(Note: This story takes place against the backdrop of events in "Digimon Adventure" seasons 1 and 2. This chapter takes place during Episodes 19 and 20 of season 1.)

"Unintended," Part 1

Jin Blossoms

The sun was shining brightly overhead that day. It was hot, almost unbearably so, and no trees or even tall cacti grew in this barren wasteland of a desert. A few vultures flew here and there, but little else was alive in this place, so hostile was it to anything unfortunate enough to be there.

This was the great Desert of Server, the largest desert in the Digital World. Wary travelers usually avoided trekking across this forsaken realm at all costs. Rarely had anything tried to travel through this ghastly place. That's why it was extremely odd that two figures were walking steadily in a straight line across the sand that day.

The wind blew occasionally, and they shielded their faces from the oncoming sand. Diligently, the pair continued onward, neither one slowing for anything as they walked side by side.

The first figure was the shorter one. It was a small, lizard-like creature that walked on four wide-spread legs. It was all black, its scaly hide glossy and shiny, like oil. It had a stubby tail that swayed slightly from side to side as it walked. Its legs bowed out to the sides, but it moved easily, clearly capable of great speed. On each of its feet were three long, curved, and sharp white clawed toes. It had a boxy head, accented with some small bony spikes at the base of the skull, with big, all yellow eyes set forward and squinting in what looked like a perpetual scowl. It had two flaring nostrils in its snout and it was constantly sniffing the air, as if hunting something. The most threatening things about it, however, were its large jaws almost disproportionate to the rest of its body, filled with long, sharp teeth, arranged in a serrated pattern, like a bear trap. It was wearing a hard, almost cruel smile that showed its impressive teeth to the world, not that there was much of anyone to see it. He was a digimon.

The other figure was taller. He about five feet tall, which was a decent size for an eleven-year-old of his species. He had black, leather hiking boots on. He was wearing gray cotton cargo slacks with several pockets in the legs that were slightly frayed at the cuffs and a plain black cotton t-shirt. His hair was jet black and it was intentionally styled to be short and spiky. Over his gray eyes he wore chrome-rimmed sunglasses. His face was stern and humorless. At his hip, clipped onto his pants, was a small, electric device with odd symbols inscribed on it. His arms swung freely at his side, but his hands were clenched into tiny fists. He was a human.

"Do you think those Koromon were lying?" the boy asked.

"Nah, they wouldn't have dared lie to us!" said the digimon. "If they had tried it, they know we would've used them as soccer balls! They were too scared to lie."

"Yeah, you're right," the boy agreed, grinning slightly. "Those things were so jumpy."

"Probably due to that Etemon guy, whoever he is," the digimon commented.

"Who cares? The point is they saw those other kids we heard about, and if they went in this direction, we can catch up to them if we just keep walking. We've got no choice, really, they might be my best chance of getting back home."

"Yeah, where did you say you were from again, Jin?" asked the digimon.

"From Earth. From a country named Japan, Scarmon," replied the boy.

His name was Jin Takamura. He was a juvenile delinquent, a poor student, and considered a nuisance to well-mannered, upstanding citizens. He went to school infrequently, got in fights occasionally, and spent his time either working on mechanical things in his garage or making money off of other kids by playing cards.

His father was… well, nobody really knew anything about where his father was. The guy left when he was a baby and never came around again, so Jin took that as a good indication that "Dear Ol' Dad" didn't want the job. When he was little and the other kids asked him what his daddy did, he replied, "I don't know and I don't care." Some of the kids made fun of him for that. But when people heard that one of those bullies took a nasty fall down some stairs at school and Jin was seen at the top of those stairs, smiling, the jokes stopped.

His mother was a waitress and a single parent. She rarely had time to pay attention to her troubled son and tried to participate in his life, but the older he got, the less she saw him, and the less he wanted to see her. Whenever he got in trouble, she would always shout, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" But if he felt shame, he never showed it. She told him that his father was a rotten guy and if he didn't listen to her, he would turn out the same way. And so she typically did things Jin regarded as stupid, like forcing him to participate in something "wholesome" or "productive," which usually meant that he hated it and ended up getting mad at her. She usually responded by saying that it was for his own good. In fact, that was what she said about summer camp.

"You'll have fun, Jin," she said. "There's woodshop and hiking and lots of other things I know you'll love. And don't even tell me you're not going, I've already paid for it, made the arrangements, and told all your friends' parents that they aren't to let your friends do anything with you if you refuse. It's for your own good, son."

"Eat death," Jin muttered.

"What?" she demanded sharply. She met her son's hard gaze and momentarily raised her hand, as if to strike him, barely stopping herself from following through. "You... you ought to be-"

"Forget it. I'll go pack," he relented, and turned to go.

So he had gone to summer camp. To his amazement, he had actually found several things he could do there to have fun.

Such as chasing the younger kids around with a buzz saw in woodshop. True he'd been confined to his cabin for an hour to think about what he did, but it was worth it. He saw some kid wearing glasses almost get his fingers cut off by some kid in a green shirt and hat before he left and was still laughing about it a half hour later, thinking about the look on his face.

He was also doing very well as a card player, as he scored some serious scratch from his richer cabin mates. Of course, things might have gotten even better if it hadn't snowed suddenly. That was a major pain he could have easily done without.

He didn't mind the cold, even if it was the beginning of August. He minded the fact that a councilor came into his cabin and got everyone in a circle to start a sing along. Jin listened to one chorus of "Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts" and snuck out of there as fast as he could. He decided to walk up to one of the other cabins. There was some weird light in the sky and he wanted to get a better look at it from there. Maybe he could score some more cash, provided the kids there were as eager and as inexperienced as his cabin mates.

He was nearing the cabin when he saw a huge swirling vortex appear in the sky. From it shot seven small objects, they looked to him like little comets. They all struck somewhere in front of the cabin and he heard the awed cries of the residents as they examined them. He was rushing up to meet them and see for himself what had happened when, seemingly out of nowhere, a small object was propelled into the snow at his feet, causing him to stagger back as snow exploded into his face.

He picked up the strange object and examined it. It was small, metallic, and it was oddly shaped. Somewhat square, but with several curves as well. It looked like a stopwatch to Jin.

"Interesting," he said as the thing beeped softly. That was when he was overcome by a gigantic blue wave that he could only react to with a startled expression and a stream of profanity.

When he awoke, a small gray creature was nudging him. It was round, with big orange eyes and several small teeth that jutted out of its mouth. It looked kind of dangerous, so Jin did what he considered to be a logical thing: he kicked it and told it to scram. That's when it started talking to him. It said its name was Yamimon. It said it had been waiting for him. It knew his name.

Soon afterward, the small thing changed into a new form. It "digivolved" into Scarmon. The two of them set out to explore File Island, Jin wondering what exactly this all meant, but in the meantime enjoying no school and a little buddy that was as ready for a fight as he was. They messed around for a while, bowling with these radish-shaped things called Yokomon, giving Frigimon a hotfoot, and chasing Numemon around with some of the salt Jin smuggled from camp. Life was sweet.

Then the island had broken up and digimon showed up with black gears in them and Scarmon had needed to digivolve a couple of times and stomp them into the ground. That's when he first heard from some big yellow thing and his mouse-like companion: there were other humans there.

"One was real pretty," recalled the one called Sukamon.

"Where are they?" inquired Jin.

"They got on a raft and they're going to Server, across the ocean. You'll need to catch up with them," replied the small one, Chumon.

So, Jin figured out where they left from and in what direction they were going in, and got himself his own raft. Of course, he needed to catch up, so he found some Divermon to assist in a nearby bay. They were a little resistant at first, but a digivolved version of Scarmon was all it took to convince them that it was in their best interests to comply with Jin's request that they tow him across the ocean.

Only later did they find out about Etemon, Whamon helping the others, and the term "Digidestined." The Koromon had told him about that, and they said that since he had one of those "digivices," he must be one too. They said something about tags and crests, too, but all he really cared about was finding the other Digidestined and joining with them. They seemed to know what they were doing, and that could mean that they held the answer to getting home. And as much fun as the Digital World was, it was also getting pretty dangerous, and he sure didn't want to stay there for the rest of his life. So, he wandered off into the desert after them, not knowing if he would ever find them.

That was their current situation: a boy and his digimon searching for their companions. How he had missed them on File Island was a mystery to him, but the important thing was that he was only a day behind them and would soon find them.

"You feeling okay?" Jin asked of his panting digital companion.

"I'm a nocturnal digimon, I'm cold-blooded, and I'm in blistering heat under a blazing mid-day sun," snarled Scarmon. "Do you think I'm feeling okay?"

"Just asking," Jin said coldly. "Excuse me for caring."

Scarmon bowed his head. "Sorry, Jin; it's just the heat talking," he apologized.

"No problem." He let it go easily. He liked his digimon a lot. He was a lot more fun than any human he had ever met. He was like the vicious dog he'd never had, which was made even cooler by the fact that he could talk. He had someone who liked a good fight as much as him and, unlike the few "friends" he had, was loyal enough to never abandon him in a fight. Best of all, he listened. When he said something, expressed an opinion, or asked a question, he got a real response, with no insincerity or judgment. He was getting really attached to the little guy.

He wondered what the other kids would be like. If they were anything like the other kids he knew, he'd have them all scared and respecting him in no time. Something like his own gang of digital rabble-rousers. And if they all got home together, and with their digimon by their sides?

The possibilities were endless.

Two questions were on his mind, however: What was he doing in the Digital World, and how could he get home?

"Hey, what's that?" Scarmon asked, stopping and looking off to the north.

Jin also stopped and turned to look. Off in the distance, barely poking up above the horizon were several structures. He couldn't quite make them out, so he began walking towards them to get a closer look.

When they got nearer, they saw that the structures were a set of old, crumbling ruins. They looked vaguely Roman, although it was certain that no Romans had ever ventured into the Digital World. As they came closer, laughter could be heard.

"This way," whispered Jin, motioning Scarmon to follow him quietly as he snuck towards the entrance to the ruins.

They peered inside. The stone ruins were adorned with several columns, some still standing, but most toppled. There was a gaping hole in the ceiling that let a ray of desert sun in. Piles of rubble littered the floor. And in the corner, three figures laughed harshly, their voices loud, thinking no one was there to hear them.

"What are they?" Jin asked Scarmon in a whisper.

"Gazimon," Scarmon replied. "If they're like any others I've met, it's a good bet they're sleazebags."

One of the Gazimon laughed suddenly. "Yeah, I know he can't sing for beans, but, hey, he pays pretty well."

"Yeah, as long as Etemon doesn't come out here, guarding these lousy rocks isn't such a bad job!" agreed another.

Jin grinned. "So, they work for the guy hunting the other Digidestined," he remarked quietly. "Guess by default that makes us enemies."

"Sleazebags. Called it! Think I oughta?" asked Scarmon.

"Flush 'em out first," ordered Jin as he made a fist. "I want to take one down this time."

"You got it, buddy," Scarmon complied. Then he quietly stalked into the ruins, keeping his claws from clicking on the stone floor. He crept along the walls, staying in the shadows, to avoid detection, hunting like the natural-born predator he was.

Getting within ten feet of the small, gray creatures Scarmon readied himself. "Hey! Bunnies!" he yelled. The three of them whirled around in surprise. "Plasma Fire!" Scarmon attacked, spitting a small green fireball into one of them, causing him to stagger back and fall.

The other two were quick to react. "Electric Stun Blast!" they said, each firing a beam of electricity at the short, black reptile. Scarmon was ready for them and with surprising speed and agility leaped out of the way and took off running for the exit. The two remaining Gazimon pursued him.

Scarmon led the Gazimon out the exit, where Jin was hiding nearby. As the two ran out, he followed, unseen behind one. "Silly rabbit," laughed Jin, punting the surprised, lagging Gazimon high into the air, "tricks are for kids!" The small digimon landed roughly, disoriented, thirty yards away onto the desert sand.

The remaining, confused Gazimon spun around, unsure which enemy to attack. Both the boy and Scarmon were a threat, but he didn't know which was the more dangerous of the two. Jin didn't give him any time to form any deep conclusions. "Do it, Scarmon," Jin said, his grin widening as he held out his digivice.

Scarmon began to glow. His form began to melt and reshape, growing larger. Growing much larger.

"Scarmon digivolve to…" he said, taking on his new form. When he appeared, the Gazimon's eyes grew wide with fear as he felt his blood turn to water.

"…Venomon!" the new creature finished, announcing his presence. He was still black as midnight, still vicious and intimidating, but now stood fifteen feet tall on two powerful saurian legs, with three curving claws on each foot, one for each toe. His tail was now whip-like, and a single, white stinger twitched at the tip. His neck was long and curved upward, giving him a serpentine look. He had shorter arms, but they were also armed with long, deadly claws. His head was now long and narrow and lined with saw-like teeth, accented with two upwardly curving fangs jutting from the front of his lower jaw. He grinned fiendishly, menacingly at the terrified Gazimon. Lean and slender, but powerful and obviously unfriendly, this Champion digimon was like something out of Gazimon's nightmares.

"You're dead, hairball," laughed Jin, shaking his head.

"Venom Spit!" attacked Venomon, launching a massive glob of caustic poison at the small rookie. Gazimon barely got out a single scream as he was blasted by the deadly venom and was deleted.

"I'm coming guys!" cried the first, injured Gazimon, running out of the ruins blindly to join his comrades. When he arrived on the scene, he also froze in his tracks.

"What do you think?" asked Venomon, his voice a hissing growl.

"I don't know," said Jin. "Hey, Gazimon, you look like you're in shape. Hardly any fat on your body, right?"

Gazimon looked at him blankly, still trembling with fear. Then, ever so slightly, he nodded.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," said Jin. "Okay, you heard him," he called to his digimon. "Looks like he's nutritious."

"Huh?" asked the Gazimon in a small voice. A second later a massive pair of jaws snatched him into the air as he screamed.

Jin walked over the final Gazimon. He was trying to get up, but Jin put his heavy, booted foot on his back and pressed him into the sand. "No, I don't think you can leave yet, Floppy Ears. I've got some things to ask you first, if you don't mind."

Both Jin and Gazimon turned as they heard a crunch and Venomon let out a huge, reverberating belch. "Pardon me," said Venomon.

"You're excused," said Jin, smiling as the final Gazimon screamed.

"What about him?" asked Venomon, walking over to them.

"As I was telling our friend here, I have a few questions to ask before we leave," Jin replied. "Starting with this one: Where are the Digidestined?"

At that moment:

Matt looked down at Tai, who was curled up in a tight little ball. "I don't get it," he said. "When the creep grabbed Sora, why didn't you go after them?"

"I couldn't," Tai said, his voice cracking. "I couldn't. Sora… it's all my fault!"

The other five members of the team looked down as Tai began to sob, torn apart by the guilt of his own cowardice.

"No, I can't!" said Gazimon, still resisting Jin's question. "I cannot betray Lord Etemon! He's our leader, he's my master, and he'd kill me if I told you anything!"

"See that's funny," laughed Jin, "because I don't think that he should be your main concern right now. I'd think you would worry about your present situation more."

"Yeah," agreed Venomon, "especially since you guys taste like chicken!"

Gazimon let out another horrified scream, which Jin cut short with a sharp punch to its head.

"Knock that off. Answer the question and I'll let you go," growled Jin. "Either that, or my partner has you for desert."

Gazimon swallowed, then blurted out, "They're somewhere near the Great Pyramid! It's about fifteen miles that way!"

He pointed with one clawed finger. It was in a direction far removed from the direction that they had been traveling.

"You aren't lying to me now, are you?" asked Jin seriously.

"No," Gazimon said.

"Are you?" demanded Jin grinding his foot harder into Gazimon's back.

"No! NO! It's true, we got the message from the Dark Network e-mail earlier today! I swear!"

Jin let up his foot, letting the shaken Gazimon stand. "Okay, I'll let you go," he muttered.

"Thank you," said Gazimon, bowing graciously as he began to back away. "Thank—"

It was then that Venomon's tremendous foot came down on him, crushing him deep into the ground.

"Now, what did you do that for?" Jin asked. "I said I'd let him go."

"You didn't say I had to let him go," Venomon replied with a grin.

"Hmm, fair enough. Let's go." With that, Venomon de-digivolved and Scarmon once again followed Jin as they walked in the direction of their unknown companions.

"Where are we?" Jin asked.

"Beats me," Scarmon said. "Looks like some kind of animal graveyard."

Jin stood for a moment, surveying his surroundings. All around him were bones, littering the desert in huge piles. Some were intact skeletons, kept intact and stretched across the harsh sand. Others were mere fragments, solitary bones strewn about without any real proximity to a whole set. Jin especially noted the immense ribcage that was lying ahead of them. The silence of the place was a little eerie, and it wasn't helped by the occasional sound of grains of sand blowing against dry, white ivory.

"Let's keep going," Jin said. "After all, they're just bones, they can't hurt us."

Scarmon took a few steps, then raised his head curiously. "Hey, Jin, do you hear that?"

"What?" he asked. Then, straining his ears, he heard a loud buzzing sound that emanated from somewhere above him. He shielded his eyes as he stared directly overhead. It was hard to see, since the sun was shining in his face, but he could make out a tiny black dot in the sky. Soon, that dot was coming very close to them, and it wasn't looking so tiny anymore.

A huge insectoid digimon was bearing down on them and they hit the ground as fast as they could, narrowly avoiding the creature's divebomb. With loud, roaring wings, it set down in front of them.

"What the heck is that?" demanded Jin, standing up as he brushed sand off the front of his shirt.

"I," answered the creature, "am DinoBeemon! And you are trespassing here."

The creature was massive. It was hunched over, but was still thirty feet above the ground. It had four long wings that probably stretched 80 feet from tip-to-tip. Its head was green and shell-like, as was its torso and legs. Spikes protruded from its neck. It had two long, blue, scaly arms and a tail to match. Its eyes were a shiny, menacing red.

Jin and Scarmon stared up at the creature defiantly. "Who owns this boneyard?" asked Jin. "I didn't see a sign that said 'No Trespassing,' and what kind of an idiot would claim this dump as his own?"

"This kind!" answered DinoBeemon, pointing to himself proudly. He growled as Jin and Scarmon chuckled at the newly made "idiot."

"Listen," Jin began, "we've got stuff to take care of, we aren't staying long—"

"Yes you are," DinoBeemon said. "You're never leaving."

Scarmon looked at Jin, flashing a toothy grin. "Can I?"

"No problem," said Jin. "Swat this fly and let's get going."

Scarmon digivolved to Venomon and snarled menacingly and the tremendous insect.

"Is that supposed to frighten me?" DinoBeemon laughed. "You don't have the power to defeat me. I will show you why I am king of this land."

"Venom Spit!" Venomon attacked. DinoBeemon was in the air instantly, dodging the attack skillfully with amazing speed. Now above him, he began to create a high-intensity buzz with his wings.

"Irritant Buzz!" attacked DinoBeemon. The vibratons radiated down upon Venomon, who howled in sudden pain as his whole body was stung. Writhing around for a moment, he glowed and de-digivolved in an instant.

"What happened?" Jin asked, running over to his defeated partner.

"That attack… it sucked my energy away," Scarmon responded.

Jin looked up and saw DinoBeemon coming down on them. He reacted quickly and snatched up Scarmon, running out of the way with him. DinoBeemon crashed into the ground a second later, obliterating the place they had stood in seconds ago. DinoBeemon roared in anger as he struggled to free himself from the soft sand he had partially buried himself in while Jin and Scarmon ran.

"You know, if a month ago someone had told me I would be running from the unholy lovechild of a dinosaur and a wasp, I would've called them a nut and broken their face!" remarked Jin as he ran.

"Yeah, funny how life turns out," Scarmon answered weakly from under his arm. "But hey, if he eats us, it is, technically, the law of the food chain in action."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Jin asked incredulously. "I don't care about the food chain so long as we're on top of it! You chowing down on a Gazimon is one thing; bug-face back there is another."

Behind them, DinoBeemon broke free and shot up into the air. He then set his sights on his two targets, who were feebly trying to escape. There was nowhere they could hide. They were doomed. He swooped at them for the kill, his clawed hand ready to strike.

As Jin ran, his face streamed with sweat and hearing certain death closing in behind him, he closed his eyes, knowing full well that he could be breathing his last breath.

But just before the monster's claw tore through him and Scarmon like tissue paper, just before the fatal strike came, the ground gave out beneath Jin and Scarmon. With an abrupt, startled yell, Jin tumbled down a long hole, hitting hard ground and rolling deeper and deeper into the dark underground chamber.

DinoBeemon peered down the hole, frustrated that his prey had eluded him. "No matter," he said. "They've got to come out sooner or later. And when they do, they'll have nowhere else to run to."

Jin was in total darkness. His head hurt and he felt dizzy. The air was cooler here, out of the desert sun, but he was unsure just where he was. He felt like he had fallen a long way, so he might be very far underground. Then again, the ground still felt soft and a little muddy, so he couldn't be too far down or else it would be rock. Wouldn't it?

He couldn't think. He couldn't stand up and when he checked, Scarmon was out cold. Finally, surrendering to the blackness, he let himself lose consciousness as well.

If he had stayed awake a little longer, he would have heard the approach of soft footsteps and a harsh voice say, "Oh no. I don't believe it. It's him."

Jin awoke and found himself in a strange bed in a strange room. There were no windows and the walls were white and bare. Wooden rafters and beams lined the walls and the floor looked to be made of stones. On a cushion near the bed, Scarmon was asleep, his legs kicking periodically in his sleep.

"Wonder what he's doing," Jin wondered quietly. In truth, Scarmon was dreaming of making sandwiches out of Otamamon, but it hardly mattered because, at that moment, an old man walked into the room. His eyes were sunken and tired, his skin was pale and wrinkly and his face was lined with white stubble. He wore a moth-eaten white and brown robe that looked to Jin like something a monk or fantasy wizard would wear.

"Ah, you're awake," said the old man, not sounding entirely pleased with this.

"Who are you?" Jin asked. "A human?"

"I'm not of your world, no. And my name is not important, and if you venture out in the world again, I would appreciate you not mentioning my name to anyone anyway," answered the man.

"Okay, Mr. X," said Jin.

"Mr. X?" asked the old man.

"Well, it's your choice, I can call you Mr. X or I can call you Old Dude," Jin chuckled.

"Yes. 'Old Dude.' Very amusing," he said, not sounding the slightest bit amused.

"Well, anyway, this is Scarmon and I'm—"

"Jin Takamura of Tokyo, age 11," finished Mr. X. "Hobbies include gambling, fighting, arson, theft, and mechanics. Father unknown, mother is Fuyuko Takamura, only child."

"You sound like you're reciting," said Jin, trying to sound undaunted.

"I am," said Mr. X. "I memorized your file, young Mr. Takamura."

Scarmon awoke at this point and asked, "Hey, who's the prune?"

"That's Mr. X, Scarmon," answered Jin. "Apparently he knows us."

"That I do," commented Mr. X. "Come with me to my study. I have some things I must tell you."

The study was a larger room in this strange underground house. Its walls were lined with shelves that were filled with all sorts of ancient texts, each preserved with the utmost care. Mr. X. was looking over some yellow-paged tome for a minute, then he put it away and proceeded to tell his story.

"I am a being similar to a human, but digital in nature. We are known as 'Bitmen.' I was once a member of a group known as the Guardians. Our task was to monitor the forces of Light and Darkness, or, that is, good and evil, in the Digital World. The balance had been upset somehow and we were desperate to set things right again. Darkness was overwhelming the world, threatening everything in existence. We were unsure of what to do until something quite amazing happened. A digiegg from our world reached earth. That egg hatched and a digimon was born. It soon digivolved with the help of two of your world's children. That digimon became locked in a struggle with another that also crossed into your world. This happened at a place called Heighten View Terrace."

"Hey, I used to live there when I was a kid," remarked Jin nostalgically. "For a little while, just when I was about—"

"Seven years old," finished Mr. X. "You witnessed the battle that night, Jin, whether you remember it or not."

"I— can't remember," said Jin, scratching his head.

"Well, you were there," continued Mr. X. "And we scanned you as well as eight other children who witnessed the battle. Some inner quality you had made you candidates for compatibility with a digimon. That's the way in which the Digidestined were chosen. However, you were set apart from the group in one important way."

"What way?" asked Jin.

"You were a rotten, mean, angry kid with not much going for you."

Jin glared at him. "Yeah, well, at least I've still got my youth," Jin snapped. "You may want to hurry up this story before you need to change your diapers, old man."

Mr. X scowled back at him, but he continued.

"In the others, there were noble, pronounced qualities that were perfect for raising good, kind digimon. Courage, Friendship, Reliability, Sincerity, Knowledge, Love, Hope, and even Light itself. These virtues were harmonious when combined. For these children that would one day be the Digidestined, digivices were created, as well as Crests that would allow these traits to be harnessed for their energy. And with that energy, their digimon would become mighty warriors to combat the forces of evil that threatened the Digital World.

"In your case, however, while we did detect compatibility, we also learned that your most pronounced trait was Rage."

"Rage?" echoed Jin.

"Yes, boy, Rage," said Mr. X. "And that kind of trait was only conducive to a virus-type digimon."

"Huh?" Jin asked.

"All digimon can be classified according to Data, Virus, or Vaccine," explained Mr. X. "It's a matter of configuration, really. Vaccine digimon were well-suited to fighting the forces of evil, to neutralize the malignant digimon, most of which were Viruses, that plague the Digiworld. A Virus usually tends to be more aggressive and mean-spirited in nature. There are exceptions, benign Virus types, of course, but your digimon is... well, not quite evil, but I wouldn't say 'benign,' exactly."

Scarmon looked up at Jin and smiled mischievously. "So Scarmon's a Virus digimon?" asked Jin.

"Yes. You see, we had planned on disregarding your information and avoiding creating a digimon for you, relying instead on the other eight. You were deemed ill-suited to the task of fighting against evil, for your nature could itself turn evil. You were to be discarded, unworthy of being a Digidestined. However, at the time, I argued that the forces of darkness might be fought against by unleashing a similar dark force to combat it. To fight fire with fire, so to speak. After all, what better weapon to unleash against savage forces than something equally savage, or so I argued. So, as a backup plan, we created the digiegg that would eventually become Scarmon, which we knew to be one of the more vicious and aggressive digimon. Even for a rookie, he is quite a formidable fighter and his digivolved forms are likewise quite powerful."

"Rookie?" asked Jin.

"A kind of level of evolution," answered Mr. X. "Your digimon is at the Rookie stage, the stage when it has its first individual attack. When he digivolves, he becomes Venomon, at the Champion level. That creature you ran into, DinoBeemon, was at the Ultimate level. He is simply too advanced for you to fight and win."

"So what do we do?" asked Jin.

"I'll get to that," Mr. X said impatiently. "Well, as time went on, we suspected that our backup plan would never be necessary and we guessed that you would not be included among the Digidestined. However, we were attacked and I feared that the other digieggs would be destroyed, so I escaped with Scarmon's egg, believing it to be the last hope of the Digiworld. I took it to File Island, a balanced and ideal environment for it to grow to maturity, and left it and the digivice there. The digivice was programmed to ferry you here when the time was right. It was only later that I learned that the other digieggs were also liberated and that the other Digidestined children had arrived. I believe another Guardian is assisting them and has survived as well. As for me, I dwell beneath this boneyard to hide from the forces of evil, but that monster, DinoBeemon, is both my watchdog and my jailer. Nobody is willing to risk trespassing here, but neither is it safe for me to leave. I must rely on the underground caverns and wildlife for survival. If you wish to leave here, you will have to confront him."

"How?" asked Jin. "You said we couldn't beat him."

"Well, this brings me to the matter of your crest," said Mr. X. "You see, when I left the egg on File Island, I still was unsure of the wisdom of allowing you something that would give you the power of an Ultimate level digimon. I decided it might be better to let you deal with the limited power you were given until such a time as you were responsible. Now you are here and it is obvious you need it."

Mr. X reached into his robe and removed a tag with a crest on it, hung on a cord. The crest was black with a red symbol resembling a fire on it. "This is the Crest of Rage," explained Mr. X. "When that trait is fully present in you, Venomon should be able to digivolve further. You'll need it, I'm afraid, if you're going to survive."

"Thanks," said Jin, accepting the Crest.

"Don't thank me," Mr. X snapped. "You're here because of a mistake. You're unintended. You aren't supposed to be here. You are merely a loose cannon with a malformed destiny. Fight evil... bah! I'm giving you this because it will help you survive long enough to meet up with the other Digidestined. It would be for your own good," he said, and Jin suddenly found himself remembering his mother. "Perhaps they can do something to curb that attitude of yours," Mr. X continued, "or at least help to get you out of this world before you start causing even more chaos."

Jin stood and stared at Mr. X for a minute. He noticed the bitter look in his eyes and his age-worn face. "You know what Mr. X?" he asked. "You're about as charming as a poisonous snake and just as good-looking, too. Thanks for your help, but I hope you don't take it the wrong way if I tell you that I hope I never see you again."

"The feeling is completely mutual," Mr. X replied, and showed them the way out.

At that moment:

They watched in awe at the sight before them. Etemon was entangled in his own dark network, a mass of black cables feeding his already great power. Facing him down was the newly digivolved MetalGraymon.

"Is there no end to your stupidity?" laughed Etemon. "Well, I'll end it for ya! Dark Network!"

He shot a hurled a ball of energy at MetalGraymon expecting it to finish him off. Instead, with a single slash of his claw, MetalGraymon halted and dissipated the attack.

Etemon gulped. "Well, that was just a joke!" he laughed nervously. MetalGraymon responded by ramming him headfirst, causing him to fly backwards.

"Ow! Hey, don't you know the rules? There's no head-butting allowed!" Etemon said.

"Finish him, MetalGraymon, while we still have the power!" Tai shouted over the roar of the wind drawn in by the destructive network.

"Giga Blaster!" MetalGraymon attacked, sending two deadly missiles at his adversary. The weapons hit home, causing the network to explode with tremendous force.

"No!" Etemon cried. "You must not destroy me! I'm just too important to diiiie…" His rant was cut short as he was sucked into a swirling vortex and, presumably, into oblivion.

Tai had no time to celebrate his victory, however, as the tug of the vortex began to pull him, sliding across the sand, towards it as well. MetalGraymon put his claw down, stopping him from sliding further as he tried to drag him back to safety.

"Don't let go of me, MetalGraymon!" Tai yelled over the vortex's now deafening roar. However, there was nothing the gigantic saurian digimon could do as he too was caught in the pull of the vortex. The two of them yelled as they were raised up and sucked into the swirling portal. Moments later, the vortex vanished.

"Tai!" his companions cried from a distance away.

"Come back!" Sora shouted desperately. But there was nothing. Only the silence of the desert was there to answer.

A boulder stood amid the bones in the graveyard. At first, there was no movement. Then, with a hiss, the boulder was lifted up on hydraulic arms. From an underground staircase, Jin and Scarmon emerged.

"Jeez!" Jin exclaimed, blinking in the sudden brightness. He put on his sunglasses as Scarmon shielded his eyes with one clawed arm.

"So, how do you feel?" asked Scarmon.

"Fine," Jin said curtly.

"Are you sure?" Scarmon inquired. "I mean, you have every right to be mad about this."

"I'm fine," he said. "Drop it."

"No problem," Scarmon relented.

"We better hurry," said Jin. "The sun's going to set soon. I'd prefer to find those other kids before it gets dark."

"Too bad," said another voice suddenly. Jin turned around to see DinoBeemon descending upon them. "Because you aren't going anywhere. Your journey ends now and your bones will be the sole reminder that you were ever here at all!"

"Scarmon!—"

"I'm way ahead of you," Scarmon said. "Scarmon digivolve to… Venomon!"

Venomon readied himself for the battle, standing ready to strike or to dodge. DinoBeemon hovered in the air, also preparing to make a move.

"Hell Masquerade!" attacked DinoBeemon first, blasting a mask-shaped ball of fire from his own masked, insectoid face. Venomon tried to dodge but had no time and was burned by the attack.

"Venom Spit!" he countered, blasting a huge gob of the green venom onto his enemy. DinoBeemon grunted in pain, but it was clearly not powerful enough to hurt him severely.

"Okay, this isn't working!" yelled Jin. "Digivolve again! We've got the crest, so do it!"

"I'm trying, but I can't do it!" said Venom, frustrated. DinoBeemon body-checked him, sending him onto his back. "You've got to activate it, Jin! Get mad!"

"What are you talking about?" demanded Jin as Venomon got up, only to slashed at by DinoBeemon's claws. "Don't I look mad? Trust me, I'm furious!"

"Well, can't you get madder?" asked Venomon, taking more hits from DinoBeemon, who was now enjoying thrashing his foe.

"I'm getting more pissed off by the second!" shouted Jin. "Now quit being a wuss and digivolve!"

DinoBeemon blasted him with another Hell Masquerade and Venomon hit the ground hard.

"That was unbelievably easy," laughed DinoBeemon. "You pathetic fools. I'll put you out of your misery permanently this time." He placed his foot on Venomon's neck, preparing to snap it.

Just then, a rock hit him in the head. He turned to see Jin tossing more of the small stones.

"What are you doing?" asked DinoBeemon, annoyed.

"I'm throwing rocks at you," replied Jin. "Why do you care, frog bait?"

DinoBeemon took a step toward the human boy, who was a fraction of his size. Jin stood his ground. "You'd better run," DinoBeemon threatened.

"I'm not running anywhere," Jin said. "I'm not dying like that. I'm not going to give up. I'm not going to die running away from some giant bug with an attitude problem in a world where I wasn't even supposed to be!"

"You're a fool," DinoBeemon proclaimed coldly. "If you don't run, I'll kill you on the spot."

"Come and get me," taunted Jin, gritting his teeth, flinging another rock with all his might. "I don't even care anymore. I'm not going to die in the middle of this desert like a coward," he shouted, his voice intensifying, echoing over the dry desert plain, "just because some wrinkled prunes thought I had a destiny, but only made a mistake!" His eyes were wild, and that last word was a fierce, animalistic howl.

To both Jin and DinoBeemon's surprise, the crest he wore around his neck began to glow.

And as it glowed, so did Venomon, who stood up behind DinoBeemon. "Venomon digivolve to…"

Venomon shifted, his form growing larger, stronger, and much more lethal. In his new form, Venomon was twice his normal size and he was covered with massive, white bones that plated his body like armor. He looked like the specter of Death itself. His eyes glowed green from within his helmet-like skull. His arms and legs were equipped with long, powerful claws and his joints had sharp, bony protrusions on them. His spine and tail were likewise covered in bone and his tail had spines on the side that made it look like a particularly deadly battle axe.

"...SkullVenomon!" the new digimon roared.

"What is—" DinoBeemon began. He was cut off, though, as SkullVenomon slashed brutally at his face with his right claw. DinoBeemon staggered back and Jin ran out of the way as the fight continued.

"Don't think you are saved," DinoBeemon said, taking to the air. "I will simply force you to de-digivolve! Irritant Buzz!"

The stinging buzz from his wings that had de-digivolved Venomon before blasted down on SkullVenomon. However, with his bony armor, the attack was largely blocked. Then, his eyes fierce, SkullVenomon made his move.

"Nightmare Scream!" SkullVenomon attacked. A long, spiraling black tornado emanated from his jaws, blasting DinoBeemon with full force. The main column of central energy blasted him backwards and the spiraling motion on the outside of the attack thrashed him repeatedly, breaking his shell-like body and tearing holes in his wings. With those gone, he fell to the earth, landing with an immense crash that shook the ground. SkullVenomon went over to his fallen enemy and put his bony foot on him in victory.

"Weakling," he muttered.

Jin walked over to the fallen DinoBeemon, who looked at him with pain. "Well, looks like we win," smiled Jin.

"I am beaten," acknowledged DinoBeemon with gasping breath. "You may pass. However, I will be ready for you next time!"

Jin and SkullVenomon exchanged glances and let out a mutual laugh. "What is it?" DinoBeemon asked.

"'Next time?'" said Jin, shaking his head as he continued to laugh. "Now that's funny. We don't really do next times."

DinoBeemon's eyes widened with fear. "No," he said. "I- I surrender! I am beaten. I am helpless. You're a Digidestined! I'm no threat to you now! You can't! That's not fair! DigiDestined are the good guys-"

"I'm not a Digidestined," Jin sneered coldly. "I'm a mistake. Always was, always will be, it looks like. I'm not supposed to be here. But I am anyway. So, here's something I've learned: life isn't fair. Sometimes you get lucky and you live another day. And others… well," he grinned cruelly, "you get squished like a bug."

Taking his cue, SkullVenomon stomped hard on the fallen DinoBeemon, crushing him underfoot with a sickening crunch. DinoBeemon gave one final shout of agony before he was deleted.

SkullVenomon de-digivolved back into Yamimon, Scarmon's in-training form. "Welcome back, little guy," Jin said, picking him up. "Now, let's find those other Digidestined."

Jin stood there, surveying the scene of destruction. Rubble was everywhere. What once was a pyramid was now a pile of stone scattered about the desert. Burn marks were everywhere and, if Jin guessed right, a lot of this destruction was recent. This was definitely the place, but, there was one problem.

No Digidestined. They were gone. The sun was going down and a cold wind was beginning to blow from the north. "No one's here," said Yamimon.

"I noticed," Jin sighed bitterly. "We missed them."

"What do we do now?" asked Yamimon. Jin was silent. He walked around, silently, his face hard and eyes burning. Then, suddenly, he stopped.

"What is it, Jin?" asked Yamimon.

"Look what we've got here," said Jin. He pointed to the ground and Yamimon saw. Footprints. And they didn't belong to any digimon. They were shaped like Jin's. They were human footprints. And that meant only one thing:

"The other Digidestined," he grinned. "Come on, buddy. We're going to meet these kids and see if they've got an opening for a new teammate."

Chuckling harshly, the two of them walked on into the night as the sun set and the wind became a cold howl.

To be continued…

(In the next part, Jin continues his search, but how can he find them when they've split apart? The rest of the story you never heard continues...)

(P.S. Don't forget to leave a review, I always appreciate feedback! ^_^ )