Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Digimon.EXE ❯ Session 11: Chicken Bone ( Chapter 13 )

Digimon.EXE

By Wolf O'Donnell

WARNING! May contain Alternative Universe situations and out-of-character experiences. Upon reading this, you hereby agree that you forfeit all your rights to sue me and that I cannot be held liable for any psychological or physical damage caused by the fact that I use British English spelling and that this fanfic contains graphic acts of a heterosexual and homosexual nature (not applicable to FanFiction.net version), extreme violence and use of swear words. Digimon is copyrighted by Bandai and Toei Animation Ltd. Wolf O'Donnell is copyrighted by Nintendo Ltd, although that might have nothing to do with the fanfic. Constructive criticism is very welcome.

* * * * *

Session 11: Chicken Bone
"Don't worry, Alice, you'll be all right," said Jenrya, as he struggled onwards. Alice's arms was slung over his shoulders and he was having to carry her on his back. However, he would get her out of the dungeons. "I've called for the ambulance," he told her. "All we have to do now is to get out of here."
Alice felt weak. Jenrya had managed to bandage up the wound pretty well, but she was still feeling lethargic.
"Forget about me," she told him. "I won't make it."
"Sure you will," argued Jenrya. "I'll make sure you make it!"

"How's it going, boy?" asked Takato curiously, as he stood there in the dark room. He waited for a reply. Suddenly, he heard a scream and it didn't come from WarGrowlmon either. It was probably one of the other Devas. "This can't be happening," muttered Takato under his breath. "Why is this happening?" he cried, tears streaming from his eyes, as he collapsed to his knees. "All I wanted was to make this world a better place. Is that so bad?" He hugged himself, not sure whether his Digimon had been deleted or whether his friends had died.

* * * * *

WarGrowlmon stepped back. He would have to face the Zombie himself. The little grey Program looked entirely frightening, its arms outstretched, parts of its head missing. However, he'd get rid of it himself. With a roar, he fired his Atomic Blaster. Twin beams of energy pulsed ahead of him and smashed into the Zombie, tearing it apart.
Something rushed past and bumped into him, knocking WarGrowlmon out of the way. It was a purple Program and it had a sack slung over its shoulder. A Bandit!
"Hey, come back!" he shouted, and ran after it.

* * * * *

The brown-haired girl sat quietly at the control panel, watching the Devas being picked off one by one. This was not like her, but she had to do this for Hypnos. She had to do it, otherwise her home country would be destroyed by Hypnos. She had no other choice. Juri had to protect Phyle from Hypnos by siding with Hypnos.
"How is everything, Leomon?" asked Juri curiously.
"It's all going smoothly," replied Leomon's voice from the D-Scanner that had been plugged into the control panel. "Someone's attempting to access the network, though."
The image on all the monitors changed to that of Takato.
Juri leaned forward in surprise. Takato? She liked him, but she knew that Takato would never be her girlfriend.
"Don't worry about him," she told Leomon. "Takato's a klutz. He won't be able to stop us." She looked sideways away from the monitors. Yes, she liked Takato very much. Perhaps she could let him live. No, perhaps she could appear to save him. Then she'd earn his love. "Activate the next room's trap and then jack out," ordered Juri. "We've got a heart to win."

"Takato, don't cry," said WarGrowlmon, making the brown-haired youth look up. "I've nearly got the trap deactivated."
A smile slowly spread across Takato's dampened face.
"Thanks, boy," he thanked WarGrowlmon.

* * * * *

"It's no problem," replied WarGrowlmon, as he tightened the digital rope around the Bandit. That'll teach the corrupted Program to steal from him. He took the stolen money back from the Bandit. Somehow, the Bandit had managed to steal money from Takato's account.
WarGrowlmon turned and saw a firewall blocking the way. He sighed.
"Takato, I'll have to go back," he told his Operator. "There's a firewall in the way and I probably need a key." He then turned right and walked back down the path he had come down, leaping over a hole he had accidentally caused a few minutes back. He stopped and then saw the turret that he hadn't visited. "Rapunzely," he commented.
That was when WarGrowlmon felt a stabbing pain in his left leg. He kicked out and sent something flying back. Turning round, WarGrowlmon saw a Vampire crash on to the floor and burst apart into tiny bits of digital data due to the force of its landing. His pupils dilated in fear.
"Uh, Takato, I've been bitten or something by a Vampire," he told his brown-haired Operator.
"What?" exclaimed Takato in disbelief. There was a moment when all Takato could do um and uh. "Er... don't worry, boy. I've got a repair patch here somewhere."
"You'd better hurry," WarGrowlmon said. "I can feel... the hunger..."
"Stop being so overdramatic," said Takato. "It doesn't work that quickly. At least, I hope it doesn't." There was silence once more, as WarGrowlmon stood there all alone on the stone path. "Ah! I've found it! DigiModify- Max Heal activate!"
WarGrowlmon instantly felt refreshed. The wound on his leg disappeared. The Digimon felt much better.
"Thanks, Takato," he thanked his Operator.
"That's okay, pal," said Takato. "Now do you think you could find that key?"
"Sure thing, Takato," replied WarGrowlmon with a nod of his head. He then ran as fast as he could along the path, trying his best to move towards the turret. He turned a corner and then found himself on a straight stretch towards the turret. "Whoa!" he cried out and dived to the side, hitting against the invisible wall that prevented him from straying and falling off the path. He turned and looked to see an arrow had implanted itself into the floor right next to his foot.
The Digimon craned his neck and looked up at the tower. Another arrow flew from one of the window slits and down towards him. WarGrowlmon rolled out of the way and leapt to his feet.
"Who keeps firing at me?" he wondered out loud. Oh well. "Atomic Blaster!" He fired a powerful twin beam of energy at the tower. His attack didn't crack the wall one bit.
Firing his jet boosters, WarGrowlmon skimmed across the stone floor and headed straight towards the tower. He turned his shoulder towards the wooden door of the tower and rammed into it. The door, which obviously failed to audition for the position of sturdy object at the most impregnable fortress, shattered into a million toothpick-sized splinters. That would have been fine for WarGrowlmon- free toothpicks- were it not for the fact that Digimon, being computer programs, didn't eat. However, in his digital dreams, WarGrowlmon was sure that if Digimon did eat, they would do so by the truckload.
WarGrowlmon ran up the flight of stairs and then smashed his way through another door, which must have also failed for the part of impregnable doorway.
What WarGrowlmon saw next was not what he expected. Tied to a digital chair was a Program dressed like Attila the Hun and the Program's captor was dressed like a Damsel in Distress. However, this Program was far from in distress and the machine gun its stubby little arms confirmed that fact to WarGrowlmon.
Seconds after WarGrowlmon dived for cover, the stonework of the doorway exploded into stone chips as the Damsel-like Program unloaded its machine gun into the doorway.
"What is going on here?" he wondered out loud. "Where's the key for the fire wall?" he shouted.
"Who wants to know?" retorted the Program (the one which wasn't tied to a chair and gagged).
"I'm here to deactivate the trap," roared back WarGrowlmon, as he hid behind the wall for cover.
"WarGrowlmon, you've got armour," Takato reminded his Digimon.
That fact suddenly hit WarGrowlmon like a ton of bricks, which is, incidentally, what fell to the stone floor seconds later, as he smashed his way through the wall. He lunged straight towards the machine-gun-wielding Program with his arms held up in front of him to shield his face. As he ran, he kept his body low down to the ground, so that his legs were as protected as possible from the machine gun.
WarGrowlmon smacked the Program out of the way, simultaneously cutting the ropes that bound the other Program.
"Oh, whoops," exclaimed WarGrowlmon, as he realised he had hit the Damsel Program a little bit too hard and had set it out of the window. He sighed and turned round. "You okay?" he asked the barbarian-like Program.
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied the Program, as it floated over towards the window.
"So, erm, may I ask, where's the key to the fire wall?" asked WarGrowlmon. "The one that blocks the way to the switch?"
"You pushed it out the window," came the reply.
WarGrowlmon sighed frustratedly, his shoulders sagging.

* * * * *

"It's done!" announced WarGrowlmon proudly, seconds later.
"Great job, WarGrowlmon," praised Takato, before he removed his D-Scanner from the port. He moved cautiously towards the opening where the arrows came out. Nothing. He stepped past. Still nothing. Takato smiled in relief. "Jen, guys, can you hear me?" he asked. There came no reply from his D-Scanner.
A wall of flames suddenly appeared from apparently nowhere. Takato looked around him. He was completely surrounded. The flames boxed him and they were unbearably close. He was getting hotter by the second, sweat dripping from his forehead and off his nose.
"Oh, man, it's hot in here," panted Takato. It was getting unbearably close. Hey! Were the flames getting closer? They were!
"Hold on, Takato!" cried a voice.
"Juri?"
There was a sudden sound and foam doused the flames. Takato took his opportunity and ran out of the now broken box of flames.
"Thanks, Juri," he panted, looking back at the box of flames. "Say, have you found the others?" he asked Juri.
"No, I'm afraid not," replied Juri with a shake of her head. "I take it you haven't found them, either."
Takato shook his head in reply.
"Nope," he sighed miserably. He looked around him. "We've got to get out of here," he stated calmly. "We've got to find the others."

Jenrya ran as quickly as he could back through the dark corridors. Alice was now safe with the paramedics. She would be taken to the hospital. Now, he had to warn Takato about Juri. He had to tell him the truth about him.
"I hope I'm not too late," he murmured, as he turned a corner.

There was something about Juri. Takato couldn't quite put his finger on it, as he looked at her, walking cautiously through the dark corridors underneath the Forbidden City. She seemed preoccupied with something. She seemed very different. He turned his head quickly, when she turned round to face him. Was she hitting on him?
"Takato," began Juri quietly, as she stopped in her tracks. "I was wondering something."
Takato stopped himself and turned round to face her.
"Yeah, Juri?" he asked her when he heard silence after her sentence. Was she really hitting on him? He couldn't tell. After all, he, Matsuda Takato, was the Master of the Oblivious. "Is something wrong?" he asked her, as he moved closer to her. "Juri?"
Juri looked up at him. Her eyes were glistening slightly, as she looked up at him.
"Takato," she began, as she closed in on him.
"Get away from him!"
"Huh?" exclaimed Takato, as he turned round. He saw Jenrya standing behind him. "Jenrya! Am I so glad to see you!"
"Back away from her, Takato," said Jenrya sternly, as he glared at Juri. "She's one of them. She's a Hypnos agent."
Takato turned round to look at Juri. Her head was lowered. Was this in shame?
"I don't believe it," he murmured, as he backed slowly away from her. "Juri, is it true?" he asked her. He had always figured her to be a gentle girl. Never had he thought of her as a criminal and a terrorist. Never had he thought that she would join the Hypnos Organisation. "Juri, answer me."
"I guess fate doesn't like me," sobbed Juri sadly. "Now Hypnos will destroy Phyle." Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "I won't let you ruin everything!" she shouted at them angrily. "This is my destiny, to save Phyle from Hypnos! I won't let you take away everything I love!" She turned round and rushed towards the nearest entrance.
Jenrya realised what she was doing.
"No, stop!" he shouted, as he ran towards her.
"I'm sorry, Takato," she apologised through sobs, as she conneced her D-Scanner to a port, "but I have to do this." The door closed in front of her.
"No! Open this up!" cried Jenrya, as he banged at the door.
There was a grating sound as of stone against stone. Takato looked up and saw the ceiling descend towards him.
"Now that's what I call a pressing situation," he sighed, as he saw the ceiling drop.
"Takato, help me!" shouted Jenrya, as he turned to face Takato. He then realised that Takato would have been little use. 'It's all up to me now,' he thought to himself, as he backed away. Jenrya rushed straight over to the door and rammed himself into the door in an attempt to break it down. This door, however, had succeeded in auditioning for the role of unbreakable object and Jenrya merely bounced off it harmlessly. "Ouch, that smarts!" he cried out.
"Jen, you okay?" asked Takato, as he rushed towards his friend.
The half-Chinese, half-Japanese youth nodded slightly.
"I'll be fine, as long as I don't strain myself," Jenrya told Takato. "It's up to you now." He reached into his pocket with his unwounded arm and brought out a small Swiss army knife. "Takato, see if you can hack your way through that wall," he said, pointing at the position with his knife. "If you can get to the wires, you can probably connect your D-Scanner and stop her."
Takato took the knife from Jenrya wordlessly.
"And be careful you don't end up cutting the wire," warned Jenrya.
There was no need to tell him. Takato knew to be careful. He looked at the part of the wall that Jenrya gestured towards. It did look reasonably weak. Perhaps he could hack through to the wires. He looked up momentarily at the ceiling. It was getting uncomfortably close. 'This is it,' he thought wordlessly, before he lunged at it and started chipping away at the old brick and plaster.
It was hard work, but Takato had to keep at it. He didn't want to be crushed flatter than a pancake, after all.
"I've got through!" he announced to Jenrya.
"Right, cover your hands with some insulative material," ordered Jenrya. "Anything will do."
Insulative material? Well, the only thing that Takato could think up of was the bandana he wore around his neck. He took it off and began wrapping it around his hand.
"Okay, that's done," he told Jenrya. "Now what?"
"Carefully cut away at the insulative covering of the orange wire," instructed Jenrya. He reached into his pocket with his good arm and brought out a crocodile clip. "Here, take this," he said, as he walked up and handed it to Takato. "Take your D-Scanner's connection port and take it off. Put the crocodile clip on the end of the wire and carefully attach it to the exposed wire on the wall. Make sure you don't touch the stuff with you bare hands."
Cautiously, Takato flicked out the knife blade and then began gently sawing away at the plastic covering of the wire. Beads of sweat were trickling down his skin, as he worked away at the wire. One false move and he would be electrocuted. Too slow and they would be crushed to a pulp.
"Slowly does it, Takato," said Jenrya quietly.
Takato nodded quietly. He slowly started to peel away at the covering with the hand on which was wrapped his bandana.
Jenrya watched carefully, as Takato underwent everything he had told him to do. With his wounded arm, he wouldn't be able to help, so he was counting on his friend to make every moment count.
"That's it, careful," he warned Takato.
"Okay, WarGrowlmon, get ready," Takato told his Digimon, as he moved the crocodile clip closer to the exposed wire. "This is it now. Everything's up to you."

* * * * *

WarGrowlmon found himself back in the computer network again. Around him, the place looked exactly like the last area of the network he had visisted, with stone paths that looked as if they would crumble away. The Adult-level Digimon looked around him carefully, trying to find the location of the switch. A frown spread across his face. He could see something far away that didn't look like a Program or anything that related to the network. Was that Leomon? If it was, why was he crouched over like that?
Well, that didn't matter. He ran across the long path. WarGrowlmon knew that he had to deactivate the trap. There was no room for error. There was only one chance to do it and he would not let Takato down. He would not let anything get in his way.

To be continued...