Chapter 53: Tormented Nightmare in Dragon Valley
#56 of D.M.O.N.
Chapter 53: Tormented Nightmare in Dragon Valley
Inside Gennai's mansion, everyone is gathering at the dining table. Every women and men stopped what they were doing and listen to the story that Alphonse told. He saw three players were on a quest for something and they met the hooded figure that attack Amelia's village five days ago. One player got stabbed with a staff and the rest got blasted by Sakuyamon's ultimate attack. Everyone got tensed when they heard that the players were brutally killed. What worry most of it were the staff and a skill that comes from Sakuyamon. Everyone assume that the Sakuyamon that was killed were absorbed by the hooded figure and use her powers. But those assumptions were swatted because there is no proof that supports it. But Al somehow believes it and warned everyone.
Ignoring their breakfast, the first generation of the Digi Destiny, excluding Kari and TK and including Ken, rushed to the portal to go to the human world to inspect the comatose players. Henry went to the corporation to check the logs and usernames. He brought Terriermon along as well. Half of the Destinies that remain do their daily life while the rest began to inspect the incident in the game and preceding the firewall, including Alphonse.
In the human world, the Tamers gathered some information about the victim's whereabouts. They knew that all of the victims were hospitalized in the same hospital. With Joe's professional influence, they found the address of the three victims and split up. The Destinies that goes to the victim house have to lie in order to gain access to the vicinity. Their first prior search was the victim's room. They searched the vicinity to find any trace of abnormalities. When they found none, they asked the parents. "In what condition when you found your child?" the only question that concern both the parents and the Destinies.
All of the victim's parents told them the same answer. "We found our child lying on the floor, wearing a goggle." That answer terrifies the Destinies.
The Destinies reported their finding to Henry through their partners. Henry nodded and starts typing commands to find the logs and username of the victims. As Al's suspected, the three player's characters were Palmon, Veemon and Dorumon. He started to trace their activities from yesterday noon. So far nothing comes out of the ordinary. When the three met around 10:00 PM, they went to the portal and the logs ended after they teleported. Henry found it odd and searched the portal activity logs around that time. Henry sent all the logs to Izzy's computer in Gennai's mansion. Andromon opened the data logs and starts pinpoint the location. When he found out, he reported it to the Destinies in the game.
Meanwhile after the first generation left, Al and some of the Destinies went to the game and starts searching. "All right, everyone. Keep your ears open for any information. Black and Impmon will be with me to continue the sweeping. The rest of you split into a group of three and patrol the field." Al told them and they nodded.
Al's team starts patrolling the game while another team eavesdropping information from the crowds. The eavesdropper stationed themselves at the center, portal and shopping area. They heard nothing else other than gossip. Never the less, they kept on listening or even joining in one. Al's team is patrolling in a different area than yesterday. They scouted the area looking for any unusual thing from the Glitch. Again, they found nothing which is good and bad. Good that the area is clean from the Glitch and bad is that the Glitch is either playing tricks or up to something. And Al could guess it is because of the hooded figure. But still, they have to report it to Andromon to start the firewall.
"White Eye to Motherboard, do you copy, over?" Al reported via earpiece.
"Motherboard?" Andromon asked in confusion.
"Just a nickname I got when I saw you wired up like a motherboard computer." Al sniggered a bit after explaining what he meant.
"..." Andromon felt silent for a bit. "If I have emotion installed, I'd say that hurts my feeling."
"Okay, then I won't." Al replied. "Anyway, I want to report that the area where I am now is clear from the Glitch. You can start the firewall program."
"I am on it." Andromon replied and starts humming the process. "Speaking of Glitch, Henry just sent files via Izzy's computer. It contains logs of three victims and the portal log."
"That's a progress." Al commented. "Any news?"
"I have begun to pinpoint the location where they were incapacitated at midnight yesterday." Andromon replied. "So far the logs were ended as they use the portal. The portal log itself showed strange reading. In the log, all area has been access by other players but one area never showed up after that time."
"Go on," Black eavesdrop the conversation.
"I have cross list the area that have been access and one name showed up." Andromon continued. "Dragon Valley."
"Dragon Valley?" a squeaky voice shouted from earpiece. "I've heard that that area was closed and no one able to access that place."
"Are you sure, MarineAngemon?" Andromon asked.
"I'm sure that I'm sure and you can count on it. True-true-true." MarineAgewomon answered.
"All right, we will look on to it. Thanks, MarineAngemon." Al responded.
"Oh by the way, Jake, Zane and Derek are here." MarineAngemon added.
"Open link." Al asked Andromon. A second later he heard a blip sound. "Jake, Zane, Derek. We found a location where the coma fell. Are you guys with me?"
"We are in, Al." Jake responded.
"Brief us in on everything." Zane added.
"All right, wait for us at the portal. It's time to call a locksmith." Al ended the communication. He looked at Black and Beelzebmon. Al nodded at them and goes to the nearest portal to warped back to the city.
In the city, Al's team was greeted by Jake in BlackGabumon form, Derek in his favorite Guilmon form, Zane in SnowAgumon and Calumon. "Hey everyone." Al waved at everyone.
"Hey, Al," Zane greeted, "Where is Amelia?"
"She went back to the village to help her father." Al simply answered. "Are you guys ready?" Jake, Zane and Derek nodded. "All right, suit up and expect the unexpected."
Jake evolved to BlackMetalGarurumon. Zane evolved into GigaSeadramon. Derek evolved into Gallantmon. "Everybody ready?" Al asked and they nodded. "All right. Let's try normal way." Al raised his claw to the portal gate and the area list appeared. "Right, next is Dragon Valley." Al searched the name from the list. "Okay, here we go." Al selected the area and the portal gate began to open but stopped. Suddenly, a red triangle with "!" appeared followed by a word "Error" flashing. Al looked at the others.
"I saw it too." Jake, Zane, Black said and the rest nodded.
Al nodded at them and starts flexing himself. His hand starts flashing. "Data Manipulation." Al yelled. Al did the same as before. When he reached the error sign, his claw is starting to tense. He wanted to force the door open but a digital padlock appeared. "A pass code?" Al yelled. Al reached his head piece. "Call Terriermon."
A beeping sound was heard from the comm. link. "Operator." Terriermon replied.
"Terriermon, patch me to Henry please." Al asked.
"Henry here." Henry replied. "What is it, Al?"
"Henry, I am trying to access the area but it was lock and it needed a code to open it."Al briefed him.
"You know that I can't give the company's code to anyone." Henry replied.
"Please, Henry. We are almost reaches at the crime scene and the only obstacle is the padlock. I need an overwrite pass code to open the lock so we can pass through." Al pleaded.
"You are using Data Manipulation, aren't you?" Henry assumed. "PXT9-R885-EG0H-39VN, that is the temporary overwrite code."
Al inputted the code that was given. The padlock is open and the gate slowly opened. His claw stopped flashing and he felt weak. He was about to fall but Black and Derek held him up. Al looked at them and told them the good news. "The gate is open for us. We can get in but it's a one way ticket for each of us." Al slowly regained his composure. "Are you guys ready?" Everybody nodded and Al smiled at them. They went into the Dragon Valley together.
Everybody arrived at the Dragon Valley safely for now. They looked at their surrounding and found nothing is out of ordinary. But when Al and Zane looked, they find the area was shrouded with black mist. "Wew... Somebody bring out an air filter, this place is hazy dark." Zane whilst. Everyone except Al looked at Zane in confusion.
"A bad joke, Zane, but he is right." Al replied. "This place is corrupted by the Glitches."
Everyone looked at Al then Zane. "Right, the eye." Beelzebmon responded while slapping his side head.
"So the area is completely corrupted?" Black asked.
Al moved forward to see if the area is completely corrupted. The haze is getting thicker when he moved away from the portal. "I think not. The haze is getting thicker if we go further." Al replied. "And this is no ordinary mist. Black, Beelzebmon." Al called out. "I want you two to stay close to the portal. I don't know if the charm can withstand the heavy corruption."
Black and Beelzebmon thought for a second. It is true that they took an effect. Their breaths are starting to get heavy as if they got asthma. Al and the rest were immune to the Glitches because they are carriers and they have no effect from the Glitch like any real Digimon. Black and Beelzebmon nodded and waited at the portal while the rest goes deeper into the valley.
The area itself consists of mountain cliff road like a Grand-Canyon. It is nearly similar to the first area Al and Jake journey together and encountered the Glitch for the first time. Al as usual takes the front and Jake supported him. Zane covered the rear and Derek as his support. They walked further into the depth of the area and encountered no monsters. 'It is too quiet.' Al thought. "Did you see anything?" Al asked.
"Can you?" Jake retorted.
"I can barely saw beyond my claw because of the mist. Thanks to these eyes, I'm as blind as a bat." Al replied.
"Sorry I asked." Jake responded. "I saw nothing. Not even a single Digimon."
"I knew there's something missing." Al noted. "We better find the center and I will begin purifying it."
Al wandered around blindly to find the area where the mist was highly concentrated. Jake keeps an eye on where Al is going while Derek slowly tugged Zane. In the distance, Jake and Derek saw three figures lying on the ground, motionless. Jake and Derek guided Al and Zane to the figures. They identified the figures as Veemon, Dorumon and Palmon.
Al was surprised to hear the victim's forms. It was the same form in his dream. He witnessed the moments before they were coma and there is nothing he can't do until now. Jake reported their findings to Andromon. "Andromon, this is ShadowWolf. Do you copy, over?"
"I hear you, although there are statics." Andromon replied while adjusting the connection.
"We have found the victims, but the area is heavily contaminated." Jake reported.
"Understood, preparing the firewall after purification." Andromon replied.
"Thank you." Jake thanked him. He shut down the communication and then looked at Al to begin the purification. He saw that Al is trembling in guilt. "Al you may begin the purification."
Al was snapped back into reality and then looked at Jake. He looked at Zane and Derek as well, if he could see them within the mist. "Right, I will start the process." Al answered. He closed his eyes and concentrated all of his power for Data Manipulation. He aimed his claw to the sky for wide range manipulation. Suddenly his concentration burst when he felt someone choking him from behind the mist. He wanted to scream but it came out with gurgle.
Jake and Derek responded the gurgle by looking at Al just to see that he is in trance and suffocating. Zane however didn't see it because of the thick mist, but he heard that Al is in pain. He looked around but it is no use for he can't see anything. Derek quickly move toward Al. "What's wrong, Al?" he asked but Al didn't answered or awaken from his trance. "Hey, wake up!" he yelled at him.
In Al's vision, he saw nothing but he felt someone choked him with one hand or claw or paw he can't describe it. He wanted to struggle but his body froze in terror. He somehow felt it before. He's been choked in his dream by the hooded figure but Jake said that nobody is here but them. Slowly a figure emerged from the mist. Al gasped in shock for the figure is the hooded figure and it was close to him. He didn't sense his presence but it is so close that it choked him. He also spoke in foreign language and only Al could hear it. It then laughed just like his dream and starts to tighten the choked.
Jake saw the pain expression that Al gave him and couldn't stand of it. "God damn it, snap out of it!" Jake yelled as he lunges forward and bite Al's thigh leg as hard as he could, pierce the scale skin and drew some blood out of the wound.
Al roared in pain and snapped out of his trance. He fell down and saw that Jake bit him hard till he bled. The pain administered his head again and holds his leg tight. "What did you do that for?" Al asked in anger.
"Sorry, but I have to." Jake answered while licking his maw cleaned from blood." You were in trance and Derek tried to wake you but you didn't. Furthermore, you were in pain."
Al remembered what happened to him a moment ago and dismissed his anger. "Sorry, thank you for waking me up." Al replied with a sigh. He waited for his Glitch power to heal his bite wound and continue his progress. While waiting, Jake asked him about the trance. "What happened with you anyway?"
"I was choked by the hooded figure again, just like in my dream." Al answered truthfully.
Everyone surprised to hear the news. "How is that possible?" Zane asked. "Derek and Jake said they saw nothing."
"I could guess it was the remnant of the Glitch it produced during its presence. I felt it before when we were at the hidden village. It is pure evil and full of Glitch." Al answered. "Anyway, I have to clean this place up so Andromon could put the firewall up."
Al stood up and endured the pain on his thigh leg. He concentrated again to his Data Manipulation and aimed towards the sky. "Data Manipulation!" He unleashed a large single ray to the sky and dispersed to different region within the area and one of them shot to the ground where Al stood.
The black mist of Glitches is slowly disappearing from Al's and Zane's eyes. But to Jake and Derek, they could only see light pulse grew larger like an exploding bomb. It took at least five to ten minutes and lots of Al's stamina for full purification. Al started to grow weak after the purification because using Data Manipulation drains his stamina. Jake and Derek wondered if the purification is a success or not. "Is it over?" Derek asked.
"Wait for it." Zane replied as if expecting something from random field. And it is, one by one a fake Digimon started to spawn in random location of the area. "That is our answer."
Derek reported back to Andromon. "The area has been purified. You can start the protection." Derek said into his comm. link.
"Roger that. Initiating the firewall program." Andromon replied.
Al panted in exhaustion as his body started to glow and reverted back into Agumon form. "You did a great job, Al." Jake praised him.
"Thanks." Al replied within pants. He looked back at the fallen figures. "What about them?" He asked about the victim's fate.
"We have to carry them back so they will not raise any suspicion. I guess." Zane answered. "Put them on me."
Derek nodded and lifted the bodies one by one and put it on Zane's GigaSeadramon's back. Lastly, Derek picked Al up as per request and sat him on Zane's back. On the way back Derek asked something that intrigues others. "You said in your dream that the hooded figure said something. What it say?"
"It is an unknown language to human kind. But somehow I have a feeling that I know what it said." Al answered him. "I will be the last of the list."
That's it for this chapter. Thank you for any comment, critics, corrections, fave and watch. Thank you for those who participate.