Note: Any Digimon named from other Digimon series are not mine and are copyrighted. I do not have permission to use any of these Digimon but I'm not breaking any laws. The characters, Digimon and story are all created by me, so please do not reproduce them without my consent

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The group was all happy to see Ichiro and Eji return with the load of Digi-fish. While eating, they had learned about Kaiyoumon's Digivolution and the truth behind how they caught the fish. Ken showed everyone the disc he and Chisato had found. They all fell asleep quickly and had a good sleep. The next morning after the fire had been put out and they had cleaned up the camp, they continued north towards the peak on the island's mountain.

The teens had grouped themselves as usual, Eji and Sami, Chisato and Ami and the final group, Ichiro, Ken and Sean. Their Digimon kept themselves on guard and listened to what their partners said about anything, wanting to learn more about humans.

"So have you seen Hideo at all?" Ichiro asked, looking over Sean's shoulder at the Digi-com that the teen always had out.

"No, his signal has just stopped showing up." Sean replied, sighing. "I thought that as we all got closer to the center of the island that he might be detected." He continued, shutting his Digi-com and putting it into his pocket.

"Strange, isn't it Ken?" Ichiro said, turning to his friend, who was looking at his Digi-com. "Ken?" He asked, looking at the teen.

"What?" Ken said, snapped out of his trance.

"What are you doing?" Ichiro said, pulling over the palm computer.

"Trying to get this new disc to react with the Digi-com." Ken explained, pulling his computer back and putting it into a pocket. "It doesn't seem to be working." He continued, showing Ichiro the small disc.

"Let me try." Ichiro said, grabbing for the diskette. Ken pulled the disc back and pocketed it.

"If it doesn't download at this distance then it won't anyway." Ken explained. "We must have to unlock it or something." He said.

"Fine then." Ichiro said, turning back towards the peak in the distance. "Hey guys, how long do you think it'll take us to reach that mountain?" He asked, peering into the horizon.

"I don't know. It could take days." Sean said, looking towards the mountain.

"Hey!" Came a shout from above. All three looked up to the blue figure that was flying above them. The figure became larger as Jaymon flew down towards the group, landing on Sean shoulder.

"What's up?" Sean asked, looking at his bird Digimon.

"There's some structure up ahead." Jaymon said, pointing into the distance.

"Like what?" Ichiro said, looking into the distance.

"A bunker or something. It's right in the ground, in the side of a hill." The blue bird continued, flapping his wings to keep his balance.

"We should investigate it." Ken said, looking back to Wyvrenmon.

"Why look into it though?" Ichiro asked.

"There's always the chance of finding more food, or some other supplies. We might even find a disc or a database." Ken said, talking calmly to his friends.

"We should tell the others then." Sean said, looking back up at Jaymon, who nodded.

"Right, I'll go tell everyone that we'll stop at the bunker." The bird said, flapping off towards Chisato and Ami, who were a couple dozen meters away.

The group started walking closer together and they arrived at the bunker at what they could guess was noon. The entrance to the bunker was clears of grass and it was plain faced. The door was large and steel and the windows were shuttered by large plate of metal. There was a small plate above the door that read 'Do Not Enter'.

Eji and Sami rushed in, wanting to get into the building first, and Ami, Sean and Chisato followed them. Ichiro and Tornatemon went after them and Ken was left in the back, waiting for Wyvrenmon to fold his wings in completely so he could fit in the doorway. Eji and Sami were pushing to be the first ones into the door to get out of the sun, and Nekomon was chasing after them, Kaiyoumon being in Eji's arms. Sami stopped and went back for Nekomon, the rest of the group except for Ken, who had just started walking towards the bunker, passing by her.

"I'm okay Sami, but you lost the race." The cat told Sami as she was helped up and hugged.

"It's okay, come on, we can still get in before slowpoke Ken." Sami said, looking at the older teen.

Sami walked just ahead of Ken, carrying Nekomon, and they all walked towards the door. Eji, being the first there, ignored the sign and opened the door, walking right into the bunker. Ami and Chisato, and then Sean and Ichiro followed him in and Ken and Sami were still outside when everyone had entered.

"Did the ground just creak?" Sean asked Ichiro as they entered the building.

"No, that's just the door." He replied, waving for Sami and Ken to hurry up.

As Ken and Wyvrenmon walked to the door first, the ground began to creak loudly and a line appeared in front of the door in the dirt. Sami was already going to fast as she jumped onto the platform and it split in two, opening a deep hole that led far underground.

"What.!" Ken shouted, falling with his dragon Digimon.

Sami screamed loudly as all four of them fell, two Digimon and two humans.

Ichiro could barely react as he turned and saw them falling, hands outreached to grab one of them, but they fell into the hole and the doors of the trap closed up again.

Eji rushed forward and looked down into the closing pit. "Sami!" He called down the hole, but it shut again before he could get an answer. Ami and Chisato could just stare at the closed doors, only guessing what had happened. The line in the dirt was still visible, now showing where the two plates were.

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Sami coughed as she looked around in the settling dust in the dark cave. The walls were jagged stone but the ceiling had lines of faint lights set into them.

"You okay Sami?" She heard, and looked up to see Ken standing over her.

"I'm fine. Where are we?" She asked. She looked around again and noticed Nekomon was sitting beside her and the figure of Wyvrenmon was farther into the cave.

"It's some kind of trap that we released. Must have been rusted or something since it didn't open until there was enough weight on it." Ken replied, he pointed towards the ceiling, and Sami could faintly see the light around two large panels.

"It's not really that dark down here." Sami noted, looking deeper into the cave.

"I'm guessing that this isn't a completely natural cave, and since it wasn't just a hole, there must be more to the trap." Ken said. He motioned for Sami to get up and follow him as he began to walk towards Wyvrenmon.

"Doesn't it seem like it wouldn't be a good idea to go farther into the cave then? We'd be walking straight into a trap." Sami reached down and pulled Nekomon into her arms.

"We're not going to find anything here." The cat Digimon noted. "We may as well face the trap and find a way out."

"I don't like that logic." Sami said, turning to see the shadow of Ken on the wall moving away. "Hey, wait up!" She called, beginning to chase after the boy.

"You'd better hurry, you don't want to get lost." Ken said, moving into the darkness.

"Just don't get us lost then!" Sami yelled and she moved quickly to catch up to Ken's side.

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"SAMI!? SAMI! CAN YOU HEAR ME??" Eji yelled at the metal doors, Ami shushed him.

"Don't yell like that, there could be Digimon around." Ami told him, quieting him down.

"What are we going to do, the doors have shut tight and we won't be able to break through it." Chisato said, looking over to Ichiro.

"We should continue on." Ichiro said, turning from the trapdoors.

"Are you insane? They could be hurt down there, there could be Digimon, there could be..." Chisato started, looking angrily at Ichiro.

"Listen! You've all known Ken for a couple of days, but I've known him for years. We don't wait up for one another, because that would slow us all down. He'll take care of Sami and they'll be out of there sometime. We can track them on the Digi-com after that. Ken won't give up and he'll expect us to continue along without him." Ichiro told them. He looked into the empty bunker and walked back out. "We should continue in the same direction, and we'll group back later. Okay?"

"Fine. I can accept that. But if anything happens to either of them and we could have prevented it." Chisato commented, trailing off.

"I'll take responsibility. Besides, they have their Digimon, they'll be fine." Ichiro added, moving away from the bunker and over it, walking off north.

"Don't worry Chisato, I think that Ichiro knows what he's talking about, trust him." Ami said, pulling her towards Ichiro and walking with him.

Eji and Sean began to walk too, and Eji looked up to Sean. "Do you think that Sami will be okay?" He asked, looking at the ground as he walked.

"I'm sure that she'll be fine." Sean answered, and he took one look back at that hidden bunker and the trapdoors.

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The rock walls and floor were cold and the sound of water dripping into puddles echoed in the dead silent cave. The faint light played tricks with shadows on the stones and made figures appear in the darker corners.

"It's so cold here." Sami commented, shivering slightly. The dampness made her shoulders and back very cold, but her arms were warm from the furry Digimon that she held.

"We'll be out soon enough." Ken said, leaping over a fallen rock pillar and turning to wait for Sami to climb over it. Nekomon moved to hugging the girl's neck from behind so she could use her hands.

"It'll be nice to see the sun again. It seems like we've been walking down here for hours." Sami said, her shoulders warming slightly from the cat Digimon.

"We've only been here for about an hour. It's just that being underground messes with your internal clock." Ken said, stepping lightly into a puddle of water, making only the slightest noise. "How do things look up there Wyvrenmon?" He called forward to the dragon.

"The tunnel is getting wider, and it looks like there's a room ahead of us." The large Digimon called back.

"How can he see that?" Sami said, squinting into the darkness beyond. "There isn't enough light to tell where the walls even are."

"Wyvrenmon can see in the dark, and Nekomon should be able to see perfectly too." Ken replied, moving around larger rocks he could see in the floor.

"Why don't you go and scout ahead Nekomon?" Sami said, turning her head so she could try and see the cat.

"My fur would get all damp Sami! And you're so warm." The Digimon said, falling back into sleep, still lightly holding on.

"Fine, but you'll have to help when you wake up." Sami replied, almost tripping over a stone and then turning to see where she was going.

"Be careful Sami. If you fall into one of the puddles you'd get cold very fast." Ken warned, rushing to stop her fall. He caught her before she could even get her hands out, and she looked up at him.

"Thanks." She said shyly.

"Don't worry about it, let's get out of here, okay?" Ken replied. Sami nodded and smiled.

"Ken, check this room out, it's huge!" Wyvrenmon called out from in front of them.

"Okay, there should be a way out from there." Ken called back, letting go of Sami and moving forward. Sami quickly moved to catch up to him and they walked side by side.

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Ichiro was leading the group north along a wide grass plain. The sun was high in the sky and the cool wind caused the grass to waver. He looked towards where the plains ended, where a large cliff rose into the horizon, it's face covered with many rock edges, perfect for climbing. He flipped out his light blue Digi-com and checked the map. The center of the island was just beyond that cliff. There they could meet Hideo and try to find what he knew wouldn't work for getting off the island. Ichiro checked a larger look of the island but he couldn't find Hideo's colored dot anywhere within range.

"Hey Ichiro." Sean said, running up beside him. Ichiro quickly closed the computer and pocketed it, looking over to Sean.

"Yeah?" He asked, his eyes moving back so he could see the rest of the party.

"Are we going to have to get over that cliff?" Sean said, pointing into the distance. "It seems to be the only way to the center of the island, but the climb might be hard."

"It looks like an easy climb, we'll all do fine. In fact, I'm sure that Ken will be waiting for us on top." Ichiro replied.

The continued on until they reached the cliff and all began to help one another up the rock face. In the distance, a long snake-like creature flew by, taking note of the forms moving their way up. It continued on it's way over the cliff and into the crater on the other side, where a black castle stood.

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A figure stood in the doorway to the throne room, and even though it was nearing noon, the room was dark and cold.

"General Sotamon, report." Ordered the form on the large spiked throne, his voice echoing off the empty walls.

"My Lord, the Humans are on their way here. Two have fallen into an old trap and are exploring the tunnels and the rest of them are currently climbing the cliffs to the south." Sotamon answered, bowing. A faint line of light showed his true form. Tall and dressed in armor, he wore a strange helmet like a large bird beak. His pale mouth and jaw the only things not covered by the helm. Claws at his forearms stuck out, wicked and sharp, and he had no other weapons.

"General, you are to destroy the ones in the caves, and then let the remainder fight their way in. Divided they shall all lose." The figure stood and walked to the side of his throne. "I have business to attend to. Do your duty."

"Yes my Lord, these humans will be destroyed." He stood straight and walked out leaving the much larger black figure to move behind his throne and open a hidden door.

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Ken looked around the blackness of the room. The area was huge, expanding in every direction. If he didn't know he was standing on the floor, he could be in a never-ending void.

"This place is gigantic!" Sami called out, the echo of her voice calling back with the same exclamation.

"Is there another doorway?" Ken asked his Digimon, who was looking around.

"There seems to be a large door over on the other side." Wyvrenmon said, motioning with his nose towards the opposite wall from where they were.

The whole room roared as the doors on the other side were opened. Sunlight poured in and showed that the room was some kind of battle arena, with rings marked on the floor for fighting. Ken and Sami blocked their eyes as the room brightened, and then they looked at the small figure in the distance.

"Ken, it's a Digimon!" Wyvrenmon said, clawing the ground and making a low growl. Nekomon jumped off Sami and stood beside the dragon, her claws at the ready.

The figure walked forward, each step echoing in the empty arena. As he moved closer, Ken pulled out his Digi-com and look at the file on the Digimon.

"Sotamon, the battle Digimon. Champion level." Ken read off the screen, pocketing it and looking at the warrior.

"That's General Sotamon to you human. I am the one in charge of my lord's army." The Digimon spat at Ken. "And I've come here to battle you. And don't try to escape, or I will attack you unprepared."

"Fine with me, show this Digimon who's boss Wyvrenmon!" Ken said, looking straight at Sotamon.

"That's right! You too Nekomon!" Sami said, receiving a nod from her cat Digimon.

Wyvrenmon charged at the armor-clad Digimon, flailing his tail around and tearing streaks into the stone floor with his claws. Sotamon leapt up and over the charging dragon, and then ducked under the wide swipe of its tail. He turned and hit Nekomon with a wide backhanded punch, knocking her meters away.

"He's too fast!" Sami called out, watching Nekomon slowly get back up.

Wyvrenmon leapt at the Digimon General and missed again, receiving a kick that knocked him up into the air. Sotamon followed by kicking the dragon into a wall before he even touched the ground.

"Useless beast, you wouldn't even be fit for the Lord's army." Sotamon taunted.

"AKUMA BEAM!" The dragon called out, collection black and red energy as the front of the Virus opened again. The light caused the entire wall to turn almost blood red, and the beam, crackling with energy, was then fired at the Warrior Digimon. Sotamon suddenly didn't exist as the beam passed by where he should have been and hit the opposite wall, causing large pieces of debris to fall by the doorway and making the entire room shake.

"FATAL CLAW!" Sotamon called from above Wyvrenmon. He dove down and blue energy began to form on the claws on his forearms. He dug the claws deep into the side of the dragon with a large punch, and sent the Digimon flying, an open wound in his side.

"Wyvrenmon!" Ken called out.

"I must say, I'm surprised the you survived that, little dragon. Many Digimon fall to only a single blow like that. Let's see if you can handle two." Sotamon challenged, walking towards the fallen creature.

"Let's see how much you can take!" Nekomon called out, jumping out and kicking Sotamon in the side of the head. The Champion Digimon recoiled from the hit and turned to the cat.

"Silly Digimon, you have less of a chance then the last one does." Sotamon said, talking down to Nekomon. He leaped forward and punched at the cat. The hit didn't connect as the little Digimon jumped back and then over the warrior, kicking him in the back of the head. Sotamon grabbed her foot and threw her away, where she landed perfectly.

"You can't beat what you can't hit!" Nekomon called back.

"That's right Nekomon, show him what happens to people who hurt our friends!" Sami called out. She pulled out her Digi-com, which was glowing with a grey aura. The light flew out and formed around the cat Digimon, the swirling causing odd light and shadow tricks on the walls.

"Nekomon Digivolve to.!"

The swirling grey energy grew larger and the form of Nekomon matched the colour. The faint lines of the cat's figure changed in the aura and then suddenly stopped, darkening the room as the grey light ended. The new form was much taller, about 5 feet tall, and very close to a human shape. It looked like a cat, but was standing on two long legs and had hands and feet. It was covered with fine, smooth fur and the face had some feline details to it, one of its ears coming out the top of its head was a single gold earring. Its body was mostly orange and covered completely with black spots, as was the tail. It was wearing something close to a one-piece bathing suit made of fine armor plates. It moved its fingers and sharp claws came out.

"Leopardmon!" The animal called out, taking a fighting stance and looking at Sotamon with hate in its eyes.

"A Digivolution?" The warrior questioned. "How is that possible? There is no power to do it with!"

"I'll show you power." The large cat growled, jump kicking the armored Digimon into the wall and then following up with a punch.

Sotamon dodged out of the way and punched Leopardmon down the wall before trying to kick her into it. The feline dodged over the kick and landed both feet into the other Digimon's face, knocking him down into the corner. She then leapt off the wall into the circle in the middle of the room. Sotamon kicked himself off the wall into the circle, and the two began to attack one another within the limits of the circle, neither one gaining higher ground.

"That's incredible, they almost seem to be flying around." Sami commented, turning to Ken, but he wasn't there, he was over helping Wyvrenmon up. The girl shrugged and turned back to the fight. "Go Leopardmon, go!" She cheered.

The cat nodded to Sami and hit Sotamon with another punch. The warrior Digimon jumped over Leopardmon and kicked her in the chest, jumping higher as the feline knocked against the floor.

"FATAL CLAW!" Sotamon called out, gathering blue energy as he fell and pulling back for a punch. He hit the ground as Leopardmon rolled back, and the resulting explosion of dust filled the air and hid them both from sight. As the dust cleared, Leopardmon was high in the air above the warrior who was stuck with his fist in the floor.

"SLASH RAIN!" The cat Digimon called out as she slashed at the air at light speed. Every cut left more swipes of energy behind it, and then they all flew towards Sotamon. The Digimon was overwhelmed by the attack and his armor was left cut and ruined. Leopardmon landed in front of the wounded Digimon.

"You have been defeated." She said, crossing her arms.

"Yes I have, but if this is the power that you have my lord shall defeat you. He is far more powerful then any monster you have battled so far." Sotamon said. His body began to dissolve and turn to data until there was nothing left of him.

Leopardmon flashed white and turned back to Nekomon. Sami came over and picked the cat up, holding her in her arms.

"Good work Nekomon, let's go outside." She said, looking down at her Digimon.

Ken and Wyvrenmon walked by, the dragon looking fine though he had suffered wounds. The four walked outside and look at what was before them.

There was a huge castle, reaching into the sky and pure black. The whole place felt evil and the ground was scorched, like the castle had crashed here.

"KEN! SAMI! HEY!"

The four turned to see the rest of the group running down the side of the crater towards them.

"Looks like you got here first." Ami said, smiling at Ken and Sami.

"I told them all you'd be here, Ken." Ichiro said.

"It's nice to see you're both okay." Chisato said, looking in Ken's eyes.

"Sami!" Eji said, hugging the girl. Sami hugged back and then let go.

"What are we going to do about that castle?" Sami asked, pointing towards it.

"We might as well go in and see this 'lord'. Maybe we're here to defeat him so we can get home." Ken offered.

"Ken's right, if we beat him, he'll stop sending evil Digimon after us." Ichiro added. He began to walk towards the castle at the bottom of the crater. "Come on everyone." The group shrugged and followed Ichiro, with Ken going last.

As they approached the black tower, a figure stood at a window. But this was no ordinary shadow, because it's whole body burned like a fire. The fiery silhouette moved further into the castle, laughing.

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End Transmission