Part 2:The First Assault

Grademon sat upon the ground, honing the edge of his blade with a sharpening stone. After several dozen passes, he held it up to the sun, watching the razor edge gleam in the light. Once he was done appraising his work, he sheathed the blade. Before drawing the other, and beginning the same process over again. He paused in his work, when he sensed an approaching presence from behind him. The golden knight turned, to see Wisemon moving toward him.

"Good day to you, Grademon." Wisemon greeted with a bow.

"And to you Wisemon." Grademon replied, mirroring the wizards action. "What brings you here?"

"Well the generals thought you could use another sharp mind on the frontlines. So I volunteered." The mage answered moving to stand beside the knight.

"Thank you Wisemon, your assistance is much appreciated."

Wisemon gave nod, and turned look across the open plain. "So the enemy still hasn't made a move?"

"No." Grademon answered. "My scouts report that they've been clearing away a good chunk of the forest. Most likely so they can set up a temporary base of operations."

"That would explain the pillars of smog, and smoke that have been coming from the forest these past two days." Wisemon put a hand to his chin. "They do not seem to care about giving away their main position. They must be quite confident in their military might."

"Confident? Or Arrogant?" Grademon growled. His hand reflexively reached for one of his blades, gripping the handle tight.

Wisemon glanced over at him. "You need to relax captain."

"Relax?! How can I relax knowing that those machines could strike at any moment? I must be ready at all times."

Wisemon crossed his legs, and floated into the air. "Being ready is one thing. But being wound up as you are won't help anyone. One must keep calm,and focused in these sorts of situations. Do not let your anger control you."

Grademon let out a sigh, and loosened the grip on his blade. "Your right. I have to stay calm. Remember my training."

"You know what always helps me calm down? A good joke!"

Grademon snapped his head toward the wizard "What?"

"Stop me if you've heard this one. What did the cowboy say to the pencil?"

He received only a blank stare in response.

"Draw partner!" the wizard exclaimed, and began to laugh at his own punchline.

Grademon sighed,and shook his head. But could not but chuckle at Wisemon's antics.


Gallantmon sat upon her throne, deep in thought. On the table before her was the map of Nexus, and the surrounding countryside. A large red dot was marked several miles from the main gates, indicating the enemy's main position. She had been sitting for over an hour now, pondering the enemy's first move.

Would it be a bombing raid from the air, using more cloaked fliers? Perhaps even a series of hit, and run style attacks. Or something far more sinister.

"You're going to burn a hole in the table if you keep staring at it like that."

Gallantmon quickly looked up, and spotted Leopardmon standing on the other side of the room.

"You seem tense." he said as he approached.

"I think I have have every right to be." Gallantmon replied. "Nexus has not seen a force like this at its doors for thousands of years."

"Very true." Leopardmon relented. "And the last time that did happen, our forces were not spread this thin."

"Alphamon was also leading us." Gallantmon added bitterly under breath.


Gatomon, Patch, and Dinohumon sat against the rampart walls, chatting idly as they devoured their lunch.

"What do you suppose those smoke clouds are about?" Patch asked, glancing over the wall.

Gatomon looked over to him. "I heard from the scouts that they're being caused by the machines. They're cutting down, and burning away a large swathe of the forest."

"Damn them." Dinohumon growled. "They have no regard for nature."

"Or life. I've seen that first hand." said Gatomon.

She touched a paw to the vaguely circuit shaped scar on her shoulder. It was a part of her now. A constant reminder of the cruelties she had suffered.

Her companions frowned, as they watched her. She had of course told them of her capture, and the horrible experiments that had been performed on her. Neither of them could imagine what kind of pain she must have endured.

After a few moments, Dinohumon decided to break the tense silence. "Did you hear anything else from the scouts?"

The question quickly broke Gatomon from her silent reflection. "Not much. Though they did say that the enemy force was incredibly large. Easily in the thousands by their estimates."

Patch swallowed nervously. "T...thousands?"

Dinohumon gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "Hey don't worry about it. With the generals on our side we'll be okay."

Patch gave a nod. "I suppose so."

Suddenly Gatomon's ear twitched, as she caught a faint whistling on the wind. Her eyes widened, and she leapt toward Patch, and Dinohumon.

"Get down!" she shouted, pushing the two down with all her strength.

Seconds later an artillery shell came down upon the rampart wall. It exploded in a fiery display, sending bits of rubble and dust in every direction. When the explosion passed, Gatomon dared a glance back. To see a smoking crater where she, and her friends were sitting only moments ago.

Patch gulped audibly, as he looked upon the crater. "That could have been us!"

"Thanks for the save Gatomon." Dinohumon said, getting to her feet.

Gatomon nodded and quickly rushed to the edge of the wall. Her keen eyes looked across the plains for the source of the attack. She soon spotted shapes in the distance, and the distinct glint of metal. As the figures came into focus, Gatomon could almost feel her blood boil.

Several platoons of Commandramon marched from the tree line. All of them with rifles held high. Marching alongside them were Tankmon, their treads digging into the earth. Even from here, Gatomon could hear the rumble of their engines. As well as the metallic clinking of their machinery, and ammunition.

Gatomon's claws dug into to the stonework as she watched the approach. Her eyes slitting, and fur rising.

"Those damn machines." she spat venomously.

Dinohumon moved in beside her, and looked out across the plains. "Looks like they decided to finally make their first move."

"There are sure are a lot of them." Patch said shakily.

Dinohumon gave him a quick slap on the back. "Now's not the time to be quaking in your boots!"

Patch could only nod in reply.

Suddenly shouts began to erupt along the wall. The alarm quickly being raised. Soldiers dropped their tasks, and quickly rushed into their positions. Archers were lined along the edge of the wall, and notched arrows to their strings. Lookouts took up weapons of their own, and took cover wherever they could find it. Finally, foot soldiers moved into position by the gates.

All of it was muffled white noise to Gatomon. All of her senses were focused on the approaching machines. Flashes, and pieces of memory slowly flooded her mind. A stench of oil, and metal, mixed with burning chemicals. The weight of heavy iron chains, and the darkness of a cell.

The strongest memory of all however, was the pain. The pain of the restraints digging into her skin. The sharp pain of the needle piercing her body. Followed by a hot searing agony. As if molten steel were coursing through her veins.

Her body spasmed, as the pain took her. Muscles tightened all at once, further adding to her pain. She tried with all her will to fight it, to somehow work through the pain, but it was to no avail, and a scream of pure anguish escaped her throat.

That pained cry shifted into an angry growl, as Gatomon's mind was brought back to the present. Without a second thought, she leapt from atop the rampart wall. She landed with the grace one would expect from a feline. Then took off running toward the oncoming machines, ignoring the shouts of DinoHumon, and Patch from atop the wall.


Grademon's blades were drawn as the first shot fell. His Knightmon subordinates followed his example. Their bodies were tense, and ready spring into action at a moment's notice.

In contrast, Wisemon still sat in a cross legged position. His eyes watched the approaching machines closely, calmly observing their formation, and other important details.

Off in the distance several of the Tankmon came to halt. As their comrades marched past them, they raised their cannons high. With a 'boom' and a flash of gunpowder, they launched their salvo, sending a handful of deadly ballistics whistling across the battlefield.

Wisemon moved forward, as the missiles came down. He held up a hand, summoning forth a pair of crystal orbs. The orbs began to spin around him, like planets orbiting a star. As they moved, lines of digicode trailed behind them, and surrounded Wisemon.

"Pandora Dialogue!"

At his call the tank rounds seemed to subtly curve, and change trajectory. All of them converging on Wisemon's position. As they collided with the aura of code, they disappeared, passing beyond some invisible boundary, into another pocket of space. With another motion of his hand, Wisemon then dismissed the aura of code.

"Impressive." Grademon commented.

"Thank you." the wizard replied.

The golden knight then turned his attentions to the high wall, and pointed his blade at the enemy.

"Give them a volley of our own! Archers, take aim, and fire!"

The archers followed the order without question and notched their arrows. They pulled on back the bow strings, and their shots were loosed. Arrows, surrounded by glittering light soon streaking across the sky.

The energy projectiles found their mark, and struck the oncoming army. With flashes of golden light, they struck down several Commandramon on the front line. The Tankmon fared better against the attack, their tougher armor absorbing the brunt of the blow.

Grademon raised his blade again, ready to give the command for another volley. Then, a white blur flew past the corner of his vision. He dropped his blade to his side, and turned with a start. He watched as the small form of Gatomon ran by on all the fours.

"What in the world? Where the hell does she think she's going?! Who gave her the order to charge?!"

Wisemon watched Gatomon's retreating form. His sharp senses felt the seething anger of her aura.

"I don't think she's doing this under anyone's orders captain."

Gatomon ran with all the speed she could muster. The sound of her paws thundered in her ears, and her pulse beat a mile a minute. She could hear the rumbling treads of the Tankmon, and the marching footsteps of Commandramon grow louder as she ran. It spurred her on, and stoked the ferocious fire within.

A line of Commandramon stopped as they saw her approach. With practiced movements, they lowered their rifles, and took careful aim. The rookies then shouted their attack in unison and opened fire on the approaching feline.

Gatomon saw the flash of gun barrels, and leapt out of the bullet's path. She began to serpentine, as the Commandramon followed. She ducked, dodged, and weaved out of their sights. All the while continuing her approach.

When she finally began to close in, she leapt into the air, and pounced on one of her attackers. With a roar, she rained down a flurry of blows. The Commandramon's armored uniform only protected him so much, and he was at the full mercy of Gatomon's fury. Within moments his body burst into shimmering data.

Gatomon did not pause, and leapt away, dodging another hail of gunfire. As she came back down she struck the nearest Commandramon with a kick, and a whip of her tail. She soon became a whirlwind of limbs, leaping from Commandramon to Commandramon, to unleash a barrage of punches, kicks, and claw swipes. Her movements were swift, and agile, while her attacks struck with deadly precision.

A Commandramon paused mid march, and gawked at the melee. After snapping from his initial surprise, he grabbed one of the grenades from his belt. He pulled the pin, and hurled the bomb with all his might. It sailed through the air for a few moments, before landing just a foot away from where Gatomon stood.

"Fire in the hole!" he shouted.

Even in her rage filled state, Gatomon's sharp ears heard the metallic 'thunk' beside her. Her head whipped around, eyes widening as she spotted the grenade. Without a moment's hesitation she leapt into the air. The grenade detonated a fraction of a second later, and three Commandramon were caught in the resulting explosion. All of them bursting into clouds of data.

Gatomon only had a moment of respite, before a Tankmon came rumbling in behind her. It lowered its arms, and opened fire. The cat quickly leapt into the air, dodging the barrage of high caliber fire.

"Lightning Claw!" she cried, as she came falling back down.

She landed atop the machines back, and thrust down with her claws. They easily pierced through the Tankmon's armored hide, shredding the metal like paper. Gatomon then wrenched her claws free, pulling out hunks of wiring, and machine parts. They quickly dissolved into data, and the Tankmon came to a shuddering stop.

With one final thrust of her claws, Gatomon dug deeper into the machines inner workings. She then leapt away, sparks flying from the gaping holes. With several whirring noises, the Tankmon's machinery exploded from the inside, taking the digimon with it.


Wisemon's eyes slightly widened at the display. "My, she's impressive isn't she?"

"She's reckless is what she is!" Grademon growled. He quickly drew his blades, and turned back to his soldiers. "Three of you with me! We're going to clean out these pests!"

Three of the Knightmon drew their blades, and charged toward the oncoming battalion with their captain. Both the Commandramon, and Tankmon opened fire on the approaching knights. Their bullets quickly proved ineffective, bouncing off their thick armor.

The approaching army soon felt the wrath of the knights. Their blades cut down swathes of Commandramon like weeds. The Tankmon fared no better. Their heavy cannons only stalled the knights for a few moments, before their blades came down upon them. Blade rended metal, and flesh, and clouds of data began to scatter into the sky.

"Retreat! Retreat!" one of the Commandramon shouted above the din.

The machines quickly turned about, and ran back toward the treeline. Ranks, and marching lines were completely forgotten in the chaos. Grademon watched the retreating machines with a hint of satisfaction.

"Get back here, you cowards!" Gatomon roared, as she cut down a Commandramon.

The cat quickly gave chase, her anger still burning hot. Before she made it very far, the form of Wisemon floated in front of her. She skidded to a stop, and glared at the ultimate.

"Out of my way! I won't let them escape!"

"Calm yourself young one." Wisemon replied. "If you follow them, it will only lead to your death." He placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder. "You've done enough for now."

Gatomon's whole body suddenly sagged, as her muscles untensed. She gave a single nod, and turned to walk back toward Nexus. She, and Grademon exchanged a glare as they passed each other.

"That reckless behavior is going to someone killed." the golden knight remarked.

Gatomon offered him no reply, and continued on her way.

"I should have her court martialed." Grademon grumbled under his breath.

"Just leave her be. " Wisemon interjected, as he approached him from behind. "Besides, I don't think you have the authority to court martial volunteers."

The knight simply harrumphed in response.


When Gatomon finally reached her place back on the wall, Dinohumon, and Patch, rushed over to her.

"Oh, thanks goodness you're alive!" Patch exclaimed. "I thought you were a goner!"

"What the hell Gatomon!?" Dinohumon shouted. "You could have gotten yourself killed running off like that! The hell were you thinking?"

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't meant to worry you." Gatomon replied guiltily. "I don't know what came over me. As soon as I saw those machines, I just snapped. I...lost control."

Dinohumon's features quickly softened, and she shared a worried look with Patch.

"Don't...don't worry about it. You're alright now, and that's enough." the champion eventually said.

Patch nodded vigorously in agreement.

Gatomon was only able to offer a half hearted smile.


"What sort of pathetic display was that?" Omnimon said.

He, and the other generals sat in the hall of thrones, looking over the footage from the machine's assault. The knights had been a little put off by Gatomon's sudden charge. Otherwise, however, it was rather routine, and the force was routed easily.

"They put all that bluster, and that's the best they can come up with?" Leopardmon harrumphed. He sounded almost insulted by the machine's first assault.

"It was far too easy." Gankoomon said, stroking his chin. "It could be a ploy of some kind. To lure us into a false sense of security."

"I agree." Gallantmon stated. "A force of several thousand does not come all the way to Nexus just to make idle threats, and pathetic frontal assaults. They must have some ulterior plan."

"I think you might be giving them too much credit." Omnimon scoffed.

She turned to him a glare. "We cannot underestimate our enemy."

"Overestimating one's enemy, can be just as dangerous as underestimating them." Leopardmon pointed out. "Overestimation can lead to paranoia, and underestimation can lead to complacency."

"A fair point." Gallantmon conceded. "But, I am always one to ere more on the side of caution. There is far too much at stake here. Nexus, is the greatest bastion of defense in the digital world. If it falls, the rest of the world will follow suit."

The other three generals gave a nod, though Omnimon's was a bit begrudging.

"Good. For now, let's continued as normal. There's no need to escalate security anymore than we already have."

"I think we should increase the size of our scouting parties." Gankoomon suggested. "We need to have as many eyes on the enemy as possible."

"Very well, but don't go overboard." Gallantmon looked to each of the three. "Is there any other business that needs attending?"

She received only silence in answer.

"Good, then meeting adjourned."


It was late at night, and the digital world's three moon's hung in the sky. Their light shone down on the city, and the plains below, bathing them in ghostly light. Many of the soldiers had swapped watches, and the daytime guards were all sound asleep in their bunks.

Gatomon had tried, and failed to fall asleep. The cat now sat atop the roof of one of the barracks. She looked down at her claws with a deep frown, brows knit in contemplation. She could feel the crunch of metal, and impact of flesh against her fist as she pierced Tankmon's armored hides, and struck the Commandramon. There was also the pulsing of her veins, and thundering in her ears.

All of it combined in her mind, and made her feel almost...excited. It made her stomach turn, that she could find satisfaction in such brutal acts. She hated the machines, and she wanted to destroy them for what they did, but she did not want to revel in it. And yet, those flashes of memory gave her a twinge of thrill.

She growled in her throat, slamming her fist into the hard shingles of the roof.

"Be careful! You don't want to damage something!" a voice half whispered from down below.

Gatomon blinked quizzically, and looked over the edge of the rooftop. Wisemon floated just below her, his yellow eyes meeting hers.

"Hello again." he greeted.

"Um...hello."

"You have quite a nice spot up there. Mind if I join you?"

Gatomon hesitated for a moment, before replying. "No. Go ahead."

With her consent, Wisemon gently floated upward, and placed himself a comfortable distance from her. The wizard then crossed his legs, and sighed happily as he looked up at the night sky.

"Is there a reason you're out this late?" Wisemon eventually asked.

"I could ask you the same question." Gatomon retorted.

"Good point." the wizard laughed. "Well, if you want to know, I was out on a late night stroll. Or 'float' as it were." He began to chuckle at his own joke.

"I see."

The cat looked back down at her claws, letting the moonlight play off of them. Wisemon soon stifled his laughter, and looked up at the night sky.

He, and many other scholars had been fascinated by it for centuries. The stars alone held so many mysteries. Some believed them to be leftover's from the digital world's creation. That GOD scattered them to the sky, to fill the empty night. The three largest of these 'leftover chunks of creation' was said to have been used to create the moons.

Others, like Wisemon, believed the stars, and the heavens were always there. That they, and GOD were born from some great cosmic event. That birthed all matter from a roiling chaos of nothingness.

"Have you ever wondered what's out there?" Wisemon eventually asked.

Gatomon was pulled from her thoughts. "What? Out where?"

"Out there, amongst the stars." Wisemon answered, with a sweeping motion. "Surely, the human world, can't be the only other world. There must be others, out in the vastness of the universe."

"I'd...never really thought about it." she admitted, looking up at the sea of stars. "I didn't even believe in the legends about human's until I met them."

Wisemon nodded at that. "Yes, their arrival has opened a world of possibilities. Just imagine, all the other worlds out there. The knowledge, that we could obtain. It seems boundless. Isn't it exciting?"

Gatomon shook her head. "Not to me. There's enough in this world alone. I would rather experience what's here, then go out searching for something that might be there."

"Those are some very wise words." He paused chuckling a little. "And I should know a thing or two about wisdom!"

Gatomon rolled her eyes. "Why are we talking about this?"

"Well, you seemed to have a lot on your mind. I thought I'd try, and distract you from it. If only for a moment. Sorry if I'm bothering you."

"No. It's fine." Gatomon sighed. "I appreciate the sentiment. Maybe I am thinking too hard about this."

"Yes, pondering certain things, will only get you so far. Although, there is something to be said about a little introspection. It can go a long way to help oneself."

After a few moments of silence Wisemon stood to his feet.

"Well I should be going to bed. You should as well. We're all going to need as much as rest as we can get."

Gatomon nodded with a sigh. "You're right. Good night Wisemon. Thank you for trying to cheer me up."

"Always happy to be of service." the wizard replied with a small bow.

With the greatest ease, Wisemon floated back down to the ground. He gave a wave goodbye to Gatomon, before heading off into the night.

The cat let out another sigh, as she watched him go. Then with her great agility, she hung from the roof's edge, and slipped into the window below her. She quickly found her bunk, where Dinohumon, and Patch slept on the two bottom beds. Gatomon leapt to her place on the top and lay down, letting the soft snores of her friends lull her to sleep.


Gatomon sat atop one of the walls parapets. She munched away at a small piece of dried meat, keeping one eye on the border of the plains. As she took her last bite, she heard a shout from one of the other lookouts.

"Captain, there's something approaching in the sky! Off to the west!"

All eyes turned westward, and they soon spotted a shape in the distance. Gatomon focused her vision on the approaching object. Slowly it came into focus, and she could make out its insect like shape.

"What are your orders captain?" one of the Gladimon called.

"Keep a close eye on it!" Grademon shouted back. "I want archers ready to fire if things turn dangerous!"

"Yes sir!"

The Gladimon gave a nod, and several archers pulled their strings. Arrows of light formed as they pulled them taut, ready to be loosed at a moment's notice.

As the figure got closer, Gatomon was finally able to make what it was. She gasped, her eyes widening.

"Everyone hold your fire! They're not an enemy!"

The archers turned to her, and relaxed the grips upon their bows. Grademon glared up at the cat. He would not have his orders undermined.

"I think she's right, captain." said Wisemon.

Grademon glanced back at the wizard. "What do you mean?"

"I sense no ill intent from their presence." Wisemon answered. "In fact, they seem weak, and exhausted."

Grademon tapped his fingers along the handle of his blade, as he considered his words. After a few moments of deliberation, he gave the order for the archers to lower their bows.

The figure finally arrived several minutes later. It was Kokuwamon, looking haggard, and drained. The machine came in with a crash landing, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Onlookers on the wall, watched on with bated breath, as Grademon and Wisemon approached him.

The wizard kneeled down at Kokuwamon's fallen form. The rookie's red eyes were dim, and occasionally flickering. Small sparks flashed between his pronged horns, but they were extremely weak.

"He's lost a lot of energy." Wisemon said, waving a hand over him. "He must have been flying non stop."

Kokuwamon's body suddenly twitched, and he let out a small groan.

"M...me…"

Wisemon leaned closer. "Can you hear me?"

"Y...yes." Kokuwamon managed to cough.

"Why are you here?" Grademon asked, an edge to his voice.

"Me...mes...message. Ref...ugees, need….h...elp."

Kokuwamon's eyes suddenly went dark again, and he fell unconscious once more.

"Get him to the medics." Grademon ordered. "I want to know more about these refugees."

Wisemon nodded, and lifted him up in his telekinetic grip, and followed the knight. Up on the wall, Gatomon's sharp ears had caught most of the conversation. A knot of worry, and anxiety began to settle in the pit of her stomach.

Author's Notes

Hey guys sorry it took so long to update this. Trying to work on this, and the main story at the same time, is really time consuming. Thank you all for your patience.