Standard Disclaimer: I have been to the lawyers. They are icky. By saying I don't own Digimon, I can avoid them!
Author's Notes: Zero 2 has eclipsed the 80 review mark! Less than 20 to go until 100! WOOHOO!!!
Now to the reviews!
Bohemiat: Like Miracles beforehand, you assume too much. ;) Who ever said Omnimon doesn't exist? :P
... : You are absolutely correct! That WAS Ryo fighting by Shaun. And for you insightful types, you can probably discern a lot of plot information just from that realization. I'll leave all speculation up to you. ;)
Anon e Mouse Jr: Welcome to Zero 2 Anon! (reads over Anon's review) Ah crap, I knew I missed something! Just to let you all know, Digimon Adventure (where Tai and Kari meet the little Botamon that becomes the giant Greymon who fights Parrotmon) DID happen...but any and everything concerning 'Our War Game' (where Omnimon fought Diaboromon on the Internet), 'Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!" / "Supreme Evolution! The Golden Digimentals' (with the whole Willis deal), and 'Diaboromon Strikes Back' (where Diaboromon resurfaced as Armagemon) did not happen. Canon or not, they do not occur. Hope that clarified things...because everything beside Digimon Adventure would contradict my new plot.
Thanks for the helpful info Anon!
Anthony1: DNA Digivolving STILL occurs...but the way it happens will be a little...different. And that's all you get from me! :P
Digi fan: Welcome back Digi fan!
Silver Warrior: Man, 'whoa' has become your favorite word. O.o;
Anyhow, the Control Spires were already like obelisks in shape (FYI, the Spires were actually called Dark Obelisks in Japan), but I made turned the Dark Obelisks into UmbraDevimon's version of the Control Spires. Both are obelisk-like in shape, but 'Dark Obelisk' sounds MUCH more menacing. Thus, I save it for the meaner villain.
And even though this review didn't occur in this story (in my other story 'Fiery Courage, Stormy Friendship')...
dee-unlm1t3d: Thanks for the review on my three-year-old one-shot story. :P
Now...BEGIN!
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The Digidestined are now trapped in the Digital World.
However – despite his inability to get into the Real World – UmbraDevimon has no intention of taking it easy.
And his latest scheme will be a blast to the past for the Digidestined.
Literally.
----
"Hello everyone, it's Gennai, and I'm doing the introduction for once! Ahem...anyhow, UmbraDevimon has proven to be a more devious foe than I ever imagined. He even forced me to activate the Great Seal...and because of that, he's stuck in the Digital World, as are the Digidestined! But you know what's worse? The Great Seal completely cut off my Internet access!"
----
Episode 26: The Clown and the Puppet
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/Soccer Field, Odaiba School, 4:24 PM/
Yuuko Kamiya looked around out of anxiousness and worry. Her husband's company – his name was Susumu, by the by - would've eased her, but alas, he was still busy working.
His presence would've really come in handy right about now.
Down on the soccer field, the teams had assembled for pre-game warm-ups...and Tai wasn't around. Also, Kari and her friends weren't there to cheer him on.
Where are they?
----
/Auditorium, Odaiba School. 7:34 PM/
Jun Motomiya – along with a whole multitude of boy-crazy girls and fanatic fans – looked at the stage confusedly. The night's concert was supposed to have started four minutes ago...and it hadn't even begun yet. Darn it, what's going on?
Suddenly, a teen male with unkempt brown hair and a long nose stepped out toward the audience, looking at them nervously. Jun recognized him; he was the drummer for the Teenage Wolves. But why did he look so nervous...?
Finally, he spoke. "Um...I regret to inform you that...well, since our lead singer Matt Ishida is AWOL, and we can't find him...the concert tonight has been cancelled."
The audience was silent.
Then, simultaneously, they all screamed, "WHAT?!"
You could hear them a whole block away.
----
/Street Corner, Odaiba, 8:01 PM/
Gennai sighed from under the cover of a dirty brown blanket he had found in a nearby alley. He was standing outside of an electronic convenience store, watching the window TV displays. All of them were on the same news channel.
The brown-haired, charismatic male reporter on the TV spoke, "Good evening Odaiba, and welcome to the 8 O'clock news. Today's big story: 'Internet Lockdown'. Approximately four hours and ten minutes ago, reports started coming in from all over the world about the complete lockdown of Internet access. As shocking as it is, it's true; even people throughout Odaiba have reported their inability to access the World Wide Web. On a related note, computer-based networks have also taken a hit; any and all networks using computer technology have completely shut down, resulting in a tremendous backlash from businesses all over the world. Is this a technical breakdown unlike any in the history of computers and networking? Or is this a terrorist plot of gargantuan proportions? Full story at 11! In other news..."
Gennai sighed as he walked away. Such terrible consequences had taken effect because of his activation of the Great Seal...but if UmbraDevimon had been able to send his three servants to the Real World, the consequences would've been direr.
But he knew that – before long – the Digidestined's absence would be noticed.
----
/11-000-IOTA, Kitchen, Gennai's House, 8:05 PM/
As Shaun leaned back in a chair, sipping a soda, one thought came to his mind.
They're taking this a lot better than I thought they would.
Indeed. Aside from a screaming fit from Yolei and Mimi and a panic attack from Joe, the Digidestined had taken the news that they were stuck in the Digital World quite well.
But still, it wouldn't take long for the consequences of the situation to hit them. Unlike the last time they had been stuck in the Digital World, they were in school now. Plus, time passed in the same in both worlds...not like before, when weeks and weeks in the Digiworld equated to only one day in the Real World.
Shaun sighed as he took another sip. "This whole situation is just one big mess..."
----
/11-000-IOTA, Recreation Room, Gennai's House, 8:06 PM/
Gennai, for all of his knowledge and collection of information – be it electronic or otherwise – had a side that enjoyed a good game.
As such, there was a multitude of old board games throughout the large room. Right now, Ken and Cody were sitting at a table in front of a chessboard, with Yolei and Mimi watching them quietly. Also, Armadillomon, Wormmon, Hawkmon, and Palmon were watching quietly.
Cody moved pawn into the square that was to the black King's diagonal left. "Checkmate. White wins."
Ken's eyes widened quietly as he looked at his pieces. Only three pawns and his King, which was backed into the corner. In the previous turn, Cody had moved his knight forward, putting his King into check. This had forced him to move back...but Cody's pawn had moved forward, putting him in check again. However, he couldn't move since he was in a corner...and the pawn in question was protected by a second pawn. And both of Cody's knights were preventing the King from moving either up or to the right. Therefore...checkmate.
Ken smiled as he knocked over his black King with one finger. "Very impressive Cody...you're quite good."
Cody nodded as he gathered his black pieces up. "My grandfather taught me how to play because he views strategic games like chess as meditation of sorts. Relaxes the body, exercises the mind...that's how he puts it anyway."
"Really..." replied Ken as his eyes fell on a wooden board with 19x19 lines on it. He pulled the board off of one of the many shelves in the room, along with two bowls. "How about Go?"
Cody nodded. "Grandpa taught me that game too." Took one of the bowls and popped the top off, revealing small, white pieces that size of pennies and a centimeter thick. The pieces were called stones. In Ken's bowl, his stones were black. Cody then quietly said, "Onegaishimasu."
Ken smiled as he pulled a black stone out of his bowl and replied, "Onegaishimasu." Then he placed the stone on the board.
Cody remained silent as he took a stone and placed it on the board. Truthfully, he wasn't facing Ken in these games of intellect to just pass the time. He was testing himself...trying to match wits with the former Emperor. He would need to be at the top of his game against the Digidestined's newest threat: UmbraDevimon.
Meanwhile, Wormmon looked up at Yolei and asked, "They've really been going at it, haven't they?"
Yolei nodded numbly. Even though she had never watched anyone play through a whole chess game before, she was surprised at how intense it looked in person. And it had been close too...few mistakes were made, but the balance had tipped in Cody's favor after Ken's Queen had been taken.
Palmon looked up at Mimi and asked, "Mimi, do you know what's going on?"
Mimi shrugged. "Not a clue!"
Armadillomon chuckled as he good-naturedly said, "Well shoot, neither do I, but it's fun to watch anyway!"
"Indubitably," replied Hawkmon as his eyes focused on the board.
After a few minutes, Mimi sighed as she got out of her chair. "Well, that's enough for me. I'm going to watch the guys play checkers." She then walked over to another table, where Matt and Tai were in a heated bout over checkers.
Davis, Veemon, and Agumon were behind Tai, chanting "Tai! Tai! Tai! Tai! Tai!"
Behind Matt, Patamon, Gabumon and – although he felt a bit silly – TK were chanting "Matt! Matt! Matt! Matt! Matt!"
Sora and Kari just giggled at the display. The Child of Love smiled as she said, "Those boys sure can get wound up."
"No kidding," replied Kari as her worried eyes looked upon the boys with a bit of happiness. She was glad they could handle the bad news so well...but she couldn't.
They were stuck in the Digital World. No way to get home. No way to contact anyone on the other side.
Her mother...her dad...how would they – and the rest of the Digidestined's parents – react to their absence? It wouldn't take long before they began panicking...and Ken had already run away once. How would his parents react now?
"QUIET!!!"
Kari's thoughts were cut short by Matt and Tai's simultaneous shout; the two had been rather enmeshed with the game, and such wanton cheering was distracting!
Tai sighed as he picked up a red piece...and leapt over one of Matt's own pieces, landing on the opposite side of the board. He grinned widely as he leaned back and said, "King me!"
Matt grumbled as he took one of the captured red pieces and placed the crowned side on top of Tai's red piece. He then moved his black piece to the front left square. "Your move."
Tai immediately used his newly 'kinged' piece to move backwards, taking another one of his pieces. "Your move."
Matt sighed as he shook his head with worry. "Man oh man oh man..."
"What's the matter Matt?" asked Tai with a cocky grin. "Fretting over losing?"
"No..." Matt's face rose, revealing a cockier smile. "Worrying about your ego, considering it's about to be deflated." With that said, he took the piece he had moved the last turn...
And captured one of Tai's red pieces...then his 'kinged' piece...then another regular one...then another...and another...and then he captured the last one. Matt smiled as he took all six captured pieces (not counting the one on top of the King piece) and placed them off the side. Tai's mouth dropped out of shock; he had no pieces left! "But...HOW?!"
"Simple. I win." Matt smirked as Tai trudged away from his chair, letting an enthusiastic Davis take his place. "Alright Davis...you ready to have your butt kicked?"
Davis smirked as he rearranged his red pieces. "Ask yourself that!"
Matt smirked as he sat back with a confident smile. "Red goes first."
Suddenly, a voice spoke up from across the room. "The skilled player does not fear his equal, or the one whose skill is second to his...he fears the novice, because he has no idea what to expect."
Matt, Davis, TK, Tai, Kari, and Sora turned to see Cody, who had spoken. He was mentally debating where to put his next stone.
Davis suddenly connected the dots. "HEY!!! Are you saying I'm a rookie?!"
"Perhaps."
Davis growled as he took his red checker and moved it by one space. "Your move!"
As Cody set his stone down, Ken said, "You didn't have to be that strong on him. You could've lessened the blow."
"That wasn't my intention. I was just telling him what my grandpa told me the day I began kendo practice." Cody then placed another stone down.
"Really?" asked Ken as he took another black stone out of his bowl. "I'll have to meet your grandfather someday..."
Meanwhile...
Gatomon sat in the windowsill quietly as she looked at the fish swimming by. She had never been in Gennai's house before...and the view was honestly a little unnerving to her. Never thought a house could be underwater...
"What're you looking at?" asked Biyomon as she flapped over to Gatomon's side on the windowsill. "Ooh...I remember this view!"
"..."
Gatomon's lack of an answer caused Biyomon to inquire further. "Digidollar for your thoughts?"
Gatomon sighed as her tail twitched nervously. "Just...well, things have really gone downhill lately. Ever since UmbraDevimon appeared, the whole team's been on edge...and now with this Great Seal thing, our lives just got a whole lot more complicated."
Biyomon nodded out of concurrence as her gaze fell upon a red-colored fish. It reminded her of the Crest of Love...Sora's crest. With that reminder came a whole slew of memories. Her face brightened as they returned to her. "But it won't be all bad...even though we were stuck in the Digital World before, we got a lot of good memories from it! And the same thing's going to happen here!"
"...I don't know," replied Gatomon as her ears drooped a bit.
"King me!"
Gatomon and Biyomon turned to see Davis sitting confidently in front of Matt, whose eyes were wide with disbelief. "NO WAY!!!"
Gatomon's expression lightened immediately. "On second thought, maybe you're right."
----
/11-000-IOTA, Kitchen, Gennai's House, 8:24 PM/
Shaun sighed as he threw his empty soda can away. "Well...might as well go see what Izzy and Joe are doing in the library." With that, he walked for a nearby door. He quietly opened it and started walking down the stairs, which were illuminated by dim, blue lights that were wired into the bottom of the walls.
As he reached the bottom of the doorsteps, he walked into a dusty room that was lit by a single light bulb...and the bulb was so dusty; it was clear that no one had used it in a long time.
There were many rows of shelves; each of them was lined with books, documents, and folders. Izzy was scouring over them, adding anything and everything he could find to his laptop, which was sitting on the fly by him. Tentomon just buzzed quietly, hovering over Izzy as he watched the Child of Knowledge work.
Meanwhile, Joe was reading through some books as well, except he was looking for books on one subject...Digimon physiology. After all, he was training to be a doctor – and he knew next to nothing about the physical makeup of a Digimon – so any knowledge like that would be a great boon to him. Gomamon just slept on the floor quietly; libraries were boring to him.
Shaun walked over to Izzy, who was too busy working to even notice his presence. He looked at Tentomon and asked, "Has he been like this?"
Tentomon nodded as he replied, "You know him! Once he starts something, he'll just keep on going! Well...that is until he either runs out of disk space or falls asleep."
Shaun smiled lightly as he looked over a lot of the books. He had read many of them himself. And because of it, his knowledge had increased greatly...allowing him to fight and act with a wider set of choices, and enabling him to make the right one.
That was wisdom; the act of using your knowledge in a smart and tactful way.
Shaun decided to skip another trip down memory lane as he walked back upstairs. As he walked through the kitchen and down the hall, he heard two shouts from the recreation room.
"I win Matt!"
"NO WAY!!!"
Shaun smiled as he walked for the house's front door. He silently pressed a button on the doorpost and waited patiently for a few minutes. The red button suddenly turned green. It was ready.
He opened the door to reveal a stone stairway trailing upward to the lake's surface. But fortunately, the water had been parted to let him walk up without drowning or getting wet (that's what the button was for, natch). As he neared the top, he could see a single figure sitting standing quietly, staring up into the cloudy night sky above.
It was (Agumon), and he turned around upon Shaun's approach. "I have that feeling again."
Shaun knew what he meant. The feeling that something tremendous was about to happen. Something terrible. "I know."
----
/01-000-ALPHA, UmbraDevimon's Lair, 8:36 PM/
Hold the phone! UmbraDevimon's Lair?! Yes. Since when, you might ask?
Since earlier that day, when UmbraDevimon had used a number of Black Gears to reform the ruins of the Emperor's Base into something more...fitting, to say the least.
Now, the Emperor's former base now stretched high into the sky, easily as tall as the mountain on File Island. The rocky monolith was made of black obsidian, and the clanking and clacking of Black Gears could be heard within its walls. At the base of the monolith was a gigantic wooden door with the face of Devimon etched into it. At the very top was a statue of UmbraDevimon, arms stretched out wide and his mouth snarling.
Inside, UmbraDevimon was sitting in a gigantic throne of stone, contoured to fit his body. He was looking ahead at a tremendous window, which gave him a view of the Valley of Death. The entire sector was now clouded over, and the winds blew furiously. In the distance, he could see a Dark Obelisk, silently spewing Black Gears out of its four mouths. The dark titan smirked as he watched; the more Black Gears that were produced, the more his power grew. He could hardly imagine it...he had only absorbed no more than twelve Black Gears in his final battle with the Digidestined on File Island...and he had been strong enough to nearly destroy his foes completely (save for Angemon, that blasted angel!)!
So what would happen if he absorbed hundreds upon hundreds?
It would be wondrous...
Suddenly, he got to thinking.
He had already made his mark on the Digidestined...but now, all of them were in the Digital World. The original team hadn't experienced his message firsthand.
But he knew two Digimon who would give them a message that would be quite remembered.
"Grandkuwagamon."
Grandkuwagamon stepped forward from the darkness of the room. "Yes, master?"
"I want you to rip open a time portal with your pincers. Four years ago, to two locations on what was once Spiral Mountain; one is the area where Puppetmon was defeated by Metalgarurumon. The other one is when Piedmon was sucked into the Forbidden Realm beyond the Gate of Destiny." UmbraDevimon leaned back as Grandkuwagamon's pincers began to glow red. He then stated, "Mummymon. Arukenimon. Blackwargreymon. Gryphonmon. Step forward."
His four other servants complied. They watched Grandkuwagamon silently as he roared, "Dimension Scissors!!!" With one swipe of his pincers, he tore open a portal, which glowed a pale white. The small portal looked like a horizontal tear in the air...and a similar portal joined it when Grandkuwagamon opened up another one.
Two portals. UmbraDevimon got out of his throne and placed his two upper arms into both.
----
/Four Years Ago/
/Puppetmon's Domain, Spiral Mountain/
Puppetmon grimaced as he clenched his hammer tightly. His wooden body was creaking as he faced the glaring red eyes and the gleaming body of Metalgarurumon. His blue overalls were on the verge of ripping apart, and the red wires connecting him to his X-shaped handle were frayed and ready to snap. His metal nose was bent at the tip, and the iron rims around his eyes were cracked. His red hat was limp, and the gears inside his chest were on the brink of breaking down.
But his red eyes glowered defiantly at Metalgarurumon. He wasn't going to go down without a fight!
He yelled loudly as he charged. "RAAAAAAAH!!!"
Metalgarurumon merely inhaled as he roared, "Ice Stream!!!" The icy, blue-white stream of energy zoomed toward Puppetmon.
As it would've happened, Puppetmon had born the full brunt of the attack. He would've fallen to the ground as a burnt husk, and then he would dissipate into nothingness moments later.
But that wasn't how it went. Not this time around, anyway.
The stream was only a few mere feet away when a small white portal opened up in front of Puppetmon. He fell inside just as the stream passed the spot where he would've been had it not been there.
The younger Matt Ishida remained silent as Metalgarurumon ceased his attack. Nothing was left of Puppetmon...not even a splinter. "Huh. Completely incinerated."
They had all assumed Puppetmon had been incinerated.But they were wrong.
----
/Piedmon's Domain, Top of Spiral Mountain/
Piedmon grumbled as he watched all of the Vilemon get sucked into MagnaAngemon's Gate of Destiny. Curse it all! Curse it! How had he been outdone like this?!
He had been so close to victory! One by one, all of the meddlesome brats that had been called 'Digidestined' were turned into key chains, along with their partners. Soon, only the Child of Light, the Child of Hope, and Angemon had been left.
Such puny insects. He toyed with them. He enjoyed the fear that filled their eyes. He chased them. Hunted them down throughout his castle.
Then that puny TK Takaishi had somehow gotten his Angemon to digivolve further, to the Ultimate level. MagnaAngemon was now his foe. No problem right?
Wrong.
In no time, MagnaAngemon had freed all of the Digidestined. Then, their other friends had come. Even the presence of the Vilemon didn't help matters.
Now he was being pushed into a corner. All of the other Dark Masters had fallen. He would not fall!
"Gaia Force!"
"Metal Wolf Claw!"
The orange orb of energy and the barrage of missiles suddenly crashed into the ground in front of him, sending him flying. The Gate of Destiny's vacuum suddenly grabbed him.
He screamed as he was pulled in.
But what none of the Digidestined knew was that a white portal – which was so similar in color to the regular Gate that they did not notice – had opened mere millimeters in front of the Gate just before Piedmon had been sucked in.
They paid it no mind.
----
/The Present/
/01-000-ALPHA, UmbraDevimon's Lair, 8:39 PM/
UmbraDevimon smiled when his two, bony hands felt Puppetmon and Piedmon. He silently pulled his arms out of the portals, which closed immediately afterwards. With a smirk, he let them down on the ground quietly.
Piedmon was the first to sit up. "Wait...this isn't the Gate of Destiny..."
Puppetmon looked around in confusion. "Huh...I don't feel deleted." He then turned to look at Piedmon. "PIEDMON?! What are you doing here?!"
"I could ask you the same thing!" retorted Piedmon. "You were incinerated by Metalgarurumon's Ice Stream attack! What are YOU doing here?!"
"My my...the Dark Masters weren't as chummy as I thought they were..."
Piedmon and Puppetmon suddenly looked up at UmbraDevimon. They simultaneously shouted, "Who are you?!"
UmbraDevimon smirked as he answered, "Why, I am the one who saved you two from death. I would've tried to save Machinedramon and Metalseadramon...but it would've been too conspicuous to just pluck them from their time like I did with you two."
Piedmon pulled out his one remaining Trump Sword and pointed it angrily at UmbraDevimon. "You dare to assume authority over me? The leader of the Dark Masters?"
"Hey! We were equal opportunity, if you recall!" roared Puppetmon as he angrily waved his Bullet Hammer at Piedmon.
Piedmon sneered as he pointed his Trump Sword at Puppetmon. "Do NOT presume to wave that thing at me. You wouldn't be able to beat me in a thousand years...even if you were at full-strength!"
"Well, you're not exactly in good condition yourself, clown boy!" retorted Puppetmon.
UmbraDevimon resisted the urge to incinerate them then and there. With their bickering and lack of cohesive teamwork, it was no wonder that they fell to the Digidestined. He looked down at Mummymon and said, "Do it."
Mummymon nodded as he transformed into his battle mode. He aimed his arms at the two bickering Megas and shouted, "Healing Tapestry!"
White bandages spiraled from his arms, winding together into a tapestry that glowed with a light blue. It wrapped around Piedmon first, pinning down to the ground despite his struggling. Puppetmon whirled toward Mummymon and shouted, "Hey! You-"
"Healing Tapestry!"
"MMF!!!" Puppetmon's words were muffled but the glowing blanket that enveloped his whole body. UmbraDevimon smiled as the two Megas struggled to get free of their binds. Once they are healed, I'll offer my proposition to them.
Of course, his proposition was quite obvious.
Either they do things his way, or they die.
----
/11-000-IOTA, Outside Gennai's House, 8:45 PM/
Shaun blinked out of astonishment and surprise. (Agumon) turned around as Shaun's hand twitched. "What's wrong?"
Shaun felt a sense of very minute vertigo and a strange twinge in his hands. He had experienced that feeling before...when he had...
He suddenly felt his breath go short. This feeling...a time portal had been opened somewhere. But where?!
He quickly whirled around and walked back down the stairs, with (Agumon) following him confusedly. What had gotten him into such a tizzy?
As Shaun walked into the house, he didn't bother to press the button that would conceal the stairway to the surface. He was in too much of a rush to do so.
----
/11-000-IOTA, Recreation Room, Gennai's House, 8:46 PM/
"I told you," said Cody as he placed another white stone on the Go board. Matt had just walked by him, grumpy because of how soundly Davis had defeated him in checkers.
"Rrr..." That was all that could be deciphered from Matt's reply.
Ken smiled as he took a black stone and placed it on the board. "You need to lighten up some. It won't do you any good to be so serious and then snap when the pressure gets rough."
Cody lightly snorted as he took another stone and placed it on the board. "I don't need your advice."
Ken looked at Cody's stone quietly. Then he placed another black stone on the board...then started picking up some of Cody's white stones. Cody looked down with shock; one of his groups of white stones had been completely surrounded by Ken's black stones. Soon, five of his stones had been taken off the board. Ken looked at Cody with a good-natured smile. "You snapped already."
Cody knew this was true. He should've seen it...
With a dejected sigh, Cody said, "I resign..."
Ken just stood up and started picking up his black stones one by one.
Suddenly, he felt a strange sense of vertigo for a fleeting second. Also, it felt like his hands had fallen asleep. He turned to the others, who looked a bit dazed themselves. "Did you feel that?"
Yolei flexed her fingers as she replied, "If you mean dizziness and tingly hands, then yes."
Hawkmon, Armadillomon, Wormmon, and Palmon looked at the humans confusedly. Palmon scratched her head with one of her vine-like fingers. "What are you talking about?"
Cody looked at them strangely. He had felt the strange feelings too. Why hadn't they? "You mean...you don't feel dizzy? And your hands don't feel odd?"
All four shook their heads. Hawkmon replied, "No. I'm afraid we don't feel like that." Wormmon then – with a hint of apprehension – asked, "Is that a bad thing?"
Ken was about to answer when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see Shaun and (Agumon) walking down the hall outside the Rec Room. But something troubled him...the forceful steps and the large strides Shaun were taking...as if he was in a hurry.
Curiosity overtaking him, Ken followed him, as did Wormmon. It only took a few seconds for Cody, Yolei, and their partners to become interested enough to necessitate following them. Palmon stood behind; after all, Mimi was still in there. Why should she leave?
In another part of the Recreation Room...
"Will Matt be okay?" asked Veemon as he looked at Gabumon. The furry Rookie nodded good-naturedly. "Of course; he's going to blow off some steam."
Mimi suddenly shook her head. "Ooh...I suddenly a little dizzy..."
Sora tilted her head back and asked, "You okay?"
Mimi nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Let's just keep watching the game!"
Unbeknownst to Mimi, Sora had felt a strange sense of dizziness as well; one second it was there, another it was gone. What was up with that? Chalking it up to nothing, she turned her attention back to the 'Checkers Tournament' (as Tai had so enthusiastically called it, she thought with a giggle).
Now, TK was sitting down opposite of Davis, who had a large smirk on his face. "Ready TU?!"
TK sighed as he finished putting his black pieces into place. "Yes...and it's TK." Even to this day, TK could never understand why Davis always got his name wrong (with the occasional exception or two).
Kari sat next to Sora as Veemon and Patamon began cheering. The Child of Love glanced at Kari and slyly asked, "Who are you going for?"
"Can't decide. They're both my friends after all," replied Kari with a slight smile.
As for Tai, he was staring out the window, contemplating something as he watched the fish swim by. He had felt a strange sense of wooziness...then the strange, buzzing sensation one feels when a part of their body falls asleep (usually, it happens to the foot).
Also, his instincts were warning him about something...but what?
----
/01-000-ALPHA, UmbraDevimon's Lair, 8:50 PM/
Piedmon and Puppetmon blinked out of astonishment when the tapestries that had held both of them fell off of them, limp as wet noodles. They were further astonished when they emerged, good as new. Puppetmon marveled at his polished wooden body, his oiled gears, and his clean clothes. He felt brand new! "Wow! I feel like I can play a million games now!"
Piedmon looked over himself with a careful eye. His green, puffy pants with the yellow markings around the thighs were in order...his belt with the yellow heart buckle was there as well. His large, yellow boots with the curled tip around the toes were also in high condition. His red shirt with the gold cufflinks on his long sleeves and the skull Ace of Spades sign on both shoulders felt comfortable...and surprisingly clean, considering the battle he had gone through no more than twenty minutes ago. To his surprise, all four of his Trump Swords were on his back, even though he had lost three in his battle against the Digitwerps. Their handles were cleaned to perfection, and all four symbols were clear and concise (the Ace of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades). The two, wavy blue ribbons that extended from his the back of his shirt were shined to their pre-battle perfection. His orange hair – which extended straight back for two feet – felt free of sweat. And his black-and-white mask – with the notch around the eye and the red heart symbol on the white side – was devoid of any wear and tear. He felt fit enough to fight at his strongest...and that's what troubled him. He flared up at UmbraDevimon and asked, "Your face...you were once Devimon, correct?"
UmbraDevimon smiled. "Well, at least your intelligence seems to have recovered along with your body."
Piedmon remained silent at the insult. "Then you were once him...tell me this; you know perfectly well that – even if you had defeated the Digidestined – the Dark Masters would've wrestled control from you easily. Why go through the trouble of bringing two of us here, and then healing us?" He was genuinely curious...but he wanted to keep himself clear of any trouble. All around him, he saw several Digimon...there were a few he did not know of, but he sensed great power coming from them.
UmbraDevimon smiled as he pointed his lower left arm at Grandkuwagamon. "I had him tear open two portals to the Digital World's past; I ordered him to bring you two here. Like I said earlier, I would've tried to bring Machinedramon and Metalseadramon here...but they were deleted in broad daylight in a fashion that makes it impossible for me to return them without drawing suspicion. After all, altering history requires that you do it in a believable fashion."
Piedmon crossed his arms with a huff. "You don't have to lecture me. I've figured out a lot of things already...for instance, you have come across a great deal of power since your last stint of existence...a great deal more."
He's realized how much stronger I am than him, thought UmbraDevimon with a small grin. Honestly, he had half-expected Piedmon to furiously attack him on impulse after learning that he, UmbraDevimon, was stronger than him.
However, Puppetmon managed to live up to UmbraDevimon's expectations. The angry Mega waved his Bullet Hammer at UmbraDevimon. "Hey! You think you can just talk down to the Dark Masters like some big-shot?! I'll show you! Puppet Pummel!!!"
A wave of yellow orange erupted from the floor once Puppetmon hit it with his hammer; the wave roared toward UmbraDevimon, who at first did nothing to dodge. Hah! He's frozen with fear!
UmbraDevimon quickly proved Puppetmon wrong.
With one thrust of his bony upper right arm, he ripped through the energy wave and pinned Puppetmon to the ground. UmbraDevimon snarled at Puppetmon as he glared venomously at the living marionette. "Now listen, and listen carefully; Piedmon already knows this, but apparently you don't. I am stronger than both of you by a long shot. Any attempts at trying to undermine me or my plans will be met with swift deletion. I brought both of you here from the verge of destruction for a purpose, and you two WILL carry it out. Understand?"
Puppetmon begrudgingly nodded.
"Good." UmbraDevimon removed his hand from the floor and wiped off any splinters that had come off of Puppetmon's small body. He looked down at Piedmon, who looked at him with a knowing glance. "So...you've figured something out."
"I've figured out that this is not the time of the Dark Masters, to say the least. Before you explain your purpose, I would appreciate a little update on what has happened since then," said Piedmon.
UmbraDevimon smiled as he sat back in his throne. "Very well. I'll give you the short version, seeing as how four years have passed since the demise of the Dark Masters..."
----
/11-000-IOTA, Computer Room, Gennai's House, 8:55 PM/
Ken, Yolei, Cody, and their partners peeked their heads into the room Shaun had entered to see him working furiously at a gigantic computer. Izzy himself had tried to use it...but unfortunately, he did not have the password. Shaun did.
Shaun was busy. He was looking for a certain could tell by the look in his eyes. But what was he looking for?
Meanwhile, Shaun was muttering to himself. "Blast it all, where is that folder...?" As he continued typing in names inside the 'Address' field, he said, "Come on in guys. You don't have to stand out there."
The eavesdroppers face-faulted before walking into the room. Ken rubbed his head as he asked, "What are you searching for?"
Shaun didn't answer.
"HEY!!! If someone asks a question, the polite thing would be to ANSWER!" yelled Yolei.
Shaun sighed with annoyance...even though he should've answered immediately, he was too dead-set on finding out if his suspicion was correct. "I'm searching for a program that detects temporal changes."
Armadillomon blinked out of bewilderment. "Huh?"
Ken looked down at Armadillomon and said, "He's looking for time changes...whatever that means."
"Close," replied Shaun as he finally found the folder he was seeking. "I'm looking for a program that'll show me rifts that have opened between times...basically, it detects time portals."
"Why?" asked Cody.
Shaun turned around and asked, "Let me ask you this...did any of you feel a sense of vertigo, along with the feeling of your hands falling asleep?"
All three humans nodded simultaneously. All three thought the same thing...why would that be relevant? Hawkmon stepped forward and asked, "Pardon me, but would the fact that neither of us Digimon felt these feelings have any significance?"
Shaun nodded. "Everything...you see, when a time portal is opened up in the Digital World, a temporal wave is created. This wave travels over the entire Digital World, changing the memories of anyone who is affected by the historical change. However, Digimon don't feel the wave...but humans do, for some reason. Gennai was never able to figure out why."
He finally found the program. "Alright. Now...let's see where our rift originates." After activating the program...he gaped out of shock.
There were two rifts.
Both originated from sector 01-000-ALPHA.
----
/01-000-ALPHA, UmbraDevimon's Lair, 9:11 PM/
"And that is the short version of the story," finished UmbraDevimon.
Piedmon remained silent as he digested it all. So...our creator was destroyed...then a bratty Digidestined tried to conquer the Digital World...now there are new Digidestined...and now Gennai has sealed the Digital World off from all others with the Great Seal. "One question...how was Grandkuwagamon able to open a portal with the Great Seal in effect?"
"The Great Seal only seals off the Digital World from other worlds...opening portals to the Digiworld's past, however, are not out of the question." UmbraDevimon smiled as he readjusted himself on the throne.
Piedmon nodded quietly. "I see...but why did you bring us back here anyway? I doubt that you would need extra help." Then, with a sardonic smirk, he added, "Especially considering how many helpers you already have."
"How true...my purpose for bringing you both here is twofold." UmbraDevimon held his upper left hand up. "One, because I do not know the location of the Order's bases, havens, and asylums. You, however, know where they are." He then held up his upper right hand. "Two...because you two serve as a psychological weapon. The first Digidestined team has not experienced my message firsthand like the new one has. You two will serve as that message."
Piedmon realized it now. They were nothing more than tools; tools that were used to scare and frighten. Even though his sense of superiority did not agree with it, he would delight in hunting them and frightening them.
Puppetmon suddenly shouted, "But before we go, I need to ask...will I be able to hook up as many games as I want?!"
Everyone face-faulted (even UmbraDevimon and Grandkuwagamon, despite their enormous size). UmbraDevimon sighed as he said, "Yes...you will be able to get your games."
"Oh goody! I'm sold. Let's go Piedmon!" Puppetmon eagerly grabbed his Bullet Hammer and started walking toward the exit. "Come on!"
Piedmon looked back at UmbraDevimon and asked, "Wait. You said you could open portals, correct?" UmbraDevimon nodded. Piedmon smirked as he then said, "Open up a portal to sector 11-000-IOTA. That is where Gennai's House is located."
UmbraDevimon chuckled as his index finger on the lower right hand pulsated with a red glow. "Very well."
----
/11-000-IOTA, Computer Room, Gennai's House, 9:15 PM/
Ever since discovering the origin of the two rifts, Shaun had become even busier.
Time rifts opening up from sector 01-000-ALPHA only meant bad news. Bad news that started and ended with UmbraDevimon. However, he didn't know where the rifts ended...
The program was furiously busy, trying to discover the exit point of the two rifts. Unfortunately, they had been open for no more than 10 seconds, and they had been closed for over 30 minutes now. And even though the misplaced temporal particles were a sign that the barrier rifts had yet to fully seal over, it would take a miracle – and some luck – for the program to find the exit point.
Ding.
Shaun blinked out of astonishment; the program had done it! Perfect! He patiently waited for the results to scroll onto the screen.
When they did, he looked on in confusion.
EXIT POINTS: PUPPETMON'S DOMAIN; PIEDMON'S DOMAIN
TIME: FOUR YEARS AGO
Why...? What would UmbraDevimon open portals to that point in time for?
Unless...
Oh no...he didn't try and bring those two here...did he?!
----
/11-000-IOTA, Front Door, Gennai's House, 9:17 PM/
Veemon was walking from the Rec Room towards the kitchen when he heard a light knocking on the front door. Shrugging, he walked over and slid the door open...
"Hello there. May we come in?"
...to reveal Piedmon and Puppetmon.
Veemon blinked out of confusion. "Uh...who are you two?"
Before anyone in the audience face-faults or sweatdrops, do take note of the fact Veemon didn't even exist until WAY, WAY after the destruction of the Dark Masters. Also, it was very unfortunate of him to have not heard any tales of the Dark Masters from any of the older Digidestined.
Piedmon quickly started talking. "We're...old friends of the older Digidestined, and we heard that they're here. I am Piedmon, and this chum here is Puppetmon."
Puppetmon smiled nervously as he waved. "I like games!"
Veemon flashed his characteristic happy-go-lucky smile as he moved aside to let them in. "You do? Well you'll fit in just fine!"
Piedmon and Puppetmon walked into Gennai's House, with Veemon unaware of the malevolent smirks that came to their faces. He closed the door behind them and hopped on ahead. "I'll go ahead and tell everyone you're here!"
As Veemon ran off, Puppetmon looked up at Piedmon and whispered, "Man, these new Digidestined are idiots!"
"Don't forget; a bad apple doesn't always represent the whole bushel," replied Piedmon as he walked down the halls, two Trump Swords in hand.
Before continuing on, I would like all of you to go ahead and do any face-faulting or sweatdropping.
Done?
No? All right, I'll give you a few more seconds.
Time's up. Moving on now.
----
/11-000-IOTA, Recreation Room, Gennai's House, 9:19 PM/
TK smiled as he hopped over one of Davis' pieces. "King me."
Davis groaned as he took one of the captured black pieces and put it King-side up on the black checker. The game was very even – and up till that point, Davis had been the only one with a 'kinged' piece – and it was a challenge.
Davis was trying his hardest.
Then he saw it...a move that would net him FOUR of TV's pieces! It would cripple hat-boy and give him victory!
"Davish! Everyone!" yelled Veemon as he stood in the Rec Room's doorway.
Davis grumbled as he retorted, "Not now Veemon! I'm busy!"
"But Davish, two of the older kids' friends are here! They said their names were Piedmon and Puppetmon!" Veemon smiled cheerfully, oblivious to what he had just said.
All of the older kids froze (save for Izzy, Joe, and Matt; the first two were out of earshot in the library, and Matt had stomped off somewhere after losing to Davis). Then, realizing that what Veemon said couldn't possibly be true, Tai scoffed it off. "Ha ha...very funny Veemon."
Veemon took a step back out of puzzlement. "What, you mean they're not your friends?"
Suddenly, a childish-like voice spoke from behind Veemon. "Of course we're not...you SIMPLETON!!!"
Veemon yelped as a wooden leg suddenly kicked his rear, sending him headfirst into the wall. "Oy..."
"Veemon!" yelled Davis as he looked at his partner out of sudden concern. Then, out of sudden anger, he turned to face the door. "Show yourself!!!"
Then, to the horror of Tai, Sora, Mimi, Kari, TK, and their partners (plus Gabumon, who had not gone with Matt after he stomped off), both of them stepped into the room.
"Peek-a-boo..." said Piedmon as he brandished two of his Trump Swords.
"...we see you! Ha ha ha!!!" laughed Puppetmon as he aimed his Bullet Hammer at them.
"AHHH!!! PIEDMON AND PUPPETMON!!!" shrieked Mimi and Palmon as they dashed out of the room and downstairs.
TK couldn't believe it. The Dark Master Puppetmon, who had chased him through the entirety of his mansion. The Puppetmon who had wielded a gun and aimed it at him. The Puppetmon who had toyed with their lives as if it were all a game. And he was standing right there.
The Dark Master Piedmon. The Clown Prince of Evil. The Jack of Shadows. The Ace of Darkness. The same clown that had chased him and Kari through his castle, tormenting them every step of the way. When it came to measuring evil on terms of pure maliciousness and cruelty, Piedmon was near the top. And he was standing right there.
No...Puppetmon was incinerated...and Piedmon was locked within the Gate of Destiny! How are they here?!
He did not know that history had been changed.
"Since we don't need any introductions, allow me to start things off with a little bout of Shooting Gallery! I'm the shooter, and you're the ducks!" The six yellow orbs in Puppetmon's Bullet Hammer began to glow as he shouted, "Bullet Hammer!"
The Digidestined leapt for cover as a multitude of yellow energy blasts ripped through the room (and, to Davis' dismay, the checkers game was completely obliterated).
Tai and TK quickly got to their feet to run for it...
"Trump Sword!"
...when two swords each zoomed toward them and impaled their shirts, nailing them to the wall. Piedmon smirked as he walked towards the two boys, who struggled futilely to get free. "Tai Kamiya...the one with the Wargreymon. And little TK...the one with MagnaAngemon."
Tai growled as he snapped, "You'll be sorry for this! And how the heck are you even here?!"
Piedmon chuckled as a shimmering ball of clear, crackling energy formed in his two hands. "You have UmbraDevimon to thank for that...but enough chit-chat. The plot must go on, and the only thing that pleases the crowd the most is to see the hero in pain! Clown Trick!!!"
Tai's stomach burned as the orb of energy collided with his abdomen, knocking the air out of him like a rocket. His scream of pain sounded more like a hoarse moan than a scream. "Agh..."
"Tai!" yelled TK.
"And don't think I'd forget you, little boy! Clown Trick!"
At that, TK joined Tai in the pain.
----
/11-000-IOTA, Computer Room, Gennai's House, 9:24 PM/
Everyone in the Computer Room suddenly heard the sounds of battle coming from down the hallways. Ken whirled around as he yelled, "What's going on?!"
Shaun growled as he leapt out of his chair in a hurry, frustration evident on his features. "I don't BELIEVE IT!!!" He quickly pulled out his orange D-3 and pointed it at (Agumon). "Everyone, we've got a bad situation here, so prepare yourselves! (Agumon), warp digivolve!
(Agumon) nodded.
----
/11-000-IOTA, Recreation Room, Gennai's House, 9:25 PM/
Puppetmon chuckled as he used his Marionette Strings to control Davis and Kari. At the moment, he was using them to punch and kick each other. "I love quality shows!"
Davis felt like he was about to have a heart attack; he was hitting Kari! HITTING her!!! Of course, it wasn't of his own free will, but every blow felt like a stab to his heart.
And the fact that Puppetmon was making Kari hit him was rather painful as well. "I'm-OW-sorry-OOF-for-OWIE-hitting you-OWCH-Kari! YOW!!!"
Kari winced as Puppetmon made Davis punch her in the stomach. "It's okay...OOF!!! It's not-OOF-your fault...OWW!!!"
Meanwhile, Tai struggled to glare at the wooden puppet. "Hey...leave my sister alone," he managed to choke out.
Piedmon giggled maniacally as he used his hand to cover Tai's mouth and nose, smothering his air supply. "Worry about yourself."
Suddenly, a large being crashed through the Rec Room's wall, roaring at the two Dark Masters. It was (Wargreymon). "RAAAAA!!!" He extended the claws from his gauntlets and prepared to embed them in Piedmon's midsection...
"Don't forget to play with me! Puppet Pummel!!!"
Puppetmon had abandoned his Marionette Strings the moment (Wargreymon) had entered the room. Puppetmon swung his hammer in an attempt to break the Mega's back.
Fortunately, (Wargreymon) turned around in time to block the hammer with his armguards.
Unfortunately, this gave Piedmon ample time to retrieve his four swords and charge up an energy orb. "You really shouldn't turn your back on your superiors," he said with a smug smirk. "Clown Trick!"
(Wargreymon) grunted as he was pushed away by the attack. Fighting against a Dark Master tough enough...but two was brutal!
But he wasn't fighting to win. He was fighting to distract. He momentarily saw Shaun helping Davis and Kari to their feet, and knew that it was working. "Alright...try this!" He thrust his arm upward in an attempt to at least graze Piedmon.
No such luck. Piedmon prevented that by blocking with two of his Trump Swords. A smile of realization came to his face as he leaned in closer to (Wargreymon). "Ah...now I remember you. It's been awhile since we've fought."
(Wargreymon) glared back at Piedmon as he used his other claw to break the deadlock. "It has...but enough reminiscing on the past! There is only NOW!" (Wargreymon) roared as he brought his leg up and kicked Piedmon in the gut, sending the Dark Master into the wall.
"Yoohoo! Forget about me? Bullet Hammer!!!" (Wargreymon) whirled around, shield at hand, to block the barrage of orbs that came his way.
Meanwhile...
TK's vision swam as he slowly digested what he had inadvertently heard. (Wargreymon)...and Piedmon...fought before...but that's...impossible...isn't it?
He lapsed into unconsciousness immediately.
Davis and Kari grabbed one side of TK each as Shaun and Sora helped the barely conscious Tai to his feet. Shaun looked to the others and ordered, "Follow me! We need to get to the computer room!"
"Nah ah ah! Clown Trick!" Piedmon heard this order; he responded by sending a transport energy orb through several walls, eventually ending up at the main computer console in the Computer Room.
An explosion sounded moments later. Shaun nearly cursed as he quickly said, "Okay, new plan. Downstairs! Follow me! (Wargreymon), give us room!"
"Roger!" responded Shaun's partner as he charged forward toward Puppetmon, who leapt out of the way before he could be smashed against the wall.
Davis gingerly looked back at Veemon. "Veemon...armor-digivolve." His voice sounded a tad weak, due to the forced beating Kari gave him.
Veemon – who was still dazed from being kicked into the wall – nodded wearily. "Right!"
Veemon armor-digivolve to......Flamedramon: The Fire of Courage!
Flamedramon quickly leapt into the fray. "Allow me to heat things up! Flaming Fist!"
Piedmon easily parried the blow before kicking Armored Champion in the back, sending him once more into the wall. "Not hot enough, I'm afraid!"
Gatomon's fur bristled as she looked back once more before leaving the room. She hated to leave an opponent on his feet...but she had no choice. She couldn't fight as she was, and her Armored form was too cumbersome in the house. "Darn it..."
Patamon quickly floated past her, exclaiming, "What are you waiting for?! Let's go!" Gatomon begrudgingly followed.
As Shaun, Sora, Davis, and Kari rushed out with Tai and TK in tow, Ken, Cody, and Yolei looked on in horror...especially Ken. Out of the new Digidestined (and save for Kari, TK, and Shaun apparently), he knew the most about the Dark Masters. He also knew how powerful they were. "Would anyone mind explaining why THOSE two are here?!"
"No time to explain," replied Shaun, who was obviously in a rush to get out. "I need you and Yolei to provide (Wargreymon) and Flamedramon some help...we need as much time as possible to get to the computer downstairs!"
Ken and Yolei nodded as they pulled out their D-3s. "Ready guys?"
"Right!" exclaimed Wormmon and Hawkmon simultaneously.
Wormmon digivolve to......Stingmon!
Hawkmon armor-digivolve to......Shurimon: The Shinobi of Sincerity!
Although Stingmon was too tall to stand straight up in the Rec Room, he still had his wrist spikes. Shurimon, however, was different. He had no difficulties...as he quickly made clear. "Double Star!"
He extended both of his vine-like arms, the shurikens on each end spinning rapidly. He tried to surround Piedmon with his razor grip, but the Clown Prince of Evil quickly countered with two of his swords. "Ha! Such fun!"
"You're telling me! Marionette Strings!" Puppetmon quickly took control of Flamedramon, who immediately began attacking Stingmon and Shurimon.
"Hey, let me go!" demanded Flamedramon as he swung his fists at Stingmon and Shurimon. As a result, Shurimon was forced to abandon his attack, allowing Piedmon to turn his attention to (Wargreymon). "Clown Trick!"
(Wargreymon) groaned as the blast sent him backwards.
----
/11-000-IOTA, Library, Gennai's House, 9:37 PM/
"WHAT?!"
Mimi nodded quietly as her lips quivered in response to the three boys' outbursts. "I'm not joking...Puppetmon and Piedmon just completely stormed the place, as real as a savings sale!"
Matt could not believe it. "But...I saw Puppetmon get incinerated! My partner dealt the killing blow himself! And Piedmon should still be stuck in the Gate of Destiny! There's no way they're alive!!!"
"They're Digimon, however," said Izzy with a stern look. He was disconnecting his laptop and picking it up. "After all, all Digimon get reborn..."
"All I know is that we're in serious trouble," moped Joe as he quickly pulled as he panicking.
Gomamon gave a huff of disapproval. "Come on Joe! You always get like this when the situation goes bad!"
Joe looked at Gomamon with a stare of disbelief. "Excuse me...but we're talking about TWO OF THE DARK MASTERS!!!"
"Oh yeah..." replied Gomamon as he fully realized the severity of the situation. "Never mind...PANIC AWAY!!!"
"No time!!!"
Everyone turned around to face the stairs, from which Shaun and everyone else was rushing toward them. Matt gasped in shock as his fell upon Tai, his friend, and TK, his brother. "TK!!! TAI!!!"
"They're fine," said Sora with a reassuring tone. "But what do we do now? Gennai's computer was smashed, which means we can't use a Digiport for a quick getaway to another sector!"
"Yes there is," answered Shaun as he took in a few deep puffs of air. "A small computer...we'll use it to get out of here. Follow me!" He quickly ran toward the end of the Library towards a door that led to the computer...as well as the device responsible for the Great Seal.
As the Digidestined quickly filed in to the room...
CRASH!!!
A new hole was made in the ceiling of the Library, through which fell an unconscious Veemon, Wormmon, and Hawkmon.
"WORMMON!!!"
"NO! HAWKMON!!!"
Their respective partners quickly ran for their partners (resulting in Kari nearly dropping TK, had Matt not stepped in to lessen the load) and picked them up. Moments later, (Wargreymon) fell through the hole, battling both Puppetmon and Piedmon at once...with great difficulty. He managed to yell out, "You guys might want to hurry up!!!"
Shaun and Sora burst through a door near the back of the Library, entering the old and dusty room that held the Great Seal device as well as the computer that was their target. Shaun took out his D-3 and opened up a digiport, not really concentrating long enough to choose a sector...he just wanted to get them out of there. "Digiport open!!!"
At that shout, (Wargreymon) leapt away from his opponents and into the back room, being absorbed by the light. Before Piedmon and Puppetmon could do anything about it, the Digidestined had escaped. "Aw nuts!" yelled Puppetmon out of frustration. "They got away!"
Piedmon shifted his eyes to see a Black Gear floating in the Library behind them; a sign that UmbraDevimon had been watching them. "Oh well...I had a good time, nonetheless." Suddenly, a red portal opened in front of them. Piedmon looked down at Puppetmon and said, "Let us return to UmbraDevimon's Lair."
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Puppetmon. "But why don't we just make a break for it right now?!"
"If we try to escape now, UmbraDevimon will destroy us...but don't worry." Piedmon's white face contorted into a knowing smirk. "I'll find a way to bring the Dark Masters back on top."
----
/01-000-ALPHA, UmbraDevimon's Lair, 9:42 PM/
UmbraDevimon smirked as the Black Gear transmitted the image and sound from Gennai's House to his mind. Don't count on it Piedmon...
Oh well. It didn't matter if Piedmon did not like him. The two Dark Masters had served their purpose. Soon, the desperation would set in...
Then, he would find a way to rub salt in the wound before finishing them all off.
One. By. One.
----
Shaun shook his head gingerly as he stood up.
He looked around himself, seeing the fallen bodies of the Digidestined and their partners. They were slowly getting up...apparently, they were still shocked by the sudden reappearance of Piedmon and Puppetmon.
And truthfully, so was he.
He wandered through the cave they had fallen in, eventually reaching the end...
And he blinked. No more than fifty yards away, a multitude of towers made of toys and blocks stood, soaring over the trees.
He knew what that place was.
Primary Village.
That meant...that he had brought them to File Island.
Well, I guess it's best spot we've got now.
----
/Dragomon's Palace, City of Cthulu, Dark World, 9:55 PM/
Dragomon moved the current chessboard aside...then he formed a new one with a thought.
On one side, the black pieces stood ominously. Grandkuwagamon, Arukenimon, Mummymon, Blackwargreymon, and Gryphonmon stood in front of UmbraDevimon...the King. He towered over all of the black pieces. In the middle of the board stood Piedmon and Puppetmon, as they had been the most recent attackers.
On the other side, the white pieces looked rather feeble...save for Kari, who was the mighty Queen of Light. The other 12 children were only measly pawns. The pawns had a few cracks in them...a sign of the real Digidestined's recent encounter with Piedmon and Puppetmon.
"The Digidestined have been pushed back even further by UmbraDevimon's newest additions to his ranks...the former Dark Masters Piedmon and Puppetmon. Now, the Child of Light and her allies will be tested...and they will have to be stronger than ever to endure it."
----
To be continued...
Next time...
Episode 27: A New Crest
----
Author's Notes: First, a few explanations.
Go: A popular game in Korea and Japan that has a moderately large following in America. A quick search on Google can get some more detailed info.
Onegaishimasu: The term Japanese game players say to their opponent before starting a competitive board game; means 'good luck to you' or something like that.
Ice Stream: The dubbers for Season 1 confused and switched the names of Metalgarurumon's attacks too often; Metal Wolf Claw (the previous name of Ice Stream) was sometimes used for the blue energy wave, and sometimes for the missiles. To clear things up, I've given the energy wave attack the name of 'Ice Stream', while leaving 'Metal Wolf Claw' to the missiles.
Gaia Force: Seeing as how there are two Wargreymon now, I've given Tai's Wargreymon different attack names to help differentiate them (the original Japanese name of Gaia Force instead of Terra Force, and Nova Tornado instead of Nova Force).
Hope that helps!
And boy...this story is now (chapter-wise) as big as the New Digi-Episodes. Big improvement, eh?
But alas...some bad news.
School has started. Which means updates will be fewer and farther between. Sorry, but that's life.
See you next time!