23) Attack of the Porkus Maximus
'Thanks for coming", Yoshi, Takato's mother, was saying to an early arriving customer, "everything's fresh out of the oven".
Takato was looking in, as he headed for the back to collect more of the left over stock to take to Guilmon.
"Takato, what are you doing?", she asked as he was reaching for the door into the alley that served as the residential entrance.
"Ah... well...", he began.
"Out to play again?"
"Yeah, to the park".
"You finish the morning chores?"
"Yeah...", he lied.
"It would be nice if you would at least some of the time help us around here. The bakery doesn't run itself. You're old enough to take on some more responsibility"
"Shit!", he kept that to himself. He already had a responsibility – a big red responsibility, and now all those Deva. Who else could do anything about that?
"OK", she conceded, "but think about what I said".
"Will do", he promised.
"It's something I have to do", he said to the closed door. He was hoping to get this problem solved, as there wasn't much mid-term summer break left before he would have to start back at school.
The ground trembled suddenly. It was enough to rattle the signs of the neighboring shops.
"Another earthquake?", he asked himself. It wasn't exactly a rare occurrence, and so he thought nothing more of it.
The Lee Residence
Jen and Shuichon felt it too, and much more, since their apartment was on the upper floor of a tower that swayed and amplified the motion. This the result of the earthquake resistance of most all the buildings in Tokyo. His younger sister was clinging tightly to what she still thought was her older brother's Terriermon plushie.
"Is it over?", she asked.
"Yeah, I think so", Jen replied.
(We interrupt the program for a special report on the recent earthquake. The trenblor registered a four on the Richter scale. It was felt only in the Shinjuku ward, and so far, the epicenter has not been located. More details will be released here on this channel as we get the updates. Onto other news... Science parks from around the world...)
That didn't sound right. That 'quake should have been felt everywhere in the city and beyond. A "local" earthquake? That couldn't happen. Couldn't locate the epicenter? They always knew within minutes. That had to mean just one thing...
"I have to leave", he explained to Shuichon
"Where's Daddy?", she asked.
"He's at work, and is extremely busy... Now, c'mon let him go", he ordered.
"No..."
"Shuichon!"
She began to cry, but finally let Jen have Terriermon.
"I'm sorry", he apologized.
"That's OK, just take care...", she said through tears of fright.
"I'm sorry, Shuichon", he said again as he left the apartment.
"Shuichon was crying, wasn't she?", Terriermon asked.
"Yeah", Jen agreed.
"You shouldn't've yelled at her like that", Terriermon observed.
"I know, but she can be a real PITA at times, especially now..."
Jen was on his way to the park.
Chou Park
"You're Renamon's partner? Koichi?", the young girl was waiting in the parking lot.
"Juri, I believe? Takato's friend from school?', he replied.
"That's me...", she finally got to her point: "do you think Leomon will ever come back?"
"It's always possible. He did come to protect you from that Kunbiramon didn't he? He must've had a reason to do that...", he thought of something. "That Deva, why did he come to the park to attack you? They've been coming to settle a score with Yamaki for deploying Shaggai. Why wouldn't he just go ahead and wreck shit in the city? Unless..."
"Unless what?", Juri prompted.
"They see you as a potential threat? You do know more about digimon, what we're doing, than most non-Tamers".
"Me? A threat?"
"If you were going to become Leomon's partner..."
"Then why didn't he?"
"Maybe you were a bit too... assertive, shall we say? Digimon aren't used to being the love interests of young girls. Maybe he has the same feelings for you, and that scared him?"
"Leomon, scared... of me?"
"Juri, one thing you need to understand is that digimon never experience those kinds of feelings...", he wondered how he could put this delicately, but could not. "Sexual feelings. You're getting to that age where you know what I mean. They don't exist in the Digital World. When digimon materialize, they have these new feelings they've never experienced before. It takes them awhile to get used to them. That's a very good reason Leomon would be scared off".
"Oh", was all she had to say. "But do you think he'll come back?"
"I still think so, and if he does, try to tone it down a bit".
Takato, Kenta, and Kazu, and Guilmon and Calumon were waiting outside Guilmon's shed.
"Hey Guilmon", Kenta was saying, "I want a digimon partner too".
"I've been practicing my card slash", Kazu announced, as he stood to demonstrate.
He took out a card, held it between his index and bird fingers, and went through some exaggerated motions that he fancied mimicked martial arts moves:
"Card slash! Matrix evolution!"
"So what do you think?", he asked Calumon.
He didn't have anything to say.
"We don't know why Takato has a digimon and we don't", Kenta was complaining.
"I don't know either", Takato began. "Leomon: he came, so you can't say another digimon like him won't come along".
"Leomon's gone, isn't he?", Kenta asked.
"Maybe, maybe not", Takato replied. "We didn't see a digital field, so he could still be here".
"I'm not asking for much...", Kazu started, as he noticed the look of surprise.
"What is it?", Kazu asked.
"Juri... I wasn't expecting you", he said.
She walked up to Kenta and Kazu.
"What?", Kazu asked.
She pulled out a thick stack of cards: "Would you teach me how to play?", she asked.
"All those cards are yours?!", Kazu asked.
"You have so many", Kenta added.
"Juri?", Takato asked as he wasn't expecting this. He had no idea she was that interested in digimon.
"Let me see...", Kazu said.
"Hey!", she protested as he grabbed her cards and began to thumb through the deck.
"Holy shit, that's a rare one! I've always wanted that one".
He pulled out his own cards: "I'll offer you three".
"I'll offer you five", Kenta counter bid.
"Are you gonna show me or not?", Juri asked.
"Trade first..."
"Kazu", Koichi said, "you can screw her out of all her good cards later. Would you show her how to play, and show her right", he insisted.
"What if she becomes as good as Kazu? Digimon Queen II", Kenta announced, as Kazu led her off.
(First off, you need to know how to use this. It's an Option Card...)
Jen and Terriermon were arriving as Kazu and Juri were beginning her first lesson.
"OK, now we can get down to business", Koichi announced.
"Did Calumon bring you something?", Takato asked.
"Oh, yeah", he said as he booted his lappy.
"What...", he began.
"Between Renamon, Jen, and I, we were able to code our special surprise. Calumon installed it successfully last night. Not a moment too soon: Shaggai's fully operational, and he can deploy it whenever he likes. This time, it's gonna be worse than that last time..."
"When Mirihimon came", Takato recalled. "How could it possibly be worse?" He remembered seeing that herd of digimon swept up by Shaggai's hole.
"You need to remember that Yamaki wasn't expecting that the digimon would materialize Mihirimon right there, in Shaggai's data stream. This time, he'll be ready for that, and for any other countermeasures that might originate in the Digital World. He isn't stupid. Last time, he didn't have what he's calling the 'Icewall' to ward off countermeasures.
"It gets worse. That time, he was baiting in digimon. This time, Shaggai has hunter-seeker capabilities. It's no longer necessary for digimon to go to Shaggai: Shaggai's coming after them. And it isn't gonna discriminate: bad digimon, good digimon, Devas – it doesn't matter to Yamaki one damn little bit. He's gonna try to wipe out every last digimon. Period".
"Why?", Takato began.
"I don't know", Koichi explained. "Some people... like back home... those otter hunters... I can't explain that either. I can't explain Yamaki, but, at least, I can stop him".
They were on their way out, and paused by a stone retaining wall that protected this particular path from the hill that rose above them.
"That's not right", Kenta noticed. There should have been eight shadows. There were nine.
"Culu!", Calumon called out. As he was perched on Juri's head, he came eye-to-eye with that strange boy.
"You!", Takato called out.
"It's that guy again", Kazu added.
"We saw you the other day", Juri said, "what do you want with us?", she asked.
"Where do you come from?", Takato asked.
He glared back at Takato, then launched that sonic attack.
"Not again!", Jen said as he covered his ears.
He laughed and ran off before leaping onto the path.
"What does he want?", Kenta asked.
"Maybe...", Takato began.
"Why don't we simply ask him?", Juri said as she took off after him.
"Juri!", Takato called out.
"Wait! Hold up!", Juri called after him.
Hypnos
"Wild One detected", Megumi announced. We don't know the exact location yet, but it's definitely in West Shinjuku", she explained.
"West Shinjuku?", Yamaki asked. "Is this related to the recent earthquake?", he asked.
"This... this... is", one tech began.
"It's the largest amount of data we've ever seen", Megumi completed that thought.
"What?!", Yamaki exclaimed as he watched the growth on the main view screen.
"We can't calculate it!"
"If this Wild One materializes, it could easily destroy a good part of Shinjuku", Yamaki replied.
He was interrupted by an incoming transmission. An image appeared of one of those bureaucrats. He was obviously riding in the back of a limo.
"I need an explanation", he demanded.
"Explanation?", Yamaki asked. "What do you mean by 'explanation'?"
"You know full well what I mean. Is this related to the earthquake?", he demanded.
"We're looking into it as we speak", Yamaki promised.
"I hope you don't disappoint me, Yamaki, and make all the effort I put into getting your authorization for Shaggai useless".
"I'm aware of that", Yamaki said as the transmission ended.
""I know...", he told himself, "how I know".
West Shinjuku
Juri was still chasing the strange boy of very few words, and the others were chasing Juri.
"Wait!", she called out. "Wait!"
"I knew it!", Takato called out.
"What?", Jen began.
"That way he's always looking at Calumon, the inordinate interest he's always taken in Calumon. Then when Juri was attacked..."
"Right", Jen agreed.
"I said wait!", Juri insisted.
"Wait!", Guilmon called out.
"Jen!", Terriermon said at the same instant. Guilmon was growling, ever louder.
"What's wrong?", he asked.
He never got an answer as there was another temblor, this one more powerful than the last.
"Juri!", Takato called out. The shaking was enough to knock over a rather heavy free standing sign. It dropped right in front of Juri.
"You OK?", Takato called out, as he couldn't tell if the sign had actually hit her or not.
"Yeah!", she called back. When she turned to look... "That boy! Where'd he get to?!", as he was no longer in sight.
Hypnos
"How about a break?", Janyu called out. As he was in the subbasement, he hadn't felt a thing, and wasn't aware there was another 'quake. He also knew nothing of the latest Wild One that was threatening to materialize.
"This is no time to be taking breaks".
"Yamaki", Janyu called out, as his boss had arrived.
"Time's up: give me the latest data of your analysis", he demanded.
"Today's digimon are the product of their own evolution", Janyu was explaining. "We can't fully analyze their core program as quickly and completely as you seem to think. Don't you understand?"
"Complete?", Yamaki asked. "I didn't ask you for complete", he replied unpleasanrly, "I asked youfor what you have right now. How much longer are you going to allow your son to play such a dangerous game?"
West Shinjuku
"These earthquakes", Jen asked, "How are they related to the Deva?"
Guilmon growled even louder, as he began to run down the street, Terriermon riding on his back.
"Guilmon!", Takato called out. "Where you goin'? What's wrong?"
"A digimon is coming!", Terriermon called back.
"What?", Jen asked.
Renamon appeared on the roof of a car: "Koichi", she said. "It's about to materialize"
"Understood", he replied as Renamon started in the same direction Guilmon went.
"We'd better get going", Koichi called out. They ran for another small park.
"A digimon will appear here?", Koichi asked. This park was nowhere near as extensive as Chou Park, nor was it as secluded from the streets. This would be a very public materialization.
"Is it here?", Jen asked.
"No doubt", Terriermon replied as the first of the digital field exploded into being.
Hypnos
"Wild One detected: Shinjukiu's Toyoma Park"
Yamaki came running: "Is it materializing?"
"It is".
"Execute Shaggai", Yamaki ordered.
"But that..."
"The time has come to demonstrate the true potential of Shaggai", Yamaki gloated.
Toyoma Park
"Jen, it's coming", Terriermon announced.
"Here?"
"It's huge", Renamon said.
"What is that? A mountain?", Kenta asked.
"It;s a digimon", Jen explained. "A... a... huge boar!"
Vikaralamon
Vaccine type, Ultimate
Holy Beast Digimon
Koichi read off the profile.
"Look at that!", Jen called out.
"The sky...", Takato said.
This digimon was doing something they'd never seen before. Vikaralamon had attached itself to a data stream that was tearing apart the sky. They knew it had connected itself to the Digital World.
"Look out!", Jen called as it began to move its immense bulk. "We could be crushed! Run!"
"Where's it going?", Koichi asked.
"Noway!", Takato called out.
People on the street were running in panic. Cops were doing their best to direct the crowds to safety, and to avoid the kind of panic that could lead to people being trampled underfoot.
Vikaralamon walked straight out of the park, and down a side street that was too narrow to accommodate its size, but it didn't care as it growled. It simply tore off store fronts, tipped through first floors, as it opened a passage for itself. It then turned down a wide boulevard. Its weight pulverizing the pavement as it went.
"Takato!", Guilmon called out.
"Right", he answered.
"Koichi!", Renamon called out.
"We're counting on you", she called back.
"Jen!"
"Let's do this Terriermon"
"Kazu! Kenta!", Takato called out. "Look after Juri amd Calumon for us".
"Got it", Kazu replied. "Leave it to us!"
"Good luck, Takato", Kenta called back.
"Super Evolution Plug-in S: digimodify!"
Renamon evolve! …
… KYUUBIMON!
Terriermon evolve! …
… GALGOMON!
Guilmon evolve! …
… GROWLMON!
Vikaralamon was knocking down utility poles that smashed through windows and smashed car roofs where they fell. Power lines crackled with artificial lightening, but the huge boar didn't even seem to feel the current that could instantly fry a man to a crisp. Cars were smashed, overturned, and demolished. The boar just walked through a pedestrian overpass as though it were nothing.
Helicopter gunships of the SDF were now arriving.
"Foxfire Dragon!", Renamon struck first.
"Gatling Arms!"
"Exhaust Flame!"
Renamon, Galgomon and Growlmon attacked at the same time.
"No effect!", Kyuubimon called out.
"We can't stop that damn thing?", Galgomon asked.
Hypnos
(Output at 40%)
"Keep it up", Yamaki encouraged.
"What's going to happen?", Janyu called out as he came running to see what was going on.
(Output at 45%)
"What is this device?", he asked.
"This is the Shaggai system", Yamaki explained without bothering to look Janyu in the eye. "It holds the power that lets us control the 'Net"
"What?!", Janyu asked
(Output at 50%)
"It will remove all digital lifeforms from the Material World in one go", Yamaki continued to explain.
"Wait!", Janyu objected. "If you do that, it will eliminate the children's digimon as well"
"Indeed it will. Loss is a part of life. They can always get new pets"
"Why?!", Janyu continued to protest, "why be so cold blooded? I wasn't informed about any of this!"
Yamaki turned to him in anger: "It's all to protect those precious children of yours!"
Janyu looked surprised.
(Output at 55%)
"Please, don't so this"
Yamaki led him to the control room.
(Output at 60%)
"Look at what's happening right now!", Yamaki told him. The view screen had intercepted security camera captures of the on-going rampage of the boar Deva. "At this rate, Shinjuku will be destroyed. If you have any better ideas, I suggest you share them right now. Either that, or shut the fuck up and stay out of our way.
"We'll eliminate all digital life forms and erect an Icewall to keep them from ever materializing again".
By Toyoma Park
"Plazma Blade!"
"Dum-dum Upper!"
"Demon Spirit Fireballs!"
Growlmon, Galgomon, and Kyuubimon were attacking at close range, again to no effect. It smashed its way through another pedestrian overpass.
"Growlmon!", Takato called out as he, Jen and Koichi ran into the street from a side street.
"It's no use, Jen", Galgomon explained. "We're not even hurting him enough to get his attention".
"We need to get to Ultimate", Kyuubimon called out.
"It's destroyed", Takato said sadly as he looked back. "Our city... Right now, I'm sure they're searching for me..."
They didn't know what he was talking about, but could take a good guess.
"If it keeps going like this", Jen said, "it won't be too long before it reaches our home"
Hypnos
(Output at 85%)
"Stop it!", Janyu called out as he grabbed Yamaki's lapels.
"Get your GOD DAMN hands off me!", he threatened to deck Janyu. He shoved Janyu to the floor.
"Stop this", he pleaded. "Stop this now".
Yamaki paid him no further attention. He had what he wanted from him, and no further use for him.
(Output at 90%)
"You're all going to disappear", Yamaki announced.
West Shinjuku
"At this rate, he'll destroy everything!", Takato announced what was obvious.
"We need those f'kin Blue Cards!", Koichi called out. "Why can't the damn things just stick around?!"
"Hey!", they all looked. It was Kazu. "Need a Blue Card? Here's one!", he said as he thrust something into Takato's hand.
"Kazu", he began, "that's nothing but a drawing..."
"Yeah? So? Guilmon was once just a drawing too. What do you have to lose at this point? What's the worst that could happen? You're no worse off, right? You just have to have faith, just like bringing Guilmon into the world".
Across the street, Calumon had seen everything. The red triangle was already glowing. Calumon nodded and winked. Takato had no doubt.
"Matrix Evolution: digimodify!"
Growlmon evolve! …
… MEGALOGROWLMON!
He passed it to Koichi...
"Matrix Evolution: digimodify!
Kyuubimon evolve! …
… TAOMON!
Who passed it to Jen...
"Matrix Evolution: digimodify!"
"Galgomon Evolve! …
… RAPIDMON!
"Does my Blue Card rock or what?", Kazu said.
"GO!", Takato called out, as the three Ultimates flew on ahead to intercept the boar Deva.
(Output at 100%: Shaggai ready for deployment)
"Deploy Shaggai!", Yaaki otdered.
"NO!", Janyu called out.