Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy.

Chapter Nine: Adman Hows

Just as Jeri and Takato were finishing up their dinner something peculiar happened. All of the sudden the area directly in front of them burst into a thick and heavy fog.

Takato was all too familiar with this phenomenon. He stood from the bench in a panic. "A Digimon is bio-emerging!"

Jeri held his arm tight. "We can't go in there. You don't have Guilmon with you."

Takato pulled free. "I can't sit here. Do you have a cell phone?"

Jeri nodded a yes. "In case of emergencies."

Takato began walking into the mist, calling back, "This definitely qualifies. Call Rika and Henry."

Jeri pulled out her phone as Takato was swept out of view by the thickness of the mist. She began to dial on the phone when a strong black-gloved hand rested reassuringly on her shoulder. She looked to the owner and saw a man slightly older than Takato wearing sunglasses in the dark of night. He smiled a calm smile that seemed unfitting of the man.

He spoke to her in a cool and controlled voice, "Don't worry about him. I got this."

With that the stranger walked calmly into the fog of a digital field after her friend. She continued calling Rika, just to be sure.


Takato pushed deeper into the fog with absolutely no clue as to why. The park was always a hot spot for young couples at night, but what could he do to save them from a wild Digimon? He didn't even have his goggles to help him see. He was defenseless, clueless and flying completely blind. He didn't even have his Digivice. Still his instinct forced him onward as he knew that if even one person got hurt while he was waiting for backup to arrive he could never live with himself. He cut through the fog and found a clearing in the tree cover where the fog wasn't quite as thick. Then he saw what he really didn't want to. A giant red Digimon was standing in the center of the clearing. Recently emerged Digimon were often confused or frightened by the new change of scenery. The human world and Digital world were very different and the transition often made the Digimon agitated. The red dinosaur stood about twenty feet tall and was almost the same color as Guilmon. Small green plates stuck out of the creatures back in a single file line every few feet from the back of the skull to the tip of the tail. The massive red monster had a white belly and three long white claws on both hands and feet. Takato wasn't as good at identifying Digimon as Henry or Rika, but even without his Digivice he knew this one by heart. Tyrannomon: champion level. He could breathe fire and slash through enemies with those giant claws. The tail was a danger too. Just as Takato was about to run for cover he heard someone approaching. The black boots made almost no sound against the grass, but Takato's senses were on edge. The man in black that he had encountered the day before stepped through the fog and Takato knew his problems had gone from bad to worse. Adman. That's what Rika said his name was.

Adman walked casually up to Takato; ignoring the giant Digimon not fifty feet away. "Gee what weird weather we've been having lately, huh?"

Takato wasn't sure if the man was joking or if Adman really hadn't noticed the Digimon yet.

Before Takato could say a single word Aman continued in an apologetic manner. "Hey listen. Takato, right? I just wanted to say I'm sorry about yesterday and everything. It was all just a big misunderstanding and I didn't want that to be our last meeting for a while. So I'm here to make it up to you. If there's anything I can do, and I mean anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Adman tipped his head to the right and started looking skyward, as if just noticing the Digimon for the first time. His tone changed to one similar to what professionals would use when discussing how to deal with a problem in the trade. "Wow, that's a big one!"

He tilted his head back to Takato and motioned to the dinosaur. "You wanna take this one?"

Takato couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was clearly in a really bad way and this guy was wondering if he wanted 'to take this one'.

All Takato could manage to say was, "I don't have Guilmon with me."

The man tilted his head back to the dinosaur after Takato's statement. "That could be a problem. I guess I'll take this one."

The dark Tamer cracked his knuckles and popped his neck both way before stepping forward; calling back to Takato, "Don't worry, you can take the next one. Now step back and watch the master work."

Adman stepped forward until he was about fifteen feet from the massive dinosaur. He locked eyes with it and unsheathed his sword. The beast glared at him and growled, obviously on edge at the proximity of this new and strange creature.

Adman ignored this and instead called up to the creature in a commanding tone, "First let me say, welcome to Earth. Congratulations. You've made it to the human world. That being said I'm going to have to ask you to return to your world of origin. Now you can do this two ways. Break yourself back down into data and slip back through the stream you entered through or I can delete you and hope that you reform correctly back on the other side. Either way you have to get through me if you want to remain here."

The dinosaur growled and a low guttural voice came from deep within the beast, "Well then I choose to fight for my freedom."

Adman brought his sword up in the swordsman's ready stance. "As you wish."

The Digimon's eyes flashed red for a split second. Fire erupted from the mouth of the beast. The same guttural voice roared out, "Blaze blast!"

Adman didn't move as the fireball came roaring right for him.


Takato watched as the fireball was launched and then exploded onto Adman. The smoke and fog obscured the view, but Takato knew the man was dead. Somehow Takato felt sorry for the man. He had given his life so that the young Takato didn't have to risk his. Takato whispered a silent prayer for the fallen warrior. Then the smoke cleared and he saw something he couldn't believe. Adman was still standing! The young man didn't have a scratch on him. The blast was completely blocked by a thick metal disk that had formed in front of the dark Tamer.

With a smile still on his face Adman issued the order, "Shield down", to his digital partner.

The six coils that were Shadowmon's main weapon slowly slithered back into Adman's shoulders. Shadowmon had quickly sent the coils out and compacted them together in a circular formation so tightly that they had formed an impromptu shield in front of the Tamer capable of taking the blast.

Adman spun his sword slightly. "My turn. Juice me, good buddy."

A single spike left from the blackness of Adman's jacket, just below the right shoulder. It slithered down Adman's right arm and then grasped onto the handle of the sword. The cable and spike seemed to melt inside of the blade until there was the illusion that the blade was directly connected to the cable, which was in turn connected to Adman's back. The blade began to glow and pulse with raw power. Adman's right arm began to bulge and the sleeve of the leather jacket became tight as the muscles of the dark Tamer flexed.

Adman growled out his own personal attack, a direct response to the assault that Tyrannomon had just launched at him, "Fusion slash!"

Adman cut his blade through the air in one single rapid slash, his body never moving from where his feet had been planted. Either the energy that was being fed to the blade was released or the shockwave that followed the absolute speed of the slash formed into a massive single cut on Tyrannomon. Either way Tyrannomon was cut. Adman's slash went from lower left to upper right and Tyrannomon suffered the deep slash that corresponded from the cut. Takato couldn't believe that a human could do this. The Tyrannomon was hurt, but not dead. It began to fall backwards from the force of the attack. Adman quickly sheathed his blade as the cable detached. The Tyrannomon was going to fall back right onto a large section of the parks playground equipment.

Adman reacted quickly, in perfect sync with his partner. "Shadowmon, I don't want any damages done today. I need some cables now!"

Two cords, with the spikes that tipped them shot from Adman's back and wrapped around the falling dinosaur. Adman gripped the cables and began to slowly slide forward under the weight of the creature. The fact that he was able to slow the decent at all was amazing.

Adman seemed to yell to his back, "I'm gonna need grounders. Sink um deep."

Two more cables shot from Adman's lower back and dug into the dirt of the park. This seemed to anchor the dark Tamer and stopped the dinosaurs decent. With a powerful effort the young Tamer, with the aid of his Digimon, yanked the dinosaur forward, keeping it upright. The dinosaur balanced and the cables both in the ground and around the dinosaur returned and disappeared into Adman's back. The dinosaur desperately tried to focus on the warrior, but in the daze state it was in even that was hard.

Adman made a gesture for peace. "Ready to reconsider yet?"

The dinosaur's eyes began to glow red again. Adman braced himself as the shield began to form. From out of nowhere a yellow blur, only about six feet tall, slammed into the dinosaur's left cheek with a jump kick. It was so powerful and the Digimon it hit was so dazed already that the giant red dinosaur toppled down into the grass. The Digimon that delivered the kick did a back flip after pushing off from the kick and landed next to Adman. From out of the fog a girl in a white sweater approached the yellow Digimon. The white sweater with the pink trim and buttons were unfamiliar to Adman. The white boots, and cream colored pants were also a surprise to him, but the fiery red hair pulled up in a ponytail was an unmistakable trademark of the one and only Rika Nonaka.

Adman nodded his head in greeting to the teenage girl and her yellow fox Digimon, Renamon. "Good to see you two. I'm afraid this is my fight, but I'll gladly let you have this one if you let me discuss this new outfit of yours."

Rika tried to ignore the dark Tamer's comments. "This is our turf. This guy is ours. Back off!"

Adman felt mildly hurt, but tried to act surprised instead. "I saw him first. Besides, you don't own ass whooping rights."

"You obviously don't know me very well. Of course I do."

Renamon interrupted the two as the dinosaur began to right himself again, "There's plenty to go around."

Adman turned his back to the girl and both Digimon. "No, it's ok. This is obviously YOUR turf so YOU can take him all by yourself."

Rika 'humf'ed at him, "Fine then. We will."

Takato called out from somewhere behind a bench, "will one of you just kick this guy's ass! You two can fight later."

Rika's eyes went furious as she glared at the boy now completely concealed by the park bench.

Renamon ignored the bickering and went to work. She leapt into the air and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Dozens of tiny fragmented shards of light formed in front of her. Razor sharp and deadly accurate, they shot out at the call of her primary attack, "Diamond storm!"

The little shards of light covered the red dinosaur and then simultaneously detonated. Adman turned around as smoke wafted through the air. Renamon landed next to her Tamer and griped her still tender arm tightly.

Adman walked over to them, acting as cocky as ever. "I told you not to fight for a few days. Besides, you wouldn't have been able to beat him had I not softened him up for ya."

Renamon fell to one knee to care for her only partially recovered wrist. Although Renamon and Rika didn't see it at first, a giant red tail came from the smoke right in their direction. Rika looked up just as it was nearly upon them. She screamed as fear set in. Renamon was too weak to react quick enough. In an instant the tail fell to the ground, completely severed. Adman now stood right behind the two girls, his blade still out in the follow-through of a masterful cut. He didn't have time to get power from Shadowmon though. This attack was purely human. The dinosaur came bursting out of the smoke in absolute rage as pain threatened to overwhelm it.

Adman sheathed his sword. "Ok, you were right. Let's do this together."

Renamon stood up in an uneasy effort. "I think I have one more attack left in me."

Shadowmon suddenly appeared next to her. "Can I partake in the fun, sir?"

Adman crossed his arms and smiled. "Sure. You two go ahead and steal my spotlight."

The dark Digimon only turned to the dinosaur. "Thank you, sir."

Shadowmon may have had the same shape as Renamon, but his primary attack was very different. His six spikes came out and all pointed at the dinosaur. Every cord was perfectly spaced about three feet from his body and if you were to measure from one point to another each tip would be equally spaced from the next one. The tips began to glow with a powerful light. Renamon repeated her attack, and this time Shadowmon joined in.

"Shadow blaster!" Beams of pure energy fired from the points of the spikes, which cocked backwards after each shot like the recoil from a cannon. Each tiny blast that peppered Tyrannomon ripped clean through and as the two Digimon synchronized their attacks the dinosaur began to dissipate. Adman watched as the body of the Tyrannomon broke up into bits of data which eventually floated away. As the wild Digimon died the digital field disappeared as well. The fog was gone.


Jeri came running to Takato as the coast was made clear. "Is everything ok? Is everybody alright?"

Adman nodded to the girl. "Everyone is just fine."

Takato got up from where he had been watching and approached the group. "You guys did good."

Then Takato thought of something and glared at the dark Tamer. "Was this your doing?"

Adman sat down on the soft grass. "Not me. Though thanks for the vote of confidence."

Rika replied critically, "Can you blame him?"

Renamon collapsed on the ground.

Shadowmon approached her, trying to help, but Adman called him away, "Re-assimilate now. I'll take care of this one."

Renamon moved back as Adman approached.

Before he could get too close to the weak fox Digimon Rika stepped in the way. "I won't let you hurt her."

Adman relaxed his body and pulled a bottle from his sleeve. It was like a glass soda bottle, but corked and filled with a strange pink liquid. "I was just going to give this to her."

Rika took the bottle quickly and eyed it suspiciously. "Oh yeah. What's in it?"

Adman walked away and sat down on the bench Takato had been hiding behind.

He called back to her, "It's concentrated data packets. Old junk data from the Digital world. Give her some. Pour it directly on the wound and she will be just fine in a matter of hours. I don't think she'll let me give it to her. She doesn't trust me much."

Rika turned her back to the man. "Gee, I wonder why?"

Then the warrior said something that startled Rika, "Yeah, but you do. So you give it to her. I promise it will only heal her. Otherwise she'll be too weak to do much for a few."

Rika looked at the bottle and then at Renamon. She couldn't believe she was even considering trusting that guy. After what he did to Renamon she should smash it.

She called back, "What makes you think I trust you?"

Adman replied, "Well you trusted me enough to get into a strange limo because my voice told you to. I haven't B.S.'ed you yet."

Rika looked at her ailing partner. Renamon was exhausted. The wound was hurting the Digimon severely. She could barely keep her eyes open. Rika uncorked the bottle.

Renamon tried to back away. "Get that away from me, Rika." Her voice was desperate, weak and filled with fear.

Rika laid her hand on the foxes head and rubbed it softly, cradling it. "Do you trust me, Renamon?"

The fox forced both her eyes open for just a second. "You know I do."

Rika stroked her friend's head lovingly. "Well I trust him on this. Let me help you."

Renamon struggled for a moment with the thought before finally giving in.

As the liquid was poured onto the affected arm Renamon just stared at her Tamer. "Why do you trust him so much? You'd trust him with my life?"

Rika stopped pouring as the wound began to heal, as if by magic. "I don't know why. I guess I just don't want to see you hurt. And you know I'll do anything to help you. I don't think he wants to hurt anybody today."

Renamon stood up as strength returned to her. "He didn't knock the stuffing out of you."

Rika walked over to the man on the bench and offered the bottle back to the warrior.

He refused it. "Keep it. You might need it again someday, should she get injured again. I'd say she has about two good injuries left in that glass."

Rika looked at the half full vial and then back to the dark Tamer. "Why did you do that? Help her after hurting her?"

Adman sat back farther on the bench, taking of his sunglasses, his eyes closed as he spoke, "I don't really know why. Maybe to prove to myself that I'm not such a bad guy. Maybe because I like her style and it would be a shame to lose such a talented Digimon. I'm just trying to make things right."

Adman opened his eyes once more and Rika could feel his gaze.

Adman finished with some sadness in his voice, "Or maybe I just didn't want your last thoughts of me being all about hurting your poor Digimon. I am not a nice man, miss Nonaka. I am not a good man. But I do have a heart and I try every day to make amends for the sins of the past. Hopefully this is one I don't have to atone for later. I'm sorry for the pain I caused both of you the other day."


Takato walked up to the two. "Listen, I'm going to take Jeri home. You two can talk all you want." He focused on Rika and said in a more serious tone, "Do you need me here?"

Rika pointed out Guilmon's absence, "What exactly could you do, Goggle-head? Even with Guilmon you didn't do that well against him. Let Renamon and I handle this."

Takato walked away hoping that Rika would try and get information about the strange man. Rika stood there for a long while, even after Takato and Jeri had left.

Finally Rika spoke, "So where do we go from here? I still don't know anything about you. I still don't trust you."

Adman interrupted, "Yes you do. You hate yourself for doing so, but I can tell you actually do trust me. And that's what really bothers you isn't it. You know I won't say anything to you and you know I might lie to protect myself, but you trust me anyway. Well I do swear that any question you ask I will try to give a straight answer. As for not knowing me, well the best way to get to know someone is to sit and talk with them."

Adman moved over on the bench and patted the seat next to him.

Rika turned her head. "Renamon?"

Renamon was at her side in an instant. "Yes, Rika?"

"Are you able to travel again?"

Renamon felt where her wound had been. "Yes, Rika. I believe so."

Rika exhaled deeply. "Then I want you to go home. I'll meet you there later."

Renamon began to object, "Rika, I understand that he helped me, but I still don't want you left alone with him."

Rika made her silent with a wave of her hand. "I understand, but this is something I have to do. Please listen."

Renamon reluctantly nodded and was gone in a flash.

Adman moved farther over to give the girl personal space as she sat next to him. "Thank you for trusting me."

Rika told him, "Make it worth my while. Or have I made a mistake?"

Adman replied, "I don't think so."


Rika and Adman sat there for a very long time.

Adman broke the ice by saying, "You know you want information more than I do. You should ask a question."

Rika was uncomfortable with the whole situation. She finally asked, "So what kind of a name is Adman?"

Adman laughed heartily, "I knew you were funny!" He chuckled. "Do you want the truth or what I tell everybody?"

Rika hadn't meant to be funny. She tilted her head. "That depends. What do you tell everyone else?"

Adman put on his angry face, but couldn't conceal a smile, "I tell them it's none of their damn business."

He burst out laughing at the end. Rika didn't laugh. She was starting to get the sneaking suspicion he was drunk, or high or something.

Rika stared back at him waiting for him to be serious. "And what are you going to tell me?"

Adman relaxed and closed his eyes again. "The truth, if you are willing to believe me. I can't divulge much to you, but I'll do what I can."

Rika was getting impatient. "So what kind of name is Adman?"

The dark Tamer thought for a long moment before finally deciding on what to do. "It's an anagram. 'Adman Hows' is a jumbled up version of 'shadow man'."

Rika frowned. "So even your name is a lie."

Adman hung his head low. "I don't think you understand. I'm not lying to you. I swear that that is the exact way I formed my new name. I was the Tamer to Shadowmon so I thought shadow man was appropriate."

Rika followed his logic. "So how long have you been taming?"

Adman stopped her, "It's my turn."

Rika became pouty. "I didn't think you got a turn."

"Of course I get a turn. You learn something about me. I learn something about you. That's how people get to know each other. I thought that's what we were doing."

Rika sighed, "Sure. Make it quick. Ask me a question."

"Don't sound so sad. I'm sure my questions aren't nearly as prying as yours."

"I haven't heard a question yet."

"Ok then. What's the deal with the new outfit? It's nice, but it just doesn't seem like you."

Rika grew angry and defensive. "And how exactly would you know what's like me?"

"I thought it was my turn to get my question answered?"

Rika grit her teeth for a moment. The man was infuriating.

Rika bit her tongue for just a moment before her calm returned. "I was at a modeling thing when Jeri called. I ran out the door as soon as I got the call. There. That explains the outfit. My turn?"

"Go ahead," he said calmly.

"How would you know what is or isn't like me?" Her question was full of venom and accusations.

Adman thought for a moment. "I have a file on all other Tamers on the planet. Or at least most of them. We are a special breed. Unlike the others I have the resources to locate all of them. I've been following you and the others since you made an appearance in the Digital world. I was able to steal Hypnos files on you and the others. Now I know just about everything that they know. Or at least I could. I haven't thumbed through most of it yet. I do have standards and I figured that invading your personal privacy could best be left to the government spooks. Plus I didn't want it to hurt our chance at friendship."

Rika cut him off, "We aren't friends."

Adman sighed, "Maybe not. But I fear we will have to all work together soon. I just thought it would be best if we could all come together on friendly terms."

Rika thought about the things Adman had said. "Why will we all have to work together?"

"It's my turn again. So you are interested in modeling? Is that a personal career path or just a short time thing?"

"My mother is a model. I hate the idea, but she needed someone for the fall section. I was forced to fill in."

"For what it's worth I think you look pretty in that outfit."

Rika grew cold and she scooted farther away. "How old are you, you sick-o?"

Adman stood up to give the girl more space, "I know you won't believe me, but I'm sixteen years old. And I know from your file that you are turning fifteen soon. Now I meant no offense by what I said, and I'm sorry if what I said hurt your feelings or your pride, but where I come from there's nothing wrong with a sixteen year old boy telling a fifteen year old girl that she looks pretty."

"Really," she mockingly laughed, "and where are you from?"

Adman quickly answered, "I'm from the United States, but that was your second question in a row."

Rika stood up in an angry mood. "Forget it. I'm done. I don't know why I even agreed to talk to you. You're just a jerk! Leave me alone and leave the rest of us alone too!"

Adman called out as she walked away, "You don't even know what my last question was?"

Rika called back, "Bite me", as she stormed away.

She was gone before he could say anything else.

Shadowmon appeared next to the saddened Tamer. "What's the matter, sir?"

Adman kicked the dirt. "I don't know how, but I successfully managed to burn that bridge."

"Maybe you should have called her ugly." Shadowmon's humor was lost on the dark Tamer. The black fox rested one of the three-fingered paws on his Tamer's shoulder. "So what were you going to ask her?"

Adman looked to where Rika had been with disappointment. "I just wanted to know what she wanted for her birthday."