Blake Whitaker, also known as Talbot, was the leader of MOD, a splinter faction of Trojan. He carried the ideology that humanity would soon be destroyed by the AI society they strove to create. At the time, Benjamin Merlo explained that he was one of many neurologists hooked on the idea of being the next Einstein in their world. With AI technology taking off the way it did, everyone was gunning to provide the next breakthrough. And after a tragic accident that took the life of his only daughter Melanie and the creation of Eve—the AI that bore her resemblance—Talbot led a destructive crusade to destroy Eve and AI society. As I mentioned, though, he never lived to see it happen, as he was found dead during one of the attacks, which shifted everything for the worse. And yet, in several hours, he's going to be at my house, eating dinner with my family, because it just so happens that in this world, he and my father are old colleagues through some means.
I swear you can't make some of this stuff up, even if you tried.
When the livery car pulled up in front of my house, I jumped out. I turned to the window and leaned in, Wallace reaching to give a fist bump while Isabella sat quietly, ever silent since we left the building.
"Thanks for coming along. And sorry for how things turned out in the end."
"It's no problem," Wallace reassured me. "It is a shame we didn't get to see Omnia before everyone else, but it's not something to stress about."
"Not like I wanna set foot in anything that witch had her hands in..." Isabella finally spoke after so long. She crossed her arms tighter, still refusing eye contact with me.
"If it means anything, I'll find a way to make it up to you; promise," I told her.
Isabella ignored me, but Wallace nodded in her place, "we appreciate it. By the way, we heard you battled against Miss Saiba."
"Oh...yeah, didn't you guys see it?" I was hesitant, wondering if they had heard our conversation during the battle. This is the first time since we left that he's mentioned it, so...
"He was trying to come up with ways to keep me calm," Isabella answered. "If you noticed, she still has her head on her shoulders."
I chuckled lightly, "yeah...that's true."
"If you get another opportunity like that at some point, fill us in. Not every day one gets to see a celebrity like her play. You seem to have more luck than I do when it comes to meeting them; two in one day, no less."
You call it luck; I call it "convenient" encounters. "Yeah, can't really tell you myself why that is..." I looked at my D-Streamer, "speaking of, I gotta get ready. I'll catch you guys tomorrow?"
"Just don't be late again. I can't cover for you a second time."
I scoffed, "yeah, as if you did a great job of it this morning."
Wallace shrugged with a smirk, drawing one out of me too. "See you tomorrow."
"Same. Later Isabella!"
She turned slightly to glance at me and muttered something.
"She says good night," Wallace answered for her.
I highly doubt that she did, but that's all right. I turned and went through my front gate while the car pulled off. As much as I wanted to relax after such a long day finally, there was just one more hurdle I needed to get through:
Dinner with the Whitakers...
Per my mother's insistence, I couldn't dress down a bit from my uniform, swapping one tie for another. Looking in the mirror, I checked to see if my clothes were straight, my hair was brushed, and other little things that could make or break appearances. Granted, I've spent a good chunk of the day with Melanie, so I shouldn't really be stressing about my appearance as much as I felt like I should be.
"Look at you, looking all fancy!"
I heard the voice speak to me initially, though I didn't react. Suddenly, I felt hands cover my eyes and someone pressing up against my back.
"Guess who?" The voice giggled. I pulled the hands away and turned, finding the brown-haired girl skipping back before me. Mikayla was dressed as well, wearing a red sweater and a dark skirt to match, with light makeup touches to highlight the cute expressions I slowly grew to appreciate. The mere sight of her drew an involuntary smile, and her blushing cheeks made her even more radiant.
"You were right; she is pretty," I smiled.
"Real smooth," My comment clearly warmed her as she took a seat on my bed. Of all things, her final words to me before we separated hung in my mind. I couldn't shake it, leading me to imagine my life with her if she made it back with us.
In a way, I guess it was a bit of an escape.
"Say...have you ever wondered what life would've been like...if we didn't go back?"
"I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind," I answered, beginning to pace. "All those years since that day...I never stopped thinking about you guys—about you. Even now, I don't know if what Arylide said is true...or if I want to believe it."
"Would you change your mind if you knew this would happen?"
I stopped and took a moment to contemplate it. All the other times I've racked the scenario in my head have always left me uneasy. Even now, I don't have a straight answer.
"If it were up to me..." she fell back, "I would've loved to stay here. Go to school, hang out with friends...fall in love..." she rolled onto her side and curled a bit, "all the things that girls like me dream of doing. A boring, normal life...that's what we fought for, right?"
"Yeah..."
"But you're not happy, are you?"
"I'm not...after everything, things didn't turn out how I imagined they would. And Arylide wants me to accept it."
"She realizes that's not easy, right?" Mikayla chuckled a bit, sitting up some. "After all, she didn't have to give anything up, did she? Not only that, but you were the one to rescue her from MOD's corruption. Saving her life, a Liberator no less, meant I had to die..."
I hesitated to agree to that. Turning my back to her, Mikayla noticed and worked to retract that statement, "what I mean is...she had no right to stop you. Eve was gone at that point, so who's to say she didn't have an ulterior motive? What if she's still being controlled by MOD somehow and made you think you couldn't come back for me?"
Her arms wrapped over my shoulders, and she leaned into me, "I wasn't the only one either; my Mom, the ones still in Arcadia...and everyone else, in every reality where things could've been different...just gone. No remorse or condolences."
She pulled back from me, "the people of this world are none the wiser. Not even this world's Mikayla Brandt. She didn't make the sacrifices I did, nor did she live the hell I lived..."
I turned around to face her, only for my blood to run cold. She stood, not beaming in radiance but bruised, burned, bloody, and defeated. And on top of that, we were no longer in my room. Instead, we were on the streets of Arcadia, surrounded by corpses of humans, Saibatars, and Digimon. Flames of destruction extended endlessly behind her while she looked as if she was close to collapsing. Her state compelled me to comfort her, but guilt and fear paralyzed me, making my arms heavy as I reached for her.
Then all of a sudden, the sky above exploded in red, ringed eyes. The situation was only made more horrific when Mikayla began to cry. My inability to comfort her was hurting.
With the last of her strength, she looked up, opening her eyes to reveal a matching set. she then asked the question that had crossed my mind more than once since coming here, one that shook me to my very foundation...
"Why did you bring me back there...?"
A loud crash on my door jolted me upward from my desktop. Feeling my heart race, I quickly realized that the room was quiet and that I was alone. The eyes were gone, and so was Mikayla. It was a nightmare.
A really surreal nightmare…
Another intense bang struck my door, followed by a voice. "Zack! Get out here, soldier!" Uncle Darren's drilling command cut through the doorway, springing me onto my feet. I opened it and found him standing on the other side.
"Gotta bone to pick with you, my friend," he said with arms crossed.
Still a bit disoriented, I was silent for a moment.
"'Going to meet my friends at the station,' huh?" He reminded me, striking the memory of my off-handed comment to avoid him this morning.
All I could do was blink still. "What...?"
The next minute he grabbed me by the arm and put me in a light chokehold, which genuinely woke me up. "You could've told me you were trying to ditch class; I would've covered for you!"
"Wait! I wasn't—!" I managed to disengage him from suffocating me, "I wasn't trying to skip!"
"How else do you explain running into that Melanie girl?"
"It's a long—wait, how did you know about that?"
"How do you think? They just told us."
My eyes went wide. "Wait, they're here?" Then again, "Wait, do Mom and Dad know?"
"Of course they do."
"I'm so screwed...!" I groaned. "For the record, I didn't skip class; I went!"
"Yeah, your mother got that bit, but she's still heated regardless. She said she'd behave herself but, you know how she can be. Anyway, I'll buy you time to develop a cover story."
"And make my situation worse? No thanks, I'm not that stupid."
It was good that I had enough sense to get dressed before passing out. After a quick trip to the bathroom to ensure I was straight and presentable, I was downstairs and heading into the living room. There I found my Dad, Evie, Melanie, and Talbot—I mean, Mr. Whitaker.
I hope to God I don't slip and call him that. I was already feeling awkward as is.
"Zack, can you help me bring this to the dining room?" I heard my mother's voice, and I tensed. I had the creeping suspicion of an ulterior motive behind her words, but I complied.
Turning back to the island kitchen, I grabbed the dish that she set before me and proceeded to walk in the direction of the dining room. Uncle Darren was coming the opposite way, moving into the room wine bottles, sodas, and juice they must have picked up earlier. The idea that I was anticipating punishment only added to the silence between the three of us, compared to the remaining adults cackling on the sofa. When I returned for the follow-up dishes, Melanie approached from my side.
"Need any help?" she asked, taking the dish beside me.
"I won't turn it down," I replied. Over the next few minutes, we got the rest of the food and the table set for everyone. When we finished, Melanie approached me again.
"You're feeling awkward about this as much as I am, aren't you?"
"I've been racking my brain about what punishment I'm gonna receive since you ratted me out," I replied.
"I don't do small talk; sue me." She defended herself.
"Is that from living in a lab your whole life?"
"I've been to parties before, FYI," she countered me. "I'm just not a people person, at least not anymore."
"Between Ivan and Isabella, I got that impression. What changed?"
"Work, college, growing up faster than other people just because you're quote-on-quote 'gifted.' I tolerate Layla and Ivan because we have that common thread between us; under the world's microscope, with the expectancy that we're going to lead society to a future worth living in…or some crap like that."
"Ever try to get away from it all?"
"Several times…" she grew quiet. "You know what they say—"
"When there's a will, there's a way!" Mr. Whitaker interjected, drawing our attention to the doorway. He and everyone else entered the room, Evie skipping in, eager as ever, racing straight for us.
"I wanna sit next to Melanie!" She exclaimed with no regrets.
"Wha—you traitor!" I pretended to be offended, getting Evie to giggle.
"I still love you." Evie hugged my waist, only barely four feet tall. That affection quickly faded once Melanie took the chance to grab a seat.
I headed to the other side of the table, sitting across from Melanie while her father sat at the edge of the table on her other side. My father and mother rounded the head and sat next to me, respectively, while Uncle Darren sat at the other end, close to Evie.
Of the eight chairs, the one between Uncle Darren and I was empty, with no one to fill it.
Digging into our Italian roots, my mother kept it simple but elegant; Eggplant and chicken parm, baked ziti, some salad, and slices of tomato and mozzarella, seasoned and drizzled with olive oil. She said if she had more of a heads up, she would've done more, but by the looks of it, it was enough for the seven of us, plus left over for lunch the next day.
I wasn't a fan of eggplant, so I went for the Ziti. Everyone else took what they wanted, and after saying grace—as per our family custom—we began to eat. Melanie and Mr. Whitaker took bites out of their respective dishes, and after looking at one another with wide eyes, they darted to my Mom, who was enjoying their reactions.
"Told you, ya should've opened your own restaurant." Uncle Darren quipped, taking note of the two guests enjoying the food.
"And leave Raymond to fend for himself?" She looked toward my Dad. "I'm right where I need to be."
"And I'm grateful for that," he said, leaning in for a quick kiss.
"Glad to see you two are still together after all these years," Mr. Whitaker commented through the awkward display of affection.
"That reminds me," my Dad started, "how is Claire?"
"Oh, we separated some years back," He said upfront.
Melanie shifted slightly in her seat before popping some eggplant into her mouth.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that…" my Mother apologized, taken aback by the unexpected answer.
"It's fine," Melanie replied. "Things happen, and life moves on. My father did what he could to raise me, so I don't regret anything."
"Relatable," Uncle Darren jumped in, looking over to the empty chair. "Thankfully, I had my sister and her husband to help with Evelyn here, but damn, when my wife died, I didn't know how I would manage everything. The last six years made me truly appreciate family, no doubt."
Of course, his comment reminded me of Mikayla and Nick. Out of everyone, their actions leading up to fighting MOD had to do with each other or their parents. I wonder what their lives are like in this new world…and how different they are from the ones I remember?
Dinner continued from there. Small conversations threaded themselves together, with Melanie and I learning about our fathers' backstories. They met when they first attended Meyrin University and were good friends until my father went out of state to MIT for Grad School. They kept in touch here and there and met for milestones like weddings and conferences. It was nice to see that even though nearly two decades had passed since they first met, they were acting as if they had never lost contact with one another.
Like I said before, you can't make this stuff up if you try. The fact that Talbot is sitting across from me, chumming it up with my family, is about as nightmarish as "Apocalypse Fighter Mikayla." Melanie, by comparison, was pretty quiet throughout; not that it was awkward or anything, but it was clear that her father was doing more of the social interactions.
"Daddy, I want dessert," Evie chimed, drawing my attention from my thoughts.
"For once, I agree with you," Uncle Darren patted her on her head. "Anyone else down for ice cream? Cake? Ice Cream Cake?"
"Did you remember to stop by Juno's on your way back from the store to pick up the cake?" My mom turned to my Dad. After a drawn-out pause, he wiped his mouth, stood up, and walked out of the room.
"Can I go with Uncle Ray to Juno's?" Evie asked.
"We'll both go…"' My Uncle Darren slowly nodded, all of us low-key fixated on my Mom's skills at managing her temper.
As the two joined my father in getting their jackets, Mr. Whitaker turned to me, "by the way, Zachary, that was an interesting battle you had with my daughter this morning."
I tensed, side-eying my mom, who didn't say anything. I know she knows, but doesn't he realize he's digging my hole wider? Plus, she's already mad at my Dad, so he's really trying to make this a 2-for-1 slaughter-fest, isn't he?
I swear if this is some twisted plot for revenge…
"You don't say…" I turned to him, wondering what he was trying to get at.
"Maybe you two should battle," Melanie suggested. She said that quickly as if she were waiting for the prompt.
"You don't mind, do you? It may be a while until those three return from the bakery."
"Well, I mean…" I turned to my mom, waiting for her to interject.
I knew it was risky to ask for help, but what other choice did I have?
"Don't worry about the dishes; I can help with those," Melanie said, standing up and collecting the dishes of those who left.
My Mom also stood and collected the rest of the plates. She gave me a "calm" look and left the dining room, with Melanie following her. Leaving Mr. Whitaker and me, I pointed in the direction of the door, "we can play in the living room."
Setting our D-Streamers on the coffee table, we activated the tabletop mode and watched as everything came to life, turning the surface into a holographic battlefield.
"Since you're our guest, I'll let you pick who starts," I suggested to him as our security cards deployed.
"I appreciate that. In that case, you can start us off," he replied.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded confidently, "I tend to prefer going second, personally. Must be from all the times I'd practice with Melanie."
"He's just weird like that!" she said from the island across the spacious room.
I looked toward him, and he only shrugged. With that, we drew our hands and were ready to start.
"DIGI-GATE: OPEN!"
I went about taking the first turn, "I'll start by hatching Dorimon. I'll digivolve it into Chikurimon, and then I'll play Dorumon directly."
A small group of Chikurimon materialized in my Raising Area, while Dorumon appeared in the Battle Area.
Dorimon (BT7-005)
Color: Black
Level: 2
Chikurimon (BT6-056)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 1000
Dorumon (BT7-056)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 1000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Blake)
"When Dorumon is played, I reveal the top 3 cards of my deck; I can add one Kota Domoto and a Digimon with X-Antibody to my hand, with the rest going to the bottom.
Dorumon let out a roar, summoning the three cards. They revealed themselves as Dorugoramon, Sealsdramon, and Kota. I took Kota and Dorugoramon, sending Sealsdramon to the bottom. From there, the turn passed over.
Mr. Whitaker drew, pondered his hand for a moment, then moved to hatch. "I hatch Pagumon," He stated, summoning a red-eyed grey ball of fur with a mischievous look on its face. The face quickly became drowsy looking, and soon, it fell asleep.
Pagumon (BT6-005)
Color: Black
Level: 2
"A Pagumon in Black?" I asked out loud.
"You sound surprised," Mr. Whitaker pointed out.
I quickly shook off my confusion, "My bad, I'm just used to seeing it in purple decks."
"It's no matter," He assured me, "Pagumon digivolves into Commandramon."
Now I was surprised. From Pagumon came a Commandramon, the camo-dinosaur Digimon staring back at me, just as surprised with a piece of digital meat hanging from its jaws.
Commandramon (BT5-061)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 2000
"Next, I'll play Hagurumon, who'll allow me to discard a Machine or Cyborg Digimon from my hand to draw two cards. I discard another Commandramon and draw."
The cogwheel Digimon rotated into the Battle Area, its gears twisting as it activated its On Play effect.
Hagurumon (EX1-045)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
3-0
"To end my turn, I digivolve Hagurumon into Guardromon."
The gears in Hagurumon went into overdrive as binary stirred around it. In moments it was replaced by a hulking, copper-plated sentinel of a Digimon, ready to defend by any means.
Guardromon (EX1-047)
Color: Black
Level: 4
DP: 6000
MEMORY
0-2 (Turn Change: Zack)
I drew for my turn. I could feel my nerves twinge slightly at the sight of the Commandramon sitting in his trash. It could be a coincidence at play; after all, we're both using black decks, which limits the card pool. But what if, though…
I shook the thought out of my head. Up until now, everything's been normal. Eve wouldn't bring someone like Talbot into this world, especially if Arylide's words are anything to go by. "Chikurimon moves into the Battle Area, then Dorumon digivolves into Dorugamon."
As the small group of spike balls bounced into the Battle Area, Dorumon proceeded to transform into its larger, more bestial form.
Dorugamon (BT7-062)
Color: Black
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
2-0
"I end by playing Kota Domoto, whose effect will reveal the top 4 cards of my deck, allowing me to add one X-Antibody card from among them, and then the rest go to the bottom."
Kota Domoto (BT7-090)
Color: Black
MEMORY
0-4 (Turn Change: Blake)
Once again, several cards popped off from the top of the deck, this time revealing: Volcanomon, Metal Cannon, DoruGreymon, and Dorugamon. Naturally, I took DoruGreymon.
"Your luck seems to do you well with getting the cards you need."
"I just got used to how it runs after a game or two." I shrugged.
As casual as I was with my comment, I was soon going to find out that luck is impartial.
Mr. Whitaker drew to start, "Commandramon moves into the Battle Area; then," he said, revealing a red card, "Guardromon will digivolve into MetalGreymon."
Okay, so his deck wasn't completely black. He set the red card onto his Level 4 Digimon, and the holographic animation had Guardromon break apart in favor of the dinosaur hiding underneath. The cyber-enhanced Greymon roared, stepping over its former shell's remains.
MetalGreymon (EX1-008)
Color: Red
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
4-1
"MetalGreymon, Security Attack!" Mr. Whitaker declared. "When attacking a player, MetalGreymon can delete one of your Digimon with a DP of 4000 or less. In addition, Guardromon's IE effect allows me to discard a Machine or Cyborg from my hand to draw two cards. I discard Sealsdramon from my hand to draw 2.
MetalGreymon glowed red, with its breastplate opening up. Two missiles fired, one aimed at Chikurimon, who stood no chance, and one at my first Security that appeared.
Zack
Security: 5-4
I was forced to reveal the card, with it ironically being a Commandramon. It was significant enough to catch Mr. Whitaker's attention, "Interesting choice to have in your deck."
"Ivan thought it would be a good card since it looks like it fits the theme of dragons in the deck," Melanie said, overhearing him.
"I see," he answered, still intrigued. "I, for one, was always interested in the D-Brigades myself. When I was a boy, my Father served, so I always had a soft spot for elite tactical groups. Of course, I couldn't dream of going into the army, especially in this day and age."
"My Uncle Darren serves in the Air Force, y'know," I mentioned.
"He was telling me. He said he had a few more years left until he could retire. It was good that he started right out of high school; by the time he gets out, he'll still have plenty of time to do something else."
That was something he mentioned from time to time. Because of everything between my late aunt and Evie, he's trying to do as much as he can now so that by the time he leaves, Evie will have him around.
Guess it's nice knowing that Evie will not only be able to grow up but she'll do so with her family as well.
"I end my turn by playing the Option Card: Pride Memory Boost." He set the card on the table.
The name was unfamiliar, like other things; it must have been yet another new card in this world.
MEMORY
1-3 (Turn Change: Zack)
"Pride Memory Boost reveals the top 3 cards of my deck and plays one black Level 4 or lower from among them, while the others are trashed." Mr. Whitaker explained, revealing: Andromon, Machmon, and Volcanomon. Seconds later, a malicious-looking motorcycle Digimon suddenly appeared, baring sharp teeth and an equally terrifying steel, skeletal frame covering the organic undersides.
Machmon (BT6-059)
Color: Black
Level: 4
DP: 5000
I drew. That MetalGreymon took priority, there was no doubt. I had to find a way to deal with it. "I hatch another Dorimon, which then digivolves into Dorumon, and then my Dorugamon will digivolve into DoruGreymon!"
I played each card individually, summoning the Digimon to my field.
DoruGreymon (BT7-064)
Color: Black
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
3-0
"I add a second copy of DoruGreymon to the bottom. Dorumon's IE triggers, granting me a Memory, while the new DoruGreymon provides Security Attack +1. Dorugamon's IE also boosts DoruGreymon by 1000 for having the X-Antibody in its traits as well.
DoruGreymon: 7000-8000 DP
MEMORY
0-1
"DoruGreymon attacks MetalGreymon!" I declared, aiming for his Digimon instead of his Security. The boost in DP gives me an edge over it."
"MetalGreymon sadly isn't a black Digimon, nor is it targeted with an effect, so Machmon can't use its Decoy ability. Instead, Commandramon will block it."
DoruGreymon: 8000 DP
Commandramon: 2000 DP
DoruGreymon rose from the tabletop several inches into the air and fired a metal ball created with the cluster of binary it generated. Commandramon stepped to defend MetalGreymon, the latter stepping back so Commandramon could take the full brunt of the attack.
"Pagumon's IE effect now activates since Commandramon was deleted," Mr. Whitaker pointed out, to my surprise and dismay. He flipped the top card of his deck, revealing the 2-cost Commandramon, to which he added it to his hand. "When deleted, Pagumon reveals the top card of my deck. If it's a black Digimon, it goes to my hand; otherwise, it's sent to the bottom."
Of course. "I end my turn by digivolving DoruGreymon into the Legendary Beast of the X-Antibody, Dorugoramon."
I didn't have the enthusiasm to declare it with such vigor. Dorugoramon took over DoruGreymon, standing as ferocious and bloodthirsty as ever.
Dorugoramon (BT7-065)
Color: Black
Level: 6
DP: 11,000-12,000 DP
MEMORY
1-2 (Turn Change: Blake)
"Magnificent…!" Mr. Whitaker sat, amazed at Dorugoramon's appearance. He turned to Melanie and my mom, who looked to be finishing up, "Ivan did an excellent job with the design!"
"That's debatable!" She countered, as expected.
"Sore loser," I muffled the comment with a cough.
"Keep talking," She zoned in on me as she came over, standing over Mr. Whitaker's shoulder. "You're about to get a taste of what my father has in his deck. I bet it will make your oversized lizard look like a gecko."
I scoffed, "yeah, okay, we'll see. It's your move."
He drew, and both he and Melanie looked at the card. "Indeed, it is…"
I was a little hesitant as he hatched a new Pagumon. From that draw, he had a smirk, and so did Melanie, leading me to believe I may have jinxed it.
"Pagumon digivolves into another Commandramon, then MetalGreymon, Security Attack! Guardromon discards another Commandramon so I can draw two cards."
MetalGreymon roared and took to the air, aiming to be more direct this time. Using its bionic arm, it shot its claw out to crash into my Security before reeling it back.
Zack
Security: 4-3
"Nice try! Security Trigger: Brave Metal!" I countered hard. "Normally, it could only target a cost six or less Digimon, but so long as I have an X-Antibody Digimon, I can instead target a non-X-Antibody Digimon. Dorugoramon, do your thing!"
Dorugoramon unfurled its metal wings and lit ablaze, chasing after MetalGreymon to slam it into the coffee table. MetalGreymon was able to stop it briefly, but, catching on fire itself, it was weakened enough so that Dorugoramon overpowered it and crushed it with its might.
I was a little too quick to celebrate, though, noting that both of them were still smirking. My eyes switched to his trash, and that's when the cold chill shot down my spine.
But wait! Even if his trump is Darkdramon, of all things, there're only 4 D-brigades, so even if he pops his Memory boost, which is only going to give him about two memory, Darkdramon's cost will only drop to 5. Its rush will be nulled because the turn will pass over.
Considering this made me cautiously optimistic, but that's when he revealed the card in his hand.
"I use the Delay Ability of Pride Memory Boost to gain 2 Memory."
MEMORY
2-4
"Now, I summon the ultimate war machine, Machinedramon, for 12 Memory."
My voice caught. Completely thrown by the expensive play, I watched as the massive, lifeless dragon machine Digimon suddenly arose, looking as menacing as it was cold.
Machinedramon (EX1-073)
Color: Black
Level: 6
DP: 11,000
MEMORY
4-8 (Turn Change: Zack)
"Why play a Level 6 straight out like that…?" I couldn't help but ask.
He answered by pulling two cards from his hand: Megadramon and MetalTyrannomon, a red and black card, respectively. His Trash also began to glow, and I watched silently as the two cards in his hand and MetalGreymon, Andromon, and Volcanomon all slid beneath Machinedramon, the Digimon's eyes flashing with each insert. I was left astounded, the pair's smirks turning into full grins.
"What the heck just happened?"
"According to Ivan, Machinedramon is the cybernetic Frankenstein monster of the digital world," Melanie explained. "Just as it's built using the scraps of cyborg Digimon when played, Machinedramon can add up to 5 red or black Level 5 Digimon as sources, decreasing its overall cost for each.
"So, a Play Cost of 12 becomes 7…" I figured. I watched as the counter ticked back by 5, resulting in me being set to 3 Memory.
MEMORY
8-3
"And that's not all," Mr. Whitaker said, "I have all these IE effects to apply. Andromon gives blocker; MetalGreymon, piercing; MetalTyrannomon, Reboot; and Megadramon and Volcanomon Security attack +1, the latter under the condition you have an Unsuspended Digimon on your field."
A triple-breaking, unsuspending blocker with piercing. Damned if I do, damned if I don't…
God dammit.
"And you call my cards broken." I looked at Melanie. "Talk about being biased."
"I have no comment for that," She replied.
"What will you do with the odds stacked against you suddenly?" Mr. Whitaker asked, excitement in his voice.
"Me? I'll show you," I drew and moved Dorumon into the Battle Area. "For starters, Dorugoramon gets +4000 DP for the four X-Antibody cards in its sources."
Dorugoramon: 12,000-16,000 DP
"Your Machinedramon may be a monster, but my Digimon is a straight beast! Dorugoramon, Triple Security Attack! I add another DoruGreymon underneath to stack on the attacks so he can break four of your Security and another +1000 DP! Dorumon's IE effect: Memory +1.
MEMORY
3-4
"Machinedramon blocks it!" Mr. Whitaker countered.
Dorugoramon: 16,000 DP-17,000 DP
Machinedramon: 11,000 DP
Dorugoramon vanished off the tabletop and reappeared above on Mr. Whitaker's side like an empowered force of nature. Machinedramon detected it and aimed its massive cannons. Seconds later, Dorugoramon came crashing downward while Machinedramon fired its blast. The two forces clashed, sending an intense flash that made all of us jump back from the brightness. We all tried to watch despite the fierce clash, and we barely saw as Dorugoramon continued to push through the torrent of energy. Dorugoramon let out a ferocious roar and succeeded in cutting through the blast, sending one clean cut down the middle of the Digimon. Jumping back to avoid the explosion, Machinedramon began to short circuit, binary pulling off its metallic body…
And then it stopped.
I blinked in astonishment. I looked at Mr. Whitaker and saw him extract Andromon and Volcanomon from Machinedramon's sources.
"When Machinedramon would be deleted, I can trash two of its Level 5 sources to prevent its deletion."
My jaw nearly dropped. "You gotta be freaking kidding me!"
"Now you know how it feels to be on the other end of things. Doesn't feel good, does it?" Melanie taunted.
I snickered, "I play Metal Cannon to draw for each of Dorugoramon's sources. He has 5, so I draw five cards."
MEMORY
4-2
That was one hell of a plot twist; he got rid of Andromon and Volcanomon, meaning that Machinedramon loses its Blocker and a Security Attack. On the one hand, I'm not being forced to attack, but the last thing I need is for Dorumon to be curb stomped along with two of my Security. And it still has reboot, so I can't kill it unless I get lucky with another Brave Metal.
And that's after I strip his sources, so he can't freaking recover!
"I digivolve Dorumon into Tankmon. Then I'll play Sunarizamon to end my turn…"
Tankmon (BT3-067)
Color: Black
Level; 4
DP: 6000
Sunarizamon (P-033)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
2-1
1-2 (Turn Change: Blake)
With limited options, I tried to be as memory efficient as possible. So long as I can survive the next turn, I can blast four security away and hopefully still have Tankmon and Sunarizamon to take the game.
Mr. Whitaker must've deduced the same, studying his hand as he drew. However, moving his hand over to his Commandramon in the Raising Area didn't take long. "Commandramon moves forward, then Machinedramon, Double Security Attack!"
With no blockers, I was forced to watch as Machinedramon charged its cannons and fired at my Security. The first card revealed was a Sunarizamon that was utterly eviscerated. The next card…
"Security Trigger: Iron-Fisted Onslaught! All your Digimon with the highest Play Cost is deleted. Since Machinedramon has the highest, it's targeted."
"And in response, Megadramon and MetalGreymon are trashed to prevent removal." He countered as expected.
Zack
Security: 3-1
"Commandramon, Final Security Attack!"
Again, no chance of blocking it. Commandramon aimed its rifle and fired, causing the final Security to reveal itself. Dorugamon appeared and mauled the unsuspecting Commandramon.
Zack
Security; 1-0
"Pagumon's effect triggers. If I reveal a black Digimon card, it added to my hand."
I swallowed hard. As he drew the card and took a look at it, the smirk that drew on his face filled me with a blitz of anxiety.
"Darkdramon is added to my hand…"
I have a headache.
A. Splitting. Headache.
So many questions, not enough answers…
I'm overthinking things, right? I have to be. Mr. Whitaker having D-brigades in his deck is a total coincidence. He having Darkdramon was a coincidence, too, right? Then again…
Why did Darkdramon know about the Tsumemon way back when…? Why does Talbot—I mean Mr. Whitaker have it in his deck? If Eve created this world, why would she make it with this factor involved? Is it a hidden message? Does she really have control of things? Just what the hell is going on—!
"Here, your mom said to put this on…"
I snapped out of my mental crisis to acknowledge Melanie, who stepped outside where I was. She held a jacket, which I took and put on. She then sat on the steps beside me, having a small cup of ice cream in her hand. I couldn't help but notice as she scooped the mint chip into her mouth.
"You're not cold eating that out here?" I asked curiously.
"The brain freeze takes my mind off things," she replied. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up again, "I was wondering, by the way," she then turned to me, "how much did you lose to earn this so-called reward?"
Having the nightmare surge back from her question, it took a minute to answer her. The pain of my intended answer was robbing my voice.
When she didn't get one, she continued speaking. "Like I said before…I got my life back and my Father. Which I find crazy, considering I didn't even know I died until she told me."
"Do you have memories of your old life?"
"I think…? I don't know. It feels like I have two sets of memories overlapping each other. Some are so similar to one another that I can't tell the difference between what's real and fake."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"Not as much as you dodging my question."
I paused, reluctantly sighing. "All right, fine. The truth is that I…I lost one of my best friends."
"You mean the girl Arisa mentioned before. Mikayla was her name, right?"
I nodded. "Out of everyone involved, she was the one who probably suffered the most. She lost everything, over and over again. And yet she wore a smile on her face so bright it was nauseating."
"No wonder you were so broken when she said it was a reward."
I nodded, "Before we went to fight, Mikayla begged me to stay in the present. I convinced her to fight, thinking she was giving up and needed the motivation to save what we had left. And she gave up her life to do just that…"
"…I'm sorry to hear that," Melanie replied. It was clear she didn't know how else to respond.
"I know she made that decision alone in those moments before we separated. But…" I swallowed the lump in my throat, fighting back the tears. "Dammit…it's not fair!"
Before I knew it, Melanie was pulling me into a side hug. I broke down because of it. For the next few minutes, I surrendered to my emotions, finally taking a moment to grieve Mikayla, Eve, and everyone else whom I lost during the battle. With everything changing, being forced to adapt to a new world, and the audacious claim that this is a "reward" for all my hard work…
If Melanie weren't here, I'm sure I'd find a way to raise all kinds of hell at this point.
A yellow Digital Gate suddenly erupted before us, subtly humming as it came into existence. To our surprise, Arylide came through, accompanied by two women beside her. One was around Arylide's height, with a youthful appearance, wearing sunglasses and a braided ponytail of blonde and black hair. The other was tall and somewhat endowed, looking to be in her early 30s, with silver hair tied with a white ribbon at the end and golden earrings hanging from her ears. The biggest takeaway from their sudden appearance was the AEGIS uniforms they were all dressed in, surprising no one else but me.
"Arisa, what are you doing here?" Melanie asked as she released me. "And... who are they?"
"That's Mastemon and Sakuyamon, right?" I asked, wiping my eyes, and composing myself, to which the two mysterious women nodded.
"You know them?" Melanie asked.
"They're aids to Arylide, who was Eve's right hand in the old world. Mastemon, in particular, is the arbiter of time and space."
"...okay, sure."
"Have we come at a bad time?" The silver-haired woman asked.
"No, this is perfect. I was beginning to wonder if AEGIS fit into any of this insanity, and lo and behold. I presume those are Shells you three are in?"
"Shells?" Melanie repeated.
"Android bodies that an AI can be implanted into to function in the real world. I know this because Eve herself was in a Shell when we first met."
"When first arriving at this new reality, we were intercepted by AEGIS, who provided these for us," Arylide explained. "To blend in with society while we conduct our investigations, I was to pose as Layla Saiba's body double."
"How long has this been a thing?" I asked Melanie.
"About several months? Maybe longer?" Melanie couldn't give me a direct date.
"You three have been here for that long? When we fought MOD, it was around Christmas Eve."
"It seems as though you were the only one who wasn't sent further back," Mastemon pointed out. "Your arrival in this world at that specific time may have been per Eve's will as well."
"Based on that, you're in the dark too, aren't you?"
Their silence answered that easily enough. "At least, do you know who else is here that's retained their memories?"
"From what we can tell, everyone from the old world has been brought forward and made to fit in some way. As for those who retained their memories, presumably, only we Digimon have succeeded in that. Any humans brought over have ceased to recall anything from the previous realities.
"That explains why no one else remembers then. Okay, so since I know that AEGIS is involved, what are they up to? You mentioned an investigation before."
"AEGIS is currently investigating this situation on our behalf," Arylide explained. "Given their expertise, we're hoping to locate Vantus whose gone missing."
The name shocked me, "even he's here too?"
Sakuyamon nodded, "as someone who was made into a hybrid like yourself, he too retained his memories and was working along with us when he disappeared. The former rebel leader Axel is currently leading the search for him."
"You don't think he went rogue, do you?"
"He has no reason to," Mastemon replied. "His powers as Omnimon Zwart dwindled greatly between returning Eve's clone and the forceful shift into this reality. It is why we're led to believe that he was kidnapped."
"And AEGIS was completely fine with this; jumping on with little context?"
"The one who offered their services explained that it was 'the heroic thing to do,' saying that AEGIS was built on their sacrifices."
I pondered that statement, and suddenly that person came to mind. It only made sense; if one was here, why wouldn't the other be?
"Is there any way I can contact Axel?"
"Not directly," Arylide explained. "Your best option is to come to AEGIS directly and meet with the agents in charge of this case."
"That's good enough. Plus, with AEGIS' help, I'm sure we'll be able to fill in more holes."
"I can't promise I'll be any help, though," Melanie said.
"If you don't mind, focus on things on SAIBA's side; If anything happens that looks suspicious, let me know."
She nodded, seeming to agree.
"We will be in touch," Arylide concluded. "If it's worth anything, I feel my creator would've liked for you to rest."
"I'm not resting until I get to the bottom of everything. If I die, then that's fine too."
"He doesn't mean that!" Melanie exclaimed. She then glanced at all of us and slightly backed off. "Nevermind…"
With that, Arylide and her trio summoned the gate and departed, leaving us to contemplate the new situation.
"So…" I began.
"Let's head back inside; I'm beginning to freeze out here," Melanie suggested.
"Yeah, good idea." I agreed. As I followed her to the door, she stopped short as her hand grabbed the handle.
"One last thing…" she began.
"What is it?"
"I know this may sound crazy, but you mentioned something else I was wondering about earlier. You said you were 'being watched,' right?"
"Yeah…? Why?"
She hesitated and shook her head, "Don't worry about it; it could be anxiety playing tricks on me. She quickly opened the door and headed inside. I stood outside for a few more seconds, looking at the night sky.
Now that she mentioned it, the feeling was lingering…