Hazard of Hatred

by SorrowfulReincarnation

Picks up towards the end of "Runaway Locomon". Takato is forced to make a sacrifice, and is separated from his friends and family. Upon trying to return to the real world, he ends up in the eastern quadrant. And it slowly begins to seem like someone set this all up for a greater purpose...! And what has it all do to with the Digital Hazard? Season02xTamers Crossover. Rukato.

7. Guilmon comes alive - redux

Hello everybody, this is SorrowfulReincarnation, finally back with the chapter for HoH that you have all waited for!

First of... Thank you to all those who were waiting patiently for this chapter. And thank you to even those, who were impatient for it.

Before we start the chapter now, there's something I want to talk about... I know this is going to be kind of a long A/N, but please let me explain why this chapter was so late... And how things will continue from now on. Those who kept searching my profile for any hints of me still being alive, even though I didn't get to update it in the past weeks, probably saw it already. Don't worry, it's not going to be bad news! Not really, at least.

So I am incredibly sorry for being late yet again. Like I said on my profile yesterday, things have been complicated lately, I'm going through a complicated time right now, many things are changing lately, and I barely find the time to sit down and write, even less the desire to do so every once in a while.

When I uploaded the last chapter, I really thought I'd finally start with the monthly updates that I've promised for so long – Then, I went on my short vacation, like I had announced. When I came back from it, I went back to writing, and II-NM at that for the first time in five months. It felt so natural to write it again, I was so happy, even managed two long updates in the time of just a week – And then, I became sick.

For an entire week, I couldn't write. After getting better, I didn't really find the time to go back to writing – A school trip to London for an entire week took place, much like I announced. My time in London was great, I've never been so happy as there – And, on the last day, became sick again, returning home with the flu. Again no strength to write, again almost a whole week of lying in bed and just letting the days pass. And after that, I had to catch up with school stuff and then, some personal stuff happened, and then, five exams in one week and...

Here we are. I'm back. Hopefully, even back on track. I've spent the entire last four days to read through this chapter again and finally finish it. And here it is. And I hope it is good enough to make up for the two months that passed since the last update.

Now the thing you were probably looking for, fearing what I'd say – How are we going to continue? The answer: No different from before. That is, save for one thing: I will no longer promise monthly updates. We all saw how that was working out. I will continue to aim for a chapter each month, but I will no longer promise it – I don't want you to be disappointed by me anymore.

Starting with the new year, I will change things. I want to write so badly, I want to write HoH ,and I want to write NBP, and I want to write small one-shots and whatever I want to! So starting with the new year, I will change a few things – You're not going to notice any of it, other than the thing I will be aiming for: Getting a regular schedule again. A schedule that allows me to work properly.

So expect things to slowly get better from now on. Expect my updates to become more frequent again, or at least on a more regular schedule.

I know I disappointed all of you so many times now, but please trust me with this...

Before we start the chapter now, one last thing: Thank you all for reading HoH so far, and sticking with it. You're the best.

And now, you'll finally get the chapter you were waiting for.

---

Hazard of Hatred

ARC 2 - ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE

Chapter 5: Guilmon comes alive ~ redux

Traveling through the gate didn't really feel any different than last time - Save for the weird pull that I was feeling on my body, like a vortex draining my strength away from me. This was hardly surprising, though - After all, the Hazard had forced that gate to open, rather than it being opened by normal means or Azulongmon.

'Unnatural' was a word that came to my mind when it came to the Digital Hazard and it's powers, a force created by nature, and yet not meant to exist. Even nature was working against it, trying to erase what it had created. It was like making a mistake, exploiting whatever gain came with it, and then trying to erase the mistake before the gain turned into pain.

I didn't really know much about my own crest, nor about the force behind it, Hazaado. Unlike any crest, mine seemed to have a history - Then again it was a being on it's own, not just a sign. But with time, I would learn more about him and the Digital Hazard, I felt it - I had just begun my alliance with him today, after all. With time, he would show me what I had to know...

Lucemon didn't even know yet that I had joined forces with Hazaado - That was probably for the better, though, seeing as he distrusted the being behind the Hazard. I don't think I should tell him... Weren't his words, after all, that I would have to find my own way to learn how to deal with the Hazard?

Joining forces with Hazaado seemed to be of benefit for me, though - And apparently, to him as well. It shouldn't be as hard to learn how to control the Digital Hazard if Hazaado, who controls it, helps me... I better don't tell Lucemon. I don't know why, but I just got this feeling that I shouldn't...

The pull on my body stopped all of sudden, and I felt ground beneath my feet again - I was back in the Celestial Plane. I was wearing what I called the 'Hazard Gear' again, the black and red version of my usual clothes, and everything was white again, the ground beneath me creating stirs as I rose from the crouched position I had landed in.

There was no dragon this time, but also no cage and no Megidramon - It was just me, standing in the middle of this white nothingness. I felt lonelier than ever before, the full realization of Guilmon's absence, as well as that of my friends, striking me full force again.

But I was about to change that. I was about to make the first step into the right direction again, back into my old life - Or at least as close to it as possible. I knew that the way up to that point would be hard and exhausting - I would have to redo everything that had gone wrong in the weeks since I'd been sucked into the Eastern Quadrant, would have to fix things gone wrong worth of months, gone wrong in just a few weeks.

Slowly turning around, I scanned the area behind me for any dragon or cage - No such luck. There was this weird rift in this white nothingness, red and black swirling inside... Had I just come out of it? As if to search for confirmation, I glanced down to my right hand, the Digital Hazard still shining brightly on the back of it...

And then, I rose my hand, pointed the palm at the rift.

A gigantic Digital Hazard, crimson in color, appeared in midair, the upside-down triangle in the middle containing the rift. The Digital Hazard spun once around it's center, just like it had done on my hand earlier that day, and then was surrounded by the red circle, turning it into an exact replica of the one on my hand. It was only then that both the Digital Hazard, and the rift inside it, vanished.

I couldn't help but see it as some kind of a door that had just been locked - The rift created by the Digital Hazard the keyhole, the Digital Hazard itself the only fitting key.

With the rift gone, I stared into the white nothingness for a while, then at the Digital Hazard on the back of my hand. It was still there, still glowing brightly. The question that now came to my mind was how to continue from there - I was back in the Celestial Plane, but Megidramon wasn't here. Not yet, that was.

I don't know how or why, but I knew that Hazaado was going to change that in a moment. The only reason for why the Hazard was still on the back of my hand was because he was still acting - Or waiting until he could do that.

"We want Guilmon back..." I whispered, talking with the Digital Hazard - Hazaado, in other words. I knew he wouldn't reply, and I knew I didn't need to remind him of our goal. It wasn't only a statement, but the silent question on how to do so - Well, he answered.

He didn't answer verbally, not even audible at all - And yet it was easy to notice.

It was a gigantic red Digital Hazard sign on the ground, not too far from me, and far enough for me to know what it would do. It was the full Hazard, even had the red circle around it - And it was going to summon Megidramon.

True to my suspicion, the gigantic Digital Hazard slowly began to spin as I extended my hand towards it, both the Hazard on the ground and the one on the back of my hand simultaneously spinning counterclockwise. I watched this with mixed emotions - Joy, because I'd be with Guilmon again in a moment; fear, because I'd face Megidramon once more.

Just like when Azulongmon had made the cage surface, the rods of light that made up the cage surfaced first, only to be soon followed by Megidramon's mighty, but torn wings of a sickly yellow in color. Unlike last time, there was no horror within me as I watched Megidramon and his cage surface. Not a single hint of horror - A little fear, especially as Megidramon's head surfaced and he immediately let out a monstrous roar, but other than that... Excitement.

I was going to be with my partner again in a few moments.

Anticipation grew within me as I watched the gigantic Digital Hazard spin, turning like a key, spinning like a wheel that powered a mechanism, which in turn lifted the cage with Megidramon in it out of the ground. In a matter of seconds, though they felt like eternity to me, the cage had been revealed enough for Megidramon to move his claws. He didn't hesitate to do so, lashed out at the rods that made up his cage, grabbed and yanked on them.

It was all futile. So it really was true - The powers of the three other Great Dragons were equal to that of Megidramon. Even within the Four Great Dragons, darkness and light were balanced. The three of light were equal to the one of darkness. The balance between good and bad, between dark and light, between sanity and insanity was kept.

It wasn't too different with me and the DigiDestined. While I doubted that the Digital Hazard was as strong as all of the other crests combined, meaning there was no balance, it was pretty clear what situation we were in: The crests of the Digidestined were the opposites to my own crest - The Digital Hazard.

My crest was the only crest with a negative aspect applied to it. No sincerity, no courage, no friendship or similar - My crest had only one aspect, and it was as bad as it sounded. Hatred.

Unknowingly, I clenched my hand around the necklace on my neck. When I saw that thing, the crimson – at first golden – necklace, the tag, appear before me, it was like a dream come true. It all was right now. I was in the Eastern Quadrant. I was right in front of the heroes of my childhood. I was one step away from being one of them. I had a crest, had the necklace and the crest within it.

But it all was one huge nightmare.

I was alone in the Eastern Quadrant. I was an enemy to the heroes of my childhood. While being one step from being one of them, I didn't have a Digimon, wasn't even a friend to them, had nothing to prove that I was a Tamer but my D-Power - The equivalent of the Southern Quadrant to a DigiDestined and their D3's. And the crest that I possessed was the very thing that I had despised until now.

And that brought me to the very question I had wondered about since I had felt Hazaado's desperate attempt to make me notice him... Was I really despising him? Could I any longer hate him? Was he an enemy? Was he a friend? Could I bring myself to hate a living being? I couldn't even accuse Hazaado and the Digital Hazard anymore for everything that had happened during the Megidramon Incident - Hazaado and the Digital Hazard were unbiased, how the Digital Hazard was used was up to it's host.

Sure, it wasn't perfect or innocent. The Digital Hazard made sure that his host did feel the rage and the hatred that it fed on... But in the end, if it was used for good or bad, darn it, if the Digital Hazard ITSELF was good or bad was entirely based on it's host!

The Megidramon Incident back then... I had used the Digital Hazard in my need for revenge, ruthless and bloody revenge on Beelzemon.

Was I bad then? Was I corrupting the Digital Hazard, which I had until now suspected to be corrupting me? Was my heart really as black as I made it to be...?

My hand clenched harder around the crimson tag with the black crest inside. Rage was welling up within me as my eyes stayed on the black Digital Hazard on Megidramon's chest. The huge dragon and it's cage had by now been released from their imprisonment in the white ground, and the only thing holding Megidramon back was the cage.

I watched him as he bit down on the rods again in his blind rage, using claws, jaws, wings, the blades on his forearms and his tail to fight his prison - And yet, it was of no use. He was doing everything he could to escape. Even though he was mindless, he wasn't stupid enough to use his attacks in such limited space. I had never seen him do any real attack, as he had only used his jaws and claws to fight Beelzemon back then - But I could imagine the destructive capabilities of the attacks of the Digimon that possessed the power of the Digital Hazard, it's existence enough to threaten the very existence of the Digital World.

Regarding that - Seems the Digital Hazard within him was 'switched off', so to speak. The Digital Hazard on his chest wasn't glowing like it used to back then, and the Digital World wasn't falling apart around us. I suppose that it was Hazaado's doing - When he had activated the 'Completion Protocol', he must have ensured that the part of the Digital Hazard within Megidramon was sleeping until he wanted it to be active again.

If Azulongmon was right, and Megidramon was Guilmon's true Mega-Level... Then it was probably for the better.

"Megidramon!" I shouted, even though I was unsure why I was shouting in the first place. Maybe it was because I wasn't sure if Megidramon could hear me because of the difference in our height, maybe it was because I wanted to make sure that I could reach him - That I could warn him. Warn him about what I was going to do if things would get out of hand.

The Digital Hazard around the cage had dissolved by now, but the one on the back of my right hand had remained. The hand that was now clenched tightly around the tag with the crest of hatred inside.

"Guilmon! I know you're in there! I know that you can hear me... I don't know if you can respond, or if the mindless state of Megidramon is overpowering you... But know that I'll try to get you out of it! Know that I'll try everything to do so!" I yelled, both hands tightly clenched into fists, the edges of the tag in my right hand sending pain through me - Pain that I wasn't even caring about.

I kept my eyes on Megidramon now. He had become surprisingly tranquil upon hearing me, had stopped his attempts at escape, just remained in his spot with his soulless eyes resting upon me - Staring deep into mine. Even though I should have felt fear at that moment due to the nature of his eyes, I was merely uncomfortable.

And something within me was excited to see this bloodlusty, soulless eyes of Megidramon staring right at me.

"Ta...Kato..."

Hearing the deep growl from the dragon's muzzle sent my heart into overdrive. So Guilmon was indeed in there, was deep within Megidramon, waiting for me to reach out to him and pull him out of the darkness that he had fallen into!

"Guilmon! I knew you'd hear me, boy!" I called out in joy, making a jump towards the cage with Megidramon inside - Just to be stopped when a Digital Hazard sign appeared in front of me, creating an impenetrable barrier that stopped me. And before I got the chance to complain, I learned why Hazaado had interfered.

"Cannot... control... Anger,,,"

These three words, forced out by the huge beast of a dragon, were enough to stun me. As this happened, Megidramon's eyes began to shine a dangerous crimson again, and the dragon began to move anew - Once more fighting his confinement.

Every muscle in my body became numb as Megidramon fell back into his rage. I was kind of happy, Guilmon was in there - But he was too weak to do anything, the completion protocol had made him go out of control and he wasn't able to regain it.

I was one step closer now to regaining my partner - But I had yet only scratched the surface. It was time to dig for the treasure - Guilmon's life.

This time, I didn't fight it as waves of warmth began to arise within me. I didn't fight it as anger flooded my veins along with the warmth, didn't fight it at all as I fell into a fit of deep anger, anger directed at me.

No, I didn't fight back at all. I had summoned it, to begin with.

The Hazard on the back of my hand began to glow brighter than ever before as I fed it with all my rage, all the anger at me failing everything I was trying to do since entering the Eastern Quadrant - No, since trying to plan Rika's birthday. The crimson sign, now content with the rage I was feeding it, began to move again, spun counterclockwise again.

I clenched my fists as tight as I could, the edges of the tag within my right hand digging into my skin and my flesh as my fists began to shake - It wasn't long until a red substance stained the white ground to my feet, blood dripping out of my clenched fist.

My own breath was deep and heavy, echoed in my ears as I stared at the mindless beast before me - And within the movement of a hand, I let go of the necklace and let it fall against my sternum again, and the golden cage of light that confined Megidramon shattered under Hazaado's power.

The dragon didn't hesitate at all, even though he seemed to be disoriented by the sudden freedom. I didn't hesitate at all as well, kept my fists clenched and shaking, glared at Megidramon, who I had once feared, without an ounce of doubt.

"GUILMON!" I screamed and took two steps forwards at once, not once blinking as Megidramon kept his eyes on me, "I am sorry for whatever I'm going to do now - But I'll assure you, once I am done, we'll be back together again. And then we get to the bottom of the things we that are happening now. Together, we'll find out how to work with the Digital Hazard... That is my promise!"

Before I knew what I was doing, I was already in mid-run towards the huge dragon. Megidramon didn't even hesitate, didn't even seem to recognize me as his Tamer - He just swung his tail at me. It hurt like nothing I had ever felt before as it slapped me across the face and sent me tumbling backwards. I fell over my own feet, hit the ground and yet kept on rolling and bouncing off the floor at great velocity - Megidramon hadn't really held back at all.

When I finally came to a stop, my body was already covered in bruises, just from that one hit. Just like I had suspected, a human didn't stand a change against a Digimon, especially powerful ones like Megidramon or the Seven Great Demon Lords. And yet I got up again and glared over to the beast that had once been my partner, glared as I rose my right hand to pull the tag with the crest of hatred, the Digital Hazard, inside up a little to look down at it.

For just a second, I stared down at it - And regained my courage and power immediately. Guilmon wasn't going to stay Megidramon, wasn't going to die like back then - I was not going to allow that! Wiping some saliva and dirt from the corner of my mouth with the back of my right hand, the warmth radiated by the Digital Hazard on the back of my hand passing my cheek just for a moment, reassuring me that I wasn't completely alone in this. Hazaado was with me - As strange as it may sound, I was already trusting him like I knew him all my life, even though I knew next to nothing about him, not if he was on my side or if he was to be trusted at all...

I guess I was trusting him because he was, in a way, me...

With new courage, I rose to my full height again and charged at my partner-turned-enemy again, my eyes focusing on his hatred-distorted expression again. Like a feral beast, he snarled and growled, saliva dripping from his jaws, burning black holes into the white ground like acid. Her swung his wings, sending a wave of foul winds at me, but they didn't hurt me, just slowed me down and pushed me back - Not that I was going to allow this.

I don't know when I started to be able to react to things as quick as I was doing - Maybe Azulongmong had been right, and I do have experience when it comes to fights due to being Gallantmon, and right in the battle that way, rather than just sending my partner to fight for me. Either way, I analyzed the changed situation in a second, and came up with a way to counter.

"What did Lucemon say...? The Digital Hazard can not only manipulate the world around it, but it's vessel as well? I've tried that before... I manipulated my own sense of hearing, increased it. Lucemon said this was the easiest thing the Hazard could so... So what if... What if I can manipulate my physical traits as well?" shot through my head as I was forced to stop, lifting both arms to guard my face from the winds.

"This better works..."

"Hazaado!" I called out, my voice fighting the loud wind that was roaring in my ears, "Lend me your speed!"

The winds kept on howling - That was pretty much the only thing that happened. I kept waiting for Hazaado to do something, to help me like I had told him to. However, it seemed that I had been abandoned by the mysterious entity in the worst moment possible...

It seemed, at first.

That was until, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, taking in the shock and trying to come up with another idea, my right arm finally gained an own will again.

All but my index finger and my middle finger suddenly bent, the two remaining fingers remaining extended. Two lines suddenly extended out from the circle of the Digital Hazard sign on the back of my hand, lines that connected the circle with the tip of my fingers. My fingernails began to glow crimson as the lines connected them with the circle of the Digital Hazard on the back of my hand, followed by red sparkles appearing in front of my extended fingers.

The sparkles curled around my fingers as my arm moved on it's own, sliding down my side and passing my legs - And a large Digital Hazard sign, complete with the circle, appeared on the ground beneath my feet, spinning incredibly fast. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, but I felt that something had changed, something concerning my feet - I learned what as Hazaado's help began.

The Digital Hazard on the back of my right hand terminated the connection to the two lines leading up the back of my fingers, making them vanish, and instead created two new lines - Two lines that went up my arm and vanished in the sleeve of my black hoodie. I knew where they led as soon as my feet began to move on their own, no longer controlled by me.

Looking down, I found that my shoes were glowing in the same crimson light that my fingernails had done before, confirming my theory of Hazaado controlling them. Upon looking up, I found that I was moving against the foul winds that Megidramon was creating, it felt like I was ice-skating across the ground rather than walking on it - And that at crazy speed.

So it was true, after all - The Digital Hazard allowed me, or rather Hazaado, to increase the physical traits of my body as well! This all sounds too great to be true... The Digital Hazard, which I had despised until now, was suddenly becoming a very handy little thing, wasn't as scary and disgusting to me anymore, wasn't evil like I had thought, and was even granting me superhuman abilities... At a considerable drawback, seeing as it required my rage, and drained my powers, and actually meant to give my body up to Hazaado's control.

My body was suddenly catapulted into the air and I found myself flying towards Megidramon. The glow in my feet stopped as the Digital Hazard cut the lines leading to them, and instead, the Digital Hazard on my hand began to spin faster, this time clockwise - Leading to my fist starting to glow crimson.

Knowing where this was leading, I prepared to do what I thought of as ridiculous before - Punching a Digimon. Punching Megidramon. But it never came to that, when his left wing suddenly lashed out and knocked me away - This time, with considerable less pain shooting through my body, and with my body reacting.

Red lines lashed out from the Digital Hazard sign on the back of my right hand, lashed out and took control of my feet and my right hand. Before I knew what was happening, my body was falling backwards while using my right hand to push itself off the ground into a backflip, and then landed in a crouched position on the ground, sliding across the white floor. And it was only after I had come to a stop that the lines vanished, leaving me back in control of my body once more.

This alliance certainly was amazing - While Lucemon had been right about Hazaado aiming to control my body, he wasn't doing it in the way that he had feared. Well, he was probably not doing that for the first time, since as far as I knew, he had always taken the place of his former vessels after gaining control of them. But he wasn't doing that this time, wasn't even trying to take over my body - He merely took control of parts of my body whenever I was in danger, making me dodge and bringing me into position for an attack.

While it wasn't any different from a puppeteer guiding it's marionette by strings, I wasn't a mere puppet in this - It was more like we were working together, like the puppet could make it's own choices, and the puppeteer was merely looking out for that puppet to not get damaged.

I don't know yet how Hazaado sees me - Maybe he acknowledged me as equal, maybe I was just a vessel for him that wasn't allowed to get damaged. Either way, it was fine with me at that moment. We both just wanted Megidramon, both just wanted Megidramon to become Guilmon again, both for a selfish reason. He needed control of his 'weapon', the second part of him... I only wanted my friend back.

Hazaado and I... We were pretty much alike. We weren't perfect copies, both had our flaws and differences - But we both resorted to the same things when it came to reaching our goals. Neither of us was stubborn, but neither of us was going to give up after trying only once.

I'd not do that again - Hazaado has already taught me that, only by being there. I cannot hear him, cannot see or communicate him - And yet I already begin to understand and sympathize with him.

We were alike.

Deep down, hidden behind masks, hidden behind protective layers, deep down in the depths of our very beings...

Deep down there, we both were rotten.

Both Hazaado and I were rotten to the core. The color of our cores was black. Black of that one negative emotion, black because our only base was the crimson of the hatred.

Rising from that crouched position as I was back in full control, I just rushed towards Megidramon. Being only human, I couldn't really do anything else - I wasn't Gallantmon at the moment, wasn't able to fly on Grani and didn't wield any weapon but the Digital Hazard. It was just me, a puny little human against the gigantic dragon with the apocalyptic name.

Maybe this all was futile, maybe it was ridiculous that I even wanted to try - In my eyes, no matter how much I'd get hurt, it was not futile at all, as I was doing this for Guilmon. It was for Guilmon that I was giving up myself to Hazaado, it was for Guilmon that I was getting hurt. And because it was for Guilmon, I didn't mind at all - Even if the outcome of this would be my death.

I was pretty much doomed to die anyways, according to Lucemon - Not a physical death, but the death of my personality. In my eyes, he was fueling false hopes, anyways. He was sure that he could teach me how to not become just another body for Hazaado to use, like all of his previous vessels had been. But let's be honest - Lucemon was just not able to admit that he could be wrong, it would hurt his pride.

Now my way seemed to be more efficient - Instead of working against Hazaado, just work with him! So maybe it was dangerous, maybe I was giving myself up to him... But if Hazaado was not as dangerous as Lucemon made him to be, then this was a chance for me to master the Digital Hazard and stay myself, for a price that was not as huge as the other one - Instead of losing myself, I just had to grant him his desires. And he desired the death of our mutual enemy - The virus.

Was it wrong of me to think that far ahead, though? To think of the ultimate end of this all just now, when I had just begun to work with Hazaado? I hadn't even got Guilmon back, couldn't even be sure if Hazaado was to be trusted... And yet I was thinking ahead to the end of this all.

For now, though, I had to get Guilmon back. And then we see what happens, if Hazaado would betray me after all, or if the outcome would be completely different...

"Guilmon!" I roared as my feet carried me towards the dragon again. I clenched my fists, didn't care as the Digital Hazard on the back of my hand began to spin clockwise again at insane speed.

Imagine my shock as Megidramon suddenly bent down, slammed his claws into the ground and opened his muzzle once it was at my height. I narrowed my eyes, but didn't stop my advance. It was like my body was moving on it's own, without Hazaado controlling it. I knew what Megidramon was about to do, and yet I didn't stop, even as a sinister and foreboding light appeared in the black depths of Megidramon's throat.

"Megiddo Flame!" announced the dark version of Guilmon's childish voice, carrying no hint of such childishness, however. Narrowing my eyes even further, I reacted purely on instinct and rose my right hand. It closed around the tag around my neck and yanked it off, the thread ripping apart. My fist clenched around the tag tightly again, which cut deep into my flesh and made me bleed again.

I reached back with my hand as if to punch someone before me, and swung it forwards just as Megiddo unleashed the torrent of blazing, dark-red flames at me. I didn't hold it against Guilmon or Megidramon - He just didn't know any different, was a mindless beast of hatred and I was his enemy...

But that wouldn't continue any longer.

The crest within my hand began to glow in brilliant but sinister crimson, acting in perfect unison with the true Digital Hazard on the back of my hand, which was still spinning. And as my fist collided with the torrent of flames meant to envelop and burn me - The flames broke apart, were deflected away from me by the same Digital Hazard barrier that had stopped me from reaching Megidramon earlier, only that it was moving with me this time.

The heat of the flames still burnt hot on my face, even though none of the flames ever reached me. I couldn't see Megidramon anymore, only saw the sea of flames all around me that was meant to burn me, and yet I kept running towards him, knowing what to do in order to get Guilmon back.

It all made sense - It all made sense if I saw Megidramon no different from the rift that I had closed earlier with the Digital Hazard. It all made sense if the Digital Hazard was working no different from that. Hazaado hadn't meant to punch Megidramon - No, he hadn't!

The sea of flames ended all of sudden and the huge dragon came into view again, his head right in front of me. Immediately, Hazaado acted and took control of another part of my body, this time my left hand. It balled into a fist just as the barrier in front of me disappeared, and before I knew what was happening, my fist knocked into the lower jaw of the dragon - And sent his head up into the air, almost knocking him over despite his size and weight.

Regaining my composure, I narrowed my eyes and nodded to myself, realizing what Hazaado wanted me to do. Now back in control of my limbs again, I finished what Hazaado had started, moved and finally did what had been necessary - I pushed off the ground, felt the wind roaring in my ears as I jumped higher than it should be possible, meaning Hazaado had increased my jumping power...

And then, opening my right fist while still holding the crest of hatred within it with my thumb, I slammed my palm and the crest of hatred into the dragon's chest.

My palm rested against the middle triangle of the black Digital Hazard on Megidramon's chest, and I finally let out the breath I had been holding unknowingly - And it was silent. Silent, as the wind no longer roared in my ears; silent, as Megidramon was no longer moving; silent as I remained within midair with my palm against Megidramon's chest.

It was then that a Digital Hazard equal in size to the one on Megidramon's chest appeared around my hand, floating in front of it's equivalent. It was made of crimson energy and was connected to the one on Megidramon's chest and the one on the back of my right hand by crimson lightning.

I watched as it began to turn all of sudden, falling to the left as it spun counterclockwise once - And then, gained a crimson circle like the one on the back of my hand before it vanished.

The Digital Hazard within Megidramon was contained, was locked. In the end, part of the power of the Digital Hazard did really work like I had used it earlier - Like a key. It could either lock, or unlock things related to it - Like the 'Completion Protocol' within Guilmon, or my 'abilities'. It didn't enhance them, like I had suspected - It unlocked Hazaado's traits (which were way stronger than mine) and locked my own, or it locked Hazaado's traits and unlocked mine again.

So I hadn't become stronger, or had better hearing - I had merely replaced mine with that of Hazaado.

Gravity suddenly began to pull on me, and sent me falling down to the ground. And yet I smiled, even though I knew that it would hurt to land. But it didn't, as I was suddenly caught within a large claw - Megidramon's claw.

Looking up the huge dragon, stopping to take in the black Digital Hazard sign on it's chest, and finally it's head, I found that he was looking down at me, his eyes still intimidating and carrying threat. However, he merely set me down onto the ground, careful as if he feared that he could hurt me - And finally - finally, after I had waited a whole week for it to happen...

He finally began to glow a deep crimson, which slowly but surely became a blinding white, before shrinking to roughly my size.

As he shrunk, his claw neared the ground, and eventually gently set me down before it shrunk as well. And eventually, even before the white glow subsided, tears began to well up in my dry and tired eyes. The tears that I had longed to cry - Tears, not of sadness, but utter happiness.

The white glow exploded outwards, turning into white particles that quickly dissolved into nothingness - And revealed a red dinosaur-like Digimon of around my height to me.

Guilmon was back.

Megidramon's lifeless and mindless state had crumbled away under the power of the Digital Hazard, the thing that had created it in the first place, and Guilmon had come alive... Again.

Guilmon was back.

"Guilmon!"

The cry escaped my throat before I knew, my body moving on it's own and tears streaming down my cheeks, throwing itself at the red Digimon that I had longed to see. My arms threw themselves around his neck, pulling him as close to me as possible, just to make sure that he was real. Hazaado was of no importance anymore, the thought of him and the Digital Hazard far away.

Guilmon was back, and that was the only important thing at that moment.

"Ta...Takatomon?" inquired my partner after a few seconds, blinking in confusion, "Where are we? Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?"

"No... No, you didn't do anything wrong, Guilmon. I'm just happy to see you..." I whispered, chuckling slightly at the dragon's confusion.

"Why are you so happy to see me? Was I gone? Were you gone? I don't really remember much, I think it..." Guilmon trailed off, the puzzle in his head finally completed, "Takatomon, you're back! You've been gone for so many days, everyone was all sad and Rika was all grumpy and... You came back!"

During the last part of his little rant, he sounded and looked more like a puppy than a dragon, much to my amusement. It felt good to let out a small chuckle, even though it was forced, my throat dry and throbbing. If I wasn't such a mess of emotions at that moment, I probably would've thought about the things that had happened before, like Hazaado showing the first signs of an actual personality by deciding how to help me on his own...

But being the mess of emotions I was, I didn't do so. Would I have been able to express all of the emotions that I felt at once, I probably would've laughed in joy, cried in sadness and happiness at the same time, would've lowered my head in guilt and shame, and would've ranted on about how I missed Guilmon.

But I was, and thus, all I could do was finally falling onto my knees in relief as my legs gave in, my arms still wrapped tightly around the dragon's neck, afraid to let him go again, fearing he might just become Megidramon the moment that I stop holding him.

"Takatomon, you're weird." smiled the dragon after a while - And to be honest, I couldn't really disagree with him. But if me being weird was a side-effect that came with the return of Guilmon, then it was more than fine.

The nightmares would finally stop now.

After what felt like an eternity, I reluctantly drew away from my partner, who had all along watched me with a big smile upon his muzzle. Rising to my full height, one of the major problems solved with Megidramon defeated and Guilmon back at my side, my mind could finally focus back on the next steps - Getting out of here the first thing, starting to train with Hazaado the second thing, and getting rid of that virus and returning to my own quadrant the final steps.

Looking down to my right hand after letting go of Guilmon, I found the Digital Hazard still active on it. Wasn't that much of a surprise – While I didn't feel any anger at the moment, I had promised to work with him if he'd work with me.

"What do you say Guilmon... Want to get out of here?" I asked, standing up from my position before him.

"Where are we going? Home?" he inquired, tilting his head a little to the side. One could clearly see how excited he was at the thought of us returning home together – And yet he didn't even frown when I shook his head.

"We can't just now. I promised Azulongmon to do something for him... And I promised someone else to help him..." I began, on purpose avoiding the use of Hazaado's name, "Before I didn't do that, I can't return home."

"Okay!" exclaimed Guilmon, rising to his full height while grinning madly, "Can I help?"

"Actually, I need you to help me." I smiled back, dusting myself off, even though there was no actual dirt in this white nothingness, "I can't make it without you... Partner."

Guilmon's innocent and childish smile increased even further - making me question how that was possible in the first place – and he wagged his tail.

"Then we'll help you, Takatomon! Me, Hazaado and Megidramon!"

My smile fell.

Guilmon knew.

"You..." I began, but trailed off almost immediately, choking on my own words.

"What? Is something wrong?" asked Guilmon, looking confused and sad after seeing me like that. For a moment, I kept looking at him, trying to understand how he could've just said such a thing without realizing it – But then, I shook my head, signaling him that everything was alright. His mood increased again immediately, and I let out a silent sigh.

"Let's just go, alright? We've still got a lot to do.." I told him, my throat dry all of sudden. Guilmon knew about this. He didn't seem to realize the full extent, but he did know. Did this mean that he didn't only know, but maybe... Shared Hazaado's need of destruction, deep down? The Digital Hazard was on his chest, after all – Did this mean that Hazaado had an effect on him as well, was Guilmon just a tool for Hazaado...?

I looked down at my right hand, at the Digital Hazard. When I got home, I'd need a pen and some paper again – Hazaado had a few questions to answer.

Lifting my right hand, holding it with the palm away from me, I concentrated on the room that I now lived in – And Hazaado did the rest. Reality began to crumble apart before me, like a hole burnt into paper, the white began to crumble outwards, creating a hole – a rift, black and red swirling inside in a dance of madness.

Glancing towards Guilmon, he nodded and walked towards the rift – Even before touching it, the rift began to glow a deep crimson, accepting Guilmon. I watched in silence as Guilmon extended a claw towards the rift, trying to touch the madness inside – And instead, was suddenly enveloped in crimson light, sucked into the rift.

And then, I was alone again.

But it was alright this time. Guilmon was on the other side of the rift, back in my apartment, waiting for me. I wasn't alone anymore in the Eastern Quadrant – I had Guilmon.

And I had Hazaado.

In a sense, the Demon Lords were with me as well... Lilithmon was, at least.

"Young One!"

I froze, one hand already extended towards the rift. The deep, hollering voice had caught me off guard, and even as I slowly turned to look over my shoulder, I silently cursed to myself – I had rather done this whole thing in secret, without encountering anyone.

"Young one, what is the meaning of this?" inquired Azulongmon, towering above me in all his size. I rose an eyebrow at him, but then had a look around – The broken cage of light, the scorched ground where Megidramon's flame had burnt it, the rift I had been about to enter.

It was obvious as to what had happened.

"I took back Guilmon." I simply replied, not wanting to explain it any further. Azulongmon wanted me to, though.

"You have already enough control over the Digital Hazard to do such a thing? Why didn't Lucemon inform me of this?" asked the sovereign – And I felt how my lips distorted into a sarcastic sneer.

"He doesn't know." I replied, turning away again, "His way wasn't very efficient. It took too long, and would mean that I had to suppress the full extent of Hazaado's powers. Lucemon's way was just too... inefficient. It took too long, meant I had to lose most of the Digital Hazard's potential."

"What is that supposed to mean, young one?! Explain yourself!" roared the normally calm dragon's voice with anger I had never heard before from him – Not that I cared. It seemed to be Hazaado's amusement leaking through, affecting me... Not that it really bothered me. I kept calm and bowed down, picking up the tag with the crest of hatred inside, which had fallen to the ground after I had used it on Megidramon.

I was tired of being told what to do. If there was one thing that I had learned from all of this – It was that I'd have to do things my way. I'm not saying that I'm going to rebel now. I'll still going to let Lucemon teach me how to properly use the Digital Hazard – But I'll also listen to Hazaado. After all, he has to know how his own powers worked, right?

I was also still going to fulfill the task given to me by Azulongmon – I knew how important it was, and I actually was quite happy that he chose me to do so, no matter at what cost. It meant that he trusted me.

And I was not going to disappoint him, especially now that the fight against the virus had become personal.

Hazaado was part of me, and as such, he was my enemy as well.

"Young one!" bellowed Azulongmon again, but I let my smirk grow and calmly rose my hand again, let the crimson and black madness that danced inside the rift before me consume me, let it take over my sense, let it invade my mind. I lifted my right hand mockingly, showing the Digital Hazard on the back of it to Azulongmon as I entered the rift, sign of my decision to act on my own now.

"Young one, I told you to...!"

Silence, his shout cut off. My body was in free fall, falling through the nothingness of the rift between the Digital World and the real world. Unknown forces pulled on my body again, invisible hands caressing me and tugging on me, wanting my attention.

I didn't pay them any. I kept my gaze ahead, let crimson and black dance through my vision, shut out everything but my own silent thoughts; all the wails and cries that echoed through the rift and that I only noticed just yet – And then, it was indeed silent as my feet touched the ground of my apartment.

"Takatomon~" hummed Guilmon the moment that I stood next to him, his head rubbing affectionately into my right side. I let out a sigh and finally relaxed. I rose my right hand, taking note of how the Digital Hazard on the back of my right hand had vanished as I did so, and patted Guilmon's head a little.

"Would you mind if I tell you everything you need to know from now on later on? There's a lot you'll have to remember, and it'll take me a while to tell you everything – But for now, I need to talk to someone else." I muttered, my gaze not leaving the back of my hand. And the crest of hatred, that I still held with it.

Turning my hand around so that I could see the crimson tag and the crest within it, I let out a sigh, and closed my hand. The tag and the crest were covered in dried blood – my blood – and glowed a weak but sinister crimson.

With another deep sigh, I examined the ripped thread of the tag, realizing that I'd have to replace it later on if I wanted to continue wearing it. Now that I had come to accept the Digital Hazard, I didn't mind wearing it anymore.

Realizing, though, that I didn't possess any thread to replace the ripped one with, I quickly came up with another idea. Walking over to the couch and the small table in front of it, I laid down the tag on it, then laid my right wrist on top of it. With my left, free hand, I picked up the two ends of the thread and tied them into a clumsy knot – I was right-handed, after all.

Raising my right hand to my mouth, I bit down on one of the ends of the thread and pulled on it, then used my left hand to make another, less clumsy knot.

And just like that, my necklace had turned into a bracelet.

Proud of my work, I looked up and scanned the room for Guilmon. It didn't really surprise me to not see him, given that I had picked up the loud noises from the kitchen – He was unmistakeably searching for food.

Remembering his appetite, I let out a sigh – It seemed I would have to pick up that job at that bakery after all. I mean, I had already decided on that before – But with Guilmon now here, I would have to make some money to buy food for the two of us.

But that something I would have to take care later of. For now, there was something that was way more important, and it involved the events in the Celestial Plane.

After making sure that Guilmon was still out of the room, I rose from my seat and made my way into the bedroom to pick up a piece of paper and a pencil, and returned to the living room to flop down on the couch again, piece of paper resting on the table.

Calling forth a little bit of anger to fuel the Digital Hazard, summoning it anew on the back of my right hand, I leaned over the piece of paper and picked up the pencil with my right hand.

"We need to talk." I told no one in particular, called out into thin air. The one I was really talking to would know. And he did.

My right hand flinched once, then began moving on it's own, rushing over the paper in coordinated but clumsy movements while writing a message.

"I cannot see how you refer to this as 'talking', vessel named Takato, but we do have to communicate about the events that transpired earlier." I read aloud, frowning a little at the almost cynical comment, but nodded. Before I could ask a question, though, Hazaado continued to write.

I eyed each and every appearing letter with interest, not daring to finish the message myself, though, fearing that it would wake Hazaado's anger.

"It was an exception. I will not work with you again like that. Not just like this." I read, before narrowing my eyes at the sign on the back of my hand.

"Explain." I commanded, feeling my anger increase a little. Was he going to betray me, after all? My question was quickly answered, though, when Hazaado began to write again.

"I refuse to lend you my powers again just like that. It was an exception, I helped you because we needed the power of my other half. That aside, any moment more in that state meant that the danger of him breaking free increased. Vessel named Takato... I will not break our alliance. I will not endanger it. But you are not ready to use my powers. You only managed to control them because I was controlling you. For you to use them yourself, you will have to earn them." read the message.

"Earn them?" I repeated, confused. Hazaado didn't wait any second to continue writing.

"Earn them. I shall observe your training, your progress. Based on it, I shall allow you to use my powers. For now, I recommend you stick with manipulating your five senses, you should be able to control that. Should we encounter a corrupted Digimon, I will take care of it's cleansing. You should not try the other powers of the Digital Hazard yet – Trust me, I will know once you are ready to use another power." I read aloud, and then groaned.

Well, to be honest, I knew he was right. But it still felt a little frustrating to be restricted in my use of the Digital Hazard again all of sudden.

"What do you think is the best thing to do next?" I asked aloud, glancing down at the piece of paper again, "Should I continue my training with Lucemon? Or should I start training on my own?"

"Do not leave Lucemon's side, he will guide you. His training shall be more efficient from now on, given that he still trusts you after our alliance. However, I advice that the next step is a different one." He stopped writing at that moment, almost as if he was hesitating to write the next words. Thinking he was done, I was about to ask what exactly that step was, but it was exactly that moment that he moved my hand again and began to write again.

"We will need Megidramon. That is a fact that you cannot deny. I have sensed your anxiety regarding that matter and took note of it, but fear we will have to ignore that. I suggest you take Guilmon to a more secluded area in your surroundings, and use the Digital Hazard to make him digivolve to Megidramon. Do not fear – Now that the completion protocol is deactivated, and you have accepted the Digital Hazard, he shall not go on a rampage again." wrote Hazaado.

My hand moved to put the pencil down, indicating that Hazaado was done 'talking', but stopped and moved back to the piece of paper.

"Regarding your crest – It will not feed on the crest of hope, or any other crest anymore. Now that our alliance is made, I shall not feed on any other thing but your negative emotions of anger, rage and hatred. Other than if you want me to, it will stay that way." added the personality of the Digital Hazard to his former message, before placing the pencil next to the piece of paper.

With a sigh, I watched as the Digital Hazard on the back of my hand vanished. Hazaado wasn't going to say anything else anymore, he had gone back to sleep or whatever he did when the Digital Hazard wasn't active.

Lowering my hand, my gaze trailed back to our 'conversation' on the paper, and skimmed through it, taking in every word that Hazaado had written down. It was the only thing that helped me understand him, the only thing that helped me understand who he was and how he worked.

"Takatomon! We're nearly out of food!" came a desperate cry from the kitchen, making me sigh and chuckle, while leaning back into the couch. No matter the situation, Guilmon would never change.

"I'll take care of that later!" I called back, rubbing the back of my head as I finally rose from the couch, the piece of paper with Hazaado's words on it in my right hand, "We have to go out for a little bit before, though."

Guilmon poked his head out of the kitchen, looking confused at me as I walked back into the bedroom. In there, I grabbed the other evidence of Hazaado's existence, the other conversation on paper, and put it, together with the more recent one, into the upper drawer of my nightstand. Something like that was best not left lying around.

With the evidences in the drawer, I left the bedroom again, returning to Guilmon, who was still watching me in confusion, his head still protruding from the kitchen doorway.

"Where do you want us to go, Takatomon? We've just arrived!" complained my loyal partner, before leaving the kitchen finally. I sighed, knowing that he would want to rest – I did, too – but that we didn't have any time to waste.

"Look, I'm sorry, but there is one last thing we need to do today..." I muttered, leaning back a little to look out of the window. It was getting dark, the sun had almost completely vanished behind the horizon, tinting Odaiba in the orange of the setting sun and black of the tall building's shadows.

"Can't we go eat something instead?" groaned Guilmon, falling flat onto his stomach and looking depressed. I chuckled a bit at the sight, but shook my head.

"Afterwards, maybe. That aside, I bet you raided my kitchen just a few minute ago – I really don't dare to look in there now." I told him, walking over to the computer to shut it off.

"Do you think you still have enough energy to digivolve?" I asked over my shoulder as the screen faded to black.

"You mean into Megidramon?" came the surprised reply, "I think so."

Guilmon... He had way more insight than anyone gave him credit for.

"I hope you don't mind... I mean, I'm a little nervous and all, but Hazaado said that..." I trailed off. It felt weird to talk to anyone, let alone Guilmon, about the Digital Hazard and Hazaado. Even more, it felt weird to address Hazaado so casually, kind of as if I was talking about a good friend that had just given me a good advice, which I was now going to follow.

"It's fine, Takatomon." smiled Guilmon, getting off the ground and wagging his tail, back to his childish self, "I still have enough energy to digivolve to Megidramon. Besides, I kind of want to try it myself. Hazaado told me that I can control it now, thanks to you!"

I frowned, surprised at the information that Guilmon had just revealed to me, perhaps without even knowing.

"Wait... You can hear him? As in, you actually hear his voice?" I inquired, confused and surprised, shocked even. Guilmon frowned as well, absentmindedly rising a claw to his muzzle, as if deep in thought.

"Yes, I can. I've been hearing his voice for a while now. He told me not to tell you about him until now... And he often told me what to do. He kind of sounds like you, Takatomon, only... deeper and more... husky, I guess?" explained my partner, before tilting his head a little. Knowing that he wasn't good when it came to expressing things with the right words, I nodded, still having understood what he wanted to tell me.

Still, that Hazaado had been that close to me all along, and had already influenced things before he had first 'talked' to me...

"So... Where are we going?" asked Guilmon, interrupting my thoughts before I even got lost in them.

I rose an eyebrow, but then turned to the window again and looked outside, taking in the orange and black world before me anew. Twilight was indeed quite beautiful... Why had I never noticed before? Why was it now, that I was stranded in a different Quadrant, that I began to become aware of all that which was around me...?

Was I... maturing? Was this experience helping me to grow up?

What a weird thought... But then again, this whole thing really helped me to become more independent, maybe even more of a leader that was able to make decisions. I bet Rika would enjoy it if I wasn't as insecure about my decisions... I bet she'd enjoy it if I was able to make decisions on my own.

If I would be able to, maybe it would be easier to understand her at times, how she feels and how she thinks... She's been alone, separating herself from others, always forced to make decisions on her own before meeting us...

"Takatomon?"

For the second time in a row, Guilmon snapped me out of my thoughts, and made me think of the presence, rather than the past or the future. For that was what I would have to do from now on if I wanted to survive this experience – I wasn't allowed to think of the past or the future, wasn't allowed to think of that which I had lost or that which I was going to achieve in the end.

It would only distract me, would only tear on my heart, and make my decisions less definite. I was not going to let that happen.

Something in the distance, far behind the buildings, something highlighted against the setting sun, caught my eye – And made me decide.

"Guilmon, do you see that tower there, in the distance? That crane there?" I asked him, pointing to the large shadow in the distance. He nodded, narrowing his eyes as he had to look into the sun.

"That's where we going. There should be no one there by the time that we arrive." I smiled, before lowering my hand, brushing it against my D-Power. The thought of it finally working again made me excited, of it having a purpose again.

I wasn't just Takato Matsuda anymore. I was a Tamer again. Maybe not Takato Matsuki – But at least, I had a purpose again.

"Guilmon... I know that we never thought of this before, but could you perhaps turn back into Gigimon? You would attract too much attention as Guilmon." I spoke, unable to hold back my smile.

My partner tilted his head a little, but then nodded. I, on the other hand, turned back to the window and smiled at the crane in the distance. As much as I feared Megidramon... This was going to get interesting. And if Hazaado was right, then this would be the last time that I'd fear the huge dragon.

If he was right, Megidramon was going to be Guilmon this time.

---

A while later, with the DigiDestined...

"Davis~. Stop eating that all by yourself~. I'm hungry, too~." whined DemiVeemon, jumping around on the table next to his partner like the small and adorable blue Digimon that he was.

"Davis should stop eating altogether." snorted Tai, turning away from the screen of his computer, "One of these days, your going to get fat, Davis. Considering all that stuff that you're wolfing down all the time, I'm surprised that you aren't yet."

The DigiDestined in question rose his gaze and puffed his cheeks, if that was even possible considering that they were already pretty full with food, and glared at the leader of the first generation of DigiDestined.

"Why did you even come over, Davis? For the food? Or for my sister?" groaned the older male, knowing that Davis was head over heels for his sister, before turning back to his computer with a bored expression, waiting for the other DigiDestined of the first generation to join the chatroom.

Davis gave a reply, but it was too muffled by the food in his mouth for anyone to understand. Tai still suspected that it was supposed to mean 'both', though, and just shook his head in defeat. Davis reminded him too much of himself in his younger days, too stubborn to be changed.

"Davis, let me have some of that as well!" squealed the blue Digimon, trying to get his gluttonous partners attention again, but Davis ignored him and kept chewing.

"You're a freeloader, you know that, Davis?" called Tai over his shoulder, just as several names appeared to the right of the chatroom on his screen, indicating the arrival of the first generation's DigiDestined in the chatroom.

"Finally!" sighed Tai, throwing his arms into the air, before focusing on the chat.

"Why again are you all gathering in that chatroom?" asked Davis after swallowing the food, leaning back in the black beanbag he sat in.

"We're discussing the threat of the Digimon with the black datachips that have appeared recently. You know, that what you and your team should do, too, freeloader!" mocked the leader of the first generation of DigiDestined, not once turning his attention away from the screen, "Ah, Mimi managed to make it as well! What time is it in America, anyways?!"

"I don't know, I don't care. Seriously, Tai, I know that these black datachip Digimon aren't to be taken lightly, but it seems that someone is already on it... Remember, I told you that Ken saw this weird LadyDevimon..." sighed Davis lazily while closing his eyes, picking up a cracker and chewing on one of it's corners.

"And you trust a LadyDevimon?" huffed Tai in annoyance while turning to the other male, before realizing that Davis was about to doze off, cracker still in between his lips. Groaning in irritation, he just shook his head and turned to the screen again.

"Seems the conversation has already stated without you. What are they talking about, Tai?" asked Agumon after seeing that the screen was slowly filling with colorful sentences, finally speaking up as well. Tai turned to his partner, who stood to his right, and shrugged.

"Just finished the introductions." replied Tai, typing a little, before leaning back in his chair in an attempt to grab one of the crackers on the table, now that Davis had started to snore.

"Hey, Tai! Are you there?"

Startled by Izzy's voice blasting out of the speakers, Tai almost fell over with his chair, but regained his balance – and managed to grab a cracker as well while flailing his arms around.

Turning to the screen, he found that a new window had opened up, showing the faces of his friends and fellow DigiDestined of the first generation, save for Kari.

"Don't. Scare me. Like that." growled the annoyed leader of the DigiDestined of the first generation, but other than Matt letting out a chuckle and the girls giggling, no one payed him any real mind.

"Is that Davis with you?" asked TK after a few seconds, having apparently spotted the freeloader.

"Yeah. Don't ask me what he's doing here, though, he showed up earlier at my doorstep and has been bugging me since." huffed Tai after making sure that his headset was working, folding his arms in front of his chest while an annoyed expression made it's way onto his face.

"Wasn't going to. I stopped trying to figure out what Davis is up to a long time ago. You know, Tai, he's just like you back then." chuckled the youngest male, before turning to look at Patamon, who had just appeared next to him.

"Since he's asleep, I guess he isn't interested in what I found out... Well, not that he would've listened in the first place... And I was going to tell Davis and his team later on, anyways." commented Izzy, before nodding to himself, "Anyways, I've talked to Gennai about that LadyDevimon that Ken saw."

"So? What did Gennai say?" asked TK, interested in their only lead so far.

"Gennai said that there has not been a sighting of such a LadyDevimon with a golden claw. Not now, and not in the past. There is no records of such a Digimon existing... So we came to the conclusion that it is a LadyDevimon that has picked up a weapon." began Izzy, "And that is where it gets interesting."

"Why? What do you...?" began Sora, but was cut off when Izzy spoke up again.

"Nazar Nail." he exclaimed – And confused everyone.

"Nazar Nail...? What is that supposed to mean, Izzy?" asked Joe, being in a rush as he always was.

"That's the name of the weapon. That golden glove-like claw is called Nazar Nail. And now guess who it actually belongs to." replied the redhead.

"I'm not in the mood for guessing. Come on, Izzy, don't make a riddle out of it! Who does that weapon belong to?" groaned Matt, turning his camera a little so that it was showing him at a better angle.

"Nazar Nail is Lilithmon's weapon of choice. The same Lilithmon that is a member of the Seven Great Demon Lords." revealed Izzy, right before a small window appeared on everyone's screen, displaying a picture of Lilithmon and her Nazar Nail.

"Wait... So you're saying that this LadyDevimon is Lilithmon?" inquired Mimi, blinking in surprise.

"That's the most likely explanation. We already suspected that the Seven Great Demon Lords are involved in this, but now we have proof for that. And it seems that they are fighting against the black datachip Digimon... For whatever reason." added Izzy immediately, "It means, though, that they are not behind it."

"Lilithmon, huh...? What about the other Demon Lords? Any sign of them yet? Or their affiliation in all of this?" asked TK, but Izzy's only reply was to shake his head.

"If the Demon Lords are involved into this, then the Sovereigns and the Four Great Dragons are as well. It would explain why these three groups met recently if the Digimon with the black datachips are the problem. It seems that the Demon Lords are fighting for the good side then, considering that they are fighting against the threat of the black datachips." commented Kari, startling her brother when she suddenly stood in the middle of his room with Gatomon, right behind him.

"K-Kari!" he gasped, before hastily looking over to Davis – Who was still asleep. DemiVeemon, on the other hand, was awake, but other than nodding towards Kari and Gatomon, he wasn't really paying attention to them. Instead, he stole the cracker from his partner's mouth and began nibbling on it, giggling to himself in a mischievous manner.

"She's right. We can't be sure yet, we can't just trust them - But we have to consider them to be possible allies, at least." agreed Matt from behind Tai, making him turn back to the screen, "As much as I don't like it."

"Other than Daemon, we never actually encountered one of the Demon Lords. We can't say if they are good or bad, Matt. All we know is that they have neither shown to be distinctively bad, nor distinctively good in the past." reasoned Joe, momentarily looking up from the sheet of paper in front of him, which was most likely some kind of work for his high school.

"I still don't like the idea. And I can see on Tai's face that he doesn't as well." replied Matt with a huff. Tai didn't say a word and didn't make a sound, but silently agreed with Matt. He didn't like the prospect of working with the Demon Lords in the future, either.

"We don't know yet, so don't think about it too much. We will see if we really have to work with them when the time comes." commented Sora, but her expression was pretty much the same as Tai's and Matt's. To be honest, neither of the DigiDestined really enjoyed the idea of working with a group of Digimon that was known for neither being good nor bad, a group that believed that the end justifies the means.

"What about the Sovereigns and the Four Great Dragons, though? Why did none of them approach us with the threat of the black datachips?" muttered Mimi - And unknowingly asked the question that they all silently had asked themselves before. Even Joe looked up from his sheet of paper, seriousness and slight confusion on his face.

"Well... That's a good question." muttered Kari eventually, leaning over her brother's shoulder so that the others could see her as well. It became silent, though, no one daring to continue since neither of them had an answer. A few of them turned away and shortly focused on other things. After a while, though, Izzy was the one that broke the awkward silence.

He stopped typing and looked directly at his webcam again.

"TK, about this other thing that you asked me to do..." he began, more than obviously being uncomfortable with the topic he was starting, "I couldn't really find anything about him that is off. I managed to get my hands on his files, I just had to ask a few favors in, the librarian on your school still owed me one... But nothing is wrong with it. It's just the ordinary file of a student."

"File? School? What's this about, TK?" asked Kari in a dangerously low tone, having her suspicions already as to what her fellow DigiDestined had asked Izzy to do.

"Takato." confirmed TK, falling back in his chair, "I'm still suspicious of him, Kari! Something is wrong with that guy, he just rubs me the wrong way in any way possible! Every time something happens, he is the first possible culprit that comes to my mind! He has to do something with all of this, I'm sure of it!"

"Apparently not. Izzy did just confirm that there was nothing wrong with him, right?" hissed Kari, leaning further over her brother's shoulder, face now dangerously close to the webcam, as if to threaten TK.

Behind Tai and Kari, the sound of Tai's TV turning on implied that Davis had woken up. Tai glanced over his shoulder for a second, only to find Davis raising an eyebrow at him. No, he was frowning at the screen?

"Stop distrusting him already, Takato is fine, TK." sighed Davis, before turning his attention to the TV and the news report that he honestly didn't seem to be interested in, "He's just having a lot of trouble right now, that is all... He chose to move here all by his own, just to study. If I'd have to move out and start living all by myself, all alone in an apartment in a city that is completely new to me, a city that I know not a single person in, then... I don't think I could do that. Even if I was doing it willingly."

It became silent, Davis' words slowly sinking it, causing even TK to ponder for a moment, thinking about all the distrust he had shown towards Takato. It was Joe, though, that should ultimately start the chain of events that would assure TK anew that Takato wasn't just a normal student, though - Even if he did it unknowingly.

"So he moved here? Where did he live before?" asked Joe in a moment of curiosity.

"Shinjuku." sighed Davis, looking away from the TV again while picking up a cracker from the table, remembering his conversation with Takato only too well.

"Shinjuku?" repeated Izzy, making a silent note to call in another favor to check the schools there for a student named Takato Matsuda, just to prove TK's distrust wrong once and for all.

"That's quite far away. No wonder he's that depressed! That poor boy!" exclaimed Mimi - Before narrowing her eyes at her webcam, her voice carrying disapproval and venom all of sudden, "TK, stop bullying him already then! He's going through a hard time!"

"Hey! You don't even know him, Mimi!" complained TK.

"So I don't, now what? Is that a reason that I should approve you being a bully, TK?" shot Mimi back, narrowing her eyes even further, her voice sinister and foreboding, causing most of the other DigiDestined who weren't involved (which they were quite happy about) to either freeze in hope of being forgotten by the irritated female, not eager to somehow turn her wrath towards them.

"O-of course not. I'll behave from now on, Mimi." whispered TK meekly, sinking into his chair. The others let out a sigh of relief when they saw Mimi slowly regaining her happy mood.

"Uh... Now that we solved that... What are we going to do? Should we do anything, in the first place?" asked Matt, even though he still seemed to be uncomfortable with the way Mimi had just reacted.

"As much as I hate the idea, I think we shouldn't do anything drastic. The same goes for your team, Davis!" suggested Sora - And only received a bored wave from the leader of the second generation of DigiDestined, who wasn't even really paying attention, more focused on nibbling on his cracker and absorbing the boring news report. Damn Tai for losing the remote for his TV... And Davis was too lazy to stand up and change the channel on the device.

"TK, Kari... Could you make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid?" sighed the girl with the orange hair, receiving nods from the two DigiDestined in question.

"He's too lazy for that anyways..." sighed Tai, exchanging a short glance with Agumon, who wasn't really in a talkative mood as it seemed, "He announced earlier that he has no intention of doing anything in that regard, anyways... So I guess it's fine if we just..."

"TAI!"

Everyone flinched and the male in question turned around quickly, turning to Davis, who had just called his name.

"What?!" asked Tai, asking the question that everyone was interested in. Even Kari was frowning at the leader of her team - And then, she and Tai followed Davis' shocked line of vision to the TV and the 'boring' news report.

"...is currently only a sea of flames. For reasons that are still unknown, Odaiba Harbor has caught on fire earlier this evening. Authorities suspect a barrel of oil to be the cause of the large fire, but as the flames have enveloped the entirety of the harbor and still refuse to be extinguished by any means, it remains unknown if this is the cause, or if it is a case of arson. For now, all that is known is, that the flames do not seem to act normal at all, leading to a bunch of..." The newscaster vanished when Davis shut the TV off.

"You think the same thing that I'm thinking, right?" asked Davis, no sign of his former laziness or boredom on his face anymore, seriousness having taken it's place.

"A Digimon." muttered all of the DigiDestined at the same moment, before exchanging meaningful glances.

"Tai." growled Davis, his D3 in one hand, Tai's jacket in the other hand. The older male nodded, before turning to the screen again.

"Davis, Kari and I'll take care of it." he informed the others under a growl, catching his jacket when Davis threw it over at him.

"I'll meet you on the way." replied TK, before his connection was terminated and he vanished from the screen. Tai exchanged a few glances with the other DigiDestined on the screen, before nodding and turning away, grabbing his Digivice on the way to the door, where Davis, DemiVeemon, Kari and Gatomon were already waiting for him. Agumon had de-digivolved into Koromon, and quickly slipped into Tai's bag, while Gatomon and DemiVeemon were picked up by their respective partners.

Rushing out of the building and through the streets, it didn't even take them long to run into TK, who had been waiting for them halfway to Odaiba Harbor. He wasn't alone, though, Ken, Yolei, Cody and their respective Digimon partner being with him.

"Before you even ask - I was visiting Yolei and Cody when TK suddenly appeared and told us that there's a Digimon at the harbor. I have to say, it really comes in handy to live in the same building - But that is not important right now. Any idea what we are up against?" asked Ken the moment that they caught up to Tai, Davis and Kari, who hadn't even stopped running for a second.

"No idea - But I'd say it can breathe fire." snorted Tai in a moment of irritation and sarcasm.

"Oh really? What gave you the idea, Tai?" shot TK back, happy that he and Tai were on good terms, despite the snappy things they threw back and forth once in a while lately - Mostly because either one, or both of them were frustrated with the situation at hand. In a sense, TK was continuing what his brother hand once started; back in the days, it used to be Tai and Matt who constantly argued, after all.

"Do you think it's another Digimon with a black datachip?" inquired Yolei, ignoring TK and Tai, focusing on the others instead.

"I'm not sure." replied Cody, before exchanging a glance with Ken, confirming that he had been about to say the same thing, "But if it is, we might see that LadyDevimon again. And if she really isn't one of the bad guys, she might be able to answer some of our questions."

"It's Lilithmon." growled Davis, making his team turn towards him while they still kept running towards the harbor, where the flames danced against the dark sky, "Gennai recognized that golden claw of hers to belong to Lilithmon, so it's not unlikely that this LadyDevimon and Lilithmon of the Seven Great Demon Lords are one and the same Digimon."

"I thought you were asleep when Izzy told us that?" snorted Tai over his shoulder.

"You give me way too less credit, Tai. I wasn't asleep. I was resting my eyes and dozing a little, but not asleep. I was interested in what you guys would talk about, after all. And I just saved Izzy from explaining the whole thing again." chuckled Davis in return.

"Well, a little more detail would be nice..." muttered Yolei under her breath, but decided to ask Izzy to explain the thing with LadyDevimon again, after all. It wasn't that she didn't trust Davis, it was just that she didn't trust the completeness of his information.

"We still have a problem, though." growled Cody, just before he came to a stop. The others followed his example, and followed his gaze. Right in front of them was the harbor in question - Still ablaze, the walls of fire reaching high up into the black night sky.

The newscaster hadn't been lying when she had said that it was a sea of flames.

"If there is a Digimon in there... How do we get in?" asked the youngest of the group, the question lingering in the air as they all watched the flames dance, mocking them.

---

With Takato, earlier that evening...

"Digi-Modify! High Speed Plug-In D!"

You have no idea how great it feels to shout that again after so long, slashing a card through my D-Power, waiting for it's effect to affect Guilmon. Seeing how the movements of my partner speed up, I felt my lips curling up into a smile, and my right hand clench my D-Power tighter than before, the tag with the crest of hatred that dangled on my wrist making soft noises whenever it hit the D-Power in my hand.

"It's still working!" I exclaimed in glee, watching Guilmon run back and forth. He stopped rather quickly, though, and walked over to me, the speed wearing off when he willed it to. He didn't even have to say a thing – Seeing him stand in front of me with that desperate expression, I nodded.

He was just as willing to try this as I was. We both knew how important it was to get Megidramon under control.

"Are you ready, Guilmon? We haven't tried to use Megidramon yet, and this will actually be the first time that you digivolve into Megidramon on the normal way... I don't even know how to do this, but I have my theories." I muttered, moving my D-Power from my right hand to my left, while also clenching my right hand tightly around the tag with the crest of hatred inside.

"Ready, Takatomon." replied my partner, nodding. I nodded as well, before moving the D-Power back to my right hand, letting the crest of hatred rest against it's backside. I rose the D-Power and pointed it at Guilmon, who nodded again to reassure me – And then, I focused my anger into my right hand, into the Digital Hazard.

Immediately, the sign showed up on the back of my hand. The crest of hatred, trapped in between my D-Power and my palm, began to glow in the same sinister crimson. My theory proved itself to be right when the sinister light, once glowing as bright as it could, enveloped the D-Power as well.

It changed color immediately, the white and golden D-Power turning crimson, the screen turning a bright white, sending out a ray that hit Guilmon's chest. The Digital Hazard sign on it changed from black to a flashing crimson, indicating that it was awoken – Yet not the same way as it had been back then in the Megidramon Incident, as it didn't threaten the world around it – And considering that the screen of my cellphone wasn't showing a flashing Hazard sign, it didn't affect the Digital World either.

It did affect Guilmon, however. The details of his body got lost when he began to glow a mixture of crimson and white from within, his shape changing, growing in size. In just a few seconds, his shape had turned into that of Growlmon, but didn't stop growing, turning into the more bulky shape of Wargrowlmon – And suddenly grew incredibly fast.

"Guilmon... Warp-Digivolve to..."

His tail and his legs fused into a single snake-like body, this body expanding rapidly in length until it exceeded the length of his torso by several times. The tip of his tail gathered energy for a moment, before bursting apart into the stacked blade that he had once threatened to impale Beelzemon with. His mechanical chest melted into his body, becoming the familiar plate that was Megidramon's chest, displaying the Digital Hazard proudly in a deep red.

The mechanical blades on the outer sides of his forearms changed their shape and angle, becoming part of his body rather than being part of the mechanical armor around his arms, and were covered in crimson and white scales. The size of his head increased greatly, turning into the huge muzzle of the apocalyptic dragon.

I watched as what seemed to be ribs broke through his back and laid around his chest, attaching themselves to the plate on his chest. Two mighty and torn wings followed right after that, breaking through his back as well, enveloping his gigantic shape. Energy gathered at his shoulders, turning into the armor that covered his shoulders and proudly presented my crest as well.

The last few additions appeared - Horns all over his head, his claws grew in size and his talons turned into a sickening gray - before the armored giant that now towered above me finally opened his eyes.

And revealed two crimson glowing orbs.

"...Megidramon!"

Immediately realizing that something must have gone wrong, I let my whole body fall backwards - No second to late, as Megidramon's large claw tried to grab me, and the blade attached to his forearm missed my by mere inches.

"Guilmon?!" I shouted, sitting on the hard ground, looking up at the huge Digimon above me.

"Something went wrong...! This wasn't supposed to happen! It wasn't supposed to happen last time, and it wasn't supposed to happen now!" shot through my head as I quickly began to crawl - still on my back - away from him, "I should've known that he wasn't going to be himself, should've known the moment that the Digital Hazard on his chest was a deep red instead of black!"

My body was moving on it's own before I knew, but it wasn't Hazaado who was controlling it, it was my own fear, as well as my instincts. The countless battles I had against D-Reaper or rogue Digimon as Gallantmon repeated themselves before my eyes as I dove for cover, hiding from the huge dragon behind a blue shipping container, glaring around it's corner at my rogue partner.

"Great... Now I have to get him back under control - again! But why didn't it work? Why was Hazaado wrong?!"

"Megiddo Flame!"

Seeing Megidramon lower his head to the ground, his claws effortlessly crushing two of the shipping containers before him when he leaned onto them, I quickly pulled my head back and fell back into the container I was hiding behind. The torrent of flames that was unleashed from Megidramon's jaws rushed by, illuminating the dark harbor in flickering lights, turning night into day.

The container I hid in, as well as several others, groaned under the heat that was threatening to melt them, while others weren't as lucky, and melted upon coming in contact with the flames. In the distance, I heard something explode, something that must've got caught in the torrent of flames, and silently admitted how glad I was that the harbor had been empty at this hour.

Safe for me and my partner, that was.

The torrent of flames stopped, but I knew that I couldn't just go back to the corner and peek around it. Not only wasn't much left of it but a glowing puddle of molten steel on the ground - Megidramon was out there, and was going on a rampage.

"I can only hope no one notices that... Okay, you can hardly notice a gigantic fire at the harbor, but I hope they don't see Megidramon!" I thought, silently wishing that I hadn't listened to Hazaado.

Speaking of which, he saved my life again that moment.

My own hand lashed out at me and grabbed me by the collar, pulling my head down with it - Just as the container I was in let out a loud shriek as the blade on Megidramon's tail cut through it at the height that my head had been seconds before.

With the container collapsing, I was forced to leave it as quick as possible - even if it meant to give away my position to my partner-turned-enemy-again.

Rushing out of the darkness and back into the now illuminated harbor, I was confronted with the damages that Megidramon had done in just a single moment. The harbor was ablaze, walls of fire everywhere, puddles of molten containers, remains of containers that Megidramon had cut apart with the single swipe of his tail - And Megidramon himself, towering above me.

"Ta...Kato..."

It was just like back in the Celestial Plane. It was just like then. Guilmon didn't have control of himself anymore, wasn't able to handle the immense rage that...

My eyes widened in realization.

It was the rage that came with using the Digital Hazard. It was just like with me! Whenever I used the powers of the Hazard, I was feeling some kind of unexplainable anger - Only was I using that now to fuel the Digital Hazard, which was exactly what Hazaado intended me to do with it: Feed him. While it meant that I gave him power, it also allowed me to calm a little and stay rational.

If Guilmon would do the same, then he should be able to control himself again... But how should Guilmon do that? I myself could only do it because I was the Digital Hazard's host. I could only do that by focusing my entire anger, rage, wrath and hatred into the Digital Hazard on the back of my right hand, which seemed to be the spot it was located at. Guilmon didn't possess the Digital Hazard himself, the one on his chest was only an indication that he possessed a link to the original Digital Hazard, which was inside of me...

Link? Wait, link as in 'emotional bond'? Link as in 'the thing that Guilmon and I had used before to synchronize our movements against Mihiramon or against Vikaralamon'?!

I ducked behind another container when Megidramon's right claw came down on me, watched in silent frustration as it ripped through the concrete like a hot knife through butter. The dragon let out a scream that threatened to pierce my eardrums, but then retreated back to his original position, and instead curled his tail around the crane that I had shown Guilmon earlier.

"This isn't going to be pretty... We never tried to synchronize while feeling different things, we never tried to move emotions in between us, but... This could work. This has to work. It's the only way." I thought as I glared up at Megidramon again.

Swallowing the knot that formed in my throat, I glared down at the Digital Hazard on the back of my hand for just a second, then back up Megidramon again, this time with newfound desperation.

"Guilmon! Do you remember our bond? You know, when we two think and do the same?!" I called out to the apocalyptic dragon, hoping to reach Guilmon inside him once again, "I need you to use that right now... And force all this anger that you feel into me! Don't even try to hold back - Just do it! Give me all your ang...ARGH!"

I was cut short when Megidramon suddenly activated the bond, and indeed did as he was told. What came next was anything but pleasant - Images flooded my mind, emotions... Anger. Immense anger. A huge amount of it, nothing like I had ever felt before.

It hurt to feel it, hurt to see the images, hurt to see everything from Megidramon's point of view - To see Odaiba Harbor from above, the harbor covered in flames, my own body cowering on the ground in the middle of it.

Fighting against the anger that was flooding my mind, threatening to blow my head up with a huge headache that it caused, I fought the pain and clenched my hands, my nails grinding across the concrete.

"Hope this'll... Please you, Hazaado... You gluttonous..." I couldn't even finish the thought, unable to move my body any longer due to the immense pain I was experiencing. I still managed to move my eyes, still managed to glare at the Digital Hazard on the back of my right hand - And still managed to force all the anger that came from Megidramon into it.

Almost immediately, almost as if in glee, the Digital Hazard lit up in crimson light and began to spin on the spot. I couldn't avert my gaze from it, could only watch as the whole process from earlier that day repeated itself - The upper left triangle began to melt again, a new line drawing itself onto the back of my hand. A second circle, bigger than the last one, connecting the edges of the outer triangles of the Digital Hazard.

In just a single day, the Digital Hazard within me had evolved two times, just through my anger... And that of Guilmon. Or rather, Megidramon.

Still glaring at the Digital Hazard on the back of my hand, I noticed that the sleeve of my hoodie was now crimson. Looking down at my chest and the rest of my body, I quickly realized that I was now in the clothes that I had been wearing in the Digital World now ever since ending up in this Quadrant. I was wearing what I called 'the Hazard Gear'.

"Takatomon, are you okay?" I heard the deep, growling voice of Megidramon from above me. It kind of sounded like Guilmon, only without the childishness, and with a hint of anger in it. Most of this anger was taken from him though – It was now flowing through me directly into the Digital Hazard.

"I'm... okay, I guess." I growled, pushing myself up onto my feet, taking notice of how wobbly my legs were, "What about you?"

"I'm okay now. Thanks to you, Takatomon." growled Megidramon affectionately, lowering his head until it rested on the ground before me. It must have been a strange scene, Megidramon and me caring for each other in the middle of a destroyed, burning harbor, but I couldn't care any less...

Megidramon rose his head again, lifted it until he was at his full height again, before lowering his entire body and extending his right claw towards me, careful and slow, as if he was using it for the first time.

Careful, as if afraid to hurt me accidentally, as if I was a doll, he picked me up and carried me on his claw. He gently put me down on his head, waited until I was holding onto one of his horns, before lowering his claw and looking around.

"I'm not sure what I'm feeling, Takatomon, but it is... I almost feel like we are Gallantmon, but stronger, in a different way than Gallantmon is." I heard Megidramon's voice from below me, his entire head vibrating as his mighty voice hollered from his throat.

I moved on his head, careful to not fall down, and climbed down his neck using the horns along his jaw, before I stopped on his shoulder in between his neck and his shoulder blade, using the shoulder armor to hold onto.

"It's because Megidramon is your true Mega-Level. You digivolved the... I guess you could call it the 'correct way'. You don't need to rely on me to keep your Mega-Level, it's entirely your own power, and the Digital Hazard allowing you to digivolve to Mega." I replied, voicing the only explanation I could come up with.

"I still rely on you, Takatomon! We're partners!" cried Megidramon, and despite his voice being no longer that of Guilmon, it held a childishness to it at this cry. I couldn't help but chuckle at this, enjoying the fact that Guilmon never really changed. So I had been right back then... Despite everything, Megidramon was still Guilmon deep down.

Megidramon was still Guilmon, my partner.

Our short moment of victory, the glee over our achievement of being able to control Megidramon, was cut short that moment, though, by the arrival of someone I hadn't thought of.

"There it is, Davis!"

The voice of Raidramon from our left made me freeze in shock, and Megidramon turn his head into that direction. Glancing past his neck, careful as not to be seen by the DigiDestined, I hoped that it was only Davis and Raidramon.

Too bad that my hopes were destroyed.

Raidramon was jumping through the flames, using his speed and high jumps to not get burned, or endanger Davis, Cody and Amardillomon, who sat on his back. Stingmon flew above their heads, holding Ken in his arms, much like Angewomon held Kari, and TK and Yolei sitting on Pegasusmon's and Aquilamon's backs respectively. And, as if to make things even worse, the heavy steps announced Greymon's return, even before he broke through the walls of flames, Tai on his head.

The dinosaur's height paled in comparison to Megidramon, though, the apocalyptic dragon towering above him, and thus, luckily, making it hard for them to spot me under Megidramon's shoulder-armor. Even those in the air wouldn't just see me, and yet I quickly pulled the hood of the my now crimson hoodie up, hoping that it would hide my identity even if someone were to see me.

"What kind of Digimon is that? It's huge!" I heard Yolei shout, but this shout was interrupted by Davis'sterrified scream.

"Everyone! Look at it's chest!" bellowed the leader of the second generation, leaning over Raidramon's head to point at the chest of my partner. Of course, the Digital Hazard – Davis had seen it before, and recognized it! They all had seen it!

"Wait... If that's the Digital Hazard, then this Dragon Digimon is..." began TK, glaring over Pegasusmon's head – Before the flying Digimon suddenly changed it's course and brought distance between itself and Megidramon.

"Megidramon...!" finished Ken in awe, his eyes wide as he mustered my partner.

"Megidramon? That's impossible! Gennai said that Megidramon is the embodiment of the Digital Hazard, and that it's existence alone would destroy the Digital World! That can't be Megidramon...!" snarled TK.

"Either way – It's destroying the harbor, and we're need to stop it." I heard Tai reason, and silently cursed to myself. So much for training to use Megidramon...

"We need to get out of here, without hurting them. And please don't say anything – We can't let them know about us just now." I murmured, knowing that Megidramon would be able to hear me. The huge dragon seemed to hear me, as he did move right after I finished, changing his position so that he could look down on the DigiDestined and their partners.

"Can you control your powers enough to take them out, without hurting them too much?" I asked, patting the neck of my partner.

"Thunderbolt!" announced Raidramon, his horn glowing in lightning, before sending it right at Megidramon. The bolt of lightning bounced off Megidramon's chest, though, without doing any damage at all.

"That's not going to work. That thing is a Mega-Level, like the other four Dragon Gods. It won't be defeated by something like that!" shouted Cody, climbing off Raidramon with Armadillomon following him. Angewomon quickly put Kari down, and then helped Ken and Yolei down to the ground as well, without Stingmon and Aquilamon being forced to land.

"TK! We need Shakkoumon!" shouted the youngest member of the DigiDestined, looking up to the flying Pegasusmon and TK. TK nodded, gesturing Pegasusmon to change his course – But Megidramon and I were not going to let that happen.

With surprising speed, given his size, Megidramon rushed past Angewomon, and swung his claw at Pegasusmon. For a second, it seemed like it was going to work, throwing the Digimon out of the air – But then, Aquilamon flew over my head, tackling the side of Megidramon's head, throwing the dragon off balance.

Pegasusmon got away that way, but Aquilamon didn't. Megidramon turned his head towards the bird, opened his gigantic jaws, a bright light already glowing in the depths of his throat. For some reason, I knew that the following attack was going to be weak and wasn't going to hurt Aquilamon too badly, I trusted Guilmon, and thus didn't interfere, even as Megidramon announced the name of his attack.

"Megiddo Flame!"

A huge torrent of flames was released from his jaws, shooting up into the dark heaven, heating up the air around it, and hitting Aquilamon's right wing. The bird let out a loud cry, before changing it's course towards the ground to land, unable to fly any longer with his wing ablaze.

"Celestial Arrow!" resounded a strong, female voice – right before Angewomon's arrow of light hit the side of Megidramon's head, making the dragon twitch. It wasn't really surprising to see a strong ultimate-level Digimon like Angewomon doing at least a little bit of damage to Megidramon – However, it also reassured me that we needed to get out of there as quick as possible.

Megidramon seemed to think the same, as he turned his head towards his new attacker, and lashed his tail at the angel. She didn't see the tail coming in time, and like a whip, it slammed into her side, throwing her down at the ground. She impacted with the concrete hard enough to immediately de-digivolve back into Gatomon, leaving me in awe of Megidramon's enormous strength.

The dragon I stood upon suddenly turned his upper body around and opened his jaws, sending another Megiddo Flame at Stingmon, who had tried to sneak up from behind. The green Digimon rolled out of the way of the flame, but into the reach of Megidramon's quick tail, which lashed out and curled around him.

Throwing Stingmon at Aquilamon, which had just been about to lift off now that the burning wing had been extinguished, Megidramon managed to defeat the two of them at once, both de-digivolving back to their Rookie-Level.

"Damn it!" cursed Davis, "Ken, we should've used Imperialdramon!" The genius of the group nodded, knowing that he should've called back his partner instead of letting him attack Megidramon. Now that Stingmon was defeated, there was no chance that they could use Imperialdramon...

"Raidramon! Your turn!" shouted the leader of the second generation, watching his partner nod and turn into a lightning bolt. It slammed at full force into Megidramon's chest, but just bounced off it, letting out a deep growl that indicated that it had just hurt itself rather than Megidramon.

"Just what is that thing made of? None of our attacks seem to work at all! They are just bouncing off it!" shouted Kari, tending to a defeated Gatomon. The cat had opened her eyes again, but was glaring weakly at my partner.

Looking down at my hand, the Digital Hazard and it's now two circles still shining on it, I let out a small sigh – And felt myself smile. Megidramon really was going to be a great help, seeing as weak attacks couldn't even damage him. It seemed that it took a powerful ultimate-level Digimon like Angewomon to even scratch him...

Suddenly, Megidramon shook violently, causing me to lose balance for a moment, almost falling off him. Glancing past the shoulder-armor that I had hidden behind, I found Shakkoumon right in front of Megidramon, his hands entwined with Megidramon's claws, the two giants trying to overpower each other.

It seemed that Patamon and Armadillomon had used the chance for a DNA-Digivolve... This was going to make things more complicated, since Shakkoumon held the strength of at least an Ultimate.

I glared over my shoulder, just feeling the need to do so, and found Megidramon's gigantic wings right behind me. Realizing this could be our way out, I turned to my partner again.

"Can you fly with your wings?" I asked, eying the torn appendages. With those holes in them, though, it was questionable. Megidramon didn't reply, though, and I remembered that moment that I had told him not to talk. Seeing him shake his head, though, I knew that he had meant me.

"It's no use..." I muttered, glancing towards the other giant again, "We need to use a little force, after all. It's only Shakkoumon, Raidramon and Greymon now..."

Megidramon seemed to understand my notion, as he opened his jaws and released the hot torrent of flames from the depths of his throat that moment, right into the face of the huge Digimon that it was fighting against.

"Megiddo Flame!"

His head still covered in the torrent of flames, Shakkoumon immediately let go of Megidramon and stumbled backwards, reaching up to his face. Megidramon used that opening in Shakkoumon's defense, and moved in for a headbutt.

That was too much for the giant Digimon. Megidramon's hard head, covered in horns, slammed into his face – And sent him falling backwards. And that was when I spotted her, standing right in the shadow of the falling Digimon, her eyes wide and her mouth wide open.

Kari was standing right where Shakkoumon would crush her.

"No no no no! No one was supposed to come to harm! This wasn't supposed to happening!" shot through my head, and I quickly lifted my right hand, holding the palm towards Kari in an attempt to come up with something that would somehow save her. But despite the fact that my mind was racing, nothing seemed to make sense, and nothing would save her.

Megidramon seemed to have noticed it as well, as he quickly moved his tail and curled it around the gigantic Digimon to stop him from falling, but it was that moment that face chose to be working against us, as MetalGreymon, not having seen the danger that Kari was in, slammed into Megidramon's side, making him howl in pain and send him, and with that me, falling to the left, away from Shakkoumon.

"Kari!" I heard Yolei scream, but couldn't see anything anymore, Megidramon's shoulder-armor in between me and the horrible scene. Megidramon quickly regained his balance and turned to the DigiDestined in hope to prevent the worst...

But we were too late.

Too late to interfere with Shakkoumon falling onto Kari. Were too late to rescue her.

Because she already had been rescued.

I rose an eyebrow at the scene, stared at the sight before me. There he was, Shakkoumon, laying on his back, not moving a single bit. It was a small surprise that he hadn't separated into Patamon and Armadillomon, but then again, he did hold a lot of endurance within that hard body of his.

But it wasn't Shakkoumon that was out of place. It was Davis, lying on top of Kari just aside Shakkoumon's arm, holding her close as they both were breathing heavily, Kari just staring up into the heaven above.

"D-Davis?" she whispered eventually after a moment in which no one dared to move. Even MetalGreymon, who could've easily landed a few hits on Megidramon, didn't move and just watched as the others approached Kari and Davis.

I watched as well, watched as Davis rose from the ground and grinned, holding a hand out to Kari to help her up. She was still staring at him with wide eyes, surprised at what had just happened. She eventually took the hand that Davis extended to her – And found herself surprised when he pulled her up, and into a tight embrace.

"Davis?" she asked again, unsure at what was happening. I, for my part, knew what Davis felt that moment, and silently grinned at the thought that the crest of courage was in good hands, seeing the courage that Davis had displayed just now, throwing himself into the line of danger in hope of saving Kari, his beloved.

He would've done it for everyone, I felt and knew that. It came with being the leader, always looking out for the others, giving his own life for them. That it was Kari, for who Davis obviously held feelings for, had only made him more desperate to save her.

Looking back, I had felt the same when D-Reaper had threatened Jeri's life. However, it had been, unlike the others believed at that time, not been love that made me so desperate to save Jeri. If anything, the only love I felt for her was the kind of love you felt for a sibling. Jeri and I had grown up together, had spent so much time with each other, that we had become something like siblings.

So me being so desperate to save her had only been because I felt like D-Reaper was holding my sister captive. The sister that I never had, the sister that Jeri had become to me. I knew she felt the same about me.

Actually, I don't think I ever felt that kind of love that the others believed me to feel for Jeri back then, for anyone until now. I was still young, and had never cared for a girl in that way until now. The deepest kind of affection that I had ever felt for a girl was what I felt for Jeri...

And yet I understood the reason as for Davis was so worked up about.

"Thank you, Davis..." whispered Kari eventually, returning the embrace she was trapped in. I grinned as I saw that, silently noting that the two of them did look cute together, but kept that to myself, and instead patted Megidramon's neck.

"We're done here. Let's go, before they..." I began, smiling to myself. However, my attempt at an escape was cut short when something impacted with Megidramon's chest – Two claws, one of them made of metal, held onto Megidramon's chest.

"You're not going to escape! You nearly killed my sister, you...!" roared Tai in anger, standing atop MetalGreymon's shoulder, glaring at Megidramon... And then, our eyes met. I saw how his eyes widened in shock, seeing a human being standing atop the apocalyptic dragon's shoulder.

Knowing in what a dire situation I was in if anyone were to recognize me, I quickly pulled the hood deeper, hoping that it would hide my face.

"Megidramon, we need to get out of here... Now!" I hissed, not caring about my volume anymore. Megidramon seemed to realize how bad the situation had just turned, and quickly opened his jaws, ready to release another Megiddo Flame at MetalGreymon. However, having learned from his friends, MetalGreymon countered quickly, the lid on his chest opening to release a single rocket.

Megidramon let out a shriek as the rocket exploded on impact with his chest, but it didn't leave MetalGreymon unscathed, as he was too close to Megidramon, and got enveloped in the explosion as well.

Megidramon, ignoring his pain, used the moment of MetalGreymon's weakness and broke free of the dinosaur's grasp and flapped his torn wings once. The gust of wind that was created that way pushed MetalGreymon backwards, and at the same time, it pushed Megidramon away from MetalGreymon.

We came dangerously close to the edge of the harbor and the water, but Megidramon used his tail to hold onto the crane, much like he had done earlier. Stopping his movements that way, he immediately changed back to offensive, going right at MetalGreymon, headbutting him into the stomach.

Pushing MetalGreymon in front of him that way across the entire harbor, knocking MetalGreymon through containers and whatever else came into the way, I came face-to-face with Tai again, who still held onto the dinosaur's shoulder.

He glared at me, and I saw that he was trying to see my face beneath the hood, but I wouldn't let him, and lowered my head even further. I saw that Tai was about to leap over onto Megidramon's shoulder and start a brawl with me, but he was stopped before he even could do such a thing, when Megidramon swung his right claw forwards at MetalGreymon, slamming the Dinosaur-Digimon with the metallic body parts into a tower of containers.

Tai fell off his partner's shoulder when the Ultimate impacted with the tower of containers – And could consider himself to be lucky to have done so, as the tower of containers collapsed onto MetalGreymon, burying it underneath colorful containers.

Seeing this as our chance to escape finally, I patted Megidramon's neck again and gestured towards the city, even though I knew that he couldn't see me on his shoulder. Megidramon complied more than happily, and wriggled his snake-like body through the containers, escaping from the DigiDestined. The last thing I heard of them that evening was how they were screaming that they couldn't let Megidramon, who was said to be one of the most dangerous Digimon in existence, reach the city.

If they only knew...

Once we had passed the last wall of fire, and had left the harbor that way, I quickly deactivated the Digital Hazard, taking away all of the negative emotions that I was feeding it with. Immediately, Megidramon's shape changed and shrunk, meaning that he was de-digivolving back into Guilmon, something that I was more than happy about.

But, as I watched my partner turn back, I couldn't help but realize that I didn't hate the prospect of Megidramon being Guilmon's Mega-Level anymore. I couldn't help but notice that the thought of the apocalyptic dragon, or the mention of his name, didn't stun me in fear.

If anything, I enjoyed the idea of being Megidramon's partner... He was just as much part of Guilmon as Growlmon or Wargrowlmon were, after all. I had to accept all about my partner, I had to trust him fully, just as much as he was trusting me.

After all, it was our trust in one another that had allowed us to tame Megidramon.

I'm not saying that lost all of my fear of Megidramon... The trauma is still there, and I still feel a little spark of fear when I thought about how Guilmon and I would have to train him as Megidramon again. I didn't like the thought of making Guilmon digivolve into Megidramon unless necessary, but knew that it was just another aspect of my training with the Digital Hazard.

After all, during the entire time that Guilmon would be Megidramon, I would have to keep the Digital Hazard active, and would have to feed it with not only my hatred, but that of Megidramon as well. Unless I wanted Megidramon to go on a rampage again, that was, and I certainly didn't want that again.

As Gigimon and I entered my apartment, I smiled at the red ball in my arms, and he smiled right back. Despite how the evening had turned out, our bond was now undeniably stronger than before. I had come to see another side of Guilmon, and had come to accept it, and Guilmon was, even if he didn't voice it, happy about that.

Our bond was stronger than before now, and I knew that exactly that would be necessary if we wanted to master the abilities of the Digital Hazard, and defeat the virus that was Hazaado's archenemy.

Archenemy...

I think that's what I'll call the virus, our enemy, from now on. Archenemy. He is Hazaado's archenemy... And with that, mine and Guilmon's as well.

"Takatomon..." began Gigimon suddenly with his cute voice, "...I'm hungry."

"Aw come on!" I exclaimed, looking down at the red ball in my arms, "You can't be serious!"

To my surprise, Gigimon giggled at this.

"I am not serious. But somehow, I felt like I should say that, Takatomon." giggled my partner, before jumping out of my arms and bouncing over to the couch. Looking after him, I couldn't help but smile and shake my head. I knew what he was talking about... Saying something like that, it made me feel, for the first time since I had come to this Quadrant, at home...

With another shake of my head, chuckling to myself, I made my way to the bedroom, scratching the back of my neck. For some reason, I was really looking forward to the next day... The prospect of working with the Digital Hazard, which wasn't so bad after all, of working with Megidramon, who I had come to accept as another part of Guilmon, and telling Lilithmon of what transpired that day, all that made me smile.

Things were getting better again. I was back on the right track. Starting tomorrow, I would do my very best again. With the help of Guilmon. And Hazaado. And Lilithmon.

If things wouldn't suddenly change back to the worst... Then soon, I'd be back in my own Quadrant.

Just you wait, Rika... I'll be back, and then you're going to have the best birthday you ever had...

Just you wait...

---

And that's the end of the chapter you were waiting for.

Guilmon is back, Hazaado is going to train Takato, Megidramon is under control. After the rather dark chapter this time, this got a lighter feeling to it towards the end, right? Well, now that this is over, and Takato is finally a Tamer again, things will be more intense from now on.

We're traveling further and further into the second arc – Actually, we're reaching it's second half now. And things are going to be intense now.

You were wondering about the virus, the enemy, Archenemy, right? Well, who knows how soon he might appear?

That being said, please wait patiently for the next chapter. I won't promise any monthly updates any longer, but I'm positive I'll be done with the next chapter somewhere in January.