Chapter 5: Mara

The sounds of battle drew Agumon and his friends back, and upon seeing Tyler and Volpesmon victorious, they didn't try to hold back their cheers. Tyler couldn't help but grin as he and his partner were treated like heroes for the second time that day—though this time, they had done much more than save a single Digimon from a fire. They had come together to take down a foe much stronger than either of them, and saved over half a dozen Digimon from his tyrannical rule.

Most of the smaller (and younger, Tyler assumed) Digimon wanted to know how they had done it, so Tyler and Volpesmon related what had happened, while the others watched with open mouths. "So…you Digivolved," said Agumon, looking at Volpesmon. "I bet that was something."

Volpesmon nodded. "Pretty incredible. That feeling of strength, of becomin' strong enough to do what you need to…it's much more than the change from In-Training to Rookie."

One of the smaller Digimon, who really wasn't much more than a pink blob with antennae, eyes, and a mouth, looked downcast. "And we haven't even gotten there yet…"

Agumon smiled. "Don't worry; I'm sure you will some day!"

As the pink blob brightened up, Tyler turned to Volpesmon. "I think I'm a little out of the loop, here; I didn't know Digimon could change their levels."

Volpesmon grinned. "Oh, yeah. It's the most effective way to get stronger. When we've grown enough, we Digivolve to our next form."

Ah, so that was what that word meant. "But…you don't stay that way?"

His partner frowned. "We usually do…but this was different somehow. Kinda like…like I only got a temporary rush of power. So I could only Digivolve for a short amount of time."

So Volpesmon could change levels, but not permanently—or maybe he could—and somehow, Tyler had done something to give him that rush? He was just wondering how many other rules were involved in this new place—wherever it was—when a feeling of fatigue came across him, and he yawned widely. Volpesmon noticed, and nodded. "Yeah, it's been a busy day, huh? And we only met just a couple hours ago."

Agumon also noticed Tyler's yawn, and stepped forward. "If you're tired, why don't you spend the night with us? We owe you for saving us from Tyrannomon."

"Don't feel like you have to," said Volpesmon. "I'm sure we can—"

"Let me rephrase that," said Agumon with mock severity. "You're sleeping here tonight."

Tyler smiled. He was feeling tired, and spending the night with friends was better than spending it alone (especially after having come to realize some of the dangers posed by Digimon like Megadramon and Tyrannomon). "That'd be great, thanks," he said.

Agumon jerked his head, motioning for them to follow. "Come this way; I'll show you where our sleeping grounds are. They're not much, but we've managed to make them work so far."

He led the others to another clearing, much smaller than the first, where the grass looked like it had been trampled down. "A little cozy," said Agumon, "but it helps keep things warm."

Tyler had to admit, they weren't the best accommodations he could have hoped for, but he decided that it was better than nothing, and sat down. The sun had properly set by then, and so he could only make out the colored shapes of the other Digimon getting into their places and curling up. He looked over at Volpesmon (whom he could still recognize), who was still standing up, and looking around. "Something the matter?"

"Just thinkin' it might be a good idea to put someone on guard duty," he said.

"Guard duty?" said Agumon, looking over. "It'll be fine, Volpesmon. We've spent several nights here with no trouble so far."

Volpesmon raised an eyebrow. "You call Tyrannomon no trouble? What if somethin' else comes while we're asleep?"

"Tyrannomon came during the day. Posting a guard at night wouldn't have helped us there." He hesitated. "But…I see your point." He sighed. "I hate having to do this in our own home, though…"

"Then don't worry about it," said Volpesmon. "I'll take the watch."

Tyler frowned. "You can't stay up all night."

"He's right," said Agumon. "Wake me up after a few hours and I'll do the rest."

"But then you'll be the one who loses too much rest," said Volpesmon.

Tyler glanced over at the young Digimon, who were looking up at them with rather big eyes—and felt a sense of responsibility come over him. "All right, how about this," he said. "Volpesmon can take watch for a few hours, then Agumon can take over for another few, and I'll finish them off."

The two Rookie Digimon turned to him. "You sure?" said Volpesmon.

Tyler nodded. "Yeah."

"Sounds like a plan, then," said Agumon. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make sure I'm well-rested for my watch." He walked over to his spot, in the center of the small clearing, and lay down, soon joined by the other Digimon.

Tyler followed suit, doing his best to make himself comfortable on the grass, and closed his eyes. He slowed his breathing, and felt his body relax. Hopefully he could get some rest, despite everything that was going on around him.

A while later, though, he was still awake. He had tried shifting positions a few times, but to no avail. Also, Agumon was snoring, which was kind of annoying.

It was frustrating. He could feel that his body was tired, but it wouldn't let him go to sleep. Questions were constantly plaguing his mind, despite his attempts to keep them at bay. What was this place? How had he gotten here…and, more importantly, how could he leave? Not that he was in a rush to, but there was no way he could stay for too long. He had a life back home which would definitely be thrown into disarray if he went missing for several days. His friends would wonder where he had gone, his teachers and coach would probably visit his house, and Tom—

Tyler's eyes shot open. "Tom!" he said, and sat up. He had completely forgotten about his brother over the shock of this new place. Tom had been asking for help when they had last spoken…and Tyler had been taken here before he was able to give it. Where was he? What had happened to him?

Volpesmon's head turned around as soon as Tyler made his exclamation, and he walked over to his partner. "Somethin' the matter?" he said, his voice a little lower than usual.

Tyler had forgotten about the sleeping Digimon. After a quick glance to make sure he hadn't woken any of them up, he turned back to Volpesmon. "I…I just remembered…"

"Remembered what?"

"My brother, Tom. I was talking with him before…" He waved a hand. "Before I came here. He's in some sort of trouble."

Volpesmon frowned. "What kind of trouble?"

"No idea. I have no idea where he is, or what's going on with him…"

"Wait, you were talkin' with him, but don't know where he is?"

Tyler paused. "Uh, it was through a computer."

"A what?"

"A, uh, really complex machine. But anyway, he wasn't physically there with me."

"What did he say?"

Tyler related the conversation that he and his brother had had, as best as he could remember. "I wasn't able to help him in time. He's still got whatever problem on his hands that he had before." He looked around. "And I have no idea what to do now…"

Volpesmon appeared to be in deep thought. "You said…he was involved in a project that had to do with Digimon?"

Tyler blinked. "Yeah, I did…so maybe he knows about this place!"

"Could be more than that."

"What do you mean?"

His partner spoke slowly. "You said that you were brought here from wherever you're from. Is it possible that the same thing happened to your brother?"

"You mean, that he's here, too?"

"Yeah."

Tyler straightened up. "Then he's in danger, too! We have to find him!"

Volpesmon nodded. "I agree…but right now, we need to rest."

"My brother's in trouble. Don't give me that bullsh—"

"You wanna help him, you need to have your energy. We probably ain't gonna find him right away. We're gonna need to get ourselves ready to search." He fixed Tyler with a stern glare. "So get some sleep. We'll look in the morning."

"How am I supposed to sleep while worrying about Tom?"

Volpesmon opened his mouth, then closed it. "I'm not sure. Just believe that he'll be all right."

"After what I've seen here, that's not gonna be easy…"

"Hey, it's not usually like this. Megadramon actin' like that was pretty out of the ordinary, and Tyrannomon…well, you'll find those kind o' guys anywhere, but they're not too common. There are plenty of Digimon who'd be more than willin' to help out your brother if he were in trouble."

This did lighten Tyler's spirits a little. "Really?"

"Absolutely. I've been around a lot, and I can tell ya that there are more Digimon like Agumon than Megadramon and Tyrannomon."

"Still, all it takes is one encounter with someone like them…"

"We gotta believe that that's not gonna happen." Determination blazed in the fox Digimon's eyes. "We're gonna save him, Tyler. I promise. And when I make a promise, I'm not gonna go back on it."

His determination was contagious, and Tyler found himself nodding. "Right."

"Now try to get some sleep."

"Gotcha." He lay down again, but only a few seconds passed before he broke the silence again. "Volpesmon?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks…thanks a lot for helping me. I mean, I don't know what you're leaving behind to accompany me and everything…but it means a lot."

Volpesmon hesitated. "Sure, no problem."

The silence stretched out between them before Tyler broke it for a third time. "If I may ask, what did you do before we met?"

His partner sighed. "Not much, really. I've always been somethin' of a wanderer. Just goin' around and seein' what I can do." He paused. "You remember what I said to you soon after we met? That I'd been lookin' for a purpose?"

Tyler thought back. "Yeah."

"Well, that's pretty much been what I was doing. Just…just lookin'."

There was a note of sorrow in his words, and Tyler felt the urge to say something reassuring. "Well, I think you've ended up in a pretty good place."

Volpesmon smiled at him. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Anytime, partner." He yawned. "I'll see you in the morning."

"All right. Sleep well."

Sleep did eventually come to Tyler that night, but his dreams were haunted by images of Megadramon and other faceless menaces, accompanied by Tom's occasional cries for help. When Agumon woke him up to take the watch, a large part of him was glad that he wouldn't have to return to that nightmare.

Nothing happened during Tyler's watch, so the Digimon with him woke to a calm scene. "Thanks for your help, guys," said Agumon, addressing Tyler and Volpesmon, the former of which had to fight back a yawn as he nodded back. "Now, time for breakfast!" He turned to the young Digimon and began issuing orders. "Koromon and Tokomon, get some sticks for a fire. Tokomon and Tsunomon, see what you can find in terms of berries and fruit. The rest of you, go fishing!"

At his words, the Digimon dispersed. As Tyler watched three Digimon that looked identical bounce off together, he found himself wondering how Agumon could tell them apart; they even had the same names. Something told him that it might not be a good idea to ask, though, so he forced his curiosity down as they waited.

Soon, the Digimon returned, first the ones with the wood, then the ones with the fruit, and finally, the fishing team returned with two catches. The fruit was passed around while the fish were skewered and Agumon lit a fire with the wood (Tyler flinched a little upon seeing the small dinosaur Digimon's fire breath again, given his most recent experience with it). Tyler ate with the rest, noting that, while he was hungry, he seemed to have less of an appetite than usual. It was quickly forgotten, though, as they finished up and Agumon asked, "So, now what for you?"

Volpesmon answered. "We think Tyler may have a brother somewhere around here. We need to find him and make sure he's okay."

"You wouldn't happen to have any idea where he might be, would you?" asked Tyler, though he knew it was a long shot.

Agumon shook his head. "No, sorry…but I know that, whenever someone around here has a question they can't answer, they go to see Wizardmon."

"Wizardmon?" said Tyler.

"Yup. He's supposed to be really wise. I've never met him, but I've heard."

"Then we'll seek 'im out," said Volpesmon. "Where does he live?"

Agumon scratched his head. "Let's see…I think it was…that way?"

He pointed, but another of the Digimon, a white quadruped with two antennae, spoke up. "No, Agumon, he's over that way!"

It gestured in another direction, but was soon contradicted by another Digimon. Within a few seconds, most of them were bickering amongst each other, each with a different idea of where Wizardmon was.

Volpesmon shook his head. "This isn't gettin' us anywhere…"

"Oh, wait!" exclaimed Agumon. "I think…yeah, he lives on a hill. So, if you can find a hill…"

Volpesmon moved right away, climbing up one of the nearest trees to look around. "I see some hills a bit of a ways away," he called down.

"Then let's try over there!" said Tyler, getting more anxious by the minute.

Volpesmon nodded, and quickly rejoined him on the ground. "Well, we need to go, Agumon. Thanks for everythin'."

"You're thanking us?" said Agumon. "You saved us, Volpesmon. Both of you." He pointed at them. "We won't forget that."

A chorus of thanks rose up from the young Digimon, and, waving goodbye and promising to see them again, Tyler and Volpesmon took their leave.

Now that they were on track to rescuing his brother, Tyler found a sense of urgency returning to him, and he sped up his pace as they made their way towards the hills. "Hey, hang on," protested Volpesmon after a few minutes, when he began to lag behind. "Your legs are longer than mine."

"Sorry," said Tyler, but he barely slowed down.

Volpesmon frowned, and put on a burst of speed until he had drawn level with his partner. "You that anxious about gettin' to him?"

"Yeah," said Tyler. "I mean…he's my brother. We've…we've really been through a lot together."

He slowed as he remembered the days after their parents' deaths. Tom had really been integral for helping him—both of them, for that matter—cope and get past it. And with no other relatives available to take care of a minor, Tyler had fallen into Tom's care, who, Tyler knew, had always done the best that he could to take care of him.

Volpesmon noticed the change in his partner's demeanor. "Somethin' the matter?"

"Nah. Just…just thinking back."

"Somethin' you want to talk about?"

Tyler hesitated. "Not really."

They walked for another few seconds in silence before Tyler sighed. "Tom was really there for me when our parents died three years ago."

"Oh. I'm…I'm sorry to hear that."

Tyler shrugged. "It's fine. We've made it past that." He hoped Volpesmon wouldn't notice the shakiness in his voice. But, whether or not he did, the fox Digimon did not pursue the subject.

The silence continued until Volpesmon drew himself to a halt. "Hang on," he said, his voice low.

The tone of his voice was enough to draw Tyler's attention. "Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice also lowered.

Volpesmon narrowed his eyes in the direction of some particularly thick trees. "Maybe…" He crept closer.

An instant later, Tyler's question was answered as a green blur shot out, bowling Volpesmon over. "Volpesmon!" called Tyler.

The fox Digimon was up on his feet again right away, glaring at what—or rather, who—had knocked him down. "Snimon!"

Tyler turned his head. Facing them was something that he could best describe as a giant mantis, only it was hovering with its large wings, had no eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth…and two razor-sharp scythe-like blades at the ends of its arms.

It cackled. "So! The rumors were true! A human in the Digital World!"

"Digital World?" said Tyler.

Volpesmon snarled. "None of your business, Snimon!"

"But of course it is," the giant mantis replied. "It is the business of all Digimon when our world is invaded by an outsider."

"Invaded?" said Tyler. "I'm not—"

Snimon swiped a blade in his direction. "Don't try to deny it. You're here, aren't you? You're a human, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah, but—"

Snimon's mouth widened in a smile. "Guilty!" He raised his arms. "Time to administer the punishment!"

And before Tyler could respond, he yelled out, "Twin Sickles!"

Two pink arcs of light flew from his blades, aimed right at Tyler. "Tyler!" Volpesmon yelled, and tackled him to the ground just in time; Tyler could feel the attack as it passed over his head.

Snimon growled. "Don't get in the way, foxy, or you'll be next!"

Volpesmon whirled around to face his adversary. "Tyler's my friend. You're not gettin' to him without goin' through me first!"

The mantis Digimon rubbed his blades together. "Very well, then. This could be interesting…"

And he launched himself at Volpesmon, who responded in the same manner, drawing back his arm. "Enforcer's Hand!"

He slammed his paw into Snimon's head, who was sent flying back with a howl. "Good shot!" said Tyler.

Volpesmon's eyes narrowed. "It'll only make him angry."

He was right. Seconds later, Snimon was facing Volpesmon again, a bruise on his head but no sign of slowing down. "Lucky shot," he snarled. "I'll see that you don't get another one!"

He renewed his attack, much more savagely than before, so that Volpesmon was forced to defend himself. "Tyler!" he called. "Snimon's too strong for me now! He's Champion-level! I need to Digivolve!"

"O-okay!" said Tyler. He looked down at the watch-like device on his wrist, looking for the button that would prompt Volpesmon's change.

But it wasn't there. Frowning, he ran his eyes over the screen, looking for anything that might lead him to it. Upon noticing the red meter labeled "DV," he remembered that that had been full the previous evening, when Volpesmon had Digivolved. That must be what "DV" stands for, he thought. Digivolve. And so when it's full, he can turn into Alepomon.

One problem, though. It wasn't full. It was at about halfway, and noticeably climbing, but not full. And the longer the battle was drawn out, the more chance Volpesmon had of getting hurt—or worse.

Tyler gritted his teeth. "C'mon, faster!" he growled at the screen.

He thought he saw the meter jump slightly, but it might have just been his imagination. In any case, it still had a lot of empty space.

He looked up. Volpesmon was still holding his own, but there was no telling for how much longer he could pull it off. And he was slowing down. Snimon, noticing this, let out another cackle and pressed his attack even further, one of the blades slicing right through Volpesmon's coat. "I have you now!"

Tyler looked back at the Digivolve meter. It was only at three-quarters, and Volpesmon was about to lose…

Suddenly, another voice rang out. "Pathetic."

Everyone present turned in the direction of the speaker, and Tyler's jaw dropped. Standing several feet away, hands on her hips, was a girl. Another human! And—almost an even bigger shock—he recognized her. He had vague memories of being in classes with her in school…though he couldn't have given her name.

Next to her was another Digimon, floating several feet in the air. It resembled little more than a metal ball with arms (and small guns mounted on the hands), and it had a glass bar with a white light in the center that Tyler guessed, given its structure and placement, worked as its eyes.

The girl pushed a strand of black hair out of her face, looking sternly at Tyler. "You can't even get your Digimon to Digivolve? What are you doing here?"

With a slight jolt, he realized she had been referring to him with her "pathetic" comment. He frowned. "Hey, lay off. I'm new to this."

She raised an eyebrow. "No familiarity with the rules of the Digital World?" She sighed. "I suppose it falls on me to save you, then."

Snimon turned his body to her. "Save him?" He snarled. "You're another human! You have no business being here!"

The girl ignored him, and instead held out her arm, causing Tyler to notice that she wore a watch very similar to his—only hers was a dark green color. She pushed a button on the side of it, and a red light shone out, bathing Snimon in a pale scarlet glow. A second later, it faded, and the girl looked at her watch's screen. "Snimon," she said. "Champion-level, Vaccine attribute. Attack: Twin Sickles. Likes to throw itself around, but is really little more than a bully and a coward who will flee when confronted with an opponent stronger than it is."

Tyler blinked. Had she just gotten all that information on Snimon from her device? Could his do that, too?

Snimon bristled. "What did you call me?"

Again, the girl ignored him, instead turning to the Digimon beside her. "This shouldn't be difficult, Bitmon. Get ready."

The Digimon—Bitmon—drifted forward. "Fine!" said Snimon, advancing on his new opponent. "Someone else to crush? Works for me!"

He started forward, but at that moment, the girl touched the screen on her watch and held it up so that it faced her Digimon. Tyler barely got a glimpse of a green-tinted screen before a white light shot out and surrounded Bitmon. It expanded, growing to a much larger sphere, from which a robotic-sounding voice could be heard.

"Bitmon Digivolve to…Bytemon."

The light faded to reveal a large spherical Digimon, about six or seven feet tall. It had the same rectangle-eyes as Bitmon, but its skin—or metal coating, whatever—was a slightly darker gray. It stood on two sturdy-looking feet, and it had powerful-looking arms extending from the sides of its sphere.

Tyler frowned. Bitmon? Bytemon? Was this Digimon just named after units of digital storage? There was a bit of cleverness in it, maybe…but after that wore off, it just seemed silly.

But, if it was on his side, he couldn't really complain.

Snimon leapt back slightly. "Think you can scare me with that? Think again!" He extended his arms. "Twin Sickles!"

The pink arcs of light flew out again, as Tyler watched with baited breath. Bytemon didn't look fast enough to dodge them…

But, as it turned out, it didn't have to. The arcs of light collided with its metal body, leaving barely a scratch. As Snimon let out an exclamation of dismay, Bytemon turned its body towards him. "Seeking Laser," it said in the same flat, robotic voice.

A panel on the top of its head opened, and a mounted gun rose up. It wasn't too large—probably about a foot in length—but it still managed to be intimidating. It oriented on Snimon, and a red light burst out, rapidly closing the distance between the two Digimon. Before Snimon could properly react, it struck him in the chest, and he fell to the ground with a cry.

The girl nodded. "That's it. One more should finish it off."

Tyler frowned. He had no love for a Digimon that had attacked him out of nowhere…but Snimon was now on the ground, seemingly powerless. Wasn't it a little…well, cruel to just kill him like that?

Volpesmon thought the same thing, and stepped forward. "Hang on. He's beaten; I think that's enough."

The girl's eyes turned to him for a moment, but she said nothing and turned back to Bytemon, whose gun oriented on Snimon again. "Hey," said Tyler, more forcefully. "Don't just ignore him like that."

She turned to him, her face still a cool mask of condescension. "I have no need to listen to what other Digimon say. This is my game. I am in control."

"Game?" said Tyler incredulously. "What, you think this all is a game?"

She blinked. "Of course. But, I forgot, you are unfamiliar with the situation you are in." She turned away from him. "Perhaps I will explain after Snimon is destroyed and its Extra Data loaded."

"His," said Volpesmon. "Snimon's male."

"It is a digital program. It has no true gender."

This girl was really starting to get on Tyler's nerves. "Jeez, lighten up, would you? Who are you to say stuff like that?"

"Someone who has a clue what is going on and is not completely out of place here."

Now he was angry. "Does everything that comes out of your mouth have to be a goddamn insult?"

"And now you are resorting to profanity. I see no reason to continue this conversation."

Tyler was about to make a retort when he heard movement to his side. He turned and was just in time to see Snimon leap up and zoom off (though a little slower than before), disappearing into the trees.

The girl's eyes narrowed. "You have cost us a victory. I will not forget this."

"Boo-hoo," Tyler said mockingly.

She raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought you'd be more polite to me, since I have already stated that I have information that you do not."

Oh…he hadn't thought of that. "Sorry; I just have a gut reaction to…to people who aren't very nice."

"I am being rational. Of course, this is not good news for you; I see no rational reason to explain anything, now."

"How about that my death will weigh on your conscience if you don't?" If you have a conscience, he mentally added.

She paused. "You are rather incompetent…yes, it may, in fact, be dangerous to leave you so uneducated."

The insults were getting really unnecessary…but Tyler wanted to know what the hell was going on, so he kept his mouth shut.

The girl continued. "Through methods that I am unfamiliar with, you and I have been imported into the game of Digimon Net."

"Digimon Net?"

"An online role-playing game that allows players to take control of an avatar, partner up with a Digimon, and explore the Digital World."

So, the name of this place was the Digital World, then.

She held up her arm, displaying the watch on her wrist. "Avatars, with the help of their Digivices, train Digimon to be their fighters and protectors. We have now taken on the role of the avatar, meaning that we are now digital beings. Much like the other inhabitants of this world—only we are not programmed to act in a certain way. We possess a free will." She frowned. "Which may have adverse effects on the game, introducing such unpredictable elements into it. Another reason to always act rationally; if the computer can predict our doings, there will be less risk of a malfunction."

Tyler didn't quite catch all of that…but he did note that, if rational actions were supposed to reign here, he had already messed that up a couple of times. He couldn't find it in himself to regret it, though; any consequences couldn't be worse than what would have happened if, say, he hadn't gone back for Volpesmon in the fight against Tyrannomon.

…Right? "What do you mean, malfunction?"

"There is a whole host of possibilities. It is best not to tempt fate."

"Okay, fine. So…how do we get out of here, then?"

Her frown deepened. "That is what I have been trying to figure out."

"I thought you said you knew what was going on."

She twitched slightly. "I would be much closer to my goal if I wasn't driven out of Aksesu City."

"Aksesu City?"

"Of course. There are several different kinds of terrain in the Digital World: forest, city, mountain, and ocean, to name a few. When I first came here, I found myself in one of the cities, specifically, the one called Aksesu City. As it was where many computers and machines were located, I set about looking for information about this place, and a way out. Unfortunately, Megadramon appeared, and—"

"Megadramon?" said Tyler.

She blinked. "You are familiar with it?"

"I am familiar with him, yes. He attacked the forest just yesterday. Caused a lot of destruction."

"Hm." The way she was reacting, he might as well have been telling her they had a substitute teacher that day for whatever class they were in together. Not even that, actually—that would raise questions about who it was, what had happened to their original teacher, what they were doing today, et cetera. It was almost as if this girl just didn't care about anything.

She continued speaking. "Megadramon attacked the city, and I was forced to flee. Bitmon and I made it to the neighboring forest, and have been looking for an opportunity to return since. In the meantime, we have been training, and growing in strength." Her voice took on more of an edge. "We would have been able to load that Snimon's data if you hadn't interfered."

"Excuse me for caring about others," said Tyler.

She didn't react. Instead, she turned to Volpesmon, who raised an eyebrow. "You got some more stuff to add?" he asked.

But instead of speaking, the girl turned her watch—her Digivice—to him and repeated the same process that she had with Snimon: pushed a button and a red light shone on Volpesmon for a second before she looked at the screen. "So, this is what you have chosen for a partner," she said. "Tyler Grayson."

Tyler was getting ready to make a comment about her use of the word "what" instead of "who," but her use of his name threw him off. "How…oh, right."

"So, you recognize me."

"Yeah."

"Then what is my name?"

Well, this was awkward. "Um…I don't think we've ever actually met."

"Mr. Davis has spoken my name during roll call."

Davis…English! They were in English together. "He's only done roll call a few times this semester."

"Enough for me to learn names."

"Well, not me. So, sorry, I haven't met you and I don't know your name. Mind giving it to me?"

She seemed to consider the possibility for a few seconds before shrugging and saying, "Mara Nell."

Nell…where had he heard that name before…it sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite remember where it might have been from. "Well…thanks for the information, Mara." He didn't enjoy thanking her, but she had just helped him out.

She blinked. "You are welcome," she said, though it carried a tone of reluctance that suggested she didn't really want to say it. Then, she frowned and turned to Bytemon. "You have been in your Champion form for far too long. You will need to learn to release it when your business is finished." She pressed the screen on her watch again, and a light surrounded Bytemon and flew back into the device, leaving Bitmon floating in place.

"I apologize, mistress," said Bitmon, his voice (the voice was hard to place, but sounded male) as devoid of emotion as Mara's had been, if not more.

"See to it that it does not happen again."

"Yes, mistress."

Mistress? The hell? He was calling her mistress? "Great relationship you've got with your partner there," said Tyler sarcastically.

"I command, it acts," said Mara. "It is the way it should be."

Volpesmon snorted. "Ain't you compassionate."

She ignored him…again. "And it is hardly your place to criticize."

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Tyler.

"You may have an idea of what is going on, but you are still far less familiar with everything than I am."

He scowled. "I'm free to voice my opinion in this situation, irregardless of—"

"That's not a word."

He patience snapped. "How about 'screw you,' then?"

"That is two words. And it is also sufficient to convince me that any more time spent with you is time wasted." She turned around. "Come, Bitmon."

And she walked off, followed by her floating partner—though that word didn't really apply to their relationship, did it?

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Good riddance."

Mara had to admit, she was a little disappointed. When she had first heard the rumors that there was another human in the Digital World, she had thought he or she could be of some assistance somehow. Then, she had seen him. Tyler Grayson, a boy from her class whom she had never seen put a lot of effort into anything, talking to his Digivice to try to get it to work. His prospects had diminished rather significantly—but there was still a chance that he could be useful. So she had stepped in to save him.

Then he had stopped her from finishing her battle with Snimon. And put on such a display of temper and irrational behavior that she was surprised that he hadn't altered the system already. Noticing that it would have been a fool's errand to attempt to change his ways, she had deduced that the best possible option was to put as much distance between them as possible, so as to minimize the chance that any malfunctions that he might cause would affect her, as well.

In any case, she needed to return her focus to getting back to Aksesu City. She had taken a small detour to look for Tyler, but, with it being a waste of time, she could return to her main focus, with nothing to slow her down now.

That is, until Bitmon stopped moving forward. Knowing that it would not do so without sufficient reason, Mara did the same, and waited for a report.

It was not long in coming. "Preliminary scanners detect possible hostiles up ahead," said Bitmon.

"Then collect what other information you can about them," replied Mara calmly.

The Digimon did not reply to her, but instead put its efforts into carrying out her orders. "Scanning Activate," it said. Its vision bar glowed red as it swept the area, high-powered sensors more than capable of detecting danger.

The red glow faded as Bitmon began speaking again. "Two Digimon ahead. One matches the data of Snimon. The other, unidentified Champion-level Virus attribute."

Snimon and another Champion…That the other Digimon was a Virus was a small cause for concern, since Virus Digimon had a slight advantage over Data Digimon like Bytemon, but, then again, she had not trained her Digimon to be so vulnerable. "That will not be a problem," she said confidently.

She checked her Digivice. The Digivolve Meter was a little less than halfway full. She knew that it would rise faster when confronted with enemies…but that would take too much time, and there were other methods of speeding up the process.

She tapped the Digivolve Meter twice, and it opened up a new menu, upon which she quickly tapped the "Import Booster Chip" option. As she did so, a small slot opened on one side of her Digivice, and she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small collection of computer chips that she had obtained in the city. Selecting one that had the letters "DV" on it and an up arrow, she put it into the slot. With a clicking sound and a small flash of light, her Digivolve Meter was now almost full. "Perfect," she said. "Let us proceed."

They continued through the forest until a small clearing came into view. "They are located in there?" said Mara.

"Scanners indicate affirmative," replied Bitmon.

Mara nodded and walked forward—right into the trap. Something sticky was stretched across the entrance to the clearing, something that she could barely see. Something that she had felt before, in the real world…

She scowled. She had walked into a spider web.

Ahead of her, Snimon came into view, cackling. "Ha, ha! Missed that one, didn't you?"

Mara ignored it and looked around for the second Digimon, the one who had made the web. It didn't take long; up in a nearby tree, looking down at her, was the culprit, a giant spider with a yellow face, nine green eyes, and a mane of red hair. That must be the Virus Digimon…but without her left arm, which was trapped in the web, she couldn't use the scanning function on her Digivice.

Fortunately, Bitmon was not trapped. She had heard it use its scanners to locate the weak points on the web, and now it spoke again. "Deletion Laser."

With two quick and precise bursts, Mara was freed. Moving quickly, she pointed her Digivice at the spider Digimon and scanned it, then read the information that came up. Dokugumon. Champion-level, Virus attribute. Attacks: Poison Cobweb, Poison Thread. A crafty Digimon whose specialty lies in trapping its opponents, then finishing them off at its leisure.

Well, the trap had failed. "Bitmon!" she called as she looked at the Digivolve Meter. As expected, it was now full, and the "Digivolve?" option was up on the screen. Without a moment's hesitation, she pushed it, and the white light enveloped her Digimon.

"Bitmon Digivolve to…Bytemon."

The giant Bytemon lumbered forward into the clearing, where Snimon was, despite its previous defeat at their hands, still cackling. "Good! I wanted to get my revenge on you."

Bytemon didn't respond. "Seeking Laser," it said, and the barrel on top of its head rose up again, and fired.

But Snimon was more prepared this time. "Twin Sickles!" it yelled, rapidly firing off two arcs of light.

Seeking Laser was an attack that could change its trajectory based on the opponent's movements. It veered around the first arc of light…but, to Mara's surprise, collided with the second one, resulting in an explosion that filled the clearing with a bright light. Mara shut her eyes, but it was a second too late, as the image was temporarily burned into her retinas. She hoped that it wouldn't interfere with Bytemon's scanners.

She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly to get rid of the image. Snimon was flying in seemingly random patterns around the clearing. As for their other foe, however…

Mara frowned. Dokugumon was nowhere in sight. Where had it gone? Had it fled at the sight of the light? She thought it not improbable; with nine eyes to take that in, it had to have had a greater impact than—

"Poison Thread!"

Behind them! Mara whirled around as a burst of web shot out at Bytemon from behind—or, to be more precise, four bursts, each one aimed at a limb. In a second, Bytemon's limbs were trapped. It would have very limited movement now…but Bytemon didn't need to move, so long as it could orient on its opponents with its gun. Even as Mara thought that, the barrel swiveled around to face Dokugumon.

But the spider Digimon was too quick and clever. Another burst of web flew straight at the top of Bytemon's head, covering the barrel. Bytemon reacted quickly, firing off a shot to clear the webbing. It worked—but there was a new problem. The webbing had stuck in the gun's rotating mechanism. Mara saw the gun wiggle from side to side, but it could not regain enough movement to orient on their enemies.

She backed up. Bytemon was powerless…but it seemed the Digimon were mainly concerned with it as a foe. Perhaps she could sneak away…

"Poison Thread!"

A strand of webbing interrupted her thoughts as it rocketed toward her, enveloping her in a tight bind. Losing her balance, she fell to the ground with a grunt as Dokugumon scuttled up to her. "Don't think we've forgotten about you," it jeered. "We'll deal with you as soon as Snimon is done over there."

Mara looked over to see Snimon hovering in front of Bytemon, a broad smile on its face. "Twin Sickles!" it yelled, firing off its arcs of light. They hit Bytemon and barely left a mark, but it didn't seem to deter the insect Digimon. "Twin Sickles!"

Two pink arcs of light slammed into Bytemon again. "I don't care how tough you are," said Snimon. "I'll get you to crack eventually!" It continued its assault. "Twin Sickles! Twin Sickles! TWIN SICKLES!"

The encounter with Mara had left both Tyler and Volpesmon in a sour mood. The five or so minutes after her departure were spent complaining about her behavior—by both human and Digimon. "Did you see her? No concern at all for other Digimon," said Volpesmon.

"Especially you. She barely acted like you were there," added Tyler.

"She was rude to me, yeah, but what about you? Did she say a single sentence to you that wasn't somehow an insult?"

"Didn't feel like it."

"Can't imagine what it's like to be her friend."

"Probably irrelevant; I doubt she has any."

"Good point."

They continued for a while before Volpesmon gave a dismissing wave of the hand. "Eh, forget about her," he said. "She can deal with her problems, we'll deal with ours, yeah?"

"Yeah," Tyler agreed. "Let's get going to Wizardmon's."

They continued their journey until Volpesmon stopped, ears twitching. "You hear that?"

"Hear what?" said Tyler, also drawing to a halt.

Volpesmon frowned. "Sounded like a voice. A voice yellin'…" He sighed. "'Twin Sickles.' Snimon must be on the move again."

"What?" said Tyler. "He's going after someone else?"

"Apparently." Volpesmon jerked his head. "C'mon, let's see who it is."

They ran in the direction Volpesmon had indicated, and a thought came to Tyler. "You don't think…we were wrong in stopping them from finishing him, do you?"

"No way. For one, there was no tellin' what he would do next; he might've been willin' to surrender. For another, it's just not right to kill a defenseless enemy."

Tyler nodded. "Yeah…yeah, that's true."

As they kept going, the sounds of battle became more and more pronounced…though really, it was just Snimon yelling "Twin Sickles" over and over. "How many times does he need to do that?" asked Tyler in an undertone.

Volpesmon gritted his teeth. "Too many."

A clearing became visible ahead, and they slowed down. "Think you can Digivolve me this time?" whispered Volpesmon.

Tyler looked at his Digivice, remembering he actually did have Mara to thank for learning its name. The "DV" meter was almost full. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good. Then let's see what's goin' on."

They peered into the clearing…and saw what they didn't want to see. Mara and Bytemon were being held captive—by some sort of spider web, judging by the giant spider that stood next to them—while Snimon rained blow after blow on the latter, who, despite his solid metal body, was looking like he was taking a beating.

Tyler and Volpesmon shared a look. Then, they both sighed. "They look like they need help," said Tyler.

His partner nodded. "Yeah."

"And we can't just leave them."

"No, we can't."

The screen on Tyler's Digivice glowed red, and he looked down to see that the "Digivolve?" option was on the screen again. "Then let's go," he said, and pushed the "Yes" button.

Mara was just thinking of ways to convince Snimon and Dokugumon to leave her alone if Bytemon ended up being destroyed—and how she was going to get along in the Digital World without a Digimon partner—when a flash of light erupted from the trees next to her, drawing the attention of all four of them in the clearing. A second later, a voice rang out. "Volpesmon Digivolve to…Alepomon!"

She blinked in surprise as a Digimon came bounding out of the trees, evidently the Champion form of Tyler's Digimon. It looked very similar to Volpesmon, the only main differences being an increase in size and the pair of guns it was carrying.

Her eyes darkened. Was it here to take Snimon and Dokugumon for itself? Or did Tyler want revenge on her for earlier? Had they been following her, waiting for the right mo—

"Vulpine Shot!" yelled Alepomon, cutting into her thoughts. A burst of fire erupted from each one—in the shape of a fox's head, no less—and rocketed towards its targets: Snimon and Dokugumon. Dokugumon scurried away, but Snimon was caught off guard, and the fire hit it in the abdomen. "Yaaah!" it screeched as it fell back, smoke floating up from the wound.

Dokugumon scurried up a tree. "Poison Cobweb!" it yelled, and spat a mist of poisonous gas at Alepomon. But, as Mara had to admit, Alepomon was a lot faster than Bytemon, and so it was not shocking to see it leap out of the way, angling for Dokugumon. "Muscle Blaster!" it yelled.

Two flashes of light burst from its guns. With a boom, the branch that Dokugumon was hanging onto was blown to bits, and it fell…just as Alepomon's second blast hit it in the face. A direct, powerful hit like that…Dokugumon didn't stand a chance. Its face seemed to cave in before cracking, and a second later, it burst into thousands of data particles. Mara watched them fly away, and felt a combination of annoyance and personal pride. Tyler was still inexperienced enough to not be familiar with data absorption…but that meant that she did have some advantages over him, even if his Digimon was doing what hers hadn't managed to.

And speaking of Tyler, he had crossed the distance between them and had set to work tugging at the thread that bound Mara. Surprisingly, it ripped apart very easily…but, as Mara observed the same thing happening with Bytemon, she realized that it was due to Dokugumon's destruction, rather than any feat of superhuman strength on Tyler's part. Turning her attention to Snimon, who was just recovering from Alepomon's attack, she called out, "Bytemon! Finish this!"

On the ground, Snimon raised its head…just in time to see Bytemon's gun barrel pointed at it. And, to its credit, it moved quickly, leaping up and swinging at Bytemon—but not quickly enough. Two precise and powerful bursts of energy shot out, blasting Snimon to pieces. As soon as it happened, Mara looked at her Digivice and selected the "Absorb Extra Data" option that had sprung up upon Snimon's destruction. Her Digivice glowed, and Snimon's Extra Data flowed into it, leaving only its Base Data to reconfigure.

She looked around. Tyler was standing next to her, Bytemon was reverting back to its Rookie form, and Alepomon was striding towards them. Out of habit, she pointed her Digivice at it and moved to select the Scan option…but before she could, the side of a gun barrel was pressed against the screen. Looking up, she saw Alepomon looking at her with narrowed eyes. Then, it said, "Alepomon. Champion-level, Vaccine attribute. Attacks, Vulpine Shot, Muscle Blaster, Bruiser's Kick. I'm loyal and competent when it comes to fightin' for my friends, but I can get dangerous when I'm angry…like, for instance, when someone treats me like just a bunch of data instead of a thinkin', caring being."

Its eyes darkened, trying to drive the point home even more, but it was unnecessary; Mara had gotten the message. She would need a different approach than normal when dealing with this Digimon.

Her eyes drifted to Tyler again, who was looking from the spot where Snimon was destroyed to Bitmon hovering nearby to Alepomon to her. She could see a thought forming in his head, as well as a reluctance to voice it on his face. Fortunately for him, though, she was thinking the same thing. "I agree."

Tyler blinked. "Huh?"

"You were just thinking that it would be worth it for us to join forces, at least for a small while. Were you not?"

He still looked surprised. "You some kind of mind reader?"

"I am simply observant. Besides, it is the logical thing to think." Despite you having come up with it as well, she thought. "In that battle there, we were each able to deal with a certain part of it, playing to our own strengths and…giving each other's Digimon some support." She folded her arms. "Despite our personal differences, I cannot ignore the fact that, as the saying goes, there is strength in numbers. And since we appear to be working towards the same goal, it may indeed prove to be beneficial to work together."

Tyler glanced at Alepomon, who gave what looked like a resigned shrug, and nodded. "Yeah, all right," he said. "I think we can work together for the time being."

Mara returned the nod. Let us hope so.

A/N: That was a lot longer than any other chapter so far, but I felt that it was appropriate for what went on in it. Also, for anyone who doesn't like Bitmon/Bytemon's name, there is a rationale behind it…but I can't tell you what it is yet. Keep reading to find out that and more!