Yamaki's Dilemma
Ryo Akiyama had a major problem after his arrival on the Ark. The Legendary Tamer had taken off for the Digital World, called there by the one who would become his partner: the foul-tempered Cyberdramon. Cyberdramon wasn't exactly the easiest partner to have: his obsession with finding his ultimate opponent, his aggression always on a hair trigger, his tendency to communicate with growls, even though he was perfectly capable with language and conversation. Ryo decided that Cyberdramon and the Material World wouldn't get along. This led to his remaining in the Digital World for nearly two years. Making matters worse was that he'd left right after defeating his remaining opponent in the Digimon Battle Card tournament, one Ruki Makino, without so much as a "by your leave".
Needless to say, his father was mightily pissed. All the way home, Ryo had to deal with the tongue lashing, and threats of being grounded until he was 21. Fortunately, Cyberdramon remained in his Rookie form: Monodramon. Monodramon launched a "charm offensive" that eventually worked, as the rest of the family warmed up to him. At first, Ryo had to sneak out of the house in order to help in the fight against the D-Reaper in the bio-merged form of Justimon. Once the secret was out, his father accepted the reality of the situation with good graces. He understood Ryo's sense of responsibility: for his friends, his city and homeland. He would expect nothing less, as this is how Ryo was raised.
He was none too pleased when Lobomon showed up, as he'd hoped his son would finally be free of these heavy responsibilities, heavy for an adult, let alone a sixteen year old school boy. Even if he was the Legendary Tamer. Living in Katsushika made things difficult, but Ryo, his father, and Lobomon worked out a plan for dealing with this. Whenever Ryo needed to get to go anywhere, Lobomon would drive him if neither parent were available. This kept Lobomon off the train where he could not help but be noticed. This worked, as no one would ever expect to see an anthrowolf digital monster behind the wheel of a car. That, the tinted glass, and the natural obliviousness with which the vast majority made their way through their work-a-day lives, allowed Lobomon to hide in plain sight. The only thing that could queer the deal was getting pulled over for traffic infractions, and Lobomon made sure to avoid these.
Ryo was sitting in the passenger seat, leaning back, eyes closed as he listened to the radio. He and Lobomon were about half way home when Ryo snapped to attention, as Lobomon slammed on the brakes.
"Horn Buster!", Tuskmon attacked. Clouds of steam and smoke poured from the hood of the car, next the hood flew up to obscure the windscreen, as the car slid sideways. Lobomon's quick reactions prevented a roll-over.
"Horn Buster!", the digimon assassin attacked again, setting the interior on fire, just as Ryo and Lobomon jumped out. This was not good, as this attack was anything but discreet. The sight of a large, green dinosaurian in the middle of a highway fortunately stopped traffic in both directions.
"Howling Laser!", Lobomon retaliated. Tuskmon took the hit, but was unaffected.
"Horn Buster!", Tuskmon attacked again, this time, Lobomon tackling the assassin as the laser blast passed by Ryo, who was obviously the intended target. Lobomon went at Tuskmon with his Lobo Kendos, as Tuskmon fought back with his Slamming Tusk. Ryo wasn't used to being a mere spectator to a raging digibattle.
"Lobomon, we need to end this now!", he called out. "We don't need any more exposure here".
Lobomon evolve! ...
... BEOWULFMON!
"Cleansing Light!", Tuskmon exploded into data, as Ryo and Beowulfmon escaped the scene.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
The call Yamaki was dreading came.
"Mr Director…"
"I demand as explanation, and it had best be a good one. Why hasn't Shaggai been deployed and the Digital World destroyed?"
"Is that really necessary?"
"Are you still denying that these digimon have broken the agreement that no digimon would be crossing over? Maybe the explosion in Makino's neighborhood was an exploding barbecue and maybe it wasn't. Maybe the witnesses in Chou Park didn't know what they were seeing, but maybe they did. Can you deny what was seen on the highway? A big green dinosaur attacking in broad daylight: that couldn't be anything but a digimon. A digimon with obviously malignant intend on destruction. How can you possibly not justify deploying Shaggai now? If this isn't a matter of national security, then I don't know the meaning of those words".
"We're still investigating, Sir. So far, there have been no threats to the network, no interference with commerce or the markets, no attempts at any sort of cyber attack. It would seem that the attack was intended for one individual: that makes it a matter for law enforcement, with whom Hypnos is lending assistance in the investigation.
"I am not prepared to commit wholesale genocide lightly, and there are other considerations, other measures before doing something that drastic".
"That's an over dramatic description of terminating a program that's run amok. The termination of simulations of life. Those were your very words, Chief Yamaki".
"I didn't understand at the time. Yes, if you're accusing me of having a very human reaction, then I plead guilty as charged. The natural reaction to that which we don't understand is fear and to destroy that which we fear. How can you possibly justify the wholesale destruction of allies? Without the digimon, the D-reaper wouldn't have been stopped before it destroyed everything".
"Allies? More like expedience on their part. Do you recall all those threats? Humans will exist only to serve the digimons' endless evolutions. Can you deny that they are making good on that threat? How many times are you just going to sit there while the whole city is destroyed again? Do you have any idea how much this is costing insurance companies? Do you not see how this impacts the entire country's finances?
"This has become intolerable and I am ordering you to deploy Shaggai immediately".
"Have you forgotten what happened the last time Shaggai was deployed? There is something seriously wrong with the program, and it nearly took out the entire network. We were seconds away from the total paralysis of the entire economy. Lost records of accounts receivable, trades on the markets, everything, as all of East Asia, and maybe the entire world was sent back to 1950. That is why I am Chief of Hypnos now after being dismissed over that pig deva attack.
"I will be needing at least a week to make certain that doesn't happen again".
"You have 72 hours. If Shaggai hasn't been deployed by then, I expect your resignation on my desk. Do you understand me here, Chief Yamaki?"
"Yes, Sir"
"Good. Don't let me down again, Chief".
"You can come out now", Yamaki said to the apparently empty conference room. Calumon reappeared from his hiding place.
"You heard?"
"I heard, culu?"
"I need you to get a message to the Tamers. Have them meet at the usual place. Leave from the roof, less chance you'll be seen".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Janyu Lee and Siuchon were at the park. Siuchon was bouncing on a duck attached to a coil spring as her guardian, Ikkakumon, looked on.
"Is this fun?", he asked.
"I think so", she replied. "Me and Lopmon and Terriermon used to come here to play all the time... I guess you're too big? Huh?"
"Indeed", he replied.
Siuchon noticed the repeated glances over his shoulder. "You want to go swimming, I bet. Too bad I didn't bring my swim suit".
"Please", he replied.
"Dad!", she called out at she got off the duck, "we're going by the lake!"
"OK, honey, but you stay right there; don't go wandering off", Janyu called back.
Siuchon stood by the shore of the artificial lake, and watched as Ikkakumon dived in. So far as he was concerned, the water was too warm, the lake too shallow, the lake too small (though it was a good-sized lake for a city park) to really get up some speed. He surfaced a short distance from where Siuchon stood, looked around, then dived.
Janyu noticed someone approaching, as he looked away from where Siuchon stood: "Yamaki! What brings you here?" His gaze returned to his daughter - along with an unpleasant sense of deja vu. This was how it began the last time, and ended with Siuchon's being snatched off to the Digital World.
"Hello again, Jen's father, culu?", Calumon greeted.
"Hello yourself", Janyu acknowledged the greeting.
"I figured you'd show up here sometime on one of your off days. I have a special project I'd like you and your Wild Bunch to get working on right away. I'd appreciate it greatly if you would use the utmost discretion in this matter".
"What do you have in mind?", Janyu asked.
"A new and improved version of the Ark…"
"You... can't be serious? You can't send those kids back to the Digital World".
"We may not have that luxury. The Director ordered the deployment of Shaggai".
"You can't, haven't you learned anything?"
"We've learned quite a bit since that last time".
"They… wouldn't..."
"Wouldn't they? That last round of incursions caused major damage, and cost insurance companies enormously. Don't think these politicians wouldn't. You can be sure insurance companies are lobbying for just that sort of thing".
"What did you have in mind? We already have a design...", Janyu asked.
"And it damn near lost us the children. You over thought the problem, tried to handle everything by automation. If that last Ark's system hadn't developed self-awareness when it did, none of them would have made it back. We need to put a pilot on the next Ark - someone who can make decisions and react if anything goes wrong. Nothing less is acceptable".
"But who?"
"How about that friend - associate - of yours: Johnny Beckenstein?", Yamaki said.
"What about Impmon?", Siuchon called back, "he used to be a fighter pilot. He told me".
"Well?", Janyu asked.
"No good - not if he goes to the Digital World with the others", Yamaki speculated.
"Beckenstein's in America..."
"We have to get him here: Hypnos has enough discretionary funds on hand. Keep it off the 'net, so that means snail mail communications only. Whatever it...". Yamaki was caught in mid-sentence by the sudden appearance of a horrifyingly unpleasant odor.
"Siuchon! Run!", Calumon called out, "Palmon! Culu! Culu! Culu!", he literally danced from one foot to the other. Siuchon hesitated just a split second too long.
"Poison Ivy!", the palmon who'd been hiding in a nearby planter, in plain sight, attacked. Palmon, being plant digimon, have the ability to photosynthesize, root themselves and draw water from soil, and could make themselves look like a flowering plant. It was almost next to impossible to spot it for what it was, even if you knew what to look for. Lee and Yamaki could only watch, helpless, as ivy-like tendrils enveloped the young girl, as she collapsed to the ground. "You shall pay for your unforgivable sin of invading our God's domain with your life!"
Ikkakumon surfaced just long enough to get off a shot: "Harpoon Torpedo!" The palmon disintegrated into unorganized bytes. He was pulled under, as he had a problem of his own.
"No! Siuchon! SIIIIUUUUUCHON!", Janyu called out, as he collapsed to his knees.
A light green, barely visible, force field surrounded Yamaki, Lee, and Calumon just before an attacking ryudamon collided with it.
"It's all my fault!", Janyu sobbed. "Why did I let her stray so far away?! Why...".
"You protect the criminal who tried to destroy our world!", Ryudamon raged as he tried to break through Calumon's shield. "Of all the human-loving digimon, you are the worst traitor yet!", he continued to accuse. "Drop this shield now so that justice may be served!"
"Go to hell, culu?!"
A seadramon had appeared in the lake, and Ikkakumon was struggling to prevent his being entrapped in the seadramon's coils. If that happened, he knew it was all over. He would drown. The seadramon tried to ensnare Ikkakumon, as he held the serpent-like digimon by the neck, and twisted to keep the coils from tightening. That, and hang on for dear life. One thing Ikkakumon had in his favor was that seadramon were feral digimon, unintelligent. They operated mainly on instinct alone. That was his edge.
Finally, Ikkakumon happened to spot something on the bottom of the lake. It was covered with lake slime, something discarded a long time ago. Who knew what it was? He didn't care since it had sharp edges. He was fortunate to have spotted it. Ikkakumon made for it, dragging the seadramon along, using the last of his oxygen reserve. He raked its coils over the sharp edges. The seadramon let out a scream of pain, as a dark red cloud expanded into the water. The coils loosened just enough for Ikkakumon to slip free, swim away, and maneuver into position: "Harpoon Torpedo!", he launched the weapon. It connected solidly, disintegrating the seadramon. Ikkakumon, lungs on fire, surfaced and gulped in the life-giving air. His fading consciousness quickly returned to normal.
Ikkakumon was out of the water, headed towards the inert form of the one whom he promised to protect. He noticed Ryudamon, who was now coming at him, fast. "Harpoon Torpedo!", he fired, scored a direct hit. However, Ryudamon was a good deal tougher than he should have been, especially for a Rookie. He took the hit, but was only driven back. "Harpoon Torpedo!", he struck again. Still, he was not destroyed, but fell to the ground, unconscious.
Calumon released his shield, as Yamaki and Janyu ran to Siuchon.
Yamaki tore off the girl's shirt: "She's still breathing, but barely", he announced, as he pulled out his cell phone.
"Siiiiuuuu... chon", Janyu cradled his daughter. "What have I done... If I hadn't..."
Ikkakumon looked on. He believed he had failed as a guardian. If only he hadn't been so concerned over the heat. If only he had resisted the urge to swim in the lake... "Please be alright. Forgive me", he said. "Look out!", he called out, as Ryudamon was reviving.
Calumon acted quickly, entrapping him in one of his shield spheres. He couldn't attack, and he couldn't get out any more successfully than he tried to get in. Finally, after all too long, they heard the sirens of the approaching emergency response team. "Calumon, Ikkakumon: get out of sight", Yamaki ordered. "How long can you hold that thing?", Yamaki asked Calumon.
"How long would you like, culu?"
The ambulance was pulling in, and Yamaki waved them over. The response team took vital signs, relaying the information to the hospital, put on an oxygen mask. "What happened here?"
"She just collapsed, called out something about feeling dizzy, then collapsed", Janyu explained.
"Are you the father?"
"Yes".
"And you?"
"Friend of the family", Yamaki answered.
"Has anything like this ever happened before?"
"No", Janyu answered. He climbed into the back of the ambulance to ride
with his daughter.
"What the hell kind of creatures are you?! That you would try to murder an eight year old girl?!", Yamaki demanded, as he rejoined Calumon and Ikkakumon.
"I serve God..."
"What kind of a 'God' would condone - let alone order - the murder of a small child?!"
"The God for us digimon. You are the criminal that attacked our world, not once, but twice. If humans aren't trying to destroy us, they invade, uninvited and unwanted, to spread their lies and subvert the natural order of our world. It is a sin against our God that can be forgiven only in death... I have failed my God, and must extirpate my sin". Ryudamon reached for something he had concealed up till now under his armour, and activated it. It took but a second for Yamaki to decide:
"Run!", he ordered.
As Calmon, Ikkakumon and Yamaki ran, there came the roar of a great explosion. The concussion knocked them to the ground, and the wind out of Yamaki. Had it not been for Calumon's shield, he knew not one of them would still be alive. Yamaki looked back as he was catching his breathe; where Ryudamon had been, now there was a smoking crater.
"I failed...", Ikkakumon started.
"No", Yamaki shook his head, "You did not. Shit happens. If we're gonna assign blame, them sign me up for 100% of it. I have all this highest of high tech available, and Hypnos could not detect the incursion of that palmon. That thing could have been hiding here for days, for all we know. You stopped the palmon before it could inject a lethal dose of venom. Siuchon is still alive, and she wouldn't be if you had not acted when you did. You gave Calumon here warning enough to corral Ryudamon when he was coming to. Siuchon still needs you... hell, I need Siuchon and the rest of the Tamers, and I need you to protect them. If you measure yourself against perfection, you always come up short. No sense blaming yourself over something none of us could have prevented".
Yamaki joined Janyu Lee. Jen and Jen's and Siuchon's mother, Mayumi, had not yet arrived at the waiting area near the emergency room.
"Has there been any word?", Yamaki asked.
"None yet", Janyu answered. "When does it end?", he asked.
"How do you mean?", Yamaki counter asked.
"When is my debt for playing God paid in full?", Janyu asked, as he sat down and buried his face in his hands "First my son, then my daughter... twice... Is this my due for thinking I could create virtual life?"
"I need you to pull yourself together, Janyu..."
"You insensitive son... of... a..."
"You called me that once before. You remember? It was the first time I ordered Shaggai deployed to stop that pig-Deva. Then, you were upset because I was going to take away your son's 'pet' (finger quotes). Remember that? I have an entire government facility at my disposal and my budget is 'the sky's the limit', courtesy of the taxpayer. Hypnos' mainframe is probably more powerful than - maybe - four or five computers in the entire world. I have under me computer scientists, some of whom have more degrees than a thermometer. And it is useless. It is no match for an entire Internet of tens of millions of computers connected 24/7/365 that went self-aware, generated an entire world... You recall that Arnold Schwarzenegger movie... that one about 'Skynet'? 'Skynet' is here, right now: it exists, and we didn't even know it. It has become powerful enough that these creatures it spawned with the help of the Wild Bunch are able to materialize in this world. Every morning I wake up I offer a silent prayer that these idiot bureaucrats and politicians never realize how cost-effective the Tamers are. Otherwise, I am out of a job... But, I can't do it without them, and I can't help them help us without you".
Yamaki looked to Janyu: "This blame-game stops, here and now. As they say, shit happens. Everyone, and I do mean everyone will always come up short if perfection is your standard. That palmon could have been hiding for days. We had no way of anticipating that. It wasn't your fault".
Janyu knew everything his colleague and boss was saying was true. He could only wish that he had Yamaki's sense of cool detachment, and Terriermon's unflappable optimism. He could use both right now. Moumentai.
The doctor in charge of the case entered the waiting area: "How is she?", Janyu asked anxiously.
"It was a close call, but she'll be just fine. That palmon venom seems designed to be lethal to digimon, not humans, and Ikkakumon's intervention was quick enough to prevent the absorption of a fatal dose. I'd like to keep her here overnight for observation, just to be on the safe side".
Janyu sighed heavily with relief: "Thank God... Can we see her?"
"She just came around, and I would like to keep visitors to a minimum".
"Doctor, can I count on your discretion in this matter?", Yamaki requested, "it's a matter of vital national security... that no word of digimon ever leaves this room".
"Of course, you can count on me. It's not like I care, now that the patient will make a full recovery".
Yamaki pulled out his cell phone, called Hypnos: "Contingency Plan C", was all he said.
(...of a mysterious explosion earlier this afternoon in West Shinjuku. There is no definitive explanation as of yet, though authorities are speculating that kids were playing with home made explosives. An eight year old girl - identity with held pending notification of next of kin - tragically lost her life, and was pronounced dead at the scene...)
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"I understand you were sent to protect me, but Calumon and I go back a long way. If he said to meet in the park, then I'll be safe. He hasn't steered any of us wrong yet", Ruki explained to Harpymon.
"I still don't like it, all of you together in that park. Looks like an excellent opportunity to get all of you in one go. I can not agree…"
"I'm going, with you or without you, your choice".
"You will do what you will do".
"Thaaaaats Riiiiight", Ruki replied in the same sarcastic manner she'd used on Renamon.
"Very well, but you do as I say. I still don't like it".
"Agreed".
Ruki and Harpymon made their way to Chou Park: "I'm going to have a look ahead. Stay here, out of sight, and wait for my return".
Harpymon took off while Ruki waited. Several minutes later, Harpymon cupped her wings and landed. "Looks fine, so far". They made their way to the maintenance shed Guilmon stayed while he was hiding from Takato's parents.
"Ruki", Takato greeted, "You too, Harpymon. Any idea why we're here?"
"Not a clue".
Present were Takato and Lutramon, Kazu and Mikemon, Kenta and Kyukimon, Juri and Shadowkitsumon, and Jen.
"How's Siuchon?", Ruki asked.
"Should be coming home tonight. Doesn't look like that Palmon venom did any lasting harm, thought it was close", Jen explained.
"Thank Goodness".
"Thank Goodness indeed", Jen agreed. "Mother's been a wreck ever since the attack".
Yamaki and his party were startled as Lynxmon leaped from the trees to land on the nature trail. He stood a couple of meters from ground to shoulders. His green eyes contrasted nicely with his coat, now on fire. Even from this distance, Yamaki could feel the radiated heat.
"Park's closed", Lynxmon snarled. "Now get lost", he ordered.
Calumon stepped forward: "They're with me, culu?"
Lynxmon studied the intruders for a minute before deciding. The flames died down, leaving his fur with orange and yellow markings suggesting flames. He bounded back into the woods to resume his patrol.
Twilight was coming, and the shed growing dark. Shadowkitsumon rubbed his tails together. There was a crackle of electricity, then three glowing spheres floated up close to the ceiling.
"Fox lights", he explained. The shed now comfortably illuminated.
"Mr Yamaki!", Takato greeted. "And you brought Ryo".
"Siuchon", Jen said. "You weren't due till tomorrow". Siuchon was there with Ikkakumon.
"Mr Yamaki got me an early release", she explained. "I was getting pretty bored in that hospital room".
"What I have to tell you concerns her too".
There was another arrival.
"Put me down, you ugly, four-eyed buzzard!", Impmon demanded.
"This one required some extra persuasion", Impmon's guardian, Devidramon explained.
"What the fuck?", Impmon continued his rant. "I have a business to run!"
"Not any more, you don't", Yamaki said. "Your shop was just hit with some sort of energy burst. A total loss, I'm afraid. So far as anyone knows, you're dead…"
"What about Ai and Mako?"
"I could tell them Impmon's all right, culu?", Calumon offered.
"No, absolutely not", Yamaki objected.
"They have to know!", Impmon protested.
"They're five years old. One careless word and Zhuqiaomon will know he failed. It's safer this way, for you and for Ai and Mako and their parents. Why would he go to such an extreme to get to you?"
"It's because of what happened in the Digital World. Zhuqiaomon offered to evolve me, and in exchange I was to eliminate the Tamers and their partners. I almost succeeded, but for Takato and Guilmon's discovery of biomerging that transformed them into Dukemon, a worthy opponent for Beelezemon. Even then, Dukemon almost lost.
"When Dukemon had Beelzemon at his mercy, his intent was homicidal…"
"I remember", Takato added. "I would have too…"
"I made him stop fighting", Juri continued the story. "I didn't want to see Takato and Guilmon become as bad as Beelezemon: cold blooded killers. It wouldn't bring Leomon back".
"That's when Dukemon made a potentially fatal error", Impmon continued. "He broke the biomerge, leaving them wide open for destruction. Instead, my conscience, or what was left of it, made me walk away instead of finishing the job. For that, I'm at the head of Zhuqiaomon's shit list, probably right next to Lopmon. He doesn't forgive and he damn sure doesn't forget".
"What's this all about?", Ryo demanded.
"Yeah", Impmon added. "The old gang's all here".
"I have been ordered to deploy Shaggai, destroy the Digital World…"
"NO!"
"Youcan't!"
"That's… that's… genocide!", Ruki complained.
"That's not right…"
"If I don't, they'll just get someone else who will", Yamaki continued his speech.
"But… why?! After everything the digimon did for us…", Juri spoke up.
"You have to understand it from their perspective. The damage done here was considerable, and it's cost insurance companies nearly everything they have. It isn't inexpensive, rebuilding most of downtown Shinjuku. They also haven't forgotten Zhuaiaomon's threats".
"Can't you do anything?"
"There is one thing that would prevent the destruction", Yamaki explained. "If there were some children in the Digital World, that would prevent it as no politician wants to be known as a child killer".
"But… how? How do we go there? Those digital portals aren't exactly easy to find".
"There is a way. It was before your time. Ten years ago, or so, kids went missing all over Tokyo. It was later discovered that they were going to the Digital World. The predecessor of Hypnos, the Digital Accidents Tactical Squad, or DATS as it was often known, had what they called the 'Digital Dive' that could send investigators there".
"Then all we have to do is use this Digital Dive?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible. The equipment was destroyed and never rebuilt. The Digital Dive wasn't the only way. There is this husband and wife team of physicists, Drs. Hiroshi Naka and his wife Misuzu. They were doing research on interdimensional travel to get around the speed limit of light, a 'Star Gate' in layman's terms.
"That aspect of the experiments failed, but Mr Naka did discover how to open portals to the Digital World. It was an accident with his experiments that sent his infant son through the portal. That was one of the goals of the first expedition to the Digital World: locating and recovering the boy".
"Did they ever…"
"Not at that time, but Noguchi Naka was discovered and returned to the Material World, and eventually his parents, when he was ten. Commander Satsuma and some of his agents used Dr Naka's equipment to go to the Digital World".
"So how do we find this Dr Naka?", Ruki asked.
"They live in the foothills".
"We have to agree that we tell our parents", Ruki announced. "That doesn't mean leaving notes about field trips", she addressed Kazu and Kenta. "No sneaking off", she said to Juri and Ryo. "Not by e-mail after the fact", she told Jen.
"OK,"
"Agreed"
"I didn't exactly sneak off", Ryo protested. "Cyberdramon invited me right after the tournament where I kicked your ass. There wasn't any time".
"What. Ever", Ruki complained. "Just don't do it again".
"How much time do we have?", Juri asked.
"Two days. And you didn't hear about it from me", Yamaki said. He didn't need to remind them of the considerable risk he was taking on their behalf.
"Before I go", Yamaki announced, "I have something for all of you".
He took another device looking like a hand held and handed it to Takato.
"It's a new comm. This one should connect with Hypnos with greater reliability, so I can rely messages to your folks".
"Thank you for that".
During the last visit to the Digital World, the comm they used only connected during the "storms" that Hypnos was causing.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"Juri! What have I told you about coming in the front door during business hours?"
"I know, but this is important".
"Can't it wait?"
"No, Father, it can't".
He had rarely seen such seriousness.
"Shizue, would you take over while I see what this is all about", he called to his wife.
"NO! JURI! How could you… No, I won't allow it!".
"Mr Katou…", Shadowkitsumon began.
"You! Shutup and keep out of this!"
"Dad, you have to! There are lives at stake here!"
"I don't care. I care about you. I almost lost you once, and I refuse to go through that again… to put your mother through that again. I'll… I'll… I'll go to the authorities, tell them about Shadowkitsumon…".
"You can't…", Shadowkitsumon began.
They heard the clicking of claws on the wooden stairs that led up from the rear entrance directly to the apartment above.
"You…", Mr Katou started, "You'resupposetobedead!", he said to Impmon.
"The rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated", he explained. "Yamaki thought it best, to throw Zhuqiaomon off my trail. I can also assure you that Siuchon Lee is quite as alive and well as I. Yamaki is taking one HELL of a chance, using Hypnos to falsify news".
"What are you doing here? Why did you come?"
"It is imperative that the Tamers get to the Digital World. In case you haven't heard, Chief Yamaki has been ordered to destroy the Digital World, or at the very least, all the digimon living there. I'm not eager to become the last of my kind, with nowhere to call home. Neither are the rest of the Guardians".
"I don't care! Let them destroy the whole goddamned Digital World! At least my daughter – the rest of the kids – would be safe. If it meant protecting Juri, I would destroy the whole Digital World with my bare hands.
"I… admit it: I wasn't much of a father. I didn't know how to take care of a toddler. Maybe I wasn't showing enough affection. Maybe I gave the impression I didn't care. I hurt you in so many ways. Then I wasn't very kind when I was told you had returned from that last visit. But it wasn't Juri. You was trapped inside that Kernel Sphere, and I was certain I would lose you forever. Before I could make it right.
"Then I got a second chance I didn't deserve when Takato rescued you".
He addressed Impmon and Shadowkitsumon: "My Juri came back, and I refuse to let her go again".
"Father…", Juri had not heard such a confession of fatherly love in as long as she could remember. I… I… have a duty…"
"No you don't! You've done enough! More than enough! More than anyone, human or digimon, has any right to expect. Leave it to someone else!"
"There is no one else".
"Mr Katou", Impmon explained, "I'm still not clear on how this father/daughter relationship works. In the Digital World we do things differently. Juri will be safer in the Digital World with us…"
"NO…"
Impmon held up has hands: "I know it's a bitter pill to swallow, not being in the best position to protect your daughter. However, if you're honest with yourself, you will have to admit it. That's the straight up truth.
"You don't know what you're dealing with here. I do. I've dealt with Zhuqiaomon before, and I can tell you one thing: he's batshit crazy. A certifiable lunatic. He will stop at nothing to get to Juri. I offer myself as a case in point. Zhuqiaomon destroyed my shop right there in the Akihabara. It was fortunate that no one died, though the blast did cause some injuries. You don't think the same thing couldn't happen to your bar and grill? That he won't destroy you, your wife, your daughter and all your customers?
"I can assure you he will. He did it once before by dark digivolving me into his assassin, Beelzemon. That was my main mission: kill the Tamers and their partners. I almost did exactly that. I'm not proud of it, and I don't like discussing it".
"Then let Yamaki destroy him…"
"Do you really believe that Zhuqiaomon would just go quietly into that good night? I can guarantee you: he would not. The last act of his life could very well be his concentrating his life force, the life force of the entire Digital World into one energy burst and fire it at Tokyo. A nuke would be child's play compared to what Zhuqiaomon is capable of. We have to stop him, but in a way that doesn't destroy one world and do great damage to another".
"Are you threatening…"
Impmon shook his head: "No, Sir, I am not. I'm trying to impress upon you the true gravity of the situation you facing here. You can't protect your daughter, not here in the Material World. The only way to guarantee the safety of your family, friends, and customers is to allow us to go to the Digital World".
"We will be better able to look after her there", Shadowkitsumon said. "I swore that I will guard her life with my own. All of the Guardians did so. Let us do our jobs to the best of our ability".
"I'll… think about it",
"Don't take too much time", Impmon reminded, "we're running out of that pretty fast".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"Ruki,what are you saying?", Rumiko asked.
"We have a way to get to the Digital World", Ruki was explaining. "We have to stop Zhuqiaomon before Yamaki destroys the entire Digital World, to prevent a genocide".
"I thought we were over this, after the D-reaper".
"So did I, so did everyone…"
"Haven't you done enough? It was bad enough, the worrying and waiting for you to come back from those D-reaper attacks… I don't want…"
"I knew you would be going back", Seiko Hata, Ruki's grandmother said, "ever since Renamon left".
"Mother!", Rumiko objected.
"It's true isn't it?", Seiko replied. "I know Ruki, and I always knew, one way or another, sooner or later, she would go looking for Renamon… I always said Renamon was Ruki's guardian angel… Harpymon, you'll have to take over as Ruki's guardian angel".
"I don't know exactly what a 'guardian angel' is, but I will protect Ruki. It's not the same", Harpymon explained. "The Tamers will be going with us. We all swore to protect our charges".
"What you're proposing is dangerous!", Rumiko complained.
"Staying here is also dangerous. I told you about how that guardromon attacked Ruki. It's just a question of when – not if – the next attempt is made.
"Were you aware that Ruki's friend, Juri Katou, almost hanged herself under the influence of Dracmon, one of Zhuqiaomon's assassins? Had her Guardian not appeared when he did, the consequences would have been tragic".
"Are you sure there's no other way?"
"Very", Harpymon confirmed.
"You promise me you won't be taking any chances", Rumiko asked of Ruki.
"Never".Ruki agreed.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"So this is where you got to?", Juri said to Shadowkitsumon, who was sitting on the shallowly sloped roof just outside Juri's bedroom window. She sat on the still of the sliding window. "This was Leomon's favourite sittin' and thinkin' place", she commented.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah… so back to the Digital World tomorrow. The first time, I asked Leomon all about it. He wasn't very informative. Then he wasn't one for wordy explanations".
"The strong, silent type?"
"He was that… He said he was my partner, and I said I was his Tamer. Then I asked a favour, but he wouldn't do it… Things between us were never the same".
"Oh? What was the favour?"
"Here", Juri said, "he had his paw on my knee…" Juri reached for Shadowkitsumon's paw.
"Like that?", he asked as Juri put his paw on her knee.
"Then I said 'Could you do me a favour?'"
Juri pulled the hem of her jumper above her hips, and spread her legs: "Slide that paw a little higher".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Yoshie, Takato's mother, buried her face in her hands: "Why?", she wept. "Why our son? Why won't they leave him alone? How could a childish wish to play with a digimon lead to this?! I don't think I can stand anymore! When does it end..."
"Mom", Takato comforted, "It'll be alright. What's done is done, and we can't go back. We'll just have to see how it plays out, but I'll be OK. If I can survive the D-reaper, I can survive anything..."
"But it's not fair!", Yoshie complained.
"What can I say? Show me where it says life will always be fair on my birth certificate".
"Takato!", his father reprimanded. He suspected that his son was enjoying this a whole lot more than he let on.
"Sorry... It's just I don't know what else to say".
"Honey", Takehiro started, "It's not the kind of life any parent would choose for their kids. But we just have to trust that whatever providence is at work here knows what it's doing, and that Takato will be protected. I don't know when it ends either, or how it ends, or if it ends".
"I don't see how you can be so blasé about this!"
"Remember what I said last time? I said Takato was old enough to go on a trip by himself. I still stand by that. We all have our responsibilities, and this just happens to be Takato's".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"You're gonna go all distant on me, aren't you?", Juri asked.
Juri and Shadowkitsumon were in her bedroom.
"I didn't know your Leomon, but I'd bet Credits that this was the first time he was in the Material World. In our world, there's no such thing as sex. Digimon have genders, but that's by personality and disposition only. Sometimes it changes from one evolution to another. When we enter the Material World to become material beings we have these… feelings. Feelings we never had before, and it takes time to come to terms with them".
"You think that's why Leomon did what he did?"
"You scared hell out of him".
"You…"
"No, not me. This isn't the first time I've been here".
"Then why won't you? Don't you like me?"
"Juri, yes, one part of me would like nothing more than to ravish you. However, that would be very selfish of me. Yes, I know we shadowkitsumon aren't exactly the saintly types. We're Virus and a dark species. Like I was saying about digimon who just crossed over, they're not unlike you".
"How so?"
"Sexually naive, you're at that age when you're just getting these new feelings. You want to experiment. I'm your partner, is that not true?"
"Yes, and I'm your Tamer…"
"My duty as your partner is to see no harm comes your way. This is what I'm doing: seeing to it that you aren't hurt. You are way too young to be thinking about that. I don't know why you're in such a hurry to grow up; shit's serious enough as it is.
"My advice is to be a kid and enjoy your childhood – or what's left of it – while you can…"
"Now you sound just like my father".
"And he's right".
"You don't... love me?"
"I never said that. You don't need to earn my love – or anyone else's – for that matter. If it's real love, it ain't goin' nowhere, and neither am I. Ten years won't make a difference, and if it does, it wasn't love in the first place. I'm not going to change how I relate to you".