White peace had been brought back to both the Real World and the Digital World thanks to the Digidestined and Digimon of Odaiba, there were still many problems that would occur in both worlds, one of which would forever change their lives, but mainly the lives of the leader of the younger Digidestined, Davis Motomiya and the Digidestined of Light, Kari Kamiya.
Within the Digital World, the younger Digidestined were with their Digimon partners, exploring a desert-like region of the Digital World.
As the winds picked up, causing the Digidestined and Digimon to shield their eyes, Davis spoke up.
"Man, even with my goggles, I can barely see a thing." The Motomiya said, before asking. "Are you sure we're at the right place?"
"There's no doubt. These are the exact coordinates." Ken replied, shielding his eyes with his left arm, while looking at his D-3, which was displaying several dots on a map.
"You'd think after so long, the Digital World would finally be in order." Gatomon commented, causing Kari to nod and reply, sounding concerned. "I just don't get who would be abducting Digimon or why."
"Don't worry, Kari. So long as me and Veemon are around, we'll put a stop to these kidnappings." Davis then stated, causing Kari to smile, both from Davis' personality and his never ending determination.
"Thank you, Davis." Kari replied, knowing she could count on him, Veemon and the others.
"No problem." Davis said in reply, before maintaining his position as leader of the younger Digidestined. "But until this sand clears up, we should remain as close as we can."
"Easier said than done." Yolei said back, as she and the others shielded their eyes as best they could as the winds picked up again, causing more sand to blow around them, which further obscured their vision of what was around them and made the Digidestined of Love and Sincerity then question. "What's up with this weather?"
"I'm not too sure, but Davis has the right idea." Ken replied, taking Yolei's hand into his, which made her feel a little more comfortable.
"Hey, do you guys do you see that?" Hawkmon then asked, pointing forwards, to which the others did their best to make out what was before them and saw several pyramids, which were upside down.
"Pyramids?" Patamon asked as he rested on TK's head.
"You know what that means?" He then asked TK, who nodded in reply.
"Yeah, Datamon is most likely behind all this." The Digidestined of Hope said in reply, which confused all but Kari and Gatomon, due to hearing about Datamon and his plans for revenge from Tai and Agumon.
"Datamon?" Davis asked, before going into further questioning. "Who's that? And what does this Digimon have to do with those Pyramids?"
"Datamon was a Digimon who tricked us into helping him. It turned out he was being used as a battery to power Etemon's Dark Network, but once we freed him, he captured Sora and tried to make a clone of her in an attempt to Digivolve Biyomon to her Ultimate Level." TK explained.
"And let's just say things didn't end too well for him." Patamon added, remembering how Datamon and Etemon were sucked up by the Dark Network, where the Digital mastermind supposedly met his end, while Etemon was taken down by MetalGreymon.
"Well what are we doing just standing around?" Davis asked.
"I say we confront this guy and see what he knows about the missing Digimon." The Digidestined of Miracles then said, supported by Veemon, who gained a confident smile and nodded in reply, before the two, ignoring the winds and sand as best they could approached the pyramids.
And knowing they'd be better off inside and as a team, the others followed, unaware that through the eyes of a Chikurimon, they were being watched.
"So the Digidestined have intruded upon my research?" A metallic voice asked itself as it typed at its computer, while watching the Digidestined upon a monitor, before a cunning smile appeared on their face.
"Perfect. It's about time I studied all the effects of Digimon DNA Digivolution. And I have so many new test subjects to choose from." He said, turning and looking at several empty cages.
Turning back to the monitor, which displayed separate images of the Digidestined and their Digimon partners, he had one final thought.
"The only question now is who will be first to 'volunteer'?"
-Meanwhile-
After making their way inside one of the pyramids, Davis, after lifting up his goggles, sighed and smiled, for he and Veemon were both glad to be out of the terrible weather conditions.
"Davis!" He and Veemon then heard Yolei call out, making the pair turn to see the others enter the pyramid as fast as they could.
"What happened to stick together?" Yolei asked, annoyed.
"Sorry about that." Davis apologized, scratching the back of his head as he then stated. "But we're all together now."
"Yeah, and at least there's no sandstorms indoors." Veemon added, trying to back Davis up.
"I'm afraid not all of us." Armadillomon then said, causing the Digidestined to notice they were two members short, which worried them all, especially Davis and Veemon, for the two missing were Kari and Gatomon.
Taking several steps back outside and ignoring the sandstorm, Davis called out. "Kari, Gatomon, can either of you hear me?"
"Davis?" Kari's voice asked in the distance. "Where are you?"
"Just stay where you are. Veemon and I are coming. Hold on!" Davis called, before he ran back out into the desert, followed by the 'V' marked Digimon.
Determined to find Kari and Gatomon, Davis and Veemon, ignoring the harsh weather, continued to head around the Digital desert, while both called out the Digidestined and Digimon of Light's names, listening carefully to make sure the voices of Kari and Gatomon grew so they too wouldn't get lost.
And after wandering, Davis and Veemon smiled when they saw Kari and Gatomon in the distance.
"Kari!" Davis called.
"Gatomon!" Veemon called.
Both rushing over to the Digidestined and Digimon of Light, their faces lit up upon seeing their friends coming for them.
"Davis, Veemon!" Kari called happily as she and Gatomon ran over to the duo, thinking they had been saved.
But before Kari or Gatomon could react, the floor beneath them opened up, revealing a hidden hatch that they feel into, causing the Digidestined of Light to scream as she and Gatomon began to fall.
However, Kari stopped falling as a firm grasp wrapped around Kari's right wrist, causing the Digidestined and Digimon to look up and see Davis holding onto her arm
"I've got you Kari." Davis said, before he shouted in a determined tone. "And I won't let you go!"
"Gatomon." Veemon then called, looking down to see Gatomon had saved herself by grabbing Kari's leg.
"Are you alright?" The Digimon of Courage and Friendship asked.
"I've been better." Gatomon replied.
"Listen, if you can get back up here, we can both help Davis save Kari." Veemon said, lowering his body like Davis and offering out his hand to the Digimon of Light, who nodded in reply, before she slowly pulled herself up Kari's leg and began to climb up.
However, just as Gatomon had climbed her way up Kari's back and was about to take Veemon's hand, one of the Chikurimon surveillance drones shot from behind and rammed into Davis' back, catching the four off guard, before all four were knocked down and cried out as they fell into the darkness.
And as they all fell, their cries were amplified by the structure of the hole, which alerted the other Digidestined that Kari and Gatomon, as well as Davis and Veemon were all in danger.
"Oh no, that sounded like Davis and Kari." Ken said, concerned for his friends.
"We have to go and look for them." The Digidestined of Kindness then said, about to leave but stopped as Yolei grabbed his arm, making him face her.
"Ken, I want to save them as well, but with all that sand, and it showing no signs of clearing, we could be putting ourselves in danger too if we go out there." She told him, which frustrated Ken, as he felt helpless that there was nothing he could do to see if Davis, Veemon, Kari and Gatomon were alright.
"Then what do we do?" Cody asked, his tone full of concern for his friends as well.
"We find out where Davis and Kari are and we save them." Ken replied, before he withdrew his D-3 and explained. "While we cannot see them in the sandstorm, if we follow their D-3 signatures, that should lead us right to them."
"Good idea." Wormmon commented, making Ken smile.
However, after Yolei, TK and Cody withdrew their D-3s alongside Ken, the Digidestined were all confused to see where Davis and Kari's D-3 signal had wound up.
"This is weird. It says Davis and Kari are inside the pyramid now." Patamon said as he hovered over TK's shoulder and looked at the map.
"That is most peculiar." Hawkmon commented, before he asked. "How did they wind up from the outside to the inside?"
The Digidestined and Digimon were all uncertain, until the answer came to TK, making him call out. "Datamon!"
Hearing his outburst, the Digidestined and Digimon all turned to TK, confused, while Patamon had a look of worry upon his face, understanding perfectly what TK was thinking.
"TK, what are you talking about?" Cody asked, confused.
"It's Datamon. He's the one behind all this." Patamon said in reply, causing Armadillomon to say. "But I thought you said Datamon was gone."
"I thought so too, but it looks like he managed to escape the Dark Network, and now he's continuing his experiments." Patamon replied, which caused TK to add in a concerned sounding tone. "And I bet you that he plans to use Davis, Kari and the Digimon as his guinea pigs."
Knowing time was not on their side, but knowing where their friends were, as well as who was behind the kidnappings, the Digidestined and Digimon wasted no time as they quickly headed through the pyramid, making their way through false walls and hidden pathways, while keeping on their toes for any traps Datamon had set up to stop any intruders.
And as the group continued through the maze that was Datamon's lair, the Digidestined and Digimon were all thinking the same thing.
'Hang on guys, we're coming.'
-With Davis, Kari, Veemon and Gatomon-
Inside another section of the pyramid, Davis and Veemon both groaned as they slowly regained consciousness.
"Ugh, what happened?" Davis groaned as he and Veemon got to their feet, confused for a moment until both remembered what had happened.
"Kari!" Davis quickly called as he and Veemon opened their eyes, leaving both shocked at the sight before them.
From the stone slabs that made up the walls and floor, the Digidestined and Digimon of Courage and Friendship guessed they had arrived within the pyramid, and from the small, mechanical Digimon, who had his back turned to them and was tampering with a device on a metal table.
Unsure who the Digimon was, Davis and Veemon had bigger problems to worry about, for Davis found that his path forward was blocked by a row of metal bars, while Veemon was locked up in a small cage next to him.
But what shocked them both was the sight of Kari, who was strapped on a metal slab, while Gatomon was chained to the wall.
Both had looks of sheer worry on their faces.
"Guys!" Both called out, their tones full of concern as they began to run over to the bars and began shaking at them in a desperate attempt to escape, with no such luck.
"You're finally awake, human?" Datamon asked as he remained facing away from the Digidestined and Digimon, working on another device upon his workbench.
"Alright, metalhead, start talking. What do you want from us?" Davis questioned as he and Veemon glared at the Machine Digimon.
"First, my name is Datamon, not Metalhead." Datamon told Davis, before he said. "As for what I want, I wish to examine and perfect the effects of DNA Digivolution."
Turning, Datamon then asked as his gaze fell upon the captive forms of Kari and Gatomon. "And who better to break this discovery than using a Digidestined and Digimon?"
"In your dreams!" Davis snapped as he reached into his jacket, about to withdraw his D-3 and Digivolve Veemon.
However, Davis found his pockets were empty, which worried him and caused Veemon to look at Davis, confused and concerned as to why it was taking so long for his partner to Digivolve him.
"Did you really expect me to let you keep your Digivices?" Datamon questioned, interrupting Davis and Veemon, to which both saw that Davis' D-3 and D-Terminal, along with Kari's were on the workbench.
"I have planned for all contingencies and troubles that may disturb me and my research." Datamon then said, bringing up a screen on his monitor, which showed the other Digidestined and Digimon making their way through the pyramid, making him state. "Even if they do succeed in passing all my traps, my research will be completed."
Curious, Gatomon questioned. "What are you planning to do?"
"Recently I have been trying to combine the Data of Digimon in order to make a superior Digimon, one that cannot be defeated. However, all my attempts have ended in failure, so I had to terminate each specimen I created." Datamon told Davis, Kari, Veemon and Gatomon, revealing he was the one responsible for the missing Digimon, which shocked and disgusted them all.
"However, with a human acting as the container of Digimon Data, I am confident I can not only create a new Digimon, but one who will follow my orders." He then said, picking up what looked like a gun that had a combination between a gun and a syringe and approached Gatomon.
"Now this may sting a little." He told her, pulling the trigger, which caused a green light to emit from the gun and run down Gatomon's body, making her cry out.
"Gatomon!" Veemon called out, concerned upon seeing the Digimon of Light in pain, before he got mad.
"Vee-Headbutt!" Veemon yelled, slamming his head against the bars, trying to escape once again, which just resulted in failure.
"Don't bother trying to escape. Your confinements were designed to keep you in. So save what intelligence you have left." Datamon told Veemon, before he approached Kari, while the front of Datamon's tool extended with a sharp syringe.
"Wait!" Davis quickly called out.
"If you want to use anyone as your lab rats, use us." He then said, causing Veemon to support Davis' decision as he nodded, both were prepared to sacrifice themselves to keep Kari and Gatomon safe.
"An interesting offer." Datamon admitted, only to then say. "While I have studied you and know your powers and abilities in both Digivolution and combat are most impressive I have made up my mind to use the Digidestined and her Digimon as my first test subjects."
"What!? Why?" Veemon questioned.
"Revenge." Datamon replied, before he explained. "I know that this human is the sister of Tai Kamiya, the one who not only ruined my plans to obtain the power of the Digidestined of Love, but almost destroyed me seven years ago. What better way to destroy him than with an individual so close to his heart?"
Kari, as well as Gatomon, Davis and Veemon were all shocked at what Datamon had told them.
And their shock increased as Datamon suddenly jabbed the needle into Kari's neck, making her cry out as an intense pain entered her body, causing Davis, Veemon and Gatomon to call out Kari's name, concerned and horrified at what Datamon had done.
"Davis help me... some... something's happening to me..." Kari moaned, feeling something was wrong with her, to which the Digidestined of Light started to feel lightheaded, before her eyes dulled and she fell unconscious.
"Kari!" Davis yelled out, unable to do anything but watch as the metal slab holding Kari down slowly rose, before the restraints around her arms and legs unlocked, causing Kari to drop to the floor, causing him to then ask, demanding an answer. "What did you do to her!"
"I have placed Gatomon's Data within this human." Datamon said in reply, his attention remaining on Kari as he then said. "Now we shall see what results my research will have."
While Davis, Veemon and Gatomon could only watch with worried expressions on their faces, Datamon watched on curiously Kari underwent a sudden transformation, to which a set of cat ears, similar to Gatomon's materialized out of her head, while a tail emerged from Kari's tailbone, which, like the cat ears looked like a copy of Gatomon's tail, up to the point it had a Tail Ring wrapped around it.
With Kari's transformation, Datamon commented. "Most interesting, though I am curious as to what will happen when all of Gatomon's Data is planted in her."
Confused, Gatomon questioned. "What are you talking about?"
"I only planted a small portion of your Data inside of her. If I had simply disposed of you and implanted all your Data inside my subject, the chances of her survival would be zero." Datamon told Gatomon in reply.
"It also helps that at her current stage, she can be reeducated and trained before I increase the Digimon Data in her system." Datamon then added, as Kari began to moan, showing she was waking up, to which Datamon pulled out a metal collar, which had a red button in the centre, and fastened around Kari's neck, just before she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings.
Looking around, Kari, unsure of where she was or how she got there was somewhat worried upon seeing the mechanical creature before her and felt concern to see the white furred feline chained to the wall.
But noticing the human and the strange, blue creature locked up, Kari sensed something reassuring about the human, telling her she could trust him.
"Kari!" Gatomon called to her partner, making the Digimon of Light then call out. "Say something!"
While Kari did reply, she let out a small meow, which left the Digidestined and the two Digimon stunned and confused.
"Interesting. It seems exposure to Gatomon's Data has sent her mind to a more feline and primal form of thinking." Datamon thought aloud, which caused Kari to back away from Datamon, not only because of the machine Digimon's horrid appearance, but something in Kari's mind was telling her to stay away from him.
"Alright, time to begin your training." He told Kari, before the machine Digimon instructed. "Sit."
Continuing to trust her instincts, Kari remained where she was, which didn't go too well with Datamon.
"I gave you an order. Now sit!" He yelled, causing the light on the collar to increase, before it shocked Kari, making her cry out in pain.
"Kari!" Davis, Veemon and Gatomon all called out, concerned for her, while Datamon continued to torment her.
"Sit!" Datamon yelled for a second time, watching as Kari fell onto her stomach, rolled around on the floor as she continued crying out as the collar continued to electrocute her.
Unable to see or hear Kari in distress, Davis yelled out. "Enough! Leave her alone!"
"Why should I listen to you?" Datamon questioned, ceasing his torture upon the confused girl for a moment so he could face the Digidestined of Miracles and tell him. "You have no power here."
"Don't underestimate us. We may be trapped now, but we will break free." Davis said back, making Veemon nod, both remembering their promise to keep Kari and Gatomon safe, which made the leader of the younger Digidestined then announce. "Kari, I will save you!"
Davis' sudden outburst not only reached Kari, making her feelings towards the human increase, but reached his D-3 too, which began to glow brightly, confusing Datamon as to what was happening as the room was filled with light.
And when the light faded, Datamon was left shocked to see that not only had Davis and Veemon escaped, but now Veemon was in his Champion form, ExVeemon.
"Impossible!" Datamon stated, before questioning. "How did you Digivolve?"
"Placing our faith in each other, our bonds as friends helped us when we needed it, something a heartless machine like you would never understand." Davis said in reply, making ExVeemon nod.
"And let me show you that power firsthand! Vee-Laser!" ExVeemon roared in a might tone, unleashing a wave of energy from the X mark on his chest, which caught Datamon off guard and blasted him, knocking him back and beside his computer and monitor.
With Datamon down, Davis approached Kari and found she was unconscious once again, to which he quickly tore the collar off of her neck, threw it away and picked her unconscious form up, holding her bridal style.
And while Davis was checking on Kari, ExVeemon made his way over to Gatomon.
"Gatomon, are you alright?" He asked, breaking the chains that held Gatomon to the wall and allowed her to drop down.
"I've been better." Gatomon replied, before the Digimon of Light suggested. "C'mon, let's get out of here and find the others."
"You meddlesome Digidestined, I will destroy you!" Datamon yelled, causing Davis, ExVeemon and Gatomon to see the Ultimate Level Digimon, enraged as he got back up and prepared to eliminate the two Champion Digimon and the leader of the younger Digidestined.
"Not on my watch, Datamon! Hand of Fate!" A determined voice suddenly called out, before Datamon was struck by a beam of light, damaging him further, making him, as well as Davis, ExVeemon and Gatomon turn to see Angemon, the other Digidestined and their Digimon, who had Digivolved to Stingmon, Shurimon and Digmon.
"Guys!" Davis called out, glad to see his friends had made it.
"It's good to see you're alright, Davis." Ken commented as he withdrew his and Kari's D-3s and D-Terminals, before the Digidestined and Digimon all saw the condition Kari was in.
But before any could question what had happened to the Digidestined of Light, an alarm went off, making everyone look over to see Datamon had slammed his hand down upon a red button upon his control console.
"Self destruct activated. Base will detonate in two minutes." A female voice said from the monitor, shocking the Digidestined and Digimon, while, scattered within the pyramid, the eyes of all the Chikurimon lit up, showing they were all soon going to detonate.
"If I cannot continue my research, I will just destroy you all!" Datamon stated, before the floor beneath him opened up and he jumped in, leaving the Digidestined trapped inside.
Knowing their time was limited, Davis said. "We have to get out of here!"
"But how?" Yolei asked, before the Digidestined of Love and Sincerity explained. "It took us ages to find you guys. And even if we do backtrack, this place will be reduced to rubble before we even make it half way."
With one route cut off a new one was revealed when sections of the roof began to fall down around the Digidestined and part of the falling roof hit ExVeemon's head, making him rub his head and then look up.
"Up there!" ExVeemon called out, causing the Digidestined and Digimon to look up, where they all saw a hole in the pyramid's roof, to which ExVeemon then told his friends. "If we can blast that hole open some more, we can get out of here."
Hearing ExVeemon's idea, the Digimon all nodded, before ExVeemon, Angemon, Shurimon and Digimon braced themselves and used their long range attacks.
"Ex-Vee Laser!"
"Hand of Fate!"
"Kusanagi!"
"Gold Rush!"
With the combination of the four attacks, the roof was destroyed, giving the Digimon enough room to escape, to which Stingmon grabbed Ken and Yolei, Shurimon reverted back to Hawkmon and took off.
Cody, after Digimon reverted back to Armadillomon, they, along with TK were flown to safety by Angemon, while ExVeemon, after picking up Gatomon and allowing Davis onto his back then took off, just as all the Chikurimon exploded and destroyed Datamon's pyramid.
Flying away from the blast, Yolei was the first to speak.
"That was too close." She commented, before facing Davis and had to ask what they were all thinking. "But what happened in there? Why does Kari have cat ears and a tail?"
"I'll explain everything, I promise." Davis replied, his expression turning serious as he stared at Kari's unconscious form and said. "But for now, we need to get back to the Real World so Kari can get proper treatment."