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“My real name is Kosuke Kisakata,” the man says, fiddling with the half-empty coffee can in his hands.
Dorumon shoots Kosuke a worried look. Kosuke continues, “It’s only fair you know my real name. I don’t get to use it much these days.”
Eiji bows respectfully. He remains silent as he struggles to find the right words to say. “So…” he begins awkwardly. “Who are you looking for?”
Kosuke sighs as the room around him grows silent. “it all started back in college. In the early days of the Digital world. I was one of the first people to mindlink, but back then it was a much more…limited experience. It was far less precise, and a lot more dangerous.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “I was part of the first people to see the Digital world and…” his voice trails off.
Kosuke clears his throat. “That’s why I became a Code Cracker and dedicated my life to finding…them.”
Something in Kosuke’s story triggers a sudden memory for Eiji. “Black Agumon!” he shouts.
Kosuke nods his head. “Black Agumon was…their Digimon.”
“So your friend has been in a coma all this time?” Loogamon asks.
“Yes. They’re in a special facility overseas.” The room grows silent.
“Suppose you find Black Agumon, can you save the person who went DMIA?” Eiji asks.
“We believe that people who DMIA lose the capacity for self-awareness.” Dorumon answers.
“In theory, the person’s fusion to a Digimon’s Digicore would cause several issues for them as well. If a person who DMIA merely went unconscious, the Digimon would be able to communicate with the outside world. Unfortunately, there is no real way of testing this.”
“And even if they somehow maintain their consciousness,” Dorumon begins, “Leon and Kauchimon fell into the vortex, past the firewall. There is almost no hope of him finding his way back.”
“But there is some hope,” Kosuke says as he flips through the options on his Digimon Linker. He sends some data to Eiji.
“A Syringe?” Eiji says, examining the hologram spinning from his watch.
Kosuke nods his head. “It’s medicine tailormade for DMIA patientes?”
“A cure?” Eiji asks in awe.
“Of sorts. It contains a medical-grade stimulant. In theory, it should peel the human consciousness away from the Digicore, granting the person enough self-awareness to return to the real world.”
“And this works?”
“Well, it was originally designed to extend the amount of time one can safely mindlink. In simple terms, the medicine increases focus. That focus should also bring a person back.”
“That’s awesome!”
“Sort of,” Kosuke continues. “The side effects make it…difficult to get approval. But the trails have shown promise.”
“So giving this stuff to Leon…”
“We can’t give this to Leon’s physical body. It has to be administered to his Digimon, wherever it may be.”
The hologram continues to spin slowly in the air between them.
“Did you come up with this medicine?” Eiji asks.
“No. It came from a lab.”
“What…What lab?” Eiji asks, already knowing the answer.
“Professor Rysenji’s” Dorumon replies.
“But why..why would he give us something like this?”
“We made a deal with the professor,” Dorumon explains.
“What kind of deal?”
“If we share the data, we get access to the vaccine. Simple as that.”
“Are you okay with that Kosuke?” Eiji turns his attention to the silent man across from him. He remains silent for a moment before pulling up a video on a virtual monitor. The video was a security camera feed of a hospital room. The room is full of large tubes filled with liquids, and devices busy measuring vitals. At the center of the group, Eiji could make out the fuzzy image of a young woman.
“Is that the person you lost?” Eiji asks.
Kosuke sighs sadly. “This is the only way I can see her now. We don’t know what will happen if we successfully administer the drug and she regains consciousness…” His voice trails for a bit. “But the drug gives me hope.” He closes the virtual monitors.
“Do you trust the professor?” Eiji asks suddenly.
“Do you not?”
“I do!” Eiji replies without hesitation. “If you two say there’s a chance, that’s enough for me!”
“So can we count on you two?” Dorumon asks.
“What do you say Loogamon?”
Loogamon smirks. “Like I’d let you do this on your own!”
Dorumon chuckles.
“So we’re after Leon and the Black Agumon. How much of that medicine do we have?”
“Just the one,” Dorumon says gravely.
“Cool, I’m sure the professor will give us another after…”
“No. All you have to do is recover the Digimon. The lab will take care of the rest,” adds Dorumon.
“Ok. Simple enough. Do you have a plan?”
Kosuke smiles. “I’m glad you asked. I’ve got a car waiting. Gather your things and come with me. I’ll explain on the way.”
“Right now?” Eiji asks, surprised by the sudden urgency.
“It’s not safe here. The Digipolice will be here any minute.”
“Wait.What?!”
Kosuke nods his head. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a safehouse nearby, but you do need to hurry,” Kosuke says calmly as he walks out the door.
Eiji quickly throws a few things into a bag and chases after Kosuke. Koske is already sitting in the car when Eiji walks out. Before Eiji can get in, Kosuke stops him. “Before you get in this car, you have to be sure about what you’re doing. Once you get in, there is no going back to your old life.” Kosuke waits for an answer as the severity of the situation hits Eiji.
“So what’s it going to be Eiji? Are you coming or not?” Koske asks politely.
Eiji looks back at his apartment. It looks so small from where he stands. He thinks about the life he’s leaving behind. “In that case,” Eiji says, turning to Kosuke, “I’ll have no regrets!”
Eiji steps into the car and shuts the door the door behind him.