Standard Disclaimer: If I owned Digimon, you'd be watching this unfold on TV instead of on the Internet.
Author's Notes: Good news everyone! I'm happy to announce that Zero 2: A Revision is the 4th largest pure Digimon story on the site (by pure as in from the Digimon section only; no crossovers that feature Digimon characters), behind only SSJ4Takeru's DTamers Fusion: D-Reaper Saga Rewrite, Cheetor640's Canadian Digidestined, and (before it was taken down) Psycho G's Digimon 02: Endgame!
Of course, I still want to thank all those who've read and/or reviewed. ;) To many more episodes!
To the reviews!
Anthony1: Action is warm?! O.O Well...who knew? (sarcasm alert!)
gomababe: Is it just me, or has 'fantastical' become this year's new word? (looks the word up) Oh wait...never mind, it's already in the dictionary.
Snodin: (chuckles) It's official: Episode 18 is my most controversial chapter in this whole story. :P
Here's some reasons as to the inclusion of the dark tone and the movie references in Episode 18: I'd just watched Alien for the first time, and I'd just watched Terminator for the first time in a long while. Thus, an adrenaline rush. I mean, you can't just write 50 pages in 3 days normally! And don't worry about apologizing...I can't win em' all!
As for you being a girl, I understand...but over the Internet, gender is cloaked by anonymity...and the booting off the cliff is mandatory for those who review more than once per update. SO SAYS THE AUTHOR! (boots her off a cliff three times...with an iron-tipped boot) :P
Miracles: 'Evil genius' means 'an evil person with a high intelligent quotient'. I mean, hasn't a wise GOOD guy appeared more than a wise BAD guy (if there ever truly was one)?
Dot Cubed: We can fly, we can fly, we can fly!!! (smacked) X.x
Digi fan: Wait no longer!
Fallen Angel of Oblivion: Ooh...now that's nice to know someone's giving me good grades. ;P
Crest of Water: Welcome to Zero 2 CoW! And don't worry...this fic is regularly updated!
Begin!
Piedmon has finally made his move.
The Digidestined on File Island have been weakened by the Wargreymon Duel.
And with Grandkuwagamon and the Shadow Mallet, Piedmon seems invincible.
...or is he?
"This is Shaun speaking. Well, thing's have started getting weird for me...I mean, I'm WEARING Sonocomon's armor, and I have his same powers! But back on File Island, Blackwargreymon fought Wargreymon and my partner in a tremendous duel, and by the time it ended, Infinity Mountain had been utterly destroyed. Oh, and did I mention the fact that Piedmon has shown up again?"
Episode 35: Piedmon Makes His Stand
/00-111-UPSILON, One Mile Behind the Digidestined, 10:51 AM/
Shaun remained quiet as he slowly followed the Digidestined; the air rushed past him as he carefully made sure to remain out of their sight.
Honestly, he wanted to get to them and let them know he was okay...and alive, for that matter.
But he couldn't. Not with this new development.
He was a tad afraid of himself now...after all, he was wearing the Armor of Wisdom. He didn't know why he was wearing the armor...or what it was truly capable of. What if he accidentally let loose an attack in this state? That wouldn't prove very healthy for the others in the long run.
Before he could rejoin them, he had to speak with Gennai. He would know more about this...but to get to him, he had to get his D-3 back/
Man, I just hope I can get it back without them seeing me...Suddenly, he heard something else.
'Man, I hope Shaun's okay...'Shaun suddenly stopped. That voice had been Davis'. Impossible...he's over a mile that way!
Davis suddenly blinked as he looked around. "Who said that?"
"Who said what?" asked Paildramon.
Davis looked around himself once more...then shrugged. "Eh, never mind." Seriously though...I swear I heard something...
'Seriously though...I swear I heard something...'
Shaun paled as Davis' voice echoed through his head. "No way...that WAS his voice..."
Given the sudden turn of events, he had to test it once more. He thought...loudly. He thought as if he were shouting in his head. Yodel-ay-ee-hoo!!!
Yolei raised an eyebrow; she had just heard yodeling. "Aquilamon, did you just hear someone yodel?"
Aquilamon mentally paused at the odd question. He then replied, "Uh...no."
"Okay..." muttered Yolei as she sat back, a confused frown on her face. That's weird...I KNOW I heard yodeling...
'That's weird...I KNOW I heard yodeling...'
"No way," muttered Shaun as he finally went to a full stop. This time, it was Yolei's voice he heard.
He was hearing their thoughts. Their THOUGHTS!
THIS new development only made his decision clearer. Sonocomon DEFINITELY didn't have the power of telepathy. If that much was known...what other powers did Shaun possess?
Either way, he knew what to do. He continued slowly following the New Digidestined.
/File Island, Near the Ruins of Infinity Mountain, 10:55 AM/
It was all so perfect.
The Digidestined were right in front of him...all gathered into an easy-to-get place. His three prime concerns – the two Wargreymon and Blackwargreymon – were all at the edge of their endurance.
On the other hand, he and Grandkuwagamon were completely fresh.
He couldn't have done better.
Piedmon chuckled as the six children looked at him, fear evident in their eyes. Now my plan to return to power begins! "So Digidestined...are you all ready to become my mindless servants?"
They all blinked at the request; was Piedmon out of his gourd? Mimi suddenly shouted, "In your dreams you creep!"
Piedmon chuckled; he had expected confusion. "Oh...it'll be a reality by tomorrow. Once I turn you all into key chains, your minds will be erased in 24 hours! You'll all be nothing more than powerful puppets...and I will utilize your powers and overthrow UmbraDevimon! It'll all come down into one climactic battle...and this is the key!" boasted Piedmon as held the Shadow Mallet above his head. "The Shadow Mallet...the very weapon that sealed the Guardian Beasts away! Allow me to give you another demonstration! Oblivion Crush!"
Piedmon horizontally swung the Shadow Mallet; black rays with a pale-blue outline erupted from the two Trump Swords embedded into what had once been Puppetmon's Bullet Hammer. The rays converged into one, looking as large as the same beam that had sent Blackwargreymon and the two Wargreymon flying just minutes ago. Unlike the last one, this was a mere warning blast; it hit the ground twenty yards away from the three Megas, kicking up a shower of rock and rubble with a tremendous explosion.
Blackwargreymon growled as he leapt to his feet – ignoring the dull ache that claimed his whole body – and used his bare fists to punch straight through a large boulder that had been hurtling towards them. The boulder shattered into over a hundred pieces that harmlessly showered the ground. Blackwargreymon slowly floated into the air, glaring at Piedmon and Grandkuwagamon.
With a snarl, he said, "So...I see you are not one who keeps their word."
Piedmon smiled; Blackwargreymon was referring to what had happened yesterday; Piedmon had turned Grandkuwagamon into a key chain, whereas he had sworn to Blackwargreymon that such a fate would not befall him. "Oh, did I not mention that I have a habit of breaking my promises? Oh well...no hard feelings, eh Blackie?"
Blackwargreymon scowled as he roared, "Don't you dare demean me in such an insulting manner...I'll rend you limb from limb!!! Black Tornado!"
As Blackwargreymon charged for Piedmon, he commanded, "Grandkuwagamon, open a time portal twenty seconds into the past at the spot where the Wargreymon are."
"Yes master. Dimension Scissors!" His pincers tore into the air, opening a tear in the space-time continuum. Piedmon quickly pointed his Shadow Mallet at it and yelled, "Oblivion Crush!" A black ray zoomed into the red portal, which disappeared after the attack ceased.
Suddenly, Blackwargreymon was on the ground, moaning...as were the two Wargreymon. They were writhing on the ground, as though they had been hit dead-on by a powerful beam...and the spot where they had been lying was now no more than a large crater.
Tai blinked out of confusion. "Huh?! What happened?!"
"Manipulation of the past is a wonderful thing," said Piedmon as Grandkuwagamon's pincers clacked together. "I simply attacked the spot where the three Megas had been a mere twenty seconds ago...through the time portal of course. I could beat you all up in the past before you could even lay a finger on me! And with your best hopes being these three weak Wargreymon...your hopes are no more!"
"We'll see about that!"
Piedmon – and everyone for that matter – looked over at Gabumon, who had been the one standing up. Behind him, Biyomon, Tentomon, Gomamon, and Palmon were staring defiantly at Piedmon.
A slight frown crossed the Dark Master's face; he had presumed that the other Digimon had been dealt with in a previous battle, judging from how they had been lying on the ground. He had been incorrect...rather, they had just been quickly stunned and knocked around.
It didn't matter. All good things – and plots – ended dramatically. His final step would end in a tremendous battle with the Digidestined and their partners...then, after a glorious victory, he would move on to UmbraDevimon himself.
"Very well then! If you want to make your demise a showy one, then come on!" boasted Piedmon as he leapt down from Grandkuwagamon's head.
At that, the Digimon digivolved for the second time that day.
Gabumon warp-digivolve to......Metalgarurumon!
Biyomon digivolve to......Birdramon!
Birdramon digivolve to......Garudamon!
Tentomon digivolve to......Kabuterimon!
Kabuterimon digivolve to......MegaKabuterimon!
Gomamon digivolve to......Ikkakumon!
Ikkakumon digivolve to......Zudomon!
Palmon digivolve to......Togemon!
Togemon digivolve to......Lilymon!
Wargreymon slowly got to his feet – still sore from both Oblivion Crush attacks – and muttered, "I'm not ready for this..."
"We have no choice," replied (Wargreymon), his left arm dangling at his side.
"Say what you will," stated Blackwargreymon as he flexed his fingers; he was already feeling that rush again...the rush one got when facing a strong opponent. "I have no qualms about fighting them."
Piedmon smiled as he landed softly on the ground, Shadow Mallet in hand.
Four Ultimates. Four Megas.
Him, Grandkuwagamon, and the Shadow Mallet.
He pitied the Digidestined right now.
Oh well...there's no room for mercy in this world! Piedmon giggled as he charged. "Let the festivities begin!"
/Archfiend Castle, Dark World, 11:09 AM/
It was the opposite number if Cthulu. Cthulu was the city where Dragomon was in charge...where all of the sea was under its dominion.
Archfiend Castle was to the land what Cthulu was to the sea; as a matter of fact, it sat in the very middle of the lone spherical continent in the Dark World.
The castle was situated in the midst of a tremendous 1,000 yard-wide chasm that delved over a mile into the ground. Around the chasm was a tremendous black and gray forest, and – because it grew on negative energy – it was called the Dark Forest. A massive stone bridge extended from the outer edge of the chasm toward the castle itself, which was built upon large stone columns that extended to the bottom of the abyss.
Archfiend Castle itself was comprised of two main structures; the main structure – which the bridge connected to – was a square-shaped construction. Four large towers with pointed pinnacles were conjoined at the corners of the square, with the Keep situated in the very center of the square. The Keep was a large, stone column that extended two thousand feet up; the walls were so thick that even a missile wouldn't make a scratch. As for the Keep's stone roof...it jutted upward, forming two, curvy horn-like structures.
As for the second part of the castle – which connected to the main castle via a stone overpass – it was basically a series of towers joined together, forming a myriad collection of sharpened spires. It was essentially the living quarters for those who lived there...and the prison for anyone who defied the castle's master.
Archfiend Castle...
Within the confines of that massive castle was a being of darkness...one strong enough to rival – or, God forbid, surpass – Dragomon in his unholy power.
/Keep Gateway, Archfiend Castle, Dark World, 11:11 AM/
The small figure exhaled heavily as he came to a stop outside the Keep Gateway. "Man...I wish the boss would just get some windows..."
The figure was no bigger than Patamon; he was essentially a talking head with feet and wings. His light blue feet had three talons – two sticking forward and one sticking back – each of them colored blood red. His head was covered in dark gray fur, with a large blue covering extending over his wings and forehead. His fangs were sharp, and his yellow eyes glinted mischievously. To round the image off was the image of a skull on the covering's forehead.
It was none other than DemiDevimon, mischief-maker extraordinaire...and former toady of Myotismon.
Of course, he had long been reborn since the mighty VenomMyotismon had eaten him. Now he had a NEW boss.
DemiDevimon groaned as he slipped through the small grating of the metallic gate. As he popped through onto the other side, he quickly began traversing the labyrinth of the Keep. "Man...I always forget where to go! You'd think he'd put up a directory or something!"
DemiDevimon was in a hurry...and for good reason.
His boss needed him to report on the status of the slowly growing invasion army, which was now gathering in the smaller half of the castle.
And when his boss summoned him, DemiDevimon hurried; the one in charge of Archfiend Castle despised idleness.
/File Island, Near the Ruins of Infinity Mountain, 11:14 AM/
Grandkuwagamon prepared to open another portal into the past, intending to wreak more havoc on the very near past. "Dimension Sciss-"
"Nova Tornado!"
Grandkuwagamon groaned as Wargreymon scratched his side. This wasn't good; now that they knew he could manipulate the past, the Digidestined wouldn't let him open portals.
Very well. His Dimension Scissors had...other uses.
"Dimension Scissors!" His pincers glowed dark blue as he grabbed onto Wargreymon, who had turned around for another strike. Wargreymon groaned as he was struck...and suddenly fell to the ground, his body creating a tremendous crater in the ground.
Wargreymon's mind boggled; he felt like his body weighed over a ton! "Why...am...I...so...heavy...?"
Grandkuwagamon chuckled as he stared at the struggling Wargreymon. "My Dimension Scissors not only opens portals into the past...they also affect the dimensional and spatial properties...and now, you're feeling the force of 20 Gs being applied to you, and you alone."
Wargreymon grimaced at this knowledge. Twenty times the force of gravity...good grief.
Grandkuwagamon smiled as he turned to face his next opponent-SMASH!!!
A red orb of energy crashed against his face, burning away part of his exoskeleton. "AGGH!!!"
When the pain subsided, he looked forward to see Blackwargreymon; in his left hand was another Terra Destroyer orb. "Let us play a round of catch. HAH!!!" With that, he heaved the powerful energy ball toward Grandkuwagamon.
Grandkuwagamon quietly opened his mouth as his pincers stretched outward; a dark red orb of energy – much darker in color than Blackwargreymon's Terra Destroyer – formulated in his maw. Finally, he roared, "Catastrophe!"
The dark red orb of energy rushed forward, colliding with the Terra Destroyer sphere in a tremendous explosion, resulting in a very large shockwave.
Blackwargreymon was thrown backward by the wave of air; Grandkuwagamon used his middle pair of arms to grab onto the ground, saving him from being blown away. As Blackwargreymon was sent tumbling, Grandkuwagamon charged.
Meanwhile, Piedmon was surrounded on all sides.
Garudamon, MegaKabuterimon, Zudomon, Lilymon, and Metalgarurumon glared at the Dark Master defiantly as they prepared to strike.
Piedmon smiled; this whole scenario was ALWAYS trite: they attack en masse, he kicks their proverbial butts...the usual.
Metalgarurumon attacked first. "Metal Wolf Claw!" Slots in his armor opened up, revealing numerous ice-tipped missiles. They all fired, converging on Piedmon's location.
Piedmon quickly leapt into the air, avoiding the missiles entirely. After the initial explosion, a gigantic crystal of ice could be seen standing where Piedmon had once stood. Piedmon immediately aimed his left palm – Shadow Mallet held in the right hand – and yelled, "Clown Trick!"
Metalgarurumon leapt away from the orb of transparent energy. MegaKabuterimon immediately attacked. "Horn Buster!" His tremendous horn flared with brilliant blue electricity, shooting at Piedmon at high speed.
Piedmon quickly grabbed one of his Trump Swords out of his back scabbard and held it outward. It acted like a lightning rod, absorbing the electricity into the sword. With a smirk, Piedmon swung his sword upward, letting the electricity strike another target: Lilymon.
"WAAH!!!" screamed Lilymon as the electric blast sent her sailing; she had been flying up to get the drop on the Dark Master when Piedmon had hit her with MegaKabuterimon's attack.
The insectoid Ultimate sweatdropped. "Whoops..."
"Apologies won't get you anywhere! Oblivion Crush!" Piedmon swung the Shadow Mallet, letting another powerful ray of dark energy erupt from within; MegaKabuterimon wailed as the beam hit him dead on, sending him crashing into the ground.
"Vulcan's Hammer!" Zudomon roared as he struck the ground with his tremendous hammer, creating a yellow beam of energy that zoomed toward Piedmon.
Suffice to say, that fared as well as the Horn Buster attack had fared. Piedmon sheathed his Trump Sword and struck the beam with the Shadow Mallet. The result: the yellow ray was deflected towards Metalgarurumon, who had been busy trying to get a good vantage point for his Ice Stream attack.
Metalgarurumon yelped as he was sent tumbling; Piedmon quickly turned in time to see Zudomon swinging his Vulcan's Hammer downward. "TAKE THIS!!!"
"Oh, but I insist you keep it!" retorted Piedmon as he swung the Shadow Mallet straight into the Vulcan's Hammer. Tremendous vibrations rattle both Digimon...but in the end, Zudomon lost. The Shadow Mallet cracked the Vulcan's Hammer right down the middle.
Zudomon gasped as he looked at the garish crack that spread throughout his hammer. "No way! This is made of ChromeDigizoid!!!"
"Not even the strongest metal in the Digiworld can withstand the Shadow Mallet! Oblivion Crush!" Zudomon was sent tumbling by the black-and-blue ray that struck his chest, knocking him for a loop.
Deciding to go on the offensive, Piedmon leapt up into the air, Trump Sword in hand once more. Garudamon was his target...and she knew it.
Garudamon flew up into the air and launched an attack for the sake of giving her some more room. "Wing Blade!" The fiery phoenix roared toward Piedmon, who immediately cut through it with his Trump Sword. He continued charging towards the flying bird.
Garudamon desperately tried to keep the dark Mega away; she swatted at him with her tremendous hands. Piedmon easily dodged it and kicked her in the face with his heel. As stars and flashbulbs popped in her eyes – a result of the jarring dizzy spell she was undergoing – Piedmon whipped out a familiar handkerchief. "Cloth of Disappearance!"
Garudamon yelped as the cloth grew in size, enveloping her immediately. She struggled...but as Grandkuwagamon had discovered little more than 24 hours ago, it was futile. After the struggling stopped, Piedmon set down and retrieved his cloth. He quietly picked up the Garudamon key chain and clipped it to his belt.
Sora screamed at the sight of this; she couldn't handle this again...not again!!! "NO!!! GARUDAMON!!!"
Piedmon reveled in the Digibrat's screams. It was refreshing.
One down.
"Flower Cannon!"
Piedmon sheathed his Trump Sword and aimed his hand upward at Lilymon, who had just launched an attack. "Clown Trick!" The circular energy blast rushed upward. "And here's an encore!" With those words, he launched another Clown Trick upward.
The first Clown Trick nullified the green energy of the Flower Cannon attack. The second continued rushing upward, crashing into Lilymon with a loud crack.
"AAH!!!" screeched Lilymon as she was sent crashing into the ground, her body smoking from the energy Piedmon had unleashed upon her. Mimi yelled, as her partner lay there, unmoving. "LILYMON!!! GET UP!!!"
"Too late! Cloth of Disappearance!" Not even giving Lilymon a chance to get up, the cloth completely enveloped her. There was no struggle.
Mimi gasped; it was happening again...they were all going to be turned into key chains! "No...no...LILYMON!!!"
Piedmon giggled as he retrieved his cloth and clipped the Lilymon key chain onto his belt. Two down...
"Ice Stream!"
Piedmon gasped as the whitish-blue stream of frigid energy enveloped him; in his reveling of the Digidestined's suffering, he hadn't even sensed Metalgarurumon coming up behind him.
Ever so quickly, his entire body was encased in an icicle; had he been weak enough, he would've been incinerated, as Puppetmon should have been four years ago – no thanks to Grandkuwagamon.
Metalgarurumon snorted as he stared the frozen Dark Master. "Good riddance."
SMASH!!!
Metalgarurumon paled; Piedmon had just broken out of his icy prison! He growled as Piedmon turned his amused gaze toward him...then, he spoke. "Tsk tsk tsk...you shouldn't have done that...now you must be punished for being a bad boy!"
"Bring it on!" roared Metalgarurumon as he charged.
CRASH!!!
Metalgarurumon yelped with sudden pain as Blackwargreymon crashed into him; the Control Spire Mega had just been thrown aside by Grandkuwagamon, courtesy of the behemoth's pincers.
Piedmon grinned as he tilted his eyes toward Grandkuwagamon. "Excellent work." Grandkuwagamon smiled; his master was pleased with him.
"Terra Force!"
Grandkuwagamon groaned as an orb of orange energy crashed into his back; he turned around to see (Wargreymon) rushing toward him, left arm dangling in the wind.
"Let me deal with him master!" roared Grandkuwagamon as his enormous wings buzzed; he took to the air slowly as he fired off another sphere of dark red energy. "Catastrophe!"
/Western Ocean, One Mile West of File Island, 11:29 AM/
It had taken awhile, but he was finally nearing his old home.
Although he had packed enough provisions for the trip – and despite the fact his raft was as sturdy as could be – the sea was not a voyage for those who got seasick easily.
Luckily, Leomon was not like that...although he was getting tired of seeing nothing but blue water in every direction.
As he saw File Island loom ever larger, a smile crossed his face. "Home at last..."
Then he noticed something odd...actually, he noticed quite a few things that were odd.
Smoke rising from the island.
Battle-scarred lands.
Energy attacks whizzing back and forth.
And the most jarring sight was the lack of one...specifically, that of Infinity Mountain. Only a jagged base remained of the once proud mountain.
Leomon's face contorted into one of shock and disbelief. "By the Guardian Beasts...what has happened to my home?"
Shock gave way to stern concentration as Leomon leapt off the raft and began swimming toward shore. There was no time to waste.
/File Island, Near the Ruins of Infinity Mountain, 11:31 AM/
Blackwargreymon grimaced as he sat up; his whole body felt like a mass of gelatin. At this rate, he would expire...as much as he hated to admit it, he was reaching the end of his endurance.
Metalgarurumon snorted as he got up and prepare to take off...but then he glanced back at Blackwargreymon, who had yet to stand. With a scathing tone, he asked, "What's wrong? I thought you loved to fight."
Blackwargreymon grumbled; despite his tiredness, he knew Metalgarurumon bore no kind feelings toward him. "Save your words...fight on if you wish. There's no point...Grandkuwagamon and Piedmon have proven to be the better fighters. There is no reason to continue on."
Metalgarurumon remained silent...then he said one more thing before taking off. "You're a disgrace...quit if you like...but others are depending on me to fight. I have no choice but to keep fighting!"
As Blackwargreymon watched Metalgarurumon burst off, his mind puzzled. This group of Digimon confuses me...even though they possess great strength, they refuse to fight to prove themselves. But when they face foes of much greater power, they fight despite the knowledge they will fail! Why do they fight?
His eyes drifted over to the children. Was it...because of them that they continued to fight? I still don't understand it! They fight for those weaklings...they can't even fight! Why do they risk their lives for them?!
He couldn't understand it...but why couldn't he understand it?
It was something he intended to investigate further...and to that, he would have to ask the Digidestined's Digimon. And they wouldn't be able to answer him if they were all destroyed.
Besides...they still continued to fight. Why shouldn't he? If he quit, it only meant he was a weakling...and no matter what, he would NEVER be classified as a weakling! "If they will fight on..." Blackwargreymon got to his feet and charged ahead. "...THEN SO WILL I!!!"
Wargreymon grumbled as he slowly crawled out of the crater his body had formed. It was a good thing Grandkuwagamon's powers lasted only temporarily...but his body was still under the grasp of a fierce aching pain.
As he looked around at the sight of the conflict raging around him, he saw Blackwargreymon and (Wargreymon) in the middle of a fierce battle with Grandkuwagamon; meanwhile, Metalgarurumon, Zudomon, and MegaKabuterimon were doing their best to fend off Piedmon.
Piedmon was the bigger threat...but if Grandkuwagamon was the weaker of the two, he could be taken out sooner. Then, they could ALL focus on Piedmon.
His mind was made up. He flew into the air, claws aimed at Grandkuwagamon's underbelly. Mustering all of his strength, he struck.
The claws struck against the tough exoskeleton...but there were scratch marks.
Good...it meant the armor wasn't impervious. He continued striking at Grandkuwagamon's underbelly. The insectoid Mega, oblivious to Wargreymon, continued swiping at (Wargreymon) and Blackwargreymon with his pincers.
The scratches turned into cracks...the cracks turned into fractured pieces...and finally, the soft meat underneath the exoskeleton was visible.
Wargreymon jammed his claws into the soft tissue. Black blood squirted from the wound.
Grandkuwagamon howled as pain suddenly erupted throughout his entire body; he truncated his attack and stomped all about, his nerves screaming from the pain that enveloped him. Small quakes shook the land as he stomped his large feet about, causing Wargreymon to finally fly out from under him: the continuous shock of the thundering Mega was too great for him to continue holding on.
Grandkuwagamon seethed as he used his middle pair of arms to feel the bleeding hole in his skin...the pain...it hurt so much! "You..." Grandkuwagamon glared straight at the three multi-colored Wargreymon, hatred flaring in his eyes. "You...I'll kill you!!! Catastrophe!!!"
The dark red orb rocketed from Grandkuwagamon's mouth. The three Wargreymon dodged...but the energy sphere flew on.
A tremendous explosion sounded as the Catastrophe attacked struck the border of Primary Village.
/File Island, Primary Village, 11:35 AM/
Elecmon grumbled as he quickly herded the Baby Digimon into a large group; he couldn't believe his rotten luck! This can't be happening again...
Four years ago, Primary Village had been destroyed...and he had never been able to truly forgive himself for all of the lives that had been lost that day...he could still remember the macabre sight of the crushed Digieggs...
Now it was happening again...But he would NOT let them suffer the same fate again! "Come on my Babies! Onward!"
As Elecmon quickly hurried a throng of Botamon and Punimon along, he suddenly head an explosion; it had been the Catastrophe attack that Grandkuwagamon had launched.
A quake rattled the village...and to Elecmon's horror, one of the toy towers was toppling toward him and the Baby Digimon! "Oh no!!!" He wouldn't be able to get away in time!
Death, it seemed, was inevitable.
But it was not to be.
As Elecmon suddenly realized they weren't crushed, he looked up to see a wet Digimon holding the fallen tower above his head, saving them all from destruction.
It took a few moments for him to realize that it was Leomon. "Leomon?!"
"Hurry!" commanded Leomon as his biceps bulged under the weight of the tower. "Take the Baby Digimon and the Digieggs to Toy Town on the other side of the island! I do not want the destruction of Primary Village four years ago to become a repeat incident."
"You and me both!" concurred Elecmon as he quickly gathered the Botamon and Punimon out from under the tower. Seeing nothing there, Leomon slowly edged away from the tower before letting it drop by his feet.
There...now for the big fish. With that, Leomon charged off toward the battle.
/File Island, Near the Ruins of Infinity Mountain, 11:37 AM/
"Terra Force!!!" With his working right arm, (Wargreymon) threw an energy orb at Grandkuwagamon.
The tremendous Control Spire Mega crushed it with his pincers; he then rushed forward – his thunderous footsteps causing quakes all around the area – and rammed into (Wargreymon) with his head, sending Shaun's partner flying backward.
(Wargreymon) groaned as he landed with a loud thud; he had crashed amongst the scarred forest where Blackwargreymon had carved a trench in the ground with his back. Shaking his head, he came to his feet.
The battle was starting to wear away at him...and he couldn't keep fighting much longer with his left arm in the condition it was in.
"RAAGGH!!"
(Wargreymon) turned his head toward the forest's mouth; Metalgarurumon had just crashed into the ground. "Huh...?"
"Black Void!!!"
Metalgarurumon quickly leapt to his feet and rushed away from the incoming attack: a black ball of energy, which crackled with purple electricity. The ball collided with the ground where Matt's partner had just stood; the energy expanded into a massive sphere twenty yards in diameter.
When the dome of dark energy dissipated, it showed something that reminded (Wargreymon) of Chimeramon's Shadow Viper attack; the entire area the sphere had encompassed was gone, as if it had been deleted into nothing.
Moments later, Piedmon landed aside the new crater – Shadow Mallet still brimming with the energy of the Black Void attack – and pointed his left palm toward Metalgarurumon. "Clown Trick!"
As Piedmon fired blast after blast at Metalgarurumon, (Wargreymon) saw his chance. He could end it all now.
His mind set, he leapt into the air towards Piedmon's vulnerable back.
Piedmon chuckled as Metalgarurumon fled from his barrage of energy blasts. "Run little doggy, run!"
As Metalgarurumon charged beyond his range, Piedmon clutched the Shadow Mallet with both hands, seemingly preparing to fly after his foe.
That's when he whirled around, smacking into (Wargreymon's) face with the backside of the Shadow Mallet as if it were a sledgehammer. A deafening crack sounded as (Wargreymon) was sent sprawling...the crack had been his helmet fracturing apart. It wasn't enough for it to break apart completely...but its structural integrity was drastically reduced.
Piedmon chuckled as (Wargreymon) writhed on the ground, now suffering from a massive concussion. "Naughty naughty...no trying to stab Uncle Piedmon...but!" Piedmon grinned maliciously as he unsheathed one of his two Trump Swords, holding it above (Wargreymon) with his left hand. "On the other hand, Uncle Piedmon can stab you."
With that, he thrust his Trump Sword through (Wargreymon's) left shoulder joint and into the ground, pinning him on the spot.
An ear-shattering howl escaped (Wargreymon's) throat as his left arm's nerves exploded with pain. The already strenuous condition of his left arm deteriorated even more as red blood began gushing from his shoulder, mixing with his own dried blood – from the wound in his elbow that had rendered the arm useless – and Arukenimon's dried blood, from when he had utterly eviscerated her from earlier.
He couldn't move...any attempt to do so caused the Trump Sword to cut at him even more. What was worse was the fact that he was pinned...
(Wargreymon) was completely at Piedmon's mercy.
Piedmon smiled as he pulled out a familiar white cloth. "Now...it's your turn."
Piedmon suddenly disappeared; his image was replaced by that of a humanoid lion.
It took (Wargreymon) a few moments to realize that the lion – Leomon – had just kicked Piedmon in the back, sending the Dark Master into the forest. Leomon knelt down and slowly pulled the Trump Sword out of (Wargreymon's) shoulder. "Are you alright, my old friend?"
(Wargreymon's) answer was honest; he slowly shook his head as he slowly crawled over to the nearest tree and leaned against it. As he took in deep breaths, he finally dedigivolved to his In-Training form, (Koromon). "Thanks for the save Leomon...but I'm completely tapped. I can't fight anymore..."
"Do not worry (Koromon)." Leomon held Piedmon's Trump Sword tightly in his left hand, with his own, larger sword in the right hand. "I will use my blade...and he will feel the sting of his own weapon!" With that, Leomon charged.
Piedmon scowled as he got to his feet; someone had just kicked him out of the blue. "Who dares...?"
He turned to see Leomon charging at him with two swords. Leomon roared as he leapt into the air and brought his swords downward, aiming for Piedmon's neck.
Piedmon quickly aimed his palm up and shouted, "Clown Trick!"
Leomon grunted as the energy orb crashed into his stomach, sending him backward into the forest. Piedmon growled as he held his Shadow Mallet with both hands. "Try and strike me in the back, will you?" With a snarl on his face, he aimed the Shadow Mallet at the forest; black electricity began crackling in the open holes in what had once been the Bullet Hammer.
He fired; out of the two open holes of the Shadow Mallet came two black orbs of energy. They merged together into a crackling orb that – as Piedmon shouted, "Black Void!" – roared into the forest.
Leomon dodged it; the sphere of black energy deleted a whole throng of trees nevertheless.
Piedmon scowled as he stomped into the forest. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty..."
Blackwargreymon roared as he chucked two tremendous energy balls at Grandkuwagamon. "Double Terra Destroyer!!!"
Grandkuwagamon snarled as he widened his pincers, roaring, "Dimension Scissors!" Desperation had been the key; he would've been hurt immensely by the two orbs...so he had to send them SOMEWHERE.
One large portal opened up right in front of the Terra Destroyers; the two energy spheres were engulfed, and the portal closed immediately afterwards. Grandkuwagamon chuckled. Good riddance.
"That was cheap!" roared Wargreymon as he rammed straight into the left side Grandkuwagamon's head...and it was made particularly devastating because at the same time, Metalgarurumon had unleashed his icy breath upon Grandkuwagamon's right pairs of feet.
This resulted in Grandkuwagamon being unable to stop himself from toppling over. The insectoid Mega yelped as he toppled over onto his back.
His weakened underbelly was open.
"Gaia Force!"
"Terra Destroyer!"
"Metal Wolf Claw!"
The two energy spheres and the missiles rushed toward Grandkuwagamon and collided with him, creating a tremendous explosion that rocked the entire southern half of the island.
/Eastern Ocean, En route to File Island, 11:54 AM/
"Ready?" asked Paildramon; in his left hand was Submarimon...and within was Cody, at the controls.
"Roger that!" said Cody and Submarimon simultaneously.
Without a doubt, Submarimon was a fast traveler underwater. Out of all the Digidestined's Digimon, only Sonocomon could outpace him.
Submarimon and Cody were going to travel by sea to File Island; they would get there roughly ten to thirty minutes ahead of the others. Once arriving, Cody would send them a message about the condition of File Island.
With Cody and Submarimon ready for action, Paildramon reared his left arm and prepared to throw them.
At that moment – roughly one hundred feet above them – a large white portal opened, and the two Terra Destroyer orbs rocketed downward towards them; apparently, Grandkuwagamon's time portal had sent Blackwargreymon's two energy spheres into the future.
Everyone looked up and gaped; Yolei screamed, "WHAT ARE THOSE??!!"
Paildramon immediately aimed his blasters upward and shouted, "Miracle Buster!" Stream after stream of golden lines streamed into one of the Terra Destroyers.
Fifty feet above them, the left orb exploded after the continuous barrage. This resulted in an energy shockwave that caused the other one to explode...and the tremendous airborne tremor pushed all of them down into the ocean.
Shaun raised an eyebrow at the event he had just witnessed. "...huh...?"
As the other Digidestined were hurled into the water, he suddenly realized his chance. Without a second thought, he zoomed toward them at high speed, plowing into the water several hundred meters away from their position.
Disorientation.
It was something that always claimed someone when hurled into the water...especially after one had just been in the sky.
Davis quickly tried to reorient himself as he thrashed through the water...he caught a glimpse of Stingmon pulling Nefertimon and Aquilamon to the surface...Yolei pulling Ken upward...to Davis' dismay, TK helping Kari move up towards the surface...Submarimon swimming around them all, making sure they didn't start sinking...
His pocket was being picked. He felt a hand fishing around in his pocket...and then it immediately vacated the pocket.
Impulsively, Davis immediately checked his pocket...and paled; Shaun's D-3 was gone!
Someone had just outright stolen Shaun's D-3!
He quickly tried to reorient himself...and he finally could see the rippling lens that was the ocean's surface. Some armored figure was swimming upward...and in his right hand was Shaun's D-3.
Hey! Get back here!!! Davis quickly swam as hard as he could; the thief had already broken the surface...and went above and beyond it. Wha?!
The spot from which the thief had arisen from suddenly parted outward, as though a tremendous force had been pushed against it. Although Davis didn't know it, it was the 'thief' going at supersonic speed right above sea level.
By the time Davis had finally gotten to the surface, the thief was gone.
"Darn it!!!" roared Davis as he punched the water angrily. How could he have let some two-bit thief steal Shaun's D-3?! Man, Shaun's going to be so angry when we break the news to him...
Meanwhile, the others were breaking the surface. Ken – after making sure Yolei hadn't choked on any sea water – swam over to Davis and asked, "You okay?"
"No," replied Davis bitterly. "Someone just stole Shaun's D-3! We have to find the thief and get it back for Shaun!"
Ken's concerned countenance remained...then he finally said, "Davis...I'm afraid you're too parochial when it comes to Shaun."
"Paro-key-what?""What I mean is...you're limited in vision. You have to be willing to accept that Shaun is dead...and let's face it Davis; if Shaun were still alive, he would've contacted us via his D-Terminal by now." Ken's eyes told Davis that – even though he didn't want to accept it – he had to acknowledge that Shaun was dead.
Davis' gut instinct battled cold, hard logic over the situation. Logically, Shaun was dead...but his instinct told him not to believe it.
His gut instinct won out. "No way Ken...I won't believe it!"
Ken frowned at Davis' decision. "Fine then...just don't yourself up over it."
Suddenly, Submarimon emerged from near their position. "You guys alright?"
As Paildramon arose from the water behind Davis and Ken, the Child of Kindness answered, "Yes; we're fine."
"All right. Cody and I are going to go ahead and move on to File Island. See you there!" With that, Submarimon went back underwater and burst off for File Island.
In the sky above the Digidestined's location, Shaun was looking down at his own D-3. "Yes!"
He had what he had come for.
With his objective accomplished, he immediately set a course eastward for the SIGMA sectors. Once he arrived, he would immediately open a digiport and head to the Real World.
/File Island, Near the Ruins of Infinity Mountain, 12:01 PM/
Grandkuwagamon grimaced at the sight of his abdomen; it was barely recognizable.
Most of the nigh-impenetrable armor around his stomach had been obliterated by the previous round of attacks Wargreymon, Blackwargreymon, and Metalgarurumon had launched at him. One more strike there...and he would be done for.
No. He would not die today!
Grandkuwagamon quickly righted himself and roared, "CATASTROPHE!!!"
He launched a dark red orb of energy at Blackwargreymon. The dark Mega dodged the attack as it sailed away into the blue sky above.
Nevertheless, Grandkuwagamon kept firing. Volley after volley. The three Megas opposing the Control Spire beetle were forced to keep dodging as the Catastrophes continued coming. Some struck the island, damaging the once beautiful landscape even more.
Metalgarurumon frowned; at this rate, all of File Island would be obliterated!
Pain arched through his body as one of the Catastrophe orbs detonated on him, sending his smoking cyborg body down towards the island's surface. A cloud of dust and dirt was kicked up by the impact.
"METALGARURUMON!!!" exclaimed Wargreymon as concern overran his instincts to keep dodging Grandkuwagamon's attacks.
It cost him dearly.
One of the Catastrophe orbs crashed into his back, igniting upon his back shield. The resulting energy explosion flung him into the ground, joining Metalgarurumon where he now lay.
Blackwargreymon scowled at the sight. Never let useless emotions cloud your judgment! His thoughts were put to rest as he continued dodging an ever-heavier volley of Catastrophes.
"WARGREYMON!" shouted Tai out of concern. Things weren't going to well...at this rate, Piedmon and Grandkuwagamon were going to emerge victorious! "We've got to do something!"
"We've got bigger problems," muttered Joe as he pointed to the only three Digimon facing Piedmon: Leomon, MegaKabuterimon, and Zudomon.
"Horn Buster!!!"
Piedmon quickly used the Shadow Mallet to knock the surge of electric energy back at MegaKabuterimon; sparks danced and crackled across the Ultimate Digimon's chest as his own attack clashed into him. MegaKabuterimon moaned as he was sent sprawling.
Piedmon wasted no time. "Cloth of Disappearance!"
A few seconds later, MegaKabuterimon joined Garudamon and Lilymon in their fate. Piedmon hurryingly picked up both his cloth and the MegaKabuterimon key chain before turning to face Zudomon.
Not even caring about the state of his hammer, Zudomon roared loudly as he swung it downward, hoping to crush Piedmon.
The Dark Master smirked as he completely shattered the Vulcan's Hammer, courtesy of an upward swing with the Shadow Mallet. Zudomon was sent off-balance as his weapon broke into a thousand pieces, and this gave Piedmon the opening he needed. "Cloth of Disappearance!"
Zudomon's struggling didn't help matters at all. In moments, he too was turned into a key chain. Piedmon giggled as he retrieved his newest prize. "Nothing like a good catch to satisfy the sadistic villain!"
He immediately whirled around and slammed his foot into Leomon's face, who had been trying to run Piedmon through with both of his swords. Despite pain that rushed across his face, Leomon got to his feet.
Unfortunately, he did so just in time for Grandkuwagamon to knock Blackwargreymon's body into him. Both Digimon collapsed to the ground as Grandkuwagamon slowly approached Piedmon.
Piedmon smirked as he looked at the key chains around his belt; soon, they would ALL be his little toy soldiers, fighting for him.
His eye caught a Black Gear hovering in the sky above, transmitting all of the carnage to UmbraDevimon's mind. Piedmon defiantly held his last Trump Sword at the Black Gear before boldly boasting, "Look hard UmbraDevimon! This is what will await you when I come!!!"
Blackwargreymon frowned; he was completely and utterly spent. He had nothing left to continue on. All he could was sit up and let his body sit there...waiting for the inevitable.
Leomon groaned as he got to his feet; he was slightly better off, considering how he was the freshest one of them all. Nevertheless – being a mere Champion Digimon and whatnot – he too was reaching the end of his endurance. "Do you have any energy left?"
Blackwargreymon bitterly replied, "No..." It hurt to say it...it hurt to admit his weakness. His pride as a fighter roared at him to continue on...but his body refused to move. He would utterly fall apart if he continued on. "If you have any energy left...fight if you will."
Leomon nodded. "If nothing else, I will protect the Digidestined with my life!" With that, the mighty warrior raced over to protectively stand in front of the Digidestined.
For the umpteenth time that day, Blackwargreymon found himself wondering why such powerful warriors spent so much strength protecting such weaklings.
Joe started trembling and moaning as he slumped to the ground onto his knees. "That's it...we're toast..."
"Nonsense! I'm sure we have some last-ditch idea...right?" asked Izzy, who was clearly fishing for nothing. He too doubted their chances.
Suddenly...Tai chuckled. "Well...we've got nothing else to lose. Let's beat up on them with our bare fists!"
"Tai...you're the only one crazy enough to think of something that stupid." Despite those words, Matt smiled. "Why not?"
With that, the Children of Courage and Friendship walked past Leomon and towards Piedmon and Grandkuwagamon.
Sora immediately yelled out of protest. "Stop! Come back!"
Leomon shouted, "Please! Don't throw your lives away!"
Tai and Matt did not listen.
Piedmon did not share their opinions; he rather enjoyed the last show of bravado they were putting on. As he pulled out his Cloth of Disappearance, Piedmon humorously said, "Well now, looks like the first two volunteers have stepped up! Tell me, do you want to be tortured, or do you want to skip straight to my little cloth?"
Matt sneered at Piedmon as a smirk crossed his face. "Go ahead and do your worst. We'll take you on!"
Piedmon laughed at the Child of Friendship's audacity. "Such foolishness! How I love it...look around you!" exclaimed Piedmon as he pointed at the ubiquitous destruction around them. "Look around you! This island has been devastated by destruction and a conflagration of power! Despite everything you threw at us, you have failed!" Finally, with a mocking tone, he added, "Why continue to struggle when it's pointless to resist?"
Tai chuckled as he and Matt continued their rebellious strides toward the Dark Master and his crony. "Even if it's hopeless, we've pulled miracles out of our sleeves before..."
At that moment, Tai and Matt simultaneously roared one phrase.
"...AND WE'LL DO IT AGAIN!!!"
Their digivices suddenly glowed a blaring white, as if synchronizing with Tai and Matt's resolve. Piedmon frowned at the light show. "What is this?"
Like Piedmon – and Tai and Matt – the other Digidestined were clueless. Mimi nervously muttered, "Izzy..."
"Before you ask, I have no idea what's going on," interjected the Child of Knowledge.
Suddenly, over thirty yards away, the idle bodies of Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon started glowing.
Wargreymon mumbled, "What's...going...on...?"
"Don't...know..." replied Metalgarurumon; his voice was hoarse; both Megas were without strength.
That was about to change.
BIG TIME.
/Eastern Ocean, En route to File Island, 12:11 PM/
Even though they were still wet (and Davis still bitter about the theft of Shaun's D-3), the New Digidestined had continued their flight to File Island.
Suddenly, one phrase ran through Davis' mind like an errant locomotive.
Power of union.
Davis suddenly blinked; where had that come from?
Either way, he suddenly felt a strange aura permeate the air...something big was happening.
/File Island, Near the Ruins of Infinity Mountain, 12:12 PM/
Suddenly, the bodies of Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon started floating.
White light completely overtook them; they were like blinding beacons to the eyes of those witnessing them. Piedmon scowled at the sight. "What trickery is this?"
Without warning, Wargreymon's limbs flexed outward as he roared.
"Wargreymon!"
As he shouted his name, Wargreymon's body morphed into an arm-like form, with his head turning into the hand; the rest of his body morphed into a whitish energy.
"Metalgarurumon!"
The same thing happened to Metalgarurumon; his body morphed into what looked like an arm as well. Slowly, the two arms drifted closer to each other...and then the bright energy that was leaking from them merged.
"DNA Digivolve to..."
The combined energy morphed into a taller, more humanoid shape. Wargreymon's arm was the left one, with Metalgarurumon's being the right. The arms crossed over each other in an X-pattern...and then the light faded.
The newly formed being was twice as tall as Wargreymon...and he was more imposing in a way that could never be described with mere words. White, shimmering armor covered his long, elongated legs, his large feet, and his powerful chest; underneath the armor was the actual body, and it was covered by a black bodysuit. The claws on his feet were made of gold, and his chest plate – which had striped blue markings running horizontally from the sides to the sternum – had a glistening ruby embedded in it. The left arm – Wargreymon's arm – was a larger version of Wargreymon's helmet, colored orange instead of silver. Also, a yellow shield adorned his left shoulder, with the Crest of Courage embroidered on it in blazing orange. As for the right arm – Metalgarurumon's arm – the head was larger as well, with the tremendous maw of Metalgarurumon snapped shut; apparently, the new change had rendered all of Metalgarurumon's head into cybernetic parts. The spiked shoulder pad that adorned his right shoulder had the Crest of Friendship emblazoned on with calm blue. The new being's helmet could be seen despite the fact his arms were crossed, and three spikes jutted out from it: one white one extending upward as part of the helmet itself, with two yellow spikes protruding out like horns.
And then...he uncrossed his arms, letting his glaring green eyes stare out at Piedmon and Grandkuwagamon. Finally, a deafening roar escaped his mouth as the transformation ended.
"OMNIMON!!!"
Suddenly, Piedmon felt very afraid.
/01-000-ALPHA, UmbraDevimon's Lair, 12:15 PM/
As the Black Gear over File Island transmitted these new happenings to him, UmbraDevimon couldn't help but laugh.
Well well...it looks like Piedmon will have to learn his lesson the hard way...
To be continued...
Next time...
Episode 36: Omnimon
Author's Notes: You thought I wouldn't introduce Omnimon? Well here he is!
And by the way; by the time the next episode comes out, I'll have taken my PSAT test (which determine whether or not I get a scholarship or not). Wish me luck!
Please review, and see you next time!