Episode Eleven: War

MagnaAngemon heals Roatha's leg which probably feels weird as I imagine he can feel the bones mending and going back into place which sounds more painful than weird.

The Digimon revert, Taiyo & Renamon seeming rather tired from being Biomerged for so long.

Azuma: "At least our path is laid out nicely."

*Presumably, the same happens with this group.*

R"Thanks, man--angel--pig--uh, so, seems like you took care of some things while I was gone. Puppetmon's gone, Euryale can digivolve again....."

E"What about you?"

R"My crest is defective. Or I was dreaming. Frankly, I don't know what was going on."

*Dianamon reverts to Lunamon and Kylie, both of whom flop on the ground. Eve, with Terriermon clinging on her shoulder, kneels beside Roatha*

Eve:<The only time I've seen a crest malfunction is when the owner was showing the opposite trait.>

Azuma: "The same applies to the Digimentals. Not that that is particularly relevant to most."

Taiyo: "What could be at the end of this road?"

R"The opposite of friendship would be unfriendliness--wait, that's stupid, my secret weapon won't work in the very situation I need it for."

E"I don't think that's quite how it works, but whatever."

*Aroma wanders over to Taiyo, checking on her Digivice.*

A"Maybe we can look ahead."

Cameron:<Looks like whatever it was will be pretty easy to find.>

The grid-based map shows nothing but their location as expected while the 3D map shows that there is a whole lot of nothing for awhile until what appears to be a sign shows up on the map then a large archway like the Arche de Triomphe before the map gets all staticy the words SIGNAL JAMMED flash in front of them before the map disappears.

Azuma: "A city perhaps?"

R"Probably another Dark Masterbator."

*Euryale snickers. Aroma blushes & covers her mouth.*

L<I don't get it....>

*The other Digimon shrug.*

*Eve rolls her eyes, trying to supress a laugh*

<That would be the first city we've encountered here.>

Azuma: "Not that someone wants us seeing it before we get there."

Instead of standing around all day, I imagine they'd begin moving at some point.

The area surrounding the road is riddled with craters of varying size, smoke rising from some of them still. Even the road they travel on shows signs of conflict with scattered shell casings all around.

The sign shown on the map comes into view, it's riddled with bulletholes although the text on it is still legible reading Welcome to the New Fallout. The arch also shown on the map starts coming into view.

E"Wow, that actually IS the Arche de Triumphe."

*As Euryale, Roatha, & their partners inspect the sign--Guilmon sniffing it--Aroma & Lalamon cling tightly to each other & look around in a paranoid fashion.*

*Eve and Cameron go with Euryale and Roatha, while Kylie gives Aroma a hug*

It smells like gunpowder and steel.

At what is indeed the Arche de Triomph, it's plastered with posters that are mostly worn off due to time and weather. Two posters that are still legible read "Conform & Comply," and "You Are Being Closely Monitered."

The road they travel on eventually transitions from dirt to asphalt and the city a conglomerate of landmark and other buildings from across the world comes into view.

Everyone's D-Terminals vibrate as they recieve a message

Quote :

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Greetings Chosen Children.

Avoid the main streets and stick to the alleys as often as possible. Avoid staying in one place for too long and avoid taking to the skies.

The Resistance counts on your continued survival.

===================================

A Tekkamon & Giromon watch the Chosen Children enter the city limits via survellance moniters in some underground complex. Behind them, Machinedramon comes alive, its eyes flashing.

Machinedramon: "The rats have entered the maze. Let's see how long they last this time."

Tekkamon: "All units are on standby."

Machinedramon: "Deploy Squads A through F and Armor Units A through C throughout Sector One. Have Squads G through I on standby, ready to deploy."

*Euryale relays that shit.*

R"Or we could--"

*Roatha stops to look as Aroma jumps & shrieks from the unexpected contact.*

A"...Sorry."

R"...Or we could try to draw the enemy out, & see where they're coming from. That's probably where their leader will be."

E"Maybe...but I think we're still kind of weak."

R"Probably should have thought about that before coming here."

D<But we didn't.>

R"Indeed."

Kylie:<No, it's my fault, I'm sorry.>

*She looks kinda sad. Eve looks at her D-Terminal, then back at Roatha*

Eve:<I have to agree with Euryale on this.>

Azuma: "Machinedramon had been monitering most us before MetalSeadramon was defeated. It could be watching us right now if this poster is anything to go by."

He looks at the collage of ruined posters the words silence, strength, conspirator, and sacrifce being legible on different scraps.

Taiyo: "If someone's offering us advice, it might not hurt to take it."

E"Then we could do something similar to Roatha's idea, only we could track the wires or retrace the signal."

R"What makes you so sure he's monitoring us with cameras, & not magic, or something?"

E"His name is 'Machinedramon.' It wouldn't be thematically appropriate."

R"What is this, Animeland?"

D<You're the one who brought up magic.>

R"Thanks, Dorumon. I always knew I could count on you to back me up.>

A"It's just--I wasn't expecting--or maybe I was expecting--"

G<To be kidnapped by giant spiders again?>

A"...Thank you for reinforcing that phobia, Guilmon."

Eve:<How about we continue this conversation somewhere not in the open?>

Azuma shudders at the mention of spiders. That would be one thing he'd likely never overcome.

Azuma: "That'd be a good idea."

Without further adieu, I assume they make their way into the city, hopefully doing what they can to keep a low profile until an alley comes up.

Loudspeakers are mounted on various buildings, more propaganda posters posted around, as well as cameras spread out among the building.

They pass a poster that says "Your nation. Your sacrifice," posted on the window of what might have been a store of sorts at one point in time.

The loudspeakers cut in, a male human sounding voice beginning to speak.

"Dear citizens of the New Fallout,
For too long, our society has succumbed to the tyranny of our own actions.
Wars, riots, we have tolerated the scum
And have graciously cleaned up the mess.

Well, no more!
You have all been a consequence of the disease known as freedom,
And now it is time to take that freedom away!
As of today, you will be stripped of your identity,
And anything you hold dear in life

For it is your individuality that has led to your destruction. Your children will be left to rot as punishment for your indiscretion,
And the lives you have lived until now will be nothing but a memory.

This is for the survival of the race!
This is for the New Fallout!
This is the end!"

An alley comes into view, a poster showing a hand pointing at the reader with the words "Could You Spot A Conspirator?"

R"Well, this place sounds pleasant. I didn't think Digimon even raised children."

E"Maybe it's just a recording from the real world?"

Eve:<Indeed, this looks like a dystopian city.>

The alley splits off to the right which leads elsewhere into the alley while going forward takes them to another street.

The path to the right has some fire escapes along one side while the other is just bare brick, cement and the occasional door the hinges on the outside indicating it opens outwards as well as a row of posters showing Machinedramon's face with the words "We Are Always Watching."

Azuma: "One we're practically blind in."

===================================

Giromon: "Targets have gone dark. Should we dispatch Blimpmon to scan the alleys in Sector One?"

Machinedramon: "Affirmative. Order Squads A & B to box them in when found. Deploy Squads G through I throughout Sector One."

Tekkamon: "Understood."

The twin Digimon begin inputting commands in their terminal.

*They take the alley, I suppose. Guilmon starts sniffing around for interesting smells.*

Cameron:<Hopefully the resistance will find us.>

Asphalt, the other members of the group, garbage and gunpowder are what he smells.

Azuma tries the nearest door and shockingly enough it is locked.

A Blimpmon passes overhead and it's not long before some weird looking [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] enters the alley ahead of them, another coming up behind them.

Sealsdramon 1: "Targets spotted!"

Sixteen other [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] in total enter the alley each taking up firing positions in front of the Sealsdramon.

Sealsdramon 1: "Chosen Children, surrender your devices and lie down on the ground with your hands up!