The Digital Edda

Book One: The Dark World

Chapter Six

Over the next few days, Kari and the Gatomon conducted their impromptu patrols around Tokyo. It had started easily enough, visiting her familiar haunts during the summer months; the area around and inside Aqua City, on and under Odaiba's pier, and the breadth of Odaiba itself, including its streets, alleys, and hidden places tucked between high rises or ascending stairwells. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. This morning she ventured outside of that comfort zone, boarding the train to Shinjuku Central with Davis and Ken.

They sat in a secluded section of the caboose. It was small enough for them and the conductor's booth, separated by a windowless, locked door. Black Gatomon sat on Kari's shoulder facing the window, staring out at the throngs of people gathered on the platform. Gatomon spied him from Kari's opposite shoulder, amusement evident on her muzzle, watching his eyes dilate and contract. Kari decided to pry a little.

"You see something interesting, Black Gatomon?" she asked.

The black cat blinked for the first time in minutes. He looked down, irises expanding, revealing their dazzling gold color. "There's so many humans." he replied. His gaze turned towards the window again. "The Real World is an amazing place."

Gatomon snickered. Veemon and Wormmon chuckled from their seats across the car. "You'll get used to it, eventually," she said. Her tail found his and Kari could feel them intertwine against her back. "Stick with me and I'll make you a city cat in no time."

He looked across at her and smiled. It was a sly, daring grin reserved only for his white counterpart. "Is that a promise?" he returned, giving her tail a gentle tug. Gatomon, for her part, remained stoic and cool, though her claws kneaded deeper into Kari's shell jacket. Kari wanted to giggle, but she smothered it by smiling at her partners instead.

"What is Dark World like?" Ken interjected. He puzzled at the ceiling, deep in thought. "We only know it as the Dark Ocean."

Black Gatomon frowned at the interruption, but answered. "It's exactly how it sounds. Dark, unsettling, and unnerving." The inlaid speakers above them chimed. An automated announcer rattled off their destination as the train began inching away from the platform. Ken absorbed the information, furrowing his brow, watching the station slide away. "All of it is unpleasant."

The conversation went quiet for a while. Outside the train car's windows, gray clouds and scudding snow, blinding the sun above and Tokyo Bay from below. It had been snowing since yesterday. Thick, ugly clumps draped against the window, torn away as the train banked at full speed. Kari collected both Gatomon into her lap and hugged them. The train banked left, traveling under a bridge expanse and banking left again once on the other side.

Gatomon sat in Kari's lap, nose almost touching her counterpart's. "While we're waiting, Black Gatomon, why don't you tell us a little more about Dark World?"

Black Gatomon cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Why not?" she replied. Her tail sashayed behind her, tail ring glinting in the recessed lighting. "You can't just tell us it's unpleasant without a few examples, no?"

His gaze went about the car, discovering six pairs of eyes upon. He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. "Fine." Black Gatomon relented, "Fine, but I warned you." Gatomon's eyes flashed, triumphant. She and the others gathered closer, getting comfortable. Black Gatomon cleared his throat. "The problem is where to begin," he started. "It's not like the Real World or the Digital World. Varieties of life exist there, from flesh and blood, digital, to the unknown or unexplained." The black cat regarded them all, gold eyes gleaning. "And it's that blending of life which makes Dark World so macabre."

"Macc—abre?" Veemon echoed. He struggled pronouncing it, the syllables getting stuck in his throat. "What's macabre?"

"Something grim or gruesome," Ken explained.

Gatomon scoffed. "What could be grimmer than the Demon Lords living on it?"

Black Gatomon smiled again. He placed a single claw upon her lips, drawing her short. Something in his expression, from the squint of his eyes to how his whiskers tickled against hers, impressed his wisdom on the subject. "That's where the gruesome lies," he said, "For instance, that Changeling you faced was one of a myriad of digital creatures that are not digimon. They twist and transform into the disgusting and horrifying things of the Real and Digital Worlds." He flexed his claws out like a predator, sizing up Gatomon for a pounce. "Teeth for gnashing and claws for tearing." The white cat rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"But if you travel into the darkest places," Black Gatomon continued, "Swam deep into the ocean or wandered until the light from the gray sky was swallowed up in complete darkness," he spun to regard the others. Davis and Wormmon jumped at the sudden motion. Kari tensed. "You'd have run into the Deep Ones, the masters of Dark World—digital space, even. Who exists outside of time and space." The black cat said, embellishing the quiet. Out from the corner of her eye, Kari saw Ken's expression widen at the name. Clarity was evident in his eyes. When he caught her staring, Ken shifted his expression flat, though his eyes remained bright and worried. "Not flesh or blood, bone or digital, they can exist in any form on a whim."

Gatomon harrumphed. "Oh come on. First, it was these Vanir, now there's Deep Ones too?"

"You doubt me?" Black Gatomon questioned. He tutted her. "I assure you; they are very real. The Vanir, the Demon Lords, you DigiDestined, are all nothing to them in comparison. To them, you are a breeze against the face of a mountain, brief and inconsequential. To them, we are merely playthings to be used and discarded when we break."

"There might be something to that," Ken mumbled. He gazed out the window, eyes distant, replaying a memory only he could see. "When I first went into the Dark Ocean, something was with me, a presence—whispering in my ear." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his black D-3, running a thumb over the screen. "That's when I got my D-3. That's when I learned of the Control Spires and Dark Rings." Ken shuddered. "That voice led me to where to mine the materials, taught me how to forge it." He looked up at Davis. "And when I left, days later, I was the Digimon Emperor."

Davis looked perplexed. "I thought the Dark Spore turned you into the Digimon Emperor."

Ken shook his head. "Personally, but the Digimon Emperor was nothing without his tools."

Black Gatomon dipped his head in agreement. "Sounds like something one of the Deep Ones would do," he said breezily. "They meddle just enough for a bit of fun, then watch from afar."

Gatomon stood up, crossing her arms. "Explain." she demanded.

"I would love to, but," the black cat trilled. Kari felt the train decelerate. The PA sounded, cutting through the tension like pealing thunder, announcing their arrival in Shijuku Central, Odaiba Platform. As the train's air brakes heaved and the car slowed to a crawl, Black Gatomon grinned at his counterpart. "That's a story for another time," he replied, giving her nose a playful tap with his paw.

At first, Kari saw nothing unusual on the platform, thankful the handful of people disembarking the train ignored the growling white cat perched on her right shoulder. The group stretched their legs, allowing the disembarking passengers to gain a comfortable lead before shuffling towards the escalators at the other end of the platform. Closing the distance, she noticed a few figures standing askew, loitering on the escalator's landing, watching the flow of people descend. The boys noticed also. Davis shifted, standing in front of Kari on her left side. Ken mirrored him on her right. The digimon—even the unrehearsed Black Gatomon—went stiff, eyes glassy wet and doll-like, turning into dolls or accessories in an eye blink.

Kari held her breath. As she pushed past the three men, her eyes dared a sidelong glance in their direction. In that brief second of visual information, her heart skipped a beat.

They were Japanese Defense Force soldiers. Kari recognized their arm patches and the abbreviated JSDF embroidered on the right shoulder and emblazoned on their vests. They wore helmets, padded jackets, and hardened carapace protected their joints. Everything was colored funeral black. Davis hung back before stepping onto the escalator, doubtless gorging on the weapons slung across the soldier's backs or dangling on their front. One soldier returned the gesture. Straw-blonde hair and bright eyes peered at Kari for an uncomfortable, hard second.

The kids descended on the escalator without incident. After a few seconds, they let out the air in their lungs, relieved sighs all around. Davis looked back up the escalator's shaft. "What's the military doing here?"

"Certainly not keeping the pickpockets in check, that's for sure." Ken followed up. "Did you see what they were carrying?"

Kari nodded. It was an unusual sight. Thankfully, the digimon played their parts, well-rehearsed after spending years in the Real World. "They could be aware of Dark World creatures, same as us," Gatomon suggested from her place in the crook of Kari's right arm. She wrapped her tail around the girl's forearm as a makeshift anchor. "Tokyo is a big place, after all. There's no way we'd be able to cover every possible corner."

Ken stroked his chin. "That is a likely possibility. I think we should play it safe while we're here, especially if there are more in the station."

His prediction was correct. More armored and armed soldiers haunted Shinjuku Central. They congregated in small numbers; in the transitions between platforms, patrolling the narrow walks of the shopping areas, and the semi-food court entertained about six, though Kari had been more concerned looking inconspicuous than staring at armed people eating at McDonald's or Sbarrow's Pizza.

Black Gatomon fidgeted in the crook of Kari's left arm. "Auch," he mumbled, shifting. "How do you sit still for so long? I've been fighting the urge to stretch."

"You'll get used to it," Gatomon replied. Her eyes narrowed at him. "Serves you right for earlier." The black cat frowned, twitching his nose.

As the group carried on, Kari's attention shifted. Shinjuku Station's PA system had been chattering since her arrival. She recognized only the one; the semi-modular, upbeat station spokeswoman who relayed station information on a loop. The other two were foreign, speaking in more monotone, clinical, and synthetically male tones. Between weaving through stores pretending to shop, Kari blocked out the foreground, focusing her ears for the tell-all chime of the PA system's call.

"Attention Shinjuku Central shoppers," the spokeswoman sang, "Due to the inclement weather, the shopping areas at Shinjuku Central will be closing at five this evening. Train service will continue to run for two hours afterwards until seven." Kari glanced at the wall clock outside a Bed Bath and Beyond. "We do apologize for the inconvenience," the recorded voice continued. "Any questions or concerns about our closures or operations can be answered at the Metro Administration Office on ground level, area three."

The next chime sounded when Kari and Davis waited outside a gift shop somewhere on the second floor. Instead of the lilting, musical note that precluded a normal announcement, a harsh, electronic klaxon pulsed. "Attention, citizens," a modular male voice said, "Security of Shinjuku Station is under direct control of the Japanese Defense Force. Any citizen violating local ordnance will be dealt with extreme prejudice." The last line quirked Kari's eye. "Citizen notice," the voice added, "Failure to leave the premises before closure will result in immediate incarceration."

A following chime resounded sometime later. Kari had almost missed it, her head buried in a rack of khaki pants that were on sale, thirty percent off the regular price. "Sentinel providing overwatch," a clipped, male voice announced. "Heimdall is active over 'Shinjuku Central railway station and surrounding areas'. All fire-teams situation reports and prepare for reassignment."

Black Gatomon's ear twitched. "Heimdall?" he echoed. Breaking his stuffed persona, the black cat turned his attention towards the store's entrance. His eyes went wide and curious. "That's not coincidence."

Ken noticed his friends' confused expressions. "God of Norse Mythology. He's basically a deified version of a lookout."

"So, what then?" Davis asked. He webbed his hands behind his head and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "You think these Vanir and the military are in cahoots or something?"

Ken shrugged. "Possibly. Adopting mythological names for things is pretty common," he countered. "Though, using a Norse deity for the Japanese is a strange choice." He continued postulating as the group walked out of the store and into the hallway. "If they are, then it creates more questions than answers. It could explain how the world forgot about all the Digimon activity for the past six years."

"I thought Gennai handled that?"

Black Gatomon scoffed. "As if," he tutted. "Do you really think one digital man and a few clones could convince an entire city that Daemon, of all Digimon, was just an illusion?"

"Enough!" Veemon blustered.

The blue dragon's outburst surprised his partner. He surprised Kari and Ken. He surprised two women walking past them. His outburst turned the heads of a few soldiers a few strides away, their gaze unobstructed and curious. Davis, upon noticing them, clamped his hand over Veemon's mouth, turned his heel, and walked away. The others charged after him. Kari risked a glance behind her shoulder. In her peripheral, she saw them exchange confused looks, pointing at their backs. The man on the left touched his lower helmet, talking into what Kari imagined was a microphone. Her heart skipped a beat. Anxiety surged in her body, compelling her further, faster, keeping on the heels of the boys.

They said nothing, increasing the distance between them and any soldier. In an alcove, tucked away between a bathroom, a row of charging stations, and a Lids, Davis pushed open the double doors leading into a service tunnel, Kari and Ken close behind. He waited until the satisfying—and secure—click of the closing doors before exhaling the breath he had been holding.

"Geeze, Veemon, give us a warning next time?" he said, removing his hand from the blue dragon's frowning mouth.

"Gennai is our friend, Davish," Veemon replied, impediment belying his excitement. He pointed an accusatory finger at Black Gatomon. "And Black Gatomon's been taking shots at him ever since he got here." Wormmon nodded in agreement.

Black Gatomon wriggled out of Kari's arm and hopped to the floor. "If the sandals fit," he challenged, staring up at the rookie.

Veemon bit on the bait, shimmying out of his partners arms and landing in a crouch. "What's your issue?"

Gatomon landed between them. She held out her paws. Her tail whipped behind her, holy ring cracking against the tile floor like a gunshot. "That's as far as this goes," she declared. The humans, too stunned for words, watched on. Gatomon turned towards Veemon. "Not all digimon are going to like Gennai," she said to him. Turning her head, she regarded her black counterpart, blue eyes icier. "And you," she said, "If this 'partnership' is going to succeed, you'll stop picking fights like an alley cat. Got me?"

Black Gatomon withered underneath her unblinking glare. "Sorry," he blurted. "Sorry."

"Yea, well," Veemon deflated, avoiding Gatomon's eye contact, "apology accepted," he agreed.

Inwardly, Kari praised her partner of six years. Taking advantage of the peace, she bent over and scooped up her troublemaker in both arms as Gatomon returned atop her shoulder.

"Why do you dislike Gennai so much, if I may ask." Wormmon inquired.

Black Gatomon looked up at Kari. His eyes bore into hears, searching. "He kept me from Kari," he admitted. "I would've been here sooner, around the time you fought the Digimon Emperor if it wasn't for him. Helya hates him for keeping her isolated in Dark World. Every time she tried making contact with the outside worlds, Gennai would perceive it as a threat, and stop it in between."

"Why would Gennai do something like that?"

Black Gatomon shrugged. "Beats me," he admitted. "Like I said, he's meddled in a lot of things above his head."

"Alert," the PA system announced. "Alert, anomalous activity detected in Shinuku Central underground, level two, subsection nine, cross-platform service tunnel B." The clinical, monotone paused before speaking again. "Local units identify and contain. All civilians must evacuate Shinjuku Central immediately." Klaxons fired. The pealing whine startled everyone. Fire alarm strobes in the ceiling began flashing. Kari's vision flooded in disorienting white and blue. Underneath the din, the PA system returned. "Attention shoppers and travelers," the familiar, feminine spokeswoman announced. "There is a fire in the building. Please exit the closest fire exits. Walk, do not run. If there's a personal emergency, contact the transportation authority or local first-responders."

Davis looked down at his partner. "Aw, you've done it now, Veemon!"

The blue dragon sputtered in protest. "I swear it wasn't me Davish."

Deeper in the service tunnel, where the narrow hallway banked right, Kari saw obscuring fog draping around the corner. The others noticed it also. Between the Kalxon's wailing dirge she heard the staccato, muffled thumps of gunfire. Terrified screams followed cut short by a roar shaking station's concrete foundation. It was distinct, overwhelming, triumphant. Dust snowed from the ceiling. The digimon arrayed themselves in front of their partners. The fog pulsed and flashed with the white and blue strobes, creeping towards them as a curtain pushed by an invisible wind.

The deeper, masculine voice thundered, "Sierra three unresponsive. Fire-teams Dover one and Cincinnati three prioritize and contain. Warden unit zero-three-zero will assist. Confirm visuals."

"I think it's safe to say, we found a Dark World creature," Ken said, "Or a Dark World creature found us."

"Either way," Black Gatomon added, flexing his claws. "Sounds like we're second to this dance."

Kari reached into her pants pocket and seized her digivice. She looked towards the others and, exchanging nods, stepped into the fog.

OOC: I didn't realize how difficult a story could be when you avoid the same, familiar tropes Digimon is known for. It's not often the Destined are the ones actively driving the plot or investigating the unknown.

Though, it's slowly building up the world building necessary for later events, but tailored in such a way that the reader and Destined discover it at the same time.

Anyways, please read and review. Your input greatly improves my writing!