Digimon Devil's Advocate
- Thread starter Ryuugi
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The blade on his left arm extended and began to glow as he slowly approached. Andromon watched his approach with weary eyes.
He knew that Growmon slow pace was nothing but a way of gloating. If Andromon tried to escape, it was disappear in an instant and the hunt would be on.
He couldnÆt run.
He couldnÆt hide.
And worst of all, he couldnÆt win.
Acknowledging that fact probably hurt more than his woundsùGrowmon could see that much in his opponentÆs eyes.
Butà
Even soàAndromon would not back down. Growmon knew that much from simply fighting himùhe may not be an expert tactician, but he could at least tell if someone was the type of person to back down or run away.
So he wasnÆt even slightly surprised when AndromonÆs chest plate opened.
In fact, he didnÆt even slow his stride.
Instead, he literally spat a burst of fire, catching one of the missiles in midair, causing an explosion. The other missile just sailed straight through the smoke, opening itÆs æmouthÆ to reveal a small Gatling gun, which began releasing a spray of bullets.
Closing his eyes, Growmon just let the rounds bounce harmlessly off his skin. Tilting his head to the side, he let it fly straight past him and opened his eyesù
To see another pair of missiles coming towards him.
Feeling a flicker of annoyance, he swung an arm, splitting both missiles with a single blade and weathering the resulting explosion.
Striding out of the smoke, he saw Andromon rushing towards him. Which he immediately realized was ridiculous, since the CyborgÆs close range weaponry had been destroyed. As such, it was probably aù
Ah. A trap.
GrowmonÆs tail flicked up, meeting the missile that had stealthily been approaching from behind, even as Andromon leapt, firing another pair of missiles from his still open chest plate in the hopes of scoring a point blank shot.
If the previous attack had connected and taken him by surprise, it might have even worked. Instead, an exhalation of fire connected with the missiles just as they left Andromon, exploding right in front of him.
Of course, it was right in front of Growmon too, but the attacks of a half dead opponent wouldnÆt hurt him, even if it was a half dead Perfect.
Of course, at this point, he might be more than just half way to the grave. Unlike Growmon, Andromon had taken that blastÆs damage completelyùand with his protective chest plate open and unable to actually defend him. The blast had thrown him away, sending him crashing into a building and leaving his chest a scorched wreck.
Andromon tried to stand up, but his body had finally succumbed to damage and he fell back down, defeated.
Growmon felt almostàdisappointed. Not quite because Andromon had been defeated, or even that the fight was finally over, but because of something he couldnÆt quite put into words.
Maybe it was a fleeting feeling of regret. Even if it was to increase his poweràthis really had been a nice city, once. Before heÆd destroyed it.
He crushed that feeling mercilessly and approached Andromon. The CyborgÆs face was blank and expressionless, unwilling to show any fear, even before death.
Leaning down, he severed AndromonÆs remaining hand with a plasma-like blade. Andromon released a not-quite suppressed cry of pain and glared angrily at him.
After all, what did he have to fear at this point? Growmon had already killed everyone he cared about and removed both his arms. He was about to die and he knew it. Nothing Growmon could possibly do could hurt him any more than he already had been.
Before that simple realization, Growmon felt a flash of something that may have been guilt.
ôYou took my hands,ö Growmon said. ôAnd I took yours.ö
Rather than gloating, it felt almost like he was trying to explain his actions.
Andromon just glared.
The Dragon and the Cyborg traded glares and Growmon looked away first.
What he felt didnÆt matter. HeÆd won and it was over. All he had to do was make it official.
ôExhaust Flame.ö He said.
But for some reason, he felt no pleasure in doing so.
It was odd how quickly the high of power had faded.
XxXXxX
He knew that Growmon slow pace was nothing but a way of gloating. If Andromon tried to escape, it was disappear in an instant and the hunt would be on.
He couldnÆt run.
He couldnÆt hide.
And worst of all, he couldnÆt win.
Acknowledging that fact probably hurt more than his woundsùGrowmon could see that much in his opponentÆs eyes.
Butà
Even soàAndromon would not back down. Growmon knew that much from simply fighting himùhe may not be an expert tactician, but he could at least tell if someone was the type of person to back down or run away.
So he wasnÆt even slightly surprised when AndromonÆs chest plate opened.
In fact, he didnÆt even slow his stride.
Instead, he literally spat a burst of fire, catching one of the missiles in midair, causing an explosion. The other missile just sailed straight through the smoke, opening itÆs æmouthÆ to reveal a small Gatling gun, which began releasing a spray of bullets.
Closing his eyes, Growmon just let the rounds bounce harmlessly off his skin. Tilting his head to the side, he let it fly straight past him and opened his eyesù
To see another pair of missiles coming towards him.
Feeling a flicker of annoyance, he swung an arm, splitting both missiles with a single blade and weathering the resulting explosion.
Striding out of the smoke, he saw Andromon rushing towards him. Which he immediately realized was ridiculous, since the CyborgÆs close range weaponry had been destroyed. As such, it was probably aù
Ah. A trap.
GrowmonÆs tail flicked up, meeting the missile that had stealthily been approaching from behind, even as Andromon leapt, firing another pair of missiles from his still open chest plate in the hopes of scoring a point blank shot.
If the previous attack had connected and taken him by surprise, it might have even worked. Instead, an exhalation of fire connected with the missiles just as they left Andromon, exploding right in front of him.
Of course, it was right in front of Growmon too, but the attacks of a half dead opponent wouldnÆt hurt him, even if it was a half dead Perfect.
Of course, at this point, he might be more than just half way to the grave. Unlike Growmon, Andromon had taken that blastÆs damage completelyùand with his protective chest plate open and unable to actually defend him. The blast had thrown him away, sending him crashing into a building and leaving his chest a scorched wreck.
Andromon tried to stand up, but his body had finally succumbed to damage and he fell back down, defeated.
Growmon felt almostàdisappointed. Not quite because Andromon had been defeated, or even that the fight was finally over, but because of something he couldnÆt quite put into words.
Maybe it was a fleeting feeling of regret. Even if it was to increase his poweràthis really had been a nice city, once. Before heÆd destroyed it.
He crushed that feeling mercilessly and approached Andromon. The CyborgÆs face was blank and expressionless, unwilling to show any fear, even before death.
Leaning down, he severed AndromonÆs remaining hand with a plasma-like blade. Andromon released a not-quite suppressed cry of pain and glared angrily at him.
After all, what did he have to fear at this point? Growmon had already killed everyone he cared about and removed both his arms. He was about to die and he knew it. Nothing Growmon could possibly do could hurt him any more than he already had been.
Before that simple realization, Growmon felt a flash of something that may have been guilt.
ôYou took my hands,ö Growmon said. ôAnd I took yours.ö
Rather than gloating, it felt almost like he was trying to explain his actions.
Andromon just glared.
The Dragon and the Cyborg traded glares and Growmon looked away first.
What he felt didnÆt matter. HeÆd won and it was over. All he had to do was make it official.
ôExhaust Flame.ö He said.
But for some reason, he felt no pleasure in doing so.
It was odd how quickly the high of power had faded.
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
The Digimon Kaiser sat silently in his room, Wormmon his only company.
It was lateùquite a bit past midnight, in fact. If he stayed up much later, it would noticeably affect him in the morning; it didnÆt really matter to him, though, except that people might annoy him by asking why he looked so tired.
Butàthis was more important.
Andromon had failed.
Noùworse. An entire city of Adult Digimon had failed. HeÆd split the Chosen up for hours and it still hadnÆt been enough to beat them. In fact, the only one who had come even close to succeeding was Andromon, who at least had them on the run for awhile. Truthfully, he was probably the only one whoÆd come close to winning.
And perhaps that was why KenÆs thoughts were focused on him.
He had failedàbut not because he was weak. In this case, Ken had to swallow his pride and admit the truthùthe fault was his.
His Evil Rings werenÆt good enough.
He had managed to control hundredsùthousandsùof Adults and Childs. In that regard, his Rings worked almost perfectly; while at first, there had been a few errors until heÆd improved and corrected the design, the Rings were now completely reliable.
Except on Perfect Digimon.
HeÆd controlled Andromon for a time, even infecting him with the same virus he had the Guardromon and using his mechanical nature against him. And for a time, it had seemed to work.
But the Chosen had broken through, somehow, and freed him. Not only had he lost his only Perfect Digimon, but heÆd lost one of his most valuable cities; few, if any, of the areas he controlled had as high a concentration of easily controllable Adult Digimon.
With its loss, it was impossible to continue denying the truth.
He was losing. The Chosen had freed too many cities, building up a momentum that he was helpless to stop. He had his armies, but they had theirs, too. The areas the freed had been largely on the defensive, but it was a very good defense, leaving him unable to break through the borders of their territory in any way that would be worth the cost.
However, while it rendered him unable to go on the attack, it also required the full might of the freed areas, which would have resulted in a stalemate if not for the Chosen. Using portals, they entered areas he controlled, freeing them and turn them to their side. Soon, the simply difference in numbers would allow the freed Digimon to put together an army separate from their defensive forces. Ken could just imagine the Chosen riding into his territory at the head of a huge mob of Digimon.
If that were too happenà
It would be the end of him. He would lose the moment they managed to put together a force that large. If he had to devote his own forces to counteract their army, heÆd leave important locations undefended and the Chosen would literally be able to fly around and take a territory. Once they established a foothold anywhere deep in his territory, heÆd have to defend against multiple frontsùif that happened, it would only be a matter of time before he fell.
If he wanted to have any chance at victory, he had to turn the tide. He no longer had enough time to contemplate option after option and slowly decide which to use. He needed to choose his next course of action right now if he wanted to have any hope of being able to actually implement it in time.
In that regard, perhaps he was lucky, because the answer was obvious.
There was only one real option. Adults would no longer cut it. They had proven ineffective, both alone and in numbers.
His only option would be to make use of Perfects.
But heÆd already proven that his Rings wouldnÆt be enough. HeÆd used both a Ring and a virus on Andromon and it hadnÆt workedùagainst Digimon that werenÆt Machines, heÆd have only the Ring and heÆd probably find even less success.
HeÆd need something better, but making a successful model would require testingùpreferable not on an actual Perfect Digimon, who could break loose if he failed.
In which case, heÆd need to test it on someone of lower levelùor, even better yet, on a Perfect that would not lash out, if it broke free.
In which caseàthe choice was simple.
And yet, for a brief moment, he hesitated to make it.
And so, it was made for him, by someone who knew him so well as to know what he was thinkingùby the only one who knew him that well.
ôPlease, Ken-chanàö Wormmon began. ôUse me. I will definitely not fail you. I will definitely continue to beàyour strongest soldier.ö
For a moment, Ken could think of nothing to say. Closing his eyes, he nodded once, and made his decision.
ôùOf course. Then, tomorrow, our counteract will begin. IÆll rely on you to lead it to victory, Wormmon.ö
XxXXxX
The Digimon Kaiser sat silently in his room, Wormmon his only company.
It was lateùquite a bit past midnight, in fact. If he stayed up much later, it would noticeably affect him in the morning; it didnÆt really matter to him, though, except that people might annoy him by asking why he looked so tired.
Butàthis was more important.
Andromon had failed.
Noùworse. An entire city of Adult Digimon had failed. HeÆd split the Chosen up for hours and it still hadnÆt been enough to beat them. In fact, the only one who had come even close to succeeding was Andromon, who at least had them on the run for awhile. Truthfully, he was probably the only one whoÆd come close to winning.
And perhaps that was why KenÆs thoughts were focused on him.
He had failedàbut not because he was weak. In this case, Ken had to swallow his pride and admit the truthùthe fault was his.
His Evil Rings werenÆt good enough.
He had managed to control hundredsùthousandsùof Adults and Childs. In that regard, his Rings worked almost perfectly; while at first, there had been a few errors until heÆd improved and corrected the design, the Rings were now completely reliable.
Except on Perfect Digimon.
HeÆd controlled Andromon for a time, even infecting him with the same virus he had the Guardromon and using his mechanical nature against him. And for a time, it had seemed to work.
But the Chosen had broken through, somehow, and freed him. Not only had he lost his only Perfect Digimon, but heÆd lost one of his most valuable cities; few, if any, of the areas he controlled had as high a concentration of easily controllable Adult Digimon.
With its loss, it was impossible to continue denying the truth.
He was losing. The Chosen had freed too many cities, building up a momentum that he was helpless to stop. He had his armies, but they had theirs, too. The areas the freed had been largely on the defensive, but it was a very good defense, leaving him unable to break through the borders of their territory in any way that would be worth the cost.
However, while it rendered him unable to go on the attack, it also required the full might of the freed areas, which would have resulted in a stalemate if not for the Chosen. Using portals, they entered areas he controlled, freeing them and turn them to their side. Soon, the simply difference in numbers would allow the freed Digimon to put together an army separate from their defensive forces. Ken could just imagine the Chosen riding into his territory at the head of a huge mob of Digimon.
If that were too happenà
It would be the end of him. He would lose the moment they managed to put together a force that large. If he had to devote his own forces to counteract their army, heÆd leave important locations undefended and the Chosen would literally be able to fly around and take a territory. Once they established a foothold anywhere deep in his territory, heÆd have to defend against multiple frontsùif that happened, it would only be a matter of time before he fell.
If he wanted to have any chance at victory, he had to turn the tide. He no longer had enough time to contemplate option after option and slowly decide which to use. He needed to choose his next course of action right now if he wanted to have any hope of being able to actually implement it in time.
In that regard, perhaps he was lucky, because the answer was obvious.
There was only one real option. Adults would no longer cut it. They had proven ineffective, both alone and in numbers.
His only option would be to make use of Perfects.
But heÆd already proven that his Rings wouldnÆt be enough. HeÆd used both a Ring and a virus on Andromon and it hadnÆt workedùagainst Digimon that werenÆt Machines, heÆd have only the Ring and heÆd probably find even less success.
HeÆd need something better, but making a successful model would require testingùpreferable not on an actual Perfect Digimon, who could break loose if he failed.
In which case, heÆd need to test it on someone of lower levelùor, even better yet, on a Perfect that would not lash out, if it broke free.
In which caseàthe choice was simple.
And yet, for a brief moment, he hesitated to make it.
And so, it was made for him, by someone who knew him so well as to know what he was thinkingùby the only one who knew him that well.
ôPlease, Ken-chanàö Wormmon began. ôUse me. I will definitely not fail you. I will definitely continue to beàyour strongest soldier.ö
For a moment, Ken could think of nothing to say. Closing his eyes, he nodded once, and made his decision.
ôùOf course. Then, tomorrow, our counteract will begin. IÆll rely on you to lead it to victory, Wormmon.ö
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
Takato sighed as he exited the game.
He was tired. He shouldnÆt have stayed up so late and heÆd probably be regretting it tomorrowùno, at this point, it would be ælater todayÆ wouldnÆt it?
Given how he was on the best of day, it would be a miracle if he managed to get to class on time in the morning.
Still, he couldnÆt say he regretted it. The game obeyed a normal progression of time, even when he wasnÆt playing, which was cool, but also meant he would miss things while he was gone.
Which, if he knew Lucemon, would result in him being screwed over somehow, no matter what he did.
But all things considered, today had gone very well.
From his stand point as an æally of the Chosen,Æ heÆd helped releases an entire city of enslaved Digimon. Not only that, but it was a very valuable area that the Kaiser would definitely feel the loss of. Not only that, but heÆd insured that the Kaiser would never be able to take control of that area ever again.
Or, at least, that even if he did, it would be absolutely useless to him.
And, more importantly, from his true position, today had been immensely profitable. In fact, it wouldnÆt be an exaggeration to say that heÆd benefited more from today than he had from all his work prior. Between the acquisition of Growmon and the loading of any entire city of Guardromon, heÆd shored up his own power. The additional loading of Andromon had proven immensely useful as well, both due to the inherent power of a Perfect Digimon and the card that had resulted from his death.
Without a doubt, Growmon was no longer simply a powerful Adult. He was well into Perfect territory, which meant he was far stronger than anyone that either the Chosen or the Kaiser had on their sides. Regardless of who he fought, Takato felt his partner would not be defeated.
HeÆd even voiced his certainty of victory to Lucemon, pondering whether it was time to end his disguise and challenge the Chosen and the Kaiser.
And yetàLucemonÆs response had made him nervous.
æDonÆt be so hasty, Takato. The KaiserÆs up to something.Æ
It made sense that as he got stronger, the game would get more difficult, of course. HeÆd known it would do that. But it didnÆt make it any less frustrating when Lucemon did stuff like that.
What could the Kaiser do at this point? They had him on the run and everyone knew it. Takato couldnÆt think of way real way for him to make a comeback, especially considering GrowmonÆs newfound power.
But what worried him? He was pretty sure Lucemon could.
Takato sighed at the thought.
It was pointless to worry about it. What happened would happen; the game was no fun without a challenge, anyway.
As he left the computer room, he was surprised to find that all the lights were off. Well, his parents had probably gone to sleepù
ôTakato?ö
Takato winced and turned around. He was busted.
His mother frowned at him.
ôWhere have you been?ö She demanded. ôYou didnÆt even come down for supper!ö
ôSorry, mom,ö He apologized. ôI just so wrapped up in the game that I lost track of time.ö
Her frown deepened.
ôYouÆve done that a lot lately. Every day you come home and spend hours on that computeràIÆm worried about you, Takato.ö
ôItÆs just a game, Mom.ö Takato defended. ôThereÆs nothing wrong; IÆm only having a lot of fun.ö
ôIÆll be the judge of that.ö She declared firmly. ôTomorrow, I want you to show me this game youÆve been so addicted too. If thereÆs nothing wrong, that shouldnÆt be a problem, right?ö
Takato sighed as he exited the game.
He was tired. He shouldnÆt have stayed up so late and heÆd probably be regretting it tomorrowùno, at this point, it would be ælater todayÆ wouldnÆt it?
Given how he was on the best of day, it would be a miracle if he managed to get to class on time in the morning.
Still, he couldnÆt say he regretted it. The game obeyed a normal progression of time, even when he wasnÆt playing, which was cool, but also meant he would miss things while he was gone.
Which, if he knew Lucemon, would result in him being screwed over somehow, no matter what he did.
But all things considered, today had gone very well.
From his stand point as an æally of the Chosen,Æ heÆd helped releases an entire city of enslaved Digimon. Not only that, but it was a very valuable area that the Kaiser would definitely feel the loss of. Not only that, but heÆd insured that the Kaiser would never be able to take control of that area ever again.
Or, at least, that even if he did, it would be absolutely useless to him.
And, more importantly, from his true position, today had been immensely profitable. In fact, it wouldnÆt be an exaggeration to say that heÆd benefited more from today than he had from all his work prior. Between the acquisition of Growmon and the loading of any entire city of Guardromon, heÆd shored up his own power. The additional loading of Andromon had proven immensely useful as well, both due to the inherent power of a Perfect Digimon and the card that had resulted from his death.
Without a doubt, Growmon was no longer simply a powerful Adult. He was well into Perfect territory, which meant he was far stronger than anyone that either the Chosen or the Kaiser had on their sides. Regardless of who he fought, Takato felt his partner would not be defeated.
HeÆd even voiced his certainty of victory to Lucemon, pondering whether it was time to end his disguise and challenge the Chosen and the Kaiser.
And yetàLucemonÆs response had made him nervous.
æDonÆt be so hasty, Takato. The KaiserÆs up to something.Æ
It made sense that as he got stronger, the game would get more difficult, of course. HeÆd known it would do that. But it didnÆt make it any less frustrating when Lucemon did stuff like that.
What could the Kaiser do at this point? They had him on the run and everyone knew it. Takato couldnÆt think of way real way for him to make a comeback, especially considering GrowmonÆs newfound power.
But what worried him? He was pretty sure Lucemon could.
Takato sighed at the thought.
It was pointless to worry about it. What happened would happen; the game was no fun without a challenge, anyway.
As he left the computer room, he was surprised to find that all the lights were off. Well, his parents had probably gone to sleepù
ôTakato?ö
Takato winced and turned around. He was busted.
His mother frowned at him.
ôWhere have you been?ö She demanded. ôYou didnÆt even come down for supper!ö
ôSorry, mom,ö He apologized. ôI just so wrapped up in the game that I lost track of time.ö
Her frown deepened.
ôYouÆve done that a lot lately. Every day you come home and spend hours on that computeràIÆm worried about you, Takato.ö
ôItÆs just a game, Mom.ö Takato defended. ôThereÆs nothing wrong; IÆm only having a lot of fun.ö
ôIÆll be the judge of that.ö She declared firmly. ôTomorrow, I want you to show me this game youÆve been so addicted too. If thereÆs nothing wrong, that shouldnÆt be a problem, right?ö
DevilÆs Advocate
Chapter Ten: Changing Point
ôMove Greymon to this areaàö Taichi said, expression thoughtfully. ôAndàKoushirou, have Kabuterimon cover this area.ö
ôGot it.ö His friend said.
ôGarurumon and I can cover this area.ö Yamato said, pointing at the screen.
ôOkay, thenàö Jyou frowned uncertainly. ôIkkakumon is probably a good choice for this one, since itÆs by the water.ö
ôThen IÆll ask Mimi if she can cover the area with the Gekomon; theyÆve always been fond of her.ö Koushirou said, quickly moving through windows on the computer screen.
They were acting defensively for now. The Kaiser had suddenly gotten more aggressive, probably because they had begun taking down so many Dark Towers. But while that aggression was, on one hand, reassuring, as it meant they had him on the run, it was also dangerous, because he was getting backed into a corner. He was on the offensive, now, and was attacking recently freed areas, trying to bring them under his control.
As a result, the older Chosen were moving their partner into position in those places. While they couldnÆt evolve in areas the Kaiser controlled, freed areas were another matter; they could send their evolved partners to the frontlines to guard it while the other freed areas sent in reinforcements to help the freed areas recover, as well as protect it.
The older Chosen covered this part of the battle, protecting the freed areas and slowing the KaiserÆs attempts to advance. Meanwhile, the newer Chosen acted as the offensive force, entering the areas near the border between the captured and the freed. They ventured into the areas that were threatening the freed areas the most and destroyed the Dark Tower there. After that, the process would repeat as they gained new ground and pushed the Kaiser further and further.
Suddenly, a window arose on the screen and MimiÆs face appeared. Koushirou blinked as he wasnÆt the one to open it.
ôAh, Mimi; you have great timing-ö He began before she cut him off.
ôSheÆs awake!ö Mimi said, freezing everyone in the room.
Mimi wasnÆt with them planning strategy for one very simple reason.
They needed someone to watch over Sora.
ôYou meanà?ö Taichi asked, not ready to get his hopes up but very much wanting too.
Mimi nodded her head furiously and her happiness was evident.
ôSoraÆs awake!ö
XxXXxX
ôTaichi?ö Sora asked, as he walked into the tent. It was a small thing, just something theyÆd managed to sneak away without anyone noticing. Jyou had brought it, saying it was one that heÆd gotten after their camping trip went horribly awry.
Taichi took a moment to silently thank Jyou for being the responsible one. HeÆd done that a lot of times.
ôSoraàö He said, focusing. It was weird; after all the time heÆd spent worrying by her bedside, now he honestly wasnÆt sure what to say.
No, that wasnÆt it; he had a lot to say, but he wasnÆt sure where to even begin.
ôWhere am I?ö She asked.
Taichi started, realizing he hadnÆt even thought of that.
ôWhat do you remember?ö He asked.
She frowned and seemed to be trying to remember, but also seemed to be having a hard time doing so.
Well, Taichi thought, it was quite a long time ago.
ôWe were going to Pyocomon Village?ö She said, hesitantly, as if asking whether or not she was wrong.
Taichi nodded.
ôBecauseàö Suddenly her eyes widened. ôBecause the Village had been attacked! Everyone was gone and we found Mimi at the empty Village-ö
Taichi nodded again, but Sora seemed to be ignoring him now.
ôAnd they werenÆt in the Village of Beginnings, either. But we heard something was happening back at the empty Village, so you and Yamato went in, but you got attacked, right?ö If it was a question, she didnÆt give him time to answer. ôSo Birdramon and I-ö
Sora froze, suddenly looking around.
ôWhereÆs Piyomon?ö She asked.
Taichi winced. One of the questions heÆd wanted to avoid, and she hit him with it right off the bat.
Sora must have noticed his hesitance, because fear began to fill her eyes.
ôWhereÆs Piyomon!?ö She tried to struggle to her feet, but she ended up nearly falling over.
Taichi quickly caught her.
ôBe careful.ö He said, before taking a deep breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say. ôYouÆve been asleep for awhile.ö
ôW-what do you mean?ö Sora asked, and Taichi saw that she understood; she just didnÆt want to accept it.
ôWhen the Tower made Birdramon devolve, Piyomon got hit and you fell. YouÆve been unconscious ever since.ö He said, before dropping the bomb. ôItÆs after Golden Week.ö
Emotions crossed SoraÆs face too fast for him to keep track of.
ôAnd Piyomonà?ö
Well, at least there was some good news he could give her.
Even if it had its downsides.
ôPiyomonÆs okay.ö He said. ôShe was in bad shape since she took most of the blow, but she survived. Howeveràshe hasnÆt woken up yet. We donÆt know why; after about a week, she was fine, as far as we could tell.ö
Taichi suddenly frowned.
ôAnd so were you. We honestly have no idea why you didnÆt wake up sooner.ö
ôàAnd my parents?ö
ôI talked to them. They know what happened and they wereàupset. And as for schoolàö Taichi trailed off with a sigh. ôThat was complicated. But we managed to get Agumon into the internet again, and we handled it.ö
He didnÆt really want to explain how they handled it, though. It wasnÆt illegal, but only because there werenÆt any laws concerning sneaking Digital Monsters into computers and screwing around with them.
Sora apparently realized that and didnÆt ask.
ôSoraàa lot happened while you were unconscious. And I mean a lot. But before I fill you in, thereÆs something I need to ask, and I feel bad about asking you this just after you woke up, but itÆs really important. Do you remember anything about whom or what shot you down?ö
It might be something really important. It might be just another one of the KaiserÆs slaves. But either way, Taichi really wanted that information.
Sora furrowed her brow.
ôI saw it.ö She said. ôBut I donÆt recognize it. It was big; about the size of Greymon, but maybe not as bulky. And it was red. I couldnÆt see a lot of details from the distance I was at, butàwhen Piyomon wakes up, we can ask her. Maybe she got a better look.ö
She hesitated.
ôAndàIÆm not sure, butàI think I saw somethingàI think I saw a human nearby, too. I could barely see them and it could have been a humanlike Digimon, butàit looked like a person.ö She said.
Taichi had a few thoughts about that and it did a lot to confirm that the Kaiser did it, butà
ôAnything else?ö
Sora looked down at her hands and frowned before lifting her head to look at him again.
ôItÆs not something I saw, butàwhile I was asleep, I guess, I had aàreally strange dream about a bearded blue dragon.ö
Taichi blinked at that.
ôUhà?ö He ventured.
ôI know it sounds stupid, but he kept warning me about something.ö She put a hand to her head, as if it hurt. ôButàwhy canÆt I remember what?ö
ôOi, easy there. Dreams have a tendency to fade in the morning.ö
XxXXxX
Guardromon fired Destruction Grenades one after another.
ôIntrusion. Intrusion.ö It said, an Evil Ring binding its will.
ôGold Rush!ö Digmon shouted, launching his drills at the slaves.
Guardromon had very high defensive abilities, even for Adult Digimon.
But it didnÆt mean a thing. In exchange for that ability, they sacrificed a great deal of speed, and their offensive abilities werenÆt particularly impressive for Adult Digimon, though still powerful. In a straight up fight, they would have been very dangerous to fight, but only because it would take so much effort to keep one down.
In this case, however, theyÆd all been given a weak point, and one that was easily exploited at that.
Guardromon were heavily armored.
The Evil Rings were not.
Each of DigmonÆs drills destroyed a Ring, freeing a Guardromon.
ôShooting Star!ö
ôKnuckle Fire!ö
There was a simply trick to defeating the Guardromon; just stay at a distance and destroy the rings. It took some aim, but that wasnÆt a problem.
And therefore, the Guardromon werenÆt a threat.
àIs what Daisuke would have liked to say.
ôWhat is with these guys!?ö He said as they ran.
The Guardromon were easy to take out.
But there were just so many of them! And they just kept coming and coming! Whenever they freed a Guardromon, it just stood still and the others marched around it.
And there were a lot of others; Daisuke had never seen this many Adult Digimon in one place.
ôTheyÆre going to wear us down like this!ö Iori said. ôWe have to go!ö
ôI agree!ö Miyako threw in. ôWeÆre so outnumberedàwe should retreat for now!ö
ôBut the TowerÆs right there!ö Daisuke protested. ôIf we can just get to it, then it does matter how many of them there are! If we break it, we win!ö
ôDaisukeàö Fladramon whispered. ôWe should go back and come up with a plan. I canÆt take much more of this.ö
Daisuke looked at his partner and grit his teeth. But then he sighed.
ôOkay, okay; I get it!ö He said. ôBut where is Takato!?ö
ôI saw him that way!ö Hikari said, pointing over the GuardromonÆs heads. ôI can reach him if I go around!ö
She ducked into an allyway before anyone could protest.
Daisuke was alarmed to notice that none of the Guardromon paid her a second glance, staying focused on them instead.
ôHikari!ö He tried to warn. ôItÆs a trap!ö
The Guardromon immediately began to fire upon them.
ôKnuckle Fire!ö Fladramon shouted, taking out a trio of slaves.
And then, he was engulfed in a bright light, reverting back to V-mon.
ôS-shitàö V-mon said, unsteady on his feet. ôNot nowàö
ôV-mon!ö Daisuke shouted as the Guardromon continued to fire. He scooped his partner up into his arms and tried to run, but he knew it wouldnÆt be enough to escape the blasts.
There was a bright light and an explosion, but when Daisuke realized he wasnÆt dead or hurt, he looked back to see Armadimon lying prone on the ground. Immediately, all the Guardromon shifted, changing targets to the fallen Digimon.
ôArmadimon!ö Iori shouted, worriedly.
ôShit!ö Daisuke cursed, already turning back. He knew that if he couldnÆt escape while carrying V-mon, then he sure as hell couldnÆt while carrying Armadimon too, but he had to try.
He didnÆt want to leave any of his friends behind.
ôDaisuke, just run!ö Miyako said, Holsmon already swooping down to ArmadimonÆs rescue. ôWe got this!ö
Holsmon grabbed Armadimon awkwardly with his front paws and lifted him into the air. The Guardromon quickly changed their targets, and Miyako found herself being attacked from all directions by little missles.
ôMiyako!ö Iori shouted worriedly, but the girl and her Digimon seemed to be doing a good job of running away from the attacks.
ôTakeru!ö Daisuke said, choosing to have faith in Miyako. ôCan you get to Hikari and Takato!?ö
ôThey wonÆt let me through!ö He snarled angrily in return.
Daisuke understood his feelings.
ôDamn it!ö He swore as the GuardromonÆs attack forced him to abandon his friends.
XxXXxX
ôHikari, this is a trap.ö Takato said quite calmly the moment he saw Hikari.
Hikari nodded ruefully.
ôI realized that about halfway here, but it was too late to do anything about it. And itÆs not like we could have left you here, even if it was a trap.ö
ôThanks, but thatÆs not what I meant.ö He replied. ôI meant that this entire area was one giant trap and that all of us walked into it.ö
ôAh?ö She said, surprised. But when she looked over her shoulder, she began to understand. ôActuallyànow that you mention itàI would have thought that æliteral armies of powerful Adult DigimonÆ would have come up when we heard about this area, huh?ö
Takato nodded.
ôWe heard that this area was dangerous because it was attacking nearby areas and they were having trouble with it, but this army could have steamrolled over all of the areas around it.ö He said. ôBut it didnÆt. I think it was putting up just enough fight to draw our attention to it and get us to rush in as if it was any other area.ö
ôAnd we did.ö Hikari added, sighing.
ôAnd we did.ö Takato agreed.
ôButàwhy arenÆt they attacking us?ö She wondered. SheÆd grabbed Takato and pulled him out of sight, but none of them had attacked the two, despite having many chances.
ôWeÆre not important, yet.ö He said. ôTheyÆre heading for the gate.ö
Hikari froze at his words, eyes widening.
ôW-what?ö
ôTheyÆre going for the gate.ö Takato continued calmly. ôThey arenÆt chasing us right now because they have no need to. After the gate is destroyed, weÆll be two humans and their partners in the middle of Kaiser Territory. He can hunt us down at his leisure; itÆs not like it matters. This area is completely sealed off. The only way for us to get out if the gate is destroyed would be to blow a hole through the walls. Which we could do, sure, but that would give our location away and even if we escaped, weÆd have to run to the next area, at least. While being chased.ö
ôThen we have to get to the gate before itÆs destroyed!ö Hikari said. When Takato didnÆt reply, she was confused. ôàRight?ö
Takato sighed.
ôWellàit would be nice if we could do something like that. But in that case, we wouldnÆt be having that problem. But if the six of us at full power canÆt fight our way from the gate to the tower, then the two of us wonÆt be able to fight our way from here to the gate.ö
ôThenàthe Tower.ö
ôThe TowerÆs our best bet.ö Takato agreed. ôBut our odds arenÆt good. Once they destroy the gate, it should be obvious that our only real way out of here is to destroy that tower in turn. As such, the defenses around it must be amazing.ö
ôThen what do we do?ö Hikari asked. ôYou look calmàyou have a plan, donÆt you?ö
ôItÆs not much of one. In fact, itÆs probably not elaborate enough to be called a plan, even. Butàyeah, I have a plan. Send a message to Daisuke and the others. Tell them to get out of here before the gate is destroyed and leave us behind. They should get away, feed their partners, and rest. Afterwards, they should enter the Digital World through a nearby area and come the long way. You and I will just have to survive until then.ö
Hikari swallowed.
ôThat could take them awhile.ö She said, but she took out her D-Terminal and started writing.
ôHmàö Takato smiled. ôWell, it shouldnÆt be a problem from one of the Older Chosen; you had to live here, after all.ö
Hikari took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
But when they opened, the resolve in them had hardened.
ôSure. A city full of Adult Digimon? No problem. MugendramonÆs area was way worse.ö
TakatoÆs smile widened and he nodded towards her.
ôIÆll be in your care, then, Hikari-sempai.ö
XxXXxX
The four Chosen Children crashed into the ground in a particularly rough landing.
ôDid something just explode?ö Miyako asked, scrambling to her feet. Thankfully, nothing seemed wrong in the lab itself.
ôGuardromonàö Takeru groaned out, lifting himself off the ground. His partner nodded on his shoulder.
ôI saw it; a Guardromon attacked. We made it just in time!ö Patamon chimed in.
Daisuke just glared at the wall.
ôWe still failed. Twice even.ö He said. ôWe didnÆt destroy the Tower and, whatÆs worse, we left Hikari and Takato behind.ö
ôYou saw HikariÆs message just like the rest of us.ö Iori said, acting as the voice of reason but quite obviously not happy about it. ôThere was nothing we could do and staying behind would have just made things worse, for both us and them.ö
ôIoriÆs right.ö Miyako agreed. ôRight now, we have to have faith in Takato and Hikari. They said they would stay out of danger until we could mount a rescue, so weÆll have to believe them. If the gate had been destroyed with us on the other side, then we wouldnÆt have been able to do anything to help either of them; at least this way, we can save them later.ö
Daisuke didnÆt say anything, but he didnÆt stop glaring at the wall, either.
Takeru understood his feelings, but knew that now wasnÆt the time.
ôàRather than feeling bad about itàweÆll just have to make up for our weakness later, wonÆt we Daisuke?ö He said.
ôàYouÆre right.ö Daisuke said, standing. ôMiyako, go find anything thatÆs edible; our partnerÆs need to eat something. Iori, you go with her just in case.ö
He hesitated here, but continued a moment later.
This wasnÆt something he wanted to do.
But it was something he needed to do.
ôIÆll go talk to Taichi. Takeru, could you explain things to the others?ö
XxXXxX
ôAll things consideredàö Hikari began, thinking quickly. ôWe canÆt stay here. TheyÆll find us too easily and when they do, weÆll both die.ö
Takato conceded that point without argument, choosing to keep his thoughts of Growmon to himself.
He wasnÆt in actual danger yet, but if the Guardromon cornered him again, he was evolving his partner and that was the end of the story. GrowmonÆs Exhaust Flame could probably take down the Tower from this distance.
If Hikari had escaped, as wellà
He suppressed a sigh at the missed opportunity.
ôWhere do you suggest we go, then?ö He asked.
Hikari looked around. This area was full of buildings, which were the obvious place to hide. With so many skyscrapers, it would require a lot of time to search them all.
Unless they had security cameras or something, which she couldnÆt discount, then it would take hours to find them by just looking.
But then she shook her head, dismissing the idea. While that may have been true if the Guardromon had no idea where they were, theyÆd seen both of them in this area and Guardromon filled the streets. If theyÆd tried to run, they would have been noticed. As such, the Guardromon could probably guess that they were still around here and simply fence off this area or something. Searching the buildings would still take time, of course, but with the limited number of places they could be, it wouldnÆt take hours.
And if the Guardromon found them within the buildings, that would be it. Space would be limited in the rooms and halls of the buildings and if they ventured above the first few forms, theyÆd have no way out since neither of their partners could fly.
No, the buildings were too isolated.
But the roads were to open. Anybody could see that and they could be surrounded. And there was also the fact that the Guardromon literally filled the streets. Add that to how they knew these streets since they lived here and staying out in the open was a bad idea.
Not to mention that if they tried, theyÆd have to run for hours, something that would simply be impossible for them.
They couldnÆt stay in the streets and they couldnÆt hide in the buildings. Where did that leave?
Something caught HikariÆs eye.
ôWeÆre going down.ö She said, nodding towards what she saw.
XxXXxX
ôI must admit.ö Ken began, looking at the screen. ôThis is even better then IÆd planned.ö
Takato and that girl had fallen into his trap. It wasnÆt as ideal as capturing all of the Chosen, of course, but the trap had mainly been for Takato and that boy with the Digmon. The latter had gotten away, but at least heÆd gotten his most consistent annoyance.
ôBut Ken-chan,ö Wormmon started worriedly. ôWhat about that girl? She seems to know what sheÆs doing.ö
The Kaiser frowned in silently agreement. SheÆd foolishly rushed in, but since then, theyÆd managed to avoid his servants. If she managed to keep away from them long enough, then he might have to rethink whether she was being foolish or if she was just that good.
But, if that happened, his plan would have failed completely and this entire setup would have been a waste.
And he did not intend to let that happen. He was on the defensive at this point and he was steadily being pushed back.
It had gotten to the point where he had to honestly contemplate the possibility of defeat.
A few weeks ago, he would have laughed if someone had suggested that as being possible; that he would lose to a bunch of kids who happened to have Digimon. Granted, he was a kid himself, but he was a genius, too. He should have crushed them like he crushed everyone else.
And yetàhere he was.
He was beginning to sound like a cartoon villain with his IÆll-get-you-next-timeÆs but never actually being able to.
Had he actually had a real victory against the Chosen, yet?
He didnÆt think so.
Ah, but Wormmon was waiting for an answer, wasnÆt he?
ôYesàshe is one of the returning Chosen, isnÆt she? One of the two who found the ability to Armor evolve? I suppose she probably knows what sheÆs doing.ö He said casually, attempting to belay his unease.
He could let things progress normally and let the Guardromon wander around until they found them, butà
He had no guarantee that they would.
And if he was to be honest with himself, he didnÆt actually expect them too.
If there was one thing the Chosen had proven consistently, it was that they were more competent then his normal slaves.
Thenà
ôI just had a good idea.ö He said after a moment. ôLetÆs test him.ö
XxXXxX
He carefully searched the area where the intruders were last spotted.
He stopped over the sewer cap, examining it carefully. Drawing on his databanks, he confirmed that it was slightly different from the norm.
Loosened.
He quickly realized the most likely explanation given the current state of things.
If the intruders were to enter through this opening, theyÆd have to open the cap and enter. Once doing so, however, it would be hard to close from the inside. None of the Guardromon were small enough to enter through this opening and none of the smaller Digimon were currently on the streets; as such, it was likely they didnÆt worry about it, either.
Of course, he was too big to enter either and he was unsure how long ago they entered. As such, he couldnÆt be sure where exactly they were now in the cityÆs extensive sewers.
Tearing his way through the ground and entering the sewer in this location would accomplish little. He needed to get a better grasp of his targetÆs locations.
His databanks quickly supplied the answer and Andromon moved on.
XxXXxX
ôSo thatÆs what happened.ö Taichi said, closing his eyes.
Daisuke looked at him uncertainly. HeÆd expected ûmaybe even hopedû for anger.
But there was none of that.
Noàrather, there was a great deal of emotion brewing beneath the surface, Daisuke felt.
Butà
He didnÆt think that any of it was directed at him.
ôIf Hikari is trapped, then obviously we need to rescue her.ö Taichi said after a moment.
Daisuke nodded.
ôWeÆre already on it. Our partnerÆs were exhausted in the fight, however, so theyÆll need awhile to recover.ö
His face flushed in shame, but Taichi merely nodded. The only expression on his face was a frown of consideration.
ôDid Hikari send you any messages?ö He asked, surprising Daisuke.
ôAhàYeah. When we got separated, she told us to leave before the Guardromon reach the gate. She said we should come back later by entering through a nearby area. She said that she and Takato could manage until then.ö
ôAs expected from Hikari. DonÆt blame yourself, Daisuke. You are not the first Chosen to have fallen into a trap and youÆre not the first group separated by one.ö Taichi said. ôWeÆll save her. Go feed your partner andàcall your family, too. This could take awhile.ö
ôWhatÆs this about Hikari?ö A voice Daisuke didnÆt recognize asked.
But when he looked behind him, he recognized the girl it belonged to and his eyes widened.
ôAn army of robot Digimon separated the group and now Hikari is stuck somewhere in a mechine city.ö Taichi replied with remarkable casualness.
Sora tilted her head to the side, looking worried.
But what she said was:
ôàHasnÆt this happened before?ö
ôYeah.ö Taichi replied. ôBut itÆs a different city and a different army.ö
ôAh.ö She said. ôWhere is it?ö
Taichi frowned at her and Daisuke thought he was going to protest letting her go anywhere, but seemed to think better of it at the last moment.
ôIs Piyomon awake yet?ö He asked.
Sora looked at him sourly.
ôI didnÆt think so. DonÆt go anywhere; IÆll be back in a few hours.ö
XxXXxX
The Tamer tilted his head to the side.
ôAnd what are you, I wonder?ö Takato asked, while Guilmon braced himself for battle at his side. Oddly, his partner seemed to be shaking inàdisgust?
The creatureÆs rotten, asymmetric face gave no sign of having heard his question. It simply continued to stare silently with its red eyes. TheyÆd stumbled upon him while moving through the sewers aimlessly. ItÆs not like they really had anywhere to be; they were just wasting time, after all.
Behind him, Hikari made a gagging noise. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the expressions of disgust on her and TailmonÆs faces.
ôSomething wrong?ö He asked them.
ôHow can you not smell that? ItÆs vile!ö Tailmon said, her tone as disgusted as her expression had been.
Ah, Takato thought, of course. It was something in the game.
He didnÆt smell anything, though, so instead he just clicked his tongue and smiled at her.
ôThatÆs rude, Tailmon.ö He said.
Hikari swallowed her distaste and nodded.
ôHeÆs right, Tailmon.ö She said. ôHe doesnÆt seem to have an Evil Ring. Probably because he lives down here in the sewers.ö
ôSee?ö Takato said. ôHeÆs not an enemy.ö
He placed a hand on his partnerÆs head.
ôBe polite, Guilmon.ö He said.
Guilmon relaxed, but still couldnÆt hide his revulsion.
Well, he did have a very sensitive noseà
Both Tailmon and Guilmon perked up, startling both their partners.
ôTailmon? WhatÆs wrong?ö She asked.
ôI hear something.ö Her ears twitched as they stood in silence, not even breathing.
Making unnecessary noise could distract their Digimon and if it had drawn their attention like this, it was probably important.
ôFootsteps.ö Guilmon growled.
ôGuardromon.ö HikariÆs partner added. ôThere must be other entrances to the seweràö
Both of the humans stiffened.
ôShould we go back to the surface?ö Takato asked. ôWeÆre pretty far from where we started; theyÆll have a hard time finding us.ö
Hikari thought for a moment before shaking her head.
ôThese Sewers are huge.ö She said. ôThe odds of a group finding us in them this fast is amazingly low, if theyÆre searching blind. Unless there was an army down hereàö
Tailmon shook her head.
ôI would have heard it.ö She stated.
Guilmon nodded in agreement.
ôThenàyou think theyÆre watching us?ö Takato asked.
Hikari nodded.
ôAnd if so, it only makes sense for there to be a group up top as well.ö She said. ôLetÆs try to gather a bit more information before we end up walking into another trap.ö
ôIn that case, it seems weÆll be leaving now.ö Takato told the strange looking Digimon. ôYou should probably hide somewhere until we free this area, or else you might get hurt.ö
The creature looked at him for a moment and Takato wondered if he understood, but then nodded.
XxXXxX
ôThe entrance is right there, butàö Takeru said.
ôTch. I should have expected there would be guards.ö Daisuke scolded himself.
Takeru wanted to tell him he was being too hard on himself. In fact, he intended to ask Taichi or his older brother to talk to him.
But it would have to wait until later.
ôHow do we get in?ö Takeru asked. ôCan Digmon drill through sand, Iori?ö
The youngest amongst them turned to his partner and spoke after receiving a silent nod.
ôNo problem.ö
ôThen should we drill our way in?ö Takeru asked Daisuke.
After a moment, he nodded.
ôYeah. Butàif theyÆre really are hunting Takato and Hikariàö Daisuke began, thinking. ôThenàbeing subtle might not be the best choice.ö
Takeru nodded, understanding.
ôWhile sneaking in would make things easier for us, an army of Guardromon are chasing after Takato and Hikari.ö He refused to accept the possibility that theyÆd been captured already, because he knew what that would mean for them. ôIf we made a ruckus, it would divert their forces, making things easier on those two.ö
ôThenàö Miyako lifted an eyebrow. ôShould we go through the front door?ö
Daisuke bit his lip before shaking his head.
ôNo; diverting their forces is important, but we have to remember that our main goal is finding Hikari and Takato; itÆs fine if we have to abandon this area today, since we can always come back some other time with a better plan. As long as we can get them out, itÆs our victory, as far as IÆm concerned, and having an army chasing after us would just get in the way of that. No, most of us should go with Digmon. But a distraction would be usefulàö
Daisuke tilted his head to the side in thought. A moment later, he nodded to himself and turned towards Takeru.
But, for some reason, he hesitated before saying what he had in mind.
ôàIÆll go distract them.ö He said instead. ôFladramon and I can take out that Guard and make a ruckus to draw attention to ourselves. If needed, we can back out the way we came and get back to one of the free areas.ö
He patted his backpack, which had a bento inside.
ôThanks to Miyako, we have plenty of food, so I donÆt have to worry about V-mon getting hungry. Takeru, IÆll leave saving them to you.ö
Says the man who really wants to rush in there to save his friends, Takeru thought. If heÆd been sacrificing that chance because it was the best move, Takeru would have thought it admirable, but in this case, he just sighed and rolled his eyes.
He turned to Miyako and Iori.
ôYouÆll have to forgive him; what he meant to say was that I would go make a scene while he lead you after you snuck in.ö He glared at Daisuke. ôAfter all, my partner can both carry me and fly, so I donÆt have to worry about being cornered or caught and I can search the city from above. Something that would blow our cover if I tried doing it while sneaking around.ö
Daisuke was silent for a second. Of course, he knew all that. In fact, he was going to ask Takeru to play the role of distraction. Butà
ôTakeruàö He began.
ôDaisuke, I know you feel guilty for what happened to Hikari.ö Takeru said, cutting him off. ôAnd I understand that you donÆt want to put the rest of us in danger. Honestly, I appreciate that, since youÆre the one usually giving orders. But donÆt let it get in the way of your judgment. I donÆt want to get hurt andàI donÆt want to see any of my friends get hurt. But itÆs for that reason that I fight; so that I can protect everyone. Hikari, Takato, my family in the Real World, andàö
Takeru looked at the three younger Chosen and their partners.
ôOf courseàall of you as well. Because, I donÆt want to see my friendÆs get hurt. For that reason, if it will help Takato and Hikari, I donÆt mind doing this, even if itÆs dangerous.ö He focused on Daisuke, then. ôAndàyou really want to protect your friends, too, donÆt you Daisuke? I know that you donÆt want to have to run and leave them behind.ö
A glance at the others told the Leader of the New Chosen that Takeru knew that didnÆt apply to just Takato and Hikari.
Daisuke fell silent again at his friendÆs words.
And then he surprised Iori and Miyako when he bowed to Takeru.
ôThank you, Takeru.ö
ôHmph.ö Takeru huffed, though there was a smile on his face. ôIf you have time to thank me, shouldnÆt you go play hero? IÆll be fine.ö
TakeruÆs expression became serious.
ôI promise.ö
Still bowing, Daisuke closed his eyes and smirked.
ôYesà!ö He rose. ôIori?ö
ôOn it.ö
Takeru watched as his friends left before smiling at Patamon, who returned the expression.
ôIÆm happy.ö His partner said, bubbly as always. ôIt seems weÆve some good friends this time around, too.ö
ôYeah.ö Takeru agreed before turning his attention to the Guardromon who was, appropriately, guarding the gate. ôàPatamon?ö
ôYes?ö
ôYou know what I just realized?ö
His partner looked at him inquisitively.
Takeru smirked.
ôThe only Dark Tower around is the one inside.ö He said, already lifting his Digivice.
Patamon smiled.
XxXXxX
ôWhich way?ö Takato asked.
Tailmon looked around.
ôThat way.ö She said, nodding to the opening in the side of the strangely spacious sewer. ôThere are Guardromon coming from that direction.ö
She nodded again, this time towards the direction they had been travelling in the straight tunnel.
ôAnd there are some behind us, tooàö Hikari said, but she sounded a bit worried.
Takato knew why.
He looked at his current companions one by one and spoke.
ôSo none of you guys are going to say it?ö He asked. ôThis is totally a trap. I mean, itÆs pretty obvious. Every time we come to one of these intersections, thereÆs always Guardromon blocking every path except one. Now, if that had happened once or twice, maybe I could buy it being an issue of manpower or something, but this has happened seven times. WeÆre being lead somewhere.ö
Hikari looked at him but didnÆt disagree; which, in this case, was pretty much the same as a complete agreement.
ôButàö Tailmon said, not denying it either. ôWhy? Why not just close in on us in these tunnels? An Army of Guardromon in relatively close quartersàweÆd lose, for sure.ö
ôàNot necessarily.ö Takato disagreed. ôItÆs true that in these tunnels, a fight involving explosives is far from ideal, but at the same time, that hurts the Guardromon even more than it does us. TheyÆre a group of large, slow moving Digimon and their attacks involve explosions. If they were lucky, they could drop the tunnel on us, butàGuilmon, would you?ö
ôRock Breaker!ö Guilmon cried, slamming a claw into the side of the passage and startling Hikari and Tailmon. It dented noticeably but didnÆt break.
ôI thought as much.ö Takato said, nodding. ôThis tunnel is remarkably well built. I donÆt doubt for a second that they could bring it down, but I bet itÆll take long enough for us to get out of the way. And while bringing it down on top of us would kind of suck, bringing it down behind us or in front of us would ruin their day, since we could continue on a free direction. Remember, all we need to do is find a way up to the surface and this plan of theirs is ruined. We saw plenty of sewer caps up top; I bet there arenÆt that many paths through the sewers that donÆt come across any of them. In fact, if this isnÆt the only one, IÆd be surprised.ö
ôYou think they want to keep us down here?ö Hikari wondered, glancing upwards.
ôThey almost surely have a way of keeping an eye on us while weÆre down here. ItÆs not the best place for a bunch of Guardromon to fight, but they do have a pretty major tactical advantage. They know how to navigate this place and we donÆt.ö
ôButàö Tailmon began, thoughtfully looking at the open passageway. ôThey arenÆt just trying to keep us down here. TheyÆre leading us towards something. What?ö
Takato shrugged.
ôWho knows? Something better suited to fighting down here? Something worse than a bunch of Guardromon? It could even just be a large number of Guardromon; enough of them could bring down a tunnel pretty quickly, I bet. IÆm kind of curious, but not enough to actually want to find out.ö
Tailmon nodded in agreement to that.
ôThen should we face the Guardromon?ö Hikari asked. ôWe have no way of knowing if whatÆs waiting for us down that way; it could be worse than the Guardromon, but it could be better, too. Fighting the Guardromon is risky; if something goes wrongàI know you said the tunnel is sturdy, butàö
ôAlso,ö Tailmon added. ôGuardromon have missiles. As a cat, IÆm allergic to explosive weaponry, especially while within confined spaces.ö
Takato smiled at them.
ôDid you guys never get that speech about the path of least resistance?ö He wondered. ôThe Guardromon are dangerous, but they have the weakness of the Evil Rings and we spent, like, three hours up top proving that we could hit those Rings. If we can take out the first few, Tailmon can dive into melee and break the Rings on everyone behind them and Guilmon can follow up with some Rock Breakers. It would require us to be fast and lucky, butàitÆs that or walk into another trap.ö
The girls went silent for a moment.
Takato glanced at his silent partner. It seemed the sewers didnÆt agree with his sensitive nose.
ôYou think you can make you Fire Breath hot enough to stop a group of Guardromon, boy? If you do, we can find a way back to the surface and get you out of here.ö
Guilmon eagerly nodded at that.
Takato lifted an eyebrow at the girls.
They glanced at each other and sighed, but there were smiles on their faces.
ôFine.ö Hikari said. ôLetÆs do this.ö
XxXXxX
Andromon watched his four targets wordlessly. He was currently connected directly to the computer system of this city. Through that connection, he watched the Chosen and their partners and through that connection, he contacted and directed the Guardromon.
His plan was simple. Herd the Chosen to an area where their odds of escape were extremely low. Naturally, he wasnÆt worried about the battle that would no doubt follow; he was a Perfect.
It would take more than two Adults to defeat him.
Sadly, that plan seemed to have failed. The Chosen had noticed that they were being led along, which, he suppose, was unsurprising.
Andromon wasnÆt overly bothered by that failure, however; heÆd more or less expected it. This plan, forcing them to take one specific path to one specific place while preventing escape, wasnÆt particularly subtle.
No, he hadnÆt expected it to work.
But it would have been nice if it had.
If they hadnÆt noticed, he could have led them straight to him, closed the only door, locked it from the outside, and planted an army of Guardromon on the other side of the door. They chances of survival would have beenà
He wouldnÆt say impossible, for he didnÆt believe in the word and didnÆt have access to all the information heÆd need to safely make that assumption.
Butà
While not impossible, they would have been, at least, astronomically low, according to the information currently at his disposal.
Sadly, it was not meant to be.
Oh, well. Since he hadnÆt expected it to work, heÆd made a number of plans based off its failure. While there was always the possibility that they would mess up in their fight against the Guardromon and die, rendering the issue moot, he would also operate under the assumption that the Guardromon would fail, as they largely had on the surface.
Andromon consulted a map of the cities sewers, pulling it up from his data banks. He noted the ChosenÆs current location, his current location, and charted the fastest route to get to the former from the latter and immediately set off.
If he couldnÆt bring them here, he would go to where they were. Again, he wasnÆt worried; he had observed their rates of movement and he knew he could move quite a bit faster than any of them, baring surprises. In addition, all of them were quite tired at this point and exhaustion would likely set in soon, if it hadnÆt already; theyÆd fought for hours, run for hours, and been forced to be on high alert for hours.
However, he wouldnÆt underestimate them. Something in the back of his head, like a half forgotten voice, told him that the Chosen were truly strong, and, as their performances against his master in the past supported this, he had no reason to doubt that.
While he was still confident that he would have no trouble defeating them in a straight fight, he would acknowledge the possibility of escape; heÆd tried getting them to this place for the very reason of preventing that and failed. In the same way, they had often escaped from his master during past conflicts.
He didnÆt like the thought of failure, but he would acknowledge the possibility of it, nonetheless.
What to do then? If the possibility occurred, he should have a plan to deal with it, just in case.
It didnÆt take much thought to come up with a plan.
If they escaped together, heÆd continue to hunt them down.
If they split up, heÆd go after one of them.
But, in the latter case, which one?
The boy was dangerous, Andromon remembered. That was what his master had told him. The obvious choice was to go after him.
But, for some reason, he couldnÆt get the girlÆs face out of his mind.
A memory lingered just beyond his grasp, teasing him. For a brief moment, he thought of another girl, years younger, but the thought vanished a moment later, like a dream come dawn.
Such a thing didnÆt change anything, though.
Or ratherà
It shouldnÆt have changed anything.
But, even soà
If forced to make the choice, Andromon decided he would chase the girl.
XxXXxX
In the following moment, three things happened at once. It was unintentional, but the Chosen had acted in perfect unity.
And they all did the same thing.
The three groups were scattered across one area, but the all moved steadily towards the completion of their missions.
One pair; Takeru and Patamon, laid siege to the city gates.
XxXXxX
The light of evolution enveloped the unintimidating Digimon and when it faded, Angemon took to the skies. The darkness of night was washed away by his glory and the attention of the Gatekeeper was drawn in an instant.
It mattered not.
ôHand of Fate!ö
The power of the attack blew away the Guardromon in an instant and erased the doors behind it in that same moment.
It didnÆt even deserve to be called a fight, but Takeru wasnÆt surprised. If there was one thing he knew was reliable, it was AngemonÆs power.
Angemon stepped into the city, but couldnÆt take more than a few steps before reverting back to Patamon.
The Child Digimon turned in midair as his partner caught up to him.
ôIÆm back to normal.ö He said, his disappointment obvious in his voice.
Takeru just smiled at his partner.
ôDonÆt worry; we knew that would happen.ö He replied reasonably. ôIt canÆt be helped.ö
Sounds of motion drew their attention and it became obvious that theyÆd achieved their goal.
Well, marching up to someoneÆs house and kicking down the door does generally draw peopleÆs notice, Takeru thought. And thatÆs basically what theyÆd done, only with explosions.
Takeru gazed calmly in the direction of the approaching noise. There were a lot of them; that much was obvious. But once youÆve been chased through a castle by a Dark Master out to turn you into a keychain, most other things simply didnÆt compare.
ôDigimental Up.ö
ôPatamon, Armor Shinka!ö
XxXXxX
Two pairs fought beneath the ground.
XxXXxX
In all honesty, it wasnÆt that great of a plan.
æBeat up the Guardromon before they can start shooting.Æ They werenÆt going to go down in the history books for coming up with that strategy.
But Takato and Hikari had an advantage over their opponents. Two of them, really.
Their names were Tailmon and Guilmon.
The Guardromon may have been Adults, but they were large, slow moving Adults in a small area, with basically zero maneuverability. Not to mention their obvious weakness of their Evil Rings.
Meanwhile, Tailmon was a small, fast-moving target who could easily move around in the, to her, fairly large tunnel. And, though most did not remember, there had been a time and a place when sheÆd bounced the Adult forms of the partners of the older Chosen around like impudent children to buy VamdemonÆs army time.
Guilmon wasnÆt as small as Tailmon, but he was notably smaller than the Guardromon, and he was, quite frankly, a monster.
Such are the benefits of feasting upon the broken remains of oneÆs enemies.
ôFire Breath!ö Guilmon roared, exhaling a wave of flames and tremendous heat.
It wasnÆt the best of ideas to throw around fire in a tunnel, Takato mused, glancing at Hikari who suffered momentarily from the heat and consumed oxygen.
He didnÆt even notice, butà
ôGuilmon, thatÆs enough.ö He said and his partner promptly stopped. The flames snuffed out amazingly quickly, likely willed to do so by their creator.
However, just because heÆd paused in his assault didnÆt mean the Guardromon were safe or that they were left unharmed. The front three Guardromon had their chest plates badly scorched and their rings destroyed. Those behind them were largely protected by their comradeÆs bodies, but it didnÆt matter, because, as they always did, the freed Guardromon halted in their tracks and refused to move.
In the confines of the tunnel, they served to halt to approach of their former fellows.
Tailmon was a white blur as she dove into the fray, moving between the legs of one of the freed Guardromon and zigzagging towards the nearest slave.
ôNeko Punch!ö She said, lashing out with claws copied from SaberLeomonÆs data.
The Evil Ring shattered and she immediately grabbed a hold of the wheel on GuardromonÆs chest with her other hand. With that hand, she lifted herself high enough to place her feet on it and jumped, in two bounds, to the unresponsive GuardromonÆs head and then as high in the air as the tunnel would allow.
Guilmon penetrated the GuardromonÆs ranks a moment later, barreling through the freed Guardromon in the front row without any hesitation or remorse and attacking the first slave he saw.
Tailmon was grateful sheÆd noticed what he was doing and continued onto the next row; she didnÆt want to get involved in that fight.
ôSurudoi Tsume!ö Guilmon cried, lashing out with his sharp claws. He knew the Guardromon were slaves and that he wasnÆt supposed to hurt them, but he also knew his Tamer was in danger, which took precedence.
Even so, he tried to hold back.
His claws rent the armor of the Guardromon even as they freed them from the Kaiser.
He considered himself mostly successful.
ôWild Scratch!ö
Two more slashes left two more gashes on two more Guardromon, taking them out of the fight along with their Rings.
Landing, Tailmon delivered a mighty kick to the Guardromon sheÆs landed on, before using the resulting impulse to perform a back flip, landing gently on GuilmonÆs head.
She frowned down at her ride.
ôBe more gentle, Guilmon. ItÆs not their fault that theyÆve been enslaved; I donÆt see what youÆre being so ferocious about-ö
ôWarning Laser!ö The last remaining Guardromon cried, launching twin beams of light from his eyes.
Guilmon dove to the side, nearly throwing Tailmon off, landingà
Right in the path of the attack.
A snarl and slight jostle were his only reactions to the attack.
Tailmon glanced over her shoulder at the two humans who would have been hit by the attack before returning her gaze to the Guardromon, displeasure shining in her eyes.
ôNevermind.ö She said, jumping from his head. ôNeko Punch!ö
ôRock Breaker!ö
XxXXxX
And three pairs hunted for their comrades below the city.
XxXXxX
ôGold Rush!ö Digmon cried, launching his drills and freeing the four Guardromon.
ôThis way,ö Daisuke said, squeezing past the suddenly still Digimon without a momentÆs hesitation.
The others followed him wordlessly; or rather, they followed his Digivice.
TheyÆd managed to find Hikari and TakatoÆs signals, but when they checked the surface, there hadnÆt been anyone on it. That had stumped them for a moment, but Daisuke remembered what Sora had said and they had decided to check beneath it.
Sure enough, they had burst into a sewer of some sort. Almost immediately, theyÆd been under siege, which was problematic, since Holsmon couldnÆt fly very well and theyÆd quickly learnt that letting Fladramon go all out was a bad idea.
TheyÆd been forced to rely on Digmon, who was holding up well so far, but Daisuke didnÆt want to be stuck down here for very long if he could help it.
Luckily, their friendÆs signals were nearby.
All they had to do was fight their way through the Guardromonà
Suddenly a path cleared through the Guardromon.
The Chosen stopped moving, though they werenÆt sure why.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the end of their vision. It was different from the Guardromon in size and shape, but all they could see of him were his two red eyes and the occasional glimmer of bright steel.
ôWhoàwho are you?ö Daisuke wondered.
Andromon stepped forward into the light.
XxXXxX
Takato and Hikari ran behind their partners.
They were in a hurry, now; theyÆd broken through the Guardromon, but now they needed to get to the surface.
ôWait,ö Tailmon suddenly said.
The two humans obeyed immediately, worried that they were walking into another trap.
Tailmon was still on top of GuilmonÆs head. SheÆd claimed the spot after the battle and allowed Guilmon to carry her. While his partner hadnÆt objected, Takato almost had. His partner wasnÆt some horse to be ridden.
The Catlike DigimonÆs ears twitched a few times before she glance at her partner.
ôNothing,ö She said.
Hikari blinked.
ôNothing?ö She questioned.
ôI donÆt hear anything anymore,ö Tailmon clarified.
Takato frowned and glanced behind him.
ôWerenÆt there Guardromon behind us?ö He asked, suppressing the urge to take out his Digivice.
ôTheyÆre gone,ö Tailmon said after a moment of concentration. ôOr, at least, I canÆt hear them anymore. They could have fallen too far behind, butàö
That was doubtful, Takato silently agreed. TheyÆd chased them through the city and then into the sewers without losing them. And they apparently had a way of watching them.
But then, why werenÆt they there? Were they setting up another trap? Could they have all gone to the surface? Would an army of Guardromon be waiting for them when they went up?
No. That couldnÆt be it. Takato was sure of one thing; the ordinary sewer caps were too small for the Guardromon to go through. For them to have gotten down here, they must have used some other entrance. In that case, for them to get back to the surface, they would need to use those same entrances. And after all the time theyÆd spent in down here and all the running theyÆd done, it was impossible for them all to be nearby such an entrance. And it was unlikely that one of those entrances would lead to a spot near where they would be exiting the Sewers.
No, there couldnÆt be an army up there yetàbut it wouldnÆt be weird if they were already migrating to the surface. If they had broken through and the Guardromon thought that they wouldnÆt be able to catch up, then it would make sense that theyÆd start heading for the surface.
But surely they had to know that time was against them, right? After all, it would take time for them to leave the sewers and it would take more time for them to move fromàwhere ever that would put them to the sewer cap that they would be exiting. And since they had no intention of sticking around, it would take more time for the Guardromon to hunt them down.
Surely they didnÆt think the others would just abandon them? They couldnÆt be that stupid, they had know it was only a matter of time before the others-
A matter of time.
Damn it.
ôHikari, how long have we been down here?ö He asked.
Hikari blinked at the sudden and unexpected question, but reached for her Digivice after a momentÆs pause.
She didnÆt even have time to switch to the clock function before realization struck and she understood TakatoÆs question.
ôTheyÆre here.ö She said, showing him the glowing dots on her DigiviceÆs screen.
Takato sighed in relief.
ôFinally. LetÆs hurry up and get to the surface-ö
ôNo,ö Hikari said, cutting him off. ôTheyÆre here. As in, down here.ö
This time, it was Takato who needed a moment to understand and after he did, he needed a few more to associate that information with the disappearance of the Guardromon.
ôShit!ö He swore. ôThere must be an army after them!ö
ôFollow me.ö Hikari ordered, brushing past him without another word.
XxXXxX
The new Chosen were fighting Andromon with everything they had.
The new Chosen were getting their asses kicked.
Digmon slid back at the kick just in time to catch the badly beaten Holsmon as he was thrown. But he had no place to talk; he probably looked just as bad. While Fladramon stayed back, his involvement being too risky, he and Holsmon were going toe-to-toe with a Perfect level Digimon.
Itàwas going about as well as could be expected.
ôRed Sun!ö Holsmon cried, aiming for AndromonÆs weak point. Even if he was a Perfect, if they could shatter that ring, it was their victory!
Butàhe already knew this tactic wouldnÆt work.
Andromon lifted his left arm and blocked with his metal-encased forearm and didnÆt make a sound to show that he even noticed the impact.
ôGold Rush!ö Digmon tried, not willing to risk using Big Crack in a tunnel.
Andromon calculated the speed and trajectory of each drill and caught the one meant for his ring with his left hand. He allowed the remaining drills to bounce harmlessly off of him as he crushed the drill in his hand into powder.
ôDigmon.ö He identified his attacker. This was one of the targets his Master most wished to die. Digmonàand the boy behind him, as well.
He turned to face them fully.
DaisukeÆs eyes sharpened at the action. He knew that their new opponent was targeting Iori, now.
He also knew that he wouldnÆt allow that to happen.
ôFladramon, remember that thing about you staying back?ö He asked. ôNow would be a good time to forget that completely.ö
Fladramon didnÆt hesitate for a second; he simply dove into the fray where he knew he belonged.
ôKnuckle Fire!ö He shouted, attacking with a fist encased in flames. As he predicted, Andromon caught it with his left hand.
He hadnÆt used his right yet; was he unable to or was there something special about it?
Only one way to find out.
ôClaw Express!ö He cried, trying again with his other hand.
Before he could hit the Evil Ring, however, Andromon stopped it.
With his right forearm.
Fladramon nodded mentally. There was something about it; that hand.
Maybe it was nothing.
Or maybe it was really, really bad.
He had no desire to find out. He could ask this Digimon after heÆd freed him, if he really wanted to.
Fladramon pushed closer to the larger Digimon, but he couldnÆt make Andromon budge an inch, so he was forced to bend his own arms to get closer.
For a moment, the opponentÆs eyes met.
Fladramon nearly sneered in distaste.
He enjoyed the thrill of the fight.
But the dispassion in AndromonÆs eyesàit wasnÆt something he wanted to see in his enemyÆs eyes. He despised those rings; for that and so much more.
ôFlame Shot!ö He attacked, coating his body in flames just to distract his opponent. In that brief moment of reflexive action in which Andromon almost pulled his hands away, Fladramon managed to take a step forward. Andromon recovered almost instantaneously, then, tightening his grip on FladramonÆs hand and putting his forearm back in the way of the other.
But it was already too late.
Fladramon was now close enough to successfully finish æFlame Shot.Æ He cut diagonally upwards with his helmet blade.
Andromon realized his trick at the last second, however, and managed to awkwardly kick Fladramon in the stomach. It was a testament to AndromonÆs might that even off balance, one of his kicks was enough to throw Fladramon into the air.
It still didnÆt matter, Fladramon thought, ignoring the pain.
Andromon had fallen into his pace and now he was off balance. Granted, Fladramon was in the air and couldnÆt do anything about it, butàhe didnÆt need to.
ôHolsmon!ö He cried.
Holsmon immediately understood.
ôMach Impusle!ö
The æbladeÆ Holsmon released slammed into Andromon before he recovered. The Perfect level Digimon was forced to cross his arms over his neck and endure.
ôDigmon; donÆt hold back!ö Fladramon shouted the moment he confirmed a hit. Already, his movement through the air had halted and he stood, hanging above the floor of the tunnel. ôFire Rocket!ö
He didnÆt bother looking at Digmon, such was his trust in his friends. He had his own attack to focus on.
ôBig Crack!ö
It was a risky move, splitting the floor of the tunnel; risky and extremely dangerous.
But Digmon did it anyway, because he, too, trusted his friend.
They were lucky; nothing happened to the rest of the tunnel when Digmon split the floor.
And they were even luckier when the off-balance Andromon nearly fell in.
Fladramon saw his chance and took it. Like a meteor, he flew through the air and rammed into Andromon, leaving a trail of flames behind him.
Andromon was a Perfect level Digimon.
But even he had his limits.
He began to fall back.
Fladramon didnÆt let up for a second. He landed on top of his opponent when his back finally met the ground and even as his aura of flames flickered and died, his hands reignited.
ôKnuckle Fire! Ora!ö
Blow after blow slammed down upon the Perfect Digimon, who could do nothing but protect his ring. Fladramon, experienced in combat in ways his friends couldnÆt imagine, knew the truth of the situation.
Against such an opponent, if he backed down, he would die. Without a doubt, if he stepped back and let Andromon recover, he would die and, more importantly, he would lose what was important to him. Behind him stood the person heÆd waited so long for and soà
He would not step back.
ôEnough.ö Andromon ground out, opening his chest plate. ôGatling Missile!ö
Fladramon saw the two missiles only seconds before they were fired, but it didnÆt take him long to figure out what they meant.
Andromon expected him to dodge. No, Andromon wanted him to dodge. He was in a bad position and he knew it, so he was trying to change things by getting Fladramon off of him.
It was only natural that Fladramon would dodge; it was that or take a higher level attack head on.
But Fladramon didnÆt dodge. He snuffed out the flames on his hands with a thought and he caught the missiles gently the moment they were fired.
He smiled wryly at AndromonÆs expression, which not even the Evil Ring could suppress.
ôLetÆs see who can take a bigger asskicking.ö He said.
His hands re-ignited as soon as the words left his mouth.
XxXXxX
Chapter Ten: Changing Point
ôMove Greymon to this areaàö Taichi said, expression thoughtfully. ôAndàKoushirou, have Kabuterimon cover this area.ö
ôGot it.ö His friend said.
ôGarurumon and I can cover this area.ö Yamato said, pointing at the screen.
ôOkay, thenàö Jyou frowned uncertainly. ôIkkakumon is probably a good choice for this one, since itÆs by the water.ö
ôThen IÆll ask Mimi if she can cover the area with the Gekomon; theyÆve always been fond of her.ö Koushirou said, quickly moving through windows on the computer screen.
They were acting defensively for now. The Kaiser had suddenly gotten more aggressive, probably because they had begun taking down so many Dark Towers. But while that aggression was, on one hand, reassuring, as it meant they had him on the run, it was also dangerous, because he was getting backed into a corner. He was on the offensive, now, and was attacking recently freed areas, trying to bring them under his control.
As a result, the older Chosen were moving their partner into position in those places. While they couldnÆt evolve in areas the Kaiser controlled, freed areas were another matter; they could send their evolved partners to the frontlines to guard it while the other freed areas sent in reinforcements to help the freed areas recover, as well as protect it.
The older Chosen covered this part of the battle, protecting the freed areas and slowing the KaiserÆs attempts to advance. Meanwhile, the newer Chosen acted as the offensive force, entering the areas near the border between the captured and the freed. They ventured into the areas that were threatening the freed areas the most and destroyed the Dark Tower there. After that, the process would repeat as they gained new ground and pushed the Kaiser further and further.
Suddenly, a window arose on the screen and MimiÆs face appeared. Koushirou blinked as he wasnÆt the one to open it.
ôAh, Mimi; you have great timing-ö He began before she cut him off.
ôSheÆs awake!ö Mimi said, freezing everyone in the room.
Mimi wasnÆt with them planning strategy for one very simple reason.
They needed someone to watch over Sora.
ôYou meanà?ö Taichi asked, not ready to get his hopes up but very much wanting too.
Mimi nodded her head furiously and her happiness was evident.
ôSoraÆs awake!ö
XxXXxX
ôTaichi?ö Sora asked, as he walked into the tent. It was a small thing, just something theyÆd managed to sneak away without anyone noticing. Jyou had brought it, saying it was one that heÆd gotten after their camping trip went horribly awry.
Taichi took a moment to silently thank Jyou for being the responsible one. HeÆd done that a lot of times.
ôSoraàö He said, focusing. It was weird; after all the time heÆd spent worrying by her bedside, now he honestly wasnÆt sure what to say.
No, that wasnÆt it; he had a lot to say, but he wasnÆt sure where to even begin.
ôWhere am I?ö She asked.
Taichi started, realizing he hadnÆt even thought of that.
ôWhat do you remember?ö He asked.
She frowned and seemed to be trying to remember, but also seemed to be having a hard time doing so.
Well, Taichi thought, it was quite a long time ago.
ôWe were going to Pyocomon Village?ö She said, hesitantly, as if asking whether or not she was wrong.
Taichi nodded.
ôBecauseàö Suddenly her eyes widened. ôBecause the Village had been attacked! Everyone was gone and we found Mimi at the empty Village-ö
Taichi nodded again, but Sora seemed to be ignoring him now.
ôAnd they werenÆt in the Village of Beginnings, either. But we heard something was happening back at the empty Village, so you and Yamato went in, but you got attacked, right?ö If it was a question, she didnÆt give him time to answer. ôSo Birdramon and I-ö
Sora froze, suddenly looking around.
ôWhereÆs Piyomon?ö She asked.
Taichi winced. One of the questions heÆd wanted to avoid, and she hit him with it right off the bat.
Sora must have noticed his hesitance, because fear began to fill her eyes.
ôWhereÆs Piyomon!?ö She tried to struggle to her feet, but she ended up nearly falling over.
Taichi quickly caught her.
ôBe careful.ö He said, before taking a deep breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say. ôYouÆve been asleep for awhile.ö
ôW-what do you mean?ö Sora asked, and Taichi saw that she understood; she just didnÆt want to accept it.
ôWhen the Tower made Birdramon devolve, Piyomon got hit and you fell. YouÆve been unconscious ever since.ö He said, before dropping the bomb. ôItÆs after Golden Week.ö
Emotions crossed SoraÆs face too fast for him to keep track of.
ôAnd Piyomonà?ö
Well, at least there was some good news he could give her.
Even if it had its downsides.
ôPiyomonÆs okay.ö He said. ôShe was in bad shape since she took most of the blow, but she survived. Howeveràshe hasnÆt woken up yet. We donÆt know why; after about a week, she was fine, as far as we could tell.ö
Taichi suddenly frowned.
ôAnd so were you. We honestly have no idea why you didnÆt wake up sooner.ö
ôàAnd my parents?ö
ôI talked to them. They know what happened and they wereàupset. And as for schoolàö Taichi trailed off with a sigh. ôThat was complicated. But we managed to get Agumon into the internet again, and we handled it.ö
He didnÆt really want to explain how they handled it, though. It wasnÆt illegal, but only because there werenÆt any laws concerning sneaking Digital Monsters into computers and screwing around with them.
Sora apparently realized that and didnÆt ask.
ôSoraàa lot happened while you were unconscious. And I mean a lot. But before I fill you in, thereÆs something I need to ask, and I feel bad about asking you this just after you woke up, but itÆs really important. Do you remember anything about whom or what shot you down?ö
It might be something really important. It might be just another one of the KaiserÆs slaves. But either way, Taichi really wanted that information.
Sora furrowed her brow.
ôI saw it.ö She said. ôBut I donÆt recognize it. It was big; about the size of Greymon, but maybe not as bulky. And it was red. I couldnÆt see a lot of details from the distance I was at, butàwhen Piyomon wakes up, we can ask her. Maybe she got a better look.ö
She hesitated.
ôAndàIÆm not sure, butàI think I saw somethingàI think I saw a human nearby, too. I could barely see them and it could have been a humanlike Digimon, butàit looked like a person.ö She said.
Taichi had a few thoughts about that and it did a lot to confirm that the Kaiser did it, butà
ôAnything else?ö
Sora looked down at her hands and frowned before lifting her head to look at him again.
ôItÆs not something I saw, butàwhile I was asleep, I guess, I had aàreally strange dream about a bearded blue dragon.ö
Taichi blinked at that.
ôUhà?ö He ventured.
ôI know it sounds stupid, but he kept warning me about something.ö She put a hand to her head, as if it hurt. ôButàwhy canÆt I remember what?ö
ôOi, easy there. Dreams have a tendency to fade in the morning.ö
XxXXxX
Guardromon fired Destruction Grenades one after another.
ôIntrusion. Intrusion.ö It said, an Evil Ring binding its will.
ôGold Rush!ö Digmon shouted, launching his drills at the slaves.
Guardromon had very high defensive abilities, even for Adult Digimon.
But it didnÆt mean a thing. In exchange for that ability, they sacrificed a great deal of speed, and their offensive abilities werenÆt particularly impressive for Adult Digimon, though still powerful. In a straight up fight, they would have been very dangerous to fight, but only because it would take so much effort to keep one down.
In this case, however, theyÆd all been given a weak point, and one that was easily exploited at that.
Guardromon were heavily armored.
The Evil Rings were not.
Each of DigmonÆs drills destroyed a Ring, freeing a Guardromon.
ôShooting Star!ö
ôKnuckle Fire!ö
There was a simply trick to defeating the Guardromon; just stay at a distance and destroy the rings. It took some aim, but that wasnÆt a problem.
And therefore, the Guardromon werenÆt a threat.
àIs what Daisuke would have liked to say.
ôWhat is with these guys!?ö He said as they ran.
The Guardromon were easy to take out.
But there were just so many of them! And they just kept coming and coming! Whenever they freed a Guardromon, it just stood still and the others marched around it.
And there were a lot of others; Daisuke had never seen this many Adult Digimon in one place.
ôTheyÆre going to wear us down like this!ö Iori said. ôWe have to go!ö
ôI agree!ö Miyako threw in. ôWeÆre so outnumberedàwe should retreat for now!ö
ôBut the TowerÆs right there!ö Daisuke protested. ôIf we can just get to it, then it does matter how many of them there are! If we break it, we win!ö
ôDaisukeàö Fladramon whispered. ôWe should go back and come up with a plan. I canÆt take much more of this.ö
Daisuke looked at his partner and grit his teeth. But then he sighed.
ôOkay, okay; I get it!ö He said. ôBut where is Takato!?ö
ôI saw him that way!ö Hikari said, pointing over the GuardromonÆs heads. ôI can reach him if I go around!ö
She ducked into an allyway before anyone could protest.
Daisuke was alarmed to notice that none of the Guardromon paid her a second glance, staying focused on them instead.
ôHikari!ö He tried to warn. ôItÆs a trap!ö
The Guardromon immediately began to fire upon them.
ôKnuckle Fire!ö Fladramon shouted, taking out a trio of slaves.
And then, he was engulfed in a bright light, reverting back to V-mon.
ôS-shitàö V-mon said, unsteady on his feet. ôNot nowàö
ôV-mon!ö Daisuke shouted as the Guardromon continued to fire. He scooped his partner up into his arms and tried to run, but he knew it wouldnÆt be enough to escape the blasts.
There was a bright light and an explosion, but when Daisuke realized he wasnÆt dead or hurt, he looked back to see Armadimon lying prone on the ground. Immediately, all the Guardromon shifted, changing targets to the fallen Digimon.
ôArmadimon!ö Iori shouted, worriedly.
ôShit!ö Daisuke cursed, already turning back. He knew that if he couldnÆt escape while carrying V-mon, then he sure as hell couldnÆt while carrying Armadimon too, but he had to try.
He didnÆt want to leave any of his friends behind.
ôDaisuke, just run!ö Miyako said, Holsmon already swooping down to ArmadimonÆs rescue. ôWe got this!ö
Holsmon grabbed Armadimon awkwardly with his front paws and lifted him into the air. The Guardromon quickly changed their targets, and Miyako found herself being attacked from all directions by little missles.
ôMiyako!ö Iori shouted worriedly, but the girl and her Digimon seemed to be doing a good job of running away from the attacks.
ôTakeru!ö Daisuke said, choosing to have faith in Miyako. ôCan you get to Hikari and Takato!?ö
ôThey wonÆt let me through!ö He snarled angrily in return.
Daisuke understood his feelings.
ôDamn it!ö He swore as the GuardromonÆs attack forced him to abandon his friends.
XxXXxX
ôHikari, this is a trap.ö Takato said quite calmly the moment he saw Hikari.
Hikari nodded ruefully.
ôI realized that about halfway here, but it was too late to do anything about it. And itÆs not like we could have left you here, even if it was a trap.ö
ôThanks, but thatÆs not what I meant.ö He replied. ôI meant that this entire area was one giant trap and that all of us walked into it.ö
ôAh?ö She said, surprised. But when she looked over her shoulder, she began to understand. ôActuallyànow that you mention itàI would have thought that æliteral armies of powerful Adult DigimonÆ would have come up when we heard about this area, huh?ö
Takato nodded.
ôWe heard that this area was dangerous because it was attacking nearby areas and they were having trouble with it, but this army could have steamrolled over all of the areas around it.ö He said. ôBut it didnÆt. I think it was putting up just enough fight to draw our attention to it and get us to rush in as if it was any other area.ö
ôAnd we did.ö Hikari added, sighing.
ôAnd we did.ö Takato agreed.
ôButàwhy arenÆt they attacking us?ö She wondered. SheÆd grabbed Takato and pulled him out of sight, but none of them had attacked the two, despite having many chances.
ôWeÆre not important, yet.ö He said. ôTheyÆre heading for the gate.ö
Hikari froze at his words, eyes widening.
ôW-what?ö
ôTheyÆre going for the gate.ö Takato continued calmly. ôThey arenÆt chasing us right now because they have no need to. After the gate is destroyed, weÆll be two humans and their partners in the middle of Kaiser Territory. He can hunt us down at his leisure; itÆs not like it matters. This area is completely sealed off. The only way for us to get out if the gate is destroyed would be to blow a hole through the walls. Which we could do, sure, but that would give our location away and even if we escaped, weÆd have to run to the next area, at least. While being chased.ö
ôThen we have to get to the gate before itÆs destroyed!ö Hikari said. When Takato didnÆt reply, she was confused. ôàRight?ö
Takato sighed.
ôWellàit would be nice if we could do something like that. But in that case, we wouldnÆt be having that problem. But if the six of us at full power canÆt fight our way from the gate to the tower, then the two of us wonÆt be able to fight our way from here to the gate.ö
ôThenàthe Tower.ö
ôThe TowerÆs our best bet.ö Takato agreed. ôBut our odds arenÆt good. Once they destroy the gate, it should be obvious that our only real way out of here is to destroy that tower in turn. As such, the defenses around it must be amazing.ö
ôThen what do we do?ö Hikari asked. ôYou look calmàyou have a plan, donÆt you?ö
ôItÆs not much of one. In fact, itÆs probably not elaborate enough to be called a plan, even. Butàyeah, I have a plan. Send a message to Daisuke and the others. Tell them to get out of here before the gate is destroyed and leave us behind. They should get away, feed their partners, and rest. Afterwards, they should enter the Digital World through a nearby area and come the long way. You and I will just have to survive until then.ö
Hikari swallowed.
ôThat could take them awhile.ö She said, but she took out her D-Terminal and started writing.
ôHmàö Takato smiled. ôWell, it shouldnÆt be a problem from one of the Older Chosen; you had to live here, after all.ö
Hikari took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
But when they opened, the resolve in them had hardened.
ôSure. A city full of Adult Digimon? No problem. MugendramonÆs area was way worse.ö
TakatoÆs smile widened and he nodded towards her.
ôIÆll be in your care, then, Hikari-sempai.ö
XxXXxX
The four Chosen Children crashed into the ground in a particularly rough landing.
ôDid something just explode?ö Miyako asked, scrambling to her feet. Thankfully, nothing seemed wrong in the lab itself.
ôGuardromonàö Takeru groaned out, lifting himself off the ground. His partner nodded on his shoulder.
ôI saw it; a Guardromon attacked. We made it just in time!ö Patamon chimed in.
Daisuke just glared at the wall.
ôWe still failed. Twice even.ö He said. ôWe didnÆt destroy the Tower and, whatÆs worse, we left Hikari and Takato behind.ö
ôYou saw HikariÆs message just like the rest of us.ö Iori said, acting as the voice of reason but quite obviously not happy about it. ôThere was nothing we could do and staying behind would have just made things worse, for both us and them.ö
ôIoriÆs right.ö Miyako agreed. ôRight now, we have to have faith in Takato and Hikari. They said they would stay out of danger until we could mount a rescue, so weÆll have to believe them. If the gate had been destroyed with us on the other side, then we wouldnÆt have been able to do anything to help either of them; at least this way, we can save them later.ö
Daisuke didnÆt say anything, but he didnÆt stop glaring at the wall, either.
Takeru understood his feelings, but knew that now wasnÆt the time.
ôàRather than feeling bad about itàweÆll just have to make up for our weakness later, wonÆt we Daisuke?ö He said.
ôàYouÆre right.ö Daisuke said, standing. ôMiyako, go find anything thatÆs edible; our partnerÆs need to eat something. Iori, you go with her just in case.ö
He hesitated here, but continued a moment later.
This wasnÆt something he wanted to do.
But it was something he needed to do.
ôIÆll go talk to Taichi. Takeru, could you explain things to the others?ö
XxXXxX
ôAll things consideredàö Hikari began, thinking quickly. ôWe canÆt stay here. TheyÆll find us too easily and when they do, weÆll both die.ö
Takato conceded that point without argument, choosing to keep his thoughts of Growmon to himself.
He wasnÆt in actual danger yet, but if the Guardromon cornered him again, he was evolving his partner and that was the end of the story. GrowmonÆs Exhaust Flame could probably take down the Tower from this distance.
If Hikari had escaped, as wellà
He suppressed a sigh at the missed opportunity.
ôWhere do you suggest we go, then?ö He asked.
Hikari looked around. This area was full of buildings, which were the obvious place to hide. With so many skyscrapers, it would require a lot of time to search them all.
Unless they had security cameras or something, which she couldnÆt discount, then it would take hours to find them by just looking.
But then she shook her head, dismissing the idea. While that may have been true if the Guardromon had no idea where they were, theyÆd seen both of them in this area and Guardromon filled the streets. If theyÆd tried to run, they would have been noticed. As such, the Guardromon could probably guess that they were still around here and simply fence off this area or something. Searching the buildings would still take time, of course, but with the limited number of places they could be, it wouldnÆt take hours.
And if the Guardromon found them within the buildings, that would be it. Space would be limited in the rooms and halls of the buildings and if they ventured above the first few forms, theyÆd have no way out since neither of their partners could fly.
No, the buildings were too isolated.
But the roads were to open. Anybody could see that and they could be surrounded. And there was also the fact that the Guardromon literally filled the streets. Add that to how they knew these streets since they lived here and staying out in the open was a bad idea.
Not to mention that if they tried, theyÆd have to run for hours, something that would simply be impossible for them.
They couldnÆt stay in the streets and they couldnÆt hide in the buildings. Where did that leave?
Something caught HikariÆs eye.
ôWeÆre going down.ö She said, nodding towards what she saw.
XxXXxX
ôI must admit.ö Ken began, looking at the screen. ôThis is even better then IÆd planned.ö
Takato and that girl had fallen into his trap. It wasnÆt as ideal as capturing all of the Chosen, of course, but the trap had mainly been for Takato and that boy with the Digmon. The latter had gotten away, but at least heÆd gotten his most consistent annoyance.
ôBut Ken-chan,ö Wormmon started worriedly. ôWhat about that girl? She seems to know what sheÆs doing.ö
The Kaiser frowned in silently agreement. SheÆd foolishly rushed in, but since then, theyÆd managed to avoid his servants. If she managed to keep away from them long enough, then he might have to rethink whether she was being foolish or if she was just that good.
But, if that happened, his plan would have failed completely and this entire setup would have been a waste.
And he did not intend to let that happen. He was on the defensive at this point and he was steadily being pushed back.
It had gotten to the point where he had to honestly contemplate the possibility of defeat.
A few weeks ago, he would have laughed if someone had suggested that as being possible; that he would lose to a bunch of kids who happened to have Digimon. Granted, he was a kid himself, but he was a genius, too. He should have crushed them like he crushed everyone else.
And yetàhere he was.
He was beginning to sound like a cartoon villain with his IÆll-get-you-next-timeÆs but never actually being able to.
Had he actually had a real victory against the Chosen, yet?
He didnÆt think so.
Ah, but Wormmon was waiting for an answer, wasnÆt he?
ôYesàshe is one of the returning Chosen, isnÆt she? One of the two who found the ability to Armor evolve? I suppose she probably knows what sheÆs doing.ö He said casually, attempting to belay his unease.
He could let things progress normally and let the Guardromon wander around until they found them, butà
He had no guarantee that they would.
And if he was to be honest with himself, he didnÆt actually expect them too.
If there was one thing the Chosen had proven consistently, it was that they were more competent then his normal slaves.
Thenà
ôI just had a good idea.ö He said after a moment. ôLetÆs test him.ö
XxXXxX
He carefully searched the area where the intruders were last spotted.
He stopped over the sewer cap, examining it carefully. Drawing on his databanks, he confirmed that it was slightly different from the norm.
Loosened.
He quickly realized the most likely explanation given the current state of things.
If the intruders were to enter through this opening, theyÆd have to open the cap and enter. Once doing so, however, it would be hard to close from the inside. None of the Guardromon were small enough to enter through this opening and none of the smaller Digimon were currently on the streets; as such, it was likely they didnÆt worry about it, either.
Of course, he was too big to enter either and he was unsure how long ago they entered. As such, he couldnÆt be sure where exactly they were now in the cityÆs extensive sewers.
Tearing his way through the ground and entering the sewer in this location would accomplish little. He needed to get a better grasp of his targetÆs locations.
His databanks quickly supplied the answer and Andromon moved on.
XxXXxX
ôSo thatÆs what happened.ö Taichi said, closing his eyes.
Daisuke looked at him uncertainly. HeÆd expected ûmaybe even hopedû for anger.
But there was none of that.
Noàrather, there was a great deal of emotion brewing beneath the surface, Daisuke felt.
Butà
He didnÆt think that any of it was directed at him.
ôIf Hikari is trapped, then obviously we need to rescue her.ö Taichi said after a moment.
Daisuke nodded.
ôWeÆre already on it. Our partnerÆs were exhausted in the fight, however, so theyÆll need awhile to recover.ö
His face flushed in shame, but Taichi merely nodded. The only expression on his face was a frown of consideration.
ôDid Hikari send you any messages?ö He asked, surprising Daisuke.
ôAhàYeah. When we got separated, she told us to leave before the Guardromon reach the gate. She said we should come back later by entering through a nearby area. She said that she and Takato could manage until then.ö
ôAs expected from Hikari. DonÆt blame yourself, Daisuke. You are not the first Chosen to have fallen into a trap and youÆre not the first group separated by one.ö Taichi said. ôWeÆll save her. Go feed your partner andàcall your family, too. This could take awhile.ö
ôWhatÆs this about Hikari?ö A voice Daisuke didnÆt recognize asked.
But when he looked behind him, he recognized the girl it belonged to and his eyes widened.
ôAn army of robot Digimon separated the group and now Hikari is stuck somewhere in a mechine city.ö Taichi replied with remarkable casualness.
Sora tilted her head to the side, looking worried.
But what she said was:
ôàHasnÆt this happened before?ö
ôYeah.ö Taichi replied. ôBut itÆs a different city and a different army.ö
ôAh.ö She said. ôWhere is it?ö
Taichi frowned at her and Daisuke thought he was going to protest letting her go anywhere, but seemed to think better of it at the last moment.
ôIs Piyomon awake yet?ö He asked.
Sora looked at him sourly.
ôI didnÆt think so. DonÆt go anywhere; IÆll be back in a few hours.ö
XxXXxX
The Tamer tilted his head to the side.
ôAnd what are you, I wonder?ö Takato asked, while Guilmon braced himself for battle at his side. Oddly, his partner seemed to be shaking inàdisgust?
The creatureÆs rotten, asymmetric face gave no sign of having heard his question. It simply continued to stare silently with its red eyes. TheyÆd stumbled upon him while moving through the sewers aimlessly. ItÆs not like they really had anywhere to be; they were just wasting time, after all.
Behind him, Hikari made a gagging noise. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the expressions of disgust on her and TailmonÆs faces.
ôSomething wrong?ö He asked them.
ôHow can you not smell that? ItÆs vile!ö Tailmon said, her tone as disgusted as her expression had been.
Ah, Takato thought, of course. It was something in the game.
He didnÆt smell anything, though, so instead he just clicked his tongue and smiled at her.
ôThatÆs rude, Tailmon.ö He said.
Hikari swallowed her distaste and nodded.
ôHeÆs right, Tailmon.ö She said. ôHe doesnÆt seem to have an Evil Ring. Probably because he lives down here in the sewers.ö
ôSee?ö Takato said. ôHeÆs not an enemy.ö
He placed a hand on his partnerÆs head.
ôBe polite, Guilmon.ö He said.
Guilmon relaxed, but still couldnÆt hide his revulsion.
Well, he did have a very sensitive noseà
Both Tailmon and Guilmon perked up, startling both their partners.
ôTailmon? WhatÆs wrong?ö She asked.
ôI hear something.ö Her ears twitched as they stood in silence, not even breathing.
Making unnecessary noise could distract their Digimon and if it had drawn their attention like this, it was probably important.
ôFootsteps.ö Guilmon growled.
ôGuardromon.ö HikariÆs partner added. ôThere must be other entrances to the seweràö
Both of the humans stiffened.
ôShould we go back to the surface?ö Takato asked. ôWeÆre pretty far from where we started; theyÆll have a hard time finding us.ö
Hikari thought for a moment before shaking her head.
ôThese Sewers are huge.ö She said. ôThe odds of a group finding us in them this fast is amazingly low, if theyÆre searching blind. Unless there was an army down hereàö
Tailmon shook her head.
ôI would have heard it.ö She stated.
Guilmon nodded in agreement.
ôThenàyou think theyÆre watching us?ö Takato asked.
Hikari nodded.
ôAnd if so, it only makes sense for there to be a group up top as well.ö She said. ôLetÆs try to gather a bit more information before we end up walking into another trap.ö
ôIn that case, it seems weÆll be leaving now.ö Takato told the strange looking Digimon. ôYou should probably hide somewhere until we free this area, or else you might get hurt.ö
The creature looked at him for a moment and Takato wondered if he understood, but then nodded.
XxXXxX
ôThe entrance is right there, butàö Takeru said.
ôTch. I should have expected there would be guards.ö Daisuke scolded himself.
Takeru wanted to tell him he was being too hard on himself. In fact, he intended to ask Taichi or his older brother to talk to him.
But it would have to wait until later.
ôHow do we get in?ö Takeru asked. ôCan Digmon drill through sand, Iori?ö
The youngest amongst them turned to his partner and spoke after receiving a silent nod.
ôNo problem.ö
ôThen should we drill our way in?ö Takeru asked Daisuke.
After a moment, he nodded.
ôYeah. Butàif theyÆre really are hunting Takato and Hikariàö Daisuke began, thinking. ôThenàbeing subtle might not be the best choice.ö
Takeru nodded, understanding.
ôWhile sneaking in would make things easier for us, an army of Guardromon are chasing after Takato and Hikari.ö He refused to accept the possibility that theyÆd been captured already, because he knew what that would mean for them. ôIf we made a ruckus, it would divert their forces, making things easier on those two.ö
ôThenàö Miyako lifted an eyebrow. ôShould we go through the front door?ö
Daisuke bit his lip before shaking his head.
ôNo; diverting their forces is important, but we have to remember that our main goal is finding Hikari and Takato; itÆs fine if we have to abandon this area today, since we can always come back some other time with a better plan. As long as we can get them out, itÆs our victory, as far as IÆm concerned, and having an army chasing after us would just get in the way of that. No, most of us should go with Digmon. But a distraction would be usefulàö
Daisuke tilted his head to the side in thought. A moment later, he nodded to himself and turned towards Takeru.
But, for some reason, he hesitated before saying what he had in mind.
ôàIÆll go distract them.ö He said instead. ôFladramon and I can take out that Guard and make a ruckus to draw attention to ourselves. If needed, we can back out the way we came and get back to one of the free areas.ö
He patted his backpack, which had a bento inside.
ôThanks to Miyako, we have plenty of food, so I donÆt have to worry about V-mon getting hungry. Takeru, IÆll leave saving them to you.ö
Says the man who really wants to rush in there to save his friends, Takeru thought. If heÆd been sacrificing that chance because it was the best move, Takeru would have thought it admirable, but in this case, he just sighed and rolled his eyes.
He turned to Miyako and Iori.
ôYouÆll have to forgive him; what he meant to say was that I would go make a scene while he lead you after you snuck in.ö He glared at Daisuke. ôAfter all, my partner can both carry me and fly, so I donÆt have to worry about being cornered or caught and I can search the city from above. Something that would blow our cover if I tried doing it while sneaking around.ö
Daisuke was silent for a second. Of course, he knew all that. In fact, he was going to ask Takeru to play the role of distraction. Butà
ôTakeruàö He began.
ôDaisuke, I know you feel guilty for what happened to Hikari.ö Takeru said, cutting him off. ôAnd I understand that you donÆt want to put the rest of us in danger. Honestly, I appreciate that, since youÆre the one usually giving orders. But donÆt let it get in the way of your judgment. I donÆt want to get hurt andàI donÆt want to see any of my friends get hurt. But itÆs for that reason that I fight; so that I can protect everyone. Hikari, Takato, my family in the Real World, andàö
Takeru looked at the three younger Chosen and their partners.
ôOf courseàall of you as well. Because, I donÆt want to see my friendÆs get hurt. For that reason, if it will help Takato and Hikari, I donÆt mind doing this, even if itÆs dangerous.ö He focused on Daisuke, then. ôAndàyou really want to protect your friends, too, donÆt you Daisuke? I know that you donÆt want to have to run and leave them behind.ö
A glance at the others told the Leader of the New Chosen that Takeru knew that didnÆt apply to just Takato and Hikari.
Daisuke fell silent again at his friendÆs words.
And then he surprised Iori and Miyako when he bowed to Takeru.
ôThank you, Takeru.ö
ôHmph.ö Takeru huffed, though there was a smile on his face. ôIf you have time to thank me, shouldnÆt you go play hero? IÆll be fine.ö
TakeruÆs expression became serious.
ôI promise.ö
Still bowing, Daisuke closed his eyes and smirked.
ôYesà!ö He rose. ôIori?ö
ôOn it.ö
Takeru watched as his friends left before smiling at Patamon, who returned the expression.
ôIÆm happy.ö His partner said, bubbly as always. ôIt seems weÆve some good friends this time around, too.ö
ôYeah.ö Takeru agreed before turning his attention to the Guardromon who was, appropriately, guarding the gate. ôàPatamon?ö
ôYes?ö
ôYou know what I just realized?ö
His partner looked at him inquisitively.
Takeru smirked.
ôThe only Dark Tower around is the one inside.ö He said, already lifting his Digivice.
Patamon smiled.
XxXXxX
ôWhich way?ö Takato asked.
Tailmon looked around.
ôThat way.ö She said, nodding to the opening in the side of the strangely spacious sewer. ôThere are Guardromon coming from that direction.ö
She nodded again, this time towards the direction they had been travelling in the straight tunnel.
ôAnd there are some behind us, tooàö Hikari said, but she sounded a bit worried.
Takato knew why.
He looked at his current companions one by one and spoke.
ôSo none of you guys are going to say it?ö He asked. ôThis is totally a trap. I mean, itÆs pretty obvious. Every time we come to one of these intersections, thereÆs always Guardromon blocking every path except one. Now, if that had happened once or twice, maybe I could buy it being an issue of manpower or something, but this has happened seven times. WeÆre being lead somewhere.ö
Hikari looked at him but didnÆt disagree; which, in this case, was pretty much the same as a complete agreement.
ôButàö Tailmon said, not denying it either. ôWhy? Why not just close in on us in these tunnels? An Army of Guardromon in relatively close quartersàweÆd lose, for sure.ö
ôàNot necessarily.ö Takato disagreed. ôItÆs true that in these tunnels, a fight involving explosives is far from ideal, but at the same time, that hurts the Guardromon even more than it does us. TheyÆre a group of large, slow moving Digimon and their attacks involve explosions. If they were lucky, they could drop the tunnel on us, butàGuilmon, would you?ö
ôRock Breaker!ö Guilmon cried, slamming a claw into the side of the passage and startling Hikari and Tailmon. It dented noticeably but didnÆt break.
ôI thought as much.ö Takato said, nodding. ôThis tunnel is remarkably well built. I donÆt doubt for a second that they could bring it down, but I bet itÆll take long enough for us to get out of the way. And while bringing it down on top of us would kind of suck, bringing it down behind us or in front of us would ruin their day, since we could continue on a free direction. Remember, all we need to do is find a way up to the surface and this plan of theirs is ruined. We saw plenty of sewer caps up top; I bet there arenÆt that many paths through the sewers that donÆt come across any of them. In fact, if this isnÆt the only one, IÆd be surprised.ö
ôYou think they want to keep us down here?ö Hikari wondered, glancing upwards.
ôThey almost surely have a way of keeping an eye on us while weÆre down here. ItÆs not the best place for a bunch of Guardromon to fight, but they do have a pretty major tactical advantage. They know how to navigate this place and we donÆt.ö
ôButàö Tailmon began, thoughtfully looking at the open passageway. ôThey arenÆt just trying to keep us down here. TheyÆre leading us towards something. What?ö
Takato shrugged.
ôWho knows? Something better suited to fighting down here? Something worse than a bunch of Guardromon? It could even just be a large number of Guardromon; enough of them could bring down a tunnel pretty quickly, I bet. IÆm kind of curious, but not enough to actually want to find out.ö
Tailmon nodded in agreement to that.
ôThen should we face the Guardromon?ö Hikari asked. ôWe have no way of knowing if whatÆs waiting for us down that way; it could be worse than the Guardromon, but it could be better, too. Fighting the Guardromon is risky; if something goes wrongàI know you said the tunnel is sturdy, butàö
ôAlso,ö Tailmon added. ôGuardromon have missiles. As a cat, IÆm allergic to explosive weaponry, especially while within confined spaces.ö
Takato smiled at them.
ôDid you guys never get that speech about the path of least resistance?ö He wondered. ôThe Guardromon are dangerous, but they have the weakness of the Evil Rings and we spent, like, three hours up top proving that we could hit those Rings. If we can take out the first few, Tailmon can dive into melee and break the Rings on everyone behind them and Guilmon can follow up with some Rock Breakers. It would require us to be fast and lucky, butàitÆs that or walk into another trap.ö
The girls went silent for a moment.
Takato glanced at his silent partner. It seemed the sewers didnÆt agree with his sensitive nose.
ôYou think you can make you Fire Breath hot enough to stop a group of Guardromon, boy? If you do, we can find a way back to the surface and get you out of here.ö
Guilmon eagerly nodded at that.
Takato lifted an eyebrow at the girls.
They glanced at each other and sighed, but there were smiles on their faces.
ôFine.ö Hikari said. ôLetÆs do this.ö
XxXXxX
Andromon watched his four targets wordlessly. He was currently connected directly to the computer system of this city. Through that connection, he watched the Chosen and their partners and through that connection, he contacted and directed the Guardromon.
His plan was simple. Herd the Chosen to an area where their odds of escape were extremely low. Naturally, he wasnÆt worried about the battle that would no doubt follow; he was a Perfect.
It would take more than two Adults to defeat him.
Sadly, that plan seemed to have failed. The Chosen had noticed that they were being led along, which, he suppose, was unsurprising.
Andromon wasnÆt overly bothered by that failure, however; heÆd more or less expected it. This plan, forcing them to take one specific path to one specific place while preventing escape, wasnÆt particularly subtle.
No, he hadnÆt expected it to work.
But it would have been nice if it had.
If they hadnÆt noticed, he could have led them straight to him, closed the only door, locked it from the outside, and planted an army of Guardromon on the other side of the door. They chances of survival would have beenà
He wouldnÆt say impossible, for he didnÆt believe in the word and didnÆt have access to all the information heÆd need to safely make that assumption.
Butà
While not impossible, they would have been, at least, astronomically low, according to the information currently at his disposal.
Sadly, it was not meant to be.
Oh, well. Since he hadnÆt expected it to work, heÆd made a number of plans based off its failure. While there was always the possibility that they would mess up in their fight against the Guardromon and die, rendering the issue moot, he would also operate under the assumption that the Guardromon would fail, as they largely had on the surface.
Andromon consulted a map of the cities sewers, pulling it up from his data banks. He noted the ChosenÆs current location, his current location, and charted the fastest route to get to the former from the latter and immediately set off.
If he couldnÆt bring them here, he would go to where they were. Again, he wasnÆt worried; he had observed their rates of movement and he knew he could move quite a bit faster than any of them, baring surprises. In addition, all of them were quite tired at this point and exhaustion would likely set in soon, if it hadnÆt already; theyÆd fought for hours, run for hours, and been forced to be on high alert for hours.
However, he wouldnÆt underestimate them. Something in the back of his head, like a half forgotten voice, told him that the Chosen were truly strong, and, as their performances against his master in the past supported this, he had no reason to doubt that.
While he was still confident that he would have no trouble defeating them in a straight fight, he would acknowledge the possibility of escape; heÆd tried getting them to this place for the very reason of preventing that and failed. In the same way, they had often escaped from his master during past conflicts.
He didnÆt like the thought of failure, but he would acknowledge the possibility of it, nonetheless.
What to do then? If the possibility occurred, he should have a plan to deal with it, just in case.
It didnÆt take much thought to come up with a plan.
If they escaped together, heÆd continue to hunt them down.
If they split up, heÆd go after one of them.
But, in the latter case, which one?
The boy was dangerous, Andromon remembered. That was what his master had told him. The obvious choice was to go after him.
But, for some reason, he couldnÆt get the girlÆs face out of his mind.
A memory lingered just beyond his grasp, teasing him. For a brief moment, he thought of another girl, years younger, but the thought vanished a moment later, like a dream come dawn.
Such a thing didnÆt change anything, though.
Or ratherà
It shouldnÆt have changed anything.
But, even soà
If forced to make the choice, Andromon decided he would chase the girl.
XxXXxX
In the following moment, three things happened at once. It was unintentional, but the Chosen had acted in perfect unity.
And they all did the same thing.
The three groups were scattered across one area, but the all moved steadily towards the completion of their missions.
One pair; Takeru and Patamon, laid siege to the city gates.
XxXXxX
The light of evolution enveloped the unintimidating Digimon and when it faded, Angemon took to the skies. The darkness of night was washed away by his glory and the attention of the Gatekeeper was drawn in an instant.
It mattered not.
ôHand of Fate!ö
The power of the attack blew away the Guardromon in an instant and erased the doors behind it in that same moment.
It didnÆt even deserve to be called a fight, but Takeru wasnÆt surprised. If there was one thing he knew was reliable, it was AngemonÆs power.
Angemon stepped into the city, but couldnÆt take more than a few steps before reverting back to Patamon.
The Child Digimon turned in midair as his partner caught up to him.
ôIÆm back to normal.ö He said, his disappointment obvious in his voice.
Takeru just smiled at his partner.
ôDonÆt worry; we knew that would happen.ö He replied reasonably. ôIt canÆt be helped.ö
Sounds of motion drew their attention and it became obvious that theyÆd achieved their goal.
Well, marching up to someoneÆs house and kicking down the door does generally draw peopleÆs notice, Takeru thought. And thatÆs basically what theyÆd done, only with explosions.
Takeru gazed calmly in the direction of the approaching noise. There were a lot of them; that much was obvious. But once youÆve been chased through a castle by a Dark Master out to turn you into a keychain, most other things simply didnÆt compare.
ôDigimental Up.ö
ôPatamon, Armor Shinka!ö
XxXXxX
Two pairs fought beneath the ground.
XxXXxX
In all honesty, it wasnÆt that great of a plan.
æBeat up the Guardromon before they can start shooting.Æ They werenÆt going to go down in the history books for coming up with that strategy.
But Takato and Hikari had an advantage over their opponents. Two of them, really.
Their names were Tailmon and Guilmon.
The Guardromon may have been Adults, but they were large, slow moving Adults in a small area, with basically zero maneuverability. Not to mention their obvious weakness of their Evil Rings.
Meanwhile, Tailmon was a small, fast-moving target who could easily move around in the, to her, fairly large tunnel. And, though most did not remember, there had been a time and a place when sheÆd bounced the Adult forms of the partners of the older Chosen around like impudent children to buy VamdemonÆs army time.
Guilmon wasnÆt as small as Tailmon, but he was notably smaller than the Guardromon, and he was, quite frankly, a monster.
Such are the benefits of feasting upon the broken remains of oneÆs enemies.
ôFire Breath!ö Guilmon roared, exhaling a wave of flames and tremendous heat.
It wasnÆt the best of ideas to throw around fire in a tunnel, Takato mused, glancing at Hikari who suffered momentarily from the heat and consumed oxygen.
He didnÆt even notice, butà
ôGuilmon, thatÆs enough.ö He said and his partner promptly stopped. The flames snuffed out amazingly quickly, likely willed to do so by their creator.
However, just because heÆd paused in his assault didnÆt mean the Guardromon were safe or that they were left unharmed. The front three Guardromon had their chest plates badly scorched and their rings destroyed. Those behind them were largely protected by their comradeÆs bodies, but it didnÆt matter, because, as they always did, the freed Guardromon halted in their tracks and refused to move.
In the confines of the tunnel, they served to halt to approach of their former fellows.
Tailmon was a white blur as she dove into the fray, moving between the legs of one of the freed Guardromon and zigzagging towards the nearest slave.
ôNeko Punch!ö She said, lashing out with claws copied from SaberLeomonÆs data.
The Evil Ring shattered and she immediately grabbed a hold of the wheel on GuardromonÆs chest with her other hand. With that hand, she lifted herself high enough to place her feet on it and jumped, in two bounds, to the unresponsive GuardromonÆs head and then as high in the air as the tunnel would allow.
Guilmon penetrated the GuardromonÆs ranks a moment later, barreling through the freed Guardromon in the front row without any hesitation or remorse and attacking the first slave he saw.
Tailmon was grateful sheÆd noticed what he was doing and continued onto the next row; she didnÆt want to get involved in that fight.
ôSurudoi Tsume!ö Guilmon cried, lashing out with his sharp claws. He knew the Guardromon were slaves and that he wasnÆt supposed to hurt them, but he also knew his Tamer was in danger, which took precedence.
Even so, he tried to hold back.
His claws rent the armor of the Guardromon even as they freed them from the Kaiser.
He considered himself mostly successful.
ôWild Scratch!ö
Two more slashes left two more gashes on two more Guardromon, taking them out of the fight along with their Rings.
Landing, Tailmon delivered a mighty kick to the Guardromon sheÆs landed on, before using the resulting impulse to perform a back flip, landing gently on GuilmonÆs head.
She frowned down at her ride.
ôBe more gentle, Guilmon. ItÆs not their fault that theyÆve been enslaved; I donÆt see what youÆre being so ferocious about-ö
ôWarning Laser!ö The last remaining Guardromon cried, launching twin beams of light from his eyes.
Guilmon dove to the side, nearly throwing Tailmon off, landingà
Right in the path of the attack.
A snarl and slight jostle were his only reactions to the attack.
Tailmon glanced over her shoulder at the two humans who would have been hit by the attack before returning her gaze to the Guardromon, displeasure shining in her eyes.
ôNevermind.ö She said, jumping from his head. ôNeko Punch!ö
ôRock Breaker!ö
XxXXxX
And three pairs hunted for their comrades below the city.
XxXXxX
ôGold Rush!ö Digmon cried, launching his drills and freeing the four Guardromon.
ôThis way,ö Daisuke said, squeezing past the suddenly still Digimon without a momentÆs hesitation.
The others followed him wordlessly; or rather, they followed his Digivice.
TheyÆd managed to find Hikari and TakatoÆs signals, but when they checked the surface, there hadnÆt been anyone on it. That had stumped them for a moment, but Daisuke remembered what Sora had said and they had decided to check beneath it.
Sure enough, they had burst into a sewer of some sort. Almost immediately, theyÆd been under siege, which was problematic, since Holsmon couldnÆt fly very well and theyÆd quickly learnt that letting Fladramon go all out was a bad idea.
TheyÆd been forced to rely on Digmon, who was holding up well so far, but Daisuke didnÆt want to be stuck down here for very long if he could help it.
Luckily, their friendÆs signals were nearby.
All they had to do was fight their way through the Guardromonà
Suddenly a path cleared through the Guardromon.
The Chosen stopped moving, though they werenÆt sure why.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the end of their vision. It was different from the Guardromon in size and shape, but all they could see of him were his two red eyes and the occasional glimmer of bright steel.
ôWhoàwho are you?ö Daisuke wondered.
Andromon stepped forward into the light.
XxXXxX
Takato and Hikari ran behind their partners.
They were in a hurry, now; theyÆd broken through the Guardromon, but now they needed to get to the surface.
ôWait,ö Tailmon suddenly said.
The two humans obeyed immediately, worried that they were walking into another trap.
Tailmon was still on top of GuilmonÆs head. SheÆd claimed the spot after the battle and allowed Guilmon to carry her. While his partner hadnÆt objected, Takato almost had. His partner wasnÆt some horse to be ridden.
The Catlike DigimonÆs ears twitched a few times before she glance at her partner.
ôNothing,ö She said.
Hikari blinked.
ôNothing?ö She questioned.
ôI donÆt hear anything anymore,ö Tailmon clarified.
Takato frowned and glanced behind him.
ôWerenÆt there Guardromon behind us?ö He asked, suppressing the urge to take out his Digivice.
ôTheyÆre gone,ö Tailmon said after a moment of concentration. ôOr, at least, I canÆt hear them anymore. They could have fallen too far behind, butàö
That was doubtful, Takato silently agreed. TheyÆd chased them through the city and then into the sewers without losing them. And they apparently had a way of watching them.
But then, why werenÆt they there? Were they setting up another trap? Could they have all gone to the surface? Would an army of Guardromon be waiting for them when they went up?
No. That couldnÆt be it. Takato was sure of one thing; the ordinary sewer caps were too small for the Guardromon to go through. For them to have gotten down here, they must have used some other entrance. In that case, for them to get back to the surface, they would need to use those same entrances. And after all the time theyÆd spent in down here and all the running theyÆd done, it was impossible for them all to be nearby such an entrance. And it was unlikely that one of those entrances would lead to a spot near where they would be exiting the Sewers.
No, there couldnÆt be an army up there yetàbut it wouldnÆt be weird if they were already migrating to the surface. If they had broken through and the Guardromon thought that they wouldnÆt be able to catch up, then it would make sense that theyÆd start heading for the surface.
But surely they had to know that time was against them, right? After all, it would take time for them to leave the sewers and it would take more time for them to move fromàwhere ever that would put them to the sewer cap that they would be exiting. And since they had no intention of sticking around, it would take more time for the Guardromon to hunt them down.
Surely they didnÆt think the others would just abandon them? They couldnÆt be that stupid, they had know it was only a matter of time before the others-
A matter of time.
Damn it.
ôHikari, how long have we been down here?ö He asked.
Hikari blinked at the sudden and unexpected question, but reached for her Digivice after a momentÆs pause.
She didnÆt even have time to switch to the clock function before realization struck and she understood TakatoÆs question.
ôTheyÆre here.ö She said, showing him the glowing dots on her DigiviceÆs screen.
Takato sighed in relief.
ôFinally. LetÆs hurry up and get to the surface-ö
ôNo,ö Hikari said, cutting him off. ôTheyÆre here. As in, down here.ö
This time, it was Takato who needed a moment to understand and after he did, he needed a few more to associate that information with the disappearance of the Guardromon.
ôShit!ö He swore. ôThere must be an army after them!ö
ôFollow me.ö Hikari ordered, brushing past him without another word.
XxXXxX
The new Chosen were fighting Andromon with everything they had.
The new Chosen were getting their asses kicked.
Digmon slid back at the kick just in time to catch the badly beaten Holsmon as he was thrown. But he had no place to talk; he probably looked just as bad. While Fladramon stayed back, his involvement being too risky, he and Holsmon were going toe-to-toe with a Perfect level Digimon.
Itàwas going about as well as could be expected.
ôRed Sun!ö Holsmon cried, aiming for AndromonÆs weak point. Even if he was a Perfect, if they could shatter that ring, it was their victory!
Butàhe already knew this tactic wouldnÆt work.
Andromon lifted his left arm and blocked with his metal-encased forearm and didnÆt make a sound to show that he even noticed the impact.
ôGold Rush!ö Digmon tried, not willing to risk using Big Crack in a tunnel.
Andromon calculated the speed and trajectory of each drill and caught the one meant for his ring with his left hand. He allowed the remaining drills to bounce harmlessly off of him as he crushed the drill in his hand into powder.
ôDigmon.ö He identified his attacker. This was one of the targets his Master most wished to die. Digmonàand the boy behind him, as well.
He turned to face them fully.
DaisukeÆs eyes sharpened at the action. He knew that their new opponent was targeting Iori, now.
He also knew that he wouldnÆt allow that to happen.
ôFladramon, remember that thing about you staying back?ö He asked. ôNow would be a good time to forget that completely.ö
Fladramon didnÆt hesitate for a second; he simply dove into the fray where he knew he belonged.
ôKnuckle Fire!ö He shouted, attacking with a fist encased in flames. As he predicted, Andromon caught it with his left hand.
He hadnÆt used his right yet; was he unable to or was there something special about it?
Only one way to find out.
ôClaw Express!ö He cried, trying again with his other hand.
Before he could hit the Evil Ring, however, Andromon stopped it.
With his right forearm.
Fladramon nodded mentally. There was something about it; that hand.
Maybe it was nothing.
Or maybe it was really, really bad.
He had no desire to find out. He could ask this Digimon after heÆd freed him, if he really wanted to.
Fladramon pushed closer to the larger Digimon, but he couldnÆt make Andromon budge an inch, so he was forced to bend his own arms to get closer.
For a moment, the opponentÆs eyes met.
Fladramon nearly sneered in distaste.
He enjoyed the thrill of the fight.
But the dispassion in AndromonÆs eyesàit wasnÆt something he wanted to see in his enemyÆs eyes. He despised those rings; for that and so much more.
ôFlame Shot!ö He attacked, coating his body in flames just to distract his opponent. In that brief moment of reflexive action in which Andromon almost pulled his hands away, Fladramon managed to take a step forward. Andromon recovered almost instantaneously, then, tightening his grip on FladramonÆs hand and putting his forearm back in the way of the other.
But it was already too late.
Fladramon was now close enough to successfully finish æFlame Shot.Æ He cut diagonally upwards with his helmet blade.
Andromon realized his trick at the last second, however, and managed to awkwardly kick Fladramon in the stomach. It was a testament to AndromonÆs might that even off balance, one of his kicks was enough to throw Fladramon into the air.
It still didnÆt matter, Fladramon thought, ignoring the pain.
Andromon had fallen into his pace and now he was off balance. Granted, Fladramon was in the air and couldnÆt do anything about it, butàhe didnÆt need to.
ôHolsmon!ö He cried.
Holsmon immediately understood.
ôMach Impusle!ö
The æbladeÆ Holsmon released slammed into Andromon before he recovered. The Perfect level Digimon was forced to cross his arms over his neck and endure.
ôDigmon; donÆt hold back!ö Fladramon shouted the moment he confirmed a hit. Already, his movement through the air had halted and he stood, hanging above the floor of the tunnel. ôFire Rocket!ö
He didnÆt bother looking at Digmon, such was his trust in his friends. He had his own attack to focus on.
ôBig Crack!ö
It was a risky move, splitting the floor of the tunnel; risky and extremely dangerous.
But Digmon did it anyway, because he, too, trusted his friend.
They were lucky; nothing happened to the rest of the tunnel when Digmon split the floor.
And they were even luckier when the off-balance Andromon nearly fell in.
Fladramon saw his chance and took it. Like a meteor, he flew through the air and rammed into Andromon, leaving a trail of flames behind him.
Andromon was a Perfect level Digimon.
But even he had his limits.
He began to fall back.
Fladramon didnÆt let up for a second. He landed on top of his opponent when his back finally met the ground and even as his aura of flames flickered and died, his hands reignited.
ôKnuckle Fire! Ora!ö
Blow after blow slammed down upon the Perfect Digimon, who could do nothing but protect his ring. Fladramon, experienced in combat in ways his friends couldnÆt imagine, knew the truth of the situation.
Against such an opponent, if he backed down, he would die. Without a doubt, if he stepped back and let Andromon recover, he would die and, more importantly, he would lose what was important to him. Behind him stood the person heÆd waited so long for and soà
He would not step back.
ôEnough.ö Andromon ground out, opening his chest plate. ôGatling Missile!ö
Fladramon saw the two missiles only seconds before they were fired, but it didnÆt take him long to figure out what they meant.
Andromon expected him to dodge. No, Andromon wanted him to dodge. He was in a bad position and he knew it, so he was trying to change things by getting Fladramon off of him.
It was only natural that Fladramon would dodge; it was that or take a higher level attack head on.
But Fladramon didnÆt dodge. He snuffed out the flames on his hands with a thought and he caught the missiles gently the moment they were fired.
He smiled wryly at AndromonÆs expression, which not even the Evil Ring could suppress.
ôLetÆs see who can take a bigger asskicking.ö He said.
His hands re-ignited as soon as the words left his mouth.
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
The explosion rocked the tunnels, nearly making Hikari trip. Takato managed to catch her, but he was equally startled.
ôWhat the hellà?ö He wondered.
ôAn explosion.ö Tailmon stated the obvious.
ôYeah, butàthat wasnÆt a Guardromon,ö He stated with certainty. ôTheir attacks wouldnÆt do that much.ö
Hikari silently agreed with him.
ôI suppose it was too much to hope for that the only slaves in this city were the Guardromon, huh?ö She said.
ôAhem,ö Tailmon uttered, drawing their attention.
The moment she had it, she continued.
ôI think the two of you are missing the importance of this explosion. IfàwhoeverÆs over there is causing explosions, it means heÆs attacking, and if heÆs attacking, then the most likely explanation isàö
ôHeÆs found the others,ö Hikari finished. ôMeaning nowÆs not the time to talk. Right. LetÆs go.ö
XxXXxX
Fladramon flew through the air back towards his friends. He hit the ground and bounced, skipping over the uneven surface like a thrown stone over the water. He almost impacted with Daisuke, but he managed to retain enough presence of mind to dig his claws into the ground before they collided, protecting his partner.
A moment later, an orange light surrounded him before flying towards Daisuke, leaving V-mon behind.
ôV-mon!ö The leader of the new Chosen cried, kneeling beside his beaten partner.
V-mon coughed painfully before speaking.
ôD-damnàit.ö He said, gazing into the cloud of smoke that still lingered where Andromon had been. ôDaisukeàrun.ö
ôHuh?ö
The dust suddenly clearedùno, it was blown away! Andromon stood, his armor blackened and his skin burnt, but nonetheless undefeated.
But Daisuke didnÆt care about that, despite how important it was.
Something about him had already caught his attention.
AndromonÆs black right hand began to rotate and energy gathered around it.
Daisuke still didnÆt recognize Andromon, having never met him before. He didnÆt know what his attacks were.
But even so, he knew better than to stand by and let an unknown and powerful Digimon just attack after it finished beating on their partners.
ôGuys!ö He shouted.
ôRed Sun!ö
ôGold Rush!ö
But Andromon evaded both attacks by jumping as high as the tunnel allowed. He drew back his hand and Daisuke knew that he and, more importantly, his team, were in great danger.
ôDigmon, Holsmon, get them to safety!ö Daisuke cried, his thoughts turning immediately to his team.
Iori and Miyako opened their mouths in simultaneous protest, but something, maybe acknowledgement of DaisukeÆs authority, maybe just a desire to protect their partners, drove the two Digimon to obey the Leader. Digmon grabbed Iori and the two were below ground a moment later. Holsmon picked up Miyako and the two were flying away from Andromon in seconds.
The only ones left before the attacking Digimon were V-mon and Daisuke.
ôSpiral Sword!ö Andromon said, lashing out with his arm, unleashing a blade of energy.
Daisuke knew, with a certainty heÆd seldom felt, that if that attack hit him, heÆd die.
But he also knew that the same went for V-mon.
And Daisuke would not abandon his partner.
The boyÆs forward dive would have earned applause from his coach, had he been there to see it. He hugged V-mon tight to his chest a moment before turning his dive into a roll, just in time to let AndromonÆs attack go above them.
Daisuke had just enough time to feel relief before the blade curved unnaturally in midair.
For a moment, he feared that it curve back towards him for a finishing blow.
What happened instead was almost worse.
The blade curved up to collide with the ceiling of the tunnel, and the mighty attack was too much for it to withstand. Before the boyÆs wide eyes, the tunnel collapsed, locking off any hope of retreat.
He turned his head to look back at his enemy, who looked down at him with cold, dispassionate eyes.
Daisuke swallowed.
He was stuck between Andromon and a hard place.
XxXXxX
What happened couldnÆt be blamed on anyone.
It couldnÆt be blamed on Guilmon, for how could the young Digimon know? After all, ever since the day he had been born, never once had there been a fight that had made him think æI canÆt win.Æ He had never lived within the Digital World as a normal Digimon; he had no grasp of what others would think fundamental. He knew only the will of his Tamer, the ferocity of battle, the thrill of victory, and the rush of power that shortly followed it. Nothing else had ever been of import.
How was he supposed to know that Andromon was a Perfect? How was he to understand what that meant? How was he supposed to know that there was always a bigger fish in the sea when there never had been before?
It was not his fault that when he saw the massive Digimon looming over V-mon hisàally? Friend? He knew not what the word to describe the two of them, since he was, to a limited degree, aware of the plans his Tamer and Father had hatched.
But for the moment, he knew they worked together.
When he saw Daisuke in danger and V-mon defeated, he rushed in.
It was not his fault any more than it was TakatoÆs.
How was the Tamer supposed to know he was running towards a Perfect?
How was it his fault that his partner didnÆt know that and rushed into the fray?
How could he be blamed for, in that important, decisive moment, freezing at the sight of an enemy that he knew was strong, unsure of what to do?
He stopped only for a second; in any other time, it would have been a wise choice, to stop and think before rushing in.
In this case, it was the difference between stopping his partner and letting him go.
But it was not his fault any more than it was HikariÆs or TailmonÆs.
How could either of them not have frozen at the sight? At the knowledge that it was Andromon who they would have to fight? How could they not freeze at the knowledge that they would have to fight a Perfect level and one who was their friend?
How could they be blamed for, in that moment of shock, forgetting that they were the only ones around who truly knew who Andromon was or about the power he held?
They too could not be blamed for their reactions.
But blameless or not, an event that could have been avoided still happened.
XxXXxX
AndromonÆs hand began to spin again and this time, Daisuke had nowhere to run.
He knew that.
Worse, Andromon knew it too.
He could see it in the PerfectÆs eyes; he no longer even thought of this as a battle.
This wasnÆt even an execution to him; Daisuke no longer even held enough relevance for such a thing.
Daisuke was nothing but a chore now; Andromon could have slipped his death in between taking out the trash and buying the groceries.
ôSpiral Sword,ö Andromon announced, sounding a bit bored.
ôRock Breaker!ö DaisukeÆs savior interjected, saving his life by coming out of nowhere and crashing a claw into AndromonÆs right hand.
On the bright side, the attacked missed Daisuke, leaving him with his life.
On the down side, he had to quickly scramble to keep it when the right side of the tunnel began collapsing.
ôAndromonàö Hikari said, standing a ways behind the Perfect Digimon. Her voice sounded strangely pained.
Takato stood next to her, but didnÆt say anything. Instead, his expression had shifted into something that looked a lot like terror as he gazed upon the battle Guilmon had started. The smaller Digimon was unleashing blow after blow at the Cyborg, butà
He was faring no better than the Armor Digimon had. Andromon either blocked or ignored each and every blow.
If anything, he just lookedàannoyed? He seemed annoyed at Guilmon, butàhe kept sneaking glances at Hikari.
Daisuke frowned, worried at that change.
TakatoÆs expression suddenly shifted from fear to incredulous disbelief.
ôDaisuke?ö He wondered. ôDid you come here alone!?ö
The goggled Chosen started but was quick to reply.
ôWha-? No! I just got separated from the others by this guy-ö
Takato cut him off.
ôIt doesnÆt matter! This isnÆt the time! You need to get the hell out of there!ö Takato cried. ôGuilmon, you too; that guy, heÆs-ö
It was too late.
Andromon had had enough of the pest standing between him and the girl.
With lightning speed, he struck out with his left hand, grabbing Guilmon by the throat. He lifted the suddenly choking Digimon into the air as if he weighed nothing.
And then his right hand began to spin again.
Three humanÆs widened their eyes at the sight, all of them knowing what it meant.
ôGuilmon! No!ö Takato shouted, as if his plea would change anything.
It didnÆt.
ôAndromon, wait!ö Hikari tried, her partner already running across the tunnel, hoping to get there in time.
She wouldnÆt.
ôV-mon!ö Daisuke screamed, as if, by some miracle, his partner would find the strength to do something to change things in time.
He couldnÆt.
ôSpiral Sword!ö Andromon attack, lashing out at his captured opponent.
And Guilmonà
Screamed.
XxXXxX
Takato could have given a number of explanations for what he did next.
He could have said that if Guilmon died, heÆd lose the game.
He could have said that, real or not, Guilmon was his creation.
He could have chalked it up to pride, annoyance, anger, or frustration.
He could have passed it off as a sudden reaction to a momentary, phantom pain, which was gone even faster than it came; so fast that he couldnÆt even tell if it had been real or not.
And maybe, just maybe, he really did think of Guilmon as his friend.
Maybe some of these reasons were true. Maybe some of them were not.
It didnÆt matter; regardless of his reasons, his actions remained the same.
ôTakato!ö Hikari yelled out.
In what, he did not know. Warning? Fear? Surprise?
But that, too, didnÆt matter.
The Tamer ran towards his partner, one hand reaching into his pocket for his Digivice and the other going for his Evolution card. He didnÆt even have to look for it; he didnÆt carry around any of his other cards.
After all, if something happened, having all of those would be suspicious.
But he always carried the Evolution card, for one simple reason; if something ever happened, something like this, he would be able to evolve his partner.
He kept some things in mind at all times, however; that evolving Growmon could easily blow his cover. That having a supposed æPerfectÆ level would draw suspicion and might ruin his plans. That using Evolution was a last resort.
But at that moment, he didnÆt care. He stood right in front of Andromon, planting his feet between the Digimon and his partner. He glared up at him with anger burning in his red eyes.
The only reason he hadnÆt evolved yet was because he was worried about the effects it might have on his partner.
He cast a quick glance at Guilmon, but returned his gaze to his enemy almost immediately, not so much because was worried about his opponentùthough he certainly wasùbut rather because he couldnÆt bear to look at his partner.
Guilmon was strong.
For a Child Digimon, he was monstrously powerful.
He had disguised his partners strength by calling him an Adultùpretending to everyone that he was an entire level higher than he actually wasùand if anyone had noticed something that gave them cause to not believe that, they hadnÆt shown it.
But even so, there was a difference between a very strong Child like Guilmon and a Perfect like Andromon.
AndromonÆs Spiral Sword had nearly cut Guilmon in half.
It was weird to look at; Guilmon had nothing like organs or blood. As such, it was hard to describe his wound; it was a parting of flesh, but not the flesh of a human or anything organic. There were no entrails revealed by the wound that stretched from his left shoulder to the right of his waist. The closest similarity it had to a normal injury was the fact that there was something coming out of both wounds, but GuilmonÆs data could never be mistaken for blood.
It shouldnÆt have been as bad as looking at a human with the same wound.
And maybe it wasnÆt; Takato wouldnÆt know.
But he knew that watching those particles of data slowly trying to rip themselves from GuilmonÆs body hurt more than anything else he could remember.
His grip tightened around his Digivice and he wanted so badly to slash the card that would end AndromonÆs life.
But he knew he shouldnÆt.
In GuilmonÆs condition, he had no guarantee that becoming Growmon wouldnÆt end GuilmonÆs life as well. And even if it didnÆt, how could he know whether or not heÆd be able to fight Andromon?
In his state, Andromon mightà
He glanced around quickly.
Was there any way to avoid this fight?
V-mon was no help; he was obviously pretty beaten. Tailmon was still in okay condition, but Takato dismissed her almost immediately. If Guilmon couldnÆt do it, then what hope did she have?
Unless she could use her small size and speed to-
No, that was too risky.
Takato had already seen it, hadnÆt he?
The power of AndromonÆs attacksà
If he couldnÆt hit Tailmonùif he attacked and missedùthenà
Would this tunnel survive?
More importantly, would he and Guilmon survive?
The Digimon were of no use here and he didnÆt even know where the other Chosen were. And itÆs not like their partners would be of any help-
Wait.
Takato looked back at Andromon, who wasnÆt even looking at him.
He had eyes only for the others.
Whyà?
Something clicked.
His eyes darted from Andromon to Hikari.
Could he beà? Could he remember Hikari, even through the Ring? Howà?
It didnÆt matter, Takato thought, cutting off that train of thought.
The æhowÆ of it didnÆt matter, at least not to him.
What mattered was one thing and one thing only.
Andromon was more interested in Hikari than he was in Guilmon or Takato himself. Whether it was because Hikari was the only one left with a partner capable of fighting or if he really did remember something didnÆt matter.
Only one thing did.
If Hikari ran, would Andromon chase her?
XxXXxX
ôHikari!ö Takato suddenly shouted at her. ôHeÆs after you! Get out of here!ö
Hikari confirmed with a glance that what he was saying was true; both of AndromonÆs red eyes were focused on her.
Beside her, Tailmon tensed. It was only the knowledge that if a fight started, sheÆd probably lose that allowed her to swallow the hiss the tried to force its way from her throat.
Hikari became suddenly, frighteningly aware that she was far below ground and that Tailmon was now the only one still able to fight.
But, at the same timeà
Tailmon was the only one able to fight.
ôB-but, Takatoà! Guilmon isà!ö Hikari tried to put it into words.
That she wouldnÆt leave her friends behind while they fought to keep her safe for just a little longer, even though they knew theyÆd lose, like everyone had against Piemon.
That she wouldnÆt stand by, helpless, while someone died like Wizarmon had.
She wanted to. She tried too. But the sight of Guilmon there on the ground stole the words from her.
But even so, Takato still understood.
ôHikari, this is not the time! HeÆs after you! If he catches you, itÆll probably be bad for you. If he stays here, itÆll probably be bad for the rest of us! So, no offense, but I think everyone involved would be better off if you ran like your life depends on it!ö
HikariÆs resolve wavered; at his words and at the fact that Andromon had begun to slowly approach as a result of them.
ôI-Iàö She stuttered, unsure.
ôDaisuke!ö Takato suddenly shouted.
The leader of the new Chosen didnÆt need an explanation to understand. He grabbed HikariÆs hand and pulled her into a run.
Andromon followed.
Neither group noticed the look Takato sent at AndromonÆs back.
XxXXxX
Takato glared as if he could push all his anger out at Andromon. If he could, he would have smote him on the spot.
Sadly, he couldnÆt do that.
Anger gave way to helplessness as he looked down at his partner.
He put a hand on his partnerÆs chest.
ôGuilmonàö
When had he become this attached to something that wasnÆt real. Did he really spend that much time playing this game?
Takato took his Digivice from his pocket and looked at silently. He ran his thumb across its side absently, before taking out his Evolution card as well.
Just in case, he told himself, knowing that, even if Andromon was gone, he couldnÆt claim to be safe as long as he was still in this city.
He frowned at that thought, lifting his Digivice and bringing up the radar function.
Lips pulled away from teeth as he turned around, lifting his Card. He didnÆt want to force Guilmon to evolve, but if an enemy Digimon showed upà
Well, he might not have a choice.
ôCome out; I know youÆre there.ö Takato said flatly. He didnÆt waste his time with brags or threats; it was clear for all to see that his partner was down. Nobody would have any idea what the card in his hand meant and he still wasnÆt sure what slashing it would do to his partner.
All that he had was the protectiveness of a friend and parent, but he didnÆt even have the power to make it meaningful.
Even now, he had to rely on Guilmon.
He was angry; at Andromon, at the situation, at himself. Angry and ready for a fight he wasnÆt even sure he could win.
So he was surprised when Raremon peaked around the corner, blinking awkwardly positioned eyes thoughtlessly.
Takato stared. The æstenchÆ he could not smell drew a reaction from Guilmon, causing him to groan and roll one eye open.
His Digivice activated.
Raremon, Adult Virus. An Undead Digimon whose muscles have all rotted away. It tried to extend its life by mechanizing its body, but it destabilized it in the process, and the data composing it began to break down. However, because it was given life by those machines, it will not die, and so it survives with a grotesque appearance. Because its body has broken down, its offensive power and mental capacity are nonexistent, and it acts on instinct. It gives off a foul stench from its entire body, so that Digimon up to the Child-level will simply run away, and will not be its opponent until they reach the Adult-level.
Takato read the data, but otherwise didnÆt move. He wasnÆt sure what to make of the data, but he kept his card in hand just in case.
Raremon didnÆt do anything; it simply continued to stare at him like he was something strange.
A minute passed.
Two.
More.
Nothing happened.
Frowning, Takato forced himself to relax.
Raremon didnÆt have an Evil Ring and it hadnÆt acted with hostility yet.
ôDo you need something Raremon?ö He asked.
Raremon began moving closer and Takato tensed again. The Digimon stopped and didnÆt continue until Takato relaxed again. This time Takato forced himself to stay relaxed, even while pondering whether or not this was a trap.
If so, it wasnÆt a very good one. Stand still until the target was relaxed and then step forward and repeat?
But them, if the data was accurateà
And it was working, Takato told himself, if it was a trap. He slowly moved the card towards his Digivice, but didnÆt slash it just yet.
Trap or not, he was curious as to what this Digimon intended to do.
Why was he even here in the first place? Had he followed them here? Why?
He was a character Lucemon had put into this game, so he must have a purpose to being here. If he was an enemy, which he didnÆt seem to be as of yet, it might make sense for him to follow them here to attack them, but not in context. They were fighting the Kaiser and his army of slaves; why would the Digimon suddenly attack them?
But if not as an enemy, why was he here?
Because its body has broken down, its offensive power and mental capacity are nonexistent, and it acts on instinct.
ThatÆs what it had said. What purpose could something like that serve? He couldnÆt be a source of information, he probably wasnÆt a secret boss, being an enemy wouldnÆt make sense, and he probably wasnÆt here to give him a quest.
So why?
Raremon finally loomed over Guilmon and Takato looked at him as the moment of truth arrived. If anything happened, he would slash his card, even if Guilmon was injured.
But again, Raremon did nothing. He simply looked down at the wounded Child and stared.
Minutes passed again and Takato began to wonder if Raremon understood was he was seeing.
ôHeÆs injured,ö Takato said bluntly. ôHe was hurt badly in a fight.ö
Raremon looked at him.
ôAloneà?ö Raremon asked in a warped voice that seemed like it hadnÆt been used in a long time.
Takato blinked in surprise at the fact that Raremon could speak and it took him a moment to understand the question.
ôShe left,ö He said.
ôLeftàyouà?ö The Adult stated more than asked.
Well, it was pretty obvious she wasnÆt here.
Takato shrugged but didnÆt say anything.
Raremon looked back down at Guilmon before turning to Takato again. He smiled a very strange smile, full of uneven teeth.
ôLike me.ö He said, as if he was a Doctor stating their condition.
Takato didnÆt understand but he smiled anyway.
ôPerhaps,ö He said.
Raremon lifted a rotting, clawed hand and pointed at himself.
ôFix?ö He suggested.
Takato tilted his head to the side in confusion, so Raremon tapped a claw to one of the metal plates around his eyes.
ôFix?ö He repeated.
It tried to extend its life by mechanizing its bodyà
Ah.
Takato understood.
He smiled at Raremon.
ôI donÆt think thatÆs possible. I donÆt know much about machines.ö He told him.
Raremon pointed at himself again.
ôYou do?ö Takato asked, surprised.
Well, the Digivice did say he tried to fix himselfà
Raremon nodded. Something feel to the ground, sliding off his face, but Takato ignored it.
He pondered the offer before shaking his head.
ôI need to extend his life.ö Takato said. ôBut itÆs a bit urgent. I donÆt think I have enough time to gather parts.ö
Though, he didnÆt actually know if Guilmon would die from the wound he had. He wasnÆt a doctor, much less one that knew about Digimon. But if Piyomon had survived Growmon, he wouldnÆt be surprised if Guilmon survived Andromon.
Raremon looked sad.
Maybe he was disappointed he couldnÆt be of any help.
Or maybe he was sad that there wouldnÆt be anyone like him after all.
Takato wondered whether it got lonely in these tunnels.
A thought struck him.
Not a source of information, not a secret boss, not an enemy, and not a quest.
Then what was he?
A new character, perhaps?
Was he put here to save Guilmon? But that would require Lucemon to know that Guilmon would get struck downà
But then, this was a game. Lucemon could have made it so that Guilmon charged in and was struck down. Maybe that was what cut scenes looked like in this game?
But how would Raremon help Guilmon? TakatoÆs points were valid; he might not have time to get parts-
It tried to extend its life by mechanizing its bodyà
However, because it was given life by those machines, it will not dieà
Takato blinked at the thought, but then smiled.
ôRaremon, do you know if there are still any Guardromon down here?ö
XxXXxX
Hikari lifted herself out of the sewer, Tailmon scurrying out after her. She turned around to help pull Daisuke, who was having a bit of trouble climbing while carrying V-mon.
ôCome on!ö She said urgently.
Daisuke fell into a run beside her seamlessly, not hesitating to hurry even if he wasnÆt sure why he was doing so.
ôWhatÆs the rush? ThereÆs no way he can get out of a hole that small.ö
ôHe doesnÆt need to!ö
ôWhaà!?ö Daisuke was interrupted when the ground started shaking roughly.
He wanted to look back and see what was going on, but knew that would be stupid.
ThatÆs what those dumb teenagers in horror movies did and they always died.
Instead, he consulted logic, which said that the world hated him today, which implied that Andromon could rip his way to the surface.
ôAh.ö Daisuke swallowed. ôDamn; that guyÆs a monster.ö
ôHeÆs a Perfect level.ö Hikari said, as if in agreement.
Daisuke stared at her for a moment and nearly fell a step behind because of it.
ôA what?ö He asked, catching up.
This time it was Hikari looked at him.
ôHow do you not know this?ö She wondered.
Daisuke felt his face flush in embarrassment and her eyes quickly widened as a result.
ôAh, no; IÆm not insulting you. You had no way of knowing; my brother said he and the others didnÆt know either, for a long time. But one of them really should have explained things to you.ö She said. ôItÆs like this; Digimon can be divided into levels. BabyÆs, like Chibimon, ChildÆs, like V-mon, and AdultÆs, like Tailmon.ö
Daisuke nodded, knowing that already, when another explosion echoed behind them.
Hikari continued as if it hadnÆt happened.
ôBut above those levels, there are more. Above Adult, there are the PerfectÆs, like Andromon. And above PerfectÆs, there are Ultimates.ö
ôPerfects and Ultimates?ö Daisuke wondered, frowning. ôAndàhow strong is a Perfect?ö
ôIt varies.ö She said. ôAngewomon was very powerful, even for a Perfect, and HolyAngemon was stronger than Piemon!ö
Who, who, and who? Daisuke wanted to ask, but kept silent.
It was not Angewomon, HolyAngemon, or Piemon, whoever they might be, that was chasing him right now, nor were they the ones currently trying to kill him. As a result, he really didnÆt care who they were.
ôOn the other hand,ö Hikari continued. ôMimi claims that Palmon defeated Monzaemon the first time she evolved, but I wasnÆt there. Andromon, thoughàö
Hikari bit her lip.
ôThe difference between an Adult and Andromon is like the difference between a Child and an Adult.ö
Daisuke winced, having been afraid of that. HeÆd certainly been winning down there in the tunnels, even when it was three against one.
And Guilmon.
That brought Daisuke to another issue. TheyÆd run away shortly after, but heÆd have had to been blind not to see.
Guilmon had almost been killed.
ôHikari.ö He said. ôWe have to end this quickly. Guilmon isàhurt. And that means TakatoÆs defenseless. I donÆt even know where Miyako and Iori are now, butàö
He didnÆt get to finish this time, because the loudest explosion yet cut him off. A moment later, he heard the sound of someone running towards them, along with the echoes of steel footsteps.
ôAnd we canÆt beat Andromon!ö Daisuke finished, suddenly finding the strength to run like his life depended on it.
It was probably caused by the fact that it was.
Hikari struggled to keep up, but she was frowning.
ôThatÆs weirdàö
ôWhat?ö Daisuke asked, even though he was already dreading the answer. By now, he was trained to expect bad news.
He received it.
ôàIÆm just surprised it took Andromon that long to reach the surface. I would have expected him to blow his way out with one attack.ö She admitted.
And then they heard it. As if in response to her words, a sound that had been like background noise before began to get louder.
Maybe it was because they were so used to the sound by now.
Maybe it was because theyÆd been distracted by Andromon.
Either way, theyÆd made a mistake.
Hikari and Daisuke slide to a stop as they came into sight.
The army of Guardromon continued its approach.
XxXXxX
Miyako climbed out of the sewer after Hawkmon and immediately reached for her Digivice. A flash of light later and she was riding Holsmon again.
ôWe have to find the others.ö She said immediately.
Holsmon nodded wordlessly and took to the air.
Miyako looked at her Digivice, already searching for her friendÆs locations.
Iori would have to wait, she decided immediately, even if the Digivice said he was nearby. Knowing him, he was probably still with Digmon, underground. Miyako wanted to follow after the youngest Chosen, but knew he was taking paths she couldnÆt follow. He was moving away from her, anyway, and since his Digivice had no doubt told him that she was here, he probably had something else in mind.
She found Takeru next, first with her Digivice and, moments later, with her eyes. He was being chased by a few Guardromon.
ôHolsmon?ö She asked.
ôRed Sun!ö The flashes of red light freed a trio of Digimon, allowing Pegasmon to get enough space between him and his attackers to properly attack.
ôShooting Star!ö
PegasmonÆs attack cleared away the remaining Guardromon and a moment later the Armor Digimon was swooping through the air and pulling up next to her.
ôThanks,ö Takeru said.
Miyako nodded to show sheÆd heard, but even though she knew it would come off as rude, her attention was focused on her Digivice.
Takeru noticed and frowned at her.
ôWhatÆs wrong?ö He asked.
ôThings went wrong in the sewers.ö She said. ôWe met a really powerful Digimon and we got separated.ö
ôThen Takato and Hikariùö Takeru began, eyes widening.
Miyako cut him off before he could continue.
ôDaisuke is with Hikari.ö She said pointing a distance away. ôThey might be below ground, or maybe they found a way up like I did; I donÆt know. But both of them are on the move, which means theyÆre still alive at least. ThatÆs the good news.ö
Takeru frowned at her, before taking out his own Digivice.
It didnÆt take him long to understand.
ôTakatoàö He said, seeing the unmoving signal.
ôHe could just be trapped,ö Miyako began. ôOr in a safe place. Or he could be injured and unable to move. I donÆt know, butàwe should probably find him soon. Unfortunately, like I said, we got split up in the battle and Iori hasnÆt surfaced yet. Without him, the only way for us to get to Takato is to use the actual tunnels, whichàö
ôWe donÆt know how to navigate.ö Takeru finished, exhaling slowly. ôWhat is Iori doing?ö
Miyako blinked, but not at his question.
ôIs thatà?ö
A new signal had come onto the screen of her Digivice.
ôOne of the othersà?ö She wondered.
TakeruÆs expression brightened in understanding.
ôItÆs gotta be Taichi.ö He said. ôHe told Daisuke that he was going to contact the others and then get Agumon. He had to reorganize the frontlines so that GreymonÆs absence wouldnÆt open up a weak point, but if he finished that then heÆd come here as quickly as possible.ö
Miyako frowned.
ôBut Agumon canÆt evolve with the Dark Tower still here.ö Miyako said. ôWith the city flooded with Guardromon, heÆd be in a lot of danger.ö
ôHeÆd come anyway.ö Takeru assured her. ôFor Hikari, heÆd come even without Agumon.ö
ôThenàö Miyako thought. ôIori must have realized that and headed for him. Since Agumon canÆt evolve, heÆd need someone to get them here safely.ö
She didnÆt suggest making him turn back, knowing it would be pointless.
Takeru nodded.
ôIn that case, our best bet is to find Hikari and Daisuke and see if we can back track our way to them.ö Takeru said. ôOr else, wait for Iori to return with Taichi. Either way, we should find Hikari and Daisuke and ask them about Takato. Do you know which Digimon you fought?ö
Miyako shook her head.
ôI didnÆt recognize him.ö
ôDescribe him.ö Takeru pressed.
ôHe was, umàa robot, sort of. He was incomplete. Most of his body was covered in metal and he had a skull shaped mask thing, but you could see parts of his face and one arm and leg. They lookedàwell, not human, butàlike flesh?ö She paused, thoughtful. ôWhich would make him, uhàa cyborg? That was the one that was part flesh and part machine, right?ö
She frowned.
ôOr was that an Android?ö
Takeru was barely listening anymore.
ôMiyako!ö He nearly shouted. ôDid you see him attack?ö
Miyako blinked, but answered quickly at the urgency in his voice.
ôYeah; one attack opened his chest and the other made one of his hands spin.ö She closed her eyes and tried to remember the names; sheÆd been a bit busy both times. ôThey were calledàö
ôSpiral Sword and Gatling Missile?ö Takeru offered, a bit afraid of the answer.
MiyakoÆs eyes snapped opened.
ôYeah! ThatÆs it exactly, but how did youùö
ôDamn it!ö Takeru cursed. ôMiyako, follow me! Pegasmon, letÆs go!ö
XxXXxX
Takato didnÆt feel safe leaving Guilmon alone and he couldnÆt very well move him.
That left him in a bit of a bind, however.
To heal Guilmon, Takato needed some Guardromon, of which there were none here. That meant he had to go find some, but he couldnÆt leave Guilmon by himself in the state he was in. And without Guilmon, he was a normal human; what would he do, even if he found some Guardromon?
He was forced to put his faith in Raremon.
The Adult Digimon had left some minutes ago and had yet to return, so Takato was left with his thoughts.
HeÆd worried about Guilmon briefly, but heÆd stopped shortly after he began. Either Raremon would return with æfoodÆ for Guilmon or he wouldnÆt; either way, there was nothing he could do about it.
So instead, heÆd turned his thoughts to Raremon.
ôWhat to do with you?ö He murmured.
He could obey ordersàapparently. HeÆd have to see if he came back. But, wellà
He wasnÆt what Takato had expected.
But, Takato thought to himself, what had he expected?
It would have been nice if, say, Omegamon had decided to serve him, but that wasnÆt going to happen and Takato knew it. None of the extremely powerful Digimon were likely to serve him, because of game balance. HeÆd never even thought of them doing so, outside of fantasies.
But he had been expecting someoneàcool, maybe? Cool likeàhe didnÆt know, butàlike one of the ChosenÆs partnerÆs. Someone who, while not the strongest, could become extremely powerful.
But had that been likely, either?
Takato frowned to himself.
It would have been cool, but they were all taken. Moreover, wouldnÆt it mess up the game if he had servants that could become Omegamon or something?
Yes, Takato thought, maybe thatÆs it.
This gameàhe was the main character, right? Thenàthe game had to be focused on him. He couldnÆt be a side character in his own story.
Thenà
None of his Servants could eclipse him, maybe? He couldnÆt have someone so amazing or cool that he was shuffled to the sidelines.
Isàthat what Lucemon was thinking?
He scratched the back of his head before balling it into a fist and resting his check on it.
He thought for a moment and then he sighed.
Then again, if it was that guy, it was just as likely that he didnÆt want him to have anyone æcoolÆ on his side. If he wanted useful Servants, heÆd probably have to train them to level 20.
A beep from his Digivice alerted him to someoneÆs approach, making him lift his head.
Raremonàoozed outside the collapsed tunnel. He was to big to fit inside, Takato thought, but then shook his head. HeÆd gotten in before, hadnÆt he?
Raremon moved forward, squirming in its semisolid way and forcing his way through the doorway, even though it was so small.
It looked disgusting, but Takato smiled at the sight.
Raremon dragged two deactivated Guardromon in after him.
Now was the moment of truth, Takato thought, standing.
ôRaremon,ö He greeted. ôI see you brought some Guardromon with. Good job.ö
He was stating the obvious, but he praised the creature anyway. Raremon smiled his jagged-toothed grin in response.
Takato took a breath and spoke.
ôDelete them.ö He said.
HeÆd thought about it while Raremon was gone; he needed someone to delete the Guardromon so Guilmon could eat them. Naturally, that someone had to be Raremon, but would he do it?
HeÆd thought of ways to make it not seem so bad; stuff like æI need to do it to save my partnerÆ and æthink of it as gathering parts.Æ
And while those things may have been true and Raremon would probably have understood them, in the end, it didnÆt change the core of the issue.
The Guardromon needed to die and Raremon needed to kill them.
If this didnÆt happen, if Raremon wasnÆt willing to kill them, to kill for him, than nothing else mattered.
Raremon blinked at him once. Twice.
And then he turned to the Guardromon and vomited out a batch of acid.
Takato smiled.
ôGuilmon.ö He said, waking his partner, whoÆd dozed off to conserve energy. ôLoad them.ö
XxXXxX
Guilmon was back on his feet in minutes, though he didnÆt look very energetic.
Takato laid a hand on his partnerÆs head and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Guilmon leaned into his touch but didnÆt answer his silent question so Takato let it go.
It probably just took a lot of energy to heal that gaping chest wound.
It had been interesting to watch, honestly, if just in a morbidly curious way. The data had gathered around the wound and slowly mended it, stitching it back together before his eyes. It hadnÆt even left a scar behind.
But then, Takato had never seen a Digimon that was scarred by combat, rather than as a result of their natural form, so maybe he shouldnÆt have been surprised.
He patted his partner on the head lightly before striding towards Raremon.
ôThank you,ö He said without preamble. ôWithout your help, Guilmon would still be injured and heÆd be in a lot of danger.ö
Takato glanced over his shoulder and raised his eyebrow at his partner again.
Guilmon lifted a hand and waved weakly, but it seemed to be a result of exhaustion rather than hesitance.
ôThank you, Raremon.ö He said, putting as much enthusiasm as he could into it.
He seemed to be over his issues with RaremonÆs smell.
Takato smiled at his partner and nodded before turning back to Raremon.
ôHeÆs still a bit tired, but otherwise, heÆs good as new.ö He said brightly. ôWe owe you a lot.ö
Takato was about to continue but he hesitated. He closed his mouth, pursed his lips, and looked to the side, trying to find the right words.
He looked back to see that Raremon was tilting his head at him.
He decided to just roll with it.
ôRaremonàhow would you like to join us?ö He asked.
Raremon blinked, not sure what he meant.
ôI meanàdo you like living here?ö He gestured at the tunnel walls. ôIt seems to me like this must be a lonely place. Do you have any friends?ö
Raremon hesitated, but slowly pointed at him.
Takato gestured dismissively.
ôBesides me and Guilmon.ö
The Adult Digimon slowly shook his head.
Takato nodded, having guessed that, since he lived in a sewer and, apparently, smelt.
ôDo the Digimon up there,ö He nodded towards the ceiling of the tunnel. ôKnow about you? Do they treat you kindly?ö
Takato was willing to bet the answer was no, since Raremon hadnÆt had any issues killing those Guardromon.
Sure enough, he shook his head.
ôThenàcome with us.ö The Tamer said. ôLeave this place behind and work for me. We can continue to be friends andàö
Takato honestly wasnÆt sure what to say.
He didnÆt have to.
ôOkay.ö Raremon said suddenly, making Takato blink.
Then, he smiled.
ôOkay,ö He agreed. ôYou wonÆt regret it. In factàö
Takato lifted his Digivice and card.
ôIÆll show you how strong we are! Guilmon, youÆre tired right!? Then you can eat every Guardromon down here! We need to celebrate, soàweÆll destroy this entire city, today! Even if we have to wait until the others leaveàö
He slid the card through the reader.
ôLetÆs burn this city down! WeÆll show you, Raremonàthat you should be proud! YouÆve sided with the future King of this World! Evolution, Activate!ö
ôGuilmon, shinka!ö
XxXXxX
The explosion rocked the tunnels, nearly making Hikari trip. Takato managed to catch her, but he was equally startled.
ôWhat the hellà?ö He wondered.
ôAn explosion.ö Tailmon stated the obvious.
ôYeah, butàthat wasnÆt a Guardromon,ö He stated with certainty. ôTheir attacks wouldnÆt do that much.ö
Hikari silently agreed with him.
ôI suppose it was too much to hope for that the only slaves in this city were the Guardromon, huh?ö She said.
ôAhem,ö Tailmon uttered, drawing their attention.
The moment she had it, she continued.
ôI think the two of you are missing the importance of this explosion. IfàwhoeverÆs over there is causing explosions, it means heÆs attacking, and if heÆs attacking, then the most likely explanation isàö
ôHeÆs found the others,ö Hikari finished. ôMeaning nowÆs not the time to talk. Right. LetÆs go.ö
XxXXxX
Fladramon flew through the air back towards his friends. He hit the ground and bounced, skipping over the uneven surface like a thrown stone over the water. He almost impacted with Daisuke, but he managed to retain enough presence of mind to dig his claws into the ground before they collided, protecting his partner.
A moment later, an orange light surrounded him before flying towards Daisuke, leaving V-mon behind.
ôV-mon!ö The leader of the new Chosen cried, kneeling beside his beaten partner.
V-mon coughed painfully before speaking.
ôD-damnàit.ö He said, gazing into the cloud of smoke that still lingered where Andromon had been. ôDaisukeàrun.ö
ôHuh?ö
The dust suddenly clearedùno, it was blown away! Andromon stood, his armor blackened and his skin burnt, but nonetheless undefeated.
But Daisuke didnÆt care about that, despite how important it was.
Something about him had already caught his attention.
AndromonÆs black right hand began to rotate and energy gathered around it.
Daisuke still didnÆt recognize Andromon, having never met him before. He didnÆt know what his attacks were.
But even so, he knew better than to stand by and let an unknown and powerful Digimon just attack after it finished beating on their partners.
ôGuys!ö He shouted.
ôRed Sun!ö
ôGold Rush!ö
But Andromon evaded both attacks by jumping as high as the tunnel allowed. He drew back his hand and Daisuke knew that he and, more importantly, his team, were in great danger.
ôDigmon, Holsmon, get them to safety!ö Daisuke cried, his thoughts turning immediately to his team.
Iori and Miyako opened their mouths in simultaneous protest, but something, maybe acknowledgement of DaisukeÆs authority, maybe just a desire to protect their partners, drove the two Digimon to obey the Leader. Digmon grabbed Iori and the two were below ground a moment later. Holsmon picked up Miyako and the two were flying away from Andromon in seconds.
The only ones left before the attacking Digimon were V-mon and Daisuke.
ôSpiral Sword!ö Andromon said, lashing out with his arm, unleashing a blade of energy.
Daisuke knew, with a certainty heÆd seldom felt, that if that attack hit him, heÆd die.
But he also knew that the same went for V-mon.
And Daisuke would not abandon his partner.
The boyÆs forward dive would have earned applause from his coach, had he been there to see it. He hugged V-mon tight to his chest a moment before turning his dive into a roll, just in time to let AndromonÆs attack go above them.
Daisuke had just enough time to feel relief before the blade curved unnaturally in midair.
For a moment, he feared that it curve back towards him for a finishing blow.
What happened instead was almost worse.
The blade curved up to collide with the ceiling of the tunnel, and the mighty attack was too much for it to withstand. Before the boyÆs wide eyes, the tunnel collapsed, locking off any hope of retreat.
He turned his head to look back at his enemy, who looked down at him with cold, dispassionate eyes.
Daisuke swallowed.
He was stuck between Andromon and a hard place.
XxXXxX
What happened couldnÆt be blamed on anyone.
It couldnÆt be blamed on Guilmon, for how could the young Digimon know? After all, ever since the day he had been born, never once had there been a fight that had made him think æI canÆt win.Æ He had never lived within the Digital World as a normal Digimon; he had no grasp of what others would think fundamental. He knew only the will of his Tamer, the ferocity of battle, the thrill of victory, and the rush of power that shortly followed it. Nothing else had ever been of import.
How was he supposed to know that Andromon was a Perfect? How was he to understand what that meant? How was he supposed to know that there was always a bigger fish in the sea when there never had been before?
It was not his fault that when he saw the massive Digimon looming over V-mon hisàally? Friend? He knew not what the word to describe the two of them, since he was, to a limited degree, aware of the plans his Tamer and Father had hatched.
But for the moment, he knew they worked together.
When he saw Daisuke in danger and V-mon defeated, he rushed in.
It was not his fault any more than it was TakatoÆs.
How was the Tamer supposed to know he was running towards a Perfect?
How was it his fault that his partner didnÆt know that and rushed into the fray?
How could he be blamed for, in that important, decisive moment, freezing at the sight of an enemy that he knew was strong, unsure of what to do?
He stopped only for a second; in any other time, it would have been a wise choice, to stop and think before rushing in.
In this case, it was the difference between stopping his partner and letting him go.
But it was not his fault any more than it was HikariÆs or TailmonÆs.
How could either of them not have frozen at the sight? At the knowledge that it was Andromon who they would have to fight? How could they not freeze at the knowledge that they would have to fight a Perfect level and one who was their friend?
How could they be blamed for, in that moment of shock, forgetting that they were the only ones around who truly knew who Andromon was or about the power he held?
They too could not be blamed for their reactions.
But blameless or not, an event that could have been avoided still happened.
XxXXxX
AndromonÆs hand began to spin again and this time, Daisuke had nowhere to run.
He knew that.
Worse, Andromon knew it too.
He could see it in the PerfectÆs eyes; he no longer even thought of this as a battle.
This wasnÆt even an execution to him; Daisuke no longer even held enough relevance for such a thing.
Daisuke was nothing but a chore now; Andromon could have slipped his death in between taking out the trash and buying the groceries.
ôSpiral Sword,ö Andromon announced, sounding a bit bored.
ôRock Breaker!ö DaisukeÆs savior interjected, saving his life by coming out of nowhere and crashing a claw into AndromonÆs right hand.
On the bright side, the attacked missed Daisuke, leaving him with his life.
On the down side, he had to quickly scramble to keep it when the right side of the tunnel began collapsing.
ôAndromonàö Hikari said, standing a ways behind the Perfect Digimon. Her voice sounded strangely pained.
Takato stood next to her, but didnÆt say anything. Instead, his expression had shifted into something that looked a lot like terror as he gazed upon the battle Guilmon had started. The smaller Digimon was unleashing blow after blow at the Cyborg, butà
He was faring no better than the Armor Digimon had. Andromon either blocked or ignored each and every blow.
If anything, he just lookedàannoyed? He seemed annoyed at Guilmon, butàhe kept sneaking glances at Hikari.
Daisuke frowned, worried at that change.
TakatoÆs expression suddenly shifted from fear to incredulous disbelief.
ôDaisuke?ö He wondered. ôDid you come here alone!?ö
The goggled Chosen started but was quick to reply.
ôWha-? No! I just got separated from the others by this guy-ö
Takato cut him off.
ôIt doesnÆt matter! This isnÆt the time! You need to get the hell out of there!ö Takato cried. ôGuilmon, you too; that guy, heÆs-ö
It was too late.
Andromon had had enough of the pest standing between him and the girl.
With lightning speed, he struck out with his left hand, grabbing Guilmon by the throat. He lifted the suddenly choking Digimon into the air as if he weighed nothing.
And then his right hand began to spin again.
Three humanÆs widened their eyes at the sight, all of them knowing what it meant.
ôGuilmon! No!ö Takato shouted, as if his plea would change anything.
It didnÆt.
ôAndromon, wait!ö Hikari tried, her partner already running across the tunnel, hoping to get there in time.
She wouldnÆt.
ôV-mon!ö Daisuke screamed, as if, by some miracle, his partner would find the strength to do something to change things in time.
He couldnÆt.
ôSpiral Sword!ö Andromon attack, lashing out at his captured opponent.
And Guilmonà
Screamed.
XxXXxX
Takato could have given a number of explanations for what he did next.
He could have said that if Guilmon died, heÆd lose the game.
He could have said that, real or not, Guilmon was his creation.
He could have chalked it up to pride, annoyance, anger, or frustration.
He could have passed it off as a sudden reaction to a momentary, phantom pain, which was gone even faster than it came; so fast that he couldnÆt even tell if it had been real or not.
And maybe, just maybe, he really did think of Guilmon as his friend.
Maybe some of these reasons were true. Maybe some of them were not.
It didnÆt matter; regardless of his reasons, his actions remained the same.
ôTakato!ö Hikari yelled out.
In what, he did not know. Warning? Fear? Surprise?
But that, too, didnÆt matter.
The Tamer ran towards his partner, one hand reaching into his pocket for his Digivice and the other going for his Evolution card. He didnÆt even have to look for it; he didnÆt carry around any of his other cards.
After all, if something happened, having all of those would be suspicious.
But he always carried the Evolution card, for one simple reason; if something ever happened, something like this, he would be able to evolve his partner.
He kept some things in mind at all times, however; that evolving Growmon could easily blow his cover. That having a supposed æPerfectÆ level would draw suspicion and might ruin his plans. That using Evolution was a last resort.
But at that moment, he didnÆt care. He stood right in front of Andromon, planting his feet between the Digimon and his partner. He glared up at him with anger burning in his red eyes.
The only reason he hadnÆt evolved yet was because he was worried about the effects it might have on his partner.
He cast a quick glance at Guilmon, but returned his gaze to his enemy almost immediately, not so much because was worried about his opponentùthough he certainly wasùbut rather because he couldnÆt bear to look at his partner.
Guilmon was strong.
For a Child Digimon, he was monstrously powerful.
He had disguised his partners strength by calling him an Adultùpretending to everyone that he was an entire level higher than he actually wasùand if anyone had noticed something that gave them cause to not believe that, they hadnÆt shown it.
But even so, there was a difference between a very strong Child like Guilmon and a Perfect like Andromon.
AndromonÆs Spiral Sword had nearly cut Guilmon in half.
It was weird to look at; Guilmon had nothing like organs or blood. As such, it was hard to describe his wound; it was a parting of flesh, but not the flesh of a human or anything organic. There were no entrails revealed by the wound that stretched from his left shoulder to the right of his waist. The closest similarity it had to a normal injury was the fact that there was something coming out of both wounds, but GuilmonÆs data could never be mistaken for blood.
It shouldnÆt have been as bad as looking at a human with the same wound.
And maybe it wasnÆt; Takato wouldnÆt know.
But he knew that watching those particles of data slowly trying to rip themselves from GuilmonÆs body hurt more than anything else he could remember.
His grip tightened around his Digivice and he wanted so badly to slash the card that would end AndromonÆs life.
But he knew he shouldnÆt.
In GuilmonÆs condition, he had no guarantee that becoming Growmon wouldnÆt end GuilmonÆs life as well. And even if it didnÆt, how could he know whether or not heÆd be able to fight Andromon?
In his state, Andromon mightà
He glanced around quickly.
Was there any way to avoid this fight?
V-mon was no help; he was obviously pretty beaten. Tailmon was still in okay condition, but Takato dismissed her almost immediately. If Guilmon couldnÆt do it, then what hope did she have?
Unless she could use her small size and speed to-
No, that was too risky.
Takato had already seen it, hadnÆt he?
The power of AndromonÆs attacksà
If he couldnÆt hit Tailmonùif he attacked and missedùthenà
Would this tunnel survive?
More importantly, would he and Guilmon survive?
The Digimon were of no use here and he didnÆt even know where the other Chosen were. And itÆs not like their partners would be of any help-
Wait.
Takato looked back at Andromon, who wasnÆt even looking at him.
He had eyes only for the others.
Whyà?
Something clicked.
His eyes darted from Andromon to Hikari.
Could he beà? Could he remember Hikari, even through the Ring? Howà?
It didnÆt matter, Takato thought, cutting off that train of thought.
The æhowÆ of it didnÆt matter, at least not to him.
What mattered was one thing and one thing only.
Andromon was more interested in Hikari than he was in Guilmon or Takato himself. Whether it was because Hikari was the only one left with a partner capable of fighting or if he really did remember something didnÆt matter.
Only one thing did.
If Hikari ran, would Andromon chase her?
XxXXxX
ôHikari!ö Takato suddenly shouted at her. ôHeÆs after you! Get out of here!ö
Hikari confirmed with a glance that what he was saying was true; both of AndromonÆs red eyes were focused on her.
Beside her, Tailmon tensed. It was only the knowledge that if a fight started, sheÆd probably lose that allowed her to swallow the hiss the tried to force its way from her throat.
Hikari became suddenly, frighteningly aware that she was far below ground and that Tailmon was now the only one still able to fight.
But, at the same timeà
Tailmon was the only one able to fight.
ôB-but, Takatoà! Guilmon isà!ö Hikari tried to put it into words.
That she wouldnÆt leave her friends behind while they fought to keep her safe for just a little longer, even though they knew theyÆd lose, like everyone had against Piemon.
That she wouldnÆt stand by, helpless, while someone died like Wizarmon had.
She wanted to. She tried too. But the sight of Guilmon there on the ground stole the words from her.
But even so, Takato still understood.
ôHikari, this is not the time! HeÆs after you! If he catches you, itÆll probably be bad for you. If he stays here, itÆll probably be bad for the rest of us! So, no offense, but I think everyone involved would be better off if you ran like your life depends on it!ö
HikariÆs resolve wavered; at his words and at the fact that Andromon had begun to slowly approach as a result of them.
ôI-Iàö She stuttered, unsure.
ôDaisuke!ö Takato suddenly shouted.
The leader of the new Chosen didnÆt need an explanation to understand. He grabbed HikariÆs hand and pulled her into a run.
Andromon followed.
Neither group noticed the look Takato sent at AndromonÆs back.
XxXXxX
Takato glared as if he could push all his anger out at Andromon. If he could, he would have smote him on the spot.
Sadly, he couldnÆt do that.
Anger gave way to helplessness as he looked down at his partner.
He put a hand on his partnerÆs chest.
ôGuilmonàö
When had he become this attached to something that wasnÆt real. Did he really spend that much time playing this game?
Takato took his Digivice from his pocket and looked at silently. He ran his thumb across its side absently, before taking out his Evolution card as well.
Just in case, he told himself, knowing that, even if Andromon was gone, he couldnÆt claim to be safe as long as he was still in this city.
He frowned at that thought, lifting his Digivice and bringing up the radar function.
Lips pulled away from teeth as he turned around, lifting his Card. He didnÆt want to force Guilmon to evolve, but if an enemy Digimon showed upà
Well, he might not have a choice.
ôCome out; I know youÆre there.ö Takato said flatly. He didnÆt waste his time with brags or threats; it was clear for all to see that his partner was down. Nobody would have any idea what the card in his hand meant and he still wasnÆt sure what slashing it would do to his partner.
All that he had was the protectiveness of a friend and parent, but he didnÆt even have the power to make it meaningful.
Even now, he had to rely on Guilmon.
He was angry; at Andromon, at the situation, at himself. Angry and ready for a fight he wasnÆt even sure he could win.
So he was surprised when Raremon peaked around the corner, blinking awkwardly positioned eyes thoughtlessly.
Takato stared. The æstenchÆ he could not smell drew a reaction from Guilmon, causing him to groan and roll one eye open.
His Digivice activated.
Raremon, Adult Virus. An Undead Digimon whose muscles have all rotted away. It tried to extend its life by mechanizing its body, but it destabilized it in the process, and the data composing it began to break down. However, because it was given life by those machines, it will not die, and so it survives with a grotesque appearance. Because its body has broken down, its offensive power and mental capacity are nonexistent, and it acts on instinct. It gives off a foul stench from its entire body, so that Digimon up to the Child-level will simply run away, and will not be its opponent until they reach the Adult-level.
Takato read the data, but otherwise didnÆt move. He wasnÆt sure what to make of the data, but he kept his card in hand just in case.
Raremon didnÆt do anything; it simply continued to stare at him like he was something strange.
A minute passed.
Two.
More.
Nothing happened.
Frowning, Takato forced himself to relax.
Raremon didnÆt have an Evil Ring and it hadnÆt acted with hostility yet.
ôDo you need something Raremon?ö He asked.
Raremon began moving closer and Takato tensed again. The Digimon stopped and didnÆt continue until Takato relaxed again. This time Takato forced himself to stay relaxed, even while pondering whether or not this was a trap.
If so, it wasnÆt a very good one. Stand still until the target was relaxed and then step forward and repeat?
But them, if the data was accurateà
And it was working, Takato told himself, if it was a trap. He slowly moved the card towards his Digivice, but didnÆt slash it just yet.
Trap or not, he was curious as to what this Digimon intended to do.
Why was he even here in the first place? Had he followed them here? Why?
He was a character Lucemon had put into this game, so he must have a purpose to being here. If he was an enemy, which he didnÆt seem to be as of yet, it might make sense for him to follow them here to attack them, but not in context. They were fighting the Kaiser and his army of slaves; why would the Digimon suddenly attack them?
But if not as an enemy, why was he here?
Because its body has broken down, its offensive power and mental capacity are nonexistent, and it acts on instinct.
ThatÆs what it had said. What purpose could something like that serve? He couldnÆt be a source of information, he probably wasnÆt a secret boss, being an enemy wouldnÆt make sense, and he probably wasnÆt here to give him a quest.
So why?
Raremon finally loomed over Guilmon and Takato looked at him as the moment of truth arrived. If anything happened, he would slash his card, even if Guilmon was injured.
But again, Raremon did nothing. He simply looked down at the wounded Child and stared.
Minutes passed again and Takato began to wonder if Raremon understood was he was seeing.
ôHeÆs injured,ö Takato said bluntly. ôHe was hurt badly in a fight.ö
Raremon looked at him.
ôAloneà?ö Raremon asked in a warped voice that seemed like it hadnÆt been used in a long time.
Takato blinked in surprise at the fact that Raremon could speak and it took him a moment to understand the question.
ôShe left,ö He said.
ôLeftàyouà?ö The Adult stated more than asked.
Well, it was pretty obvious she wasnÆt here.
Takato shrugged but didnÆt say anything.
Raremon looked back down at Guilmon before turning to Takato again. He smiled a very strange smile, full of uneven teeth.
ôLike me.ö He said, as if he was a Doctor stating their condition.
Takato didnÆt understand but he smiled anyway.
ôPerhaps,ö He said.
Raremon lifted a rotting, clawed hand and pointed at himself.
ôFix?ö He suggested.
Takato tilted his head to the side in confusion, so Raremon tapped a claw to one of the metal plates around his eyes.
ôFix?ö He repeated.
It tried to extend its life by mechanizing its bodyà
Ah.
Takato understood.
He smiled at Raremon.
ôI donÆt think thatÆs possible. I donÆt know much about machines.ö He told him.
Raremon pointed at himself again.
ôYou do?ö Takato asked, surprised.
Well, the Digivice did say he tried to fix himselfà
Raremon nodded. Something feel to the ground, sliding off his face, but Takato ignored it.
He pondered the offer before shaking his head.
ôI need to extend his life.ö Takato said. ôBut itÆs a bit urgent. I donÆt think I have enough time to gather parts.ö
Though, he didnÆt actually know if Guilmon would die from the wound he had. He wasnÆt a doctor, much less one that knew about Digimon. But if Piyomon had survived Growmon, he wouldnÆt be surprised if Guilmon survived Andromon.
Raremon looked sad.
Maybe he was disappointed he couldnÆt be of any help.
Or maybe he was sad that there wouldnÆt be anyone like him after all.
Takato wondered whether it got lonely in these tunnels.
A thought struck him.
Not a source of information, not a secret boss, not an enemy, and not a quest.
Then what was he?
A new character, perhaps?
Was he put here to save Guilmon? But that would require Lucemon to know that Guilmon would get struck downà
But then, this was a game. Lucemon could have made it so that Guilmon charged in and was struck down. Maybe that was what cut scenes looked like in this game?
But how would Raremon help Guilmon? TakatoÆs points were valid; he might not have time to get parts-
It tried to extend its life by mechanizing its bodyà
However, because it was given life by those machines, it will not dieà
Takato blinked at the thought, but then smiled.
ôRaremon, do you know if there are still any Guardromon down here?ö
XxXXxX
Hikari lifted herself out of the sewer, Tailmon scurrying out after her. She turned around to help pull Daisuke, who was having a bit of trouble climbing while carrying V-mon.
ôCome on!ö She said urgently.
Daisuke fell into a run beside her seamlessly, not hesitating to hurry even if he wasnÆt sure why he was doing so.
ôWhatÆs the rush? ThereÆs no way he can get out of a hole that small.ö
ôHe doesnÆt need to!ö
ôWhaà!?ö Daisuke was interrupted when the ground started shaking roughly.
He wanted to look back and see what was going on, but knew that would be stupid.
ThatÆs what those dumb teenagers in horror movies did and they always died.
Instead, he consulted logic, which said that the world hated him today, which implied that Andromon could rip his way to the surface.
ôAh.ö Daisuke swallowed. ôDamn; that guyÆs a monster.ö
ôHeÆs a Perfect level.ö Hikari said, as if in agreement.
Daisuke stared at her for a moment and nearly fell a step behind because of it.
ôA what?ö He asked, catching up.
This time it was Hikari looked at him.
ôHow do you not know this?ö She wondered.
Daisuke felt his face flush in embarrassment and her eyes quickly widened as a result.
ôAh, no; IÆm not insulting you. You had no way of knowing; my brother said he and the others didnÆt know either, for a long time. But one of them really should have explained things to you.ö She said. ôItÆs like this; Digimon can be divided into levels. BabyÆs, like Chibimon, ChildÆs, like V-mon, and AdultÆs, like Tailmon.ö
Daisuke nodded, knowing that already, when another explosion echoed behind them.
Hikari continued as if it hadnÆt happened.
ôBut above those levels, there are more. Above Adult, there are the PerfectÆs, like Andromon. And above PerfectÆs, there are Ultimates.ö
ôPerfects and Ultimates?ö Daisuke wondered, frowning. ôAndàhow strong is a Perfect?ö
ôIt varies.ö She said. ôAngewomon was very powerful, even for a Perfect, and HolyAngemon was stronger than Piemon!ö
Who, who, and who? Daisuke wanted to ask, but kept silent.
It was not Angewomon, HolyAngemon, or Piemon, whoever they might be, that was chasing him right now, nor were they the ones currently trying to kill him. As a result, he really didnÆt care who they were.
ôOn the other hand,ö Hikari continued. ôMimi claims that Palmon defeated Monzaemon the first time she evolved, but I wasnÆt there. Andromon, thoughàö
Hikari bit her lip.
ôThe difference between an Adult and Andromon is like the difference between a Child and an Adult.ö
Daisuke winced, having been afraid of that. HeÆd certainly been winning down there in the tunnels, even when it was three against one.
And Guilmon.
That brought Daisuke to another issue. TheyÆd run away shortly after, but heÆd have had to been blind not to see.
Guilmon had almost been killed.
ôHikari.ö He said. ôWe have to end this quickly. Guilmon isàhurt. And that means TakatoÆs defenseless. I donÆt even know where Miyako and Iori are now, butàö
He didnÆt get to finish this time, because the loudest explosion yet cut him off. A moment later, he heard the sound of someone running towards them, along with the echoes of steel footsteps.
ôAnd we canÆt beat Andromon!ö Daisuke finished, suddenly finding the strength to run like his life depended on it.
It was probably caused by the fact that it was.
Hikari struggled to keep up, but she was frowning.
ôThatÆs weirdàö
ôWhat?ö Daisuke asked, even though he was already dreading the answer. By now, he was trained to expect bad news.
He received it.
ôàIÆm just surprised it took Andromon that long to reach the surface. I would have expected him to blow his way out with one attack.ö She admitted.
And then they heard it. As if in response to her words, a sound that had been like background noise before began to get louder.
Maybe it was because they were so used to the sound by now.
Maybe it was because theyÆd been distracted by Andromon.
Either way, theyÆd made a mistake.
Hikari and Daisuke slide to a stop as they came into sight.
The army of Guardromon continued its approach.
XxXXxX
Miyako climbed out of the sewer after Hawkmon and immediately reached for her Digivice. A flash of light later and she was riding Holsmon again.
ôWe have to find the others.ö She said immediately.
Holsmon nodded wordlessly and took to the air.
Miyako looked at her Digivice, already searching for her friendÆs locations.
Iori would have to wait, she decided immediately, even if the Digivice said he was nearby. Knowing him, he was probably still with Digmon, underground. Miyako wanted to follow after the youngest Chosen, but knew he was taking paths she couldnÆt follow. He was moving away from her, anyway, and since his Digivice had no doubt told him that she was here, he probably had something else in mind.
She found Takeru next, first with her Digivice and, moments later, with her eyes. He was being chased by a few Guardromon.
ôHolsmon?ö She asked.
ôRed Sun!ö The flashes of red light freed a trio of Digimon, allowing Pegasmon to get enough space between him and his attackers to properly attack.
ôShooting Star!ö
PegasmonÆs attack cleared away the remaining Guardromon and a moment later the Armor Digimon was swooping through the air and pulling up next to her.
ôThanks,ö Takeru said.
Miyako nodded to show sheÆd heard, but even though she knew it would come off as rude, her attention was focused on her Digivice.
Takeru noticed and frowned at her.
ôWhatÆs wrong?ö He asked.
ôThings went wrong in the sewers.ö She said. ôWe met a really powerful Digimon and we got separated.ö
ôThen Takato and Hikariùö Takeru began, eyes widening.
Miyako cut him off before he could continue.
ôDaisuke is with Hikari.ö She said pointing a distance away. ôThey might be below ground, or maybe they found a way up like I did; I donÆt know. But both of them are on the move, which means theyÆre still alive at least. ThatÆs the good news.ö
Takeru frowned at her, before taking out his own Digivice.
It didnÆt take him long to understand.
ôTakatoàö He said, seeing the unmoving signal.
ôHe could just be trapped,ö Miyako began. ôOr in a safe place. Or he could be injured and unable to move. I donÆt know, butàwe should probably find him soon. Unfortunately, like I said, we got split up in the battle and Iori hasnÆt surfaced yet. Without him, the only way for us to get to Takato is to use the actual tunnels, whichàö
ôWe donÆt know how to navigate.ö Takeru finished, exhaling slowly. ôWhat is Iori doing?ö
Miyako blinked, but not at his question.
ôIs thatà?ö
A new signal had come onto the screen of her Digivice.
ôOne of the othersà?ö She wondered.
TakeruÆs expression brightened in understanding.
ôItÆs gotta be Taichi.ö He said. ôHe told Daisuke that he was going to contact the others and then get Agumon. He had to reorganize the frontlines so that GreymonÆs absence wouldnÆt open up a weak point, but if he finished that then heÆd come here as quickly as possible.ö
Miyako frowned.
ôBut Agumon canÆt evolve with the Dark Tower still here.ö Miyako said. ôWith the city flooded with Guardromon, heÆd be in a lot of danger.ö
ôHeÆd come anyway.ö Takeru assured her. ôFor Hikari, heÆd come even without Agumon.ö
ôThenàö Miyako thought. ôIori must have realized that and headed for him. Since Agumon canÆt evolve, heÆd need someone to get them here safely.ö
She didnÆt suggest making him turn back, knowing it would be pointless.
Takeru nodded.
ôIn that case, our best bet is to find Hikari and Daisuke and see if we can back track our way to them.ö Takeru said. ôOr else, wait for Iori to return with Taichi. Either way, we should find Hikari and Daisuke and ask them about Takato. Do you know which Digimon you fought?ö
Miyako shook her head.
ôI didnÆt recognize him.ö
ôDescribe him.ö Takeru pressed.
ôHe was, umàa robot, sort of. He was incomplete. Most of his body was covered in metal and he had a skull shaped mask thing, but you could see parts of his face and one arm and leg. They lookedàwell, not human, butàlike flesh?ö She paused, thoughtful. ôWhich would make him, uhàa cyborg? That was the one that was part flesh and part machine, right?ö
She frowned.
ôOr was that an Android?ö
Takeru was barely listening anymore.
ôMiyako!ö He nearly shouted. ôDid you see him attack?ö
Miyako blinked, but answered quickly at the urgency in his voice.
ôYeah; one attack opened his chest and the other made one of his hands spin.ö She closed her eyes and tried to remember the names; sheÆd been a bit busy both times. ôThey were calledàö
ôSpiral Sword and Gatling Missile?ö Takeru offered, a bit afraid of the answer.
MiyakoÆs eyes snapped opened.
ôYeah! ThatÆs it exactly, but how did youùö
ôDamn it!ö Takeru cursed. ôMiyako, follow me! Pegasmon, letÆs go!ö
XxXXxX
Takato didnÆt feel safe leaving Guilmon alone and he couldnÆt very well move him.
That left him in a bit of a bind, however.
To heal Guilmon, Takato needed some Guardromon, of which there were none here. That meant he had to go find some, but he couldnÆt leave Guilmon by himself in the state he was in. And without Guilmon, he was a normal human; what would he do, even if he found some Guardromon?
He was forced to put his faith in Raremon.
The Adult Digimon had left some minutes ago and had yet to return, so Takato was left with his thoughts.
HeÆd worried about Guilmon briefly, but heÆd stopped shortly after he began. Either Raremon would return with æfoodÆ for Guilmon or he wouldnÆt; either way, there was nothing he could do about it.
So instead, heÆd turned his thoughts to Raremon.
ôWhat to do with you?ö He murmured.
He could obey ordersàapparently. HeÆd have to see if he came back. But, wellà
He wasnÆt what Takato had expected.
But, Takato thought to himself, what had he expected?
It would have been nice if, say, Omegamon had decided to serve him, but that wasnÆt going to happen and Takato knew it. None of the extremely powerful Digimon were likely to serve him, because of game balance. HeÆd never even thought of them doing so, outside of fantasies.
But he had been expecting someoneàcool, maybe? Cool likeàhe didnÆt know, butàlike one of the ChosenÆs partnerÆs. Someone who, while not the strongest, could become extremely powerful.
But had that been likely, either?
Takato frowned to himself.
It would have been cool, but they were all taken. Moreover, wouldnÆt it mess up the game if he had servants that could become Omegamon or something?
Yes, Takato thought, maybe thatÆs it.
This gameàhe was the main character, right? Thenàthe game had to be focused on him. He couldnÆt be a side character in his own story.
Thenà
None of his Servants could eclipse him, maybe? He couldnÆt have someone so amazing or cool that he was shuffled to the sidelines.
Isàthat what Lucemon was thinking?
He scratched the back of his head before balling it into a fist and resting his check on it.
He thought for a moment and then he sighed.
Then again, if it was that guy, it was just as likely that he didnÆt want him to have anyone æcoolÆ on his side. If he wanted useful Servants, heÆd probably have to train them to level 20.
A beep from his Digivice alerted him to someoneÆs approach, making him lift his head.
Raremonàoozed outside the collapsed tunnel. He was to big to fit inside, Takato thought, but then shook his head. HeÆd gotten in before, hadnÆt he?
Raremon moved forward, squirming in its semisolid way and forcing his way through the doorway, even though it was so small.
It looked disgusting, but Takato smiled at the sight.
Raremon dragged two deactivated Guardromon in after him.
Now was the moment of truth, Takato thought, standing.
ôRaremon,ö He greeted. ôI see you brought some Guardromon with. Good job.ö
He was stating the obvious, but he praised the creature anyway. Raremon smiled his jagged-toothed grin in response.
Takato took a breath and spoke.
ôDelete them.ö He said.
HeÆd thought about it while Raremon was gone; he needed someone to delete the Guardromon so Guilmon could eat them. Naturally, that someone had to be Raremon, but would he do it?
HeÆd thought of ways to make it not seem so bad; stuff like æI need to do it to save my partnerÆ and æthink of it as gathering parts.Æ
And while those things may have been true and Raremon would probably have understood them, in the end, it didnÆt change the core of the issue.
The Guardromon needed to die and Raremon needed to kill them.
If this didnÆt happen, if Raremon wasnÆt willing to kill them, to kill for him, than nothing else mattered.
Raremon blinked at him once. Twice.
And then he turned to the Guardromon and vomited out a batch of acid.
Takato smiled.
ôGuilmon.ö He said, waking his partner, whoÆd dozed off to conserve energy. ôLoad them.ö
XxXXxX
Guilmon was back on his feet in minutes, though he didnÆt look very energetic.
Takato laid a hand on his partnerÆs head and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Guilmon leaned into his touch but didnÆt answer his silent question so Takato let it go.
It probably just took a lot of energy to heal that gaping chest wound.
It had been interesting to watch, honestly, if just in a morbidly curious way. The data had gathered around the wound and slowly mended it, stitching it back together before his eyes. It hadnÆt even left a scar behind.
But then, Takato had never seen a Digimon that was scarred by combat, rather than as a result of their natural form, so maybe he shouldnÆt have been surprised.
He patted his partner on the head lightly before striding towards Raremon.
ôThank you,ö He said without preamble. ôWithout your help, Guilmon would still be injured and heÆd be in a lot of danger.ö
Takato glanced over his shoulder and raised his eyebrow at his partner again.
Guilmon lifted a hand and waved weakly, but it seemed to be a result of exhaustion rather than hesitance.
ôThank you, Raremon.ö He said, putting as much enthusiasm as he could into it.
He seemed to be over his issues with RaremonÆs smell.
Takato smiled at his partner and nodded before turning back to Raremon.
ôHeÆs still a bit tired, but otherwise, heÆs good as new.ö He said brightly. ôWe owe you a lot.ö
Takato was about to continue but he hesitated. He closed his mouth, pursed his lips, and looked to the side, trying to find the right words.
He looked back to see that Raremon was tilting his head at him.
He decided to just roll with it.
ôRaremonàhow would you like to join us?ö He asked.
Raremon blinked, not sure what he meant.
ôI meanàdo you like living here?ö He gestured at the tunnel walls. ôIt seems to me like this must be a lonely place. Do you have any friends?ö
Raremon hesitated, but slowly pointed at him.
Takato gestured dismissively.
ôBesides me and Guilmon.ö
The Adult Digimon slowly shook his head.
Takato nodded, having guessed that, since he lived in a sewer and, apparently, smelt.
ôDo the Digimon up there,ö He nodded towards the ceiling of the tunnel. ôKnow about you? Do they treat you kindly?ö
Takato was willing to bet the answer was no, since Raremon hadnÆt had any issues killing those Guardromon.
Sure enough, he shook his head.
ôThenàcome with us.ö The Tamer said. ôLeave this place behind and work for me. We can continue to be friends andàö
Takato honestly wasnÆt sure what to say.
He didnÆt have to.
ôOkay.ö Raremon said suddenly, making Takato blink.
Then, he smiled.
ôOkay,ö He agreed. ôYou wonÆt regret it. In factàö
Takato lifted his Digivice and card.
ôIÆll show you how strong we are! Guilmon, youÆre tired right!? Then you can eat every Guardromon down here! We need to celebrate, soàweÆll destroy this entire city, today! Even if we have to wait until the others leaveàö
He slid the card through the reader.
ôLetÆs burn this city down! WeÆll show you, Raremonàthat you should be proud! YouÆve sided with the future King of this World! Evolution, Activate!ö
ôGuilmon, shinka!ö
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
Daisuke slide his eyes across the scene.
They were stuck between a rock and a hard place; Guardromon on one side, Andromon on the other.
Not good odds.
ôHikari.ö He said. ôYou and Tailmon make a break for the Guardromon. Tailmon should be able to make an opening, right? Rush straight through it and donÆt look back.ö
Hikari understood.
Daisuke was going to make a last stand to give her time to run.
ôNo.ö She rejected immediately.
ôV-mon and I will be fine.ö He assured her. ôYou donÆt have to worry about us. IsnÆt that rightàV-mon?ö
The Digimon in his arms began to stir and an eyelid rolled open tiredly.
V-mon smiled.
ôOf course. I was just resting my eyes for a little bit. IÆve got Andromon if youÆve got my back.ö
Daisuke gently tapped his knuckles against V-monÆs and looked at Hikari.
ôGo.ö
Hikari looked Daisuke in the eye.
It was plainly obvious that he was lying; V-mon was in no condition to evolve.
It was just as obvious that theyÆd fight Andromon anyway.
It was unlikely that Tailmon would be able to break through an entire army before Andromon defeated them, but there was a chance.
And they would fight for that chance.
They would probably die in the process, though.
So Hikari spoke and she said:
ôNo.ö
Daisuke sighed softly.
ôHikari, now really isnÆt the time to argue.ö
ôThen stop arguing.ö She hissed quietly. ôYou said that the others came with you right? That means there are three of us unaccounted for. And guess what? Takeru and Miyako could fly us out and Iori could dig us to safety, so you canÆt say thereÆs nothing they can do. We just need to hold on for awhile.ö
ôI was with you until the hold on for awhile part.ö Daisuke said, passing her his Digivice.
Hikari looked at it in confusion until she saw the screen.
She had to keep her spirits from dropping.
Takato was on the move, which was good, but he was moving slowly and away from them. Considering what had happened to Guilmon, it was probably for the best.
He wasnÆt the one that drew HikariÆs attention.
Iori was moving away from them, towards the edge of the city and though Miyako and Takeru were together and heading towards them, they were quite a distance away.
If a fight broke out, they might not be able to make it in time.
But Hikari wasnÆt willing to give up just yet.
ôAndromon.ö She said, striding forward.
ôHikari!ö Daisuke hissed immediately, reaching out to drag her back, but she ducked under his grasp.
ôAndromon, donÆt you remember me?ö She continued as if nothing had happened.
Daisuke cursed behind her but didnÆt try to pull her away again. Instead, he pressed close, ready to react if something went wrong, as he expected it would, but let her talk. He did not question her. He did not say it was impossible. He just stood close to her side like a worried friend.
She silently thanked him.
Andromon just stared back at the duo with blank eyes. He showed no sign of having been affected by the words.
But then, he hadnÆt attacked yet, either.
The same could not be said of the Guardromon.
ôWarning Laser!ö A group of Guardromon shouted in unison, breaking the silence.
They tried to catch the Chosen in the crossfire and kill them both.
It nearly worked.
Luckily, Daisuke had come to expect things like this.
ôGet down!ö Daisuke said, tackling his friend to the ground. An attack grazed his arm, drawing a hiss.
But he ignored the pain and focused on Hikari.
ôHikariàö He began, staring into the eyes of the girl beneath him. ôDo you really believe you can reach Andromon?ö
Hikari said nothing, eyes focused on her friendÆs wound.
But she gave a slight nod and that was enough.
ôIÆll buy you some time.ö He said seriously, pushing himself to his feet with his good arm. ôV-mon, can you evolve?ö
V-mon wasnÆt in the best condition. HeÆd taken a Perfect level blast straight to the face not too long ago, after all, and now he needed to fight an army of Guardromon?
Sounds like fun, he thought.
ôSure thing.ö He answered.
ôDaisuke, wait!ö Hikari immediately said, clamoring to her feet.
ôHikari.ö He said, stopping her. ôTrust me. I got this.ö
Hikari closed her mouth slowly and nodded, stepped towards Andromon.
ôReady?ö Daisuke asked.
ôBorn that way.ö V-mon confirmed.
ôDigimental Up!ö
A bright light emerged from a D-Terminal.
But it wasnÆt DaisukeÆs.
ôV-mon, Armor shinka!ö
The white light fell upon him.
The creature that emerged was not Fladramon.
ôGargomon!ö The new Digimon said, spreading its white wings.
XxXXxX
It made things simpler, Takato thought. Being alone, that is.
Just working alone was certainly easier than working with a team.
He didnÆt have to hide anything.
He didnÆt have to answer to anybody.
He could stroll through an area and just burn it down.
However, Takato was forced to admit that being easier doesnÆt make it better.
Andromon had proven that pretty thoroughly.
The original plan had been to side with the Chosen to weaken the Kaiser, on the premise that he could notùor, at least, that it would be very hard toùdo it alone.
But then heÆd basically steamrolled over everything and everyone that had been stupid enough to get in his way. The Kaiser had managed to run from him, but only by doing just that; running.
HeÆd gone along with the plan out of amusement more than anything else, he supposed. Because hanging out with the Chosen and beating the Kaiser even with a handicap had been fun.
But the introduction of a Perfect level opponent had changed all that.
He could no longer think to himself, æthe plan isnÆt necessary.Æ
If the Kaiser had Perfect level Digimon on his side, he was a massive threat. Growmon might be able to beat a Perfect in one-on-one combat, but if there were multiple Perfectsà
He needed help. This incident, if nothing else, had taught him that it was important to rely on others.
But as easy as it was to say, it was difficult for him to do that, because it was hard to rely on the Chosen. He was going to betray them, after all, and if they ever learnt of what heÆd doneùwhat he was going to doùtheyÆd hang him out to dry.
Or heÆd kill them.
One or the other.
Either way would end badly for him, though; it was hard to rely on them completely, but he still needed help.
But Raremon had opened up a doorway to many new possibilities.
The problem with the Chosen was that he could not trust them completely.
But the Chosen werenÆt the only options anymore.
If it was possible to recruit other Digimon, thenà
He could have followers that were loyal to him and who wouldnÆt abandon him, despite his actions.
Not only would that be convenient, but it would help greatly against his enemies.
His plan, if it worked, would leave the Chosen and the Kaiser weak, allowing him to crush them. But weakened or not, they both outnumbered him.
They might even outgun him, working together.
But he could change that now.
However, to do that, he needed to choose his allies wisely.
They needed to be loyal to him; that was important. They needed to be able to keep his secrets, too. And they needed to be useful.
In that respect, Raremon was good companion. Loyal, quiet, and obedient.
ôPlasma Blade!ö Growmon interrupted his thoughts, his electromagnetic blade sheering through a GuardromonÆs body like a knife through butter. The Digimon exploded into data a moment later.
Growmon loaded it, even as he sniffed the air for more foodùthat is, enemies.
Takato tilted his head to side and chuckled.
Who was he kidding? He meant food.
Takato smiled. HeÆd decided he really liked Guardromon; the deactivated oneÆs didnÆt response even when being cut down. It was like a free lunch.
A bit boring, but there would be plenty of excitement on the surface.
But that could wait until theyÆd cleared the tunnels.
He glanced over his shoulder at Raremon.
ôHaving fun?ö He asked. Raremon had chosen to stay by him while Growmon was playing. He couldnÆt load data, so rampaging through these tunnels held not benefit for him.
HeÆd have to talk to Lucemon about that.
Raremon just continued watching Growmon like he was some strange specimen he just couldnÆt understand.
Maybe it was his ability to load data, which Raremon had yet to comment on.
Maybe it was his uniqueness.
At his question, RaremonÆs eyes flicked towards Takato in a gesture of acknowledgementùthough of what, he wasnÆt sureùand then went back to observing.
Takato looked at him for a moment and shrugged, turning back to his partner as well.
It may have been playing for Growmon, but this was important. He needed to load every Digimon he could find, in preparation of what was to come.
This city was too dangerous.
It didnÆt matter who owned it; whether it was kept under the KaiserÆs control or freed by the Chosen, it was too dangerous.
This place was full of Adult Digimon and even had a Perfect in it. In the hands of the Kaiser, it was an enormous threat to the Chosenùand, more importantly, to himùas they were limited to forms that were equal to Adult level. The Guardromon outnumbered them and Andromon outgunned them.
Butà
It wasnÆt any better if it was in the ChosenÆs hands. If the Kaiser had Perfect level Digimon on his side and the Chosen kept freeing them, then it was almost inevitable that the Chosen would start getting Perfect level allies, and guys like that would quickly turn the war in the ChosenÆs favor, allowing them to crush the Kaiser much more quickly.
But after the Kaiser was gone, he was the next enemy. HeÆd have to fight the Chosen eventually, if they won.
HeÆd rather not do it when they had a hoard of Perfects on their side, though.
He had to do something about Andromon and, to a lesser extent, the Guardromon. He didnÆt see any conceivable way to keep them from joining the fight against the Kaiser after the Chosen freed them, either.
No ways that were practical, at least.
But he still needed to deal with them.
He had an answer to that problem though.
He hadnÆt been overdramatic when heÆd talked to Raremon earlier.
Andromon and this city would die today.
He just had to prepare for the fight.
He glanced at his Digivice.
ôThere are more down that way, Growmon.ö He said, nodding his head towards the tunnel in question.
You can have an appetizer before the main course, he thought, following his already moving partner.
Just donÆt spoil your appetite.
ThereÆs a lot more for you to eat.
XxXXxX
Hikari slowly opened her eyes. SheÆd shut them reflexively at the sudden explosion of light.
The first thing she saw was a Digimon sheÆd never seen before.
No, she thought, that wasnÆt right.
That was V-mon.
She didnÆt know how or why, butù
That was V-mon.
HeÆd Armor evolved, but not with DaisukeÆs Digimental of Courage.
HeÆd done it with her Digimental.
The one she couldnÆt use.
The Digimental of Light.
His body was thin, now, and white but for his blue claws and tail. Belts were wrapped tightly around him; they bound his forearms and upper arms tightly enough that his muscles strained against them with each movement. They bound his thighs, too, and his chest; for the latter, there were so many belts and they were pulled so tight, she worried for a moment if he could breathe. The belts around his neck did nothing to ease her worries. She wondered if he was blind, since other belts covered his eyes, but Angewomon and Angemon had their eyes covered as well. On his shoulders, he wore a pair of black protective pads, and behind him spread a pair of white angelic wings.
Daisuke stood behind his partner and looked at him in awe.
ôHolyàV-mon, this is awesome! How did youùô
Gargomon lashed out with one hand, straight at DaisukeÆs face.
The claws stopped inches away from his face.
Daisuke didnÆt even flinch. The only change was the joy and awe from the new evolution had fade from his face, along with his smile. He looked up at his partner with eyes that were now uncertain.
But he didnÆt step back, proving why he was the new Chosen of Courage.
ôV-mon?ö He questioned. He felt nothing but concern. Even if he was in a new form, he refused to fear his friend. ôWhatÆs wrong?ö
GargomonÆs arm trembled, as if he was trying to move it forward, but something was stopping him. Maybe it was the belts, serving their purpose. Or maybe, it was simply V-monÆs refusal to harm his partner.
Gargomon was a Demon Beast Digimon; to lash out was in his nature. To hurt and cause suffering; that is the nature of Gargomon.
But nature isnÆt everything.
The belts that bound him glowed softly, then, and calmed the DemonÆs mind.
ôNothing.ö Gargomon said, his mouth straining against the same belt that blinded him each time he opened his mouth.
He paused.
ôSorry.ö He added, embarrassed and ashamed of the momentary lose of control. ôYou should get backàI donÆt know how long I canàö
Daisuke looked him silently and nodded slowly.
ôIÆll be right over there if you need me.ö He said, turning his back to his partner.
It was a gesture of trust. Daisuke wasnÆt sure what was happening to his partner or why he nearly lost control.
But it didnÆt matter.
GargomonÆs claws had lashed out towards his face.
But they didnÆt touch him.
It didnÆt matter that he nearly lost control.
All that mattered was that he didnÆt.
Gargomon watched him go in forced, careful restraint.
His attention turned to the Guardromon. They were standing in still silence, just like Andromon. He was a new variable and they werenÆt sure how to respond. The Kaiser, if he was watching, was probably feeling the same way.
He wasnÆt sure how to react to that; that so many people had seen him almost murderùfor had he not stopped, that blow would have killed Daisukeùhis partner.
The thought was sickening, butàit made some dark feeling rise up within him. It urged him to act; toàlash out and kill and burn down what stood in his way. It said he could drown that feeling, given enough blood.
It was disgusting, that voice.
And it was powerful.
He wasnÆt sure he could keep it contained.
He wasnÆt even sure he wanted to keep it contained.
All he had to do wasù
The belts glowed again, but this time, it was a harsher light; like a metal pole taken out of a fire.
He whimpered.
He needed to stop. This formàit was hurting him. It feltàwrong.
Was this because he was using a Digimental that wasnÆt DaisukeÆs?
He needed to end this. Quickly.
He spread his white wings. The Guardromon took it as a signal to attack, as if the gesture reassured them that he was their enemy.
ôDestruction Grenade!ö They said in mechanical synchronization.
A small swarm of missiles flew towards him.
He snorted out a breath.
ôWhite Statue!ö Was his reply and he froze the small missiles in midair with a flap of his wings.
They seemed to hang in the air for a moment, as if Gravity had forgotten about them. But then they fell, shattering into data on contact with the ground.
The Guardromon seemed to stare for a moment. The chest plates of the front row had been iced over by the attack.
He pulled his lips away from his teeth as best he could without moving his mouth; a smirk.
ôBlack Statue!ö
He felt it. The blood lust of a Demon and a Virus.
He felt it, but he could not give into it.
WouldnÆt give into it.
HeÆd waited so long for Daisuke; he wouldnÆt allow himself to become a monster now.
But he would still crush anyone who got in his way!
XxXXxX
ôHikari!ö Daisuke shouted suddenly, pointing at Andromon.
For a moment, the more experienced Chosen feared an attack, but Andromon hadnÆt moved a muscle, yet.
Is that a good sign? She wondered.
She didnÆt know.
But it didnÆt matter.
She approached Andromon anyway.
ôAndromon,ö She began. ôDonÆt you remember me?ö
The Perfect Digimon followed her with his eyes, but seemed content to listen.
ôDid you forget? You fought beside usàagainst Mugendramon and Piemon. WeÆre friends, Andromon.ö
For a moment, her actions drew no response.
But then Andromon took a step towards.
Daisuke was by her side again in an instant and she knew he would drag her back, away from the fight.
ôNo,ö She says.
Daisuke pauses.
He swallows.
ôHikariàö
ôLet me try.ö She said, before he could protest.
Daisuke took a deep breath and looked down. He met TailmonÆs eye and she nodded, though not without uncertainty.
Daisuke stepped back.
Andromon took another step towards her, and then another.
He drew closer and closer until he loomed over Hikari.
The girl stared up at him with unflinching eyes.
Beside her, Daisuke trembled with a desire to grab his friend and run away. At her feet, Tailmon trembled with a desire to attack.
But Hikari and Andromon paid no attention to either.
Their gazes locked and neither backed down.
Andromon suddenly grabbed her, taking a hand in each arm, and lifted her up into the air.
Both of her companions reacted quickly, but they accomplished little.
Daisuke, heedless of the fact that he was faced with a Perfect level Digimon, grabbed AndromonÆs left arm, but he was just lifted from the earth along with his friend.
Tailmon attacked.
ôNeko Punch!ö She cried, slamming a paw into her opponents chest.
She bounced off AndromonÆs metal armor.
If the larger Digimon noticed the attack at all, he didnÆt show it.
He held the girl and boy aloft and showed no sign of putting them back down.
Butà
He took no further actions to hurt them, either.
ôAndromonàö Hikari said, now looking down at her old friend.
Honestly, she was a bit sad. The fact that the Kaiser had put her and Andromon in this situation made her sadàand upset too. She was definitely upset with the Kaiser.
But, for now, the Kaiser wasnÆt important. It didnÆt matter that he had been the one to cause this situation.
In the end, Andromon wore an Evil Ring.
And she had to help her friend.
It was as simple as that.
Andromon was silent, however, and that silence was beginning to hurt. So far, there had been no response from the machine Digimon.
ôAndromonàdonÆt you remember me?ö She asked. ôDo you not remember any of us? Weàtook a picture together, didnÆt we? After everything was over?ö
Hikari didnÆt to admit it, but at this point, she was dangerously close to crying.
As if seeing that, Andromon finally responded.
And his response shocked Daisuke and Tailmon, but to Hikari, it was like an answer to a prayer.
ôHikari?ö He asked, slowly and unsurely.
XxXXxX
A black statue of Angemon had emerged from the ground before Gargomon; the æBlack Statue.Æ
And for a brief moment, the Guardromon werenÆt sure what to make of that.
Then the statue became animate and started beating the crap out of them.
The statue spread its wings suddenly, black æfleshÆ flexing as if it were organic, and took to the air, moving as if it was alive. And not made out of some black stone-like substance.
It extended its fist, unleashing a blast of dark energy as it opened its mouth as if to shout, though no sound came from itùit was, after all, a statue. The unholy version of AngemonÆs attack slammed into a GuardromonÆs chest and flung him roughly back, shattering the ring that bound his will and denting his chest besides.
That act snapped the Guardromon out of the confusion that had held them back.
The statue was an enemy.
That was all they needed to know.
ôDestruction Grenade!ö The remaining Guardromon cried as one, paying no attention to their fallen æcomrade.Æ
æAngemonÆ gave a mighty flap of his wings, lifting himself high above the missiles, avoiding them easily.
His creator could have done the same, butà
Gargomon could not afford to move.
Not with Daisuke and Hikari somewhere behind him.
ôWhite Statue!ö He cried again, freezing the missiles with another gust from his wings.
ItÆs said that Gargoyle statues were used to ward away evil in the past.
In the same way, Gargomon would not allow any harm to come to those he would protect.
HeÆd protect them; this was his line.
It went without saying that he could not hold his own forever against this army, but this was his line.
He refused to fail his partner; not after waiting for him so long.
But, in order to do that, he had to stay where he was, lest something slip by him.
ôNeko Punch!ö Tailmon said behind him.
He glanced quickly over his shoulderùa peak was all he could afford, since he didnÆt dare take his attention completely off his opponents.
It wasnÆt until heÆd looked back at the Guardromon that he finished processing the image.
ôWhite Statue!ö
He froze the chests of the first wave, but didnÆt stop there. A mental command moved the Black Statue into action, making it rain down dark blasts of energy, distracting the Guardromon. He used his White Statue again; and again after that, freezing the entire front row solid, creating a still living blockade.
Then, sure that turning around wouldnÆt just make things worse, he checked behind him again.
That feeling rose up in him again when he saw how close to Daisuke Andromon was and the memory of what happened to Guilmon didnÆt help.
He wanted to tear the Cyborg apart, but something stopped him.
Andromon was so close; if he attacked, the Perfect level could hurt Daisuke before he got close enough to even try to stop him.
A memory of how close claws came to DaisukeÆs face forcibly reminded Gargomon that in the state he was in he could hurt Daisuke.
And even if he could keep Daisuke safe, it would only be momentarily.
Andromon had proven it already, hadnÆt he?
The simple difference in power between the two of them.
Butà
Even though all of that was trueà
It went without saying that he had to do something to protect his friends.
A thought stuck him and an idea began to grow in his mind.
For the moment, Andromon wasnÆt doing anything.
He didnÆt know how long that would last and he couldnÆt rely on things to remain that way, but for the moment, Andromon was not attacking.
He glanced back at the Guardromon and wondered how many there were.
æA lotÆ was the only answer he could come up with.
But how many Guardromon were there in the city itself?
TheyÆd freed a lot when theyÆd first come here.
TheyÆd freed a few more in the sewers.
TheyÆd gathered an army here.
How many more were there?
It was not fear that brought these questions to GargomonÆs mind, but the workings of a plan.
He doubted that all the Guardromon in the city had gathered here. There were probably others defending the tower. And, if the Kaiser knew they were here, there were probably some hounding the others.
But, taking into account how spread out they were and the losses theyÆd sufferedà
There couldnÆt be that many at the Tower.
Butà
He looked at Daisuke.
He couldnÆt leave him. Something could happen while he was gone and he could get hurt.
He had to stay.
But that was okay.
There was someone else he could send.
He glanced at the sky at his Black Statue. It didnÆt nod in return, but it didnÆt need to, either.
It could destroy the tower just as well as he could.
He had the means. Now he just needed an opportunity. If he sent it right now, surely someone would notice. And if they didùif they realized what he was trying to doùtheyÆd give chase and make things much more complicated.
He needed to sneak the statue away without anyone noticing.
But how. All the GuardromonÆs eyes were on him. How was he supposed to be subtle like this?
The Answer to his question came from the Heavens in a rain of stars and red light.
ôShooting Star!ö
ôRed Sun!ö
The attacks fell upon the Guardromon, bring chaos to their ranks, as the two attackers flew over their heads.
Takeru and Miyako had arrived.
He wanted to say æyouÆre late,Æ but their timing was impeccable.
All eyes were on them; even Andromon had turned to look at them. Takeru was ignoring the Guardromon, obviously realizing Andromon was a bigger threat.
There was a story there. HeÆd have to remember to ask about it.
For nowà
He glanced to the sky once more.
Go.
He turned back to the Guardromon without waiting to see his servant depart. He knew it would do its job.
So now, with Pegasmon and Holsmon to protect Daisuke, he would do his.
XxXXxX
Takeru rode Pegasmon over the Guardromon, heading straight for Andromon.
It may have seemed strange; to ignore the army in favor of a single person. It may have even seemed cold, since there seemed to be a sole Digimon fighting that entire army.
But Takeru knew the power of a Perfect level. He knew what it meant and he knew that Andromon was more dangerous than that entire army.
They could run from the Guardromon. They could hold them at bay and work around them and fight them.
But Andromon would step on them as they were now and crush them like bugs.
If he was chasing Hikari and Daisuke, then the two of them were facing a very real possibility of death.
But it wasnÆt until Pegasmon flew him close enough that Takeru realized how close.
If heÆd been moving under his own power, he would have frozen. But Pegasmon didnÆt stop, instead turning to fly a wide circle around Andromon, and Takeru forced himself to recover in the time Pegasmon bought him.
He silently thanked his partner, giving him a gentle squeeze with one hand.
He knew why Pegasmon had flown him in a circle and it wasnÆt just for strategic reasons.
ôAndromon, let her go.ö He said in a voice that he hoped was sure.
Andromon just looked at him for a moment.
ôTakeru.ö
Any doubts Takeru had about this being a different Andromon died a swift death in that moment.
But, he thought, did that really change anything?
ôAndromon, please put her down.ö He tried. ôJustàput her on the ground gently. WeÆre here to help. I promise.ö
ôTakeru.ö This time it was Hikari who said his name.
She caught his eye and smiled.
But then she shook her head.
ôIts okay, Takeru. AndromonÆs our friend.ö She continued. ôHeÆs not going to hurt me.ö
Takeru wanted to comment on that. He wanted to question her sanity, since she was held high into the air by hands that could crush her like a grape.
Butà
Andromon had said his name.
ItÆs possible that Hikari just didnÆt want it to be possible that Andromon would turn on them.
AndàTakeru didnÆt want to believe it either.
He nodded at her and then did something that reason told him was stupid.
He gestured towards the ground.
Pegasmon understood.
ôTakeru?ö He questioned, his voice solemn as it always was when he evolved; that was one thing that hadnÆt changed between Angemon and Pegasmon. The Child always became an Adult. ôAre you sure about this?ö
ôNo. ButàI will Hope things will be okay.ö
Pegasmon snorted out a breath in what might have been a laugh.
ôOf course.ö
Pegasmon landed gently onto the ground and he slid off.
Takeru approached Andromon slowly, hands raised.
ôSee? ItÆs okay. ItÆs just me.ö He glanced at Daisuke, who was still hanging from AndromonÆs arm and rolled his eyes. ôGet down from there.ö
Daisuke made a face, but glanced at Hikari, who nodded.
He let go and moved to stand by Takeru, though not without a nervous glance back at Andromon. Takeru noticed that white Digimon seemed to relax after he did.
ôAre you sure about this guy?ö Daisuke whispered furiously in his ear.
No, he thought.
ôYeah,ö He said. ôHeÆs an old friend.ö
He nodded towards the white Digimon that had been fighting the Guardromon; Miyako and Holsmon had gone to support him.
ôV-mon,ö Daisuke state bluntly.
The Chosen of Hope had to lift an eyebrow at that.
ôDigimental of Light,ö Daisuke added, seeing that. ôIf you want to know how that happened, thereÆs nothing I can do for you, because I have no clue.ö
ôIàsee.ö
He looked towards V-monÆs new form and mulled over a thought for a moment.
ôPegasmon, go help them.ö
Daisuke and Pegasmon both looked at him like he was stupid.
Doubt crept in at those glances.
If this is a trapù
He crushed doubt with logic.
This close to him, it doesnÆt really matter whether Pegasmon is nearby or not. Andromon could kill us long before we managed to pile onto his back. And even if he didnÆt, carrying all of us while fighting a Perfect would not be fun. In fact, it would probably end horribly. The type of horrible that involves a long fall and a sickening crunch. As such, instead of staying here guarding us when we apparently donÆt need it, itÆs probably a better idea for him to go help our friends before they get hurt fighting the army of Digimon who do want us dead.
Pegasmon seemed to realize that as well, and from the look in DaisukeÆs eyes, heÆd probably figure it out soon too.
His partner nodded once, firmly.
ôBe carefully, Takeru.ö He said, taking to the air without waiting for a response.
ôYou know me.ö Takeru murmured, even though his partner couldnÆt hear him.
Daisuke nodded, though whether in response to his words or because heÆd realized why heÆd sent Pegasmon away, Takeru wasnÆt sure.
He took a step forward.
ôIÆm Daisuke.ö He told Andromon.
Andromon just stared.
DaisukeÆs smile began to falter but it quickly returned when the sound of drilling reached his ears.
Digmon burst onto the surface, holding his partner.
ôSo IÆm late,ö Iori apologized. ôBut I had toùoh.ö
He broke off when he saw Andromon holding Hikari into the air. Digmon tensed behind him.
ôWhatÆs going on? Help me up.ö A voice from the tunnel said.
ôUh,ö Iori began unsurely. ôIÆm not sure thatÆs a good idea, Taichi.ö
ôItÆs okay,ö Daisuke said. ôHelp him up.ö
The youngest Chosen paused for a second before nodding once. Iori reached into the hole and struggled to lift Taichi to the surface, until Daisuke silently moved to helped.
ôAndromon?ö Taichi asked, once he was on his feet.
His face hardened instantly when he saw what he was doing to his sister.
ôHikari, are you alright?ö He asked immediately.
ôTaichi, Andromon isàö Daisuke trailed off with a gesture to the Evil Ring.
Taichi nodded slightly.
ôAndromon, its Taichi! Remember me!?ö
ôTaiàchiàö Andromon said slowly.
The ring around his neck suddenly began to release sparks wildly and Andromon started to scream.
HikariÆs eyes widened in concern.
ôAndromon!ö
The scream stopped abruptly. Unnaturally so; it was like someone had flipped off a switch and now Andromon felt no pain.
Pieces of memory began to come together.
A factory, a black gear, a broken Island, a city on a twisted mountain, Mugendramon, a fight with LadyDevimon, Piemon, a keychain, a victory, andàa picture.
Taichi, Yamato, Sora, Koushiro, Mimi, Jyou, Takeru, and Hikari.
The Chosen.
His friends.
The red glow faded from his eyes.
He put Hikari down gently and lifted his hands to his neck.
ôI wasàcontrolled by this?ö
He broke the ring with a single sharp tug.
Hikari beamed brightly.
ôAre you okay now, Andromon?ö She asked.
A slight smile and a nod was his reply.
XxXXxX
The Armor Digimon held the line against the Guardromon. Gargomon froze a line that he also held while Holsmon and Pegasmon rained attacks from above.
However, they were running into the same problem they had earlier.
There were too many Guardromon.
They were going to exhaust themselves eventually if they tried to keep this up.
ôOne of us should go destroy that tower.ö Pegasmon suggested.
ôI am so far ahead of you itÆs not even funny.ö Gargomon replied.
An explosion came from the direction of the Tower, stopping the Guardromon in their advance.
Did they realize theyÆd been fooled?
Or was the attack on the Tower harming the Rings as well?
Pegasmon didnÆt know.
But he had a question that he found more interesting than either of those, and it was one he might be able to answer.
ôOkay,ö He said, looking at Gargomon. ôHow did you do that?ö
Gargomon gave him a cryptic glace somehow, despite his covered eyes and stayed silent.
Pegasmon snorted out a disgusted breath.
So much for answers.
ôGatling Missile!ö Andromon cried behind them, making them whirl around in sudden fear-
Which turned to confusion and then relief when they saw that the attack was directed at the Tower, rather than them.
He was free.
None of them knew how, but the Dark Ring no longer bound his will.
Which meant they had a Perfect on their side.
This battle was over.
The Guardromon deactivated, lowering their arms.
Pegasmon released a relieved breath.
ôV-mon!ö Daisuke shouted, immediately running to his partner. Now that the battle was over and Andromon and the city freed, he had time to be worried about his best friend.
Gargomon trembled at the sight of his partner and Pegasmon immediately narrowed his eyes.
It was faint, butà
Was that a desire to kill he saw in GargomonÆs body language?
Daisuke either didnÆt notice or he didnÆt care. He stopped right in front of his partner and stood his ground.
Gargomon began to extend a hand, reaching out slowly as if he were fighting against something. The belts that bound him tightly began to glow again, but this time he appeared to fight against it.
That thing within him that was dark and foul saw something in this boy and wanted him dead. It was like it had taken control over him and was using his body as a puppet and the only thing standing between it and the world were the restraints.
Daisuke, run!
It was what he wanted to say, but the words wouldnÆt come out.
I waited for you for so long, Daisuke. I donÆt want us to separate like this.
I donÆt want to kill you.
The Galgomon claws stretched closer to his partnerÆs face.
Pegasmon didnÆt know what was going on, butà
Gargomon seemed to be attackingùor trying to attackùDaisuke.
He didnÆt know why; maybe he had gone crazy when evolving. Or maybe something else.
But he was trying to attack Daisuke and that told Pegasmon everything he needed to know.
He prepared to attack. He could attack without hitting Daisuke; he trusted his aim with Silver Blaze. He was good enough not to endanger Daisuke and heÆd just knock V-mon out.
They could sort out the details of what was happening later.
He never got a chance to use his attack, however, because his vision was immediately filled with black æflesh.Æ
Pegasmon stopped in surprise.
Angemon? A black Angemon?
The AngemonÆs hand began to glow as he lifted his staff and Pegasmon immediately snapped out of his stunned stupor.
He was intimately familiar with those attacks.
He didnÆt have time for this, though; Daisuke was standing so close to Gargomon and he didnÆt even realize he was in dangerù
ôItÆs alright, Gargomon.ö Daisuke said, slowly reaching up to take a hold over GargomonÆs hand.
Both Armor Digimon froze at those words.
DaisukeàGargomon thought.
ItÆs not that he didnÆt know, Pegasmon realized. He just didnÆt care.
Daisuke leaned his head against GargomonÆs hand and smiled.
ôYou did great, V-mon. LetÆs go home.ö
Something dark lurked and moved within V-monÆs new form.
But it had no power over him anymore.
A white light surrounded Gargomon before streaking across the sky for HikariÆs D-Terminal. The black Angemon began to melt away and was gone in seconds and nothing remained to show that heÆd been there at all.
When the light was gone, V-mon stood before Daisuke. He wobbled on his feet for a moment before beginning to fall.
Daisuke caught him, as he would always catch him.
V-mon smiled at his partner.
ôIÆm tired, Daisuke.ö
The human boy chuckled.
ôYeah. Me, too.ö
He picked up his partner and began walking back towards Takeru and the others.
Neither said anything about Gargomon.
Neither considered it worth talking about.
Pegasmon watched DaisukeÆs back for a moment before he began to trot after him.
He needed tell Takeru about this later.
But for the moment, everything seemed fine.
XxXXxX
Then the other shoe dropped. Their cheerful victory shattered in a flash of realization as they remembered their missing comrade.
ôTakato!ö Hikari remembered, going from relieved to panicked in seconds.
DaisukeÆs eyes widened a moment later, realizing what was wrong. He didnÆt waste any time, simply breaking out into a run from the realization.
Hikari made to follow after him, but Miyako stopped her.
ôWhatÆs wrong with Takato?ö She asked. ôHowÆd you get separated?ö
ôDown in the tunnelùô
She suddenly cut herself off, glancing at Andromon.
A pained expression had come over the Perfect DigimonÆs face.
ôI remember.ö He said, before he began to run. He quickly overtook DaisukeÆs pace and vanished from sight.
Hikari didnÆt want to continue, but knew she had too.
ôIn order to save Daisuke, Guilmon attacked Andromon. Heàgot hurt pretty bad.ö
That didnÆt mean she had to give them a detailed explanation, though.
SheÆd let the others fill in the blanks.
XxXXxX
It turned out they were worried for nothing, which surprised them.
Guilmon, who should have either been horribly wounded or, worse, dead, was walking around uninjured, though he was moving slowly. Takato was sitting on the ground, leaning his back against the side of the tunnel.
He turned towards them and smiled at the sight of Andromon, who was looming awkwardly, unsure what to do or say.
ôSo we won.ö He said, as if heÆd never doubted it for an instant.
He hadnÆt.
The game had to go on, after all.
ôTakato, GuilmonÆs okay!?ö Daisuke asked, recovering enough to express his confusion.
ôRaremon fixed him up,ö The secret Tamer replied. ôHeÆs a pretty good doctor, it seems.ö
TakatoÆs words did nothing but add to DaisukeÆs confusion.
But Hikari understood.
ôRaremon? He helped you? Where is he now?ö
Takato smiled and shrugged.
ôWhile Guilmon was resting, he went to check the tunnels for any more Guardromon.ö He said honestly. ôThere were quite a few down here at one point, but it seems theyÆre all gone now.ö
Takeru nodded slowly.
ôThey probably headed up to the surface when everything was going on.ö He said.
Takato shrugged.
ôMaybe. I donÆt know.ö He replied. ôBut the important part is that we won, right? IÆm sorry I couldnÆt come up to help, butàwell, Guilmon was in really bad shape. Raremon managed to find him something to eat, which helped a lot, butàI didnÆt want to throw him back into a fight with a Perfect, yet. IÆm sorry.ö
Takato averted his eyes.
Daisuke approached his friend, laying a hand on his shoulder.
ôDonÆt worry about it,ö He said firmly. ôWe all saw how badly hurt Guilmon was. Raremon must be some type of miracle worker to get him back on his feet like that. I thoughtàfor a minute there, I thought he was dead. I say nearly being cut in half less than half an hour ago is valid cause for avoiding a rematch with the guy who did it.ö
ôAnd itÆs not like we were actually running towards a fight,ö Hikari added. ôWe ran from Andromon, too, remember. He just managed to corner us, is all. And everything turned out well in the end, right? DonÆt beat yourself up about it.ö
Takato smiled.
ôOkay. I wonÆt. But next time a Perfect shows up, weÆll be right in the middle of things, wonÆt we Guilmon?ö
His partner nodded eagerly.
ôWeÆll have him for dinner and eat the rest of the KaiserÆs army for dessert.ö He said, virally anticipation glimmering in his eyes.
ôOi,ö Miyako interrupted. ôI appreciate the enthusiasm, but donÆt get carried away, guys.ö
Takato rolled his eyes.
ôHeÆs not gonna eat any of the slaves, Miyako. HeÆs just excited about whatÆs gonna happen next.ö
Daisuke laughed and patted him roughly on the back.
ôYeah, Miyako; donÆt be such a party-pooper.ö
Miyako was about to retort, but Andromon cut in, stepping foreward. He halted when Guilmon backed away at his advance, but Takato didnÆt so much as flinch and his smile never wavered.
ôYou are Matsuda Takato?ö He asked.
The Tamer nodded.
ôThatÆs me. This is my partner Guilmon.ö
Andromon returned the nod before bowing low at the waist.
ôI am deeply sorry from the things I have done.ö
Takato chuckled.
ôItÆs no problem. We bear no more grudge against you then we do against anyone the Kaiser has enslaved. You werenÆt in control of your actions, so why should we hate you for them?ö
Guilmon sniffed him before snorting and nodding with his TamerÆs words.
Andromon closed his eyes and nodded again.
ôThank you.ö He said. ôBut I must apologize again, for I must leave. The KaiserÆs done a great deal of damage to this city and the Guardromon.ö
Hikari looked worried, remembering all the deactivated Guardromon.
ôWill they be like that forever? Can you fix them, Andromon?ö
The Cyborg Digimon smiled at her concern and nodded.
ôItÆll be fine; if we change the program of the Evil Rings, they should go back to normal.ö
ôEven so,ö Takato said. ôThere are a lot of Guardromon that need to be fixed and for now, youÆre the only Digimon in this city besides Raremon. How long will it take to fix everyone?ö
ôIt should only take a few days. I can protect this city for that long.ö He assured them. ôFor now though, shouldnÆt you return home? YouÆve all had a long day.ö
Even Takato winced at that.
ôYeah,ö He said. ôMy parents are gonna kill me.ö
But he had a few more things to do before he was done.
XxXXxX
It wasnÆt until hours later that Andromon noticed something odd.
The numbers werenÆt adding up like they were supposed to.
He was missing some of his Guardromon.
No, not some.
He was missing a lot of Guardromon.
He hadnÆt really noticed at firstùor rather, despite noticing that there were less Guardromon than he would have expected, heÆd just figured that they were in some other part of the city.
But the longer heÆd worked, the more he noticed their absence and the more it bothered him.
Eventually, it bothered him so much that he stopped working on the Guardromon and began searching the city for his missing charges.
He didnÆt find them.
He searched the city in person, he scanned it through the cityÆs security systems, and he even scanned it again with his own power, but he didnÆt find them.
Dozens of Guardromon were missing and he had no idea where they could be.
His suspicion immediately turned to the Kaiser. He was the enemy, after all, and this area had only just been removed from his control. He was the obvious suspect.
Butà
How?
How could he have removed all those Guardromon without anyone noticing?
And more importantly, why?
It might have made sense if heÆd known that the city was about to be freed and heÆd decided that heÆd remove as many of his servants from the area as he could before the Tower was destroyed and they were freed.
But he had no way of knowing that.
Things had been going his way until the end! Andromon wasnÆt proud of it by any means, but heÆd been crushing the Chosen before Hikari had managed to get through to him!
Rather than removing his forces, wouldnÆt it have made more sense to crush his opponent while he could?
And even more than that, why only a few Guardromon? He was glad to be free of the Kaiser, but from a logical standpoint, wouldnÆt he be the preferred choice? DidnÆt it make sense to make him leave if the city was about to be freed? Or, at least, to æsaveÆ more Guardromon?
And how would he have æsavedÆ them, anyway? HeÆd need to have removed them from the city and transported them to another area controlled by the Dark Towers. That meant at least getting them out of the city. By the time things had taken a turn for the worse for the Kaiser, was there really enough time left for him to do that?
He doubted it. After Hikari had gotten through to him, things had happened very quickly. Even if the Kaiser had noticed immediately that something was wrong, he would have had, at most, minutes to do something about it before the Tower fell.
Not much time for a group of Guardromon that had been hunting the Chosen in the middle of the city to escape.
And even if he had noticed the problem that early, wouldnÆt it have made more sense to have done something about it? Like, have those Guardromon attack the Chosen.
If they could have left the city, then they could have circled around the block and pulled a sneak attack.
No, things werenÆt adding up. The Kaiser didnÆt make sense as the culprit; he didnÆt have the time, he didnÆt have the means, and he didnÆt even have a reason.
So the disappearance of the Guardromon didnÆt make senseù
A thought dawned on Andromon.
It didnÆt make senseà
At least, not if you started from the position that the Kaiser did it.
And but a moment after the thought crossed his mind, it began.
He came in silence.
He gave no statement of intention; no declaration of battle.
He did not even demand surrender.
Predators did not give such things to their prey.
A pillar of fire cut through the night sky and hit Andromon without warning and the hunt began.
XxXXxX
Daisuke slide his eyes across the scene.
They were stuck between a rock and a hard place; Guardromon on one side, Andromon on the other.
Not good odds.
ôHikari.ö He said. ôYou and Tailmon make a break for the Guardromon. Tailmon should be able to make an opening, right? Rush straight through it and donÆt look back.ö
Hikari understood.
Daisuke was going to make a last stand to give her time to run.
ôNo.ö She rejected immediately.
ôV-mon and I will be fine.ö He assured her. ôYou donÆt have to worry about us. IsnÆt that rightàV-mon?ö
The Digimon in his arms began to stir and an eyelid rolled open tiredly.
V-mon smiled.
ôOf course. I was just resting my eyes for a little bit. IÆve got Andromon if youÆve got my back.ö
Daisuke gently tapped his knuckles against V-monÆs and looked at Hikari.
ôGo.ö
Hikari looked Daisuke in the eye.
It was plainly obvious that he was lying; V-mon was in no condition to evolve.
It was just as obvious that theyÆd fight Andromon anyway.
It was unlikely that Tailmon would be able to break through an entire army before Andromon defeated them, but there was a chance.
And they would fight for that chance.
They would probably die in the process, though.
So Hikari spoke and she said:
ôNo.ö
Daisuke sighed softly.
ôHikari, now really isnÆt the time to argue.ö
ôThen stop arguing.ö She hissed quietly. ôYou said that the others came with you right? That means there are three of us unaccounted for. And guess what? Takeru and Miyako could fly us out and Iori could dig us to safety, so you canÆt say thereÆs nothing they can do. We just need to hold on for awhile.ö
ôI was with you until the hold on for awhile part.ö Daisuke said, passing her his Digivice.
Hikari looked at it in confusion until she saw the screen.
She had to keep her spirits from dropping.
Takato was on the move, which was good, but he was moving slowly and away from them. Considering what had happened to Guilmon, it was probably for the best.
He wasnÆt the one that drew HikariÆs attention.
Iori was moving away from them, towards the edge of the city and though Miyako and Takeru were together and heading towards them, they were quite a distance away.
If a fight broke out, they might not be able to make it in time.
But Hikari wasnÆt willing to give up just yet.
ôAndromon.ö She said, striding forward.
ôHikari!ö Daisuke hissed immediately, reaching out to drag her back, but she ducked under his grasp.
ôAndromon, donÆt you remember me?ö She continued as if nothing had happened.
Daisuke cursed behind her but didnÆt try to pull her away again. Instead, he pressed close, ready to react if something went wrong, as he expected it would, but let her talk. He did not question her. He did not say it was impossible. He just stood close to her side like a worried friend.
She silently thanked him.
Andromon just stared back at the duo with blank eyes. He showed no sign of having been affected by the words.
But then, he hadnÆt attacked yet, either.
The same could not be said of the Guardromon.
ôWarning Laser!ö A group of Guardromon shouted in unison, breaking the silence.
They tried to catch the Chosen in the crossfire and kill them both.
It nearly worked.
Luckily, Daisuke had come to expect things like this.
ôGet down!ö Daisuke said, tackling his friend to the ground. An attack grazed his arm, drawing a hiss.
But he ignored the pain and focused on Hikari.
ôHikariàö He began, staring into the eyes of the girl beneath him. ôDo you really believe you can reach Andromon?ö
Hikari said nothing, eyes focused on her friendÆs wound.
But she gave a slight nod and that was enough.
ôIÆll buy you some time.ö He said seriously, pushing himself to his feet with his good arm. ôV-mon, can you evolve?ö
V-mon wasnÆt in the best condition. HeÆd taken a Perfect level blast straight to the face not too long ago, after all, and now he needed to fight an army of Guardromon?
Sounds like fun, he thought.
ôSure thing.ö He answered.
ôDaisuke, wait!ö Hikari immediately said, clamoring to her feet.
ôHikari.ö He said, stopping her. ôTrust me. I got this.ö
Hikari closed her mouth slowly and nodded, stepped towards Andromon.
ôReady?ö Daisuke asked.
ôBorn that way.ö V-mon confirmed.
ôDigimental Up!ö
A bright light emerged from a D-Terminal.
But it wasnÆt DaisukeÆs.
ôV-mon, Armor shinka!ö
The white light fell upon him.
The creature that emerged was not Fladramon.
ôGargomon!ö The new Digimon said, spreading its white wings.
XxXXxX
It made things simpler, Takato thought. Being alone, that is.
Just working alone was certainly easier than working with a team.
He didnÆt have to hide anything.
He didnÆt have to answer to anybody.
He could stroll through an area and just burn it down.
However, Takato was forced to admit that being easier doesnÆt make it better.
Andromon had proven that pretty thoroughly.
The original plan had been to side with the Chosen to weaken the Kaiser, on the premise that he could notùor, at least, that it would be very hard toùdo it alone.
But then heÆd basically steamrolled over everything and everyone that had been stupid enough to get in his way. The Kaiser had managed to run from him, but only by doing just that; running.
HeÆd gone along with the plan out of amusement more than anything else, he supposed. Because hanging out with the Chosen and beating the Kaiser even with a handicap had been fun.
But the introduction of a Perfect level opponent had changed all that.
He could no longer think to himself, æthe plan isnÆt necessary.Æ
If the Kaiser had Perfect level Digimon on his side, he was a massive threat. Growmon might be able to beat a Perfect in one-on-one combat, but if there were multiple Perfectsà
He needed help. This incident, if nothing else, had taught him that it was important to rely on others.
But as easy as it was to say, it was difficult for him to do that, because it was hard to rely on the Chosen. He was going to betray them, after all, and if they ever learnt of what heÆd doneùwhat he was going to doùtheyÆd hang him out to dry.
Or heÆd kill them.
One or the other.
Either way would end badly for him, though; it was hard to rely on them completely, but he still needed help.
But Raremon had opened up a doorway to many new possibilities.
The problem with the Chosen was that he could not trust them completely.
But the Chosen werenÆt the only options anymore.
If it was possible to recruit other Digimon, thenà
He could have followers that were loyal to him and who wouldnÆt abandon him, despite his actions.
Not only would that be convenient, but it would help greatly against his enemies.
His plan, if it worked, would leave the Chosen and the Kaiser weak, allowing him to crush them. But weakened or not, they both outnumbered him.
They might even outgun him, working together.
But he could change that now.
However, to do that, he needed to choose his allies wisely.
They needed to be loyal to him; that was important. They needed to be able to keep his secrets, too. And they needed to be useful.
In that respect, Raremon was good companion. Loyal, quiet, and obedient.
ôPlasma Blade!ö Growmon interrupted his thoughts, his electromagnetic blade sheering through a GuardromonÆs body like a knife through butter. The Digimon exploded into data a moment later.
Growmon loaded it, even as he sniffed the air for more foodùthat is, enemies.
Takato tilted his head to side and chuckled.
Who was he kidding? He meant food.
Takato smiled. HeÆd decided he really liked Guardromon; the deactivated oneÆs didnÆt response even when being cut down. It was like a free lunch.
A bit boring, but there would be plenty of excitement on the surface.
But that could wait until theyÆd cleared the tunnels.
He glanced over his shoulder at Raremon.
ôHaving fun?ö He asked. Raremon had chosen to stay by him while Growmon was playing. He couldnÆt load data, so rampaging through these tunnels held not benefit for him.
HeÆd have to talk to Lucemon about that.
Raremon just continued watching Growmon like he was some strange specimen he just couldnÆt understand.
Maybe it was his ability to load data, which Raremon had yet to comment on.
Maybe it was his uniqueness.
At his question, RaremonÆs eyes flicked towards Takato in a gesture of acknowledgementùthough of what, he wasnÆt sureùand then went back to observing.
Takato looked at him for a moment and shrugged, turning back to his partner as well.
It may have been playing for Growmon, but this was important. He needed to load every Digimon he could find, in preparation of what was to come.
This city was too dangerous.
It didnÆt matter who owned it; whether it was kept under the KaiserÆs control or freed by the Chosen, it was too dangerous.
This place was full of Adult Digimon and even had a Perfect in it. In the hands of the Kaiser, it was an enormous threat to the Chosenùand, more importantly, to himùas they were limited to forms that were equal to Adult level. The Guardromon outnumbered them and Andromon outgunned them.
Butà
It wasnÆt any better if it was in the ChosenÆs hands. If the Kaiser had Perfect level Digimon on his side and the Chosen kept freeing them, then it was almost inevitable that the Chosen would start getting Perfect level allies, and guys like that would quickly turn the war in the ChosenÆs favor, allowing them to crush the Kaiser much more quickly.
But after the Kaiser was gone, he was the next enemy. HeÆd have to fight the Chosen eventually, if they won.
HeÆd rather not do it when they had a hoard of Perfects on their side, though.
He had to do something about Andromon and, to a lesser extent, the Guardromon. He didnÆt see any conceivable way to keep them from joining the fight against the Kaiser after the Chosen freed them, either.
No ways that were practical, at least.
But he still needed to deal with them.
He had an answer to that problem though.
He hadnÆt been overdramatic when heÆd talked to Raremon earlier.
Andromon and this city would die today.
He just had to prepare for the fight.
He glanced at his Digivice.
ôThere are more down that way, Growmon.ö He said, nodding his head towards the tunnel in question.
You can have an appetizer before the main course, he thought, following his already moving partner.
Just donÆt spoil your appetite.
ThereÆs a lot more for you to eat.
XxXXxX
Hikari slowly opened her eyes. SheÆd shut them reflexively at the sudden explosion of light.
The first thing she saw was a Digimon sheÆd never seen before.
No, she thought, that wasnÆt right.
That was V-mon.
She didnÆt know how or why, butù
That was V-mon.
HeÆd Armor evolved, but not with DaisukeÆs Digimental of Courage.
HeÆd done it with her Digimental.
The one she couldnÆt use.
The Digimental of Light.
His body was thin, now, and white but for his blue claws and tail. Belts were wrapped tightly around him; they bound his forearms and upper arms tightly enough that his muscles strained against them with each movement. They bound his thighs, too, and his chest; for the latter, there were so many belts and they were pulled so tight, she worried for a moment if he could breathe. The belts around his neck did nothing to ease her worries. She wondered if he was blind, since other belts covered his eyes, but Angewomon and Angemon had their eyes covered as well. On his shoulders, he wore a pair of black protective pads, and behind him spread a pair of white angelic wings.
Daisuke stood behind his partner and looked at him in awe.
ôHolyàV-mon, this is awesome! How did youùô
Gargomon lashed out with one hand, straight at DaisukeÆs face.
The claws stopped inches away from his face.
Daisuke didnÆt even flinch. The only change was the joy and awe from the new evolution had fade from his face, along with his smile. He looked up at his partner with eyes that were now uncertain.
But he didnÆt step back, proving why he was the new Chosen of Courage.
ôV-mon?ö He questioned. He felt nothing but concern. Even if he was in a new form, he refused to fear his friend. ôWhatÆs wrong?ö
GargomonÆs arm trembled, as if he was trying to move it forward, but something was stopping him. Maybe it was the belts, serving their purpose. Or maybe, it was simply V-monÆs refusal to harm his partner.
Gargomon was a Demon Beast Digimon; to lash out was in his nature. To hurt and cause suffering; that is the nature of Gargomon.
But nature isnÆt everything.
The belts that bound him glowed softly, then, and calmed the DemonÆs mind.
ôNothing.ö Gargomon said, his mouth straining against the same belt that blinded him each time he opened his mouth.
He paused.
ôSorry.ö He added, embarrassed and ashamed of the momentary lose of control. ôYou should get backàI donÆt know how long I canàö
Daisuke looked him silently and nodded slowly.
ôIÆll be right over there if you need me.ö He said, turning his back to his partner.
It was a gesture of trust. Daisuke wasnÆt sure what was happening to his partner or why he nearly lost control.
But it didnÆt matter.
GargomonÆs claws had lashed out towards his face.
But they didnÆt touch him.
It didnÆt matter that he nearly lost control.
All that mattered was that he didnÆt.
Gargomon watched him go in forced, careful restraint.
His attention turned to the Guardromon. They were standing in still silence, just like Andromon. He was a new variable and they werenÆt sure how to respond. The Kaiser, if he was watching, was probably feeling the same way.
He wasnÆt sure how to react to that; that so many people had seen him almost murderùfor had he not stopped, that blow would have killed Daisukeùhis partner.
The thought was sickening, butàit made some dark feeling rise up within him. It urged him to act; toàlash out and kill and burn down what stood in his way. It said he could drown that feeling, given enough blood.
It was disgusting, that voice.
And it was powerful.
He wasnÆt sure he could keep it contained.
He wasnÆt even sure he wanted to keep it contained.
All he had to do wasù
The belts glowed again, but this time, it was a harsher light; like a metal pole taken out of a fire.
He whimpered.
He needed to stop. This formàit was hurting him. It feltàwrong.
Was this because he was using a Digimental that wasnÆt DaisukeÆs?
He needed to end this. Quickly.
He spread his white wings. The Guardromon took it as a signal to attack, as if the gesture reassured them that he was their enemy.
ôDestruction Grenade!ö They said in mechanical synchronization.
A small swarm of missiles flew towards him.
He snorted out a breath.
ôWhite Statue!ö Was his reply and he froze the small missiles in midair with a flap of his wings.
They seemed to hang in the air for a moment, as if Gravity had forgotten about them. But then they fell, shattering into data on contact with the ground.
The Guardromon seemed to stare for a moment. The chest plates of the front row had been iced over by the attack.
He pulled his lips away from his teeth as best he could without moving his mouth; a smirk.
ôBlack Statue!ö
He felt it. The blood lust of a Demon and a Virus.
He felt it, but he could not give into it.
WouldnÆt give into it.
HeÆd waited so long for Daisuke; he wouldnÆt allow himself to become a monster now.
But he would still crush anyone who got in his way!
XxXXxX
ôHikari!ö Daisuke shouted suddenly, pointing at Andromon.
For a moment, the more experienced Chosen feared an attack, but Andromon hadnÆt moved a muscle, yet.
Is that a good sign? She wondered.
She didnÆt know.
But it didnÆt matter.
She approached Andromon anyway.
ôAndromon,ö She began. ôDonÆt you remember me?ö
The Perfect Digimon followed her with his eyes, but seemed content to listen.
ôDid you forget? You fought beside usàagainst Mugendramon and Piemon. WeÆre friends, Andromon.ö
For a moment, her actions drew no response.
But then Andromon took a step towards.
Daisuke was by her side again in an instant and she knew he would drag her back, away from the fight.
ôNo,ö She says.
Daisuke pauses.
He swallows.
ôHikariàö
ôLet me try.ö She said, before he could protest.
Daisuke took a deep breath and looked down. He met TailmonÆs eye and she nodded, though not without uncertainty.
Daisuke stepped back.
Andromon took another step towards her, and then another.
He drew closer and closer until he loomed over Hikari.
The girl stared up at him with unflinching eyes.
Beside her, Daisuke trembled with a desire to grab his friend and run away. At her feet, Tailmon trembled with a desire to attack.
But Hikari and Andromon paid no attention to either.
Their gazes locked and neither backed down.
Andromon suddenly grabbed her, taking a hand in each arm, and lifted her up into the air.
Both of her companions reacted quickly, but they accomplished little.
Daisuke, heedless of the fact that he was faced with a Perfect level Digimon, grabbed AndromonÆs left arm, but he was just lifted from the earth along with his friend.
Tailmon attacked.
ôNeko Punch!ö She cried, slamming a paw into her opponents chest.
She bounced off AndromonÆs metal armor.
If the larger Digimon noticed the attack at all, he didnÆt show it.
He held the girl and boy aloft and showed no sign of putting them back down.
Butà
He took no further actions to hurt them, either.
ôAndromonàö Hikari said, now looking down at her old friend.
Honestly, she was a bit sad. The fact that the Kaiser had put her and Andromon in this situation made her sadàand upset too. She was definitely upset with the Kaiser.
But, for now, the Kaiser wasnÆt important. It didnÆt matter that he had been the one to cause this situation.
In the end, Andromon wore an Evil Ring.
And she had to help her friend.
It was as simple as that.
Andromon was silent, however, and that silence was beginning to hurt. So far, there had been no response from the machine Digimon.
ôAndromonàdonÆt you remember me?ö She asked. ôDo you not remember any of us? Weàtook a picture together, didnÆt we? After everything was over?ö
Hikari didnÆt to admit it, but at this point, she was dangerously close to crying.
As if seeing that, Andromon finally responded.
And his response shocked Daisuke and Tailmon, but to Hikari, it was like an answer to a prayer.
ôHikari?ö He asked, slowly and unsurely.
XxXXxX
A black statue of Angemon had emerged from the ground before Gargomon; the æBlack Statue.Æ
And for a brief moment, the Guardromon werenÆt sure what to make of that.
Then the statue became animate and started beating the crap out of them.
The statue spread its wings suddenly, black æfleshÆ flexing as if it were organic, and took to the air, moving as if it was alive. And not made out of some black stone-like substance.
It extended its fist, unleashing a blast of dark energy as it opened its mouth as if to shout, though no sound came from itùit was, after all, a statue. The unholy version of AngemonÆs attack slammed into a GuardromonÆs chest and flung him roughly back, shattering the ring that bound his will and denting his chest besides.
That act snapped the Guardromon out of the confusion that had held them back.
The statue was an enemy.
That was all they needed to know.
ôDestruction Grenade!ö The remaining Guardromon cried as one, paying no attention to their fallen æcomrade.Æ
æAngemonÆ gave a mighty flap of his wings, lifting himself high above the missiles, avoiding them easily.
His creator could have done the same, butà
Gargomon could not afford to move.
Not with Daisuke and Hikari somewhere behind him.
ôWhite Statue!ö He cried again, freezing the missiles with another gust from his wings.
ItÆs said that Gargoyle statues were used to ward away evil in the past.
In the same way, Gargomon would not allow any harm to come to those he would protect.
HeÆd protect them; this was his line.
It went without saying that he could not hold his own forever against this army, but this was his line.
He refused to fail his partner; not after waiting for him so long.
But, in order to do that, he had to stay where he was, lest something slip by him.
ôNeko Punch!ö Tailmon said behind him.
He glanced quickly over his shoulderùa peak was all he could afford, since he didnÆt dare take his attention completely off his opponents.
It wasnÆt until heÆd looked back at the Guardromon that he finished processing the image.
ôWhite Statue!ö
He froze the chests of the first wave, but didnÆt stop there. A mental command moved the Black Statue into action, making it rain down dark blasts of energy, distracting the Guardromon. He used his White Statue again; and again after that, freezing the entire front row solid, creating a still living blockade.
Then, sure that turning around wouldnÆt just make things worse, he checked behind him again.
That feeling rose up in him again when he saw how close to Daisuke Andromon was and the memory of what happened to Guilmon didnÆt help.
He wanted to tear the Cyborg apart, but something stopped him.
Andromon was so close; if he attacked, the Perfect level could hurt Daisuke before he got close enough to even try to stop him.
A memory of how close claws came to DaisukeÆs face forcibly reminded Gargomon that in the state he was in he could hurt Daisuke.
And even if he could keep Daisuke safe, it would only be momentarily.
Andromon had proven it already, hadnÆt he?
The simple difference in power between the two of them.
Butà
Even though all of that was trueà
It went without saying that he had to do something to protect his friends.
A thought stuck him and an idea began to grow in his mind.
For the moment, Andromon wasnÆt doing anything.
He didnÆt know how long that would last and he couldnÆt rely on things to remain that way, but for the moment, Andromon was not attacking.
He glanced back at the Guardromon and wondered how many there were.
æA lotÆ was the only answer he could come up with.
But how many Guardromon were there in the city itself?
TheyÆd freed a lot when theyÆd first come here.
TheyÆd freed a few more in the sewers.
TheyÆd gathered an army here.
How many more were there?
It was not fear that brought these questions to GargomonÆs mind, but the workings of a plan.
He doubted that all the Guardromon in the city had gathered here. There were probably others defending the tower. And, if the Kaiser knew they were here, there were probably some hounding the others.
But, taking into account how spread out they were and the losses theyÆd sufferedà
There couldnÆt be that many at the Tower.
Butà
He looked at Daisuke.
He couldnÆt leave him. Something could happen while he was gone and he could get hurt.
He had to stay.
But that was okay.
There was someone else he could send.
He glanced at the sky at his Black Statue. It didnÆt nod in return, but it didnÆt need to, either.
It could destroy the tower just as well as he could.
He had the means. Now he just needed an opportunity. If he sent it right now, surely someone would notice. And if they didùif they realized what he was trying to doùtheyÆd give chase and make things much more complicated.
He needed to sneak the statue away without anyone noticing.
But how. All the GuardromonÆs eyes were on him. How was he supposed to be subtle like this?
The Answer to his question came from the Heavens in a rain of stars and red light.
ôShooting Star!ö
ôRed Sun!ö
The attacks fell upon the Guardromon, bring chaos to their ranks, as the two attackers flew over their heads.
Takeru and Miyako had arrived.
He wanted to say æyouÆre late,Æ but their timing was impeccable.
All eyes were on them; even Andromon had turned to look at them. Takeru was ignoring the Guardromon, obviously realizing Andromon was a bigger threat.
There was a story there. HeÆd have to remember to ask about it.
For nowà
He glanced to the sky once more.
Go.
He turned back to the Guardromon without waiting to see his servant depart. He knew it would do its job.
So now, with Pegasmon and Holsmon to protect Daisuke, he would do his.
XxXXxX
Takeru rode Pegasmon over the Guardromon, heading straight for Andromon.
It may have seemed strange; to ignore the army in favor of a single person. It may have even seemed cold, since there seemed to be a sole Digimon fighting that entire army.
But Takeru knew the power of a Perfect level. He knew what it meant and he knew that Andromon was more dangerous than that entire army.
They could run from the Guardromon. They could hold them at bay and work around them and fight them.
But Andromon would step on them as they were now and crush them like bugs.
If he was chasing Hikari and Daisuke, then the two of them were facing a very real possibility of death.
But it wasnÆt until Pegasmon flew him close enough that Takeru realized how close.
If heÆd been moving under his own power, he would have frozen. But Pegasmon didnÆt stop, instead turning to fly a wide circle around Andromon, and Takeru forced himself to recover in the time Pegasmon bought him.
He silently thanked his partner, giving him a gentle squeeze with one hand.
He knew why Pegasmon had flown him in a circle and it wasnÆt just for strategic reasons.
ôAndromon, let her go.ö He said in a voice that he hoped was sure.
Andromon just looked at him for a moment.
ôTakeru.ö
Any doubts Takeru had about this being a different Andromon died a swift death in that moment.
But, he thought, did that really change anything?
ôAndromon, please put her down.ö He tried. ôJustàput her on the ground gently. WeÆre here to help. I promise.ö
ôTakeru.ö This time it was Hikari who said his name.
She caught his eye and smiled.
But then she shook her head.
ôIts okay, Takeru. AndromonÆs our friend.ö She continued. ôHeÆs not going to hurt me.ö
Takeru wanted to comment on that. He wanted to question her sanity, since she was held high into the air by hands that could crush her like a grape.
Butà
Andromon had said his name.
ItÆs possible that Hikari just didnÆt want it to be possible that Andromon would turn on them.
AndàTakeru didnÆt want to believe it either.
He nodded at her and then did something that reason told him was stupid.
He gestured towards the ground.
Pegasmon understood.
ôTakeru?ö He questioned, his voice solemn as it always was when he evolved; that was one thing that hadnÆt changed between Angemon and Pegasmon. The Child always became an Adult. ôAre you sure about this?ö
ôNo. ButàI will Hope things will be okay.ö
Pegasmon snorted out a breath in what might have been a laugh.
ôOf course.ö
Pegasmon landed gently onto the ground and he slid off.
Takeru approached Andromon slowly, hands raised.
ôSee? ItÆs okay. ItÆs just me.ö He glanced at Daisuke, who was still hanging from AndromonÆs arm and rolled his eyes. ôGet down from there.ö
Daisuke made a face, but glanced at Hikari, who nodded.
He let go and moved to stand by Takeru, though not without a nervous glance back at Andromon. Takeru noticed that white Digimon seemed to relax after he did.
ôAre you sure about this guy?ö Daisuke whispered furiously in his ear.
No, he thought.
ôYeah,ö He said. ôHeÆs an old friend.ö
He nodded towards the white Digimon that had been fighting the Guardromon; Miyako and Holsmon had gone to support him.
ôV-mon,ö Daisuke state bluntly.
The Chosen of Hope had to lift an eyebrow at that.
ôDigimental of Light,ö Daisuke added, seeing that. ôIf you want to know how that happened, thereÆs nothing I can do for you, because I have no clue.ö
ôIàsee.ö
He looked towards V-monÆs new form and mulled over a thought for a moment.
ôPegasmon, go help them.ö
Daisuke and Pegasmon both looked at him like he was stupid.
Doubt crept in at those glances.
If this is a trapù
He crushed doubt with logic.
This close to him, it doesnÆt really matter whether Pegasmon is nearby or not. Andromon could kill us long before we managed to pile onto his back. And even if he didnÆt, carrying all of us while fighting a Perfect would not be fun. In fact, it would probably end horribly. The type of horrible that involves a long fall and a sickening crunch. As such, instead of staying here guarding us when we apparently donÆt need it, itÆs probably a better idea for him to go help our friends before they get hurt fighting the army of Digimon who do want us dead.
Pegasmon seemed to realize that as well, and from the look in DaisukeÆs eyes, heÆd probably figure it out soon too.
His partner nodded once, firmly.
ôBe carefully, Takeru.ö He said, taking to the air without waiting for a response.
ôYou know me.ö Takeru murmured, even though his partner couldnÆt hear him.
Daisuke nodded, though whether in response to his words or because heÆd realized why heÆd sent Pegasmon away, Takeru wasnÆt sure.
He took a step forward.
ôIÆm Daisuke.ö He told Andromon.
Andromon just stared.
DaisukeÆs smile began to falter but it quickly returned when the sound of drilling reached his ears.
Digmon burst onto the surface, holding his partner.
ôSo IÆm late,ö Iori apologized. ôBut I had toùoh.ö
He broke off when he saw Andromon holding Hikari into the air. Digmon tensed behind him.
ôWhatÆs going on? Help me up.ö A voice from the tunnel said.
ôUh,ö Iori began unsurely. ôIÆm not sure thatÆs a good idea, Taichi.ö
ôItÆs okay,ö Daisuke said. ôHelp him up.ö
The youngest Chosen paused for a second before nodding once. Iori reached into the hole and struggled to lift Taichi to the surface, until Daisuke silently moved to helped.
ôAndromon?ö Taichi asked, once he was on his feet.
His face hardened instantly when he saw what he was doing to his sister.
ôHikari, are you alright?ö He asked immediately.
ôTaichi, Andromon isàö Daisuke trailed off with a gesture to the Evil Ring.
Taichi nodded slightly.
ôAndromon, its Taichi! Remember me!?ö
ôTaiàchiàö Andromon said slowly.
The ring around his neck suddenly began to release sparks wildly and Andromon started to scream.
HikariÆs eyes widened in concern.
ôAndromon!ö
The scream stopped abruptly. Unnaturally so; it was like someone had flipped off a switch and now Andromon felt no pain.
Pieces of memory began to come together.
A factory, a black gear, a broken Island, a city on a twisted mountain, Mugendramon, a fight with LadyDevimon, Piemon, a keychain, a victory, andàa picture.
Taichi, Yamato, Sora, Koushiro, Mimi, Jyou, Takeru, and Hikari.
The Chosen.
His friends.
The red glow faded from his eyes.
He put Hikari down gently and lifted his hands to his neck.
ôI wasàcontrolled by this?ö
He broke the ring with a single sharp tug.
Hikari beamed brightly.
ôAre you okay now, Andromon?ö She asked.
A slight smile and a nod was his reply.
XxXXxX
The Armor Digimon held the line against the Guardromon. Gargomon froze a line that he also held while Holsmon and Pegasmon rained attacks from above.
However, they were running into the same problem they had earlier.
There were too many Guardromon.
They were going to exhaust themselves eventually if they tried to keep this up.
ôOne of us should go destroy that tower.ö Pegasmon suggested.
ôI am so far ahead of you itÆs not even funny.ö Gargomon replied.
An explosion came from the direction of the Tower, stopping the Guardromon in their advance.
Did they realize theyÆd been fooled?
Or was the attack on the Tower harming the Rings as well?
Pegasmon didnÆt know.
But he had a question that he found more interesting than either of those, and it was one he might be able to answer.
ôOkay,ö He said, looking at Gargomon. ôHow did you do that?ö
Gargomon gave him a cryptic glace somehow, despite his covered eyes and stayed silent.
Pegasmon snorted out a disgusted breath.
So much for answers.
ôGatling Missile!ö Andromon cried behind them, making them whirl around in sudden fear-
Which turned to confusion and then relief when they saw that the attack was directed at the Tower, rather than them.
He was free.
None of them knew how, but the Dark Ring no longer bound his will.
Which meant they had a Perfect on their side.
This battle was over.
The Guardromon deactivated, lowering their arms.
Pegasmon released a relieved breath.
ôV-mon!ö Daisuke shouted, immediately running to his partner. Now that the battle was over and Andromon and the city freed, he had time to be worried about his best friend.
Gargomon trembled at the sight of his partner and Pegasmon immediately narrowed his eyes.
It was faint, butà
Was that a desire to kill he saw in GargomonÆs body language?
Daisuke either didnÆt notice or he didnÆt care. He stopped right in front of his partner and stood his ground.
Gargomon began to extend a hand, reaching out slowly as if he were fighting against something. The belts that bound him tightly began to glow again, but this time he appeared to fight against it.
That thing within him that was dark and foul saw something in this boy and wanted him dead. It was like it had taken control over him and was using his body as a puppet and the only thing standing between it and the world were the restraints.
Daisuke, run!
It was what he wanted to say, but the words wouldnÆt come out.
I waited for you for so long, Daisuke. I donÆt want us to separate like this.
I donÆt want to kill you.
The Galgomon claws stretched closer to his partnerÆs face.
Pegasmon didnÆt know what was going on, butà
Gargomon seemed to be attackingùor trying to attackùDaisuke.
He didnÆt know why; maybe he had gone crazy when evolving. Or maybe something else.
But he was trying to attack Daisuke and that told Pegasmon everything he needed to know.
He prepared to attack. He could attack without hitting Daisuke; he trusted his aim with Silver Blaze. He was good enough not to endanger Daisuke and heÆd just knock V-mon out.
They could sort out the details of what was happening later.
He never got a chance to use his attack, however, because his vision was immediately filled with black æflesh.Æ
Pegasmon stopped in surprise.
Angemon? A black Angemon?
The AngemonÆs hand began to glow as he lifted his staff and Pegasmon immediately snapped out of his stunned stupor.
He was intimately familiar with those attacks.
He didnÆt have time for this, though; Daisuke was standing so close to Gargomon and he didnÆt even realize he was in dangerù
ôItÆs alright, Gargomon.ö Daisuke said, slowly reaching up to take a hold over GargomonÆs hand.
Both Armor Digimon froze at those words.
DaisukeàGargomon thought.
ItÆs not that he didnÆt know, Pegasmon realized. He just didnÆt care.
Daisuke leaned his head against GargomonÆs hand and smiled.
ôYou did great, V-mon. LetÆs go home.ö
Something dark lurked and moved within V-monÆs new form.
But it had no power over him anymore.
A white light surrounded Gargomon before streaking across the sky for HikariÆs D-Terminal. The black Angemon began to melt away and was gone in seconds and nothing remained to show that heÆd been there at all.
When the light was gone, V-mon stood before Daisuke. He wobbled on his feet for a moment before beginning to fall.
Daisuke caught him, as he would always catch him.
V-mon smiled at his partner.
ôIÆm tired, Daisuke.ö
The human boy chuckled.
ôYeah. Me, too.ö
He picked up his partner and began walking back towards Takeru and the others.
Neither said anything about Gargomon.
Neither considered it worth talking about.
Pegasmon watched DaisukeÆs back for a moment before he began to trot after him.
He needed tell Takeru about this later.
But for the moment, everything seemed fine.
XxXXxX
Then the other shoe dropped. Their cheerful victory shattered in a flash of realization as they remembered their missing comrade.
ôTakato!ö Hikari remembered, going from relieved to panicked in seconds.
DaisukeÆs eyes widened a moment later, realizing what was wrong. He didnÆt waste any time, simply breaking out into a run from the realization.
Hikari made to follow after him, but Miyako stopped her.
ôWhatÆs wrong with Takato?ö She asked. ôHowÆd you get separated?ö
ôDown in the tunnelùô
She suddenly cut herself off, glancing at Andromon.
A pained expression had come over the Perfect DigimonÆs face.
ôI remember.ö He said, before he began to run. He quickly overtook DaisukeÆs pace and vanished from sight.
Hikari didnÆt want to continue, but knew she had too.
ôIn order to save Daisuke, Guilmon attacked Andromon. Heàgot hurt pretty bad.ö
That didnÆt mean she had to give them a detailed explanation, though.
SheÆd let the others fill in the blanks.
XxXXxX
It turned out they were worried for nothing, which surprised them.
Guilmon, who should have either been horribly wounded or, worse, dead, was walking around uninjured, though he was moving slowly. Takato was sitting on the ground, leaning his back against the side of the tunnel.
He turned towards them and smiled at the sight of Andromon, who was looming awkwardly, unsure what to do or say.
ôSo we won.ö He said, as if heÆd never doubted it for an instant.
He hadnÆt.
The game had to go on, after all.
ôTakato, GuilmonÆs okay!?ö Daisuke asked, recovering enough to express his confusion.
ôRaremon fixed him up,ö The secret Tamer replied. ôHeÆs a pretty good doctor, it seems.ö
TakatoÆs words did nothing but add to DaisukeÆs confusion.
But Hikari understood.
ôRaremon? He helped you? Where is he now?ö
Takato smiled and shrugged.
ôWhile Guilmon was resting, he went to check the tunnels for any more Guardromon.ö He said honestly. ôThere were quite a few down here at one point, but it seems theyÆre all gone now.ö
Takeru nodded slowly.
ôThey probably headed up to the surface when everything was going on.ö He said.
Takato shrugged.
ôMaybe. I donÆt know.ö He replied. ôBut the important part is that we won, right? IÆm sorry I couldnÆt come up to help, butàwell, Guilmon was in really bad shape. Raremon managed to find him something to eat, which helped a lot, butàI didnÆt want to throw him back into a fight with a Perfect, yet. IÆm sorry.ö
Takato averted his eyes.
Daisuke approached his friend, laying a hand on his shoulder.
ôDonÆt worry about it,ö He said firmly. ôWe all saw how badly hurt Guilmon was. Raremon must be some type of miracle worker to get him back on his feet like that. I thoughtàfor a minute there, I thought he was dead. I say nearly being cut in half less than half an hour ago is valid cause for avoiding a rematch with the guy who did it.ö
ôAnd itÆs not like we were actually running towards a fight,ö Hikari added. ôWe ran from Andromon, too, remember. He just managed to corner us, is all. And everything turned out well in the end, right? DonÆt beat yourself up about it.ö
Takato smiled.
ôOkay. I wonÆt. But next time a Perfect shows up, weÆll be right in the middle of things, wonÆt we Guilmon?ö
His partner nodded eagerly.
ôWeÆll have him for dinner and eat the rest of the KaiserÆs army for dessert.ö He said, virally anticipation glimmering in his eyes.
ôOi,ö Miyako interrupted. ôI appreciate the enthusiasm, but donÆt get carried away, guys.ö
Takato rolled his eyes.
ôHeÆs not gonna eat any of the slaves, Miyako. HeÆs just excited about whatÆs gonna happen next.ö
Daisuke laughed and patted him roughly on the back.
ôYeah, Miyako; donÆt be such a party-pooper.ö
Miyako was about to retort, but Andromon cut in, stepping foreward. He halted when Guilmon backed away at his advance, but Takato didnÆt so much as flinch and his smile never wavered.
ôYou are Matsuda Takato?ö He asked.
The Tamer nodded.
ôThatÆs me. This is my partner Guilmon.ö
Andromon returned the nod before bowing low at the waist.
ôI am deeply sorry from the things I have done.ö
Takato chuckled.
ôItÆs no problem. We bear no more grudge against you then we do against anyone the Kaiser has enslaved. You werenÆt in control of your actions, so why should we hate you for them?ö
Guilmon sniffed him before snorting and nodding with his TamerÆs words.
Andromon closed his eyes and nodded again.
ôThank you.ö He said. ôBut I must apologize again, for I must leave. The KaiserÆs done a great deal of damage to this city and the Guardromon.ö
Hikari looked worried, remembering all the deactivated Guardromon.
ôWill they be like that forever? Can you fix them, Andromon?ö
The Cyborg Digimon smiled at her concern and nodded.
ôItÆll be fine; if we change the program of the Evil Rings, they should go back to normal.ö
ôEven so,ö Takato said. ôThere are a lot of Guardromon that need to be fixed and for now, youÆre the only Digimon in this city besides Raremon. How long will it take to fix everyone?ö
ôIt should only take a few days. I can protect this city for that long.ö He assured them. ôFor now though, shouldnÆt you return home? YouÆve all had a long day.ö
Even Takato winced at that.
ôYeah,ö He said. ôMy parents are gonna kill me.ö
But he had a few more things to do before he was done.
XxXXxX
It wasnÆt until hours later that Andromon noticed something odd.
The numbers werenÆt adding up like they were supposed to.
He was missing some of his Guardromon.
No, not some.
He was missing a lot of Guardromon.
He hadnÆt really noticed at firstùor rather, despite noticing that there were less Guardromon than he would have expected, heÆd just figured that they were in some other part of the city.
But the longer heÆd worked, the more he noticed their absence and the more it bothered him.
Eventually, it bothered him so much that he stopped working on the Guardromon and began searching the city for his missing charges.
He didnÆt find them.
He searched the city in person, he scanned it through the cityÆs security systems, and he even scanned it again with his own power, but he didnÆt find them.
Dozens of Guardromon were missing and he had no idea where they could be.
His suspicion immediately turned to the Kaiser. He was the enemy, after all, and this area had only just been removed from his control. He was the obvious suspect.
Butà
How?
How could he have removed all those Guardromon without anyone noticing?
And more importantly, why?
It might have made sense if heÆd known that the city was about to be freed and heÆd decided that heÆd remove as many of his servants from the area as he could before the Tower was destroyed and they were freed.
But he had no way of knowing that.
Things had been going his way until the end! Andromon wasnÆt proud of it by any means, but heÆd been crushing the Chosen before Hikari had managed to get through to him!
Rather than removing his forces, wouldnÆt it have made more sense to crush his opponent while he could?
And even more than that, why only a few Guardromon? He was glad to be free of the Kaiser, but from a logical standpoint, wouldnÆt he be the preferred choice? DidnÆt it make sense to make him leave if the city was about to be freed? Or, at least, to æsaveÆ more Guardromon?
And how would he have æsavedÆ them, anyway? HeÆd need to have removed them from the city and transported them to another area controlled by the Dark Towers. That meant at least getting them out of the city. By the time things had taken a turn for the worse for the Kaiser, was there really enough time left for him to do that?
He doubted it. After Hikari had gotten through to him, things had happened very quickly. Even if the Kaiser had noticed immediately that something was wrong, he would have had, at most, minutes to do something about it before the Tower fell.
Not much time for a group of Guardromon that had been hunting the Chosen in the middle of the city to escape.
And even if he had noticed the problem that early, wouldnÆt it have made more sense to have done something about it? Like, have those Guardromon attack the Chosen.
If they could have left the city, then they could have circled around the block and pulled a sneak attack.
No, things werenÆt adding up. The Kaiser didnÆt make sense as the culprit; he didnÆt have the time, he didnÆt have the means, and he didnÆt even have a reason.
So the disappearance of the Guardromon didnÆt make senseù
A thought dawned on Andromon.
It didnÆt make senseà
At least, not if you started from the position that the Kaiser did it.
And but a moment after the thought crossed his mind, it began.
He came in silence.
He gave no statement of intention; no declaration of battle.
He did not even demand surrender.
Predators did not give such things to their prey.
A pillar of fire cut through the night sky and hit Andromon without warning and the hunt began.
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
The blast lifted Andromon from his feet and threw him down the street.
In a fraction of a second, his back connected with the wall of a building.
For moment, that instant in which he was caught between fire and steel, it seemed as if Andromon would be stopped by the impact.
Then the moment ended and he crashed violently through the wall. He flew once more through empty space before crashing intoùthroughùanother wall into a hallway, across it, through another wall, through another room, through one final wall, and out into another street.
He flew further, even as the blast finally ran out of power and released him. He connected with the ground moments later, hitting it with a resounding and painful clang, but his forward momentum didnÆt let him stop there. He bounced across the surface of the road like a rock across a lake, continuing all the way down the length of the street, and finally coming to a halt after connecting with another building on the far side of it with enough force to crack the outer wall.
For a moment, Andromon laid there, silent and unmoving.
Then he moved slightly, focusing on something far beyond the range of human vision. Through the smoke and the dust and the still falling debris, he could see something. He didnÆt know what, except that it was big and red and had just attacked him.
But then, that was all he really needed to know to see where this was going.
He rolled over onto his hands and knees after confirming that a follow up attack wasnÆt immediate. Either his opponent was waiting for something or he didnÆt have the same visual perception Andromon was gifted with.
There was really no way to tell, though Andromon suspected the latter, simply because he didnÆt see anything in particular to wait for.
Either way, he probably couldnÆt do this.
With his hands on the ground, he extended his senses into the Digital World beneath him.
It took only seconds to find what he needed.
Two beings he didnÆt recognize were moving through the city.
One was so large and heavy that it could only be a Digimon.
The otherà
It could be a small humanoid Digimon; Andromon couldnÆt think of anyone in particular that both fit that description and would be likely to be here, but in the Digital World, as a rule, anything was possible and dismissing possibilities out of hand was technically classified as æstupid and dangerous.Æ
However, if Andromon had to guessà
HeÆd say it was a human child.
And he could only think of one human child that had any reason to attack him.
The Kaiser.
The issue of the missing Guardromon was quickly filed away and shoved into the back of his mind.
The Kaiser was here and judging from the sheer power of that blow, heÆd brought powerful company.
Possibly even a perfect like himself.
But that didnÆt matter.
If the Kaiser was here, who heÆd brought with him didnÆt matter.
Why he was here didnÆt matter.
Even the fact that he was a human child didnÆt matteràdid it?
Andromon thought about what heÆd done to the Guardromon.
What heÆd done to the city.
What heÆd done to the Digital World.
What heÆd done to Andromon himself.
Steel finger cracked the ground beneath them.
No.
It didnÆt matter at all.
Twice now, heÆd nearly killed humans. His friends, even.
Once under the control of DevimonÆs Black Gear.
And again, just earlier this day, his will stolen by the boy now within his reach.
The boy had been willing to kill Hikari and her friend and willing to use him as the weapon to do it!
HeÆd nearly killed his friends twice under the control of others.
He could kill this boy of his own free will.
He didnÆt like to kill.
But he knew when it needed to be done.
HeÆd been willing to fight and kill those that served the Dark Masters.
What difference did it make that this foe was flesh and blood or came from another world?
His will decided, Andromon rose to his feet.
Maybe it was just his perspective as a Cyborg Digimon, butà
Flesh was born to die.
He looked at the metal parts of his body with a careful, noting all signs of damage. He flexed his fingers, then, observing how one of the most important systems of his bodyùhis main weaponùresponded to his will. A quick roll of his shoulders determined the state of his swinging arm, even as a quick check of his chest plate tested his secondary weapons condition.
All systems operational.
Andromon tilted his head to the side then, cracking his neck for no reason other than the fact he could.
ôOw,ö He said. ôThat hurt.ö
There was nothing in his voice to imply this was true and the Kaiser probably couldnÆt hear him anyway.
ôBut enough about me,ö He continued.
His hand became a storm of motion as it suddenly began rotating at tremendous speeds.
ôLetÆs talk about you. Spiral Sword!ö
XxXXxX
ôHoly!ö Takato exclaimed at the sight.
The blade of energy cut through the building Andromon had crashed through as easily as it had gone through the air before it.
In its wake, the Building was cleanly split diagonally and was in the process of falling. Not only that, but the blade continued through the building without even slowing down.
Takato frowned after a moment.
Had Andromon been that strong down in the sewers? Takato didnÆt think so; an attack like that would have killed Guilmon. Well, it had been a cut scene, butà
ôYou bastardàwere you holding back?ö
Well, maybe he was just fighting off the control of the Evil ring, but it didnÆt really matter one way or another; the result was the same.
ôàHmph. So what? It doesnÆt change anything.ö
It didnÆt.
Becauseà
Andromon may have been holding back a little bit in the sewersà
Butà
So had they.
XxXXxX
AndromonÆs feet connected with the side of the building just as it began to fall, he moved so fast. He rode the tilting building down, feeling a hint of satisfaction as it shook when it connected with something.
A fraction of a second later, he was forced to slide back a step as a massive red arm broke through the building, grasping claws reaching for the Cyborg Digimon.
He narrowed his eyes and grabbed the offending limb with both hands. Planting his feet and twisting his hips, the Perfect Digimon turned away, pulling the arm over his shoulder. He grit his teeth and, with a mighty heave, tore his opponent straight through the Building, smashing his back into the side of the building at the same time the Building hit the ground.
The force of the impacts proved too much form it and it immediately collapsed beneath the two Digimon.
Even as the building broke apart beneath his feet, AndromonÆs focus was still on his opponent.
His first thought was as simple as it was frightening.
I have no idea who this is.
Andromon wasnÆt arrogant enough to think he knew every Digimon in the Digital World, even with his data banks. That was nigh-impossible, because new Digimon species appeared with some frequency.
Even so, it was always a bit unnerving to meet a Digimon you didnÆt recognize from the first time.
And when that first time consisted of said Digimon trying to kill you, it was flat-out dangerous.
As such, he immediately gathered as much information as he could.
Large, Andromon noted. Very large, and likely very strong as well; considering its musculature, it was probably strong, even for its size. Reptilian, as well, reminding Andromon briefly of the Greymon species.
But that was where the similarities ended.
It had no helmet, as the Greymon line often did, though he had a head of white hair that reminded him distantly of MetalGreymon. His skin was red and his build was slimmer than GreymonÆs. His body was wrapped in black band-like tattoos, some of which glowed with Digital Code.
But the feature that most firmly distinguished him from Greymon in AndromonÆs eyes, were the creatureÆs own. Large, yellow, catlike eyes that glimmered with something dark.
It was at that moment that Andromon noticed the beast had no Evil Ring.
As if in response to that realization, the beast gave him a smile with far too many teeth.
For a moment, time seemed to halt as Andromon and the creature faced each other, airborne in the middle of a collapsing building.
Then the unknown Digimon opened its mouth and Andromon could see the red glow at the back of its throat.
It didnÆt really surprise Andromon, since heÆd been on the receiving end of this attack already, but knowing the exact source of the flames was useful. He added it to the mental list he was making about things to watch out for.
Known weaponry: Claws, teeth, and the ability to exhale fire. Possible weaponry: those bladelike protrusions on its arms and its tail.
Even so, Andromon wasnÆt worried. He would grant that this Digimon was large and probably strong, but that didnÆt matter. The Digital World wasnÆt so simple a place as to equate size and power; the biggest, strongest looking Digimon werenÆt necessarily actually the strongest.
Point of fact, they generally werenÆt the strongest.
That wasnÆt to say this Digimon wasnÆt powerful, but if he was, it was because of his own power, not because of his size or shape.
Andromon wouldnÆt be intimidated by size alone.
So when it looked like he would be on the receiving end of an attack that had already sent him crashing through walls and streets, Andromon didnÆt flinch.
He moved forward.
Pulling on the arm he still held, he pulled himself closer to his opponent, and then past him, flinging himself downwards and covering the remaining distance to the ground before his opponent could unleash his attack.
AndromonÆs feet slammed into the ground at the same a tremendous blast of fire rent the night sky. The force of connecting with the ground drove Andromon into a crouch, which he immediately made use of by jumping, returning the way he came.
His metal foot slammed into the beastÆs stomach, knocking him even higher into the air and literally knocking the breath out of himùalong with a tremendous gout of fire.
Andromon didnÆt stop there, though; if an opponent was in a bad position, following up was natural.
His hand immediately began spinning.
Above him, the KaiserÆs monster was spinning end over end, completely off guard.
Perfect.
ôSpiral Sword!ö
The blade of energy exploded out of the ruins of the building and streaked towards his target.
Flipping through the air, end over end, the monster should have had no chance of countering or avoiding.
It did so anyway.
ôFire Blaster!ö It said, coughing out a blast of flame when the blast was close. Even Andromon felt the force of the resulting explosion as the attacks cancelled each other out. The monster itself, airborne as it was, was simply tossed away, out of AndromonÆs sight.
The Cyborg
quickly followed, jumping out of the wreckage and into the streets.
At first glance, his target was nowhere to be seen.
Then he lifted his eyes.
The red Reptile æstoodÆ on the side of a building, standing on all fours. His claws had sunk deeply into the metal and heÆd gripped handfuls of it as if he were kneading dough.
Their eyes met before the larger of the pair snarled.
ôDragon Spine!ö
XxXXxX
Growmon ignored the feeling of his hairs removing themselves. It didnÆt really hurt; it just felt unusual, just like the sensation of the new hair rapidly growing in their place.
The hairs glowed white and hardened, floating in midair for a long moment before an effort of will threw them forth.
The lethal hairs streaked through the air towards their target. Andromon quickly moved backwards, showing his experience.
The unwritten rule of the Digital World was that appearances could be deceiving.
In GrowmonÆs eyes, his Tamer and Creator embodied this rule.
But it applied to Digimon Attacks just as it applied to everything else; just because something happened to look weak had absolutely nothing to do with whether it was strong or not.
The hairs drilled themselves into the ground after missing their target. A moment later, they were goneùnot because they had faded away, but because they had cut so deeply into the surface that their entire length was hidden.
Growmon wasnÆt particularly bothered by the fact that theyÆd missed; he hadnÆt really expected them to land.
TheyÆd served their intended purpose wonderfully.
While Andromon was briefly distracted by the attack, Growmon was already following up.
He felt the power gather in his throat. He knew, logically, that it was extremely hotùit was fire, after allùbut he felt none of its heat.
Even so, it was uncomfortable. The power gathered in his throat grew and grew until he felt like his entire neck would blow apart.
Of course, he knew that would never happen. His throat wouldnÆt be affected in the slightest. It was just his mind interpreting the data of the sensation into something he understood.
It meant that he was æfully charged.Æ
He unleashed the built up power with a roar, splitting the sky with fire once more.
ôExhaust Flame!ö
Andromon saw it coming, but that didnÆt mean he could simply dodge. Growmon had timed his attack well and the Cyborg was in mid-step and off balance.
Even so, a Perfect would not be so easily defeated.
ôGatling Missile!ö
His chest plate opened and released a pair of his signature missilesù
Which curved in midair and hit the ground a few meters away.
The resulting explosion was immense and its concussive force threw Andromon through the air.
More specifically, it threw him right out of the line of attack.
Growmon narrowed his eyes.
That moveùquickly deciding on which attack to take and which to avoid, judging the best place to cause an explosion that would throw him out of the line of fire but not hurt him badly, responding so quickly to the mere sight of GrowmonÆs attackùit wasnÆt something heÆd made up on the fly.
That was the countermeasure Andromon had decided on for his Exhaust Flame.
That told Growmon several things; that having felt the attack once before, Andromon had no desire to do so again. Moreover, having felt it once before, Andromon had decided he would rather risk a nearby explosion than feel it again.
Growmon took a bit of pride in that fact, but it faded quickly. Because not only had Andromon decided that; heÆd been able to make it work. HeÆd judged the pros and cons and decided on his course of actionùto dodge via an explosion. HeÆd then calculated the exact positioning needed for the explosion to avoid personal harm while allowing for a quick dodge. HeÆd proceeded to prove the success of said tactic in a stressful situation, in response to a surprise attack.
And heÆd done all of this in the midst of battle.
Growmon considered that.
Perhaps he should have felt afraid.
But he didnÆt.
He was his CreatorÆs weapon and Takato wanted Andromon dead. So Growmon wouldnÆt back down, even if it meant he would die.
It did, however, mean that his most powerful attack would be largely useless in this battle, at least under normal circumstances.
XxXXxX
Andromon twisted in midair with the precision only a Digimon could have, turning his flight into a skillful landing.
Even having minimized the impact of the blast as much as possible, the explosion had hurtùa sign of his power as a Perfect level Digimon.
It was even more telling that he preferred such pain to feeling his opponents attack again.
Andromon frowned thoughtfully. He couldnÆt be sure, as he didnÆt recognize his opponent, butà
He was definitely Perfect level in power.
So the Kaiser had the power of another Perfect on his side.
àThat was very bad.
The Chosen had managed to survive him, in that Hikari had brought him to his senses. However, even before that, heÆd been resisting the KaiserÆs control.
Even so, theyÆd been left with no choice but to run or die.
Well, perhaps that wasnÆt completely true.
Prior to his deployment, all of the Chosen had exhausted themselves battling the Guardromon. Most of them had managed to flee and come back a few hours later, a bit restedùthough there was only so much that one could recover in the space of a few hours. Hikari, Takato, and their partners, on the other hand, had been forced to continue to run.
So, Andromon would be fair. The Chosen had been weaker than him when they were all exhausted.
Perhaps if they were all well rested, they could fight him even at his full poweràthough that was only a maybe, as it was unsupported by any actual evidence, as the new Chosen, to his knowledge, had never fought an actual Perfect.
It was just as possible that they were weaker, even then.
Which made this opponent so dangerous.
If the Kaiser truly had a servant with the power of a Perfect, the Chosen were in very real danger. Andromon couldnÆt say who would win that fight, which basically meant that his friendÆs survival relied completely on chance and luck.
Even if it was possible theyÆd be victorious, Andromon didnÆt want to bet the lives of a group of children in what was basically a coin toss.
Not even the lives of children that had proven themselves.
Hell, especially not those children. More than warriors or the saviors of this world, they were his friends.
He absolutely could not allow this opponent to survive.
So he would fight with intent to kill and if pursuing that goal were to cost him his own life, then he was more than willing to sacrifice it.
He met his opponentÆs eyes despite the distance that separated them.
ôGatling Missile.ö He intoned.
He fired the missiles from his chest and the larger Digimon reacted immediately, releasing his hold on the side of the building and dropping to the streets below.
Andromon almost laughed.
As if dodging would be enough to save him.
The missiles immediately curved in midair, readjusting their course to head towards their moved target.
The massive beast sucked in a quick breath before spitting out three consecutive blasts of flame. Two connected with the missiles with pinpoint accuracy, impressing Andromon despite himself.
He didnÆt have much time to linger on the feeling, however, because the third ball was aimed at him.
His hand began to rotate again and when the ball had drawn close enough, he stuck his right hand into it and dispelled it, sweeping his arm to the side as he did so.
ôSpiral Sword.ö
The blade covered the distance between then in a second.
But even that was more than enough time to allow his opponent to react.
The blades on his arms extended and glowed brightly as they were covered in plasma. He quickly brought his arms up to slice through AndromonÆs attack.
When he brought his arms back down, the torrential gout of fire that was his strongest attack gathered in the DragonÆs throat.
Andromon was ready to react the moment he saw it, but what the beast did next surprised him.
He released the attack as he swept his head from one side to the other.
And with that one motion, every building near Andromon came crashing down.
In the seconds he had before he was buried beneath the falling rubble, Andromon quickly searched for escape routes and found only one.
And at that moment, he realized his opponentÆs plan.
The only path to æsafetyÆ took him straight towards his enemy.
XxXXxX
Growmon knew Andromon had noticed what heÆd done. He wasnÆt surprised or disappointed, either; that had been the idea. And he hadnÆt actually tried to hide his intentions, either; only AndromonÆs side of the street had been damaged by his Exhaust Flameùhis own side was completely untouched.
He had never intended to trick Andromon into doing somethingùhe was going to force the Perfect to obey his will.
And indeed, the Cyborg began to run towards him.
Growmon opened his mouth and drew in a deep, deep breath.
Andromon had figured out a way to dodge his Exhaust Flame, regardless of his own positionùheÆd knock himself to the side with an explosion and avoid the blast completely.
But what if dodging to the side meant being buried alive beneath a mountain of rubble?
If you couldnÆt move backwards and you couldnÆt to the side, then the only directions left were forward, up, and down.
And Andromon couldnÆt dig, much less fly.
Of course, the dangers of moving forward were obvious, but if he let himself be trapped beneath the rubble, Growmon was more than willing to kick him while he was down.
He was a Demon Dragon. He didnÆt have to fight fair.
With a roar, he unleashed a river of fire.
He was ready for Andromon to try to dodge. He figured heÆd probably try jumping over him, since dodging around him was unlikely to work; he was big, but in this wide street he could always just turn with Ardromon as he tried to move past him and that required him to get fairly close to the blades on his arms. Rolling under him seemed fairly cartoony, and with his tail it wouldnÆt work anyway.
Andromon would probably rely on the fact that there was only so far back that he could throw his head. Andromon would be right.
But he would also be surprised. He didnÆt need to see behind him; he could fire his Dragon Spine without looking, if he needed to. It wouldnÆt beat Andromon, but it would distract him long enough for him to turn around, and when he did so, he fully intended to cut the Cyborg to pieces with an assault of Plasma Blades.
But Andromon surprised him.
Instead of trying to dodge, he faced Growmon head on, running straight for the mouth of the beast.
For a moment, Growmon was surprised, not understanding the action. Did Andromon think he could go through him without being hurt?
No, he wasnÆt that stupid. Growmon had more than proven his own strength.
And yet, the Perfect Digimon was still charging him.
For a fraction of a second, Growmon entertained the thought of his opponent having gone insane and just as quickly threw the thought away. HeÆd proven himself, but so had Andromon. He was dangerously intelligent.
But then why?
And suddenly, he understood.
Andromon knew he couldnÆt get to safety. Just as Growmon respected him, in his own way, Andromon also respected his opponent. He knew that there wasnÆt any easy way around this attack and so didnÆt even bother trying to dodge past him.
Instead, heÆd decided on something else.
If he could not dodge the attack, then he would meet it with all of his strength.
GrowmonÆs feral yellow eyes gleamed brightly with excitement.
He would meet the challenge head on.
HeÆd already acknowledged Andromon and this did nothing but reaffirm his respect.
Andromon was a worthy opponent.
Worthy to fight and worthy to die.
XxXXxX
Avoiding damage was impossible.
Andromon realized that the second GrowmonÆs attack tore through the buildings around him.
HeÆd fallen into a trap and escaping uninjured wasnÆt going to be an option.
ThatÆs why it was a trap.
But if the only option was to get injured, then it was obvious what he had to do.
He had to make sure that his opponent got hurt worse than he did.
So he ignored all the æescape routesÆ which took him too close to the Dragon to be anything but another trap. Instead, he threw himself into the throw with calm resolve.
He saw his enemyÆs eyes widen.
He saw them narrow again in understanding.
And most importantly of all, he saw the fire building between its jaws.
He knew what was about to happen would hurt.
He knew that it might even kill him.
Butà
He didnÆt care.
His hand began to spin furiously as he funneled as much of his power as he could into it. He pushed his mechanical parts to their utmost limits as he drew nearer to his target.
He wanted to get a close as he possibly could before he attacked, knowing that this clash could decide the battle.
At this range, he couldnÆt possibly missùnot completely, at least. Even an attempt to dodge would just mean the attack would hit somewhere else.
WhatÆs more, at point blank range, his attack would be at its most powerful.
He thought the beast knew that as well, because he allowed him to draw closer and closer still.
He was five steps away when the clash began.
He drew back his blade, ready to bring it down and end things. The monster unleashed his own power with a roar that, at this range, Andromon felt as much as heard. The wave of fire swallowed up the distance between them in an instant.
Andromon could have brought down his arm and contested the attack with his own.
But doing that would have done nothing but proven whose attack had the greater power and Andromon had nothing to guarantee that the winner would be him.
So he didnÆt.
He didnÆt even try to dodge. At this distance, heÆd never make it and trying would have done nothing but ruin his plan, anyway.
Instead, he brought up his other arm and took the attack on a Chrome Digizoid covered forearm.
In the moments after the impact, Andromon felt no heat. He felt nothing that even implied that he was blocking fire.
All he felt was a force that he felt could have shaken mountains.
That force that had thrown him through buildings like he weighed nothingàit hurt so much more at this range.
It could have blasted him away again, in any other situation.
But this was why heÆd purposefully gotten so close.
HeÆd put himself in a position where the blast couldnÆt take him straight on. HeÆd be washed away by the attack like a leaf in a river.
But with him this close, the much larger Digimon had to aim at him at an angle. The force was still the same, but he was being pushed against the ground rather than mere air.
It hurt a lot moreùlike he was being flattened.
But Chrome Digizoid was made of stronger stuff than that.
Slowly, Andromon straightened against the torrent of flame.
It was then that he began to feel the heat. Chrome Digizoid was incredibly strongàbut it was still a metal. It was a very good conductor of heat. It could even melt, it if got hot enough.
Andromon hoped it wouldnÆt get that hot. He had no experience with melting while still alive and heÆd be perfectly happy to keep it that way.
He took a step forward, fighting against the tide. He was closeùmaybe four steps away, but against this much force, every inch seemed like a mile.
He took another step as the heat made his armor glow red.
With his third step, the organic parts of his body began to ignite, setting his nerves on literal fire.
When he took his fourth step, he carefully turned his body to shield his still spinning arm. Even if the rest of his body boiled and burned, he had to at least keep that part safe, or it all would be for nothing.
He took the final step and was in position.
But he still couldnÆt attack. Not as long as the torrent of flames lasted. The sheer force would counteract most of the attack and he had to make this count.
So he had to either stop the attack or wait it out.
He chose the one that didnÆt involve staying on fire for who knows how long.
He lifted the arm he was using to shield himself.
ôGrasp Hang.ö
His left arm extended suddenly, plunging through the fire with tremendous speed, right into its source.
Into the mouth of the beast.
The attack ended with a sudden choking sound. The beast seemed stunned to have an arm of heated Chrome Digizoid shoved into his mouth.
Andromon saw his chance and took it, leaping forward with all his strength.
The beastÆs jaws closed down suddenly on the arm and began crushing it between them.
Andromon didnÆt pay it any mindùheÆd known from the beginning that heÆd probably lose his arm.
He brought his spinning hand up for the attack.
His opponentÆs yellow eyes widened in sudden realization andù
Andromon could have smiled.
Fear. He understood what was about to happen and he was scared.
Even so, the creature brought up his two massive arms in a futile defense as Andromon brought down his arm.
A moment later, two objects hit the ground and exploded into data.
The monster looked at the stumps of his arms in disbelieving shock.
And then he began to scream.
XxXXxX
Growmon was nearly blinded by pain. It was hard to even describe and he had nothing to compare it to.
He was sure how a human would have felt it. He was vaguely aware of the concepts of bones and nervous systems, but he had no such thing himself. He didnÆt know how a human would have felt the same wound, or how it would have felt to have flesh, muscle, and bone cut through.
Maybe it would have hurt even more than this.
Maybe it would have been nothing in comparison.
He didnÆt know.
All he knew was that he didnÆt need a nervous system to transmit information to his æbrainÆùor rather, as a completely digital life forms, every part of his body was capable of transmitting such information.
He felt the pain over every inch of the wound. For a few extraordinarily long moments, he even felt the other side of his arms, the side that had been severed, still transmitting data easily through the equally digital air that separated him from them.
It was almost a relief when they exploded into data, simply because it nearly halved the pain. He loaded the data almost unconsciously, distantly remembering the value of data, but it did nothing to heal the wound.
He couldnÆt focus, couldnÆt see, couldnÆt even thinkù
So he fell right into AndromonÆs trap.
If he had been in a more rational state of mind, he would have realized the truth. He would have figured out that while the loss of his arms was horrible and crippling, heÆd accomplished his intended goal and survived an attack that could have been lethal. HeÆd have realized that while the loss might have cost him the battle, it had not cost him the war.
HeÆd have realized that he needed to fall back and return later.
By losing his arms, his TamerÆs plan would have fallen apartùbut so what?
Plans did that sometimes.
Even he knew that.
Moreover, there would be other plans and other days. After heÆd healed, he could have returned to combat Andromon another day. He might be too late to prevent Andromon from telling the TamerÆs of his existence, but if he had thought about it rationally, heÆd have realized Andromon didnÆt know anything. Not even his name.
Any following attacks on the Perfect level would be more difficultùheÆd be ready, prepared, and likely have help.
But difficult was not the same as impossible.
He could wait days, weeks, even months if need be, biding his time in the secluded regions of the Digital World, preying on Digimon that wouldnÆt be missed, getting stronger all the while.
If he hadnÆt been blinded by his defeat, he would have realized that heÆd fought well today. This fight had been closeùif things had been different, it could have been Andromon who lost.
HeÆd fought equal to a Perfect today.
If he were to grow even further in strength, the next time they fought, victory would be his for the taking.
If he was calm, if he wasnÆt in so much pain, if his arms hadnÆt been lost, if defeat hadnÆt seemed so certainà
He might have realized all of that.
But here and now, he was engulfed in pain that seemed without end and a defeat which seemed unassailable.
When Andromon, almost as weakened and injured as Growmon himself, stepped forward, moving to end the fight quickly before his opponent could recover or realize the damage heÆd caused his opponent, Growmon didnÆt even see him, such was his pain.
But that had been the trap.
When Growmon first moved to defend himself, Andromon realized a lethal blow was impossible.
He hadnÆt even bothered aiming for one, after that acknowledgement.
The simple truth of battle was that half of it was fought in the mind.
The winner of a fight wasnÆt necessarily the stronger fighter. A more powerful opponent could be brought down by any number of things.
A moment of distraction or hesitance.
A flash of uncertainty or fear.
Or perhaps, just a great deal of pain.
If something hurts enough, then most people will stop. Even if itÆs not lethal, even if itÆs not even cripplingùif it hurts enough, it can make someone stop.
It was easy to say that one could fight on, even if they lost both their arms, or legs, or an eye.
Actually doing so, however, is another matter.
Even for those who could ignore the pain, their ability to act affectively would naturally plummet.
Andromon didnÆt need an attack that killed in a single blow.
If his opponent couldnÆt defend himself against the following attack, a death in two blows was fine, too.
And Growmon couldnÆt defend himself in his state.
He didnÆt even acknowledge the attack at all.
Butà
ôSpiral Sword!ö
That was okay.
It was okay that Growmon wasnÆt in his right mind.
It was okay that he was distracted and lost in his own pain.
It was okay that he couldnÆt respond to the attack on his own.
Because it didnÆt matter.
Because there was something that Andromon didnÆt know when he began to fight Growmon.
He was out numbered.
So it was okay that Growmon raised no defense.
He didnÆt need to.
XxXXxX
ôCard Slash! Meramon!ö
XxXXxX
The blast lifted Andromon from his feet and threw him down the street.
In a fraction of a second, his back connected with the wall of a building.
For moment, that instant in which he was caught between fire and steel, it seemed as if Andromon would be stopped by the impact.
Then the moment ended and he crashed violently through the wall. He flew once more through empty space before crashing intoùthroughùanother wall into a hallway, across it, through another wall, through another room, through one final wall, and out into another street.
He flew further, even as the blast finally ran out of power and released him. He connected with the ground moments later, hitting it with a resounding and painful clang, but his forward momentum didnÆt let him stop there. He bounced across the surface of the road like a rock across a lake, continuing all the way down the length of the street, and finally coming to a halt after connecting with another building on the far side of it with enough force to crack the outer wall.
For a moment, Andromon laid there, silent and unmoving.
Then he moved slightly, focusing on something far beyond the range of human vision. Through the smoke and the dust and the still falling debris, he could see something. He didnÆt know what, except that it was big and red and had just attacked him.
But then, that was all he really needed to know to see where this was going.
He rolled over onto his hands and knees after confirming that a follow up attack wasnÆt immediate. Either his opponent was waiting for something or he didnÆt have the same visual perception Andromon was gifted with.
There was really no way to tell, though Andromon suspected the latter, simply because he didnÆt see anything in particular to wait for.
Either way, he probably couldnÆt do this.
With his hands on the ground, he extended his senses into the Digital World beneath him.
It took only seconds to find what he needed.
Two beings he didnÆt recognize were moving through the city.
One was so large and heavy that it could only be a Digimon.
The otherà
It could be a small humanoid Digimon; Andromon couldnÆt think of anyone in particular that both fit that description and would be likely to be here, but in the Digital World, as a rule, anything was possible and dismissing possibilities out of hand was technically classified as æstupid and dangerous.Æ
However, if Andromon had to guessà
HeÆd say it was a human child.
And he could only think of one human child that had any reason to attack him.
The Kaiser.
The issue of the missing Guardromon was quickly filed away and shoved into the back of his mind.
The Kaiser was here and judging from the sheer power of that blow, heÆd brought powerful company.
Possibly even a perfect like himself.
But that didnÆt matter.
If the Kaiser was here, who heÆd brought with him didnÆt matter.
Why he was here didnÆt matter.
Even the fact that he was a human child didnÆt matteràdid it?
Andromon thought about what heÆd done to the Guardromon.
What heÆd done to the city.
What heÆd done to the Digital World.
What heÆd done to Andromon himself.
Steel finger cracked the ground beneath them.
No.
It didnÆt matter at all.
Twice now, heÆd nearly killed humans. His friends, even.
Once under the control of DevimonÆs Black Gear.
And again, just earlier this day, his will stolen by the boy now within his reach.
The boy had been willing to kill Hikari and her friend and willing to use him as the weapon to do it!
HeÆd nearly killed his friends twice under the control of others.
He could kill this boy of his own free will.
He didnÆt like to kill.
But he knew when it needed to be done.
HeÆd been willing to fight and kill those that served the Dark Masters.
What difference did it make that this foe was flesh and blood or came from another world?
His will decided, Andromon rose to his feet.
Maybe it was just his perspective as a Cyborg Digimon, butà
Flesh was born to die.
He looked at the metal parts of his body with a careful, noting all signs of damage. He flexed his fingers, then, observing how one of the most important systems of his bodyùhis main weaponùresponded to his will. A quick roll of his shoulders determined the state of his swinging arm, even as a quick check of his chest plate tested his secondary weapons condition.
All systems operational.
Andromon tilted his head to the side then, cracking his neck for no reason other than the fact he could.
ôOw,ö He said. ôThat hurt.ö
There was nothing in his voice to imply this was true and the Kaiser probably couldnÆt hear him anyway.
ôBut enough about me,ö He continued.
His hand became a storm of motion as it suddenly began rotating at tremendous speeds.
ôLetÆs talk about you. Spiral Sword!ö
XxXXxX
ôHoly!ö Takato exclaimed at the sight.
The blade of energy cut through the building Andromon had crashed through as easily as it had gone through the air before it.
In its wake, the Building was cleanly split diagonally and was in the process of falling. Not only that, but the blade continued through the building without even slowing down.
Takato frowned after a moment.
Had Andromon been that strong down in the sewers? Takato didnÆt think so; an attack like that would have killed Guilmon. Well, it had been a cut scene, butà
ôYou bastardàwere you holding back?ö
Well, maybe he was just fighting off the control of the Evil ring, but it didnÆt really matter one way or another; the result was the same.
ôàHmph. So what? It doesnÆt change anything.ö
It didnÆt.
Becauseà
Andromon may have been holding back a little bit in the sewersà
Butà
So had they.
XxXXxX
AndromonÆs feet connected with the side of the building just as it began to fall, he moved so fast. He rode the tilting building down, feeling a hint of satisfaction as it shook when it connected with something.
A fraction of a second later, he was forced to slide back a step as a massive red arm broke through the building, grasping claws reaching for the Cyborg Digimon.
He narrowed his eyes and grabbed the offending limb with both hands. Planting his feet and twisting his hips, the Perfect Digimon turned away, pulling the arm over his shoulder. He grit his teeth and, with a mighty heave, tore his opponent straight through the Building, smashing his back into the side of the building at the same time the Building hit the ground.
The force of the impacts proved too much form it and it immediately collapsed beneath the two Digimon.
Even as the building broke apart beneath his feet, AndromonÆs focus was still on his opponent.
His first thought was as simple as it was frightening.
I have no idea who this is.
Andromon wasnÆt arrogant enough to think he knew every Digimon in the Digital World, even with his data banks. That was nigh-impossible, because new Digimon species appeared with some frequency.
Even so, it was always a bit unnerving to meet a Digimon you didnÆt recognize from the first time.
And when that first time consisted of said Digimon trying to kill you, it was flat-out dangerous.
As such, he immediately gathered as much information as he could.
Large, Andromon noted. Very large, and likely very strong as well; considering its musculature, it was probably strong, even for its size. Reptilian, as well, reminding Andromon briefly of the Greymon species.
But that was where the similarities ended.
It had no helmet, as the Greymon line often did, though he had a head of white hair that reminded him distantly of MetalGreymon. His skin was red and his build was slimmer than GreymonÆs. His body was wrapped in black band-like tattoos, some of which glowed with Digital Code.
But the feature that most firmly distinguished him from Greymon in AndromonÆs eyes, were the creatureÆs own. Large, yellow, catlike eyes that glimmered with something dark.
It was at that moment that Andromon noticed the beast had no Evil Ring.
As if in response to that realization, the beast gave him a smile with far too many teeth.
For a moment, time seemed to halt as Andromon and the creature faced each other, airborne in the middle of a collapsing building.
Then the unknown Digimon opened its mouth and Andromon could see the red glow at the back of its throat.
It didnÆt really surprise Andromon, since heÆd been on the receiving end of this attack already, but knowing the exact source of the flames was useful. He added it to the mental list he was making about things to watch out for.
Known weaponry: Claws, teeth, and the ability to exhale fire. Possible weaponry: those bladelike protrusions on its arms and its tail.
Even so, Andromon wasnÆt worried. He would grant that this Digimon was large and probably strong, but that didnÆt matter. The Digital World wasnÆt so simple a place as to equate size and power; the biggest, strongest looking Digimon werenÆt necessarily actually the strongest.
Point of fact, they generally werenÆt the strongest.
That wasnÆt to say this Digimon wasnÆt powerful, but if he was, it was because of his own power, not because of his size or shape.
Andromon wouldnÆt be intimidated by size alone.
So when it looked like he would be on the receiving end of an attack that had already sent him crashing through walls and streets, Andromon didnÆt flinch.
He moved forward.
Pulling on the arm he still held, he pulled himself closer to his opponent, and then past him, flinging himself downwards and covering the remaining distance to the ground before his opponent could unleash his attack.
AndromonÆs feet slammed into the ground at the same a tremendous blast of fire rent the night sky. The force of connecting with the ground drove Andromon into a crouch, which he immediately made use of by jumping, returning the way he came.
His metal foot slammed into the beastÆs stomach, knocking him even higher into the air and literally knocking the breath out of himùalong with a tremendous gout of fire.
Andromon didnÆt stop there, though; if an opponent was in a bad position, following up was natural.
His hand immediately began spinning.
Above him, the KaiserÆs monster was spinning end over end, completely off guard.
Perfect.
ôSpiral Sword!ö
The blade of energy exploded out of the ruins of the building and streaked towards his target.
Flipping through the air, end over end, the monster should have had no chance of countering or avoiding.
It did so anyway.
ôFire Blaster!ö It said, coughing out a blast of flame when the blast was close. Even Andromon felt the force of the resulting explosion as the attacks cancelled each other out. The monster itself, airborne as it was, was simply tossed away, out of AndromonÆs sight.
The Cyborg
quickly followed, jumping out of the wreckage and into the streets.
At first glance, his target was nowhere to be seen.
Then he lifted his eyes.
The red Reptile æstoodÆ on the side of a building, standing on all fours. His claws had sunk deeply into the metal and heÆd gripped handfuls of it as if he were kneading dough.
Their eyes met before the larger of the pair snarled.
ôDragon Spine!ö
XxXXxX
Growmon ignored the feeling of his hairs removing themselves. It didnÆt really hurt; it just felt unusual, just like the sensation of the new hair rapidly growing in their place.
The hairs glowed white and hardened, floating in midair for a long moment before an effort of will threw them forth.
The lethal hairs streaked through the air towards their target. Andromon quickly moved backwards, showing his experience.
The unwritten rule of the Digital World was that appearances could be deceiving.
In GrowmonÆs eyes, his Tamer and Creator embodied this rule.
But it applied to Digimon Attacks just as it applied to everything else; just because something happened to look weak had absolutely nothing to do with whether it was strong or not.
The hairs drilled themselves into the ground after missing their target. A moment later, they were goneùnot because they had faded away, but because they had cut so deeply into the surface that their entire length was hidden.
Growmon wasnÆt particularly bothered by the fact that theyÆd missed; he hadnÆt really expected them to land.
TheyÆd served their intended purpose wonderfully.
While Andromon was briefly distracted by the attack, Growmon was already following up.
He felt the power gather in his throat. He knew, logically, that it was extremely hotùit was fire, after allùbut he felt none of its heat.
Even so, it was uncomfortable. The power gathered in his throat grew and grew until he felt like his entire neck would blow apart.
Of course, he knew that would never happen. His throat wouldnÆt be affected in the slightest. It was just his mind interpreting the data of the sensation into something he understood.
It meant that he was æfully charged.Æ
He unleashed the built up power with a roar, splitting the sky with fire once more.
ôExhaust Flame!ö
Andromon saw it coming, but that didnÆt mean he could simply dodge. Growmon had timed his attack well and the Cyborg was in mid-step and off balance.
Even so, a Perfect would not be so easily defeated.
ôGatling Missile!ö
His chest plate opened and released a pair of his signature missilesù
Which curved in midair and hit the ground a few meters away.
The resulting explosion was immense and its concussive force threw Andromon through the air.
More specifically, it threw him right out of the line of attack.
Growmon narrowed his eyes.
That moveùquickly deciding on which attack to take and which to avoid, judging the best place to cause an explosion that would throw him out of the line of fire but not hurt him badly, responding so quickly to the mere sight of GrowmonÆs attackùit wasnÆt something heÆd made up on the fly.
That was the countermeasure Andromon had decided on for his Exhaust Flame.
That told Growmon several things; that having felt the attack once before, Andromon had no desire to do so again. Moreover, having felt it once before, Andromon had decided he would rather risk a nearby explosion than feel it again.
Growmon took a bit of pride in that fact, but it faded quickly. Because not only had Andromon decided that; heÆd been able to make it work. HeÆd judged the pros and cons and decided on his course of actionùto dodge via an explosion. HeÆd then calculated the exact positioning needed for the explosion to avoid personal harm while allowing for a quick dodge. HeÆd proceeded to prove the success of said tactic in a stressful situation, in response to a surprise attack.
And heÆd done all of this in the midst of battle.
Growmon considered that.
Perhaps he should have felt afraid.
But he didnÆt.
He was his CreatorÆs weapon and Takato wanted Andromon dead. So Growmon wouldnÆt back down, even if it meant he would die.
It did, however, mean that his most powerful attack would be largely useless in this battle, at least under normal circumstances.
XxXXxX
Andromon twisted in midair with the precision only a Digimon could have, turning his flight into a skillful landing.
Even having minimized the impact of the blast as much as possible, the explosion had hurtùa sign of his power as a Perfect level Digimon.
It was even more telling that he preferred such pain to feeling his opponents attack again.
Andromon frowned thoughtfully. He couldnÆt be sure, as he didnÆt recognize his opponent, butà
He was definitely Perfect level in power.
So the Kaiser had the power of another Perfect on his side.
àThat was very bad.
The Chosen had managed to survive him, in that Hikari had brought him to his senses. However, even before that, heÆd been resisting the KaiserÆs control.
Even so, theyÆd been left with no choice but to run or die.
Well, perhaps that wasnÆt completely true.
Prior to his deployment, all of the Chosen had exhausted themselves battling the Guardromon. Most of them had managed to flee and come back a few hours later, a bit restedùthough there was only so much that one could recover in the space of a few hours. Hikari, Takato, and their partners, on the other hand, had been forced to continue to run.
So, Andromon would be fair. The Chosen had been weaker than him when they were all exhausted.
Perhaps if they were all well rested, they could fight him even at his full poweràthough that was only a maybe, as it was unsupported by any actual evidence, as the new Chosen, to his knowledge, had never fought an actual Perfect.
It was just as possible that they were weaker, even then.
Which made this opponent so dangerous.
If the Kaiser truly had a servant with the power of a Perfect, the Chosen were in very real danger. Andromon couldnÆt say who would win that fight, which basically meant that his friendÆs survival relied completely on chance and luck.
Even if it was possible theyÆd be victorious, Andromon didnÆt want to bet the lives of a group of children in what was basically a coin toss.
Not even the lives of children that had proven themselves.
Hell, especially not those children. More than warriors or the saviors of this world, they were his friends.
He absolutely could not allow this opponent to survive.
So he would fight with intent to kill and if pursuing that goal were to cost him his own life, then he was more than willing to sacrifice it.
He met his opponentÆs eyes despite the distance that separated them.
ôGatling Missile.ö He intoned.
He fired the missiles from his chest and the larger Digimon reacted immediately, releasing his hold on the side of the building and dropping to the streets below.
Andromon almost laughed.
As if dodging would be enough to save him.
The missiles immediately curved in midair, readjusting their course to head towards their moved target.
The massive beast sucked in a quick breath before spitting out three consecutive blasts of flame. Two connected with the missiles with pinpoint accuracy, impressing Andromon despite himself.
He didnÆt have much time to linger on the feeling, however, because the third ball was aimed at him.
His hand began to rotate again and when the ball had drawn close enough, he stuck his right hand into it and dispelled it, sweeping his arm to the side as he did so.
ôSpiral Sword.ö
The blade covered the distance between then in a second.
But even that was more than enough time to allow his opponent to react.
The blades on his arms extended and glowed brightly as they were covered in plasma. He quickly brought his arms up to slice through AndromonÆs attack.
When he brought his arms back down, the torrential gout of fire that was his strongest attack gathered in the DragonÆs throat.
Andromon was ready to react the moment he saw it, but what the beast did next surprised him.
He released the attack as he swept his head from one side to the other.
And with that one motion, every building near Andromon came crashing down.
In the seconds he had before he was buried beneath the falling rubble, Andromon quickly searched for escape routes and found only one.
And at that moment, he realized his opponentÆs plan.
The only path to æsafetyÆ took him straight towards his enemy.
XxXXxX
Growmon knew Andromon had noticed what heÆd done. He wasnÆt surprised or disappointed, either; that had been the idea. And he hadnÆt actually tried to hide his intentions, either; only AndromonÆs side of the street had been damaged by his Exhaust Flameùhis own side was completely untouched.
He had never intended to trick Andromon into doing somethingùhe was going to force the Perfect to obey his will.
And indeed, the Cyborg began to run towards him.
Growmon opened his mouth and drew in a deep, deep breath.
Andromon had figured out a way to dodge his Exhaust Flame, regardless of his own positionùheÆd knock himself to the side with an explosion and avoid the blast completely.
But what if dodging to the side meant being buried alive beneath a mountain of rubble?
If you couldnÆt move backwards and you couldnÆt to the side, then the only directions left were forward, up, and down.
And Andromon couldnÆt dig, much less fly.
Of course, the dangers of moving forward were obvious, but if he let himself be trapped beneath the rubble, Growmon was more than willing to kick him while he was down.
He was a Demon Dragon. He didnÆt have to fight fair.
With a roar, he unleashed a river of fire.
He was ready for Andromon to try to dodge. He figured heÆd probably try jumping over him, since dodging around him was unlikely to work; he was big, but in this wide street he could always just turn with Ardromon as he tried to move past him and that required him to get fairly close to the blades on his arms. Rolling under him seemed fairly cartoony, and with his tail it wouldnÆt work anyway.
Andromon would probably rely on the fact that there was only so far back that he could throw his head. Andromon would be right.
But he would also be surprised. He didnÆt need to see behind him; he could fire his Dragon Spine without looking, if he needed to. It wouldnÆt beat Andromon, but it would distract him long enough for him to turn around, and when he did so, he fully intended to cut the Cyborg to pieces with an assault of Plasma Blades.
But Andromon surprised him.
Instead of trying to dodge, he faced Growmon head on, running straight for the mouth of the beast.
For a moment, Growmon was surprised, not understanding the action. Did Andromon think he could go through him without being hurt?
No, he wasnÆt that stupid. Growmon had more than proven his own strength.
And yet, the Perfect Digimon was still charging him.
For a fraction of a second, Growmon entertained the thought of his opponent having gone insane and just as quickly threw the thought away. HeÆd proven himself, but so had Andromon. He was dangerously intelligent.
But then why?
And suddenly, he understood.
Andromon knew he couldnÆt get to safety. Just as Growmon respected him, in his own way, Andromon also respected his opponent. He knew that there wasnÆt any easy way around this attack and so didnÆt even bother trying to dodge past him.
Instead, heÆd decided on something else.
If he could not dodge the attack, then he would meet it with all of his strength.
GrowmonÆs feral yellow eyes gleamed brightly with excitement.
He would meet the challenge head on.
HeÆd already acknowledged Andromon and this did nothing but reaffirm his respect.
Andromon was a worthy opponent.
Worthy to fight and worthy to die.
XxXXxX
Avoiding damage was impossible.
Andromon realized that the second GrowmonÆs attack tore through the buildings around him.
HeÆd fallen into a trap and escaping uninjured wasnÆt going to be an option.
ThatÆs why it was a trap.
But if the only option was to get injured, then it was obvious what he had to do.
He had to make sure that his opponent got hurt worse than he did.
So he ignored all the æescape routesÆ which took him too close to the Dragon to be anything but another trap. Instead, he threw himself into the throw with calm resolve.
He saw his enemyÆs eyes widen.
He saw them narrow again in understanding.
And most importantly of all, he saw the fire building between its jaws.
He knew what was about to happen would hurt.
He knew that it might even kill him.
Butà
He didnÆt care.
His hand began to spin furiously as he funneled as much of his power as he could into it. He pushed his mechanical parts to their utmost limits as he drew nearer to his target.
He wanted to get a close as he possibly could before he attacked, knowing that this clash could decide the battle.
At this range, he couldnÆt possibly missùnot completely, at least. Even an attempt to dodge would just mean the attack would hit somewhere else.
WhatÆs more, at point blank range, his attack would be at its most powerful.
He thought the beast knew that as well, because he allowed him to draw closer and closer still.
He was five steps away when the clash began.
He drew back his blade, ready to bring it down and end things. The monster unleashed his own power with a roar that, at this range, Andromon felt as much as heard. The wave of fire swallowed up the distance between them in an instant.
Andromon could have brought down his arm and contested the attack with his own.
But doing that would have done nothing but proven whose attack had the greater power and Andromon had nothing to guarantee that the winner would be him.
So he didnÆt.
He didnÆt even try to dodge. At this distance, heÆd never make it and trying would have done nothing but ruin his plan, anyway.
Instead, he brought up his other arm and took the attack on a Chrome Digizoid covered forearm.
In the moments after the impact, Andromon felt no heat. He felt nothing that even implied that he was blocking fire.
All he felt was a force that he felt could have shaken mountains.
That force that had thrown him through buildings like he weighed nothingàit hurt so much more at this range.
It could have blasted him away again, in any other situation.
But this was why heÆd purposefully gotten so close.
HeÆd put himself in a position where the blast couldnÆt take him straight on. HeÆd be washed away by the attack like a leaf in a river.
But with him this close, the much larger Digimon had to aim at him at an angle. The force was still the same, but he was being pushed against the ground rather than mere air.
It hurt a lot moreùlike he was being flattened.
But Chrome Digizoid was made of stronger stuff than that.
Slowly, Andromon straightened against the torrent of flame.
It was then that he began to feel the heat. Chrome Digizoid was incredibly strongàbut it was still a metal. It was a very good conductor of heat. It could even melt, it if got hot enough.
Andromon hoped it wouldnÆt get that hot. He had no experience with melting while still alive and heÆd be perfectly happy to keep it that way.
He took a step forward, fighting against the tide. He was closeùmaybe four steps away, but against this much force, every inch seemed like a mile.
He took another step as the heat made his armor glow red.
With his third step, the organic parts of his body began to ignite, setting his nerves on literal fire.
When he took his fourth step, he carefully turned his body to shield his still spinning arm. Even if the rest of his body boiled and burned, he had to at least keep that part safe, or it all would be for nothing.
He took the final step and was in position.
But he still couldnÆt attack. Not as long as the torrent of flames lasted. The sheer force would counteract most of the attack and he had to make this count.
So he had to either stop the attack or wait it out.
He chose the one that didnÆt involve staying on fire for who knows how long.
He lifted the arm he was using to shield himself.
ôGrasp Hang.ö
His left arm extended suddenly, plunging through the fire with tremendous speed, right into its source.
Into the mouth of the beast.
The attack ended with a sudden choking sound. The beast seemed stunned to have an arm of heated Chrome Digizoid shoved into his mouth.
Andromon saw his chance and took it, leaping forward with all his strength.
The beastÆs jaws closed down suddenly on the arm and began crushing it between them.
Andromon didnÆt pay it any mindùheÆd known from the beginning that heÆd probably lose his arm.
He brought his spinning hand up for the attack.
His opponentÆs yellow eyes widened in sudden realization andù
Andromon could have smiled.
Fear. He understood what was about to happen and he was scared.
Even so, the creature brought up his two massive arms in a futile defense as Andromon brought down his arm.
A moment later, two objects hit the ground and exploded into data.
The monster looked at the stumps of his arms in disbelieving shock.
And then he began to scream.
XxXXxX
Growmon was nearly blinded by pain. It was hard to even describe and he had nothing to compare it to.
He was sure how a human would have felt it. He was vaguely aware of the concepts of bones and nervous systems, but he had no such thing himself. He didnÆt know how a human would have felt the same wound, or how it would have felt to have flesh, muscle, and bone cut through.
Maybe it would have hurt even more than this.
Maybe it would have been nothing in comparison.
He didnÆt know.
All he knew was that he didnÆt need a nervous system to transmit information to his æbrainÆùor rather, as a completely digital life forms, every part of his body was capable of transmitting such information.
He felt the pain over every inch of the wound. For a few extraordinarily long moments, he even felt the other side of his arms, the side that had been severed, still transmitting data easily through the equally digital air that separated him from them.
It was almost a relief when they exploded into data, simply because it nearly halved the pain. He loaded the data almost unconsciously, distantly remembering the value of data, but it did nothing to heal the wound.
He couldnÆt focus, couldnÆt see, couldnÆt even thinkù
So he fell right into AndromonÆs trap.
If he had been in a more rational state of mind, he would have realized the truth. He would have figured out that while the loss of his arms was horrible and crippling, heÆd accomplished his intended goal and survived an attack that could have been lethal. HeÆd have realized that while the loss might have cost him the battle, it had not cost him the war.
HeÆd have realized that he needed to fall back and return later.
By losing his arms, his TamerÆs plan would have fallen apartùbut so what?
Plans did that sometimes.
Even he knew that.
Moreover, there would be other plans and other days. After heÆd healed, he could have returned to combat Andromon another day. He might be too late to prevent Andromon from telling the TamerÆs of his existence, but if he had thought about it rationally, heÆd have realized Andromon didnÆt know anything. Not even his name.
Any following attacks on the Perfect level would be more difficultùheÆd be ready, prepared, and likely have help.
But difficult was not the same as impossible.
He could wait days, weeks, even months if need be, biding his time in the secluded regions of the Digital World, preying on Digimon that wouldnÆt be missed, getting stronger all the while.
If he hadnÆt been blinded by his defeat, he would have realized that heÆd fought well today. This fight had been closeùif things had been different, it could have been Andromon who lost.
HeÆd fought equal to a Perfect today.
If he were to grow even further in strength, the next time they fought, victory would be his for the taking.
If he was calm, if he wasnÆt in so much pain, if his arms hadnÆt been lost, if defeat hadnÆt seemed so certainà
He might have realized all of that.
But here and now, he was engulfed in pain that seemed without end and a defeat which seemed unassailable.
When Andromon, almost as weakened and injured as Growmon himself, stepped forward, moving to end the fight quickly before his opponent could recover or realize the damage heÆd caused his opponent, Growmon didnÆt even see him, such was his pain.
But that had been the trap.
When Growmon first moved to defend himself, Andromon realized a lethal blow was impossible.
He hadnÆt even bothered aiming for one, after that acknowledgement.
The simple truth of battle was that half of it was fought in the mind.
The winner of a fight wasnÆt necessarily the stronger fighter. A more powerful opponent could be brought down by any number of things.
A moment of distraction or hesitance.
A flash of uncertainty or fear.
Or perhaps, just a great deal of pain.
If something hurts enough, then most people will stop. Even if itÆs not lethal, even if itÆs not even cripplingùif it hurts enough, it can make someone stop.
It was easy to say that one could fight on, even if they lost both their arms, or legs, or an eye.
Actually doing so, however, is another matter.
Even for those who could ignore the pain, their ability to act affectively would naturally plummet.
Andromon didnÆt need an attack that killed in a single blow.
If his opponent couldnÆt defend himself against the following attack, a death in two blows was fine, too.
And Growmon couldnÆt defend himself in his state.
He didnÆt even acknowledge the attack at all.
Butà
ôSpiral Sword!ö
That was okay.
It was okay that Growmon wasnÆt in his right mind.
It was okay that he was distracted and lost in his own pain.
It was okay that he couldnÆt respond to the attack on his own.
Because it didnÆt matter.
Because there was something that Andromon didnÆt know when he began to fight Growmon.
He was out numbered.
So it was okay that Growmon raised no defense.
He didnÆt need to.
XxXXxX
ôCard Slash! Meramon!ö
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
GrowmonÆs distant eyes suddenly snapped into focus as he was engulfed in flames.
The flames quickly flowed outwards from him like a wave, swallowing AndromonÆs attack as it would air, and then washed over Andromon as well.
As if a puppet on strings, Growmon rose to his feet in awkward, jolting motions, unable to use his arms.
But he rose all the same, and stood amidst the flames.
But though he walked through fire, he was not burned.
He hurt.
The pain from his arms had not decreased in the slightest.
But pain didnÆt matter to him, anymore.
It was not that he didnÆt feel it, for he did, in excruciating detail, but somehow, it no longer had any hold over him.
He moved for his Tamer wished him to move.
He heard his Tamers will, not with his ears, not even with his mind, but with something much more basic than that.
There was something in his code that spoke to himùcarried TakatoÆs message to him.
The Hazard marks on his body began pulsating, flashing red as if in warning.
TakatoÆs message didnÆt come to him as words.
There was no voice quietly speaking in the back of his head.
Maybe his Tamer had spoken the message aloud, wherever he was in this city.
But what reached him in the end were not those words.
Like a high-level programming language being converted into machine code, what reached him was something more basic, which he had no need to assemble back into actual words to actually understand. It lacked, perhaps, the nuance of the spoken language, where a single word can be interpreted in many different ways, depending on usage and context.
But it was also exact and precise. He didnÆt need context or emotion to understandùthe data conveyed that just fine. If it had meant something else, the message would have been different in a dozen little waysùeven if the same word couldnÆt mean the same thing, everything was detailed precisely in the message that reached him and needed no interpretation.
The emotion behind his message.
The details of his plan.
The exact distance and direction in which he was ordered to move, in three dimensions.
And a simple order that told him to kill.
He had lost his arms. And he couldnÆt defeat Andromon in a fight, as he now was.
That didnÆt matter.
He didnÆt need his arms for this, his Tamer ætoldÆ him. He didnÆt even need to beat Andromonàyet.
Growmon moved as soon as he received the entire message.
He had his instructions; all he needed to do was carry them out. Quickly, if possible, for the power he had stolen from MeramonÆs data would not last forever, and it was the only thing with which he could keep Andromon at bay.
The plan was simple.
He could not defeat a foe as powerful as Andromon.
He should instead seek weaker prey.
HeÆd lost to Andromon twice this day, but the third time he would win.
Even if his arms had been lost, he could recover the same way he had earlier.
So really, AndromonÆs strength meant nothing in this situation.
If he could not beat the Cyborg, then he would hunt and prey on the weak until he was strong enough to win.
He didnÆt even need to leave the city to do it, either.
After all, Andromon was nowhere near the only target in this city.
Growmon inhaled deeply.
He smelt fire and smoke and the burning of metal and flesh.
He searched with his eyes and saw nothing but flames and the illuminated steel of the city.
But Growmon did not need his eyes or his nose.
His Tamer told him who to hunt first. Told him where.
As Pyocomon before them, the Guardromon couldnÆt run and they couldnÆt hide.
XxXXxX
Takato observed the battle through his Digivice. He was basically seeing through his partnerÆs eyes, so his ability to keep track of his partners own condition was limited, but it was the best he would get at this distance.
ôSo Growmon canÆtbeat a Perfect on his own, yet, huhà?ö
Lucemon, as always, was quick to respond.
ôOf course, Takato. If this game was easy enough to require no input on the part of the player, it goes without saying that it would be a failure on my part, right?ö
That was a good point, Takato had to admit. Interacting with the other characters in this game was fun, of course, but until now, there had never really been any danger for them. If things had gotten dangerous, theyÆd always had the option of blowing their cover and abandoning ship.
Before Andromon, that is.
TheyÆd always had the option to evolve to Adult and shoot their way out of any situation. Things had gotten a bit risky several times, but it was always for the same reasonùTakato had consciously chosen to keep his cover.
But there had always been the option.
And for that reason, heÆd never felt as if he were in any actual danger. Even on missions into the KaiserÆs territory, heÆd purposely left behind all of his cards except the one necessary for evolution.
Sure, carrying all of his cards with him would have been dangerous and, perhaps, even foolish. But if heÆd felt like he was in danger, it would have been the logical thing to do. If the Chosen had seen them, it would have raised a lot of questions he simply couldnÆt answer, but he could had hidden them. ItÆs not like he was regularly given a pat down or anything.
But he hadnÆt.
Because heÆd felt safe enough with just Growmon.
But now, Growmon was already in play.
No, more than that. Takato didnÆt want to admit it, but he couldnÆt ignore the facts.
Growmon had been beaten back.
It might have been a close fight, but when Growmon had fought Andromon, Andromon had won.
And if Takato hadnÆt brought his cards with him, Growmon would be dead.
His partner had nearly died and heÆd nearly lost the game, and the reason was as obvious as it was simple.
HeÆd been arrogant.
Not just in the fights before now, but in this fight as well.
It was obvious, right? He could have interfered before now. It would have been easy; he could have done it exactly the same way as he had just now and slashed a card at a useful moment.
But he hadnÆt.
Because heÆd wanted to see if heÆd have too.
Maybe heÆd actually thought Growmon could just win.
Or maybe heÆd known that he couldnÆt.
But either way, heÆd stepped back and watched, because heÆd needed to know how this fight would end.
Well, now he did.
He didnÆt really like the answer, but he had it now, at least.
Growmon couldnÆt beat a Perfect by himself.
Yet.
Takato may not have liked the answer, but he wasnÆt overly bothered by it, either, because of that one simple word that was like a shield for his pride.
Yet.
At the moment, Growmon couldnÆt beat a Perfect by himself.
But that would change.
Maybe even today.
Takato would get his act together for the rest of this fight and do what he should have done from the beginning.
He was a Tamer. HeÆd support his partner to the best of his abilities.
And every Digimon in this city would die and become GrowmonÆs. Including Andromon.
But first, he needed to heal GrowmonÆs wounds. And he knew just the way to do it.
Just like they had earlier, the Guardromon would heal his partner.
The closest one to Growmon was less then fifteen meters away, through a building and on an adjacent street. He was one of the oneÆs Andromon had activated and was the first of the slow Digimon to be attracted by the noise of the fight.
But that wasnÆt his target.
At the moment, Takato just wanted two things.
Easy prey and a way to get Growmon back into the fight quickly.
There were three Guardromon some thirty meters away. They hadnÆt moved all during the fight and Takato assumed them to be deactivated.
They wouldnÆt run.
They wouldnÆt hide.
They wouldnÆt even fight back.
They were perfect.
XxXXxX
Growmon took off in a dead run, wasting no time. Every moment he took was another moment for Andromon to recoverùsomething which could prove fatal.
He swallowed up the distance to his targets in seconds, each of his great strides covering meters.
Reaching the desired building, he didnÆt slow down, nor did he hesitate.
He crashed right through its pathetic walls, fire already spewing from his mouth.
He drenched two of them with flames in an instant and was loading them almost before they burst into data.
Behind him, Andromon had finally recovered and, perhaps realizing his intentionsùor at least his targetsùwas already in hot pursuit.
Growmon finished loading the deleted pair, but had no time to stand around while loading the third. He leaned over quickly, spreading his gaping jaws wide, and, biting down on the metallic upper body of the remaining Guardromon, lifted his unresisting victim and began to run, taking him æto go.Æ
He crashed out the other side of the building, into the street beyond, nearly stumbling, but managing to recover. He clenched his jaw over his meal, grunting for a moment as the lifeless AdultÆs armor held, before suddenly giving way as he exploded into data.
While his mouth was full, he whipped his head back and forth as his Tamer had commanded, unleashing a rain of hardened hairs on a startled Guardromon in the street.
Despite being reactivated, the Adult Digimon had no time to respond. Proving its worth, the literally hair-thin spikes slipped easily past their targetÆs armor.
The Guardromon stiffened.
Briefly.
Growmon was already moving past him when he exploded into data. He loaded them both without pause, his mind already on his next targets.
Inhaling deeply even as he ran, he released his strongest attack with a thunderous roar, bringing down the buildings across the street in a cascade of falling rubble and broken data. He leapt in the destruction, loading the data from the buildings andùmore importantlyùthe Guardromon that had been right where his tamer had said theyÆd be.
Suddenly, he received a warning.
Growmon was annoyed, but not really surprised.
He knew Andromon would catch up to him eventually.
Honestly, he was just surprised it took him this long.
Still, it was too soon to fight.
Growmon looked down at his æhands.Æ
They didnÆt even deserve to be called such, yet. Really, they were just masses of vaguely cohesive data coming out of the stumps of his arms. With every Guardromon he absorbed, they began to take further shape and solidity. A few more and heÆd have definite fingers, and a few after that, his skin would return and his hands would be back.
But not if Andromon killed him before he got a chance to get them back.
A quick check proved what he expectedùthe effects of the Meramon card were gone.
But he wasnÆt worried.
His Tamer had a plan.
He just had to find more Guardromon.
Takato would handle the rest.
XxXXxX
Takato frowned as he looked at his cards.
Growmon had killed a lot of Digimon, but many of them had been repeatsùthat is, theyÆd been Digimon heÆd already beaten.
As such, he really didnÆt have many cards. And even less of them were useful.
HeÆd have to do something about that, at some point.
Sadly, he didnÆt have much of a chance at the moment, which could prove really dangerous.
Because all his cards were shit.
He knew the reasonùhe and Guilmon had been laying low, trying not to attract attention to themselves.
It was kind of hard to do that while killing high profile Digimon.
Especially since this was their first time reaching past Perfect level.
StillàtheyÆd just have to make use with what they had.
Takato chose two cards that he thought would be useful and put the rest away.
All he had to do was buy some time. With those two, it shouldnÆt be too difficult.
One could be deadly if he used it right.
And the otherà
Well, half the battle was in the mind.
Takato was confident that Andromon would find that particular card unnerving.
But for nowà
ôFlymon, Activate!ö
XxXXxX
Growmon felt the card take effect and realized instantly how to best use it.
He immediately looked back at Andromon, seeing that he was in hot pursuit.
àAnd too far away to be an effective target.
Growmon briefly considered waiting for his opponent to catch up, but discarded the idea a second later for being stupid.
Andromon was running towards him; there was no need to slow down, because heÆd catch up eventually.
More importantly, his priority was recovering, not fighting Andromon.
Not yet, at least.
Speaking of whichà
Growmon narrowed his eyes as a plan began to form.
Turning down an intersection, he came across a fairly large group of Guardromon; seven of them, all activated.
He was going to simply bypass them, but with all of them right here, wouldnÆt that be a waste? He stopped right in front of them.
ôFire Blaster!ö
Turning his head in an arc, he exhaled the flames over the machine Digimon. He didnÆt focus on any particular one of them long enough to cause deletionùhe didnÆt have the timeùbut he stopped them all in their tracks
Stopping his attack, he immediately took another deep breath and counted in his head.
Oneàtwoàthreeù
Andromon was close enough.
He called upon FlymonÆs data.
ôPoison Powder!ö
Exhaling quickly, he filled the area with a thick mist of poisonous dust, hiding everyone within it from each otherÆs view.
But Growmon didnÆt need to see to do what he had planned.
He charged.
Right out of the mist.
He didnÆt really expect the poison to have that much effect on the mostly metallic Digimon. FlymonÆs poison wasnÆt all that strong to begin with, serving to weaken, rather than kill.
It did put a lot of stuff that was flammable in the air, though.
He exhaled another wave of fire at it and it lit up like a Christmas tree.
XxXXxX
Takato had to shield his eyes from his vantage point.
ôWow. I canÆt really say that any of that was part of my plan, but itÆs just so beautiful, it doesnÆt seem right to complain.ö
ôI think youÆll find, Takato, that as a strategist, a large part of your role is taking advantage of situations that turn out surprisingly well.ö Lucemon advised.
XxXXxX
Growmon didnÆt need his eyes to tell him heÆd deleted the Guardromon.
Their data told him that.
Sadly, Andromon survived, but he hadnÆt actually expected that to kill himùit was just a distraction.
Which reminded him; he should be running.
Dashing away quickly, Growmon put the second part of his plan into motion. If, between the poisonous fog and the explosion, he could cause Andromon to lose track of him, the Cyborg Digimon would have to waste precious time tracking him back down.
Precious time that Growmon could use to recover and prepare for the inevitable confrontation.
He turned down a street, hoping to gain top speed upon the long, open stretch. Crashing through buildings may have been a faster route, but it would also leave behind a trail that was easy to follow. Better then, to take the longer path and be safe, then to rush in foolishly.
His Tamer had provided him with the location of a number of Guardromon in the area, but after some deliberation, he chose to ignore them. All the Guardromon in this area were in small, scattered pocketsùprobably those few that had been unlucky enough to be alone or inside when the Dark Tower had been destroyed.
Most of them had probably been deactivated simply because they were so out of the way that Andromon hadnÆt gotten to them yet.
But logically, there were those he had gotten too, right? Where were they, then?
Growmon had thought it through. The Guardromon Andromon had probably reactivated first were the ones that had been together in large groups. Logically, it would be more efficient, as theyÆd all be together in one place.
And what was a machine if not efficient?
From there, Growmon had simply had to think about where the largest group was, and the answer was obvious.
HadnÆt the Kaiser sent pretty much all of the Guardromon after them just earlier today?
If he assumed for a moment that all the Guardromon in that area were activated, then the question aroseà
Why hadnÆt they come to AndromonÆs aid?
If he tried to think about it from a machineÆs point of view, even that began to make sense. Andromon was a powerful Perfect level Digimon and any Digimon that could give him troubleùas the explosions theyÆd cause would surely attest he hadùwould, presumably, be equally powerful, if not more so.
An Adult Digimon would have no place in such a fightùin fact, they would more like be a hindrance to Andromon, as heÆd have to watch out for and protect the weaker Digimon.
But that was only if they were alone.
An army of Adult Digimon, on the other hand, could be a serious threat to even a Perfect Digimon, especially if headed by Andromon himself. On their home turf, they would likely crush a Perfect Digimon.
But armies, to be truly effective, required a degree of organization. The Guardromon would need to create a plan, get into position, and then execute said plan.
But before all of thatà
TheyÆd need to gather together.
And where was the best place to gather?
A location where most of them already were.
Growmon was heading towards the site of the earlier battle to confirm his theory, ignoring all the minor snacks along their way as distractions from the real prize.
It would be dangerous, taking on an army that could wear down and defeat a Perfect level Digimon.
But Growmon had an advantage they didnÆt know about.
He could load data for more power. As such, simple numbers were not enough to deter him, for each fallen opponent would do nothing but grant him more strength; the best strategy against him was to force him into single combat against a more powerful opponent.
Against a group of weak Digimon, though, he was unstoppable. He would not weaken or tireùor if he did, his enemyÆs own data would revitalize him.
Moments later, Takato seemed to catch on to his plan and feed him a stream of information that made him smile.
The hunt was on.
XxXXxX
Takato frowned, unsure of this change in events.
He understood his partnerÆs actions, of course. Maybe even agreed with themùconsuming that many Guardromon would heal Growmon completely and that would just be the beginning.
It wasnÆt even that he didnÆt believe his partner could win.
Butà
As the Tamer, it was his job to think things through. While Growmon could think for himself in battle and quickly react to sudden developments long before he had a chance to give orders or slash cards, it was his job to make the long term plans and preparations that would hopefully result in victory. Lucemon had said that quite often and heÆd taken it to heart.
As such, while Growmon charged in fearlessly, it was TakatoÆs responsibility to think about this calmly and logically.
Was there something he was missing? Was there some hidden flaw in this plan? Some downside he wasnÆt seeing?
If there was, it was his job to figure out what they wereùpreferably, before it screwed them over.
Would Andromon catch up to fast? Was this a trap? Were they being lured towards the Guardromon?
And more importantlyàif this was about to blow up in their faces, what exactly was he going to do about it?
Takato grit his teeth.
He still had only one card of useùhe really had been woefully unprepared for this day. HeÆd known from the beginning that they would eventually have to fight an opponent they couldnÆt just effortlessly crush, butà
Why had he been taken so off guard, then?
XxXXxX
The Guardromon were in sight. If he moved any further, he would be noticed in moments.
ButàGrowmon didnÆt hesitate for even a moment.
He fell upon the first one even as the others saw him for the first time. In that brief moment of hesitation that followed suddenly seeing a giant red dinosaur, GrowmonÆs jaws closed around his first victim.
To the GuardromonÆs credit, they reacted with the quick efficiency of machines. The moment they saw his hurting one of their own, their surprise seemed to vanish. In eerie unison, a dozen pairs of arms were raised in his direction as the Guardromon closest to his position prepared to attack. Butù
In this case, their numbers got in their way. The offensive power of this many Guardromon was more than enough to kill Growmon, but in their current formation, they could not attack a target all at onceùif they tried, their attacks would likely hit their fellows.
Meanwhile, Growmon could probably fire in random directions with his eyes closed and still hit something.
He easily avoided the twenty-something attacks that were launched his way by leaping into the air even as he crushed his captive in his monstrously powerful jaws.
Almost literally swallowing the destroyed GuardromonÆs data, he reopened his mouth to reveal a frightening red light gathering at the back of his throat.
ôExhaust Flame!ö
The pillar of dragon fire struck a particularly closely packed section of Guardromon before he swept it in a wide arc, destroying everything in its path. The ending point of the arc was the place he was about to landùfocusing the blast there for a long moment, he cleared it completely of Guardromon, as well as tossed up a great deal of smoke and debris.
Landing, his entire body was completely hidden within the smoke and fire. Pausing for just a moment to initiate the process of loading data, fire gathered between his jaws again.
In that instant, his Tamer transmitted everything needed to know, just as Growmon had known he would. Despite his eyes being clouded and the smoke rendering his sensitive nose useless, Takato transmitted the location of every Guardromon in the area.
Despite being blinded, Growmon continued his ruthless attack, hitting opponents both near and far with impossible, deadly accuracy, loading a continuous stream of data all the while.
When Andromon finally got here, Growmon would see that he was met with nothing but scattered clouds of data and a ruined battlefield.
And then Andromon would die.
XxXXxX
Andromon arrived to a scene of destruction.
The streets were either melted into weird shapes or cracked beyond repair. Windows all along the street were shattered; scorch marks and craters littered the walls of buildings, signs of explosions.
But the ruins of the street were not what drew AndromonÆs attention.
Yes, without a doubtàthis had been where all the Guardromon had been gathered. And yetàthis street was empty.
Noàalmost empty.
He couldnÆt see him, butà
The creature that did this had to be around here somewhere.
Andromon was tenseùit wasnÆt very long ago that heÆd been ambushed, after all. He wouldnÆt put it past that monster to do so again and in his current conditionà
Well, he wasnÆt in a position where he could let himself suffer any more time.
And yetàthat monster had killed his friends. Not just ten or twenty, though that would have been bad enough, but into the hundreds.
Even if it meant risking his life, he would hunt that monster down and kill him.
Though, itÆs not as if his motivation particularly mattered, in this case. Even if heÆd wanted to, itÆs not like he could run in this stateùheÆd be hunted down in no time. And even if heÆd managed to escapeàwhere would he go?
He wanted to send a message to the Chosen; it was quite possible that heÆd die in the coming battle. If he did, he wanted to at least pass on what heÆd managed to learn here today.
Butàthat didnÆt seem like a possibility.
Thoughàeven if he said thatàit didnÆt matter in the slightest unless he could actually find his opponent.
Where was he? The red bastard was the size of a small houseùhow could a creature his size be hiding?
XxXXxX
This was it. Andromon was all alone and probably tense enough to react without even thinking.
And he had the perfect way to exploit that.
With a last, fleeting glance at it, Takato slashed his final card.
ôItÆs time to end this, Growmon. Guardromon, Activate!ö
XxXXxX
ôDestruction Grenade!ö
Andromon spun around instantly at the voice, having been ready for the attackù
Only to freeze as his tracks as his brain registered the actual words.
For a brief instant, he allowed himself to dare to think that maybe there had been survivorsùthat he hadnÆt failed his entire cityà
Which was exactly what Takato had wanted him to think.
The blast took him full in the chest, sending him stumbling back and blinding him with an explosion. Even if it hadnÆt really hurt, Andromon knew he was off balance.
Worse, he was pretty sure his attacker knew it too and that it had been the intention behind the otherwise weak attack.
Which meant he was more than capable of realizing what would happen next.
So he wasnÆt at all surprised when a sudden force slammed into his chest.
He was, however, surprised when it didnÆt send him flying back. He was surprised when his armor didnÆt begin to heat. He was surprised when the force that flamed into him was not an enormous lance of fire.
But all of that together did not compare to how surprised he was when the fingers of an enormous hand wrapped around him and lifted him high into the air, above the smoke that had been caused by the explosion and shrouded his sight.
His eyes met oneÆs a nearly feral yellow. Half-lidded, his opponent looked like a highly satisfied cat.
ôTell meàcan a machine like you experience fear?ö
XxXXxX
Growmon was elated.
Today had been a very long and painful day for him. HeÆd been chased all around the city, then heÆd been nearly bisected, and then both of his arms had been chopped off.
And yetà
HeÆd never felt this good in his entireùadmittedly shortùlife. With the power flowing through him now, he felt like he could do anything. In absorbing the Guardromon, his limbs had been remadeùbut more than that, the loading of so many Adult Digimon had given him a might he hadnÆt even dreamt of before. Holding a Chrome Digizoid Perfect level in his hands, he felt like he could crush him with a quick flex of his fingers.
Was this what it felt like to be truly powerful?
He liked the feeling. He liked it a lot.
And more than anythingàhe wanted to feel that way more and more. He felt almost addicted to the sensation and for the first time in his life he really had a wish of his own, besides to obey his Tamer.
He wanted to see his power grow. He wanted to see opposition crushed. At his TamerÆs command, he had devoured hundredsùthousandsùand now he wanted to thank his tamer for pushing him to do so.
It hadnÆt felt that way at the time, but just a short time ago, when he had just been born, heÆd been soàweak. And now he was strong. And strength felt so much better than weakness.
But with that desire also came a fear.
Would someone take away his power as he had done to others? Would they devour him and make his power their own.
The thought truly terrified him. He had only one purpose in lifeùhe had been designed to ægrow.Æ Or rather, he had been designed to æconsume.Æ
A part of him wondered, as it always did, if that was truly the only purpose his existence held. Was he not a living being? Was he not able to think for himself? Could his existence really be so basic as to be summed up in a single word?
And yet, as it always did, LucemonÆs voice rose up in response to his question and gave the reply that heÆd been given when heÆd first voiced his question.
æWasnÆt that purpose enough? If you grow and consume and destroy, you will definitely be able to stay in this world. And if you canÆt, then Takato has no need of you.Æ
Perhaps that was what he was truly afraid of.
As long as he was strongàas long as he was the bestàthere was definitely a reason for him to exist in this world.
And there was definitely a reason for him to stay with Takato.
So for that reasonàhe would definitely become the æstrongest.Æ
For if he couldnÆt do that, there was no point to him.
ôThis fight is over, Andromon.ö He said. ôAnd IÆm the winner.ö
Ignoring his words, the Perfect level immediately began to struggle. Growmon casually tightened his grip, electing a cry of pain.
Then, Andromon suddenly stopped.
ôGatling Missile!ö
Growmon lifted an arm to cover his face, not at all surprised by the attack. It connected with a thunderous explosion, casting up smoke and debris. In response, he released Andromonùnot because he had too, but simply because it didnÆt matter anymore.
He flung a single huge limb through the smoke, sweeping it away, just in time to see AndromonÆs charge.
ôSpiral Sword!ö
Wordlessly, Growmon extended the blade on his right arm, and it began to glow with electromagnetic waves. As AndromonÆs blade swung at him, he swept his own out to meet it.
A moment later, there was a metallic echo, a burst of data, and a sudden, startled cry of pain.
Andromon stumbled back, clutching the stump of his arm.
ùThis fight was already over. It had ended the moment he had been given time to recover.
Andromon was wounded where he was now whole.
Andromon was exhausted where he had been rejuvenated.
And most of allà
Andromon was defeated where he was victorious.
He nearly gloated, butàhe had no more words for the dead.
ButàAndromon still owed him another arm.
The blade on his left arm extended and began to glow as he slowly approached. Andromon watched his approach with weary eyes.
He knew that GrowmonÆs slow pace was nothing but a way of gloating. If Andromon tried to escape, it would disappear in an instant and the hunt would be on.
He couldnÆt run.
He couldnÆt hide.
And worst of all, he couldnÆt win.
Acknowledging that fact probably hurt more than his woundsùGrowmon could see that much in his opponentÆs eyes.
Butà
Even soàAndromon would not back down. Growmon knew that much from simply fighting himùhe may not be an expert tactician, but he could at least tell if someone was the type of person to back down or run away.
So he wasnÆt even slightly surprised when AndromonÆs chest plate opened.
In fact, he didnÆt even slow his stride.
Instead, he literally spat a burst of fire, catching one of the missiles in midair, causing an explosion. The other missile just sailed straight through the smoke, opening itÆs æmouthÆ to reveal a small Gatling gun, which began releasing a spray of bullets.
Closing his eyes, Growmon just let the rounds bounce harmlessly off his skin. Tilting his head to the side, he let it fly straight past him and opened his eyesù
To see another pair of missiles coming towards him.
Feeling a flicker of annoyance, he swung an arm, splitting both missiles with a single blade and weathering the resulting explosion.
Striding out of the smoke, he saw Andromon rushing towards him. Which he immediately realized was ridiculous, since the CyborgÆs close range weaponry had been destroyed. As such, it was probably aù
Ah. A trap.
GrowmonÆs tail flicked up, meeting the missile that had stealthily been approaching from behind, even as Andromon leapt, firing another pair of missiles from his still open chest plate in the hopes of scoring a point blank shot.
If the previous attack had connected and taken him by surprise, it might have even worked. Instead, an exhalation of fire connected with the missiles just as they left Andromon, exploding right in front of him.
Of course, it was right in front of Growmon too, but the attacks of a half dead opponent wouldnÆt hurt him, even if it was from a half dead Perfect.
Of course, at this point, he might be more than just half way to the grave. Unlike Growmon, Andromon had taken that blastÆs damage completelyùand with his protective chest plate open and unable to actually defend him. The blast had thrown him away, sending him crashing into a building and leaving his chest a scorched wreck.
Andromon tried to stand up, but his body had finally succumbed to damage and he fell back down, defeated.
Growmon felt almostàdisappointed. Not quite because Andromon had been defeated, or even that the fight was finally over, but because of something he couldnÆt quite put into words.
Maybe it was a fleeting feeling of regret. Even if it was to increase his poweràthis really had been a nice city, once. Before heÆd destroyed it.
He crushed that feeling mercilessly and approached Andromon. The CyborgÆs face was blank and expressionless, unwilling to show any fear, even before death.
Leaning down, he severed AndromonÆs remaining hand with a plasma-like blade. Andromon released a not-quite suppressed cry of pain and glared angrily at him.
After all, what did he have to fear at this point? Growmon had already killed everyone he cared about and removed both his arms. He was about to die and he knew it. Nothing Growmon could possibly do could hurt him any more than he already had been.
Before that simple realization, Growmon felt a flash of something that may have been guilt.
ôYou took my hands,ö Growmon said. ôAnd I took yours.ö
Rather than gloating, it felt almost like he was trying to explain his actions.
Andromon just glared.
The Dragon and the Cyborg traded glares and Growmon looked away first.
What he felt didnÆt matter. HeÆd won and it was over. All he had to do was make it official.
ôExhaust Flame.ö He said.
But for some reason, he felt no pleasure in doing so.
It was odd how quickly the high of power had faded.
XxXXxX
The Digimon Kaiser sat silently in his room, Wormmon his only company.
It was lateùquite a bit past midnight, in fact. If he stayed up much later, it would noticeably affect him in the morning; it didnÆt really matter to him, though, except that people might annoy him by asking why he looked so tired.
Butàthis was more important.
Andromon had failed.
Noùworse. An entire city of Adult Digimon had failed. HeÆd split the Chosen up for hours and it still hadnÆt been enough to beat them. In fact, the only one who had come even close to succeeding was Andromon, who at least had them on the run for awhile. Truthfully, he was probably the only one whoÆd come close to winning.
And perhaps that was why KenÆs thoughts were focused on him.
He had failedàbut not because he was weak. In this case, Ken had to swallow his pride and admit the truthùthe fault was his.
His Evil Rings werenÆt good enough.
He had managed to control hundredsùthousandsùof Adults and Childs. In that regard, his Rings worked almost perfectly; while at first, there had been a few errors until heÆd improved and corrected the design, the Rings were now completely reliable.
Except on Perfect Digimon.
HeÆd controlled Andromon for a time, even infecting him with the same virus he had the Guardromon and using his mechanical nature against him. And for a time, it had seemed to work.
But the Chosen had broken through, somehow, and freed him. Not only had he lost his only Perfect Digimon, but heÆd lost one of his most valuable cities; few, if any, of the areas he controlled had as high a concentration of easily controllable Adult Digimon.
With its loss, it was impossible to continue denying the truth.
He was losing. The Chosen had freed too many cities, building up a momentum that he was helpless to stop. He had his armies, but they had theirs, too. The areas they freed had been largely on the defensive, but it was a very good defense, leaving him unable to break through the borders of their territory in any way that would be worth the cost.
However, while it rendered him unable to go on the attack, it also required the full might of the freed areas, which would have resulted in a stalemate if not for the Chosen. Using portals, they entered areas he controlled, freeing them and turn them to their side. Soon, the simply difference in numbers would allow the freed Digimon to put together an army separate from their defensive forces. Ken could just imagine the Chosen riding into his territory at the head of a huge mob of Digimon.
If that were too happenà
It would be the end of him. He would lose the moment they managed to put together a force that large. If he had to devote his own forces to counteract their army, heÆd leave important locations undefended and the Chosen would literally be able to fly around and take a territory. Once they established a foothold anywhere deep in his territory, heÆd have to defend against multiple frontsùif that happened, it would only be a matter of time before he fell.
If he wanted to have any chance at victory, he had to turn the tide. He no longer had enough time to contemplate option after option and slowly decide which to use. He needed to choose his next course of action right now if he wanted to have any hope of being able to actually implement it in time.
In that regard, perhaps he was lucky, because the answer was obvious.
There was only one real option. Adults would no longer cut it. They had proven ineffective, both alone and in numbers.
His only option would be to make use of Perfects.
But heÆd already proven that his Rings wouldnÆt be enough. HeÆd used both a Ring and a virus on Andromon and it hadnÆt workedùagainst Digimon that werenÆt Machines, heÆd have only the Ring and heÆd probably find even less success.
HeÆd need something better, but making a successful model would require testingùpreferable not on an actual Perfect Digimon, who could break loose if he failed.
In which case, heÆd need to test it on someone of lower levelùor, even better yet, on a Perfect that would not lash out, if it broke free.
In which caseàthe choice was simple.
And yet, for a brief moment, he hesitated to make it.
And so, it was made for him, by someone who knew him so well as to know what he was thinkingùby the only one who knew him that well.
ôPlease, Ken-chanàö Wormmon began. ôUse me. I will definitely not fail you. I will definitely continue to beàyour strongest soldier.ö
For a moment, Ken could think of nothing to say. Closing his eyes, he nodded once, and made his decision.
ôùOf course. Then, tomorrow, our counteract will begin. IÆll rely on you to lead it to victory, Wormmon.ö
XxXXxX
Takato sighed as he exited the game.
He was tired. He shouldnÆt have stayed up so late and heÆd probably be regretting it tomorrowùno, at this point, it would be ælater todayÆ wouldnÆt it?
Given how he was on the best of day, it would be a miracle if he managed to get to class on time in the morning.
Still, he couldnÆt say he regretted it. The game obeyed a normal progression of time, even when he wasnÆt playing, which was cool, but also meant he would miss things while he was gone.
Which, if he knew Lucemon, would result in him being screwed over somehow, no matter what he did.
But all things considered, today had gone very well.
From his stand point as an æally of the Chosen,Æ heÆd helped release an entire city of enslaved Digimon. Not only that, but it was a very valuable area that the Kaiser would definitely feel the loss of. Not only that, but heÆd insured that the Kaiser would never be able to take control of that area ever again.
Or, at least, that even if he did, it would be absolutely useless to him.
And, more importantly, from his true position, today had been immensely profitable. In fact, it wouldnÆt be an exaggeration to say that heÆd benefited more from today than he had from all his work prior. Between the acquisition of Growmon and the loading of any entire city of Guardromon, heÆd shored up his own power. The additional loading of Andromon had proven immensely useful as well, both due to the inherent power of a Perfect Digimon and the card that had resulted from his death.
Without a doubt, Growmon was no longer simply a powerful Adult. He was well into Perfect territory, which meant he was far stronger than anyone that either the Chosen or the Kaiser had on their sides. Regardless of who he fought, Takato felt his partner would not be defeated.
HeÆd even voiced his certainty of victory to Lucemon, pondering whether it was time to end his disguise and challenge the Chosen and the Kaiser.
And yetàLucemonÆs response had made him nervous.
æDonÆt be so hasty, Takato. The KaiserÆs up to something.Æ
It made sense that as he got stronger, the game would get more difficult, of course. HeÆd known it would do that. But it didnÆt make it any less frustrating when Lucemon did stuff like that.
What could the Kaiser do at this point? They had him on the run and everyone knew it. Takato couldnÆt think of way real way for him to make a comeback, especially considering GrowmonÆs newfound power.
But what worried him? He was pretty sure Lucemon could.
Takato sighed at the thought.
It was pointless to worry about it. What happened would happen; the game was no fun without a challenge, anyway.
As he left the computer room, he was surprised to find that all the lights were off. Well, his parents had probably gone to sleepù
ôTakato?ö
Takato winced and turned around. He was busted.
His mother frowned at him.
ôWhere have you been?ö She demanded. ôYou didnÆt even come down for supper!ö
ôSorry, mom,ö He apologized. ôI just so wrapped up in the game that I lost track of time.ö
Her frown deepened.
ôYouÆve done that a lot lately. Every day you come home and spend hours on that computeràIÆm worried about you, Takato.ö
ôItÆs just a game, Mom.ö Takato defended. ôThereÆs nothing wrong; IÆm only having a lot of fun.ö
ôIÆll be the judge of that.ö She declared firmly. ôTomorrow, I want you to show me this game youÆve been so addicted to. If thereÆs nothing wrong, that shouldnÆt be a problem, right?ö
GrowmonÆs distant eyes suddenly snapped into focus as he was engulfed in flames.
The flames quickly flowed outwards from him like a wave, swallowing AndromonÆs attack as it would air, and then washed over Andromon as well.
As if a puppet on strings, Growmon rose to his feet in awkward, jolting motions, unable to use his arms.
But he rose all the same, and stood amidst the flames.
But though he walked through fire, he was not burned.
He hurt.
The pain from his arms had not decreased in the slightest.
But pain didnÆt matter to him, anymore.
It was not that he didnÆt feel it, for he did, in excruciating detail, but somehow, it no longer had any hold over him.
He moved for his Tamer wished him to move.
He heard his Tamers will, not with his ears, not even with his mind, but with something much more basic than that.
There was something in his code that spoke to himùcarried TakatoÆs message to him.
The Hazard marks on his body began pulsating, flashing red as if in warning.
TakatoÆs message didnÆt come to him as words.
There was no voice quietly speaking in the back of his head.
Maybe his Tamer had spoken the message aloud, wherever he was in this city.
But what reached him in the end were not those words.
Like a high-level programming language being converted into machine code, what reached him was something more basic, which he had no need to assemble back into actual words to actually understand. It lacked, perhaps, the nuance of the spoken language, where a single word can be interpreted in many different ways, depending on usage and context.
But it was also exact and precise. He didnÆt need context or emotion to understandùthe data conveyed that just fine. If it had meant something else, the message would have been different in a dozen little waysùeven if the same word couldnÆt mean the same thing, everything was detailed precisely in the message that reached him and needed no interpretation.
The emotion behind his message.
The details of his plan.
The exact distance and direction in which he was ordered to move, in three dimensions.
And a simple order that told him to kill.
He had lost his arms. And he couldnÆt defeat Andromon in a fight, as he now was.
That didnÆt matter.
He didnÆt need his arms for this, his Tamer ætoldÆ him. He didnÆt even need to beat Andromonàyet.
Growmon moved as soon as he received the entire message.
He had his instructions; all he needed to do was carry them out. Quickly, if possible, for the power he had stolen from MeramonÆs data would not last forever, and it was the only thing with which he could keep Andromon at bay.
The plan was simple.
He could not defeat a foe as powerful as Andromon.
He should instead seek weaker prey.
HeÆd lost to Andromon twice this day, but the third time he would win.
Even if his arms had been lost, he could recover the same way he had earlier.
So really, AndromonÆs strength meant nothing in this situation.
If he could not beat the Cyborg, then he would hunt and prey on the weak until he was strong enough to win.
He didnÆt even need to leave the city to do it, either.
After all, Andromon was nowhere near the only target in this city.
Growmon inhaled deeply.
He smelt fire and smoke and the burning of metal and flesh.
He searched with his eyes and saw nothing but flames and the illuminated steel of the city.
But Growmon did not need his eyes or his nose.
His Tamer told him who to hunt first. Told him where.
As Pyocomon before them, the Guardromon couldnÆt run and they couldnÆt hide.
XxXXxX
Takato observed the battle through his Digivice. He was basically seeing through his partnerÆs eyes, so his ability to keep track of his partners own condition was limited, but it was the best he would get at this distance.
ôSo Growmon canÆtbeat a Perfect on his own, yet, huhà?ö
Lucemon, as always, was quick to respond.
ôOf course, Takato. If this game was easy enough to require no input on the part of the player, it goes without saying that it would be a failure on my part, right?ö
That was a good point, Takato had to admit. Interacting with the other characters in this game was fun, of course, but until now, there had never really been any danger for them. If things had gotten dangerous, theyÆd always had the option of blowing their cover and abandoning ship.
Before Andromon, that is.
TheyÆd always had the option to evolve to Adult and shoot their way out of any situation. Things had gotten a bit risky several times, but it was always for the same reasonùTakato had consciously chosen to keep his cover.
But there had always been the option.
And for that reason, heÆd never felt as if he were in any actual danger. Even on missions into the KaiserÆs territory, heÆd purposely left behind all of his cards except the one necessary for evolution.
Sure, carrying all of his cards with him would have been dangerous and, perhaps, even foolish. But if heÆd felt like he was in danger, it would have been the logical thing to do. If the Chosen had seen them, it would have raised a lot of questions he simply couldnÆt answer, but he could had hidden them. ItÆs not like he was regularly given a pat down or anything.
But he hadnÆt.
Because heÆd felt safe enough with just Growmon.
But now, Growmon was already in play.
No, more than that. Takato didnÆt want to admit it, but he couldnÆt ignore the facts.
Growmon had been beaten back.
It might have been a close fight, but when Growmon had fought Andromon, Andromon had won.
And if Takato hadnÆt brought his cards with him, Growmon would be dead.
His partner had nearly died and heÆd nearly lost the game, and the reason was as obvious as it was simple.
HeÆd been arrogant.
Not just in the fights before now, but in this fight as well.
It was obvious, right? He could have interfered before now. It would have been easy; he could have done it exactly the same way as he had just now and slashed a card at a useful moment.
But he hadnÆt.
Because heÆd wanted to see if heÆd have too.
Maybe heÆd actually thought Growmon could just win.
Or maybe heÆd known that he couldnÆt.
But either way, heÆd stepped back and watched, because heÆd needed to know how this fight would end.
Well, now he did.
He didnÆt really like the answer, but he had it now, at least.
Growmon couldnÆt beat a Perfect by himself.
Yet.
Takato may not have liked the answer, but he wasnÆt overly bothered by it, either, because of that one simple word that was like a shield for his pride.
Yet.
At the moment, Growmon couldnÆt beat a Perfect by himself.
But that would change.
Maybe even today.
Takato would get his act together for the rest of this fight and do what he should have done from the beginning.
He was a Tamer. HeÆd support his partner to the best of his abilities.
And every Digimon in this city would die and become GrowmonÆs. Including Andromon.
But first, he needed to heal GrowmonÆs wounds. And he knew just the way to do it.
Just like they had earlier, the Guardromon would heal his partner.
The closest one to Growmon was less then fifteen meters away, through a building and on an adjacent street. He was one of the oneÆs Andromon had activated and was the first of the slow Digimon to be attracted by the noise of the fight.
But that wasnÆt his target.
At the moment, Takato just wanted two things.
Easy prey and a way to get Growmon back into the fight quickly.
There were three Guardromon some thirty meters away. They hadnÆt moved all during the fight and Takato assumed them to be deactivated.
They wouldnÆt run.
They wouldnÆt hide.
They wouldnÆt even fight back.
They were perfect.
XxXXxX
Growmon took off in a dead run, wasting no time. Every moment he took was another moment for Andromon to recoverùsomething which could prove fatal.
He swallowed up the distance to his targets in seconds, each of his great strides covering meters.
Reaching the desired building, he didnÆt slow down, nor did he hesitate.
He crashed right through its pathetic walls, fire already spewing from his mouth.
He drenched two of them with flames in an instant and was loading them almost before they burst into data.
Behind him, Andromon had finally recovered and, perhaps realizing his intentionsùor at least his targetsùwas already in hot pursuit.
Growmon finished loading the deleted pair, but had no time to stand around while loading the third. He leaned over quickly, spreading his gaping jaws wide, and, biting down on the metallic upper body of the remaining Guardromon, lifted his unresisting victim and began to run, taking him æto go.Æ
He crashed out the other side of the building, into the street beyond, nearly stumbling, but managing to recover. He clenched his jaw over his meal, grunting for a moment as the lifeless AdultÆs armor held, before suddenly giving way as he exploded into data.
While his mouth was full, he whipped his head back and forth as his Tamer had commanded, unleashing a rain of hardened hairs on a startled Guardromon in the street.
Despite being reactivated, the Adult Digimon had no time to respond. Proving its worth, the literally hair-thin spikes slipped easily past their targetÆs armor.
The Guardromon stiffened.
Briefly.
Growmon was already moving past him when he exploded into data. He loaded them both without pause, his mind already on his next targets.
Inhaling deeply even as he ran, he released his strongest attack with a thunderous roar, bringing down the buildings across the street in a cascade of falling rubble and broken data. He leapt in the destruction, loading the data from the buildings andùmore importantlyùthe Guardromon that had been right where his tamer had said theyÆd be.
Suddenly, he received a warning.
Growmon was annoyed, but not really surprised.
He knew Andromon would catch up to him eventually.
Honestly, he was just surprised it took him this long.
Still, it was too soon to fight.
Growmon looked down at his æhands.Æ
They didnÆt even deserve to be called such, yet. Really, they were just masses of vaguely cohesive data coming out of the stumps of his arms. With every Guardromon he absorbed, they began to take further shape and solidity. A few more and heÆd have definite fingers, and a few after that, his skin would return and his hands would be back.
But not if Andromon killed him before he got a chance to get them back.
A quick check proved what he expectedùthe effects of the Meramon card were gone.
But he wasnÆt worried.
His Tamer had a plan.
He just had to find more Guardromon.
Takato would handle the rest.
XxXXxX
Takato frowned as he looked at his cards.
Growmon had killed a lot of Digimon, but many of them had been repeatsùthat is, theyÆd been Digimon heÆd already beaten.
As such, he really didnÆt have many cards. And even less of them were useful.
HeÆd have to do something about that, at some point.
Sadly, he didnÆt have much of a chance at the moment, which could prove really dangerous.
Because all his cards were shit.
He knew the reasonùhe and Guilmon had been laying low, trying not to attract attention to themselves.
It was kind of hard to do that while killing high profile Digimon.
Especially since this was their first time reaching past Perfect level.
StillàtheyÆd just have to make use with what they had.
Takato chose two cards that he thought would be useful and put the rest away.
All he had to do was buy some time. With those two, it shouldnÆt be too difficult.
One could be deadly if he used it right.
And the otherà
Well, half the battle was in the mind.
Takato was confident that Andromon would find that particular card unnerving.
But for nowà
ôFlymon, Activate!ö
XxXXxX
Growmon felt the card take effect and realized instantly how to best use it.
He immediately looked back at Andromon, seeing that he was in hot pursuit.
àAnd too far away to be an effective target.
Growmon briefly considered waiting for his opponent to catch up, but discarded the idea a second later for being stupid.
Andromon was running towards him; there was no need to slow down, because heÆd catch up eventually.
More importantly, his priority was recovering, not fighting Andromon.
Not yet, at least.
Speaking of whichà
Growmon narrowed his eyes as a plan began to form.
Turning down an intersection, he came across a fairly large group of Guardromon; seven of them, all activated.
He was going to simply bypass them, but with all of them right here, wouldnÆt that be a waste? He stopped right in front of them.
ôFire Blaster!ö
Turning his head in an arc, he exhaled the flames over the machine Digimon. He didnÆt focus on any particular one of them long enough to cause deletionùhe didnÆt have the timeùbut he stopped them all in their tracks
Stopping his attack, he immediately took another deep breath and counted in his head.
Oneàtwoàthreeù
Andromon was close enough.
He called upon FlymonÆs data.
ôPoison Powder!ö
Exhaling quickly, he filled the area with a thick mist of poisonous dust, hiding everyone within it from each otherÆs view.
But Growmon didnÆt need to see to do what he had planned.
He charged.
Right out of the mist.
He didnÆt really expect the poison to have that much effect on the mostly metallic Digimon. FlymonÆs poison wasnÆt all that strong to begin with, serving to weaken, rather than kill.
It did put a lot of stuff that was flammable in the air, though.
He exhaled another wave of fire at it and it lit up like a Christmas tree.
XxXXxX
Takato had to shield his eyes from his vantage point.
ôWow. I canÆt really say that any of that was part of my plan, but itÆs just so beautiful, it doesnÆt seem right to complain.ö
ôI think youÆll find, Takato, that as a strategist, a large part of your role is taking advantage of situations that turn out surprisingly well.ö Lucemon advised.
XxXXxX
Growmon didnÆt need his eyes to tell him heÆd deleted the Guardromon.
Their data told him that.
Sadly, Andromon survived, but he hadnÆt actually expected that to kill himùit was just a distraction.
Which reminded him; he should be running.
Dashing away quickly, Growmon put the second part of his plan into motion. If, between the poisonous fog and the explosion, he could cause Andromon to lose track of him, the Cyborg Digimon would have to waste precious time tracking him back down.
Precious time that Growmon could use to recover and prepare for the inevitable confrontation.
He turned down a street, hoping to gain top speed upon the long, open stretch. Crashing through buildings may have been a faster route, but it would also leave behind a trail that was easy to follow. Better then, to take the longer path and be safe, then to rush in foolishly.
His Tamer had provided him with the location of a number of Guardromon in the area, but after some deliberation, he chose to ignore them. All the Guardromon in this area were in small, scattered pocketsùprobably those few that had been unlucky enough to be alone or inside when the Dark Tower had been destroyed.
Most of them had probably been deactivated simply because they were so out of the way that Andromon hadnÆt gotten to them yet.
But logically, there were those he had gotten too, right? Where were they, then?
Growmon had thought it through. The Guardromon Andromon had probably reactivated first were the ones that had been together in large groups. Logically, it would be more efficient, as theyÆd all be together in one place.
And what was a machine if not efficient?
From there, Growmon had simply had to think about where the largest group was, and the answer was obvious.
HadnÆt the Kaiser sent pretty much all of the Guardromon after them just earlier today?
If he assumed for a moment that all the Guardromon in that area were activated, then the question aroseà
Why hadnÆt they come to AndromonÆs aid?
If he tried to think about it from a machineÆs point of view, even that began to make sense. Andromon was a powerful Perfect level Digimon and any Digimon that could give him troubleùas the explosions theyÆd cause would surely attest he hadùwould, presumably, be equally powerful, if not more so.
An Adult Digimon would have no place in such a fightùin fact, they would more like be a hindrance to Andromon, as heÆd have to watch out for and protect the weaker Digimon.
But that was only if they were alone.
An army of Adult Digimon, on the other hand, could be a serious threat to even a Perfect Digimon, especially if headed by Andromon himself. On their home turf, they would likely crush a Perfect Digimon.
But armies, to be truly effective, required a degree of organization. The Guardromon would need to create a plan, get into position, and then execute said plan.
But before all of thatà
TheyÆd need to gather together.
And where was the best place to gather?
A location where most of them already were.
Growmon was heading towards the site of the earlier battle to confirm his theory, ignoring all the minor snacks along their way as distractions from the real prize.
It would be dangerous, taking on an army that could wear down and defeat a Perfect level Digimon.
But Growmon had an advantage they didnÆt know about.
He could load data for more power. As such, simple numbers were not enough to deter him, for each fallen opponent would do nothing but grant him more strength; the best strategy against him was to force him into single combat against a more powerful opponent.
Against a group of weak Digimon, though, he was unstoppable. He would not weaken or tireùor if he did, his enemyÆs own data would revitalize him.
Moments later, Takato seemed to catch on to his plan and feed him a stream of information that made him smile.
The hunt was on.
XxXXxX
Takato frowned, unsure of this change in events.
He understood his partnerÆs actions, of course. Maybe even agreed with themùconsuming that many Guardromon would heal Growmon completely and that would just be the beginning.
It wasnÆt even that he didnÆt believe his partner could win.
Butà
As the Tamer, it was his job to think things through. While Growmon could think for himself in battle and quickly react to sudden developments long before he had a chance to give orders or slash cards, it was his job to make the long term plans and preparations that would hopefully result in victory. Lucemon had said that quite often and heÆd taken it to heart.
As such, while Growmon charged in fearlessly, it was TakatoÆs responsibility to think about this calmly and logically.
Was there something he was missing? Was there some hidden flaw in this plan? Some downside he wasnÆt seeing?
If there was, it was his job to figure out what they wereùpreferably, before it screwed them over.
Would Andromon catch up to fast? Was this a trap? Were they being lured towards the Guardromon?
And more importantlyàif this was about to blow up in their faces, what exactly was he going to do about it?
Takato grit his teeth.
He still had only one card of useùhe really had been woefully unprepared for this day. HeÆd known from the beginning that they would eventually have to fight an opponent they couldnÆt just effortlessly crush, butà
Why had he been taken so off guard, then?
XxXXxX
The Guardromon were in sight. If he moved any further, he would be noticed in moments.
ButàGrowmon didnÆt hesitate for even a moment.
He fell upon the first one even as the others saw him for the first time. In that brief moment of hesitation that followed suddenly seeing a giant red dinosaur, GrowmonÆs jaws closed around his first victim.
To the GuardromonÆs credit, they reacted with the quick efficiency of machines. The moment they saw his hurting one of their own, their surprise seemed to vanish. In eerie unison, a dozen pairs of arms were raised in his direction as the Guardromon closest to his position prepared to attack. Butù
In this case, their numbers got in their way. The offensive power of this many Guardromon was more than enough to kill Growmon, but in their current formation, they could not attack a target all at onceùif they tried, their attacks would likely hit their fellows.
Meanwhile, Growmon could probably fire in random directions with his eyes closed and still hit something.
He easily avoided the twenty-something attacks that were launched his way by leaping into the air even as he crushed his captive in his monstrously powerful jaws.
Almost literally swallowing the destroyed GuardromonÆs data, he reopened his mouth to reveal a frightening red light gathering at the back of his throat.
ôExhaust Flame!ö
The pillar of dragon fire struck a particularly closely packed section of Guardromon before he swept it in a wide arc, destroying everything in its path. The ending point of the arc was the place he was about to landùfocusing the blast there for a long moment, he cleared it completely of Guardromon, as well as tossed up a great deal of smoke and debris.
Landing, his entire body was completely hidden within the smoke and fire. Pausing for just a moment to initiate the process of loading data, fire gathered between his jaws again.
In that instant, his Tamer transmitted everything needed to know, just as Growmon had known he would. Despite his eyes being clouded and the smoke rendering his sensitive nose useless, Takato transmitted the location of every Guardromon in the area.
Despite being blinded, Growmon continued his ruthless attack, hitting opponents both near and far with impossible, deadly accuracy, loading a continuous stream of data all the while.
When Andromon finally got here, Growmon would see that he was met with nothing but scattered clouds of data and a ruined battlefield.
And then Andromon would die.
XxXXxX
Andromon arrived to a scene of destruction.
The streets were either melted into weird shapes or cracked beyond repair. Windows all along the street were shattered; scorch marks and craters littered the walls of buildings, signs of explosions.
But the ruins of the street were not what drew AndromonÆs attention.
Yes, without a doubtàthis had been where all the Guardromon had been gathered. And yetàthis street was empty.
Noàalmost empty.
He couldnÆt see him, butà
The creature that did this had to be around here somewhere.
Andromon was tenseùit wasnÆt very long ago that heÆd been ambushed, after all. He wouldnÆt put it past that monster to do so again and in his current conditionà
Well, he wasnÆt in a position where he could let himself suffer any more time.
And yetàthat monster had killed his friends. Not just ten or twenty, though that would have been bad enough, but into the hundreds.
Even if it meant risking his life, he would hunt that monster down and kill him.
Though, itÆs not as if his motivation particularly mattered, in this case. Even if heÆd wanted to, itÆs not like he could run in this stateùheÆd be hunted down in no time. And even if heÆd managed to escapeàwhere would he go?
He wanted to send a message to the Chosen; it was quite possible that heÆd die in the coming battle. If he did, he wanted to at least pass on what heÆd managed to learn here today.
Butàthat didnÆt seem like a possibility.
Thoughàeven if he said thatàit didnÆt matter in the slightest unless he could actually find his opponent.
Where was he? The red bastard was the size of a small houseùhow could a creature his size be hiding?
XxXXxX
This was it. Andromon was all alone and probably tense enough to react without even thinking.
And he had the perfect way to exploit that.
With a last, fleeting glance at it, Takato slashed his final card.
ôItÆs time to end this, Growmon. Guardromon, Activate!ö
XxXXxX
ôDestruction Grenade!ö
Andromon spun around instantly at the voice, having been ready for the attackù
Only to freeze as his tracks as his brain registered the actual words.
For a brief instant, he allowed himself to dare to think that maybe there had been survivorsùthat he hadnÆt failed his entire cityà
Which was exactly what Takato had wanted him to think.
The blast took him full in the chest, sending him stumbling back and blinding him with an explosion. Even if it hadnÆt really hurt, Andromon knew he was off balance.
Worse, he was pretty sure his attacker knew it too and that it had been the intention behind the otherwise weak attack.
Which meant he was more than capable of realizing what would happen next.
So he wasnÆt at all surprised when a sudden force slammed into his chest.
He was, however, surprised when it didnÆt send him flying back. He was surprised when his armor didnÆt begin to heat. He was surprised when the force that flamed into him was not an enormous lance of fire.
But all of that together did not compare to how surprised he was when the fingers of an enormous hand wrapped around him and lifted him high into the air, above the smoke that had been caused by the explosion and shrouded his sight.
His eyes met oneÆs a nearly feral yellow. Half-lidded, his opponent looked like a highly satisfied cat.
ôTell meàcan a machine like you experience fear?ö
XxXXxX
Growmon was elated.
Today had been a very long and painful day for him. HeÆd been chased all around the city, then heÆd been nearly bisected, and then both of his arms had been chopped off.
And yetà
HeÆd never felt this good in his entireùadmittedly shortùlife. With the power flowing through him now, he felt like he could do anything. In absorbing the Guardromon, his limbs had been remadeùbut more than that, the loading of so many Adult Digimon had given him a might he hadnÆt even dreamt of before. Holding a Chrome Digizoid Perfect level in his hands, he felt like he could crush him with a quick flex of his fingers.
Was this what it felt like to be truly powerful?
He liked the feeling. He liked it a lot.
And more than anythingàhe wanted to feel that way more and more. He felt almost addicted to the sensation and for the first time in his life he really had a wish of his own, besides to obey his Tamer.
He wanted to see his power grow. He wanted to see opposition crushed. At his TamerÆs command, he had devoured hundredsùthousandsùand now he wanted to thank his tamer for pushing him to do so.
It hadnÆt felt that way at the time, but just a short time ago, when he had just been born, heÆd been soàweak. And now he was strong. And strength felt so much better than weakness.
But with that desire also came a fear.
Would someone take away his power as he had done to others? Would they devour him and make his power their own.
The thought truly terrified him. He had only one purpose in lifeùhe had been designed to ægrow.Æ Or rather, he had been designed to æconsume.Æ
A part of him wondered, as it always did, if that was truly the only purpose his existence held. Was he not a living being? Was he not able to think for himself? Could his existence really be so basic as to be summed up in a single word?
And yet, as it always did, LucemonÆs voice rose up in response to his question and gave the reply that heÆd been given when heÆd first voiced his question.
æWasnÆt that purpose enough? If you grow and consume and destroy, you will definitely be able to stay in this world. And if you canÆt, then Takato has no need of you.Æ
Perhaps that was what he was truly afraid of.
As long as he was strongàas long as he was the bestàthere was definitely a reason for him to exist in this world.
And there was definitely a reason for him to stay with Takato.
So for that reasonàhe would definitely become the æstrongest.Æ
For if he couldnÆt do that, there was no point to him.
ôThis fight is over, Andromon.ö He said. ôAnd IÆm the winner.ö
Ignoring his words, the Perfect level immediately began to struggle. Growmon casually tightened his grip, electing a cry of pain.
Then, Andromon suddenly stopped.
ôGatling Missile!ö
Growmon lifted an arm to cover his face, not at all surprised by the attack. It connected with a thunderous explosion, casting up smoke and debris. In response, he released Andromonùnot because he had too, but simply because it didnÆt matter anymore.
He flung a single huge limb through the smoke, sweeping it away, just in time to see AndromonÆs charge.
ôSpiral Sword!ö
Wordlessly, Growmon extended the blade on his right arm, and it began to glow with electromagnetic waves. As AndromonÆs blade swung at him, he swept his own out to meet it.
A moment later, there was a metallic echo, a burst of data, and a sudden, startled cry of pain.
Andromon stumbled back, clutching the stump of his arm.
ùThis fight was already over. It had ended the moment he had been given time to recover.
Andromon was wounded where he was now whole.
Andromon was exhausted where he had been rejuvenated.
And most of allà
Andromon was defeated where he was victorious.
He nearly gloated, butàhe had no more words for the dead.
ButàAndromon still owed him another arm.
The blade on his left arm extended and began to glow as he slowly approached. Andromon watched his approach with weary eyes.
He knew that GrowmonÆs slow pace was nothing but a way of gloating. If Andromon tried to escape, it would disappear in an instant and the hunt would be on.
He couldnÆt run.
He couldnÆt hide.
And worst of all, he couldnÆt win.
Acknowledging that fact probably hurt more than his woundsùGrowmon could see that much in his opponentÆs eyes.
Butà
Even soàAndromon would not back down. Growmon knew that much from simply fighting himùhe may not be an expert tactician, but he could at least tell if someone was the type of person to back down or run away.
So he wasnÆt even slightly surprised when AndromonÆs chest plate opened.
In fact, he didnÆt even slow his stride.
Instead, he literally spat a burst of fire, catching one of the missiles in midair, causing an explosion. The other missile just sailed straight through the smoke, opening itÆs æmouthÆ to reveal a small Gatling gun, which began releasing a spray of bullets.
Closing his eyes, Growmon just let the rounds bounce harmlessly off his skin. Tilting his head to the side, he let it fly straight past him and opened his eyesù
To see another pair of missiles coming towards him.
Feeling a flicker of annoyance, he swung an arm, splitting both missiles with a single blade and weathering the resulting explosion.
Striding out of the smoke, he saw Andromon rushing towards him. Which he immediately realized was ridiculous, since the CyborgÆs close range weaponry had been destroyed. As such, it was probably aù
Ah. A trap.
GrowmonÆs tail flicked up, meeting the missile that had stealthily been approaching from behind, even as Andromon leapt, firing another pair of missiles from his still open chest plate in the hopes of scoring a point blank shot.
If the previous attack had connected and taken him by surprise, it might have even worked. Instead, an exhalation of fire connected with the missiles just as they left Andromon, exploding right in front of him.
Of course, it was right in front of Growmon too, but the attacks of a half dead opponent wouldnÆt hurt him, even if it was from a half dead Perfect.
Of course, at this point, he might be more than just half way to the grave. Unlike Growmon, Andromon had taken that blastÆs damage completelyùand with his protective chest plate open and unable to actually defend him. The blast had thrown him away, sending him crashing into a building and leaving his chest a scorched wreck.
Andromon tried to stand up, but his body had finally succumbed to damage and he fell back down, defeated.
Growmon felt almostàdisappointed. Not quite because Andromon had been defeated, or even that the fight was finally over, but because of something he couldnÆt quite put into words.
Maybe it was a fleeting feeling of regret. Even if it was to increase his poweràthis really had been a nice city, once. Before heÆd destroyed it.
He crushed that feeling mercilessly and approached Andromon. The CyborgÆs face was blank and expressionless, unwilling to show any fear, even before death.
Leaning down, he severed AndromonÆs remaining hand with a plasma-like blade. Andromon released a not-quite suppressed cry of pain and glared angrily at him.
After all, what did he have to fear at this point? Growmon had already killed everyone he cared about and removed both his arms. He was about to die and he knew it. Nothing Growmon could possibly do could hurt him any more than he already had been.
Before that simple realization, Growmon felt a flash of something that may have been guilt.
ôYou took my hands,ö Growmon said. ôAnd I took yours.ö
Rather than gloating, it felt almost like he was trying to explain his actions.
Andromon just glared.
The Dragon and the Cyborg traded glares and Growmon looked away first.
What he felt didnÆt matter. HeÆd won and it was over. All he had to do was make it official.
ôExhaust Flame.ö He said.
But for some reason, he felt no pleasure in doing so.
It was odd how quickly the high of power had faded.
XxXXxX
The Digimon Kaiser sat silently in his room, Wormmon his only company.
It was lateùquite a bit past midnight, in fact. If he stayed up much later, it would noticeably affect him in the morning; it didnÆt really matter to him, though, except that people might annoy him by asking why he looked so tired.
Butàthis was more important.
Andromon had failed.
Noùworse. An entire city of Adult Digimon had failed. HeÆd split the Chosen up for hours and it still hadnÆt been enough to beat them. In fact, the only one who had come even close to succeeding was Andromon, who at least had them on the run for awhile. Truthfully, he was probably the only one whoÆd come close to winning.
And perhaps that was why KenÆs thoughts were focused on him.
He had failedàbut not because he was weak. In this case, Ken had to swallow his pride and admit the truthùthe fault was his.
His Evil Rings werenÆt good enough.
He had managed to control hundredsùthousandsùof Adults and Childs. In that regard, his Rings worked almost perfectly; while at first, there had been a few errors until heÆd improved and corrected the design, the Rings were now completely reliable.
Except on Perfect Digimon.
HeÆd controlled Andromon for a time, even infecting him with the same virus he had the Guardromon and using his mechanical nature against him. And for a time, it had seemed to work.
But the Chosen had broken through, somehow, and freed him. Not only had he lost his only Perfect Digimon, but heÆd lost one of his most valuable cities; few, if any, of the areas he controlled had as high a concentration of easily controllable Adult Digimon.
With its loss, it was impossible to continue denying the truth.
He was losing. The Chosen had freed too many cities, building up a momentum that he was helpless to stop. He had his armies, but they had theirs, too. The areas they freed had been largely on the defensive, but it was a very good defense, leaving him unable to break through the borders of their territory in any way that would be worth the cost.
However, while it rendered him unable to go on the attack, it also required the full might of the freed areas, which would have resulted in a stalemate if not for the Chosen. Using portals, they entered areas he controlled, freeing them and turn them to their side. Soon, the simply difference in numbers would allow the freed Digimon to put together an army separate from their defensive forces. Ken could just imagine the Chosen riding into his territory at the head of a huge mob of Digimon.
If that were too happenà
It would be the end of him. He would lose the moment they managed to put together a force that large. If he had to devote his own forces to counteract their army, heÆd leave important locations undefended and the Chosen would literally be able to fly around and take a territory. Once they established a foothold anywhere deep in his territory, heÆd have to defend against multiple frontsùif that happened, it would only be a matter of time before he fell.
If he wanted to have any chance at victory, he had to turn the tide. He no longer had enough time to contemplate option after option and slowly decide which to use. He needed to choose his next course of action right now if he wanted to have any hope of being able to actually implement it in time.
In that regard, perhaps he was lucky, because the answer was obvious.
There was only one real option. Adults would no longer cut it. They had proven ineffective, both alone and in numbers.
His only option would be to make use of Perfects.
But heÆd already proven that his Rings wouldnÆt be enough. HeÆd used both a Ring and a virus on Andromon and it hadnÆt workedùagainst Digimon that werenÆt Machines, heÆd have only the Ring and heÆd probably find even less success.
HeÆd need something better, but making a successful model would require testingùpreferable not on an actual Perfect Digimon, who could break loose if he failed.
In which case, heÆd need to test it on someone of lower levelùor, even better yet, on a Perfect that would not lash out, if it broke free.
In which caseàthe choice was simple.
And yet, for a brief moment, he hesitated to make it.
And so, it was made for him, by someone who knew him so well as to know what he was thinkingùby the only one who knew him that well.
ôPlease, Ken-chanàö Wormmon began. ôUse me. I will definitely not fail you. I will definitely continue to beàyour strongest soldier.ö
For a moment, Ken could think of nothing to say. Closing his eyes, he nodded once, and made his decision.
ôùOf course. Then, tomorrow, our counteract will begin. IÆll rely on you to lead it to victory, Wormmon.ö
XxXXxX
Takato sighed as he exited the game.
He was tired. He shouldnÆt have stayed up so late and heÆd probably be regretting it tomorrowùno, at this point, it would be ælater todayÆ wouldnÆt it?
Given how he was on the best of day, it would be a miracle if he managed to get to class on time in the morning.
Still, he couldnÆt say he regretted it. The game obeyed a normal progression of time, even when he wasnÆt playing, which was cool, but also meant he would miss things while he was gone.
Which, if he knew Lucemon, would result in him being screwed over somehow, no matter what he did.
But all things considered, today had gone very well.
From his stand point as an æally of the Chosen,Æ heÆd helped release an entire city of enslaved Digimon. Not only that, but it was a very valuable area that the Kaiser would definitely feel the loss of. Not only that, but heÆd insured that the Kaiser would never be able to take control of that area ever again.
Or, at least, that even if he did, it would be absolutely useless to him.
And, more importantly, from his true position, today had been immensely profitable. In fact, it wouldnÆt be an exaggeration to say that heÆd benefited more from today than he had from all his work prior. Between the acquisition of Growmon and the loading of any entire city of Guardromon, heÆd shored up his own power. The additional loading of Andromon had proven immensely useful as well, both due to the inherent power of a Perfect Digimon and the card that had resulted from his death.
Without a doubt, Growmon was no longer simply a powerful Adult. He was well into Perfect territory, which meant he was far stronger than anyone that either the Chosen or the Kaiser had on their sides. Regardless of who he fought, Takato felt his partner would not be defeated.
HeÆd even voiced his certainty of victory to Lucemon, pondering whether it was time to end his disguise and challenge the Chosen and the Kaiser.
And yetàLucemonÆs response had made him nervous.
æDonÆt be so hasty, Takato. The KaiserÆs up to something.Æ
It made sense that as he got stronger, the game would get more difficult, of course. HeÆd known it would do that. But it didnÆt make it any less frustrating when Lucemon did stuff like that.
What could the Kaiser do at this point? They had him on the run and everyone knew it. Takato couldnÆt think of way real way for him to make a comeback, especially considering GrowmonÆs newfound power.
But what worried him? He was pretty sure Lucemon could.
Takato sighed at the thought.
It was pointless to worry about it. What happened would happen; the game was no fun without a challenge, anyway.
As he left the computer room, he was surprised to find that all the lights were off. Well, his parents had probably gone to sleepù
ôTakato?ö
Takato winced and turned around. He was busted.
His mother frowned at him.
ôWhere have you been?ö She demanded. ôYou didnÆt even come down for supper!ö
ôSorry, mom,ö He apologized. ôI just so wrapped up in the game that I lost track of time.ö
Her frown deepened.
ôYouÆve done that a lot lately. Every day you come home and spend hours on that computeràIÆm worried about you, Takato.ö
ôItÆs just a game, Mom.ö Takato defended. ôThereÆs nothing wrong; IÆm only having a lot of fun.ö
ôIÆll be the judge of that.ö She declared firmly. ôTomorrow, I want you to show me this game youÆve been so addicted to. If thereÆs nothing wrong, that shouldnÆt be a problem, right?ö
Second Thanksgiving Update.
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DevilÆs Advocate
Chapter Eleven: Turn Around
What had been a beautiful city the day before was now nothing but a broken, empty ruin.
Hikari moved slowly through the city, eyes wide in horrified awe.
It was destroyed.
That was the only way to describe itùsomething had utterly destroyed this city.
TheyÆd entered the Digital World as soon as school had ended, intending to do their best to assist with the recovery of the city, as well as to begin the development of its defenses. But in this case, there was no pointùthe worst had already happened.
They had moved through the city carefully, searching for survivors, but theyÆd had no success. Takeru and Miyako had left a short while ago, heading for nearby freed areas, to ask if they had any idea what had happened and the rest of the group had no choice but to patiently await their arrival.
But it was hard, because they had no choice but to expect the worst. Entire streets had been torn to pieces. Buildings had fallen, crashing to the ground below. Windows had been shattered and they frequently stumbled across what seemed to be claw marks. But no matter where they looked, they couldnÆt find even a single survivor.
It was easy to figure out the cause of it all.
It was the Kaiser. HeÆd seen theyÆd reclaimed the area and, before they could shore of its defenses and turn it against him, had mounted an assault on it, destroying the city. In which case, their hard work the day before had probably been rendered useless. By now, both the Guardromon and the Andromon were probably back under the KaiserÆs control.
But even if that was soà
How had he done this?
They had fought the Kaiser many times before in many situations. TheyÆd fallen into traps and had entire armies direct at them and things had gotten very dangerous many timesùthere was no denying that the KaiserÆs forces were very powerful.
But Andromon and an entire city of Guardromon?
Yesterday had been the closest they had every come to total defeat. TheyÆd been put on the run, separated, and, after Andromon arrived, beaten. They were well aware that it was not power or skill on their part that had allowed them to win that day, but simple luck. In the end, Andromon had held back the entire battle, restraining himself even though his mind was bound.
If he had gone all out from the very beginningà
Well, they probably wouldnÆt be here.
But once freed, it was obvious Andromon hated the Kaiser, and would go all out against him if given half a chance.
So, how had the Kaiser, who theyÆd defeated in battle after battle, been able to take this entire city while it was on its guard?
To do thatàthe amount of power it would takeà
If the Kaiser still had enough forces at his disposal to do such a thing, then why hadnÆt he sent those forces against the Chosen? It didnÆt make senseùwithout a doubt they had him on the run; if he had a secret weapon or trump card, he should have used it by now.
So why hadnÆt he? What could he possibly be waiting for?
HikariÆs thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of something her DigiviceÆs screen. She looked to the sky, awaiting Takeru and MiyakoÆs arrival.
ôDid you find anything?ö Daisuke asked them as soon as they landed.
Takeru shook his head.
ôThe nearby areas thought that they might have heard some explosions in the distance, but they didnÆt see any armies go into this area or any come out. We circled around the area afterwards, tooùthere were no tracks in the sand. Depending on when the attack happened, that might not mean anythingùbut with the sheer amount of Digimon that would have to leave to empty this area, youÆd think thereÆd be at least something left behind, right?ö
Miyako nodded in agreement.
ôThe only way an army could have gotten in without leaving traces of some kind would be if they flew inùin which case, the nearby areas would have seen something. And flying that many Guardromon outàI canÆt see it happening without someone noticing. ItÆs like they all vanished.ö
ôThey canÆt have vanished,ö Daisuke disagreed. ôLook at this place! Something obviously happened. WeÆve just got to figure out what.ö
Takeru and Hikari exchanged glances.
They should probably mention it to the groupùand they would, but they wanted to find some proof, first, before they could believe itùbut there was a way for this many Digimon to vanish, and it didnÆt involve them leaving.
Pyocomon village was a testament to that.
Butàto have lost Meramon and now Andromonàthey didnÆt want to believe it. Especially not right after theyÆd saved him.
And why would the Kaiser destroy them? WouldnÆt taking them as slaves be more useful?
Things werenÆt adding upùand until they did, there was still the possibility that Andromon and the Guardromon were alive.
ôDamnàö Daisuke suddenly sighed, giving up on trying to form an explanation for all of this. ôOf all the times for Takato to not be here.ö
Hikari blinked at that, suddenly realizing that more than an hour had passed and he still hadnÆt appeared.
ôWhere is Takato, anyway?ö
ôAhàwell,ö Daisuke shrugged. ôHe emailed me. Apparently he had a bit more trouble than we did when it came to his parents, since Taichi didnÆt know who they were so he couldnÆt call and make excuses. Butàthey probably wouldnÆt have accepted explanations from someone theyÆd probably never heard of, either.ö
Takeru winced.
ôIs he grounded?ö
At a time like thisàit was understandable if his parents did such a thing, but the Digital World really couldnÆt afford it at the moment. In light of what had happened here, they needed to act quickly and decisively, and they wanted to have the entire team together, if possible.
ôHe said something about trying to get out of it,ö Daisuke said. ôNot sure how heÆll do that, thoughàö
XxXXxX
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DevilÆs Advocate
Chapter Eleven: Turn Around
What had been a beautiful city the day before was now nothing but a broken, empty ruin.
Hikari moved slowly through the city, eyes wide in horrified awe.
It was destroyed.
That was the only way to describe itùsomething had utterly destroyed this city.
TheyÆd entered the Digital World as soon as school had ended, intending to do their best to assist with the recovery of the city, as well as to begin the development of its defenses. But in this case, there was no pointùthe worst had already happened.
They had moved through the city carefully, searching for survivors, but theyÆd had no success. Takeru and Miyako had left a short while ago, heading for nearby freed areas, to ask if they had any idea what had happened and the rest of the group had no choice but to patiently await their arrival.
But it was hard, because they had no choice but to expect the worst. Entire streets had been torn to pieces. Buildings had fallen, crashing to the ground below. Windows had been shattered and they frequently stumbled across what seemed to be claw marks. But no matter where they looked, they couldnÆt find even a single survivor.
It was easy to figure out the cause of it all.
It was the Kaiser. HeÆd seen theyÆd reclaimed the area and, before they could shore of its defenses and turn it against him, had mounted an assault on it, destroying the city. In which case, their hard work the day before had probably been rendered useless. By now, both the Guardromon and the Andromon were probably back under the KaiserÆs control.
But even if that was soà
How had he done this?
They had fought the Kaiser many times before in many situations. TheyÆd fallen into traps and had entire armies direct at them and things had gotten very dangerous many timesùthere was no denying that the KaiserÆs forces were very powerful.
But Andromon and an entire city of Guardromon?
Yesterday had been the closest they had every come to total defeat. TheyÆd been put on the run, separated, and, after Andromon arrived, beaten. They were well aware that it was not power or skill on their part that had allowed them to win that day, but simple luck. In the end, Andromon had held back the entire battle, restraining himself even though his mind was bound.
If he had gone all out from the very beginningà
Well, they probably wouldnÆt be here.
But once freed, it was obvious Andromon hated the Kaiser, and would go all out against him if given half a chance.
So, how had the Kaiser, who theyÆd defeated in battle after battle, been able to take this entire city while it was on its guard?
To do thatàthe amount of power it would takeà
If the Kaiser still had enough forces at his disposal to do such a thing, then why hadnÆt he sent those forces against the Chosen? It didnÆt make senseùwithout a doubt they had him on the run; if he had a secret weapon or trump card, he should have used it by now.
So why hadnÆt he? What could he possibly be waiting for?
HikariÆs thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of something her DigiviceÆs screen. She looked to the sky, awaiting Takeru and MiyakoÆs arrival.
ôDid you find anything?ö Daisuke asked them as soon as they landed.
Takeru shook his head.
ôThe nearby areas thought that they might have heard some explosions in the distance, but they didnÆt see any armies go into this area or any come out. We circled around the area afterwards, tooùthere were no tracks in the sand. Depending on when the attack happened, that might not mean anythingùbut with the sheer amount of Digimon that would have to leave to empty this area, youÆd think thereÆd be at least something left behind, right?ö
Miyako nodded in agreement.
ôThe only way an army could have gotten in without leaving traces of some kind would be if they flew inùin which case, the nearby areas would have seen something. And flying that many Guardromon outàI canÆt see it happening without someone noticing. ItÆs like they all vanished.ö
ôThey canÆt have vanished,ö Daisuke disagreed. ôLook at this place! Something obviously happened. WeÆve just got to figure out what.ö
Takeru and Hikari exchanged glances.
They should probably mention it to the groupùand they would, but they wanted to find some proof, first, before they could believe itùbut there was a way for this many Digimon to vanish, and it didnÆt involve them leaving.
Pyocomon village was a testament to that.
Butàto have lost Meramon and now Andromonàthey didnÆt want to believe it. Especially not right after theyÆd saved him.
And why would the Kaiser destroy them? WouldnÆt taking them as slaves be more useful?
Things werenÆt adding upùand until they did, there was still the possibility that Andromon and the Guardromon were alive.
ôDamnàö Daisuke suddenly sighed, giving up on trying to form an explanation for all of this. ôOf all the times for Takato to not be here.ö
Hikari blinked at that, suddenly realizing that more than an hour had passed and he still hadnÆt appeared.
ôWhere is Takato, anyway?ö
ôAhàwell,ö Daisuke shrugged. ôHe emailed me. Apparently he had a bit more trouble than we did when it came to his parents, since Taichi didnÆt know who they were so he couldnÆt call and make excuses. Butàthey probably wouldnÆt have accepted explanations from someone theyÆd probably never heard of, either.ö
Takeru winced.
ôIs he grounded?ö
At a time like thisàit was understandable if his parents did such a thing, but the Digital World really couldnÆt afford it at the moment. In light of what had happened here, they needed to act quickly and decisively, and they wanted to have the entire team together, if possible.
ôHe said something about trying to get out of it,ö Daisuke said. ôNot sure how heÆll do that, thoughàö
XxXXxX