attack at any moment, suspecting everyone for the monumental fall of its systems.
Airplane travels were completely out of the question since radars and radio signals were too contaminated by some kind of electromagnetic force to be trusted and boats and trains were a stupid-or-brave choice, scratching in Russian Roulette.
Hospitals were a major havoc since most of the equipment was out of service; no need to tell you that the few nurses and doctors that were actually working instead of hiding at home were on overdrive.
Services like water and electricity had stopped working.
Banks had shut down since there was no way to handle the accounts and transactions and there was not enough physical cash to back-up the payment of salaries, retirements, etcetera; no need to tell you that any commerce that handle high amounts of effective or depended mostly of credit cards were out of business. Stores and market had gone completely empty; first by people who tried to stock themselves with first need products, getting ready to survive the end of the civilized world; later, assaulted by those who had already descended into a primitive state of fear and anger, willing to do anything, ANYTHING, in order to survive.
Violence had increased exponentially due to the fear and paranoia reigning around, becoming a mass phenomenon to the point that no one dare to step a foot out of their house unless they absolutely -and definitively- had to.
Trust no one. The Jungle Law was absolute.
Just thirty-six hours had passed since the wreckage of the Digital World and the Worlds of the Humans were already on the verge of extinction.
Welcome to Hell. Say farewell to your humanity.
-o-o-o-
"How are mom and you doing?"
Kouichi smiled warmly. "We'll handle; don't worry about it."
His twin brother frowned and grumbled, making the smile in the Warrior of Darkness's face spread wider.
"If you need anything at all…"
"I'll tell you."
Kouiji huffed, don't trusting his brother at all. They both were walking to Shibuya Station to meet the other Legendary Warriors. The streets were deserted; since signals and street lights were out of commission, traffic had been reduced to the minimum necessary, while policemen took charge of directing it. Many stores, factories and diverse working places were currently shut due to both their high dependence to electronic systems and the fact people couldn't afford any expenses with the economy completely frozen.
Too many people had been either fired or suspended.
Basic products' value had risen to outrageous levels.
And Kouji couldn't help but worry about his mother and brother.
His own father had been locked up in his office for the last two days; there was really nothing he could do about what was happening, but his bosses agreed to differ… it was either that or losing his job. And he couldn't afford it.
No one could.
"Hey, guys! Took you long enough!"
Ahead of the twins stood their friend, Takuya Kanbara, hands on his hips, broad smile; behind the Warrior of Fire stood the rest of the set.
"Any luck?" questioned Kouichi once they were all together.
"Not at all. All stations are closed. It's too dangerous to operate the lines with the systems all crazy like this," J.P. explained.
"That means that, even if Lady Ophanimon calls for us, we won't be able to reach the Trailmons…" said Zoe with concern.
"Trailmons don't operate as our regular human trains," pointed Kouiji. "Even if normal lines are out of services, Trailmons should be working. The main problem would be to pass security and take the elevator."
"I don't know if elevators are working or not," Tommy spoke.
Kouiji shrugged. "Remember last time. They took us far down than they are supposed to. If Lady Ophanimon wants to summon us to the DigiWorld, she'll find a way, no doubt about it."
"Do you really believe all that is happening is somehow related to the DigiWorld?" questioned J.P. "I mean, we stopped Lucemon and save both worlds, didn't we?"
"And what other explanation you make out of this?" retorted Takuya. "Our world and the DigiWorld are connected. Even if it isn't Lucemon it must be someone else."
Kouichi intervened in that moment. "I believe there is a high chance that this is related to something happening at the DigiWorld; it isn't too farfetched to think so. But we must also consider that it could not. We all miss dearly the DigiWorld; we can be watching white elephant where there are none. There also exists the possibility of solar spots messing with Earth's magnetic field or something like that, instead of Kerpimon becoming evil once again or Lucemon or someone else messing with the DigiWorld and affecting our world by doing so."
"No. There's something bad going on in the DigiWorld," declared Takuya without a doubt. "I can feel it. You must be able to feel it too.
"It doesn't matter what, we must find a way to go back and help. We are the Legendary Warriors! We have to!"
-o-o-o-
In some other reality, in some soccer field in Odaiba, a meeting between the original Chosen Children and the Second Generation was taking place. Sitting in a circle on the grass, both humans and digimons stared intently at a red-haired boy who was carrying a yellow laptop and a car battery, since there was no other way to power it up.
"Any news?" Tai voiced the question everyone was dying to ask.
Izzy shook his head. "No luck so far. I've tried to get in touch with Gennai but I haven't been able to. Even worse, there were several Chosen Children from all over our world at the DigiWorld when we lose contact; I don't think they have been able to come back…"
"Mimi could be one of them…" muttered Sora with worry. "And we have no way to contact her to be sure…"
"And we are not able to go back, either…" Tentomon said scratching his antennae.
Yolei sighed. "This is like Diaboromon's attack all over again…"
Davis' patience –if such thing has ever existed- had worn thin by then. "What are we gonna do, huh? You must have a plan by now!"
Izzy sighed. "I'm afraid I don't, Davis. This is extremely complicated. Whatever is happening at the Digital World is exceptionally serious to be affecting our world in such proportion. In order to fix the problem we must travel to the DigiWorld, but since the problem, whatever it is, prevents us from going there, there is little if nothing we can do about it."
"That's kind a paradox," pointed Hawkmon.
"What do you think is happening, Izzy?" Armadillomon asked.
Izzy sighed once again. "I don't know… I just don't know…"
"We'll handle it," stated T.K. with decision. "We just need to keep trying. One way or another, we'll go back to the DigiWorld."
This last statement won a unison nod from the assembled group.
-o-o-o-
D.A.T.S. old headquarters had been put back in function in the blink of an eye. Every and each one of the scare resources available were at their disposition.
Since none of the others governmental agencies seemed able to do anything about the current situation, all hope had been placed in the Savers.
A little pressure, true, but since their digital friends and the thick headed idiot (who happened to be their friend, too) were all in the world where their actual problem had originated…
Well, some people work better under pressure.
-o-o-o-
The Tamers and their Digimons had reunited with Yamaki and the Monster Makers in a meeting room at HYPNOS building. The team had run many tests, trying to figure out what was going on to no avail; they always got the same result: ERROR.
"Just before all telecommunications fell down, we received some signals from the DigiWorld…" began explaining Mr. Wong.
"Weird signals, alarming signals…" mused Shibumi.
Most of the Monster Makers just rolled their eyes at the interruption; Janryu continued as if nothing had been said. "We concluded that something massive is happening at the Digital World right now and we are sure that is only a matter of time before whatever it is manifests itself in a more active way in our world."
"More active? So what the heck is going on in the city right now? Did the circus arrive early this year?" questioned Hirokazu.
"Kid, this is only a resonance," stated Shibumi. "Think about throwing a rock on a lake. What we are experiencing right now is not the impact of the rock on the water, but the surfs it creates. This is not the circus, not even the parade.
"As things go by, you'll have the circus main act -something on the D-Reaper's league- skidding happily on your backyard in no time."
"…That bad?"
"That bad."
Takato raised his hand. "So, why do you need us here for?"
Yamaki closed his Zippo one more time before answering. "We need you to be ready for when whatever is going to happen happens."
"So you want us to fight the thing that's bond to appear on the idiot's backyard," summarized the Digimon Queen.
"No cool, Rika!"
"Exactly," nodded Shibumi.
"What about Suzie and the twins?" asked Henry.
"They are too young; they will not get involved," declared his father.
"That's what you think but I don't believe they'll agree," pointed Terriermon.
"He's right, you know? Just because you tell them to stay back and out of trouble doesn't mean they're going to do just that," Rika said.
"Besides, Beelzemon and Antylamon's help would come handy," shrugged Ryo. "The more the merrier, especially since we have no idea what we are going to come across with."
Both Henry and his father gave him a nasty glare.
"They got a point," Yamaki acknowledged; "besides, they will be safer here with us than anywhere else. If need comes, their Digimons can join the battle while we keep an eye on them."
"We'll discuss this later," grumbled the elder Wong.
"You are not sending us back once we are done like last time, are you?" Terriermon questioned.
"I honestly hope we don't have to."
It got settled that the Tamers and their families would stay at Hypnos headquarters while the crisis lasted; just like in the D-Reaper's days. School will be spared; not a big gain since schools were already closing down due to most of the parents being too afraid to let their children out of home, anyway.
Once the meeting was dismissed, the Tamers headed to the lobby to regard their families. Renamon made a quick deliberation before turning towards her Tamer.
"Rika, there is something I need to do right now; would it bother you if I reunite with you later?"
The Digimon Queen looked at her partner with surprise. "Yeah, sure. Take your time."
The vixen nodded before disappearing in thin air. Rika stared at the point she had been standing before turning around and continue on her way.
Back at the meeting room, Shibumi was the only one left. He was still on his chair, stretching his muscles and popping his back. The sudden apparition of a rather tall yellow fox digimon sent him crashing to the floor.
"Mister Mizuno, may I have a word with you?"
Shibumi blinked, surprised by the sudden request.
"Uhm… sure?" The man shrugged, getting up with as much dignity as he could muster. "What you wanna talk about?"
-o-o-o-
Marcus woke up to find himself lying on a hard dirt floor; the place was pretty dark; some dancing orange lights a little far away that casted the shadows of the bars that kept him away from freedom revealed the presence of torches. The air carried a strong smell of moisture with just the right touch of cries and screams. Marcus struggled to stand up, massaging a fresh bump that was beating on top of his head.
"Once I got the plate of the stupid truck that hit me…" The fighter stumbled to the entrance of his cell and peeped out; at left and right, the corridor extended farthest than his sight allowed him to see; every few yards, there was another cell, just like the one holding him, and, between each cell, stood a torch hanging from the wall. He finally spotted the guards (at least, he thought they were the guards): a group of five Bakemons stood a little away, chatting among themselves.
"Hey, you! Bad excuses of a sheet! Where the Heck am I and where is Agumon?!" He yelled, tightening his grip around the bars.
"Shut up, human!" yelled back one of the digi-ghosts. "Prisoners are not allowed to talk!"
"Do you know who you are talking to?! I'm Marcus Daemon, the Ultimate Fighter! I can beat the hell out of you and I'm doing it as soon as I'm outta here!"
This statement caused the Bakemons to break out laughing hysterically.
"A puny human like you? HA!"
"Your partner isn't anywhere near here!"
"What you wanna do? Kill us from laughter?"
"COME HERE AND I'LL SHOW, YOU GASPER REJECT!"
"WILL YOU SHUT UP?!" One of the other prisoners screamed. "THINGS ARE BAD ENOUGH AS THEY ARE NOW WITHOUT YOU MORONS THROWING A FIT!"
"HEY, LEAVE HIM ALONE!" cried another prisoner. "HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO VENT UP HIS FRUSTRATION!"
"YEAH! WELL, HE'S AGGRAVATING MINE! AND SO ARE YOU! SHUT THE HECK UP!"
"WOULD YOU MORONS SHUT UP?! SOME OF US WANT TO BASK IN OUR MISERY IN PEACE!"
The bickering continued for a while longer.