Destined Tamer
This story is cowriten by Drager and Demino. We do not own digimon.
Chapter 1
It was over, Etemon had been beaten, his dark network pulling in on itself as all of its dark powers erupted outwards, the force o fit strong enough to tear the barrier betweens worlds and open up a swirling vortex of dark powers dragging in the victors of the battle as well as the loser.
Barely off the kick of defeating Etemon at last, Tai screamed as he felt himself getting pulled towards the black hole that had formed after they had destroyed Etemon, the only thing stopping him from getting swallowed by it were Metal-Greymon's trident arm.
But even his newly evolved digimon partner had trouble in the increasing pull from the gate, already he could hear the sand shifting as they were slowly, but surely pulled forward.
Looking at the other digi destined through Metal-Greymon's legs, he could see the fear in their eyes despite the distance between them and felt his own growing. "Metal-Greymon, don't let go, if we get sucked in, we'll be swallowed up just like Etemon!"
But even as he yelled out, he felt Metal-Greymon lose his hold, the pull of the black home dragging through the air without mercy.
The last thing he saw besides the shocked Metal-Greymon being his friends, and the horrified expressions on their faces.
Reaching out a hand he tried to reach them, even if it was a hopeless attempt as he felt his back impact the outline of the black hole, then, in what felt like a hour, but was more like a second, he and Metal-Greymon were pulled into the black hole, darkness swirling around them as they fell through the swirling vortex.
Grabbing a hold of Koromon when he passed by him, Tai shut his eyes and prayed for the trip to end real soon. They had been falling for only a short while, but it beat all the roller coaster rides he had ever been on, it was as bad as when he and the other kids was pulled into the digital world.
Above him, he could faintly hear Etemon screaming as well, the digimon becoming clear for a short moment, his body glowing as if it was on fire, broken off parts of the dark network floating around them as Etemon faded away above.
The last things seen of him were the fire and light dying down, his body gleaming almost as if it had become metallic from the fire itself.
Then the rough ride stopped, not a gentle kind of stop, but a real fast one. One moment he was falling, the other he was completely still. Koromon fell from his hands as the sudden stop to the violent trip caused him to fall to his knees and down onto the rough pavement covering the ground, the screaming of people around him making him look up in time to see the Dark Network tear down through the side of a tall office building, fire and glass flying out in all direction as it ploughed into the lower levels.
"No, it can't be." Mumbling out the words with horror, Tai watched as the cables and metal parts buckled outwards, a familiar shape ripping his way out of his confinement. "Not him, not now,!"
Flexing his new metallic muscles as he freed himself, Etemon grinned as he spotted the messy haired boy sitting all alone in a crowd of panicking humans." Oh yeah, the king still lives." Snapping out one finger as he slid into a pose,
Etemon laughed as he watched Tai fall backwards onto his butt. "Ready for round two brat? Let's see if you can handle me now!" Pulling out on his sunglasses, Etemon slid down them down over his nose as he grinned. "Though I doubt it, your little pet won't stand up me now."
Developing a glare, Tai pushed himself up, Koromon held in his arms. "We'll see about that Etemon, we beat once, we can do it again."
Laughing as he clapped his left hand on his left knee, Etemon took a moment to glance down at the messy haired boy over his glasses. "Kid, you beat me before, but this time, I'm the new and improved version, Metal-Etemon, and trust me kid, against a mega digimon like me, you don't stand a chance." Grinning darkly, Metal-Etemon jumped out of the ruined office building, landing on the roof of an abandoned cab. "This time kiddies, you're the ones who will die!"
Tai push himself to his feet. He stepped back with his partner resting in his arms. He watched as the metal monkey turned to face him.
He jumped from the wreak cab. As he came closer to Tai, he was blasted back. "That was the best you can do," he mocked as he pushed up from the pavement, "My song has more punch."
Looking back over his shoulder, Tai blinked at the sight of a nine tailed fox like digimon landed on the ground gracefully. "No way, it's another digimon?" His comment causing the fox like digimon to turn her attention towards him, her eyes not even showing any surprise as she took in the sight of Koromon held in his arms.
"You, you also have a digimon." Turning her head towards the shadows as if Listing to someone, she turned back around as a human girl stepped out.
"And mind telling me why you're facing a mega level digimon with just an in-training?" The girl's question spoken as she just stood silently, staring at Metal-Etemon tapping a finger on his right biceps, her attention never reaching Tai at all. "Kyubimon, go, we can take him, with his data, you'll be stronger then Growlmon!"
As she spoke, the girl had pulled out the strangest looking digivice Tai had ever seen, a handful of cards in her left hand. "Card Slash, power up!"
Watching as the fox like digimon rushed at him, Metal-Etemon grinned as he simply slid into a fight stance, his hands curled up lightly. "So, you want to fight the king too? Well, give me your best shot."
Running forward, Kyubimon took a leap upwards, her ghostly fire spreading out over her body as she curled up into a spin. "Dragon Wheel!" A ghostly dragon made of fire shooting out from her, the object flying across the short distance rapidly, enveloping Metal-Etemon in a second.
Landing, Kyubimon kept her eyes on the still burning monkey, her eyes narrowing as a sudden laugh flowed out from him. "Fool, I am covered in the strongest metal, cromedigizoid, your attack is useless!" Moving back as she prepared another attack, Kyubimon didn't have much of a chance to avoid as Metal-Etemon attacked.
The metallic monkey rushing forward surprisingly fast, one fist curled up tightly. "Take this, Metal Punch!" The fist ramming right into Kyubimon's stomach as she tried to jump back, the force of the blow sending her flying upwards with aloud yelp of pain. "And here's the desert, Banana Slip!"
Landing on the banana peel, Kyubimon screamed as she went tumbling backwards, her tails flaring out as she hit another left behind car behind her. "Rika..."
Towering up over her, Metal-Etemon laughed as he sent a vicious kick into her stomach. "Told ya you were too weak for me, no one can defeat the king, no one." Slowly turning around, he focused on Tai and Koromon again. "And now for you, ya messy haired brat, the final song of this concert, Metal..."
A fog rolled over his body. "Hey what is this?!" He yelled as the fog engulfed the metal monkey.
Tai watched as the fog faded away.
"What happen it him?" Koromon ask.
"I don't know," Tai said, "Let's ask the red head with the fox." He ran up to the two.
"Don't you think you going a little over board with being a fan?" Rika said.
"What do you mean?" Tai asked.
"I mean dressing like one from the show," Rika said.
"Tai, I think she's crazy," Koromon said.
"Can you tell me what you're talking about?" Tai asked.
Giving the messy haired boy a very annoyed look, Rika shook her head as she turned her attention away from him. "Kyubimon, can you feel the others?" Her eyes narrowing as she felt Tai poke her shoulder. "Look, I don't have time for fan boys, not even if they have a digimon, besides, it's just a Koromon."
Walking off, she turned her gaze upwards at the still smoke pouring out from the top of the distant Hypnos office building. "Just go home and watch that digimon show, we have more pressing concerns."
Jumping up onto Kyubimon's back, she stopped for a bit and glanced back at him. "You should get out of here, I doubt Hypnos will like having you and your partner around when this much damage caused by a digimon fighting against you."
"So what do we do?" Koromon ask.
"I say we hide and see what this Hypnos is," Tai said.
From the shadow of some bushes, Tai watched as a group of black vans parked, a group of men climbing out of each van, all of them starting to search the rubble while a few began to detain anyone still remaining for questioning. "How could one this strong get through?" a blond man asked as he stepped fourth.
"Unknown sir," a random man said, "We did not know about it until the system started to push it back."
"I want to know how it was able to get here," the blond haired man said.
He starts to walk away. "Keep an eye out for any of the so called tamers."
Moving further backwards as the men began to spread out to look for clues, Tai grimaced as she took great care not to attract attention as he mixed himself into the gathering crowd of returning bystanders and newcomers. "Koromon, please stay still under there, okay?" His comment aimed at Koromon as he stuffed the digimon in under his shirt.
Whispering out the words, Tai slid back through the crowd slowly, making sure to keep an eye out for anyone who might suddenly recognize him as the kid who arrived along with Metal-Etemon.
"You know, this is, my home, we could go back to my place."
Staring off as he mumbled out the words, Tai made it out of the large group and began to wander off, his eyes moving from side to side as he scanned to see if anyone had followed him.
"I wonder if Kari is there, or even mom, we've been gone for such a long time."
Turning around a corner, Tai grinned as he spotted the entrance to the subway. As he walked down the stairs to the railroad below, he looked back over his shoulder with a concerned look. "Wonder what he meant with tamer though, I though kids with digimon partners were called digi destined."
In the subway Tai slip into the shadows and placed Koromon in the corner. "What are we doing here, Tai?" the pink ball asked.
"I can't travel with you in my arms," Tai said, "I'm going to use some money my mom gave me to get something. Hide here until return." It did not take long for Tai to return. "I can't believe someone ask me if I was going to a costume party," Tai said as he slipped Koromon into the newly bought duffle bag.
Stepping back out into the subway, Tai ignored the muffled comments about his appearance from a group of young kids as they walked past him, his full attention instead focused on a newspaper tossed into a garbage bin, it front page showing a very blurred picture of two digimons fighting in the middle of a dark street.
"Koromon?" Speaking as quietly as he could, Tai still felt Koromon move around as an answer. "These digimons, they must have been coming over ever since we first went into the digital world." Turning his hear around as the train moved into the station, Tai froze as he spotted something moving around on the top of the train car furthest away. "It can't be, Mojamon?"
Giving a loud scream, the small troll like digimon jumped down with a large roar, his club swinging around as he attacked a nearby group of kids who scattered in fear. "Great, Koromon, we have too."
Stopping his voice, Tai moved further back as several of the same dressed men that he had seen before ran out from the subway tunnel as well as down the stairs, several weapons getting waved around by the first people showing up. "Those guys again."
"Tai," Koromon said, "I'm not ready to fight."
"We need to get out of here," Tai said. He rushed into the train.
Tai took a seat as the train increased its speed. "This won't get me home but close enough."
As the train reached the nearest subway station to his home, Tai grunted as he pushed his way out through another group of kids and even some adults also trying to either leave or enter the train.
"Well, it just a few more blocks, then we'll be home."
Walking up the stairs, Tai grinned as he took in the sight of the apartment blocks rising up over him, a distant one catching his eyes. "Home, I wonder if mom or Kari can even recognize me after all this time."
I'm sure that will," Koromon said.
"Right," Tai said. He ran inside and rode the elevator up. On his floor, he walked down the hall to his apartment. A little after knocking on the door someone came to it.
"Yes, can I help you young man?" The question coming from a middle aged, unfamiliar woman who stared down at Tai with a rather tired expression on her face as the soft cries of a small baby could be heard coming from inside the apartment. "Well, I don't have all day."
"Sorry," Tai said, "wrong address."
Tai lower his head as he walk to the elevator. "What's wrong Tai?"
Koromon ask, "You were happy a moment ago."
"In my home there is a woman that I've never seen before," Tai said, "Where's my family?"
"If you were missing for a long time I'm sure they left a way for you to find them," Koromon said.
Stepping out of the apartment building, Tai looked up and down the street as he sighed. "You're right Agumon, but where do I go to look?" Speaking quietly, Tai froze as he heard a pair of claws clicking against the ground behind him.
Turning around slowly, Tai cast a quick glance down the street behind him, noting for the first time that it was rather clear of any people. "This is not good."
"How right you are, boy." The voice had a thick layer of arrogance to it as a smirking imp like digimon jumped down from the wall of the apartment building behind him. "You're another one of those tamer kids right? I can smell the presence of a digimon all over you."
"Do you see one here," Tai said, "Now get out of my way."
"I don't like the way you're talking," the digimon said, "Bada Boom." He formed a fireball hovering over his finger. He flings the fire ball at Tai. To his shock, Tai jump from the attack and rush at the small digimon. Tai clothes line the digimons.
The digimon got and said, "You got lucky," the digimon said as he ran off.
"Let's see if I can find my family," Tai said.
Down in his hiding place, Koromon blinked as he moved around to a better position. "I can't believe you took a digimon on your own, Tai."
Giving a rather embarrassed smile, Tai rubbed the back of his head as he walked off. "Guess all the stress finally got to me." Stopping, Tai stared down the road as he shook his head. "I can't believe I didn't think of it before, we'll ask the police where they are." Heading towards the nearest police box to ask, Tai grinned as he felt himself coming closer to finding his family.
(Chapter end)