A/N: This fic is born from an RP with . Kariachi is the coauthor and responsible for the Ben 10 side of things. The story started with this:

Kevin's working on his car one day and something strange happens. A large patterned egg materializes from his badge which transforms into an unfamiliar piece of tech. What happens next?

"Ya know, I wish I could say this is the strangest thing I've seen. But this isn't even the strangest this week."

Disclaimer: Neither of us own anything of the Digimon or Ben 10 franchises.

Merrowww…

Strange Egg

Hatching

The strange egg suddenly rocked a little. Then a little more. Sounds started coming from it as if the creature inside were cursing the shell keeping it from entering the outside world.

Slowly small cracks begin to form. The voice inside cried out in triumph as the cracks grew larger. With one final jolt, the small being burst forth from the egg.

Panting and exhausted the red slime ball looked around for its partner. Upon spotting him, its limp bat-like wings twitched in excitement. It opened its mouth to greet him showing many sharp teeth before passing out.

After a good long nap, the little creature woke up. It yawned, exposing sharp teeth and a wide gape. It then stretched out the sleepiness from its wings.

With the business of waking up accomplished the being looked around for its partner. It saw a great many things in the room but not what it was looking for. Distressed it hopped and rolled about. This caused the hatchling to fall from the ledge it woke from.

Clumsily flapping it managed to slow its fall. It landed with loud 'plop'.

"Di! Di!" It cried.

Kevin had left the hatchling on a table in the breakroom while he fed Zed and questioned whether he should call Gwen or not. On the one hand, she was his girlfriend and he was pretty sure this was the sort of thing she meant when she said they should tell each other about stuff. On the other, she would probably call Ben and Rook given the circumstances, but then it would be a Thing, and Things normally meant pain for Kevin.

Decisions decisions.

His thoughts were interrupted and the aliens' attention drawn by a 'plop' and loud, sharp cries. Eyes going to the ceiling in a silent prayer for luck, good fortune, health, something, Kevin sprinted for the breakroom, skidding through the door. When he saw the hatchling on the floor, his shoulders slumped.

"Hey, kid," he carefully lifted it off the ground, again holding it to his chest, "you're not supposed to be on the floor, it's hard and cold and sh-, cr-, and stuff." Was he allowed to swear in front of it? Was it sentient? Oh good Lord he was going to fuck up a lost sentient hatchling wasn't he?

Fuck.

The red being's eyes opened wide and its wings twitched when it was picked up by its missing partner and was held against him. It was warm and happy and began making sounds at him. It was not quite developed enough to properly communicate or really understand what the other was saying.

"Duh. Doo da doo! Doo doo da de doo doo!" Suddenly it began blowing harmless bubbles at its partner while its ears twitched in happiness. The red blob's mood crashed when its stomach rumbled. Unsure how to communicate its need to be fed the hatchling began to cry.

"Jaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

For a moment, Kevin was unsure how to proceed. He wasn't used to infant gibberish and having bubbles blown at him, and he definitely wasn't used to crying. He cringed against the sound, and Zed's pained whine of a response, and tried to remember what he knew about babies.

It wasn't much.

Okay, sleep, attention, food. His cousins had kids and he was pretty sure that was what they'd cried over, right? They were hungry, or tired, or wanted to be cuddled. This guy had just woken up, and was in the middle of being cuddled, ergo, he was hungry! Alright! Food it was then!

Carefully placing the newborn back on the table, and walking backwards so he'd know if it tried to fall off again, he made for the fridge. The thing already had teeth, so it must be good for solids, he decided as he gathered up several lunches. What, like his coworkers were going to argue with "hatchling feeding emergency"?

Unsure what exactly the tiny thing was supposed to eat, he just began emptying containers onto the table in hopes that it would be able to figure it out for itself.

Smelling something good and food-ish the little blob stopped crying. It sniffed at the food stuff its partner had placed before it. Dark eyes darted from the meal to its partner a few times before it dove in.

Without limbs, it fed messily, flapping its wings and sometimes rolling over onto its sides.

After every scrap was gone and every crumb licked up, the hatchling let out a small burp and closed its eyes. It felt content and bloated from the meal.

Something felt odd. The blob's eyes shot open and it shuddered in anticipation. The device the partner's badge began beeping. Nearby electronics began acting up and the lights flickered. An unstable red egg-shaped cocoon surrounded it and a transformation started.

Within seconds the cocoon disappeared and the electronics functioned normally again. The transformed being stood up on its new leg stubs and stretched to get a feel for its bigger body. It's now bright yellow eyes gazed up at its partner and its black tipped tail began waving behind it.

"Thanks, thanks, thanks for the food!" It warbled.

Black eyes went wide as Kevin watched the creature eat. Good Lord, it was worse than Ben! An absolutely terrifying thought. He almost didn't blink for the whole, short period it spent literally licking the table clean, although he did manage a small smile when it gave a contented burp.

His pride in his apparent success at stage one of "infant-whatever" care was short lived though. His badge and the other electronics in the room began to buzz and hiss and spark as the lights flickered. He bit his tongue and shut his eyes against the surge of that same unfamiliar energy he could taste coming.

He hated that shit.

Muscles tense, he stood there until the buzzes and hisses went silent and the surge faded away. Slowly he opened his eyes to see that the hatchling had grown.

As in, legs and a tail.

That was fucking quick.

"Thanks, thanks, thanks for the food!" It called up at him as he stared. And stared. And stared.

Slowly, clumsily, he made his way to and lowered himself onto the couch, ignoring the springs that immediately tried to get his attention.

"This," he finally said, staring into the middle distance, "has to be a nightmare."

He knew his life, it couldn't end well.

The young creature's wing-like ears drooped when it saw its partner's reaction. It could feel that its partner was unhappy. Tears welled up in its eyes. Did it do something wrong? Did his partner not want him anymore because he grew without permission?

The little red dragon walked towards its partner. It leapt off of the table on to the floor. It stopped its advance about a tail length away from his feet just in case its partner really didn't want anything to do with it. That thought caused the tears in its eyes to begin falling.

"A-are you okay?" It asked sniffling.

Kevin looked down on hearing the small voice again and cringed.

"Aw fuck, fuck, no, don't cry, please." Forget not swearing, he had no idea what was going on, he needed the comfort of being able to fucking swear. He lifted the creature into his lap as Zed came through the door.

She looked at the creature. She looked at her master. The creature. And Back to her master. Kevin just gestured distressedly.

"I don't know either girl. It just, I don't know."

Its partner still sounded upset but the little tried its best to stop crying. It sniffled and buried its face into his warm stomach. It sat like that for a few moments until its eyes were dry.

Knowing that it was no longer going to cry it backed up and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry I made you feel bad." The red dragon said softly. "If I try hard enough I think I can get small again if that's what you want."

He cringed again. This was karma, wasn't it? He'd been a complete monster, multiple times, he'd turned on people, abandoned people, stolen, lied, cheated, assaulted, and his punishment was a depressed hatchling. With a sigh, he ran his fingers down its back, Zed coming forward to give it another good sniffing.

"No, no it's fine, just," he sighed again, "you can talk now, right? Warn me next time you do that whole growing thing."

The hatchling nodded obediently, which for it was really just bobbing its body up and down. It felt better knowing that its partner was ok and still liked him.

"Will do boss!" It replied. Feeling something sniffing at it the little dragon turned around as quickly as it could.

It growled at the strange scaly creature. Was it an enemy? At the prospect of a fight its pupils narrowed into thin slits and it bared its fangs. The red being's body shivered in excitement and its ears stood straight up.

Zed pulled her head back, looking at the tiny thing in a 'who do you think you are' manner. Taking a paw, she bopped it onto its side. Kevin snorfled.

"That's not fair!" It yelped as it squirmed and wiggled as it tried to get back onto its nubby legs. The little dragon glared at its partner as soon as it managed to right itself.

"That wasn't fucking funny, boss." It grumbled. "That thing could have attacked you!"

Zed looked thoroughly amused, and jumped up onto the couch to lay next to her master. Said master, meanwhile, plucked the red being off the floor and replaced him on the table with a smirk.

"Nah. Been there, done that. Apparently once you drag her three miles attached to your ankle by her teeth, she decides it's not worth bothering."

Still a bit miffed the little dragon let out a huff of smoke. It was a little impressed by what its partner said. The blueish thing looked like a small Champion level.

"Sounds like you're pretty tough boss." It commented. "So what's your name partner?"

"Kevin." He raised a brow at the smoke puff, and he wasn't sure what to think about being called 'boss', "What about you? You got a name, or is that something I gotta look into?"

Zed's tail twitched, but as far as she was concerned she'd made sure the thing wasn't a threat to her master, so she let matters be.

The hatchling did the best imitation of a shrug that it could do without shoulders. "Not really boss. To my knowledge most Digimon don't call each other by a particular name. We just call each other by what we are. I hatched as a Jyarimon and now I'm a Gigimon."

Its yellow eyes glanced over at the blue creature laying all up in its partner a little jealously. "I've never heard of anything lookin' like that before, though."

"She's an Anubian Baskurr, her name is Zed." Kevin contemplated the new information. He'd never heard of those species before, and didn't know of anything that changed its species as it grew, but it was a big universe, and he hadn't seen all of it…

"Anyway, I'm not calling you by your species name. What the fuck would happen if we ran into more of you?" He stared up at the ceiling contemplatively, tapping his foot on the table, "How 'bout 'Ilex'?"

"Ilex." The Gigimon thought out loud."Ilex…hmmm…"

The little dragon made a fierce face and roared with its mouth aflame, "IIIIIIIIIIIIIlleeeeexxx! I am the warrior Ilex! All challengers tremble before the mighty Ilex!"

The Digimon blinked and then nodded. "I like it. My name is Ilex."

Kevin bit his lip for a moment before bursting into sidesplitting laughter. It had just been too damn, whatever the opposite of intimidating was, that had been it!

"Okay Ilex, nice to have ya'."

Merrowww…

Across the fabric of reality, a group of bat-like creatures poked around at a thin spot. They could feel that something had crossed over into the physical world earlier. After a few tries five of them squeezed through.

In the physical world computers in a computer lab malfunctioned and the lights flickered. A thick mist filled the room and the four winged bats perched to allow themselves to solidify. Upon seeing them a few college students ran out of the room.

Merrowww…..

The little dragon blew another irritated huff of smoke at its partner. It knew it was scary looking and fierce, or well that it would be.

"Same here, boss." It replied. The small dragon's wing-like ears suddenly bolted straight up. Its pupils narrowed and it looked around wildly, growling all the way.

An alarm went off on the digivice and a phone began ringing.

The growling definitely got Zed's attention, and she quickly tensed up as well, alert for whatever Ilex had noticed.

Kevin simply glanced, confused, between his new friend and what had been his badge; when had that happened? What the fuck?

Eyes narrowing slightly, he picked up his cell.

"Let me guess, we've got trouble?"

Merrowww…

"If giant bat things spitting medical syringes and generally wreaking things in the library means trouble then yes." Gwen replied as she made shield to protect some members of her study group. She didn't know what was in the needles but she was certain that she didn't want to find out.

She jumped to the side to dodge an attack by a second group. "I think I need backup, more of them just came from the computer lab."

Merrowww…

Ilex jumped down from the table and headed for the closest door. It stopped and looked back impatiently at its partner. "Are you comin' or what? I feel lots of other Digimon nearby."

Kevin glanced down at the little being.

"Hang on, I'll be right there." He shoved his phone into his pocket as he hauled himself up and made for the door. "You're staying here, kid. Zed, guard."

"What? No!" Ilex nearly yelled. He moved directly into his partner's path. "You're my partner. It is my duty to fight by your side, especially against other Digimon!"

Its yellow eyes burned with fierce determination indicating that it wouldn't take no for an answer. "'Sides, if you left without me I'd just sneak out and find a way there anyway!"

Somehow the five-inch being managed not to intimidate his six-foot partner.

"That's nice and all, but your three hours old and a total squirt. I'm not having you get hurt. Stay here with Zed and I'll be back soon."

Panicking at the thought of its partner going alone to face a group of Digimon, the Gigimon sat there looking devastated. It was too small and weak for its partner to want to go into battle with him. This was unacceptable and time was running out.

Yellow eyes squeezed shut as Ilex concentrated. It needed to be stronger. Stronger! It used sheer will power and recalled the sensation it felt when it had digivolved earlier.

"Would you take me if I were bigger? Stronger?" It felt weird… good. The lights began to flicker and it pulled data from nearby electronics towards it. The digivice began beeping. "Then I'll get stronger! Bigger! Now!"

A cocoon formed around Ilex. It hurt as the red skin was stripped from its body. The cocoon expanded as the Gigimon's own frame did. Its limbs grew long and powerful with long white claws at the ends of his arms and legs. Its snout lengthened and its head was properly separated from its now therapod like body by a powerful neck. Its skin returned, still red and white, and then the cocoon dissipated.

It breathed heavily and was somewhat woosy from the transformation. Ilex stood straight up any way and could look its partner directly eye, his pupils were still slitted.

"Can I come with you now, boss?"

Kevin clenched his eyes shut again, hissing against the power surge.

"A little more warning than that!" He was gonna relapse if this was gonna be thing. "What the fuck!"

"Okay, sorry." Ilex panted slightly. It moved into a therapod-ish stance that made it look significantly shorter. It briefly pressed its muzzle into his stomach then looked up. "'Sides I don't think I'll be able to do that again for a while."

The Guilmon backed up a few paces and pointed in the direction it sensed the other Digimon from. "So, are we still goin', boss?"

Rubbing his eyes with a broken sigh, Kevin pointed at his Dodge.

"Just get in the fucking car."

Ilex nodded and followed its partner to the green vehicle. Gently it worked the latch to open the door and climbed. The dinosaur like creature squirmed around to get comfortable in the seat. It closed the door right behind it and gave Kevin a "thumbs" up.

Kevin floored it out of the garage, squealing around corners as he went. The cops could only get you for speeding they caught you.

Merrowww…

A/N: Part one complete.