It was a solemn day for one man named Albert Green. Standing in a black tux, he glared defiantly down at a small stone slab. The slab read, in big black letters: Amanda Green; 1977-2004. Loving wife and aunt.

"Green..." said Rathjen, standing behind Green in another formal tux. The dean put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "It was cancer. There was nothing you could do."

"She can't be dead. I won't believe it," growled Green calmly.

"Believe it. These things happen."

"No, Marty!" yelled Green, flinging Rathjen's hand off of his shoulder. "It's THEIR fault! Lee and his stupid little friends! They prevented me from going to Trinity Server and finding her a cure!"

"There was no--" began Rathjen, but then he stopped in mid-speech. Green was his friend, but sometimes you have to take advantage of even your friends to get your way.

"You're right. It is their fault."

"I want revenge..." snarled Green, turning his head away from her gravestone. "I want Lee to suffer for what he did to me!"

"I also want revenge. But face it, we're just two old men now. We aren't Digimon anymore."

"Now now boys," said a third-party voice. "You COULD be Digimon again."

Green and Rathjen glanced across the graveyard to where Desiree had appeared. She was dressed in civilian clothing for once instead of her shadow covering. Her raspberry hair flocked in the wind as she spoke to them.

"But you know what they say about second chances... you only get one."

"I'll take that risk. Give me power once more!" pleaded Green. "I have nothing left to live for!!!"

Desiree nodded in agreement. She turned to Rathjen to judge his take on this, although she already knew he wanted the power back as well.

"I'll have what he's having."

b u Heroes & Villains, Chapter Twenty-Eight: Unfinished Business /u /b

"I... hate... spiders..."

"Ali, would you get off the toilet so someone else can use the bathroom?" asked Ace.

Ali was stranded in the middle of the bathroom, standing on top of the toilet seat. She was cowering in fear of one small wolf spider seated happily in the middle of the tiled floor. Ace, Nathan, and Arik were all staring at her, waiting for her to move.

"I'm not going anywhere. KILL THAT THING!!!" she screamed.

Ace looked down at spider skeptically and then back up at Ali, who looked like she was going to wet herself. Ace sighed.

"It didn't do anything. Look at him, he's so happy and cute."

"CUTE?! I'll kill YOU if you don't kill it!!!"

"You know what Ali? We're not Lee. We don't jump at your every beck and call."

Ace, Nathan, and Arik turned and left. Ali sweat-dropped as she glanced down at the small insect, who wasn't even as big as her toe. She whimpered quietly.

"Cute. Yeah right."

- - -

"Geez, could Ali be any more of a whiner?" asked Ace, laying on the couch. "It's getting really annoying having her around."

"She just misses Lee," said Nathan, defending her cause. "So she wants to hang out with us. She IS pregnant, so we have to take care of her."

"And taking care of her means not leaving her stranded with that scary, world-threatening spider," pointed out Arik, though his comment was mostly sarcasm. "I'll go get her."

Arik turned and headed back up the stairs, while Nathan went and sat on the coffee table. He glanced at the stressed out Ace.

"Ace, seriously, what's wrong?" inquired Nathan with concern. "You've never had a problem with Ali before."

"It's just... when Lee was around she wasn't annoying. We don't even know if Lee and Earnest are safe. What if they... what if they ended up like James?"

"Don't think like that. They're fighting two psychos and they need our support, whether we're with them or not."

"Thank god the two psychos on our end are out of the way," mumbled Ace. At that exact moment, the phone rang. Nathan and Ace glanced at it.

"Now who could that be? The only person who ever calls here is Arik... and he's upstairs," stated Nathan.

Ace shrugged and reached for the phone.

"Maybe it's Lee's dad or Tori," he said to Nathan before picking up the phone. "Hello, Tony's Slaughterhouse, you bring 'em, we kill 'em."

"A slaughter is underway alright," said the familiar evil voice of Rathjen on the phone. "It would be Tori's, Ace..."

"Where is she!?" exclaimed Ace, sitting upright on the couch.

"Come and try to save her if you can! We're at our old hideout. Muahahaha!"

"You sick freak--" began Ace angrily, before the phone hung up on the other end. Nathan glanced at him in wonder. "It was fricken Dean Rathjen! He's got Tori-- again!"

"Geez, she's like a hostage for rent," joked Nathan. "You can't be too worried; Rathjen has no powers anymore."

"Still, we have to go!"

"Go where?" asked Arik as he and a very shaky Ali descended from the stairs.

"Arik, start up Earnest's truck! I'll tell you on the way!"

- - -

Arik raced along the city streets, knowing the location of the scientists' old hideout all too well. Ace worriedly gripped the dashboard in the passenger's seat while Ali and Nathan looked out from the back.

"This is a joke, right?" asked Arik. "We already kicked Rathjen's sorry ass!"

"Maybe, but it's still a trap," Ali said. "Why are we running blindly into it?"

"What do we have to fear?" questioned Nathan.

"Well, Desiree for one."

"She's not much of a physical attacker though. She prefers to get others to fight for her," Nathan told them. "She's been like that since she used her Dark Necklaces."

"Then we're facing Tammy," Ace spat out. "Think people! Who cares what we fight, we need to free Tori AND Tammy!"

"Yeah, she's been under her sick control too long... I know how that feels..." sighed Ali. "Alright Ace, I'm backing you on this."

"So am I," added Nathan.

"Well, if we're all agreed..." began Arik, flooring his foot on the pedal as they neared the scientists' lair. "... let's kick some ass!"

Arik brought the truck to a halt a few meters in front of the old warehouse. The door was still smashed down from when Gigadramon was there last. They four of them climbed out of the pick-up truck.

"Do they expect us to go in?" asked Nathan, not seeing anything of note.

"No, we expect you to die!"

Green and Rathjen stepped out of the warehouse, both wearing sick grins on their faces. The four Hikari Chosen gasped.

"You?!" exclaimed Ace, noticing Green. "Lee wasted you! And we took you out too, Rathjen! Why are you still hanging around the evil people?"

"Because you children stole my life!" snarled Green. "And as long as I'm alive, I'll have REVENGE!!!"

"You destroyed my fortress!" yelled Rathjen, pointing an accusing finger at them. He glared at them from behind his glasses. "Months of planning all gone! Thanks to you!"

"What are you gonna do about it?"

Green and Rathjen both screamed out as Shadow data swirled around them. The four Hikari Chosen gasped and stepped back.

"You just had to ask, didn't you, Nathan!?" exclaimed Ace.

"Desiree must've given them more Shadow data!"

"Very perceptive Alison," growled Green, now in the form of BlackWarGreymon. "And more than ever before! I may not be able to kill Lee, but crushing his friends will be a start!"

"Where's Tori!?" demanded Ace.

"We don't have Tori, you fool," Rathjen told them, now in the form of Cannondramon. "We just knew you'd run blindly into a trap if we mentioned her. This is nothing but physical combat. No strings attached."

"That don't sound like your game, but if that's the way you want it... I'll be happy to wipe the floor with ya!" yelled Ace, whipping out his D-Volver and summoning DemiTyrannomon. The other three did the same.

"Bouncemon, get those freaks!" shouted Arik. "Use warp evolution!"

"Bouncemon Ultimate Shinka... DESTINMON!!!"

"You too, Demi T!" added Ace.

"DemiTyrannomon Ultimate Shinka... WARDRAGONMON!!!"

"Let's send these nerds packing, Octopimon!"

"Octopimon Ultimate Shinka... SANGAMON!!!"

"Finally you: Kotemon!" finished Nathan.

"Kotemon Shinka... Musyamon!!! Musyamon Shinka... CHAOSMON!!!"

Rathjen and Green glanced at their new opponents. WarDragonmon and Destinmon stood directly in front of them while Sangamon towered over them all. The giant purple octopus was nearly as big as the warehouse. Chaosmon hovered in the sky above them all.

"See this? This is the dream team that'll take you out!" yelled Ace. "Why not give up now and go back to filing papers?"

"Not yet," growled Rathjen, locking his cannons into place. "GRENADE STORM!!!"

"Kids, take cover!" yelled Chaosmon. "CHAOS FLARE!!!"

Chaosmon blasted both grenades Rathjen fired in mid-air, rendering them useless. Ace, Arik, Ali, and Nathan rushed away from their partners to give them more fighting space.

"I'll take both of you on!" shouted Green to WarDragonmon and Destinmon.

"Your funeral," said Destinmon. "ANGEL KICK!!!"

Destinmon flew at Green, but he side-stepped his kick and gave Destinmon a punch to the ribs with his sharp claws! Destinmon fell to the side but spread his red wings and flew upwards. His attack was only to distract Green from noticing WarDragonmon.

"You think you're tough, Green? Let's see you handle me!" yelled WarDragonmon, punching Green and sending him crashing through the side of the warehouse. Green groaned as he felt the impact from smashing through the metal wall.

"Ugh... I'm not done yet!" shouted Green to his two Ultimate foes. "TERRA DESTROYER!!!"

Green hurled the red energy ball out through the side of the warehouse, hitting WarDragonmon and flinging him to the ground. Destinmon gasped as he looked over to see Green almost right on top of him.

"TERRA DEST--"

"ANGEL FIRE!!!" screamed Destinmon quickly.

He launched a fireball right into Green's chest and sent him smashing back into the warehouse! His Terra Destroyer was accidentally flung upwards through the roof of the warehouse and cause it to crash down on him!

"Nicely played," complimented WarDragonmon as Destinmon helped him up.

Meanwhile, Cannondramon/Rathjen was firing grenades wildly at Chaosmon, who kept teleporting to avoid the destructive dinosaur's shots.

"You can't hit me, I'm too fast for you!" shouted Chaosmon, still dodging grenades. Rathjen just growled and continued trying to blast the swift demon.

"Chaosmon is gonna wear him out..." observed Nathan.

"Nah, Sangamon'll put the boot to him long before that," Ali told him.

"FLOOD OF POWER!!!" bellowed Sangamon, beginning to glow blue as if she was charging energy. Rathjen turned to face her when he heard her shout that attack.

i No! If he hits Sangamon she won't be able to attack/i thought Chaosmon. "CHAOS FLARE!!!"

Chaosmon launched repeated fireballs from his palms, hitting Rathjen in the side! Rathjen snarled and turned back to face Chaosmon.

"Insolent bug! Fight me fair!" yelled Rathjen at him. Chaosmon just waved politely and pointed at Sangamon. Rathjen turned to see what he was pointing at. "... oh no."

"Oh yes!" shouted Sangamon, now fully charged. "WATER TSUNAMI!!!"

A huge wave burst up from the bay surrounding the southern end of the warehouse and concentrated itself into a huge water stream! She slammed it into Cannondramon, sending him flying through a building and smashing out onto the street the other side!

"I took note of his weakness to water the last time we fought him," Ali told them. The boys nodded in approval.

"So much for these geezers!" shouted Arik. "Have they realized that they can't beat us yet?"

"Ugh... damn... short circuit..." moaned Rathjen, laying helpless on the street.

BlackWarGreymon burst out of the warehouse and flew over all of them, landing next to the fallen robot dinosaur. He glanced at the four chosen and their partners.

"Give up?" asked Nathan.

"Not quite. You will all still pay for your injustices!" Green told them as their four partners regrouped and faced Green and Rathjen.

"I think you hit your head too hard flying through that wall! We didn't do anything to you!" shouted Ace.

- - -

Underground, Desiree was sitting in the chair of the scientists' main chamber, watching this showdown via her computer. She laughed with amusement.

"Oh if only the fools knew the new power my scientist friends possessed..." chuckled Desiree. She then glanced behind her, where Tammy was standing like a zombie, waiting to be activated once more.

"Tammy hasn't seen use since she was defeated by Lee and Ali, but that's only because I was updating her program. She's more powerful than Green and Rathjen combined. So if they fail... the Hikari Chosen will still lose! Oh... I love a good suicide mission, don't you Tammy?"

Tammy didn't respond, of course.

"That's right, you do agree with me my lovely vessel of darkness," said Desiree, wrapping her arms around the blonde girl. "You're the only one I care about, and I'll make sure you get love all the way until you kill them! The Hikari Chosen AND those pathetic men!"

"Then... then I'm afraid I'll have no more use for you..." sighed Dezzy, un-embracing Tammy and holding her hand against her forehead in woe. "But I'm certain there are plenty of ways for you to kill yourself, no? Ohhh... I do believe I'm insane and I love it!"

Dezzy leapt back in the chair to watch the battle continue.

"And my power will be infinite once Lunn and Irvine bring back DarkNitemon's data. But they had better know what they're doing trifling with power like that... because if they use Amara at the wrong time... they're all DEAD! Every one of them and all of Trinity Server!"

"But then again... things would be more fun like that! Ahahaha!" she giggled insanely, spinning around in her chair.

- - -

Green had finished telling them about his wife, and all four Chosen were shocked that he believed they cut him off from saving her.

"That's bull, Green! You just have no idea about Trinity Server!" yelled Nathan.

"I'm sorry about your wife but we are innocent!" pleaded Ali. "Why do you insist on hurting yourself like this?"

"Green, don't listen to them!" shouted the still-toppled Rathjen. "Let us invoke the Shadow one last time to wipe these whelps out!"

"Indeed!" agreed Green. "Jogress Shinka!"

"Jogress Shinka?" asked Ace in surprise. "What the hell is that?"

"That's when two or more Digimon fuse together," Chaosmon told them. "It's a very powerful kind of evolution."

"Well shit," gasped Ace.

Cannondramon and BlackWarGreymon broke up into Shadow Data and their data began to combine and swirl together! A fierce gale was created from the force of the fusion and all the Chosen had to cover their eyes.

The new Digimon formed had the body of BlackWarGreymon but underneath the helmet hung a feral jaw like a dinosaur's. Attached to his back were two cannons and one was mounted on his chest! A huge tail slammed down on the ground as BlackWarGreymon gained more metallic armor and stamina from Cannondramon!

"BALISTAMON!!!" screamed Green and Rathjen's voices in unison.

The new Digimon stood there in front of them, growling with each breath he took. He glared up at the Chosen, who all screamed in fright. He yelled with a mix of both their voices.

"Time for death!!! Argh!" he growled, taking off into the air. Both of his forearm shield popped out of place, revealing two more huge cannons! He then held his arms up into the air as if he was charging a Terra Destroyer!

"REVOLVER FORCE!!!"

He launched not one... but THREE Terra Destroyer balls at once! Sangamon, Chaosmon, and Destinmon were all hit and sent flying back across the pavement!

"Holy hell!" exclaimed Ace, mortified.

"That's insane!" yelled Arik.

"You missed one!" growled WarDragonmon, flying up at Balistamon who was still snarling uncontrollably. "ICE DRAGON CLAW!!!"

WarDragonmon swung his claw at the fusion Digimon, but Balistamon simply grabbed his arm in mid-attack! He punched WarDragonmon in the head, sending him smashing back down to earth!

"That was for defeating me last time-- kill the children-- not yet, the Digimon first-- no, shut up!!!"

"Huh?" gasped Ali as Balistamon argued with himself. "Looks like they're having problems working in unison."

"That might be our key to victory," added Ace.

"Fine, the Digimon first! But hurry, I want the-- blah blah, I know!"

"If you can catch me," said Chaosmon, beginning his teleporting trick again. Balistamon followed him around with his eyes as Chaosmon teleported.

"Nice try, but this time it won't work!" yelled Balistamon. "GRENADE STORM!!!"

Balistamon launched a swarm of grenades and one hit Chaosmon right as he appeared! Chaosmon was flung backwards by the bunt of the attack.

"Any more of you fools want to-- oof!" grunted Balistamon as Sangamon smashed him in the back with one of her thick tentacles. Balistamon growled as he turned to face the large octopus.

"You stupid little-- we'll get you-- now we will!" he shouted in broken sentences. "REVOLVER FORCE!!!"

Firing off three Terra Destroyer's again, Sangamon was blasted and considerably defeated. She collapsed to the ground and reverted to her Child form of Octopimon.

"Oh no..." gasped Ali.

"Yo homeboys!" yelled a voice from above. Balistamon glanced up to see WarDragonmon above him with a fully charged Terra Inferno in his mouth! "Let's see you stop this one, Rathjen!"

"What's he doing-- oh no, not again! -- What is it? -- He's gonna--"

"TERRA INFERNO!!!" he screamed, launching the huge ball of fire at Balistamon! Balistamon held out his claws to block it but was then pushed downwards by the attack as it threatened to consume him!

"Don't give up -- i'm not!"

But little did they know Destinmon had positioned himself below them as they fell slowly try to stop the Terra Inferno. He grinned as he leapt up at them.

"ANGEL KICK!!!" he shouted, leaping upwards and kicking Balistamon in the back! The fused Digimon lost his hold on WarDragonmon's attack and was knocked into the heart of the huge fireball! With a huge scream, the fireball exploded, taking Balistamon with it!

"Score!" cheered Arik. "I think that did it!"

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!" screamed Balistamon in agony as he fell smoking to the ground. He tried to get up, but collapsed under his own weight. The Shadow data dissapated off of him, leaving Green and Rathjen laying on the ground. Both of them were speechless.

Ace, Ali, Arik, and Nathan walked over and stood in front of them.

"Look at you snivel down there," said Nathan. "Don't you see now? The Shadow can never match the power of the light."

"You're one to talk..." groaned Rathjen, still laying in defeat. "You were once a Shadow emissary."

"But then I saw the light... you should as well."

"Yes, we have no desire to kill you," Ali told them, leaning forward and putting her hands on her knees. "Please give up your senseless desire for power."

"Ugh..." groaned Rathjen. "Maybe you're right... maybe I should just go back to being human. I may hate my career... but I'm good at it."

"Yeah, you're one hard ass Dean! But we all respected you," Arik said. "Maybe we'll learn to again."

"Maybe..."

"I have no life to go back to..." sighed Green. "I lost the election to Richard... my wife died... and now the one last resort I had let me down."

"That's why you never ever trust the Shadow. It's done horrors to many worlds before," Ali told him.

"I guess this is finally over," said Ace, happily.

"Oh Ace... how WRONG you are!"

The lot of them turned to look in the direction of a new voice entering the conversation. Standing in a full Shadow bodysuit covering everything except her face and blonde hair... was Tammy.

"Well look who's skanky and still whimpering from the last time I whipped you," growled Ali.

"You won't talk so confidently when that tongue slams out the other side of your head with my fist," snarled Tammy. Her voice had that strange eerie echo to it, signaling her possession by the Shadow.

Ali backed away and hid behind Ace, intimidated by the threat. Ace, Nathan, and Arik all glared her down.

"Once we slap that Shadow off of ya, you'll be good as new..." began Ace, but he was interrupted by Rathjen.

"Listen!" shouted Rathjen. "Tammy has been possessed by the Shadow for too long! She's become part of the core! You cannot cure her!"

"What?!" exclaimed all four Hikari Chosen.

"You have to destroy her! Or she'll continue to serve Desiree in her quest for darkness!" Rathjen told them.

"No!" protested Nathan. "We can't kill her! Amara and Lee would be devastated!"

Green and Rathjen got up, keeping an eye on Tammy. Tammy simply stood there and watched the small group.

"Do you honestly believe Amara and Lee are still alive?" asked Rathjen. "You have no idea what Irvine and Lunn were sent to do..."

"Tell us," demanded Ace, grabbing Rathjen by the collar of his shirt. "Right now!"

Green decided to fill in for Rathjen in this explanation.

"The reason Amara Aquilla was chosen to lead the Yami Chosen was to prepare her for her future destiny," Green told them. "Jeska, Ray, and Tori were useless stepping stones we added to further her progress... and we got rid of them when their job was done."

"They came back," said Arik.

"That wasn't our concern," continued Green. "You might have noticed we didn't get rid of Amara."

"And she traveled along with Lunn and Irvine... why?" asked Ali. "What is going to happen to my boyfriend?!"

"Lee and his foolish friends will not survive the encounter," Rathjen told them. "For once Amara is offered as sacrifice to--"

"Enough out of you!" yelled Tammy. "ArcaDemon, kill the traitors!!!"

Tammy pulled out her Yami D-Volver. Ace's eyes widened and he dropped Rathjen. They all faced her as she summoned... yet a new ArcaDemon form.

"What the hell...?" gasped Arik. "It's evolved AGAIN!"

This time ArcaDemon was a very bulky demon Digimon. He was grey and black colored and his chest and forearms were huge in contrast to his arms and torso. He had a long slender head that didn't appear to have eyes, but it did have a drooling mouth. Also he had four large wings that looked like they also acted as armor for his back.

"Yes!" shouted Tammy, crazily. "This is ArcaDemon Ultimate!!! The last Digimon you'll ever fight!"

"Does that thing beat out the spider in scariness?" asked Nathan of Ali. Ali just sweat-dropped.

ArcaDemon Ultimate wasted no time in getting to business. In a familiar attack pattern, he held his arms into the air as dozens of small orb bombs appeared in the air!

"Not this again!" groaned Nathan.

"DOT MATRIX!!!" bellowed ArcaDemon. He flung the bombs over the heads of the Chosen at their partners!

WarDragonmon was hit first and didn't last ten seconds. He slammed hard on his back on the ground. Destinmon was smashed and sent crashing into the bay. Chaosmon attempted to teleport, but there were too many and he was rendered unconscious.

"No way!" exclaimed Arik.

"EXILE SPEAR!!!"

Ace, Arik, Nathan, and Ali all gasped, figuring they were the next targets. But they weren't.

ArcaDemon hurled two spears with precision accuracy at Rathjen and Green! Both men were skewered on the spears and flew backwards with them until they jabbed into the cement. Their bodies slid down the spears to the ground, impaling them further.

"Ohmigod!" screamed Ali. "Gross!"

"That is sick! What's wrong with you?!" yelled Nathan.

"Everything," answered Tammy without emotion. "But I'm not through yet! The games are over and you lose! There are no continues!"

Ace glanced at Rathjen and Green, who were laying still... they were dead. He then glanced at the four useless partners. After battles with Balistamon, they were too worn out to fight.

"Book it!" yelled Ace. He turned and dashed in the other direction. Ali, Nathan, and Arik turned to follow his lead.

"Escape is impossible! Show them ArcaDemon!"

"DOT MATRIX!!!"

The orb bombs flew over their heads and crashed into the buildings ahead of them. Pieces of the buildings crumbled and collapsed off, blocking the only road leading there off. The only other escape route would be to jump into the bay, but there was no way they could swim fast enough!

"We're so screwed…" gasped Nathan.

"Exactly. Now prepare to enjoy painful deaths, one by one! Ahahaha!!!" laughed Shadow Tammy. "ArcaDemon... do it execution style.