The Fallen: Digital Hell

By Evolution

Its soil has drunken the blood of war… its air has howled with the cries of suffering…  its inhabitants hate each other… the dying Earth’s sister world… the Digital Hell…

“I wish Henry would hurry up,” Takato growled, shifting the old goggles around on his head.  He pulled out his D-Power and looked carefully at it.  It was slightly cracked on one of the edges, but it had withstood seven years of wear quite well.

“Henry’s probably moving as fast as he can,” said Ryo sternly.  “Wildcat is probably being stubborn.”

“Do you think, she’ll come?”

“Probably not.  I doubt she’d come back with a smile after seven years.”

“If she did come back, I doubt it would be with a smile at all.”

“You never know,” continued Ryo, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.  He put the cigarette between his lips and turned around, slowly looking over the dirt mound behind which they were hiding.  Millions of shards of light below blazed up through the digital darkness.  The grinding of machinery and the voices of thousands of people chorused through the air. 

“Anything new going on down there?” Takato asked as he pulled himself next to Ryo and looked at the city below.

“No… funny how they use Tamers for slave labor in the death camps.  I wonder what they’re doing.”

“Hopefully we’ll find out soon.”

“What are we going to do if Rika doesn’t come, Takato?” asked the red dragon sitting at his side.

Takato smiled, “Well, we could really use Renamon’s stealth to get in there, but if she doesn’t show it’ll be up to you, Terriermon and Cyberdramon to create a diversion so we can get in there and find Jeri. 

“Why don’t we just attack the actual buildings,” growled Cyberdramon, “then we can create a delay for whatever the government’s doing with the Tamers.”

“I wish we could, but there are too many Tamers in there, we can’t risk any of them getting hurt,” Ryo sighed, and took another breath of smoke.

“Hey,” a voice called quietly behind them.  Takato and Ryo turned to see Henry and Rika creeping towards them.

“Rika…” Takato whispered.

“Hey Wildcat,” Ryo chuckled.  “Long time no see.”

“Shut up Ryo,” Rika growled and peered down into the valley, “So that’s what the death camps look like.  It looks more like a refinery.”

“Sorry we took so long, Rika needed a little convincing,” Henry said.

“Where are all the Digimon,” asked Renamon.

Takato looked at her sadly, “The Digimon are deleted as soon as they enter the death camps.  The Tamers are forced to work with little food or water until they die from exhaustion.”

“Why is Jeri in there?” asked Rika.  “Leomon died over seven years ago.”

Henry looked at her, “Just because her partner died doesn’t take away the fact that she’s a Tamer.  A genetic scan could easily prove that.  And it’s not like she had anyone to protect her when her brother turned her in.”

Terriermon chimed in, “What’s the plan then?”

Ryo looked at Renamon and put out his cigarette, “Renamon, we need you to use your stealth to get in there and find Jeri.  Watch out for their anti-Digimon weapons.  Once you find her, come back here and tell us.  Then we’ll create a distraction and Rika and Henry will grab Jeri.”

“What about the other Tamers,” Rika asked, “why don’t we just save them as well?”

“There’s too much firepower down there,” answered Henry.  “Just creating a distraction is going to be dangerous enough for our Digimon.  We would need a small army to free all the Tamers in there.”

“Wait, do you hear that,” whispered Terriermon, raising one of his ears. 

The Tamers held their breath for a moment, listening.  In a few seconds they heard a humming and what sounded like squawking.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Takato said. 

All of the Tamers looked into the sky as a flock of hundreds of flying creatures appeared on the horizon.  They looked like flying jets, with claws and beaks.  Six missiles lined each of their wings.

“Shit,” growled Ryo, “of all the bad timing.”

“Pteranomon,” said Henry.

“Are they coming to attack the camp?” asked Rika.

“Yeah,” sighed Takato.  “Just our luck that they decided to attack now.  We won’t be able to hold them off, but maybe we can use them to our advantage.  As soon as they begin to attack the city, lets get down there and find Jeri.  We just have to hope that she’s not killed in the initial attack.”  Takato opened a sack and pulled out some guns, “Everyone take flair guns, once any of you finds Jeri, shoot one into the air.  That will be the signal to retreat.”

Rika took one of the flare guns and looked at Renamon, “Heh finally some real action.  I have to admit that I missed this.”

A loud siren began blasting throughout the camp below, and hundred of soldiers rushed to mobilize the camp.  Rika and Renamon jumped over the hill and began descending into the valley as the shock wave of the creatures flying overhead pulsated around them.  Rika watched as the Pteranomon swooped down onto the city, firing missiles from their wings into the buildings.  Parts of the camp burst into massive balls of flames.  Soldiers and Tamers, those not killed by the explosions, could be heard screaming as they were burned to death. 

Rika and Henry reached one of the outer walls, which was made of thick concrete and had razor wire decorating it.  “Renamon,” Rika ordered.

Renamon leapt into the air and cried out, “Diamond storm!”  Thousands of crystal shards sprayed from around the fox and barraged the wall.  There was and explosion and when the smoke cleared there was an opening in the wall. 

“Come on,” Rika yelled to Henry, pulling out her gun.  They entered the camp and began to search furiously for Jeri.  Most of the soldiers were too concentrated on the attack of the Pteranomon to notice the infiltrating Tamers.  Imprisoned Tamers were running and screaming in all directions.  Rika noticed a soldier who was shooting many of the Tamers as they fled, and raised her gun.  Just as the soldier was about to pick of a small boy, Rika pulled the trigger.  The soldier cried as he was hit in the chest, and the force of the impact sent him flying back.  He burst into bits of data as he hit the ground.  That’s why they must have all the death camps here, Rika thought; there are no bodies to dispose of.  “Where do you think Jeri would be,” she yelled to Henry who was helping an injured Tamer onto the shoulders of another. 

Henry quickly asked the two Tamers he was helping, “Katou, Jeri.”  One of them replied in Spanish and pointed toward a large bunker.  Henry thanked them and turned back to Rika, “He said he’s not sure if it’s the right one, but there was a Jeri over there.”

“I guess we’ll just have to try it.”  The two Tamers began running toward the bunker when a Pteranomon landed in front of them and hissed. 

Rika began firing at it, and Renamon leapt into the air.  “Diamond Storm!”  Another spray of crystals and the Pteranomon burst into data.

They made it to the hanger, and Rika tried turning the handle.  It was locked.  Henry kicked it open, and the Tamers entered carefully.  This must have been where many of the captive Tamers slept.  It was completely dark, and smelled of sickness and death.  Rika tried not to think how many Tamers had died in here from the slow torture of the camp.  She listened carefully and heard voices toward the back of the bunker, and someone was crying.  She nodded to Henry and they ran quietly down the rows of wooden bunks.  Only the Tamers who had been too sick to flee had remained on their wooden beds.  One of them grabbed Rika arm and looked at her with sad eyes.  Rika looked back into those eyes that were more dead than alive, and she tried to smile, hoping to comfort the poor Tamer.  The Tamer choked and tried to say something, and then burst into data.  Rika frowned sadly, and then hardened her heart.  She had to focus on finding Jeri.

Henry and Rika slowly crept, hiding behind the bunks, and peered into the darkest corner of the bunker.  There was a soldier pointing his gun at a young man their age.  The boy had a wooden plank and was threatening to hit the soldier with it.  The soldier only laughed.  Behind the defending boy was a girl huddled in a corner, crying.  It was Jeri.

“Boy,” the soldier said in English, “I don’t want to waist my time by killing you.  But I will do it gladly if you don’t get the hell out of my way.”

“I won’t let you hurt her,” said the boy sternly, he had a British accent. 

“Then you leave me no choice,” laughed the soldier, pulling back the hammer on his gun.  There was a gunshot.  The boy gasped as the soldier in front of him burst into data.  Rika looked over at Henry, who lowered his gun.

Henry jumped out of hiding and approached the young man, “Don’t worry, we’re here to help you.”  The boy was silent.

“Henry!” cried Jeri, jumping up from the corner and throwing her arms around Henry.  “What’s going on out there?”

“Some Pteranomon are attacking, we need to get out of here.”

Jeri looked over Henry’s shoulder and noticed Rika leaning against one of the cots, half of her covered by the shadows.  “Rika!” Jeri cried, “You’re here too!”

“This isn’t the time for friendly reunions,” said Rika.  “We need to get out of here.”

“Right!” said Jeri.  Henry and Jeri ran past Rika and headed towards the entrance of the bunker.  The boy started to follow.  Rika stood in his way, “Can you fight?”

“A little,” the boy said quietly.

“Well don’t think you can stick with us, you’re on your own once we get out of here.”

The boy angrily glared at Rika.  Jeri’s voice interrupted, “That’s Kevin, he’s my friend.  Please let him come with us Rika, he put himself in danger to protect me after all.”

“I just don’t want us being held back is all,” replied Rika, moving out of the boy’s way.

She followed after him.  Then she heard Renamon’s voice whispering in her ear, “Why don’t you want him with us?”

“I don’t trust him,” Rika replied. 

The Tamers ran out of the bunker, and Rika looked across the ruins of the factory.  She saw more explosions.  A few of the Pteranomon were attacking Growlmon and Cyberdramon, who were easily knocking each of the jet Digimon out of the sky. 

Henry pulled out his flare gun and shot it into the air.  The streak of red light crossed the night air.  “Let’s get out of here,” Henry said as he waved his hand toward the hole in the wall they had made earlier. 

When Takato and Ryo made it to the rendezvous point, Takato cried out with joy at seeing Jeri.  The two ran to each other and hugged, tears streaming down Jeri’s face.  “I’m sorry I took so long, Jeri.”

Jeri sniffled, “I knew you’d come.  I just didn’t expect you to make such a mess.”

Takato smiled, “Sorry.”

Ryo walked past Takato and Jeri, and looked carefully at the newcomer.  Then he raised his arm, which was covered with a metal gauntlet, and offered it to the partner less Tamer.  “The name’s Ryo.”

“Hi, I’m Kevin,” the boy said shaking Ryo’s hand.  “Are you the legendary Tamer from Japan?”

“Yeah, where are you from?”

“I’m from England.”

“Really?”  Ryo raised one of his eyebrows.  “Then how do you understand Japanese?”

Kevin smiled, “I spent a few years in Japan when my dad moved there for business.”

“Well, it’s good to have another member of the team.”  He smiled, and then looked over at Rika, “It’s good to have you back too, Wildcat.”

Rika frowned, “I just came to break Jeri out.  Now that that’s done, Renamon and I are going to head back.”

“Rika,” Henry pleaded, “you can’t leave now!”

“Why not?”

Takato let go of Jeri and walked toward Rika, “Listen Rika, we’re sorry about the past.  But we need you!  What we did today was nothing compared to what we will go through.  Please don’t leave us when we need you most!”

Rika looked into the eyes of the members of the group.  Into Takato’s pleading eyes, Jeri’s sorrowful eyes, Henry’s determined eyes, and Ryo’s cocky eyes.  Rika growled, “You didn’t need me seven years ago,” she glared at Ryo.

“But we did,” Henry answered, “that’s why all of this, the death camps, the crappy world we live in, are around, because we needed you and you weren’t there for us.”

Rika looked to Renamon, who returned the gaze with the unspoken answer, I’ll go with you no matter what your decision is.  Rika sighed, “I have to admit, I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.  And I am pretty tired of running from the government.  But don’t think that means I believe in your cause, I’m staying only to fight.”

Takato smiled, “Thank you, Rika.”

Henry put his hand on her shoulder, “It’s a good thing you’re staying.  It took us years to track you down.  I’d hate to see all that work put to nothing.”

“Don’t push it, Henry.  I would have preferred it if you guys had never found me.  But I hate to turn down a good fight.”

Ryo put his hand on her other shoulder, “It’s great to have you with us again, Wildcat.”

Rika shook his should off and glared at him.

“Takato,” said Jeri, “This is Kevin.  He was my only friend in the camp.  He wants to fight with us.”

Takato looked at Kevin and smiled, “Hey, that’s great!  Here, you’ll probably need a gun.”  Takato pulled out one of his guns and handed it to Kevin.

“Thanks,” replied Kevin, smiling, “you won’t regret it.”