Digimon 02: Waking the Dragons

by Quinton Notwen

The theft of an old artifact is the beginning of a process that seeks to unleash an ancient force upon the Digital World, a force that wants to destroy the Human World as well as dominate the Digital World.

25. The Tenth Plague

The Tenth Plague

888

"NO!" Megidramon roared loudly, flames erupting upwards through the dragons' throne room. The other smaller attendant dragon digimon ran around trying to avoid the wave of fire that swept around the room. "How is it possible!?"

"So our generals have fallen in the Human World." Goddramon surmised quietly looking up at the screen of burning Phoenix.

"Not without major losses on our enemies' side." Holydramon replied, the large, pink, Daschund-goat dragon said as she curled in the air above the other two dragons. "The digi-destined are exhausted, their allies are exhausted, their world's ability to fend off another strike is next to zero."

"A second strike would require weeks of investment." Goddramon said with a snarl. "Even with the Dark Digi-core…" Goddramon turned his bearded face back to the pedestal in the middle of the room where the black marble was stationed, "it will take time to train and digivolve the military forces. Not to mention the massive amounts of core data lost due to our forces being destroyed in the Humans' World."

"It will not take a massive event to destroy the remainder of the Human World's defenses." Holydramon said with a smirk.

"Yeah, but you's hardly going to go there yousselves are yas?" The three dragon's heads snapped up to an awning high up in the roof. A leather clad demon with raven black wings was standing there. The window was wide open. "I thought I'd stop by, see what the neighbors were up to."

"Beelzemon." Megidramon growled. "You dare show yourself here!"

"Intruder!" Goddramon said as he opened his crystal-like wings and launched himself forward.

"How did he get in?" one of the Shadramon yelped.

"Obviously, intruder window." Beelzemon said smirking, throwing a thumb at the window he came through. Megidramon and Goddramon simply looked at him in seething hatred. Beelzemon shook his head. "Really guys, intruder, in-through-da… No, stop Beelzemon, don't explain the joke."

"Beezus, I hate to see you be so suicidal." Holydramon said, curling her body towards the dragon. "You come here the center of our power, alone."

"We'll finally be free of you, this time permanently!" Goddramon snarled opening his mouth and releasing a pillar of golden flame.

Beelzemon dropped off of the awning, spreading his wings and swept past the fire, gliding around it in a way not dissimilar to how a surfer rides a wave. As he came closer to Goddramon he tilted his wings slightly slinging the lower part of his body forward and jammed his steel tipped boots into Goddramon's face, and then pushed off, forcing the massive dragon downwards as he rocketed upwards, his blaster pointed at Holydramon. The maw of the blaster opened up and a blast of destructive energy erupted into Holydramon's face smashing Holydramon into the ceiling of the throne room. Beelzemon twisted, only to be confronted by a tidal wave of bloody crimson fire. Beelzemon crossed his long belt-wrapped arms across himself as the flames roared around his body. He grunted as he heard his leather crackle from the heat. Beelzemon flicked his wings closed and then dived out of the fire. He dropped below the flames and opened his wings twisting towards the be-fanged maw of Megidramon, the giant streams of viscous saliva festooning the dragon's fangs.

Beelzemon growled and opened his free hand. The claws of his free hand swirled with dark energy. The demon sliced forward with his claws. The claws struck against Megidramon's armor as the dragon had raised one of its arms. The other arm of Megidramon hammered down onto Beelzemon's much smaller body. Beelzemon roared in pain as his body crashed into the floor of the dragons' throne room.

"Fool." Megidramon chuckled as he twisted his fist into the ground, grinding the demon into the floor. Suddenly Megidramon felt the weight of his fist shift. He grunted as he felt his fist move upwards. "What is this?"

"The power of the dark side, baby." Megidramon heard Beelzemon laughed. Megidramon narrowed his eyes and pushed harder only to find his fist not shift. He could make out the shape of Beelzemon as the demon braced himself and pushed against the dragon's fist with his blaster. Beelzemon smirked and reached down to the holster at his hip and unholstered his Berenjena. "Double Impact!"

The bullets smashed into Megidramon's chin. The crimson dragon roared as he stiffened and fell backwards. Megidramon thrashed angrily, grabbing at his face. Beelzemon turned and walked slowly to pedestal. He reached outwards and grabbed the Dark Digicore. Beelzemon turned his head back to the three Great Dragons.

"I stopped by to borrow a cup of digivolution. I figured yous had plenty." Beelzemon said, he opened his wings and took off, flying up to the window he'd come from.

"Stop him!" snarled Goddramon and Holydramon as they turned towards the demon.

Beelzemon snorted as a group of Paildramon dove in front of him. Beelzemon swept the Ultimates aside with his blaster, turned and pointed his blaster at the three Great Dragons that were rushing towards him. He drew a magic circle in front of him, and the blaster opened and the circle glowed brightly and fired forward, exploding into the dragons. The demon saluted to the dragons as they shielded themselves from the blast, and then flew out of the window.

"I will melt him down into a puddle of goo!" Megidramon roared, as he opened his nicotine-tinged wings. "He will die, at my hands!"

Megidramon flapped forward only to be stopped, something was grabbing his tail. Megidramon roared and turned his head ready to melt the thing trying to impede his rage.

"Let him go." Goddramon said, his golden scaled hand clutching the arrow-head tail of Megidramon.

"But he has the digicore!" Holydramon snarled.

"Our bigger threat now is the digi-destined." Goddramon said quietly. "We must finish them off first. We can destroy Beelzemon at our discretion. Without his element of surprise, he cannot stand against us."

"But with the digicore he'll raise an army!" Megidramon snarled.

"We already have an army." Goddramon pointed out. "If he tries anything we'll simply stop him." Goddramon looked up to the screens that surrounded the ceiling of the throne room, a fair few were blackened now, but he was looking at the one with the remnants of Tokyo displayed over it. "We will send that one to the Human World…and it will spread its wings, its shadow covering the humans, its foot steps leaving nothing behind but death and dust."

"Yes…the mindless beast will be our angel of death." snarled Megidramon. An evil smile curled across his heavily scaled lips. "After, they see the terror of the ancient feral power that is DORUghoramon, they will finally see how pathetic their puny digi-destined are."

Holydramon's canine muzzle curled into a toothy grin. She lifted her antelope-like horns as she lifted her head. "Release DORUghoramon!"

In the far distance, a huge horn was sounding. The castle that the dragons had built was on top of a giant mountain. At the base of the mountain, a pair of gargantuan doors creaked open. The sounds of chains crashed and clanged, as they fell to the ground. A soul-piercing shriek raged out into the open air. The ground trembled, the sky shook, the beast was loosed.

888

Jianliang grunted as he braced against one of the wings of Rapidmon. Three Maildramon had loosed blasts of lightning into the green armored cyborg's chest. He looked over to Kazu who was wincing but looked back to Jianliang and gave a thumbs up.

"We're getting overwhelmed here…" Rapidmon said as he lifted his arms and fired missiles from the palms of his hands into the dragons.

Since the Chosen had left the dragons had sent raids down from the skies every day. It wasn't always at the same time but it was always city-wide. Fortunately, Shinjuku had its defenders. Kazu's friend Kenta was friends with another boy, a mild, sheepish goggle-wearing boy but the boy had hidden depths of determination in protecting those he cared for and a fearlessness when it came to that protection that Jianliang admired.

"V-breath Arrow!" A V-shaped bolt flew past Rapidmon's head, making both Kazu and Jianliang duck, and hit a pair of dive-bombing Coredramon.

Jianliang looked down to see a red Veedramon running forward. Kenta and Kazu's friend Takato was standing on the red dragon's shoulder.

"Bull's eye baby!" shouted the sandy-haired boy.

"Hey, watch what you're doing, Chumley!" Kazu chastised. "You nearly took off our heads with that one!"

"Sorry, Kazu." The boy said almost as an afterthought as he waved back at the boys and the dragon charged onwards and shoulder-blocked into a Growlmon that had come from around the corner of the block.

The two red dragon locked clawed hands and pushed back and forth. The black striped devilishly horned Growlmon pushed hard throwing the red Veedramon backwards. It then opened its mouth and threw back its head the silvery-mane on its neck flowing luxuriously in the breeze and fired a ball of bright red hot at Veedramon.

"Spell Prohibition Paper!" An ofuda sliced forward and exploded into light creating a domed-shield that repelled the fire ball.

With a lavender flash and some fluttering action lines Doumon emerged forward and sliced her dark paint brush forward cutting the Growlmon in half. A red-haired girl and a sandy-haired girl were sitting on the spiked shoulder pads of the fox-priest digimon.

"Saving your butt again, Matsuda." The red-haired girl said, derisively. "Jeesh why aren't you digivolved up yet!"

"Well, Kenta and I got split up, when these Airdramon attacked with a group of enemy Veedramon…" Takato said rubbing the back of his head. "Actually I haven't seen Kenta in a while."

"Guys, we've got incoming!" Jianliang shouted pointing upward as a squadron of Wingdramon were rushing towards them, their shoulder mounted lances sparking ominously.

"TAKATOOOOO!" a voice shouted. Everyone looked down and saw the be-spectacled Kenta riding on the back of a red-helmeted, winged unicorn. "We got problems!"

"Atomic Blaster!" red lasers lanced down from one of the high-rises as the cyborg ultimate form of Growlmon roared.

The bolts exploded around. The unicorn as the winged horse danced around the energy beams. Takato slid his goggles over his eyes and patted Veedramon's head. The dragon ran towards the unicorn. Kenta closed his eyes and jumped off the back of the horse, tucking and rolling as the horse opened its wings.

"Veedramon-"

"Unimon-"

"DNA digivolve to AeroVeedramon!" A red-bodied, feathery-winged AeroVeedramon emerged from the light of digivolution.

"Ok, Rapidmon, Doumon, take on the Wingdramon, we'll take care of the big guy." Takato said as he looked to Jianliang and the red-haired girl.

"We can take the WarGrowlmon!" the red-haired girl said sharply.

"Ruki…can't you just for once…not argue?" Takato asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Suddenly there was a loud crashing and the group of digi-destined looked up. They saw a large, cyborg, bipedal lion smashing a twisting fist into the side of the WarGrowlmon's head. The cyborg dragon reared backwards as the lion flipped over him and landed behind him.

The dragon roared as it turned to receive a punch to the muzzle.

"Don't worry we got the big one!" shouted a brown-haired girl in a greenish-gray coverall dress. She was with a slightly younger brown-haired girl.

"Jeri, Minami…I thought I told you to protect the shelter!" Takato yelped.

"We saw the dragons coming here and thought you were in trouble." the girl in the coverall dress said.

"Wing Blast!" roared the Wingdramon as blasts of sonic disruptors exploded around the children sending them scrambling.

Doumon, AeroVeedramon and Rapidmon quickly launched to action. The squadron of Wingdramon twisted away as the three digimon attacked. Jianliang braced himself as Rapidmon spread his arms out and pressed his legs together to fight a triangle shaped laser at the dragons. AeroVeedramon fired blasts from his wings and twisted and dove around smashing through Wingdramon. Doumon released entrapped spirits that penetrated the Wingdramon and ate them from the inside out.

"Something's coming…" Rapidmon grunted. The cyborg scanned the area.

"What's coming?" Kazu asked.

"Something, big." AeroVeedramon said, as he looked around.

"There…" Doumon said pointing her paint brush to an enormous hole in the sky above Tokyo Bay. The priest shuddered. "I don't like it…."

"We should get the others then." Jianliang said, looking back down to where Takato and Kenta were.

888

"Help me!" shouted the voice of a little girl.

Taiki was running towards the voice. Behind him was a small red dragon type creature holding a long staff-like microphone.

"There, Taiki!" the digimon shouted pointing towards a figure laying on the ground prostrate next to a pile of rubble near the water-side park.

"Don't worry, we're coming for you!" Taiki shouted.

As they came closer to the girl something seemed wrong. She seemed to ignore them. She kept shouting for help as they got closer. She never responded to their shouts in response, and as they got within a few yards there was a distinct fuzziness to the girl.

"Taiki, it's a trap!" shouted the red digimon skidding to a stop as two moth-like, flame armored dragons leapt out from behind a pile of rubble.

"Flare Buster!" blast of fire ripped forward as the little girl simply vanished.

The boy backpedalled heavily and jumped backwards as the flames exploded into the ground before him. His blue and red shirt got singed. He grunted as he fell on his butt and rubbed the back of his head running his hand through his spikey brown hair.

"Are you ok?" the red digimon shouted, jumping in front of Taiki and lifting his staff in front of him. "How dare you use such tricks! That's not what the rightful rulers of the Digital World would do!"

"I'm fine, Shoutmon." Taiki said as he stood back up behind the red digimon.

"And what would you know of ruling, you little traitor." The moth dragons responded. "You're nothing but a human pet!"

"I'll show you!" grunted Shoutmon as he spun his staff and leapt forward.

The two Shadramon lifted their gauntlets and Shoutmon stopped in mid-leap, hanging in the air as if suspended by wires. The insectoid dragons snorted and then swept their arms to their right, and Shoutmon was flung into the remains of a wall.

"Shoutmon!" Taiki shouted running towards the red digimon.

"Oh, where do you think you're going, human?" the Shadramon said in unison as Taiki was lifted off of his feet by some invisible force. The Shadramon flew in flapping moth wings in front of the boy, putting themselves between the human and the digimon. "You humans are such soft-hearts when it comes to one another, you'll do anything to save each other, it makes you such easy targets. You'd think they'd learn but, no, they regularly sacrifice themselves for each other, when really they have much bigger problems facing them. Like us."

"I think you're wrong." Shoutmon grunted loudly from behind the two Shadramon. "I think it is you that are blind to the bigger problems you're facing…namely ME!"

"Do it, Shoutmon!" Taiki shouted, falling back to the ground as the Shadramon turned to the bright lights and shrill scream of digivolution.

"Shoutmon digivolve to Ballistamon!" The beetle shaped boom-box flexed its arms and thrust its speaker-chest forward. The two Shadramon were thrown back by an invisible but extremely audible force that flung them head over heels across the road and into the canal.

"Ingrates…" The voices of the Shadramon could be heard as the canal burst upwards. The pair of Shadramon were sitting on the black face-shield of a giant red serpent. They pointed forward. "WaruSeadramon destroy them!"

"Star Shower!"

Millions of balls of hot light rained down on the giant serpent. It thrashed angrily as the Shadramon shielded themselves from the attack.

"The hero emerges!" Shouted a voice both Taiki and Shoutmon knew. They looked up to the top of the wall Shoutmon had been thrown against to see a tan boy in a khaki shirt and cargo shorts and a pineapple like hair-cut standing in a Superman pose. A kendo stick was sheathed to his belt. Next to the boy was a star-shaped digimon who was doing jazz-hands behind the boy, attempting to give the image of a fluttering cape behind the child.

"Zenjirou!" Taiki shouted. "You're here!"

"Of course, I have been searching all of Koto for you!" Zenjiro shouted angrily, he pointed at Taiki. "You shouldn't run off like that alone during a raid, I've told you that like a thousand times. And look you nearly got killed!"

"Allow us to upgrade that to actually getting killed." The Shadramon growled.

"YIPE!" yelped Zenjirou as the WaruSeadramon snarled angrily at the group.

"Starmon, I need your hunka-hunka burning help!" Ballistamon shouted to the star-shaped digimon.

"Time to do your fusion…" Taiki shouted.

"Right!" Starmon leapt downwards and Ballistamon caught the star-shaped digimon and the two boys lifted their D-3s.

"Ballistamon-"

"Starmon-"

"DNA digivolve to Sirenmon!" a passive-looking digimon shot forward. It had giant orchestral wings. It wore long white choral robes that fluttered in the wind as it flew forward. Two small legs poked out from under the robes and they each ended in two claws. The red cap it wore on its rounded head, shifted slightly The digimon opened its mouth and - "Aria!"

A waves of choir music washed over the WaruSeadramon's face. The dragon roared as the vibrations resonated with its skull, then brain and finally with the rest of its internal organs. After a few seconds of intense vibration Sirenmon's song changed to a canon, and hundreds of spectral musical notes formed around the fairy digimon and then flew forward like throwing stars. The dragon erupted into black particles as the notes sliced through its body. The pair of Shadramon it was with had their hands on their heads screaming as they fell towards the water, both exploding before hitting the water's surface.

"Where's Kiriha and the others?" Taiki shouted up to Zenjirou as he scrambled clumsily down from the wall, falling hard on his tailbone.

"I knew this kendo stick was a bad idea." Zenjirou grumbled as he rubbed his back where the hilt of the wooden sword rammed his spine. He looked up at Taiki. "They're the next neighborhood over…fighting a group of dragons there. Nene is doing sky patrol…"

"Let's get over there then!" Taiki said running off.

"Hey, wait, you can't just show up all heroic, leaving me behind!" Zenjirou shouted scrambling to his feet and running after the brown haired boy in a red and blue shirt.

The two boys and their Ultimate digimon rushed across the pop-marked landscape that comprised the battle worn streets and avenues of Koto. The streets were as silent and eerie as one would expect. Cars had long since given up the asphalt, and those that had remained were now turned over, crushed or torn into metallic bits. Store fronts were broken, some had been boarded back up, but many had been abandoned. Fortunately many had evacuated to the countryside as the dragon attacks continued; however, many remained. The digi-destined, any child with a digimon and digivice had been recruited to stay behind, and then their parents were also still in town, and then there were the others, either trapped or resilient who either couldn't be evacuated or refused to leave. These were the people Taiki regularly went out looking for. Since the Imperialdramon event he'd saved easily a dozen people who had gotten injured, or trapped in the battles between digi-destined and dragon.

The musings were cut short by the sound of a mighty roar and the airborne body of a giant lavender tyrannosaur with a bony, horned face mask. The beast crashed heavily in the street in front of them.

"Greymon get up!" Taiki heard Kiriha's demand loudly as the tall blonde, teen skidded to a stop by the dinosaur. The dinosaur huffed and got back up to its feet and narrowed its eyes and then charged forward towards a destination beyond the view of Taiki.

"Kiriha, are you ok?" Taiki shouted running towards the blonde.

"Where the hell have you been!?" The blonde shouted, spinning around. His blue jacket was covered in dirt and dust.

"We got ambushed by a dragon." Taiki said quickly waving his hand.

"This gang of Veedramon have us pinned down." Kiriha said quickly, turning. He looked down the intersecting street. Taiki followed his gaze and did in fact see a gang of Veedramon facing off against Greymon. "Akari and that numbskull Tagiru are fighting a group of ExVeemon another street down…I haven't seen Nene in a while…she was supposed to be backing me up!"

"Nova Blast!" Greymon loosed a blast of fire into the Veedramon. The dragons instantly retreated backwards.

"Desperado Blaster!"

"Hit the deck!" shouted Zenjirou as he leapt on the two boys driving them to the ground as a spitfire of plasma blasted across the buildings around them. The armored dragon with the hip cannons swept past them and turned.

"Another damned Paildramon!" Kiriha grunted as he looked up.

"I got this!" Sirenmon said, the digimon said as it flew toward the dragon its robes flapping behind it as its wings flapped and pushed it forward.

The ground shook around them. The boys scrambled backwards as the street heaved upwards. Two huge, fleshy, paw-like wings punched through the asphalt in front of them as a large, squat, green dragon erupted from the ground. A large, mace swung at the end of its tail. Greymon hadn't much of a chance as the large green dragon smashed its wings down and slapped the dinosaur into a building.

"Greymon!" Kiriha shouted.

Bolts of plasma rained down from on high as a golden blur zinged past. Before the boys could react they realized there was a girl standing next to them. She was pretty, with long hair done up into pony-tails.

"We've got problems coming." The girl said plainly.

"Coming? We have problems now!" yelped Zenjirou, flailing his hands at the green dragon that was currently grabbing Greymon with its wing-paws and tossing him at the golden digimon which looked like a jet-shaped bird.

"Not for long." Kiriha said, as he pulled up his D-3. He looked to girl. "You ready, Nene?"

The girl lifted a black D-3 with golden edges. "Yes, we need to finish this now and help Akari and Tagiru."

"Greymon-"

"Sparrowmon-"

"DNA digivolve to Metal Greymon!" The lavender fleshed dinosaur was now emblazoned with a golden metallic face shield and golden chest chassis and white hair.

Its left arm was a heavy golden claw. The wings on its back were comprised of golden shards of metal. It instantly smashed forward with its metal claw and drove the green dragon into a building. The cyborg dinosaur then reared back. The chest chassis opened up.

"Get to cover!" Kiriha shouted as he and Nene ran behind a turned over car.

"Giga Blaster!" Two fish faced missiles exploded from the dinosaur's chest exploding into the overturned green dragon.

"Canon!" there was a called from the other side of the street as Sirenmon finished off the Paildramon with a spray of explosive musical notes.

"Hurry now we need to get to Akari and Tagiru!" Nene shouted, running to Metal Greymon, the boys quickly running behind her and getting onto the dinosaur's metal arm as it opened its wings and took off.

Taiki looked down as they jumped the buildings. He instantly saw the problem. Tagiru and Akari were boxed in by a group of WarGrowlmon. They were also separated. Akari, the girl wearing a white and blue shirt and Dorulumon her drill adorned wolf digimon partner were blocked off to the left of the street and Tagiru the spiky haired boy in a lavender shirt and his Strikedramon partner were blocked off to the right.

Dorulumon's drills were bouncing ineffectually against the WarGrowlmon's armor and Strikedramon couldn't even scratch the metal's surface.

"Nene and I will take the ones on the right, you take the ones on the left." Kiriha ordered.

"You can't just blow up the street, you'll kill Akari and Tagiru." Taiki said, bluntly. "Let Sirenmon, Zenjirou and I go in first, you hang back and when we make an opening for Akari and Tagiru to escape you can come in with your big guns."

Kiriha nodded curtly and Taiki and Zenjirou jumped into Sirenmon's short arms and the Ultimate digimon rushed forward, flying low and dropping the boys off before hitting the WarGrowlmon from behind with a sonic attack. The WarGrowlmon instantly turned to this new foe and as they did so Dorulumon and Strikedramon and their partners ran for each other. The two digimon glowed and merged.

"Dorulumon-"

"Strikedramon-"

"DNA Digivolve to ShadowWereGarurumon!" A black and gray werewolf leapt into the air, its arms swept back and its claws darkly glowing.

The wolf struck from behind taking down one WarGrowlmon as another succumbed to the sonic barrage of Sirenmon. ShadowWereGarurumon launched himself upwards clawing his way up the side of a building as Sirenmon swooped between the remaining WarGrowlmon, grabbing the Akari. The robed fairy digimon then swept past the WarGrowlmon weaving between them as they tried to slice it with their bladed arms and grabbed Zenjirou and Taiki before rocketing upwards.

"HIT IT KIRIHA AND NENE!" Taiki shouted over the wind.

"Giga Blaster!"

Missiles sang and exploded into the remaining WarGrowlmon.

"Desolation Claw!" green pulses of energy slammed down on high and the children covered their heads and then looked up to see a muscular black, humanoid dragon with two pairs of crimson wings diving towards them. He held a staff, designating no normal Cyberdramon but one of the elites, and behind him was a whole flock of Wingdramon.

"We're outnumbered." Zenjirou grumbled.

"We're not beat yet though." Tagiru, the boy in lavender, said, clutching a fist. "ShadowWereGarurumon will take all of the Wingdramon and the rest of you take the Cyberdramon."

Akari smacked the back of Tagiru's head. "Stop being an idiot!"

The lances between the shoulders of the Wingdramon sparked to life, and before the kids knew it, it was raining sonic-electrical pulses. It took everything from their digimon just to protect the kids.

"At this rate we won't make it long enough to counterattack." Taiki grunted. He looked down to see that Metal Greymon was having a similar difficulty from the assault from so many enemies.

"We got to get out of here!" Zenjirou growled as the building started to shift under their feet.

"THERE'S NO NEED TO FEAR!" came a loud call from in the air. There was a flash of yellow and the imperceptible sound of slashing. The Wingdramon reared backwards in pain before exploding into dust. The kids looked up to see a yellow, vaguely star shaped ninja with a large arching gray jets on its back, standing in front of them. "Tuwarmon is here!"

The Cyberdramon snarled and launched itself at the newcomer. Tuwarmon leapt backward as the Cyberdramon sliced downward, and then on the back-step of his jump the yellow digimon bounced forward, the punpun armor's jets firing, a pair of kusarigama appeared in his hands and he slicing forward with the with the short-staved, chained scythes, bisecting the dragon. The ninja turned and watched as the dragon dispersed behind him and then threw a thumbs up to the kids.

"Yuu!" Taiki heard Nene shout and looked down to see a blonde haired boy in checked pants with suspenders and a blue shirt standing with another girl. Nene had leapt down and hugged the boy tightly.

"Is that all of them now?" Taiki asked looking around. "Have we cleared this area?"

"I…" Akari started and then stopped and stared at the sky. "What is that?"

The others looked up. There was a gargantuan hole in the sky.

"I don't think we're done, Taiki." Sirenmon said.

"We need to get over there, and check that out." Taiki said looking down to Kiriha. "I have a nasty feeling this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better."

888

"How's it going, buddy?" Takuya Kanbara asked as he backed up in the face of three Raidramon that were stalking forward.

His question was directed to a flaming manticore. The winged lion was shooting fireballs from a gem imbedded in its forehead. The fireballs exploded into the chests of a gang of ExVeemon.

"Kinda busy…" Grunted the winged leonid ducking and weaving, as the ExVeemon returned fire.

"Junpei, Izumi….how about you?" Takuya shouted to a robust teen in a blue jump-suit and a young blonde girl in a striped top and a lavender skirt. "How's Butenmon holding up?"

"Butenmon's fine mostly…" The older boy shouted as he looked to a building-sized, crimson-armored samurai.

"You're going to have to just hold on!" The girl grumbled anticipating the request for help.

"I'm not sure I can?" Takuya gulped as the dragons snarled.

"What do you want us to do? Pull a rabbit out of our hats?" Junpei asked, looking back at Takuya. "I mean I can do it, but I doubt it will help!"

Butenmon swung a huge, long-hilted, single-edged broadsword. The samurai's helmet had two long horns. The samurai had a pair of heavy metallic wings that flared as it swung forward. It was facing off against three WarGrowlmon which were pressing against its sword with their radiation blades.

"I got the people into the underground, but I don't know if Firamon and I can hold the station." Takuya said, as he looked back to the opening to the subway. He then looked back to the Raidramon. "Where's Kouji and the others?"

"Calm down, we're right here." The voice of Kouji said. Takuya turned around to see the black haired boy in a blue jacket standing on the right shoulder of a large rabbit bowman. A young boy with a large hat was standing on the other shoulder. "Do it Crescemon!"

"Ice Archery!" The rabbit lifted its moon-emblazoned, crescent-shaped shield and with its other hand, with a sickle in it.

It pulled the sickle back behind the shield and a rod of glowing ice formed behind the shield. The rabbit released and the arrow fired forward, shattering and then raining down as a hail of explosive ice arrows. The ExVeemon deleted almost instantly.

There was a loud roar as the WarGrowlmon as one pushed forward pushing Butenmon backward, staggering as it tried to grab balance with its giant, clawed feet.

"Chaos Flare!" A large wolf with dark purple tiger stripes leapt forward, its mouth open firing a blast of dark lavender fire into the pack of Raidramon who deleted. The wolf digimon skidded to a stop in front of Takuya, another black haired boy leapt down from the back of the wolf. He looked almost identical to Kouji, except he wore a green button-down T-shirt over a lavender shirt.

"Kouichi!" Takuya smiled.

"We got caught up in a little bit of business down a few blocks." Kouichi explained.

"Later, now we have a bigger job." Takuya said as he turned, lifting his D-3 and spinning it in his palm. "Firamon, let's go!"

"Gururumon you to!" Kouichi said lifting his D-3.

"Firamon-"

"Gururumon-"

"DNA Digivolve to - Shadow Flaremon!" A black armored, red-furred bipedal lion with a flowing flaming mane roared forward and leapt at the WarGrowlmon. "Crimson Shadow Beast King Wave!"

The lion man clenched his fist and punched forward. The fist swirled with a black flame with red peripheries that rocketed forward smashing through the first WarGrowlmon, splitting the chest armor of the digimon and exploding out its back.

"Lunatic Dance!" The rabbit archer leapt down, spinning as the scythe and its crescent shield burned with moonlight. The WarGrowlmon it encountered tried to block with its radiation blade which was sliced in twain by the scythe and shield.

"Dance of the Sun!" Butenmon braced itself lifting its sword above its head. The blade edge was swarming with plasma. The large samurai sliced forward releasing a blast of twisting plasma into the last WarGrowlmon. The plasma sliced through the WarGrowlmon leaving nothing behind but the data.

"Boom! And that is how it's done!" Takuya shouted, pumping his arm.

"I don't think we're done yet." Izumi said, she was looking up.

"What is that thing!?" the little boy yelped, pointing to the hole in the sky. Huge metallic feet were emerging.

"Another digimon, Tomoki." Crescemon said, narrowing its eyes. "It's a big one."

"That's saying something…" Butemon growled, looking at its feet. "It's feet are as big as me, and I'm no hummingbird."

"We better see what's up." Takuya said.

"Yeah, there are other digimon moving over to the bay-side park in Odaiba!" Kouji said pointing to a small flock of digimon converging on the same destination.

"You think you can spot us a lift?" Shadow Flaremon said.

"Climb aboard, but please when the captain puts on the light turn off your cellphones and electrical devices…" Butenmon said as Shadow Flaremon and Crescemon gathered up their partners and leapt up onto his back and climbed up to his shoulders both grabbing the spikes protruding from the armor.

"Really, Butenmon, at a time like this?" Izumi asked as she looked at her cellphone, as the large samurai reached down and gathered the girl and Junpei with its meaty blue hands.

"Yes, really, the electrical buzzing noises those things make gets right up my back." Butenmon said, watching until Izumi snapped the phone shut.

"No service, just had to see if anyone had any info." Izumi said as she pocketed the phone.

"Right, we'll be ascending to a altitude of about a thousand feet and doing a quick building jump to the bay-side park, over yonder. I'd ask you to put your seatbelts on, but there aren't any. As I do my preflight checks I'd like to remind you that in the event of an in-flight emergency, the armor shards are not a floatation device." Butenmon said opening his wings, as jets under the wings flared to life and the building-sized digimon lifted off of the ground.

888

Keiko and Noriko looking down at the ground as Hippogryphomon circled looking for a place to land amongst the throngs of cross-district digi-destined accumulated at the bay-side park. Keiko pointed down to where she saw Loader Leomon and Hippogryphomon tilted its wings and wheeled towards the large drilling lion. Hippogryphomon touched down and the two girls slid down jumping to the ground.

"You saw it, too?" Keiko called to Hiroshi, the black-haired boy that was one of the partners with Loader Leomon.

"You can't not see it." Hiroshi said as the boy turned and looked up at the sky.

Now the legs and lower torso was visible, a sweeping metal tail was swishing in the air, tips of bladed wings projecting from the hole in the sky. It was slowly dropping from the sky, as if being birthed from that gaping fissure in the sky.

"What is it?" Noriko asked, the smaller girl asked.

"Won't know until it comes through, I guess." Takashi, the smaller, curly-haired boy that was with Hiroshi. "But I can't imagine it's good..."

"We couldn't be that lucky." Hiroshi said frowning. "And not one of the original digi-destined around…"

"It might not be a Mega digimon." Keiko said, half knowing the truth before Hippogryphomon started.

"I can already sense we've got ourselves a doozy." Hippogryphomon said. The large winged, beaked, claw-hooved digimon narrowed its eyes.

"Yeah but there's like twenty of us." came a voice. The four dark spore children turned. A teenager in a leather jacket with three other boys were walking forward. A Metal Meramon, and a Cerberumon were flanking the boys. "We can handle one Mega digimon."

"Excuse me!" came another voice as a girl with spikey maroon hair riding the back of a fox-like digimon with a sharp zig-zag tail. With her was a tall, blue haired young adult with glasses and with him was a turtle-like digimon with a helmet on. The fox dropped down landing in front of the gangster-looking boys. Another digimon was in flight behind her, a large cyborg tyrannosaur. The girl jumped down. "Don't you remember the last time we had a big digimon like this Katsuo? The city was tore up…"

"Yeah that was then, this is now, we've been dealing with this crap for a week at least." The lead boy said, sharply. "We can handle some stuff now. Plus I don't see any of your goodie-two shoe friends here, do you?"

"So, then…what's the plan?" A sandy haired boy asked, he was followed by a kid with glasses, a boy wearing a visor, a few girls, and a dark haired boy.

"We have to fight it right?" another boy showed up, wearing a green hat. He had a group of children with him. They'd just arrived on the shoulders of a giant winged samurai. "Whatever it is?"

"We can't just let it rampage." A third boy, wearing a red and blue shirt walked forward. "There are still a lot of people trapped in the city. We have to fight."

"We do have numbers on our side." Hiroshi said turning and looking up at the beast. It arms, with flaming clawed hands and chest were now exposed. "We have an army of Ultimate digimon on our side now, and we've been fighting for a while."

"Still…" The sandy haired boy was rubbing his arm. "We already lost someone since Imperialdramon, a girl, named Alice." He looked back to a brown haired girl in a green dress standing next to a lion-man. "And even though we've been fighting for a while, there are some of us that are still not ready for everything that entails."

"Dude, that thing's coming whether we are ready or not!" The boy in the green hat, said. "We may not be the Chosen Ones, but we were still chosen, like it or not. We have to defend those of us that can't defend themselves."

"I don't deny that!" The sandy haired boy said. "It's just…"

"Takato…" The dark haired boy said. "I get you want to protect us, but we got to fight. I like fighting even less than you do. I hate putting Terriermon through it, it scares me but…" The boy looked up and saw the beast was now all the way to its shoulders, "this thing isn't going to go away if we ignore it."

"Jian…" the Takato started.

"I don't often agree with Taiki's good Samaritan shtick," A blonde haired boy with a blue jacket walked up behind the boy in the blue and red shirt. "but my mom's still alive, and in a shelter in Koto, and I'm not going to let that thing rampage freely, I don't care if I go alone or not, but if I have to go with only Greymon I will."

"Kiriha…" the boy in red and blue said, his eyes tearing up and he smiled.

"Don't get all emotional on me, now!" the boy in blue growled.

"I agree with the blonde kid." A black haired boy with a blue and gray striped stocking cap crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't always agree with Takuya. He's a knucklehead and wants to run into things too easily, but you can't deny that that thing is going to burn the entire city!"

The kid with the stocking cap pointed. A soul-piercing scream erupted from the position of the rift. All the kids turned and many grasped as the beast dropped from the sky crashing down into the bay. The entire bay sloshed and a giant wave washed over the sea barrier swamping across the park. The children screamed as they were inundated by water. Their digimon scrambled to grab the children before they were washed out into the bay.

"Now I'm just pissed because we got soaked…" Katsuo growled as he got back to his feet.

"It's huge…" The boy that had ridden in with Jun said as he wiped his glasses off and put them back on.

The children looked, out on the opening of the bay the beast stood, seething, hip deep in the ocean. It's metallic wings spreading and filling the sky. It howled loudly and fired a blast of spiraling plasma outwards. The plasma flew over the children's head disappearing over the horizon, where there was enormous plume of fire. After a few minutes there was the sound of thunder.

"If we're doing this, we have to have a plan." Takato said.

888

Jianliang looked across the empty air from Rapidmon to AeroVeedramon. Aboard AeroVeedramon were two of the tough kids' and their partner Cerberumon, Juri and Minami and GrapLeomon as well as Kenta and Takato. On the other side of AeroVeedramon Doumon was gliding forward standing on a mandala disk with Ruki and Takako. Jianliang looked over to Kazu and then past him. They were on the west side of the formation. The middle sported a group of kids largely from Koto, Sirenmon and a purple and gold Metal Greymon flew forward with the yellow armored ninja Tuwarmon jetting on the far side of Metal Greymon just in line. Standing on the metallic mask of Metal Greymon was the ShadowWereGarurumon. Sirenmon was carrying the boy Taiki and his friend Zenjirou. Metal Greymon was loaded with the rest of the children. On the east side of the convoy of digimon was RizeGreymon, carrying two of the other tough kids' digimon Metal Meramon and one of the Shinjuku kids digimon Crescemon. Hippogryphomon was flying next to RizeGreymon with Loader Leomon and group of children standing on the giant eagle-horse's shoulders. Flying directly behind Metal Greymon was the giant samurai digimon Butenmon. The spiky-haired girl's DNA digimon partner Shawujinmon was on the left shoulder of Butenmon, and Shadow Flaremon the green hatted boy with the red shirt's DNA digivolved partner were on the right shoulder.

"Ok." Sirenmon's partner's, Taiki, voice called over the D-3. "We're getting close to our first checkpoint, Butenmon lower your altitude. Arrowhead, prepare to fire when I give the signal!"

Jianliang looked ahead the monstrous beast was looming ahead. It was thrashing in the ocean, stirring up the bay, waves were lashing the surrounding districts with canals and coastline. It still seemed largely oblivious to their presence or more likely was completely unfussed by their presence.

"Ok, Metal Greymon fire!" shouted Taiki's voice.

Missiles fired out of the dinosaur's chest. Almost as quickly ShadowWereGarurumon leapt forward landing on one of the missiles. Sirenmon's musical notes sliced forward and Tuwarmon threw a pair of glowing kusarigama that twisted around the center part of the chain binding them together.

"Alpha team drop back!" Taiki's voice shouted. "Beta and Gamma, go forward! Delta come up underneath us and fill in our position match speed with Beta and Gamma."

"That's us." Kazu said, as Rapidmon rocketed forward with AeroVeedramon and Doumon. On the other side RizeGreymon and Hippogryphomon increased their speed as Butenmon rose up filling in the space that Metal Greymon forfeited.

"First line of attacks are about to hit, we need to be in position." Jianliang said to Rapidmon.

"I'm moving I'm moving, jeesh!" the rabbit cyborg grumbled as he rocketed forward.

As the missiles from Metal Greymon closed in on the leviathan ahead of them, Jianliang saw ShadowWereGarurumon leap forward.

"Wolf Claw!" the wolf sliced forward with his claws slamming them against the monster chest, like a mosquito ramming the windshield of a car.

"NOW!" shouted Jianliang.

Rapidmon put on the afterburners and AeroVeedramon and Doumon kept pace as the wolf back flipped, quickly touching one of the missiles before springing backwards again. Rapidmon made it in position lifted his arms and fired missile from his palms shortly afterwards, ShadowWereGarurumon's feet touched down on Rapidmon's head before the lupine digimon leapt again to AeroVeedramon who was finishing firing a barrage of V-wing Blades as GrapLeomon fired a turbine-boosted King of the Fist and Cerberumon release a blast of green flames. Doumon swept his arms out releasing a stream of demons that flew at beast. On the other side of things Hippogryphomon released a blast of heat and Loader Leomon fired an energy drill forward. RizeGreymon fired the giant cannon on its arm and Metal Meramon fired a blue-hot fire ball into the beast while Crescemon release a barrage of ice arrows. Finally Butenmon swung its mighty sword, releasing a twisting blast of solar wind into the beast, Shawujinmon released a twisting vortex of water and Shadow Flaremon punched forward releasing a prominence of black and red flames.

The attacks all converged erupting into the chest of the monster. There was a soul-piercing shriek as the squadrons of Ultimates looked upon their handy-work. The beast roared again and turned its head to the digi-destined. The smoke cleared from the impact. There were no scratches, no scorch marks, no indication anything had even hit the monster's body.

"Chumleys and Chumlets…" Kazu said into his D-3. "That is what we in the business like to call a 'no sell'…which generally means we are, and let me put this delicately, royally screwed."

"Everyone, break up! Scatter!" Taiki's voice shouted as the monster screeched again and a cloud of plasma formed in its mouth.

Jianliang grabbed tightly to Rapidmon as the digimon darted around sweeping away as a stream of hot ionized gas burned through the atmosphere, slicing past the digi-destined and into the city. Strings of explosions followed everywhere the plasma went.

"Everyone ok?" Taiki's voice huffed.

"Yeah…but that was Tamachi!" The older partner of Hippogryphomon, Keiko, called back.

"We've got his attention at least." came Taiki's friend Kiriha. "Let's keep it up, this time let's get him on the seaward side so he blasts the ocean."

"Are you nuts!?" shouted another voice, this sounded like the large rotund boy that was with Takuya's group. "That thing nearly killed us, and it missed us!"

"We can do this!" Takuya's voice called over the D-3.

"I'm not sure we can…" this was Takato's voice.

"Matsuda, don't wimp out now!" Ruki's voice sniped.

"I'm not wimping out! But we didn't do anything other than light Tamachi on fire!" shouted Takato back. "Until we have a better plan there's no reason to get ourselves killed!"

"We're not going to be a choice here guys!" came Takuya. "It's got its eyes on us!"

Jiangliang furrowed his brows. The Chosen Ones needed to show up soon. He wasn't sure how long this group of kids could hold out, or even stick together as a team.

888

Jyou was clutching the arms of his chair so tight that his fingers were numb from being lack of blood supply. The inside of the commandeered jet was chaos as air masks flopped about and lights flickered and angry beeping screamed around.

"So this digimon thing has a huge disruption field!" shouted 'Matthew's voice through the now opened cockpit doors, where lots of yelling klaxons were petulantly going off. "And this plane's electronics are super not shielded. I think we've lost all of our engines but again no electronics, except annoying these klaxons. So basically buckle up for a crash landing and…Geronimo!"

"We're going to die!" Jyou yelped as the plane pitched heavily to the left. "And it won't even be from a digimon!"

"Don't worry, Jyou." Gomamon said calmly as all the insanity was going on around him.

"DON'T WORRY!?" shouted Jyou loudly as he got smacked in the face by an oxygen mask.

"Our seats function as a floatation device." Gomamon said lifting the safety brochure. "If we crash in the ocean we'll be fine…"

"Oh, well in that case...I'm sorry I'm so scared." Jyou said narrowing his eyes. "Except of course…WE'RE GOING TO CRASH INTO A MOUNTAIN!"

"Well, if you're going to focus on the negative there's not much I can do." Gomamon said in annoyance.

"Guys, just calm down!" Izzy was pushing, staggeringly towards the airlock of the cabin. "I got this!"

"What are you doing?" Jyou yelped as he looked back. "Get back in your seat….at least then they can identify your remains if you're in your seat!"

"Jyou, did you forget?" Izzy asked as he pointed to Tentomon. "We have wings."

"No! You aren't going to…" Jyou started but it was too late as Izzy opened the hatch. Instantly the pressure in the cabin disappeared.

Jyou watched as Izzy strained against the pressure trying to force him out the door and watched Tentomon get sucked out of the fuselage. Koushiro then struggled to shut the cabin door, but his foot slipped and he fell.

"IZZY!" shouted Gomamon as the cinnamon haired boy disappeared out the door.

The door suddenly shut. The plane jolted heavily, and stabilized. Jyou was sitting plastered against his seat huffing and puffing. Finally he forced himself to turn his head, his skull still plastered into the cushion of the seat rest. He could see whirring wings.

"Jyou, are you ok?" came Izzy's voice. "Is everyone ok?"

"Am…am I ok!?" Jyou yelped jumping out of his seat. "Where the hell are you?"

"Kabuterimon's neck." Izzy said as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.

"ARE YOU INSANE!" shouted Jyou.

"I admit this wasn't an optimal experience." Izzy replied. "But I trusted that Kabuterimon would catch me once I was, no longer in the cabin. Jyou you need to see this."

"See what?" Jyou asked.

The plane slowly turned. As it did Jyou saw it. The thing.

"I'm going to hypothesize that this is what is causing the interference." Izzy said quietly.

"It's…it's…" Jyou stammered as he looked down seeing the beast in the bay.

"Definitely bigger than VenomMyotismon." Gomamon said. The little seal then pointed. "Hey look, someone's down there!"

"My D-3 is reading digi-destined signatures down there…" Izzy said with an air of concern. "There's no way they can hold that thing off. I'm going to take the plane down, we'll drop you and Gomamon off in the bay and then I'll take Dr. Smith and the Ponds to land and meet up with you en route to that…thing."

888

Taichi jumped awake. He furrowed his brow and winced as the blinding whiteness of the room he was in glowed into his face. He blinked several times before he became aware of the others still out cold next to him. Clockmon was walking around in front of him his four, heavy, mechanical legs stomping as the digimon circled the console in the middle of the room. The dark haired girl that had been introduced to them as Susan was also flipping switches and turning dials as a large plastic case that held blinking circuit boards raised and lowered with a low hum.

"Oh you are awake." Susan said peering around the case. She walked around the console. "I am very sorry. Like I said lift offs can be difficult for the uninitiated. I suppose tearing yourself off of the normal space-time coordinates would have that affect." She walked up to Taichi and leaned forward extending a hand. "Grandfather has been puttering around with this thing for so long I've gotten used to it I suppose."

"How…how long?" Taichi asked, his throat was very dry. He swallowed several times but couldn't seem to moisten his throat.

"Ha, that's a tricky question." Susan laughed as she helped Taichi to his feet. "I suppose it depends on your point of view and our destination…"

"Wha?" Taichi was entirely too bleary and thirsty to really listen.

"You'll be wanting some water, most do…strange side effect of this sort of travel." Susan said as she pulled on his hand and led him into an adjoining room, which was almost identical to the one they just left but was without the console and had a sink and a stove and cabinets. Susan walked over and pulled a glass from one of the cabinets and turned on a faucet and then handed the glass of water to Taichi. Taichi took the water and drank. Susan smiled. "I guess I shouldn't be so cryptic. When I say that how long is a tricky question it's because of mathematical principles underlying the way the machine works. You see this machine is more than just a convenient source of travel from place to place. At least in theory, grandfather has yet to figure out the appropriate algorithms, but he keeps saying that this image space can travel through time as well through space."

Taichi spluttered loudly nearly coughing up all the water in his mouth.

"Did you say…?" Taichi coughed loudly.

"Yes, of course I think grandfather's gone quite mad, he's ever so old." The girl said as she turned away from Taichi and braced against the shelf next to the sink. "However, Clockmon says it's possible, that even more so we could travel between realities themselves…and I don't mean between our world and the Digital World but between parallel universes and completely other realities." Susan turned to Taichi who was blinking in some state of shock at the girl. "You must think I'm mad as well."

"Well…" Taichi said quietly, giving his brain some time to actually mull over the conversation. "I am in a shed which appears to have rooms that shouldn't be in it, and we are…traveling, correct?"

"Like I said that's a tricky question." Susan said frowning. "It's a matter of perspective. This space doesn't actually move…the algorithms plugged into the control console simply execute a command file to the base code of the universe to dematerialize the external object that you saw when we picked you up, and then it transmits an executable program to the universe rematerializing the structure in another set of geographic coordinates. Nothing ever actually moves, the doors just pop out of existence at one point in space and time and pop into existence in another."

"But I saw it fall out of the sky and bounce all over the place…" Taichi said scratching his head.

"Yes, well, unfortunately the mathematics are quite complicated, and grandfather has gotten lazy with his arithmetic so sometimes the outsides materialize at the wrong location and what with the planetary rotational velocity, conservation of angular momentum and actual planetary orbital velocity the exterior can get….roughed up…" Susan said.

"Man I wish Izzy was here, he'd love this stuff." Taichi said, he swallowed his last swig of water from his glass. "Are we nearly to Tokyo then?"

"Well, Clockmon is working on the positional algorithms now, we should be close to materializing but Clockmon says the distortion that we're responding to is having negative effects on his ability to defining the quantum signature…of…" Susan stopped talking as she looked at Taichi's face. "I'm sorry, I've lived most of my life with grandfather and Clockmon, and they both talk in nonstop lingo…" Susan sighed and looked wistfully for a second. "It makes things difficult when it comes to other kids…and my teachers." She blinked and then seemed to come back to Taichi. "I think when I last checked we were about fifteen minutes out…"

"Any idea what we're dealing with?" Taichi said as Susan turned and started walking back to the console room.

"Giant digimon…dragon of course." Susan said as she walked into the console room. "Not much else, luckily the transfer between the Digital World and ours was slow, probably because it was so huge, but the interdimensional barrier is looking…rugged." Susan walked to the console. "We are in contact with UNIT of course, but they have as little information as we do. Their local transmitter was knocked out by the digimon's emergence. That's in part why we're taking you in. The other Chosen Ones are also being brought in. The hope is once the digimon is defeated or returned to the Digital World, the scientists that have been working on closing off the Digital World from ours can finish their job."

As Susan talked the other kids and their digimon started to wake up. Yamato rubbed the back of his head and slowly staggered to his feet, he helped Sora to her feet. The hulking boy named Ivan was helping his friends to their feet. Taichi walked over to Mimi as she grumbled to wakefulness.

"Hey…" Taichi said putting his hand out.

"Hey…" Mimi said with a smile, as she reached out and grabbed his hand. Taichi pulled her to her feet which wobbled and she crumpled into his arms. "Sorry, I'm just a little…"

"Woozy, trust me, I know the feeling." Taichi said with a smile, knowing in the last few hours (never mind the preceding days) at least he hadn't even a chance to talk to Mimi at all, either being busy with a Mega dragon digimon or being unconscious. "So, how are things?"

"I haven't seen my parents in…days at least." Mimi said, she stopped and frowned. "I don't even know if they are alive! I've been so busy, so in the moment - I haven't had a chance to think about it." Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. "Oh my god, Tai, what if they're dead?"

"Shh, Mimi, not now." Taichi whispered hugging her as she cried into his chest. "It'll be ok, I promise we'll find your parents as soon as we can." Taichi looked down at Mimi. "We all need to check in with our families. I'm sure yours will be ok."

"How can you say that?" Mimi whimpered almost hurt. "This isn't like before, we can't be sure of anything!"

"Do you believe in me?" Taichi asked, looking into Mimi's eyes and gently wiping the tears away.

Mimi swallowed quietly, and then slowly nodded. "Of course but…"

"Shh, first thing we do after this last push in Tokyo, is find our parents and make sure everyone is ok." Taichi said as he looked over to Sora and Yamato. "Sora's mother is in the hospital and Matt's parents are working in this mess…my parents are in a shelter at ground zero. We all have people in danger in this, but trust me, I believe that your parents are safe, our friends wouldn't let anything happen to them. We just have to get through this." Taichi smiled and kissed Mimi on the forehead. "Does that sound ok?"

Mimi nodded silently. Taichi smiled and turned to look at the other kids that had been with Susan or with Mimi and Sora.

"You guys, how did you get mixed up into this?" Taichi asked.

Over the course of a few minutes the big guy explained their government links. The blonde kid with the small blue husky dog digimon explained about Dr. Kurata. The kid Marcus who reminded Taichi a lot of Katsuo from his high school, except a little less roguish, explained how they had escaped Washington DC.

"And now we're all together, heading into Tokyo where this whole invasion started." Kouki finished, as he looked at the others.

"I hope we're in time." Ivan said quietly.

He got a swift elbow from the teenage girl, Yoshino.

"We should be there in a few minutes, so to speak." Susan said as she turned a dial. "I think Clockmon is finishing his integration calculations to insert the outside structure back into normal space-time coordinate system and when he does we'll start our final push back to reality…so to speak."

"I'm sorry what?" Yamato said looking to the black haired British girl.

"Matt…just…leave it." Taichi said as there was a rather loud grinding sound, a screeching key on violin sound that seemed to rub back and forth not just on one's nerves but upon the nerves of the very universe itself.

888

"Quartz Reactors to power!" announced on technician.

"Turbines to speed!" announced another.

"I can't wait to see this baby do it." Dr. Schmidt said as he strolled along the computer banks of the bridge of the Valiant. "I haven't had a chance to test the Quartz drive yet…"

"What's it do, again?" Ken asked as he followed Dr. Schmidt with the other kids.

"It's a wormhole machine." Dr. Schmidt's teenage apprentice said.

"A what?" Hikari, who had been walking next to Miyako, looked up.

"It opens a shortcut between here and there…" Dr. Schmidt explained vaguely as he continued to inspect consoles. "Never been able to actually do it before but we found these strange quartz crystals a little after the Diablo Virus event near Heighton View Terrace…the energy density within them was immense; it allowed us to actually pry into and widen the tiny holes in reality that form in the quantum foam. Of course we did the silly things like throw baseballs and hit golf balls into them to test the capacity for physical structures to pass through the holes safely and intact, but we've never done it with anything this big before."

"This sounds like Koushiro territory…" Hikari whispered to Salamon who was being held in her arms.

"Ah yes, Mr. Izumi, I think I sent him materials last year…he was looking into some sort of heat capacitor." Dr. Schmidt said, his fingers on his lips as he looked over the shoulder of another technician. "I have to say he has some industrial needs for heat capacitors. Can only imagine he's building some kind of super-massive server system. Of course it raised red flags for UNIT but when we realized who it was…we graciously let it slide. Winnie wasn't happy about it but…Winnie isn't generally happy." Dr. Schmidt stopped and tapped his chin slightly. "Ace, come here, check the arithmetic on this console and then back reference to the preceding consoles, I think we've missed a coefficient or two."

"What about Tokyo, any news from there?" Iori asked.

"Unfortunately, the distortion is preventing any kind of conventional transmission into or out of the general area, most of Japan is under the blanket now…" Dr. Schmidt said, leaning back on his question mark umbrella. "I've never seen anything like it. It has to be an incredibly large and powerful digimon. Much larger than the Odaiba fog event by any stretch of the imagination."

Takeru, Hikari, Patamon and Salamon all looked at each other with a worrying look.

"It could also be a sign that the barrier has finally completely failed and the two worlds are starting to converge inwards." Ken said quietly.

"That sounds like a bad thing, that's a bad thing right?" Miyako said looking over to Ken.

"Oh it's quite catastrophic, two material planes of existence trying to exist at the same set of coordinate points, at the same time in the same resonance phase…" Dr. Schmidt said. He stopped and seemed to do some math in his head. "Total annihilation of reality…both of them."

"That's why we have to get to Tokyo, stop this distortion and get the eggheads' plan into operation." Daisuke said walking behind everyone else with his hands clasped behind his head. "You know, your everyday save the world kind of stuff that we do before breakfast."

"Oh much more than the world my goggle-wearing lad." Dr. Schmidt said as he pushed off of his umbrella and continued walking down the aisle of consoles. "All of the universe, and possibly any parallels attached to our causal nexus."

"Professor, we've finished final checks, all computations check, we're ready for the jump!" Ace shouted from a console on the far side of the bridge.

"Rrright then, fire up the Quartz Drive let's put this baby through its paces!" Dr. Schmidt said, sitting down in front of a computer and pressed a button. The entirety of the sky blinked out of existence replaced by a kaleidoscope of blue and white. Dr. Schmidt took out a pocket watch, looked at the second hand. "Two, three…that should do it!"

The view in front of the vessel shifted. Daisuke stopped and stared out of the large picture windows of the conning tower they were on and whistled.

"That'sh a big digimon…" Veemon said as he looked at it.

"What digimon is it?" Iori asked watching as the giant dragon seemed to be thrashing in Tokyo Bay.

"Bad…" Salamon said, frowning. The puppy-kitten narrowed her eyes. "I've heard stories when I was a little Nyaromon. I always thought it was just a scary story told to Fresh and In-Training digimon to keep them in place."

"Well, spit it out!" Daisuke yelped.

"It's DORUghoramon…a feral, ancient beast from antiquity, the first dragon, the world eater." Salamon said quietly. "It's the embodiment of blind rage and hunger. Coated in metal armor from head to toe, wing tip to wing tip, tip of nose to tip of tail. I can't believe even the Great Dragons would dare unchain it."

"Well, that sounds great." Miyako said, furrowing her eyebrows.

"A beast fitting the end of days…" whispered Dr. Schmidt. "The great battle of the Gods to end all things…it'd be more fitting if it had been a giant wolf."

"Well, the day isn't over, yet!" Daisuke said, clenching his fists. "And I'm not ready to end anything, wolf, dragon or angry butterflies, we're taking that thing out and we're saving well…I guess everything!"

"It appears you're not the first to arrive." Dr. Schmidt said, he pointed down there.

"Who's that?" Miyako asked looking down. "It's Jyou! Isn't it?"

"That's Zudomon!" Armadillomon confirmed.

"He'll get massacred out there, we gotta do something!" Takeru yelped.

"And the ball is in my court finally!" the Brigadier Bambera said, as she made herself known from a deck above. She moved forward and grabbed a microphone. "Armory, bring weapons online, we're entering the battle!"

"Weapons, you can't just shoot that thing!" Salamon yelped. "Didn't you hear what I said? Human weapons won't have any effect on that thing!"

"Ah, but this ship was built with an eye on attacking and destroying high powered other world targets!" Brigadier Bambera said. She talked into the microphone. "Boys, charge the anti-proton cannon, get the Reversed Neutron 2 shells loaded into the forward batteries. UNAS Valiant is reporting for combat duty!"

"We can just digivolve and fight it!" Takeru retorted.

"Not in time to save Jyou and Zudomon…" Ken said as he looked down. DORUghoramon was rearing for an attack. It appeared to be focusing on the tiny speck in the sea that was Zudomon. "That being said, I hope you know what you're doing, Brigadier. That thing is crazed and…"

"You kids get out there," Dr. Schmidt said. "We might be able to get its attention but it's you and your friends that are the ones that will have to destroy it."

The digi-destined nodded sharply and started running towards the exit.

888

Shuu winced as he waited for the blast from the beast they were facing. He clutched RizeGreymon's shoulder with one arm and Jun with another. The monster roared, and then there was a loud metallic bang. Shuu looked up to see a heavy metallic hammer spin past swing around in a wide arc and then slap the monster a second time. His eyes followed the hammer as it continued to spin towards its point of origin, a giant turtle-shelled walrus. The giant turtle-shelled marine mammal was steaming towards the beast. It reminded Shuu of the part of the War of the Worlds when the HMS Thunderchild attacked the Martian tripods.

"JYOU!" Shuu shouted pointing, he nearly lost his footing as he let go of RizeGreymon's shoulder. Crescemon grabbed Shuu before he fell. "It's Jyou and Zudomon!"

"You mean your brother?" Jun asked quickly. The spiky, auburn-haired girl looked down. "If your brother is here then…"

She scanned the sky. "What the heck is that?!"

Shuu looked where Jun was pointing to see a massive airship appear in the sky over Odaiba. He narrowed his eyes. What few messages he'd gotten from his brother had mentioned similar ships in other places in the world. Things looked like they were going from catastrophic to even more catastrophic. The rest of the digi-destined were still swarming around the massive digimon but their attacks were next to useless. They'd gone from making concentrated attacks to now simply pelting the beast from any direction hoping maybe something would break through the dragon's metallic skin. Nothing had worked. Momoe had suggested they try shooting it in the eye, which was why they, meaning mostly RizeGreymon and his cargo, were in the position they were in. It had sort of worked in that the monster had become fatally interested in them and was preparing to swat them.

"We need to get out of here, now." Shuu said loudly, shouting to Momoe and Chizura.

The two sisters saluted sharply and Shin felt RizeGreymon's rockets flare to life as the dinosaur cyborg pushed away from the beast. The beast snarled, turning its head towards where Zudomon was. Shuu narrowed his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Jun asked.

"What's Jyou's plan?" Shuu asked. "Zudomon can't be that much more powerful than the rest of our Ultimate digimon…he can't be thinking to be taking it on all by himself. Where's Koushiro and MegaKabuterimon?"

The dragon roared its soul-piercing shriek. Shuu covered his eyes as the plasma flared in its mouth. A stream of plasma fired downwards towards Zudomon. Shuu screamed as the flare exploded into the sea. The air dimmed and the ocean was empty.

"Shuu…" Jun whispered.

"There!" Kouji shouted, from Crescemon's shoulder. "Zudomon is surfacing!"

"He escaped!" Shin cheered.

"Guys, we've got incoming!" RizeGreymon said as he pointed to the airship. The front of it was flickering and there were dozens of flashes across the upper portions of it.

"This is Shuu, with RizeGreymon, to everyone else in the Tokyo squadron within listening range, we have an airship firing in our direction." Shuu shouted into his D-3. "We need to get out of here."

RizeGreymon's jets roared to life as the cybernetic dinosaur rushed for land. Shin heard the beast release another soul-piercing shriek.

888

Jyou coughed loudly and sputtered as ocean water kept trying to force itself down his throat. His glasses were gone, lost in the sea. His left hand clung barely to one of the spikes on Zudomon's shell.

"Are you ok, Jyou?" the large turtle-shelled walrus asked.

"Warn me next time." Jyou coughed.

"There wasn't time, I didn't think he'd react so fast." Zudomon replied.

Jyou and Zudomon both looked up as the beast released another soul-piercing scream. They could see the flickering of plasma forming in front of the beast. Jyou quickly took a deep breath preparing for Zudomon to dive again, when the barrage hit. Explosions rocked across the beast's body.

Jyou looked up and saw the ship hanging above Odaiba.

"When did that show up?" Zudomon grunted.

"Bigger question when did one of those things start attacking dragon digimon?" Jyou asked as he saw the front of it flicker with light, that lanced forward as a giant beam of light that smashed into the giant leviathan's chest.

The beast actually staggered backwards slightly as the beam burned across its chest. The dragon turned its head, and then swished towards the ship.

"Jyou!" shouted a voice. Jyou looked up to see Koushiro riding on the back of MegaKabuterimon, jetting towards him.

"Took you long enough!" shouted Jyou as the giant, red scarab swooped over his head.

"Sorry, Dr. Smith was being difficult." Koushiro shouted. The cinnamon haired boy looked over to the dragon. "He's big…"

"He's turning on the ship!" Jyou shouted, pointing at the massive dragon pivoting its body. The flickering light of plasma was forming in its snout.

"And moving towards the city!" Koushiro replied as MegaKabuterimon jetted next to Zudomon.

"We need to stop that thing before it hits land!" MegaKabuterimon growled.

"Then let's do it." Zudomon agreed.

The two digimon glowed as they merged together, as the dragon fired at the ship.

888

Klaxons were screaming in all directions. Brigadier Bambera was hanging onto a piece of metal railing that'd came loose in the attack. Smoke filled the bridge, the giant windows were cracked, but were specially tempered not to shatter. Bambera grunted as she tried to maneuver towards the command deck and solid ground as her feet hung several meters above the floor of the bottom of the bridge.

"Winnie!" Bambera looked up to see the arching crook of an umbrella handle. "Grab the umbrella."

Bambera pulled herself up grabbing the umbrella, she heard a loud grunt and felt her body lifted up to the floor of the command deck. Bambera stood up and dusted herself off. Dr. Schmidt was huffing and puffing with his assistant.

"Dr. Schmidt…" Brigadier Bambera turned her head to Dr. Schmidt. "You are to refer to me as either Brigadier Winifred Bambera or Brigadier Bambera."

"Of course." Dr. Schmidt said shaking his head.

"How's the Valiant?" Bambera asked. "Did the digi-destined get free?"

"Yes the children and their digimon got free of the ship before we were struck." Dr. Schmidt said. The ship shook heavily. "Our lateral stabilizers are badly damaged. Flight systems are only functioning at 20%, main power reactors are down, we are essentially running on good faith and what's left in the auxiliary battery power which isn't much. Energy shields are shot, physically unshielded computers are failing, anti-proton cannon is not responding." Dr. Schmidt rattled off. "We have only minimal propulsion, we're dead in the air and listing slightly to the left. There are fires across the ship here and there and everywhere. But the toaster in Beta commissary is still working and we have the primary Reversed Neutron 2 guns."

"Can we survive another blast?" Bambera asked as she glared out the cracked glass towards the monster that was opening its metallic maw and flickering another blast of plasma.

"No, very likely not." Dr. Schmidt said, looking up. "Oh, dear…"

"Quartz drive, is it functional?" Bambera barked loudly.

"Quartz reactor is responding, but the wormhole enhancers are shot…" Dr. Schmidt said. "I would say not working."

"We did our job…" Brigadier Bambera said, clasping her hands behind her back and turned facing the flickering maw of the dragon. "We had to get that thing's attention and get the digi-destined into the fight…"

"Yes, I'm actually quite surprised we survived the first blast in one piece." Dr. Schmidt said as he braced against his umbrella. He looked to his assistant. "Sorry, Ace, I didn't expect your internship to end like this."

"It's ok, professor, I wouldn't trade this for anything." Ace said, putting her hand on the doctor's shoulder.

The monster reared back, unfurling its metallic wings. The brigadier took a deep breath. Suddenly the monster's back arched backward. A stout stream of water was smashing into the dragon's back. The stream was coming from a turtle digimon with cannons on its hands and snout. The plasma fired from the dragon firing into the air.

"It's…" Ace started.

"Right, people, the digi-destined are buying us time, let's get this boat out of here." Brigadier Bambera shouted. "Shut off that damned klaxon, get the extractor fans online." Bambera turned to Dr. Schmidt. "Dr. Schmidt, get us the hell out of here."

"Right, Ace, let's get down to the Quartz Reactor, maybe we can re-route power to the stabilizers and propulsion." Dr. Schmidt said grabbing his assistant.

888

Jyou squinted as JumboGamemon tried to out-swim the lashing tail of the massive dragon digimon. He and Koushiro's large chelonian partner was small compared to the beast, but the turtle's hydro lasers were catching the monster dragon's attention. This was, debatably, a good thing. Blasts of plasma hissed past them as the massive monster belched the hot, ionized gas in long streams. The massive chrome tail also was swinging wildly trying to swat them. Each time creating tiny tidal waves as its massive bulk smashed the water's surface. Jyou, who was already soaked, clung to Koushiro who had also gained about one hundred pounds of sea water weight.

"Positron Laser!"

"Did I hear that right!?" Jyou shouted as he squinted around, all he could make out were flashes of light.

"It's Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!" Koushiro replied. "And he's brought backup!"

"Who?" Jyou asked frantically trying to look but his vision was not up to the task.

"Not sure, but they're angel digimon, guesses would be TK, Kari, Iori and Miyako." Koushiro replied.

"Mega level digimon?" Jyou asked.

"It's not Angewomon or MagnaAngemon and I don't see Silphymon or Shakkoumon." Koushiro said.

"Eden's Javelin!" came a female cry.

"Heaven's Arrow!" A male voice.

The two shouts were followed by bright blasts of light and the mad thrashing of a giant monster, paired with that soul-piercing scream.

"Koushiro, Jyou, are you guys ok?" came Iori's raspy voice over the D-3.

"We're soaked to our bones, and being shot at by a crazy, huge dragon…we're doing great!" Jyou snarked back into the D-3.

"Could be worse, Jyou." JumboGamemon said as it ducked another sweep from the dragon's tail. "We're at least in our element. I mean it's not like we're on Infinity Mountain trying to break a bucking Unimon."

"That, is not a comparable situation!" Jyou huffed as the amorphous shadow that was undoubtedly the dragon's tail slammed downward towards them, only to be repelled by another hydro laser from JumboGamemon.

"We need to get into a better position." Koushiro shouted to JumboGamemon.

"Does that mean closer? I feel like that's code for closer." Jyou grumbled as he gripped hard onto the keratinous shell of JumboGamemon.

"I'll put it like this, it isn't further away." Koushiro replied. "The dragon has us split off from the others, we have to get around it. At least then we can attack in concentration and maybe push this thing further out to sea."

"Great, deeper water…" Jyou said as he squinted forward. Between the unpleasantness of salt water in his eyes and the general wobbliness his imperfect vision afforded him, he was developing one hell of a headache right in the middle of his forehead. Jyou sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose and then resigned himself to fate. "Forward, full speed ahead!"

"Actually, we'll have to go at an azimuth of forty-five degrees for approximately a kilometer and then execute tight three hundred forty degree arc to make the appropriate maneuver." Koushiro said.

888

The room shook with sharp jolts. Susan was wincing as finally, with a loud 'cha-cha-cha' followed by lots of small explosions across the console, the room seemed to come to a 'stop'. Susan pulled a lever and one of the walls opened up revealing a screen.

"This is…" Taichi walked towards the screen.

"Shinjuku…" Yamato said, disappointedly. "I thought you said we were going to Odaiba?"

"Still an A-, considering." Susan said as she pulled another lever and the giant doors that led outside opened in a slow arc. She looked up at Clockmon and then to Yamato. "We could've ended up on Mars."

"That was your grandfather's fault, Susan, he doubled that coefficient; I tried to stop him!" Clockmon replied defensively.

"Either way, we're close enough." Taichi said as he looked down to Agumon. "How are you feeling? Ready?"

"Willing and able!" Agumon said.

"Good," He looked to Mimi and Sora. "This should be it…and then we can do whatever it is that we need to do to close the rifts."

"Yes, if we can get the transmission through the Heighton View Terrace rift it should execute a barrier program." Susan said as she leaned against the console.

"It looks like we're not the first to show up." Yoshino said pointing at the screen.

"That's Imperialdramon, and I'm guessing those angels are you and Tai's brother and sister, Matt." Sora said as she could make out the tiny, insect sized digimon against the gargantuan dragon.

"Well, then let's go." Yamato said as he and Gabumon started to walk towards the door. "No reason for the others to have all the fun."

Sora, Mimi, Biyomon and Palmon were following Yamato. The HYPNOS kids were following the girls when Taichi walked forward and stepped in front of them.

"So, here's the thing, whatever this is, it's definitely a Mega digimon." Taichi said, looking at the HYPNOS children.

"But…we came to help, we're not going to hide in here." Marcus groused, pushing forward with his big Agumon.

"I know, but, Mimi would be devastated if you guys got hurt." Taichi said, taking a step backward. He looked over to Susan as the brunette teenager fussed with the controls. "Plus, Susan needs someone to protect her." Taichi lowered his voice as the others stepped out onto the wrecked streets of Shinjuku. "You guys have some real training for this stuff. If this thing goes badly, I want your team to be in the lead for whatever response gets made, got it?"

Marcus blinked as he looked to Taichi. "What are you talking about? You're going to win."

Taichi looked back where the dragon filled the sky, and then looked back to Marcus and the other HYPNOS kids. He smiled. "Yeah sure we'll win." His face became a little unsure hearing the beast's roar and then he put his hand on Marcus's shoulder, firmly. "but…if something were to happen. Mimi vouches for you, you guys went through some stuff. The global digi-destined will need direction."

Marcus was about to argue back when Kouki put his hand on Marcus's shoulder. "Don't worry, Mr. Yagami, we've got this."

Taichi blinked in surprise and then blushed slightly from the show of respect. He turned and then ran out into the street with Agumon at his side. Taichi looked down at Agumon, the little dinosaur nodded, and then Taichi lifted his digivice. The other Chosen Children followed suit. There were explosions of light, and they were off.

888

"Altogether, again!" Shouted Daisuke from Imperialdramon's shoulder.

"It didn't work last time, why would it this time!?" Miyako asked loudly.

"It wasn't a suggestion, Miyako!" Daisuke shouted back.

"Giga Death!" Imperialdramon's chest cannon flared to life.

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon thrust her javelin forward firing a blast of holy lightning at DORUghoramon.

"Heaven's Arrow!" ClavisAngemon opened his hand and fired bolts of white light towards the beast.

"Megaton Hydro Laser!" Jyou and Koushiro's partner digimon, JumboGamemon, pointed all of its gun ports at DORUghoramon and opened fire, sending cutting blasts of water at the dragon.

The attacks converged exploding into DORUghoramon's stomach. The dragon snarled angrily thrashing as it took a halting step backwards.

"Not a scuff!" came Iori's voice over the D-3. "I can't believe it's that powerful!"

"We're only inching it backward by sheer force." Miyako's voice responded. "We're not even really hurting it."

"We're not giving up!" Daisuke shouted back into the D-3. "I don't care how many times we have to do this; we're not letting this thing take one step onto Odaiba. Now hit it again! Do you hear me!?"

"Loud and clear, boss!" came the voice of Taichi. Daisuke's eyes widened in surprise. "Best plan I've heard all day, let's send this thing packing!"

"TAI!" the others shouted.

"GRAND TORNADO!" an orange twister smashed into DORUghoramon's stomach and WarGreymon shot into the air from the tip of the vortex, lifting its arms into the air, forming a large ball of energy and tossing it into the dragon's face.

"Metal Wolf Claw!" A hail of missiles whistled around the digi-destined's heads, continuing onwards and exploding into DORUghoramon's shoulders and upper chest, creating large glaciers across the digimon's metallic skin. The cyborg wolf, Metal Garurumon rocketed past Imperialdramon and fired icy laser bolts at the dragon, hitting it at the joints.

"Aurora Undulations!" a twisting laser of spectral light exploded into the dragon's face. Daisuke looked back to see large, raptorial, six-winged bird with pinkish, opalescent feathers covering its body soaring towards them.

DORUghoramon screamed its soul-piercing scream as it thrashed staggering backwards. It reached up breaking through the ice on its torso and calving thousands of icebergs from the glaciers that had formed around its shoulders. Plasma flickered around its mouth as it roared again and fired a stream of hot ionized gas towards the Mega digimon in front of it. The plasma stopped in front of the digimon as a aurora bubble shimmered into existence in front of the attack.

"Valdurmon can hold it back…" Mimi's voice called. The bubble wobbled. "I think."

"Everyone's here!" Hikari's voice shouted over the D-3.

"Here it comes!" Ophanimon shouted, as DORUghoramon roared, spread its wings and charged forward.

"Valdurmon, JumboGamemon, take its knees!" Daisuke shouted. "ClavisAngemon, Ophanimon its shoulders. Imperialdramon'll take the chest. Yamato, Taichi, you guys and Omegamon take its head!"

"WarGreymon-"

"Metal Garurumon-"

"DNA digivolve to Omegamon!"

The Chosen Children's Mega digimon broke and charged to their designated locations. DORUghoramon raged forwards as JumboGamemon grabbed one knee, and Valdurmon clawed at the other knee. Ophanimon stabbed her javelin into the joint between the dragon's right arm and its torso while ClavisAngemon slashed into the beast's left joint. Imperialdramon created a blue tensor shield from his arm and expanded it and then rushed forward shoulder-blocking his shield into the dragon's chest. Omegamon unsheathed his Grey Sword and rushed forward slicing it into the side of the dragon's head, using the sword for leverage as it pushed with its Garuru arm. The dragon's forward progression slowed in the sloshing waves, as it closed in on Odaiba's shore and then came to a stop, and then slowly started to go backward as the six Mega digimon roared with all their strength.

"PUSH!" screamed Daisuke as the digimon strained forward. DORUghoramon howled as it was pushed back out to sea. Daisuke, looked back to see Odaiba recede into the distance. He looked down, the water was coming up the dragon's shins. Soon Valdurmon and JumboGamemon would have to give up their positions. He lifted his D-3 to his lips. "Everyone, we gotta hit it again! Full steam forward! Valdurmon, JumboGamemon, when we get it to knee depth I want you guys to lift with everything you got!"

Daisuke heard Imperialdramon groan as he flared his wings and the jets on his back redoubled their effort. The dragon strained its arm forward extending its tensor shield with new effort. Daisuke narrowed his eyes as they got deeper, and then the beast reared up, but this time against its will.

"Omegamon, ClavisAngemon, Ophanimon, Imperialdramon, hit it hard, everything you got!" Daisuke shouted.

The four digimon rebounded away from the dragon as it was being shifted from below.

"Sephirot Crystal!"

"Zenith Gate!"

"Giga Death!"

The white knight lifted his wolfish right arm. "Garuru Cannon!"

DORUghoramon flailed as it toppled over backward. Valdurmon had grabbed JumboGamemon and was lifting the large turtle above the sloshing sea waves. The beast's screams were muffled by the gargling of water.

"Well, we've just pissed it off." Jyou 's voice said over the D-3. "If it wasn't already angry."

"Here it comes." Yamato's voice chimed as the ocean water welled upward as a blast of plasma erupted from under the waves.

Valdurmon's bubble formed around the children as the plasma exploded against it, deforming it inwards as the plasma pressed.

"I don't know if I can hold it!" Valdurmon grunted as the plasma started to break through the shield.

Imperialdramon dove forward and extended a shield over the patch of the bubble that was starting to crack under the pressure. The plasma finally exploded through the weak spot crashing against Imperialdramon's shield.

"Up here, direct it up here, Imperialdramon!" ClavisAngemon shouted as he dove down thrusting his key sword forward.

Imperialdramon grunted as he tilted the shield's curvature to bounce the plasma towards ClavisAngemon. The angel grunted as the sword glowed white-hot.

"Take Jyou and Koushiro and then let me go, Valdurmon!" JumboGamemon shouted. "I'll take it from here!"

The giant bird released the enormous turtle who tumbled, using its water jets to maneuver and adjust. It then tucked its head and tail under its body and started to spin. The turtle cratered into the side of DORUghoramon's head. The giant dragon staggered from the strike to its metallic cheek.

"Now's our opening, Kari, Miyako, follow Omegamon in!" Taichi shouted over the D-3.

The white knight and the turquoise angel rushed in as DORUghoramon shook its head. The two digimon extended their weapons and then sliced forward, hitting the beast's titanic clavicles. DORUghoramon staggered again flaring its wings to brace against the force pushing further back.

"Clear out everyone." ClavisAngemon shouted, lifting his glowing hot sword upwards. "Let's see how much this thing enjoys a tablespoon of its own medicine!" The terracotta-armored angel thrust his sword forward. The calligraphic portal formed around the sword and the portcullis opened. "ZENITH GATE!"

A blast of white light exploded into DORUghoramon's chest. The already staggering dragon roared as it was lifted off its feet by the force and against sent tumbling backwards its head submerging again under the waves. After the waves settled there was a lingering calmness.

"Did…did that work?" Jyou asked.

"I've watched too much anime in my life to believe in a second that that worked." Daisuke replied.

"There..." Ken pointed forward. Further out in the ocean there was a flickering. The ocean peeled open and the giant wings of the beast were spread. It gave a giant metallic flap, pulling its body from the waves and impossibly into the air. Ken lowered his arm. "It can actually fly…."

The Mega digimon were sent scattering as the dragon strafed them with blasts of plasma as it dove towards them on giant metallic wings. The digi-destined scrambled as the monster glided toward Odaiba its mouth glowing with ionized gas.

"We'll never make it!" shouted Sora as the dragon's mouth flickered with a plasma bolt.

"YES. WE. WILL!" Daisuke screamed as Imperialdramon blurred past the other digimon and materialized in front of DORUghoramon's mouth.

The shield from Imperialdramon's arm cannon formed, cupping DORUghoramon's mouth. The plasma pulsed against the shield, but rather than shatter it completely and scorch everything behind it, it found that back-drafting back into DORUghoramon's face and into the sky was the route of least resistance. DORUghoramon howled as its attack was again thrust back at it, and it thrashed, and swept it hands out and snatched Imperialdramon out of the air with its metallic, flaming hand. The beast flapped its wings angrily as it lifted Imperialdramon's struggling form up to its face. Daisuke and Ken both gulped as they looked into the enormous, glaring, feral eyes of DORUghoramon.

"LET MY BROTHER GO!" Daisuke snapped his head to the left as he saw a green flash followed by a red one.

The red flash was that of a rocketing RizeGreymon in red armor, shooting up to DORUghoramon's eye. The cannon arm was pointed and firing into the massive dragon's eye. The green flash was that of Jun's partner Shawujinmon its spinning staff slicing down cutting across DORUghoramon's cornea. DORUghoramon squealed in anger and rage, throwing Imperialdramon into the air as it waved angrily at both the RizeGreymon and the leaping flea of a Shawujinmon who was now running to the tip of the dragon's snout and leaping to the cyborg dinosaur's shoulder.

"No one beats the snot out of my brother but me!" Daisuke looked closely and could see Jun standing on the dinosaur's shoulder next to Shuu, Momoe and Chizura and her partner Shawujinmon.

The dragon roared angrily. It tail lashed outwards, the heavy, arrowhead tip, smashed into RizeGreymon like a semi-truck hitting a gnat.

"JUN!" Daisuke screamed as he watched was now the red comet that had been RizeGreymon sear towards downtown Odaiba at Mach 4.

Imperialdramon turned to try and catch the falling Ultimate digimon only for a blast of plasma to slice in front of the black armored Mega digimon.

"We got them!" shouted Sora's voice.

Daisuke looked to see Valdurmon flapping heavily as it curled away from DORUghoramon. Daisuke looked back to DORUghoramon. The dragon was seething. It was holding the right side of its head with its right hand. The side that Jun's friends had attacked. It was glaring directly at Imperialdramon. It tilted its head towards the other Mega digimon that were approaching from left. It snorted angrily and then turned its head back to Imperialdramon.

"I think we've got its attention…" Ken whispered as he stared at the beast.

"Good." Daisuke said as he lifted his hands and pulled his gloves tight against his hands. He lifted his right hand and beckoned the beast. "Bring it, big guy."

DORUghoramon tilted its wings and dove for Imperialdramon. Imperialdramon reacted launching itself directly upward as titanic dragon swooshed under its feet. DORUghoramon howled in frustration turned its head and fired. Imperialdramon twisted produced a tensor shield, letting it tilt slightly and deflecting the vast majority of the blast out to sea. Imperialdramon's chest armor split open and a giant cannon sprouted out of the dragon's chest. It flared to life and fired a blast. The blast struck DORUghoramon's frilled head rocking its melon as if it was a heavy-weight boxer's uppercut. The dragon arched its back as it flared its wings to stay airborne.

"Come on, you big, metallic lizard." Daisuke growled, glaring at the beast as it shook its head. He lifted his hands and shouted "We're over here!" The beast snarled loudly and reared its head back and fired another blast at Imperialdramon who dodged it completely. DORUghoramon flared its wings open and then launched itself towards Imperialdramon. Daisuke smiled a mischievous smile. "Now, Imperialdramon, run!"

"What?" Ken said looking to Daisuke, never knowing the boy to run from anything in the past, outside of an incontinent Tortomon.

Imperialdramon opened his wings, turned and flew, rushing quickly out to sea with DORUghoramon savagely beating its wings behind. Bolts of plasma flashed past Ken and Daisuke's head.

"Only a few more miles." Daisuke gritted as the plasma bolts became increasingly precise and increasingly centered in the general vicinity of where Imperialdramon had very recently been or was shortly going to be. Daisuke looked back, and then lifted his D-3. "Guys, we need you!"

"Eden's Javelin!" A bolt of lightning struck DORUghoramon's neck.

The monster roared in rage, twisted its body and fired a bolt at the turquoise angel who had attacked it.

"Aurora Undulations!"

Aurora blasts struck it from the left. As Valdurmon pitched its wings upwards and rose. In the giant bird's talons was JumboGamemon. The bird flung the turtle upwards.

"Jumbo Crater!"

JumboGamemon became a giant twisting hydrological death ball that slammed into DORUghoramon's stomach and bounced upwards where it was recaptured by Valdurmon. The dragon released a soul-piercing screech before its wings hit the open ocean water and it crashed sloppily into the water.

"The French are not going to give that a good score!" JumboGamemon shouted as he looked down at the giant maelstrom of water below.

The monster erupted out of the water like a new island and shot into the sky. Its scream stabbing through everyone's heart as it wheeled back and opened its mouth.

"Heaven's Arrow!"

"Garuru Cannon!"

A stream of white arrow's swarmed around a giant ball of ice that exploded into DORUghoramon's mouth. The dragon was jarred backwards and flipped head over heels from the force of the attack. The monster howled and dove for Omegamon and ClavisAngemon. It grabbed both digimon in its clawed hands.

"Megaton Hydro Laser!"

A blast of water ripped into DORUghoramon's left shoulder. The beast roared angrily releasing Omegamon who swung up with the Grey Sword and slice forward releasing an arc of transcendent energy into the right elbow. DORUghoramon screeched throwing its right hand upward, releasing ClavisAngemon, tossing him into the air. The dragon snarled swinging it tail upwards and slicing forward with its arrowhead tip, driving the metallic appendage at Omegamon's midriff.

The tail jarred as it rammed into the blue tensor shield of Imperialdramon. The shield cracked against the pressure but it was enough time for Omegamon to escape and Imperialdramon grunted pushing the arrowhead tip off of him and jetting away before a double smash came from DORUghoramon.

"Purge Shine!"

DORUghoramon looked up as the wave of intense, burning light of purification burned across its metal flesh. The beast instinctively swung its wings closed around it, cocooning itself in its own wings. The wings flung open and the monster shrieked. It glared at the digi-destined's digimon with its one eye. The beast took in a deep breath. Electricity arced around its mouth as the gasses ionized in its gullet. It outgassed its full blast power.

Valdurmon expanded her wings. The plasma slammed against the shielding bubble of the giant bird digimon. Arcs of power snapped and twisted along the opalescent shield.

"It's going to get through…" Valdurmon groaned as streamers of energy punched through the bubble.

"No." Everyone looked to Daisuke. The goggle-headed boy was staring at the waves of plasma coursing across the bubble's surface, finding cracks, tearing holes in the protection. "I'm done, I'm tired of losing, I'm tired of scraping by, I'm tired of winning at the cost of the lives of other. THIS. ENDS. NOW!"

Imperialdramon lifted his arm and a brilliant blue shield merged with Valdurmon's. The plasma swept around it, unable to get purchase. DORUghoramon gave it soul-piercing shriek.

"You, shut up!" Daisuke shouted, not flinching at the sound. DORUghoramon blinked cutting its screech short. Daisuke's face twisted in disgust. "Yeah, you're big, you're strong, you're scary, but like your bosses, I'm done with you." He looked to the other children. He lifted his hand up and then swung it down, pointing at DORUghoramon. "Once more, this time with feeling!"

The shield dispersed. Daisuke and Ken stood upon Imperialdramon's shoulders, together. Imperialdramon's chest opened. The giant laser cannon within flickered to life. Omegamon, Tai and Yamato drew up alongside Imperialdramon, lifting the Garuru Cannon. On the other side ClavisAngemon, Takeru and Iori rose to Imperialdramon; the key sword drawn the Zenith Gate waiting to open. Above Daisuke to the right was Ophanimon, Hikari and Miyako, the Eden's Javelin crackling with power. Above Ken to the left was Valdurmon, Mimi and Sora, the giant bird's wings glowing with all the power of the northern lights. Below was JumboGamemon, Jyou and Koushiro the giant turtle's cannon's bristling with power.

"DO IT!" Daisuke shouted.

"Giga Death!"

"Garuru Cannon!"

"Zenith Gate!"

"Eden's Javelin!"

"Aurora Undulations!"

"Megaton Hydro Laser!"

Daisuke covered his eyes, visoring them from the collective blast. He was fairly certain the explosion had spread the ocean floor bare below them. The light faded. Daisuke looked up.

DORUghoramon was still there, hanging in the air. There were arcs of energy jumping around the immense dragon's body. It looked surprised. Daisuke narrowed his eyes. The creature flexed precisely once. Its entire body tensed ever so slightly and then it exploded into billions of packets of data, that rained down across the ocean and dissolved into the water.

888

"Uplinks reporting in!" Amelia shouted as she ran around the office space. "All links are reporting 100% functionality."

"I didn't need your assistance!" said the slightly burly man with curly blonde hair. He was wearing a patchwork of red and green in the shape of a lab coat. A cat pin was clipped to the chest of the coat. "Ms. Brown and myself had everything under control."

"Yes, I'm sure you did." 'Matthew' said with an affectionate snort. "Including the bloody huge dragon."

"Which, if I may so correctly point out, you helped nil with!" the curly-haired man said smugly. "Now…all we need to do is switch on the transmitter like so!"

Nothing happened. The curly-haired man flicked the switch on and off a dozen times. The curly-haired man furrowed his brow as 'Matthew' looked bemusedly on as the man in the patchwork coat groused around.

"Did you plug it in?" Amelia asked.

"Plug it in? Plug It In? PLUG IT IN!?" the man with the blonde hair shouted. "Mrs. Pond…"

"Williams, Mrs. Williams!" Rory shouted.

"No, that can't possibly be it." the curly haired man said looking from Rory to Amelia. He looked to 'Matthew'.

"It isn't…the lad hasn't figured it out yet." 'Matthew' said flittering his fingers in Rory's direction.

"Actually I think you'll find it is." Rory retorted.

"Dr. O'Smythe, umm, actually it looks like one of the cords did come unplugged in all the craziness." A voluptuous brunette said, as she was following a cord.

"Oh, good grief, plug it, in plug it in before another cloud of vehemently violent wurms shows up on our doorstep!" The man in the patchwork coat said.

Suddenly things happened. The group of humans ran to the window and looked up.

888

Deep in the center of the internet there was a beep. There were actually lots of beeps, it was the internet of course. This beep however was important, or rather more important than the other beeps. This beep was Gennai. He dove through the data layers of the internet.

All of this time he had also been working. The humans were clever but were applying a sledgehammer to something that needed the finesse of a highly focused laser. He'd been monitoring their progress and now, unbeknownst to them, was fitting in the last patches to their program.

He lifted his wrist where a small watch-like device was worn. A hologram hovered above the watch, depicting a conglomeration of globes. He swept through the crazed menagerie of spheres until a few were in focus. Two of them were nearly touching. The data stream carrying the last parcels of the program flashed past his head. Gennai took a deep breath and watched as slowly the two nearest globes slowly inched apart, a ghostly bubble formed between the two globes as they split further apart.

He sighed in relief as he watched his work fulfilled; of course the humans will always think it was them that did it, but he'd actually been feeding them information this whole time. He couldn't exactly work on the barrier problem from the Digital World side of things, what with the torture and death thing being very likely there. It had to be from the human side, and he rather figured no matter how much he liked the digi-destined that their parents were not much better than the dragons, so they had to be allowed to think they won on their own.

He narrowed his eyes as he watched the other spheres in the image slide into place. His heart skipped a beat slightly. The dragons had attacked precisely at the worst time. The worlds of this universe were coming into convergence. They had narrowly evaded a horrible catastrophe, even more worse than simply the annihilation of the Human and Digital Worlds, had the convergence continued during the annihilation it would've created an annihilation wave that would've swept across the multiverse.

"Well, damn lucky we avoided that." Gennai said to himself, taking a deep breath. He smirked and gave himself a congratulatory pat on the back. "And I did it all by myself…take that Master Pastian, who's never going to amount to nothing now, not me that's who! Wait…that's a triple negative…"

Gennai shook his head. The big job was done for now. The rest was up to the digi-destined and their allies. Gennai looked around. He had to find the backdoor into the Digital World. They'd all need his help eventually, they usually did.

888

"Destroyed…" Holydramon snarled. The goat-headed daschund growled. "How could it have been destroyed!?"

"I-I'm, I don't feel like I want to answer that…" A Shadramon said that was at attention in front of the Great Dragons. It looked from Holydramon to the other Great Dragons. "We lost comm-links not long after well…well after the defeat."

"It appears the humans have restored the barrier between worlds." Goddramon said, looking to Megidramon.

The bloody-red dragon sat in his throne. His nicotine stained wings were slightly open. The rest of his body was the picture of perfect calm before the coming tornado. Not a muscle twitched saved his eye as he moved it from Goddramon to Holydramon to the Shadramon before him.

"Brother?" Holydramon looked to Megidramon.

"Are you ok, brother?" Goddramon looked from Megidramon back to Holydramon and then back to Megidramon.

"I am quite fine." Megidramon finally said. The surging storm force rumbling ominously in the background of his voice. "We lost our most powerful fighters, we lost the ability to readily produce more like it, and now we are barred from taking the offensive to the humans directly."

"Sarcasm is not good for…" Shadramon started, but didn't finish as a hellish, howling wind blasted through him, turning his armor to rust and then dust, his body to a desiccated husk and then also to chitonous dust.

"The digi-destined will not stop us. We will not fall to them or their allies, again." Megidramon growled. Megidramon grabbed the armrests of his throne, melting the metal with his hands. "They will come to us, here, soon….and that will be their greatest mistake since daring to be born." He turned his head to his siblings. "Alert our armies, tell them, from here on out, their gods will march with them into battle!"

8888

AN: Thank you for reviews those that reviewed. It really helps, I can tell you that for certain. It's the greatest inspirer to continue of anything. I'm currently working on the next chapter. I can't believe it, when I first started this fan-fiction it was so different. Far more direct. And then when I restarted it, I added all these side things like the convergent universe digi-destined…which actually had an additional chapter's worth of stuff in it, that I decided to cut just because it killed the momentum of the story, and because it didn't fit well in the story. Not to mention we have so many main characters as it is, that it well…it makes sometimes even really simple scenes very complicated at least to choreograph…satisfactorily for me…