[An anxious-looking teenager with long hair and rather old-fashioned looking buckskin clothing peers into the D-Terminal. He's used this before a few times to talk to people, but not yet to make a broadcast, owing to a combination of shyness and unfamiliarity with technology. Armadillomon is curled up beside him, dozing.]

Hello? Um... I could use some help.

I am looking for my roommate, Hibiki. I have not been able to find her anywhere in the city. She is Japanese... [duh, Connor, that's not very descriptive in a place partly made up of Tokyo,] ...with long dark hair, and a partner called Psychemon. She likes animals and Digimon a lot.

Please, if anyone has seen her recently, I would be grateful for information.



[Armadillomon cracks open an eye sleepily.] And I'd be grateful if you told Connor to stop worrying all the time.

[The boy scowls down at his partner, his response sharp.] Better to worry too much than to worry about nothing at all.

[Either Armadillomon is oblivious to that being directed at him, or he just isn't looking for a fight, because he just yawns.]

I know she'll come back eventually. You did, right?

[The video turns on to show a young man with wild violently green hair and... a traffic cone on his head. Judging by the background, he's in the marketplace by the Crest of Light housing.

He smiles brightly at his D-Terminal, and his first words burst from his mouth gleefully:] My, the Digital World sure is full of things!

[But then, he clears his throat, looking embarrassed.] Ah, my apologies. I should not be letting my excitement get the better of me. Please, let me start over.

Hello, I am the Prince of All Cosmos. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I arrived here in the Digital World seven days ago. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am afraid I got rather carried away in seeing all that there is to see here. It is quite exciting!

Ah, ah. My friend Armadillomon told me that I should not spend my money so frivolously, but I am afraid that I did not listen. This was never a problem before...! But, I find myself lacking bit, and my friend is very hungry.

[......... the Prince's stomach makes a protesting gurgling sound. The Prince, instead of looking embarrassed or any such thing, simply looks down at himself, confused.]

My, humans are very strange.

[A voice from off-camera says something, though the words can't be made out clearly due to the background clamor of the marketplace. The Prince lifts his head again and his smile returns.]

Ah, yes! As I was saying, my friend and I are in need of bit. Might I offer to do something in exchange for money? That is how this works, I hear.

I also have another question! There is a room for me somewhere, yes? A place to sleep, yes? To kick up one's feet? Well, I seem to have lost it. Sleeping on street benches does not bother me, but my friend Armadillomon insists that I find that room. Does anyone know where it is?

[The feed turns on, showing Alexandria slumped over in bed with her arm still heavily bandaged, fussing with her D-Terminal.]

No, god damn it, I wanted audio, not video.

Come on, it's not that hard.

If you haven't noticed, I'm down one arm and you don't have hands. Fuck it, this will work.

[She sighs and leans back, and actually starts addressing the terminal.]

So, my partner here and I have been talking. It turns out when she's not busy throwing a tantrum, she's actually pretty smart herself, and I've been getting information about how Digimon work from her. Their life cycle is actually pretty fascinating.

According to her, there are seven main stages of their life. Egg, Baby, Baby II, Child, Adult, Perfect, Ultimate. She also mentioned some sort of "legendary Super-Ultimate" that she'll turn into one day. I'm pretty sure this is about as valid as the little boys on the playground who say they know kung-fu-

Shut the hell up, I'll definitely make it!

-But I thought it was worth mentioning, just in case. The process that makes them advance a stage is called "evolution" (even though it's just a fucking metamorphosis, I'd like to get my hands on whoever fucking named this shit) and seems to require vast amounts of energy. As far as I can tell, these Digimon naturally store the energy as they live, and reach the next stage after having lived and battled. After reaching a stage, they stay there without regressing; We've got, for example, that Lilymon lady, who's supposed to be a Perfect level.

Which brings me to the important point: It looks like, so far, all of these so-called "chosen" Digimon are of the Child level, spontaneous pointless changes aside-

I told you that wasn't my fault!You humans are the ones responsible for our evolution, you must have screwed up!

-Ahem. My partner pointed out that it seems no "chosen" Digimon is of a higher level than the Child level, causing me to think that the temporary evolutions we allow them drain them of the energy they store to progress naturally. In other words, our "help" is actually hindering and actively stunting the growth and maturity of our Digimon. Temporary strength in exchange for prolonged weakness. It's possible our presence is actually harmful to our partners.

Or, that's just the current theory, I don't have enough information to confirm one way or the other. But I think it's something worth considering and investigating. If anyone else has anything relevant to add, I'd like to hear it.

[ Wally is currently in Roaming Park with Neku and Cam where things are considerably less on fire than in the kitchen. He's still not sure how they managed to burn eggs. He's trying to stand away from them at the moment, though, because he doesn't want to ruin the surprise. ]

Alright, I know most of the ladies here aren't really old enough for this occasion, but, just in case there are any mothers here, I wanted to give a shout out to all of you and all the moms back home (even though they won't see this...). Thanks for putting up with us, we couldn't have made it this far without you.

That being said... I wanna dedicate this post to Commander Shepard.

Well, me, Neku, and Cam, and I guess anyone else who looks up to her, too. We all really appreciate all you've done for us here. And even though, you know, things have been kinda patchy between me and you, the fact that you haven't totally written me off or given up on me means a lot.

Sooo...

[ He turns the camera to reveal Neku and Cam sitting on a blanket with little sandwiches and other snacky food. Thankfully Wally had intercepted their attempt at baking. ]

Ta-da! We made you a picnic. It's a thing I do with my mom and my aunt back home every year, so I figured it'd be nice to do one here for you, too. Also Neku and Cam nearly destroyed the kitchen with their cooking, so... this was safer. Plus fresh air!

Anyway, we're in Roaming Park. I guess if anyone else wants to come, they can too? We just don't have that many sandwiches...

[ He looks a little unsure, shrugs, then cuts the feed. ]

*Jin is sitting in the library, with the D-Terminal set on the opposite side of a book from him. Several more are piled on the table, all written in Japanese. Jin's in the process of turning a page when he turns on the video.*

I see several people have been having...difficulties with their partners' forms lately. It's a little curious...Sorcermon says it isn't normal, so I have to wonder what the cause is. If anyone has any theories, I would love to discuss them.

But that's not my only reason for being here right now. Someone brought up the fact that the books here are mostly in Japanese and not everyone could read them. It's a shame to leave books like this out of reach, so I'm going to make an offer. I'm willing to give people Japanese lessons in exchange for stories from your home worlds. They don't have to be especially exciting, but I want to know about the places people come from. I consider research a bit of a hobby, you see, so I'm intrigued by the idea of all these parallel universes.

*Sorcermon walks into the frame behind him, holding a book written in digicode against his chest.*

And I'm willing to offer lessons in this world's script for the same price. But if you'd rather not talk about it, we would accept payment in bits as well.

If you're interested, you can either reply here or contact me personally later. But regardless of how you get in touch, I won't share any of the stories you tell without permission. Oh, and in case you missed Shepards' introduction of me the other day, I'm Commander Jin Uzuki. It's a pleasure to meet all you new arrivals.

[The video feed opens with a eye. It's a very nice eye, very blue but the glare of the glasses covering it might be a distraction. The owner hums as he turns the D-Terminal in a semi-circle, then back, and really seems like he's inspecting it.]

Sir?

[Upon pulling himself away from staring at his device, we can now see a young man who looks 19 with bags under his eyes but otherwise appears to be healthy and strong and blonde, and...well, tense, like he's stressed out but is definitely not acting like it. He clears his through and looks back at the D-Terminal.]

Like this, right?

Yes, sir, you're doing excellent considering your apparent lack of technological knowledge! It's quiet impressive.

Uh--well, yeah of course I've got it! I'm the hero and little weird setbacks like this aren't going to hold me back!

Most admirable, sir!

[America kinda beams at him and scoots to sit on the ground instead of crouching everywhere, and gets PawnChessmon in on all this. America seems to either have forgotten the camera was on, or he's just ignoring it. Hard to tell. He makes a face similar to a Thinking Face but honestly that won't last.]

Who's this Izzy kid, anyway...whatever! I'll just have to find Japan and let him know I'm rescuing him from aliens.

I beg your pardon?

[America rubs his eyes under his glasses. He's not exactly a fan of knights or kings and while it's nice to suddenly have someone call him great all the time he's kind of sick of the hoity-toity. He likes this guy, really, but goddamn.]

Never mind! Point is, I'm the hero, and I'm gonna save this place! [He then turns his attention back to the camera; seems he hasn't forgotten after all.] All of you hear that? My name's America and y'all can be my back-up against the villains!

I look forward to helping you as much as I can, Sir America! [Straightened up and everything!]

Yeah! Just...drop the Sir as a title, okay? Not my thing.

Oh, of course, my apologies. And not to be a bother, but have you read the Guide yet?

[The pouty 5-year-old "no but screw you" face says it all, and PawnChessmon kinda freaks out.]

S-Sir, I strongly suggest you read the Guide! It will prove to be useful during your stay here!

Nope! [He stands up and squints at the device for a moment until he finds what button he wants.] Alright, Hero out!

[And the feed cuts off.]

[With all of the panic going on, Hibiki's finally managed to start getting a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, Psychemon is just as active as ever, and he's decided to teach Hibiki a thing or two. He's propped up her D-Terminal so that it will film the sleepy idol, and he walks around the bed so he can stare at her in the darkness. ...It's almost kind of creepy.]

Hibiki...are you awake? [Her Digimon partner pokes her until she stirs a little, mumbling something that the camera doesn't quite pick up.] Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?

Mm...sure thing, Psychetaro, just make it quick, okay? M'tryin' to sleep...

[He considers this mission to be successful, so he walks back to the D-Terminal and whispers into it before taking the device into his hands.]

We're now open for calls. If there's anything you'd like to ask her while she's...docile, please don't hesitate to let us know! I'll start, to show you how it's done.

[He walks back over to the bed, hops up on a chair so he can film Hibiki a bit better, and asks his first question. Meanwhile, the idol has a peaceful smile on her face. For now.]

What's your most embarrassing secret, Hibiki Ganaha?

Why do ya wanna know somethin' like that? [She mumbles, shifting a bit in her sleep and letting out a small sigh.] Sometimes, I eat Inumi's...she's my dog...I eat her food, and she gets upset and runs away from home. She's so stubborn, huh? [Her voice trails off as she opens her eyes.] ...Huh? ...P-psychetaro, what are you doing?

You're an idol, right? I thought you'd like to answer our burning questions and get some fighting spirit at the same ti—

[Hibiki, in her pajamas, reaches for the D-Terminal and misses. My, how her face changes in only a few seconds.]

PSYCHETARO! The only one I wanna fight around here is you! Give that back to me!

[She reaches for it again, but Psychetaro moves out of the way. She manages to grab it on her third try and shut it off, but not before her partner gets the last word in.]

That's it for tonight, folks! I'll save your questions for a later show!

[Kaldur is wearing a new blue jacket he bought during all the parade festivities. His friendly demeanor that you may have grown accustomed to is replaced by a more serious one. This is Kaldur's game face. He has faced difficult odds before, though the circumstances were different, but he knows that now -- before the Beemon arrive -- is the best time to rally together and set about planning.]

As some of us anticipated, the reality of being here is more than just the parades and games we have experienced the past few days. While the welcoming from the Damemon and the Chosen before us was appreciated, it is now time to focus on the matter at hand. I will not repeat what Koushirou has already informed us of but I would like for us to spend these next two days devising a plan and perhaps forming groups that can work together and ensure everyone's safety during the imminent attack.

I know there are others here with experience in combat situations. We are limited in our resources and abilities, but that does not mean we can sit idly by and do nothing. We have been asked to help and I plan to give it as I have said I would. We were told when we arrived that we might have to face challenges like this as proposed Chosen. Why we were chosen and what it means is still left to be seen. However, I believe we can handle this first challenge, but only if we prepare and work together now as opposed to waiting for the attack to happen.

[Kaldur lets that sink in before continuing on.]

We must also consider our missing friends. Taichi may have wandered off, but I have noticed that others are gone as well. Are the two connected or is there something else at work here? We can only find out if we investigate what happened to Taichi. Koushirou and the chosen before us cannot handle this problem alone. I am not sure about the rest of you, but I would like to be with the group to go out and find Taichi. We should establish who is going and who is staying to protect the city. I ask those who are up to it to please step forward. If you do not feel that you can, there are other ways in which you can help and ensure that this attack does not end badly. That can be discussed as well. Either way, our best bet is to work together now and discuss strategy.

[That's probably the most Kaldur has ever said in one sitting. He bows his head as a sort of farewell. And then gestures behind him, it appears he is standing in front of the main Meeting Hall ]

I believe it would be prudent to put the meeting hall to use. We can set it up as a headquarters and since it is at the center of the city we can make it an easily defensible position for those unable to fight or who wish to stay safe. I do not expect everyone to fight, but if you are willing then we can find something for you to do. I am also open to thoughts from others. After all, I am new to this situation as well.

[The camera cuts abruptly to a view from the roof of a building, giving a panorama over one of the bridges and the river of the city. How the D-Terminal's owner got up to such a height is unknown, but who it belong to becomes obvious when Armadillomon shuffles into view. He pokes his nose over the edge of the roof, looking a little green.]

I don't know why you had to carry me up here... Couldn't I have just waited on the ground where it's safe?

[Then there's a brief glimpse of Connor's hooded face as he sets the D-Terminal down, perching himself on the edge of the rooftop. Apparently the multi-story drop doesn't make him flinch in the least.]

There. [The camera is angled toward, in the distance, Tokyo's Statue of Liberty.] Look at the tablet she is holding. It has a date on it -- "4th July, 1776".

[This means nothing to Armadillomon, who is only looking more anxious.] All right, now you've seen it, can we get down?

Wait. [He places a hand on Armadillomon's shell, as if to soothe his nerves.] I wish to know the meaning of the other date. "14th July, 1789". [Now his attention is on the D-Terminal, which he glances down to.] Is anyone able to tell me? And why is such a statue in a place such as this? It should not belong in this world.

This is Captain Lasky, I suppose it's a bit of a long shot, but if anyone here is from the UNSC Infinity check in. [Lasky isn't looking all that worried as he talks, but then he's beaten by the black Pawnchessmon near him in talking again.]

I thought we already figured out they weren't here, it's just you.

It's just to cover my bases while I'm here, because before you said anything I was also going to ask if anyone hears from someone from it to let me know.

[That makes the animated pawn just sort of shuffle some before Lasky shrugs and moves on. He's just relaxing in his room right now and the Digimon had just climbed up on his bed so it wasn't hard to see both of them.]

For the rest of you here, how man of you are over the age of eighteen? I haven't been here long and I'm just curious how many of us there are with a little more life experience behind us. We're all a little out of our element here, and I can't blame you kids for acting the way you are either, but can we try and not cause problems for one another? [Seriously, he saw some of those questions people.]

He means think before you speak.

[That's a sigh.] Yes, thank you.