DARTS - Digimon Assault Response and Tactical Advisement Sector

[Quiksilver]

"Oh, did I just hear the great and powerful Kazu ask for little old me?" A voice suddenly spoke from behind the group. Rika stepped forward, a slight smirk on her face and Coronamon following close behind, a great smile on his face. He obviously couldn't wait for a little action. "Oh, what the world has come to when Kazu begs for me..." Rika sighed, stepped closer to Kazu. "...Not that I don't like it. In fact, the only thing that could make it better would be you getting down on your hands and knees and kissing my knuckle." Chuckling slightly as she envisaged this amusing fantasy, Rika turned and surveyed the rest of the group. Creepy Yukio? Present. That person who she barely knew- Gala, was it? Present. Nerd- I mean, the scientist dude? Present. Kai, Emiko, Leiko? Present.

Well, seemed like most of the them were ready. Though Rika had misforgivings about the whole thing, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. They were finally doing it- all the things they had training for, had gone over so many times, was finally here. They were finally about to face...well, Rika didn't know exactly what they were going to face, only that it was going to be the toughest opponent they had ever faced. And, since Rika was Rika, that got her a bit excited. "Who's ready to do this thing!?!" She cheered, temporarily forgetting the ongoing argument she was having with Kazu over just that.

[Hydra of Ages]

Yukio nodded when the entire team was assembled. None of them wore uniforms, but that was standard- typically, field agents avoided the use of identifying marks when on the job, both to deter conspiracy theorists among the people of Japan and prevent emergent DABOs from associating any of the distinctive colors of DARTS with immediate danger. If there was anything their enemies didn't need, it was more information about what DARTS was doing.

The team entered the helicopter as if by some unspoken agreement, and spoke little during the ride- due partially because of the ridiculously loud rotory blades atop and the lack of any talking between them, and also due to Yukio's souring presence.

For Leiko at least, the anxiety alone could have kept her quiet. The closer they got to their first DABO fight, the worse the pit of her stomach felt- even if it wasn't rational. She had a bad feeling about this- somehow, this wasn't going to be a normal emergence. Something was going to go wrong, and go wrong spectacularly, though she couldn't tell exactly how.

Was this how the DARTS felt every time they went up against something they didn't understand? Leiko was starting to feel that she might understand the commander, even Yukio, a little- if they had to do this as often as she suspected -blind, with the expectation you'll die to a superiorly equipped foe- it really was only by developing icy demeanors and clearing their emotions that they could get through the day. The fight hardened everyone, after all.

The helicopter landed, suprisingly in the middle of a deep fog bank. Though at first the tips of trees, blades of grass and snatches of water to the east could be seen, it was quickly swallowed by swirling white tendrils, blocking sight as well as an opaque white wall.

When the engines were cut, Yukio unbuckled and left the vehicle before any others could. He stared at the fog for a few moments, silently, crossing his arms. "Fog banks made up of small amounts of data reacting in a strange manner tend to form when the Fold is pealed away. They're the only physical indication that an Emergence will take place."

He paused.

"The fog being thick enough that it may prove to be an obstical in battle, however, is usually... rare." he added.

Unheard of, you mean, Leiko added mentally. Just another reason this was proving to be a mission somehow different from the rest.

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

[color="#0000FF"][b]"Oh well, if I even get so much as close to the brink of death, I can always blame it on those god-damned implants,"[/b][/color] Arachnimon sighed as he jumped out of the helicopter and scouted a bit, [color="#0000FF"][b]"Well, at least more so than this leash, and especially more so than this pathetic excuse of so-called "restraining armor". Pah, the hell's it supposed to restrain, me from extending these appendages in my claws?"[/b][/color]

[color="#FF0000"][b]"It's probably busted or something,"[/b][/color] Gala assumed, [color="#FF0000"][b]"Still, it makes you look cool..."[/b][/color]

[color="#0000FF"][b]"Yeah,"[/b][/color] Arachnimon admitted, [color="#0000FF"][b]"And it does a decent job at hiding these scars too..."[/b][/color]

[color="#FF0000"][b]"So um... you're still hoping we don't come across a Shellmon?"[/b][/color] Gala asked.

[color="#0000FF"][b]"Yeah, but Shellmon in a forest?"[/b][/color] Arachnimon asked back, [color="#0000FF"][b]"They're much more likely to show up on a beach or something. They seem to like the sand a lot... I presume a helluva lot more than this grass."[/b][/color]

[The Warden]

Having to sit near Yukio was always awkward, who knew what was going on in his head, probably mentally filing paperwork. Hiro was pant-wetting scared really, it was just the prospect of dying, we often feel we die too soon in our lives, that we were meant for something greater. Right now, that something greater seemed to be arrow fodder.

The landing was short and uneventful, Hiro didn't want to leave the helicopter, but there was really no choice about it. Disembarking clumsily,he still managed to keep his balance. His first act was to scan out the area, the fog was too thick, but, maybe that could be a useful element. If they couldn't see through it, maybe the Digimon can't either. Hiro began plotting different concepts and ideas. 'I don't know why' he said aloud. 'But I keep imagining that we will meet a fire based Digimon here'.

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

[color="#0000FF"][b]"Fire elemental next to a body of water?"[/b][/color] After saying this statement out loud, Arachnimon turned to speak to Hiro, [color="#0000FF"][b]"Really?"[/b][/color]

It was easy to tell that Arachnimon was sceptical about the idea. Perhaps if the team were to be furtherer surrounded by forestry, it would likely be more plausible for him. Otherwise he'd be adamant that all everyone would need to do is chuck a bucket or two full of water at the Digimon and it would likely be done and dusted.

[Hotaru987]

When it was time to board the helicopter Emiko was the lucky one to sit right across from Yukio - though she didn't share the awkwardness almost everyone else felt when around the anti-social DARTS member. It was probably due to her disorder but even so, the entire ride was with the two most emotionless people simply staring at each other. The ride was silent, which Emiko knew was from everyone's anxiaty over what could possibly be their first and last mission together. Once the helicopter landed and Yukio gave his miniture speech, Emiko looked down at her leash. "It does not matter what type of digimon we encounter, we should only be concerned of defeating it." She said softly in responce to Hiro.

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

[color="#FF0000"][b]"You're wrong, lady,"[/b][/color] Gala corrected Ekimo, [color="#FF0000"][b]"We also have to find the damned thing!"[/b][/color]

Jumping out the helicopter, Gala took at a gander at the surroundings. He couldn't see anything in the far yonder thanks entirely to the gargantuan mound of fog in the area.

[color="#FF0000"][b]"Surely it must be around here somewhere..."[/b][/color] he spoke softly to himself.

[GreyCat]

Kazu looked over their battle field, a bit concerned about how it would play out. He took his leash and let Leor out. Shaking to lose the cramped feeling he always claimed to get when he was in the leash for any length of time, he sniffed and air, sneezing a little. Kazu frowned when he didn't say anything and tried scoping the area with the leash. Normal view showed the same fog, and Leor was seeing the same thing he was. He flipped through different modes; infrared, night vision, low light and more, but still could see much through the fog. On the bright side, whatever came out probably could see any better than they could.

"To see or not to see, that is the question," he muttered, modifying the famous line. Though the answer was obviously not to see. He looked at Leor, sniffing at the grass for how knows what reason. But that did raise another question. "So guys," Kazu said loud enough for all the other to hear. "Do we count our blessings and be glad that the fog will hid us from the DABU while it lasts, giving great tactical advantage to stealth attacks, or do we curse the gods for the fact that we won't be able to see our target all that well?"

[Spartan919]

Kai nodded, a small nod, to let Emiko know that he had heard her. He stood silently, watching as the other members of the team gathered. Once they were all there, they piled into the helicopter. Kai noted with some pleasure that he wasn't seated [i]too[/i] far from Emiko; he was in fact only one or two seats to her left. Throughout the ride, Kai found he couldn't take his eyes off of her, particularly her own eyes. Their green color reminded him of himself, but at the same time were completely foreign. That, and everything else about her, really grabbed his attention. He did his best to appear casual, and not embarrass himself, but he swore that he would have to tear his eyes out of his head before he took them off of her.

When the helicopter landed in dense fog, Kai was one of the last ones off it. The fog sent a chill up Kai's spine. The knowledge that this was not a natural fog didn't help. He moved closer to Emiko, reassured by her presence, though he couldn't explain how. He pulled his Leash out of his pocket and checked it: Rena was in good shape, fully rested. When he heard Emiko speak, his chest thumped. He listened quietly as the others voiced their opinions. When they were finished, he opened his mouth. "We defeated that training one. No matter how much tougher this one is, I think we can do this! It'll just be one, and there are what..." he quickly counted, "seven of us. Lucky number seven. We have teamwork, we have friendship..." He looked around, his eyes resting on Emiko, "and all that thing'll have is itself."

[Quiksilver]

"Ooh, fog!" came a sudden noise behind the group and suddenly Rika had jumped off the helicopter, wading her way into the fog bank and smiling as though greeting an old friend. Having a suspicious feeling the others would be looking at her in disbelief, she cast a defensive glare behind her. "What? Fog helps me disappear when...err...nevermind." she said, catching glance of Yukio, who always gave her those creepy glances, even when it seemed like he wasn't even looking at her. Turning away from Yukio, she inspected her Leash, where she had stored Coronamon for the helicopter ride- something told her the helicopter pilot and Yukio wouldn't have liked it if Coronamon had stayed out. Coronamon was still at full power and functioning normally, so she released him from the Leash.

"Man, am I glad to be out of there!" He said, stretching his arms. "While it's good for a nap or so, after a while it gets a little cramped."

Rika ignored Cor's statement, and turned to examine the fog, like Kazu. "I'd say this fog is both helpful. It'll help make us more stealthy, and when Digimon have a lot of power, they seem to be big monsters, so the fog won't help him much. Of course," Rika added, suddenly getting a vivid image of Yoda. "Power does not always equal size, so I'm not too sure."

[The Warden]

'Not to be a bit of a killjoy, but that Gizumon you guys destroyed was broken. It didn't function mentally beyond attack anything that attacked it first. For all we know the emergent is waiting in the fog to tear us limb from limb as soon as we seperate. Wow, now this kinda feels like a scene from a horror movie' Hiro commented. He shivered a little from that thought. He wasn't releasing Gizumon yet, there'd be no point in making himself look conspicuous to the emergrent. Releasing Gizumon when the moment was right would be like a data melting birthdya present, oh joy.

[Spartan919]

Kai couldn't help but glare over at Hiro, even though it was difficult with the fog (that made it hard to figure out exactly which one Hiro [i]was[/i]). "Well, you know, we aren't exactly idiots. If there's an Adult-level, or whatever, DABO waiting to tear us limb from limb, or even if it's not here yet, why would we separate?" Hiro may come up with an answer, but Kai didn't really care. He couldn't even figure out why he was arguing; Hiro had a point, was probably right, and Kai should probably save his energy for the coming fight. "Whatever." He turned and faced Emiko again. "Besides," he added, "I'm sure none of us will be alone." [i]Wow...I am being really stupid right now. Could I be any more blunt and ridiculous?[/i] While mentally berating himself, he took another survey of the scene. Nothing of note had happened other some Inverse members releasing their EGL's. He looked at his own Leash, still in his hand, and wondered what Rena would want. Would she want to be free and un-cramped, or would she rather stay warm and away from the fog in the Leash?

[Hotaru987]

In responce to Kazu, Emiko said, "That just means we cannot let our guard down, and we must watch each others backs." She could once again feel Kai's presence next to her but strangely enough it helped to calm the constantly raging emotions in her head. For the first time in a while she could actually pinpoint the emotions she was feeling; Anxiety and heavy nervousness. Though the only indication on her person of these emotions was the slight tremble of her hand - the right one with her leash attached to it. Following everyone else's lead, Emiko gave her leash a few light presses, before Tsunamon emerged, stretching as normal before looking around. "Oh my god!! I've gone blind!!!"

Emiko shook her head slightly, and sighed. "It's a fog Tsunamon. You haven't gone blind." She glanced up at Kai before quickly looking away, almost as if she was embaressed. He kept lookoing at her every time he spoke. She didn't really know why but she had the eurge to say something to him. So she said the first thing that came to mind, "You look nice by the way..." Emiko suddenly felt a pang of hurt, but not from Kai, it was from what Hiro said. Though he had finished talking minutes ago, she was just processing the emotion. It was the thing about the Gizumon being broken, because he was mentally deficiant. She had always knew something was wrong with her but, could it be that she was simply broken now. That could be why DARTS didn't care that they put someone like her on the front lines. Who cares if damaged goods were destroied?

[GreyCat]

"Actually," Kazu said after a moment's thought, "It might be better if we split into two groups of three and four." He raised his hand to ward off any retorts and hastily went one. "Don't snap at me yet, just listen." He pointed out into the fog. "The one thing we know is that in a little while, an Adult is coming out to play. And they play rough. As Hiro was so kind enough to remind us, the Gizumon we beat was broken; faulty, as in weaker than our target. A lot of DABO have wide range attacks. Take Renamon's diamond storm for instances. We don't want to be all bunched together as a nice little target for our guest now do we?"

He waved around their battle field. "In our fight with Gizumon, we struck from all sides, confusing it momentarily. I think Rika, Gala and I should take the left flank. Emiko, Leiko and Kai take the right with Yukio and Hiro in the center." He pointed out the spots as he spoke. Leor looked up at him in awe as he continued. "As soon as it emerges, were hit it from both sides them the head on. It might not work, but it gives us a decent attempt at t preemptive strike, gives Hiro a chance to make his observations and, most importantly, gives us enough room to run screaming if it come to that."

[Spartan919]

Kai grinned at Emiko as she complimented him. Somehow, he saw, something small had changed; she seemed...happier. And then he saw her face change. It darkened, or something. Kai couldn't explain it, but he figured he had to try to fix it, since he thought he had an idea what she was thinking. He scooted closer to her, and, on an impulse, wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He didn't pull her in, just looked into her eyes. "There...is nothing wrong with you," he muttered quietly, for the moment ignoring Kazu's small speech; his heart skipped when Kazu mentioned him splitting up with Emiko and Leiko. Then, he smiled, and spun away from her. He glanced up and down, as if studying her figure. "I'm no fashion expert," he said seriously, "but I would have to say..." He pretended to think carefully; "I think you look great too."

[Quiksilver]

"So why is it that I always end up with you?" Rika said, striding over to Kazu. "Except for that one glaring flaw, it's a good idea. Gala, come over here." She glanced over at her shoulder at Gala; he was the kid who hadn't shown up for practice, the one she didn't know very well. Well, maybe this would be the time to get acquainted...

Meanwhile, Coronamon had scooched on over to Kazu; he had seen the human but never talked to him, and was ready to meet someone new. "Hiya!" Coronamon said cheerfully. "I'm Coronamon. You're that Kazu dude, right? Rika's talked about you a couple of times."

[Hotaru987]

Emiko couldn't really explain what she felt what Kai put his arm around her but it felt....Well, nice. The last time someone did that was years ago before the accident. And the fact that he attempted to make her feel better only made her heart jump, but she didn't understand why. Kai was so confusing. He was acting in a way that no one had ever did when it came to her. They would be trying to get away from her as soon as possible, but he was the exact opposite. Emiko only came back to reality when he was complimenting her. She tilted her head slightly to the right, and gave a small smile. "Thank you." Emiko then turned to Kazu, "I think that is a great idea. It would give us more of a vantage point as well. Though I suppose with the fog here it would do much good relying on our eyes too much."

[The Warden]

Hiro nodded thoughtfully at Kazu's plan. 'That's very good, as due to the fog and however long it persists, a Digimon would have to rely on its sense of smell in order to locate us. Having multiple scents in different locations would further serve to confuse it, granting us more time to mount successful tag attacks against it. After all, as much as you can defend from an attack, you can't defend multiple attacks from different locations, unless it was a freakish abomination with like, a thousand arms covering its body, but that's just common-sense' he added. My god does this guy like to talk.

[Spartan919]

Kai nodded when she thanked him, though as far as he thought, she really hadn't had to. [i]Oh well,[/i] he thought. [i]Not like I'm gonna complain.[/i] His chest throbbed, but he knew it felt good, and he was gripped by a sudden need to reach out and grab Emiko and...Kai shook his head. He had to focus; they were on a mission, after all. He listened to her reasoning, then finally made a decision about Renamon. He tapped a couple buttons on the Leash, and with a flash of light, she was kneeling before him. Standing up, she glared at him, but Kai could see the real meaning behind the look: [i]You took your sweet time getting me out of that thing. Any idea how stuffy it is in those things? Thanks, by the way.[/i] Kai nodded minutely, then focused again. [i]"Not to mention that we'll have less of a chance of us all being killed with one attack,"[/i] is what he was going to say, but he thought better of it. Instead, he said, "And by splitting up, we'll probably be increasing our survival chances, and who knows, maybe we'll confuse the thing." He looked around. Speaking of which, where was "the thing?" They had been standing there for a while, and it hadn't shown up. He was starting to get nervous...but mostly for Emiko. [i]Screw what happens to me. If anything were to hurt her...[/i] He had no idea where the thought came from, but he knew it was one hundred percent truth.

[GreyCat]

Kazu smiled and crouched closer to Coronamon. Following example set by the other cat, Leor followed Rika in her quest to learn more about Gala. Kazu had another quest in mind. He put on a face of comical astonishment and disbelief. "Mio? As in me; humble Kazuma Yarai? She speaks about little old me often?" He grinned fiercely and bent even closer to her partner, eager to learn more. "Do tell, Corona, what [i]does[/i] Rika say about me?" He was sure it would be mostly bad things, but it would be fun to hear anyway. Something to annoy her with later. "And spare me not details. I don't bruise easily."

Leor shook himself to loss the little water drops that where beading on the ends of his fur and stretched before curling near Rika's feet. He may be a fierce cat, but he wasn't above taking naps or breaks when they present themselves.

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

[color="#FF0000"][b]"Hey, anyone see where Arachnimon went?"[/b][/color] Gala asked, somehow loud enough for Arachnimon to hear.

[color="#0000FF"][b]"Over here, trying to look for this damned thing!"[/b][/color] Arachnimon exclaimed.

A few seconds later, Arachnimon gave up his search in his current location and, travelling west, eventually caught up with Gala and the rest of the team. However he did look back once, to ensure nothing was following him.

[color="#0000FF"][b]"Nothing back there either..."[/b][/color] Arachnimon sighed, [color="#0000FF"][b]"You'd think a Digimon would be at least somewhere in the vicinity of these fog banks, and yet I've looked everywhere!"[/b][/color]

[color="#FF0000"][b]"Yeah, you should really take a break,"[/b][/color] Gala advised, [color="#FF0000"][b]"Even if its just for 15 minutes or something. You know, to clear your head from this whole episode."[/b][/color]

[color="#0000FF"][b]"Alright, but after 15 minutes, I'm going back out there and I'm gonna leave no stone unturned."[/b][/color] Arachnimon said in a tone of determination, [color="#0000FF"][b]"I'll find that DABO, one way or another..."[/b][/color]

[Hydra of Ages]

[spoiler= DARTS Common Tactics File A-17]
[font="Courier New"]
[b]Gizumon Operators[/b]
[i]Clearance Level Delta {Specialized DARTS Personnel}[/i]

Gizumon in the field are commanded by two main positions- the Gizumon Coordinator, and the Gizumon MetaTrooper, both of which operate out of a DARTS main command base and control their charges through long-distance control mechanisms.

Coordinators control large groups of Gizumon at a time; they are able to set up boundaries and army formations, which is critical in containing a large-size DABO. The Coordinator is responsible for holding and controlling the movements of an enemy; they are rarely responsible for dealing the finishing blow. Coordinators face high-stress environments where a single mistake could result in the destruction of an entire Gizu-Fleet and as such are accomplished multitaskers and take few risks. Most Gizumon pilots for a knack for logical deduction will end up as Coordinators.

MetaTroopers are the modern revisionings of a field soldier. A MetaTrooper commands a single Gizumon and can switch their command to any nearby Gizumon in the unit instantaneously. MetaTroopers are the primary offensive force; by limiting their focus to only a single unit, they are able to take more risky maneuvers that could possibly down a dangerous DABO. They are gunners first of all and generally have impeccable aim- unlike the Coordinator, who must keep track of an almost innumerable amount of variables, MetaTroopers are designed to focus on as few tasks as possible when achieving their goals.

Most DABO missions include a single Coordinator for every three MetaTroopers.

[/font]
[/spoiler]



There was a short chime on all of the children's Leashes, followed by a bright display of a young woman's face being brought up. She had short, cropped hair with stylish girls, with long hoop earings and a bright, exuberant face- one could tell she was excited without her even saying anything. She was donned in the typical golden DELTA-level jumpsuit, with a partial visor covering the back of her head and a green eye-panel placed before her right iris.

"Hey children!" she said cheerily. "I'm Sajinata Miller- I'll be your Gizumon Coordinator today."

A second screen appeared next to it, showing yet another woman- this one seemed a year or so older and had longish blond hair and a cooler expression. She wore a flower clip in her air as a girlish sort of touch, but seemed to be all business as the mission began. "Sakura Miyshio. MetaTrooper primary," she said quickly.

A third window, showing a dark-haired man with a grim face and musclar body popped up directly below that one. His eyes and features seemed sunken, but his voice had almost a playful quality when he spoke. "Balthien Urietz," he said in a thick foreign accent. "Zecondary MetaTrooper."

"It's only the three of us, I'm afraid," Sajinata said, almost biting her lip. "The total number of Gizumon is a little less than a hundred total, with fifty kept iced for the moment. Normally that's a nice number, but MailBirdramon trashed almost twenty times that amount... with ten times as many Operators. No pressure on you kids, but... I kinda hope you know what you're doing..."

"Saji, you worry, worry, far too much," the man called Balthien said with humor in his voice. "Ze Commander enjoys his little joke now and then. I doubt we be dealing with much more than a small Adult... just to whet the little one's appetite, yah?"

Almost as if to prove him wrong, there was a deep sound from somewhere. Nobody could detect exactly where it came from- but it almost seemed like a deep, muffled rumble, shaking everyone in their very marrow to the core. It was unearthly, like a whale's call, but somehow malevolent and powerful- an uneasy feeling.

Yukio paused suddenly and looked out towards the sea. The mist was even thicker over the waves. "It's an aquatic emergence," he said in a quiet tone that was somehow heard by everyone around. As if to echo his guess, a high pitched, almost alien sounding squeak came from the direction of the water, almost like the baying of a dolphin.

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

[color="#FF0000"][b]"I thought you checked everywhere..."[/b][/color] Gala told Arachnimon.

[color="#0000FF"][b]"Yeah, everywhere on land!"[/b][/color] Arachnimon snapped back, [color="#0000FF"][b]"What, you'd think I'd be able to even swim, let alone dive into all the lakes out there?"[/b][/color]

[color="#FF0000"][b]"Well I didn't know you couldn't swim,"[/b][/color] Gala replied, unable to say anything further before the sound rang further into his ears. So much for Arachnimon's 15 minute break, he wasn't even sure if it would last half that.

[Hotaru987]

Emiko stared at her leash in only minute intrest - which for her was saying something - as she listened to the three new faces that appeared on the screne. It was interesting to hear how this process was going to work, but any thought after that was cut off by the large deep sound that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. A loud ear peircing shriek followed afterwards. To which Emiko whinced lightly, while Tsunamon complained loudly and unecessarily. "Oh man! My ears! I think they're bleeding!!"

"Looks like we're finally going to begin." Emiko mumbled unconciously stepping a bit closer to Kai. "Tsunamon be ready on my command to move." She wondered if though others would go through with Kazu's plan. It wasn't exactly a bad idea, and so far it was the only plan of action that was given.

[GreyCat]

"Well, how's that for a encouraging," Kazu said flatly. "Nice to know the back up as faith in our abilities." Not only did their back up troops seem reluctant in the ability of the inverse project members to fight the DABO, but the suits had only provided a fraction of the normal support. True, it might be confidence in them and their skills, a gesture showing that they didn't need as much gizumon to fight when they were in play, but it could also be a way of cutting their losses when the plan went south. Kazu strongly felt it was the latter.

He slipped of to the other side of the cearing. He didn't know if Hiro or Yukio agreed with his suggestion, but they hadn't raised any objections either. He stumbled though, when the DABO's cry rumbled through the air. Underwater emergence? That changed things. Would the DABO come to the surface, preferably on land to fight. None of their partners were aquatic. Strictly land based. And Leor for one was a close range fighter primarily. If the target was in the sea, how could he fight? "This could be bad," he muttered.