"Mimi…can we please—"
"No time, Palmon, we have to keep moving."
Maneuvering her way around the citizens as the girl tried to keep up with Yolei ended up not being as bad as initially thought. However, she'll have to thank her partner for that, as the plant-like Digimon kept a hold of her partner's hand in a firm grip as to not get lost among the people.
"Please, let me be!"
Yolei couldn't stand it any longer – she knew that they were following her in hopes to persuade her to come back and to stick it out. But how could she, knowing full well what went down recently?
'Finally, my chance…'
Heading up the sidewalk a bit more, Yolei turned into a narrow alleyway and looking straight ahead, she saw a fence that stood firm in between the two complexes.
"My only shot out of here," she muttered as she sprinted towards the fence.
"Stop right there! Palmon!"
Upon starting her ascension on the fence, she felt a pair of vines grab her body.
"Let me go!" she hollered towards the Digimon, not wanting to be caught.
"Not until we talk," Mimi responded as she approached the preteen. After a few minutes of allowing her to calm down, Mimi spoke once more.
"Are you ready?"
"No."
"Okay, then you'll stay trapped."
"Go ahead – you're not convincing me to come back."
"Wanna bet on that?"
"Why would I? I already know it's not going to happen, so you are wasting your time."
Mimi shook her head in disgust. "And to think, I used to be like you back then."
"You still have a chance to change?"
"Do you really think that I could change after what I experienced?"
"Why not? It should be easy for you to have forgotten all that—"
"Wait, I'm sorry, what? You're asking me to forget about an incident that changed my life for the better?"
"…And you said you were like me back in the day."
"I was…until I chose to fight."
Yolei stood silently as she shook her head. "What changed?"
Looking back at her partner, who still had her grip on Yolei thanks to her vines, Mimi sighed and said, "When I realized why I was fighting – both of our worlds were being affected during the time, and there was no choice to back away; not with being part of the Digital World for a long period of time. I understood that innocent Digimon would die – we lost a lot of friends along the way – but something in me told me to keep going and to keep on fighting because, in the end, it will all be worth it."
"…Well, was it?"
"In a way, yes," Mimi responded, shaking her head and slowly starting to smile. "I began as somewhat of a stuck-up; I was too sheltered and that allowed me to become very on the edge about every little decision that was made. It took a long time to grow out of those habits and to begin developing some thicker skin. I stopped becoming an outcast and started to blossom more as an individual. I…I thank my lucky stars every day that I was part of a select few, a chosen child if you will because, without it, I couldn't imagine where I would be in my life right now."
Allowing a few minutes to pass to let her words fully sink in, Yolei asked, "You were happy in seeing innocent Digimon die?"
"Oh, heavens, no; those were the most tragic events that took place. It alienated our group for a good while until we realized that it would happen along the way. I guess you can say that the only thing that is different now—"
"Is that people are filling in the place of the digital monsters. And not to argue that they didn't have lives to begin with as well, but these people were more destined to do something here than anything happening in the Digital World."
"…I'm never going to be able to convince you that what we're doing is the right thing; that'll have to come from within you. I'm not happy with what is going on as well, but as I've said before, I know why it needed to happen."
Yolei remained silent, allowing Mimi to continue.
"I would rather see a dozen people perish while we fight a good fight than see five dozen be killed while we did nothing but stand on the sideline."
"…Would that—"
"It could happen, who really knows. Either way, I don't want to find that out the hard way."
Turning towards her partner, Mimi said, "Palmon, please let her go."
The Digimon obliged and released her grip on the preteen. She now stood on the pavement, looking rather glum.
"Stay with us until the end of the invasion," Mimi said, "and then, after that, you can decide what to do."
Yolei could only nod her head in agreement – she didn't want to, but she felt that she had no choice.
"Oh, there you guys are."
The two ladies turned towards Sora, who was standing in the alleyway with Hawkmon still in her arms.
"How did you—"
Before Mimi could ask, she heard a swoop from above, and within a few seconds, Biyomon appeared in front of Sora.
"…Never mind."
Sora approached Yolei and handed the avian to her, saying, "I believe he belongs to you."
Yolei looked down at her partner before looking blankly into Sora's eyes.
"…Okay," Sora continued, "With that out of the way, let's see what Kari is up to."
Reaching out her D-Terminal, she flipped it open and typed a message to be delivered; while doing so, Yolei looked down at Hawkmon again and shook her head.
"I'm…I can't…"
"Say no more, Yolei; I understand," the avian responded halfheartedly.
"I know where she's at," Sora said upon receiving a message from Kari, "Let's get a move on so we can help the others."
"You got it," Mimi said, and as the trio of ladies began their walk, it was Yolei who was trudging along slowly in the back, her mind racing with several thoughts.
Silence loomed in the air back at the FujiTV station within the hideaway room.
Tai noticed this and took it upon himself to view why this may be.
As opposed to yesterday, where this was idle chit-chat going on amongst the partners, no conversations were being held. Most of the Digimon were either on the verge of sleep, or not feeling up to talking to their respective partner. There was more tension in the room than yesterday – the elder knew where it was coming from, but he was sure that everything would be fine moving forward…
Looking down at his partner and seeing the dinosaur drawing circles on the floor with a finger, Tai nudged his partner, who looked up and gave a shrug after a couple of seconds and resumed his relaxing task.
'Any minute now,' Tai pondered, 'we'll be ready, whether everyone likes it or not.'
Ten minutes passed before the door slowly opened, and in stepped Mikio.
"So…I have a few things for you."
Once more, the elder looked around the room and saw everyone else in silence.
"What do you have?" he asked.
"Well," Mikio said before ushering in Joe and TK with their respective partners.
"It's good to see the two of you show up – nice work on beating MarineDevimon, and—"
"Also, there's one of those creatures attacking around the same place as yesterday."
The news that was given by the intern shifted Tai's attention from congratulating the two newcomers early.
"Well…thanks."
"Yeah, not a..." Mikio was interrupted by someone else outside as he looked down and away from the door.
"What in the —"
"Let me handle this."
TK, upon setting Patamon down and taking a gander at Cody, sitting along the furthest wall away from the rest of the group, made his way out of the room and into the hallway.
"We'll get everything from here – thanks again."
"Hey, not a problem," and with that last statement, Mikio started to make his way back to his workstation.
"Okay, you can come in, you know?"
TK bent down and lifted Armadillomon's head up for them to make eye contact, with the Digimon turning his head towards the side.
"I don't know if—"
"Don't be silly, everything will be fine."
A sigh escaped the armadillo before he nodded and agreed. "Okay, let's go."
As the two made their way into the room, they spotted the five members that would be heading out to fight SkullSatamon.
"I'm guessing that—"
"Yep," Tai said, not wasting a minute to explain, "We're off to fight. You three stay here and alert us if Daemon appears. We'll make sure that the girls know where we're heading, and if we get done defeating SkullSatamon, we'll let you know what to do next."
Looking a bit confused at his former leader, TK slowly nodded in understanding as he allowed the group to exit. Upon them leaving, he closed the door and looked around.
"So…what now?"
"I don't know about you guys," Gomamon said, squirming out of Joe's arms as he plopped onto the ground, "but I figure a nice nap will be fine right now."
As the seal started to doze off, Joe grabbed the knapsack that he brought with him and made his way towards the work-study.
"I'm…well, you know."
A simple nod from the blonde-haired boy was all that the eldest needed as he stepped into the study and closed the door behind him.
Seeing Armadillomon in one far corner, away from his partner, TK nodded and made his way to the corner that connected the duo, with Patamon flying over to him.
"Well, what can we do?" the bat-like critter asked in a whisper.
"…Let them come to their senses; it'll all work out one way or another," he whispered back.
Away from all of the action that was about to take place, Kari and Gatomon waited in the same alleyway that they had their heart-to-heart. The feline, still feeling a mixture of emotions, sat along the opposite wall from where her partner was sitting, and a good fifty feet separating the duo. She occupied the time by messing around with her gloves, feeling more and more dejected that she showed her partner what she had been hiding.
"So," Kari asked, "do you think that—"
Upon receiving a depressing glance from her partner, the girl had her answer.
'If she's not up to it, who am I to push her? Besides, she opened herself up for the first time, and I bet that—'
Her thoughts were cut short as she saw a large shadow of a bird appearing right above her. Glancing up, she spotted Birdramon, and upon the Champion-level Digimon touched down on the ground, Sora, along with Mimi and Yolei with their respective partners, hopped off and approached her.
"So," Sora said, "You guys are feeling better?"
Seeing her partner once more, Kari bit her lip and thought for a minute before responding, "Yeah…we're doing fine."
The three ladies nodded at the given response as they turned their attention towards the feline, who hasn't greeted them yet.
"Hmm…"
As Hawkmon began to ponder, he shook his head and released himself from Yolei's grasp, swooping down towards the disgruntled cat.
"Are…are you—"
Before the avian could finish his question, Gatomon stood up as her stance became ferocious on a whim. He saw her stance – tail swiping side to side, eyes showing some spite, and her claws jutting out – as one of being brave, as he also noticed her small body shaking uncontrollably.
"I assume that the answer is no, huh?"
Upon hearing his question, the feline became unraveled, and upon shaking her head, he darted towards him and embraced the avian.
"Oh," Hawkmon said, surprised at her actions, "Are…"
He felt tears escaping her eyes and her breathing becoming nothing more than a soft, inaudible noise.
"It's okay," he said, returning the hug, "You…you did well; that's all that matters."
Seeing the scene unfold, Palmon turned and approached Kari, whispering, "Is she…well…?"
"I don't think she'll be fighting anymore today."
"Well," Mimi started to say, "that'll be fine – it seems like she went through a lot anyway."
'You have no idea…' Kari pondered as she watched her partner break away from Hawkmon's hug and started making her way over to the group.
"So," Kari asked, giving her partner a few pets on the head, "you ready?"
"Yep!" the feline responded, showing off a small smile.
"You guys…"
The group turned their attention towards Sora, as she had her D-Terminal out in her hands.
"SkullSatamon is attacking – he's at the same place as we were yesterday."
"Well, let's not waste any more time," Mimi said, turning towards her partner as they both nodded in agreement.
As the group hopped back onto Birdramon, and as the bird took flight towards Le Daiba, Yolei continued where she left off – in deep thought.
'Maybe, when this is all over, I can start being normal again,' she pondered as she gripped her partner, 'it won't be pretty, but it's the right thing for me to do.'
"Up ahead!"
The group of five – Izzy, Matt, and Tai sailing with MegaKabuterimon, while Ken and Davis rode in on Stingmon – spotted SkullSatamon standing near Le Daiba, his staff in his hands, ready to fight.
"Ah, it's you guys again – and you brought more for me to destroy."
"Enough is enough – Gabumon, let him have it!"
Hoping off, Gabumon digivolved into WereGarurumon, turning towards Matt and nodding, prepared to deal damage.
"You better be waiting for the rest of us."
Agumon turned towards Tai, and seeing his partner with his digivice clutched in his hand, solemnly nodded as he transformed into his Ultimate being, MetalGreymon.
"Like old times, eh?"
Tai turned towards Matt and gave off a sly grin. "Some things never change. Boys, do what you'd normally do."
With that, it was MetalGreymon to take the offense first. Launching into his Mega Claw attack, his trident arm shot for the skeleton demon, but with quick reflexes, dodged the initial attack.
Standing in the background, WereGarurumon waited to pounce and saw the opportunity. A split second before SkullSatamon avoided the first attack, the werewolf launched at the enemy, using his powerful kick to send the demon back a good hundred feet into the concrete.
"Awesome!"
"It's five to one, and three are fresh; he has no idea who he's messing with."
As the ultimate Digimon took a second to gloat in their successful attack, MegaKabuterimon made sure to get in on the action. Using his Horn Buster attack, the electric wave that was produced streamlined towards SkullSatamon as he began to stand from the initial hit, sending him more back and deeper into the street than the prior attack.
"You two can get in anytime now."
Hearing Izzy's announcement, Ken nodded and turned towards Stingmon.
"You heard him – whenever you feel ready."
"Say no more."
He swooped in and immediately did damage with one Moon Shooter attack, his needle projecting out from his arm and into the ribcage of the demon, knocking him down once more.
"Okay, that does it!"
Rebounding in a quick manner from his latest blow, SkullSatamon pounced towards Stingmon, using his series of quick-time kicks to disrupt the beetle before delivering a roundhouse kick to the side of the head, close to knocking him unconscious.
At this, Veemon's eyed widened in fear – the only Digimon in the bunch that hasn't had his chance to fight.
"Well, are you ready?"
Hearing Davis's voice sent chills down the dragon's spine, but nonetheless, he regained his composure and nodded towards the preteen, knowing what he needs to do. As he digivolved into ExVeemon, he immediately took off towards the demon and was quick to use his Vee-Laser attack.
However, SkullSatamon saw the attack coming quicker than expected, as he successfully dodged with ease before ambushing the dragon with another set of fury kicks. Close to using another roundhouse, ExVeemon took the split-second delay and landed a punch on the backside, sending the enemy into the crumbling asphalt once more.
"Here's some more juice for you – feels like you need it."
The red beetle shot another electric blast, hoping it would hit. As close as it can be, SkullSatamon struck his staff before the attack could reach him, allowing the energy to be conserved within it.
"Well, let's see how you—"
Before the dragon could finish, the skeleton sprang and grabbed him, striking the charged staff at his midsection. Volt after volt surged through the body as ExVeemon felt weaker with each passing second.
As the sound of missiles shot out nearby, SkullSatamon eased up on his attack, and with the dragon still in his grasp, swung him towards the Giga Blaster attack.
"Oh, you little—"
The explosion caused Tai's words to be drowned out, as ExVeemon was flung into the air. Before he could reach the surface, SkullSatamon took him and swung him towards a near-tackling WereGarurumon, hurling the both of them towards the pavement.
"No!"
Davis's cry couldn't help his partner out in any way, and as the werewolf regained conscious, he hopped off of the dragon directly below him, his eyes struggling to stay open.
"He's needs rest."
"Like heck he does, let him—"
Before Davis could finish, he felt a strong tug on his arm coming from Tai.
"I know you want him to continue, but trust me, your partner needs the rest."
After biting reality in the face, Davis solemnly nodded as he saw his partner turn back into Veemon.
"Aww, look at that – one down, only four more to—"
Stingmon's own roundhouse kick ended SkullSatamon's statement and sent him below.
MetalGreymon launched his Mega Claw attack once more, successfully grasping the demon this time.
"You were saying?"
Before an answer could come, the enemy was launched into the air, where MegaKabuterimon waited with a Wild Scratcher attack, slashing the skeleton close to pieces before sending him down once more.
"I say we end this charade now – can we all agree?"
As everyone nodded at Matt's rhetorical question, all looked towards Stingmon to deliver the final blow.
"Spiking Strike!" The beetle cried out as he launched his signature move towards SkullSatamon. Not having time to react, a pregnant scream rang out but was cut off. As he tried to pivot, the strike that was supposed to hit his midsection instead sliced into his head.
"Now that's what I call a headshot! Way to go!"
The rest of the team smiled and nodded, all in agreeance with Ken's jubilant statement.
"The best is always saved for last," Stingmon added before de-digivolving back into his rookie form.
As the rest of the Digimon followed suit, Davis made his way over to his still-battered partner.
"Hey, how are you holding up?"
"…Never better," the dragon muttered as he found the strength to rise to his feet. Before saying anything else, Veemon began to feel the effect of the hit he took from SkullSatamon and began to collapse once more.
"Woah!" Davis cried before grabbing a hold of his partner before connecting with the pavement again. "Okay, you are not fine after all."
"Gee, I wonder why—"
Before Veemon could finish his unenthused statement, he felt a sharp pain coming from his midsection. Wincing in pain, he saw Davis looked stern before becoming aware of his action.
"I'm sorry," the boy whispered before loosening his grip, "I should have known better."
After a few seconds, the small dragon broke the silence.
"It's fine."
Hoisting his partner off of the pavement and placing him into his arms, Davis approached the rest of the group, still celebrating their victory.
"Well, I'm glad to see that you're doing fine," Gabumon said, looking at the advancing pair.
"We all are," Tai added, nodding in the duo's direction.
Davis smiled and nodded at the compliments, continuing to look over his partner.
"He didn't take any serious damage, right?"
Looking towards Izzy, Davis shook his head while rubbing Veemon's head.
"No, I think he'll recover in no time."
"Hey, guys!"
As the group heard voices from above, they glanced to see Birdramon approaching them, and in a matter of seconds, the two groups were together.
"Oh, I'm so glad to see you don't need our help," Kari said as she embraced her brother in a one-arm hug as she held Gatomon in her other one.
"What can I say – we're the experts around here."
As the siblings continued in their embrace, the rest of the party began to split and mingle into their well-known pairs.
"So, y'all succeeded in your fight, hmm?"
Sora looked at Matt before answering, "Oh, yeah, we kicked some serious—"
Being interrupted by Biyomon clearing her throat, the teenaged girl glanced at her partner before making contact with her boyfriend, kissing him and embracing once more.
"I'm glad that you're safe," Matt responded, returning the gesture.
The pink bird shook in disgust as Gabumon lighted tapped her wing. "You know it was coming."
"Call it payback if you want," she mumbled.
"Oh, you should have seen it; Stingmon went and drove his spike into the head."
As Tentomon explained the recent fight to Palmon, Joe and Mimi looked on from a small distance.
"Three down – only one to go."
"Yeah," Mimi replied, "I'm hoping that we're ready…whenever we need to go."
"Eh," Izzy waved his hand in retort, "what's a little rest before going all-in on the last one?"
"I can't argue with you there."
Glancing towards Davis, still focused on his partner, Ken and Wormmon made their way over to a distraught Yolei.
"How are you holding up?"
The preteen looked at the genius boy before sighing, "I…I'm hanging on."
Ken set his partner down on the pavement and embraced the troubled girl.
"We all did our part, and we shouldn't have much more to do."
"I know," Yolei said, returning the hug, "It's just…exhausting."
Hawkmon, on the ground, shook his head. As he spotted Wormmon glancing at him, the avian raised one digit over his beak, not wanting to speak at the time.
Breaking from the embrace, Kari glanced over at Davis, still in the middle of the road, with a concerned face as he looked over Veemon.
"How's he holding up?"
"Davis…I assume he needs some time to digest this before he returns to normal."
While the two looked on, Agumon was doing his best to explain the battle to Gatomon, who looked more wearied by the minute.
"…And you know how I am with comebacks, so I had to tell that skeleton a good old—"
The dinosaur was taken back as the feline grasped his claws with her paws.
"I…I hear you."
Nodding slowly, Agumon retreated towards his partner a few feet away. As Tai spotted his partner approaching, he saw in the background his sister's partner in her current state.
"So…is Gatomon—"
"Tai," Kari responded, grasping his shoulders, "trust me, she'll be fine – she needs some time to herself."
"I should have told him before—"
"Before what?"
Startled to hear his partner right beside him as he asked the question, Tai bent down and replied, "Well…don't worry about it."
As Agumon nodded in agreeance, the former leader took a quick glance at the rest of the group. All of them were either ecstatic or distressed with their results…except for one.
'Remember, he needs time…'
"Okay, perfect, we'll let the others know – thanks!"
As Hiroaki hung up his cellular phone, he turned towards a readied Mikio.
"What's the message?"
"Both are dead, and the group is near Le Daiba; thankfully one of the associates were out and—"
The intern wasted no time in wanting to deliver the news as he sprinted towards the current hideout, leaving Hiroaki speechless and silently nodding.
"Good messenger – you're doing well."
Beginning to traverse through his normal route – from Hiroaki's cubicle in his specialized wing up two flights of stairs on the centralized staircase, turning left and hitting the door furthest down the hallway, up two more flights of stairs in a more enclosed environment – he stopped before opening the door to catch his breath. After a couple of seconds, he opened the door and continued on his way towards the hideaway room, traveling through a connected bridge. He couldn't help but stare out the window on the right of him, as he spotted the clear waters of the bay nearest Odaiba.
"Simply remarkable," he said, smiling at the view.
A few minutes later, Mikio resumed the task at hand, whereupon crossing the bridge, the quest turned into that of stealth.
"The coast seems clear," he muttered as he retrieved a key from his pocket. Nobody was in sight of him, and he knew he had to act fast. Making one right turn, followed by one left turn down a small corridor, Mikio was a good hundred feet away from a lone door.
Approaching the wooden entrance and thrusting the silver key into the lock, the boy without any hesitation unlocked the door and swung it open.
"Alright, only a few more—"
Some distance away, he heard a few murmurs that would soon enough grow louder. His heartbeat accelerating little by little, Mikio fumbled a bit with retrieving the key from its current place.
"C'mon, you little…"
They were approaching quicker than anticipated. He jiggled until a stroke of luck fell upon him.
"Finally."
Silence was heard down the way, and Mikio knew he was close to blowing his cover. Mentally kicking himself, he retreated into the stairwell and upon locking the door from within, sprinted the three flights of stairs, confronting himself once more with a locked door.
Taking a few seconds to compose, the intern accomplished his feat better than his previous attempt and eventually made his way to the hideaway room.
"They better be here still…"
He knocked on the door three times, and in a couple of seconds, TK answered.
"Oh, hey, how is—"
"I'll let you all know once I'm inside."
A brief nod from the blonde was the only answer needed, and as he entered the room, he wasted no time in delivering the news.
"Both of the monsters are dead, and the group is near Le Daiba. If anyone wants to retreat there, it would be best to remain here until I give the clear – a little mishap on my part might have—"
"Say what?"
Patamon looked from his position on top of a nearby desk, half astonished and half bewildered.
"Don't worry – everything is fine," his partner reassured before turning to the messenger.
"How are you going to let us know?"
"Well…" Mikio started before being frozen. There was no real way to inform them without putting him and Hiroaki in grave danger. There was minimum to no reception for him to call, and even if he did, the risk of any exec finding out about a call being made in an undisclosed part of the facility would raise red flags.
TK shook his head before heading towards the door.
"Where are you going?"
"…I'll take this," he said to Mikio, "my father may not be pleased, but it'll save the lot of us."
"Does that mean I have to stay here?"
Patamon got his answer from a sharp nod. "You behave, and make sure the rest are ready when the signal goes off."
"…Which is…?" Mikio shifted his eyes as he was curious to know what the signal entailed.
"Trust me, you all will know." With that, TK made his way out.
Scanning the room, Mikio spotted Armadillomon and Cody to his left, sitting in opposite corners, Gomamon sleeping – slowly stirring awake – to his right with Joe nowhere in sight, and the bat critter on a nearby desk.
"Studying – Joe's busy studying, if you were curious to know."
"Well, that's good to know; thanks…Patamon?"
The rookie cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at the response. "We're not strange to you or anything, right?"
"No, not at all – it's the matter of getting to mingle with digital monsters that—"
"Don't you mean the good guys?" Armadillomon asked, approaching the intern as he wanted to be included in the small conversation.
"Yeah, good guys; sorry, but when Hiroaki was giving me the backstory, that's how he referred to the inhabitants of your world."
"…Fair enough," the armadillo responded before making his way to Gomamon, who was propping himself up with his front claws, his eyes adjusting to his surroundings.
"Where is…" the seal mumbled before laying eyes on the closed door on the far left.
"Of course, he would be."
A split second later, the door opened and as Joe walked back into the classroom, said, "Alright, I think that's all I can handle for…"
The elder studied the room for a brief couple of seconds before drawing his conclusion.
"LadyDevimon and SkullSatamon are both—"
"Yes."
"And TK decided to take—"
"Precisely."
"We'll be noted to leave here by—"
"Apparently."
The small responses that Mikio gave were all that was needed.
"So, what now?"
"Well…"
Armadillomon was the first to respond to Joe's next question as he drifted his attention towards Cody – the boy was crouching in the far corner, knees to his chest with his arms wrapped around them, his head down and eyes most likely closed; off in his own mind, waiting for the right time.
"Earth to Cody – how are you doing?"
Mikio's question was answered when the youngster poked his head up and immediately laid eyes on the abandoned study room. Standing up, he made his way over to the opened door, turning towards his partner.
"Come."
The armadillo nodded and the two entered the study, the door shutting to the rest of the group.
"Give them time," Patamon chimed in, "that's all they need."
As the group nodded, they all made their way towards the back of the room, away from the study, giving the broken duo some time to heal.
"I'm assuming you'll take—"
The rookie was cut off from his question as he saw his partner grab a nearby chair and headed towards the furthest part of the study, away from the door to be further away from the group.
After a few seconds, Armadillomon approached Cody, only one sentence on his mind.
"Whenever you are ready."
In the study, time seemed to stand still. Seconds slowed and minutes became non-existing. Silence filled everything encompassing them, and eventually, inside of them – the rising and falling of chests were the only lively movements being made.
Cody shut his eyes only to open them – shut and open, again and again. He wrung his hands together more furiously than ever before. He thought he was ready for this, but nothing was coming to him.
"I…" he started before laying eyes on the armadillo. The nerves settled in an instant and his eyes laid focus as one question came to him.
"How could you?"
The fight came roaring right back, a tidal wave of emotions mixing in with those thoughts. In front of him was not a rookie, nor his partner, but a different entity – one that dealt pain that caught him off-guard. To see the malice that was released, from someone that never showed it before; to hear what the media was stating about the fights; intertwining everything together…
"How!"
Cody gripped the bottom of the chair as his eyes glared towards his partner, wanting a response.
"…You're supposed to be the one to talk first," the armadillo retorted, the calmness in his voice not subsiding.
"Armadillomon, please—"
"I want to know—"
"No!"
Neither had this initially planned. Maybe after some sleep and a clear head, they would be ready to talk yesterday out, but apparently, the tension between them is still too much.
"I thought," the Digimon spoke first, "that you were ready for this."
"…Why did you do it?"
"Like everyone else was saying, it needed to be done."
"We could have gone with a better—"
"Well, we didn't! People ended up getting hurt and now everyone wants to paint us as—"
"Innocent people died! Don't you get that?"
"It wasn't going to be easy either way. Had we stayed on the wayside waiting to attack, who knows what else would have happened."
"What we did was wrong – we're no better off than the Corps."
"…So, that is what you feel, eh?"
A few seconds of silence lingered before the boy nodded his head, tears welling in his eyes.
"Yes; we should have been more prepared."
Allowing the tears to escape, Cody continued. "We are responsible for what happened yesterday. People that had no way of knowing the attacks suffered the most because everyone assumed it would be easy. There should have been more questioning, more research, more training done – anything would have helped! We failed; it doesn't matter how we do today, or what we do in the next few days whenever we defeat the last enemy. And after opening up a few days prior, I would have hoped that you out of anyone else would have understood my frustrations."
The tears kept coming and pouring as freely as a flowing river. Armadillomon remained silent; the only sounds surrounding him were the sobs coming from his partner.
"…I'm sorry…I don't think that'll do justice if anything, but…"
Here he was, trying to search for the right words. Anything to try and console the boy that felt that everything he proudly stood for was being stripped away, all in the name of fair fighting.
"You know, I was fighting for you. I wanted to kill MarineDevimon so that you weren't hurt, or anything even remotely close to that. I thought I was doing the right thing, but—"
"We killed who we needed to kill; all I was saying is that—"
"I heard you the first time!"
The rookie bit his tongue, silently scolding himself at the rebuttal he put out there, though his partner's mutter got on his nerves.
"Look, partner, when we first established each other, I made an innermost, but solemn, vow to keep you safe from any danger. I kept my end of the bargain, even though I felt at times I could have died."
"I'm glad you have done so," Cody said, his tears starting to dry on his face, "but it…nothing feels right. I don't know, I guess—"
"Maybe some meditation will do you good – or we can try talking when we know we are absolutely ready for it."
The boy looked at his partner, a solemn expression still on his face, and silently nodded.
"Good; now, when are we supposed to be hightailing out of this place?"
As soon as Armadillomon spoke, he – along with the rest of the small group – received their answer.
"What is going on?"
TK, upon descending the first flight of stairs, was greeted with the question coming from one of the execs.
"Oh, well, there was an apparent madman running—"
"The voice seems off."
"I agree wholeheartedly."
The boy shifted glances between the two men at their respective statements.
"Where is the madman now?"
"…Currently locked inside one of the rooms."
"Nobody should be up there under any circumstances – where are you coming from, and who do you know within the facility?"
"My father is Hiroaki – he wanted me to use the upstairs to stake out any potential attacks heading our way."
"And how would you have relayed any information regarding a potential attack if one was occurring?"
"I know my way around here," TK said, "pretty much know this place like the back of my hand; I would have gotten the information quickly to my father."
"Mhm," the exec nodded slowly, "how much time – let's be specific, no service beyond the crossover and your father may be busy to not be at his workplace. So, then what happens?"
On the inside, TK was becoming more and more miffed, but he knew his composure needed to be kept.
"You know – let's see what Hiroaki has to say about this."
The other exec, keeping silent until now, turned toward his partner wearing a small grin before turning to TK. "What do you say to that?"
"…That's fine with me."
As the trio made their way back to the hub of the station, TK kept his eyes open for the one thing he needed.
'Bingo!'
Off to the left, next to a vending machine and close to some restrooms, was a fire alarm perched on the wall.
"Umm…pardon me, but mind if I…"
He hoped that the queues of staring toward the restroom gave off what the boy was trying to ask the execs.
One of the execs chuckled at the signal. "I mean, what, do you expect us to help you? We'll meet at the entrance of the hub."
With a slight tint of red appearing on his cheeks, the boy thanked the older men and made his way over to the facility. Stepping in, and realizing that nobody was occupying the space, TK turned on the nearby faucet and cooled his face off for a brief moment.
"Well, with that out of the way," he said as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a lone key, "let's get down to business."
Immediately after exiting, he headed towards the vending machine closest to the alarm. He stole more glances than he could count – he had to make sure nobody was around.
'Nothing to worry about, and besides, this is what every kid envisioned of doing…well, okay, this is on a grander scale, but still…'
As the thoughts continue, he realized it was now or never.
'Keep flat to the right, stick, turn up and two pulls…man, everything seems simple, but…'
TK brushed the last thought off as he approached the alarm.
"Hey, what are you—"
As a nearby worker noticed what was about to occur, the boy kept moving, and within a matter of seconds, sounded the alarm.
Upon the sound bellowing from the system, TK turned towards the curious person and said with a finger point, "You didn't see anything," and immediately headed towards the bathroom once more.
Taking refuge in a nearby stall, the boy was silently grateful that the plan went off without any issues – now, all he needed to do was inform the group that, within a couple of minutes, they would be fine to escape.
"I think we have our signal!"
Patamon, with his wings covering the sides of his face, said as he was startled upon hearing the fire alarm.
"Okay, so now what!"
By now, everyone assembled close to the back wall, away from the door.
"We need to wait it out, and then escape the same way that everyone else has done – back exits, no critters are to be seen."
It took a couple of minutes before the sirens halted.
"Alright," Mikio spoke again, "are we all ready?"
"I mean, we aren't really able to speak out—"
Gomamon's voice became muffled at the zip of Joe's backpack closing.
"…We still have two in the open."
"You don't have to worry about me," Patamon reassured, "I can easily fly out of eye sight."
"We're trying to avoid that as best as possible," Cody said.
"Oh, so how do you think I'm going to look out there?" Armadillomon harshly asked.
Mikio drew in a breath and exhaled long and hard before heading over and picking up the armadillo.
"You," the boy said to Cody, "get the smaller one."
A nod came from the youngster and he had Patamon in his arms in a matter of seconds.
'This is only going to be uncomfortable for a matter of minutes…'
Mikio didn't think twice as he lifted the digital monster underneath his shirt, his arms wrapped around his neck.
"This is…quite comfy to be honest," the armadillo commented as he wiggled his body against the boy's stomach.
Once Patamon was comfortable next to Cody's body, the group headed out the same way that they knew how – down the corridor of stairs, across the bridge, and down another flight of back stairs until they were outside.
"Hey, how did—"
The trio didn't stop to hear a nearby worker exclaim their breakaway – once they stop, they would be swarmed.
"What's all the running for?"
"Why were you so late to be out here?"
"What are you all hiding?"
All of these questions came from every angle as they try to spot TK.
They eventually found him…next to some execs and police.
"We can explain!"
Mikio ran to the site to explain how everything went down when he felt the surroundings drop with such force.
"I reckon something's about to go down," Armadillomon said as Mikio nodded to the comment.
As the intern stood in disbelief, one of the execs made his way over.
"You were saying?" he asked.
Mikio gulped as he unhid the armadillo and placed him on the ground.
"I can explain everything as long as you let them go."
The exec nodded, "Okay, we'll let them go…for now…"
As partners reunited and as they moved away from the station, the gut feeling that Mikio had lingered.
'Something sinister is going to happen…'
"The time is now…"
As the sun began to set, Noriko heard the familiar voice echoing to her.
"This late? Wait, why would—"
"Never mind that – I am ready for my grand entrance."
The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she can return to her normal life.
Before she could rise from her desk, Noriko's parents came barging in.
"We heard."
"I'm glad to know that, father. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to be ridden of this monstrosity once and for all."
"Please be careful."
"I will, mother – I have a sense that my friends will be there to help in whatever way needed."
After exchanging goodbyes, Noriko left the apartment complex.
"Now, head to Le Daiba – don't worry, I'll tell you the way."
"Why do I feel like I'll be walking forever?"
"Trust me; it will be worth it in the end."
Noriko sighed within her head, knowing that Daemon was correct. She had to keep going, as she longed for control and stability within her own body again. With this fueling her, she listed to the demon's directions and nearly rushed to the hotel.
The construction signs and yellow caution tape surrounding parts around the complex did not faze the girl one bit, as she was close to the entrance.
"Wait – this is as far as I'll go."
"Okay, so what—"
Before she could ask, a cold, sharp pain traveled all throughout her body. This felt worse, way worse, than the first encounter she had only a few days ago.
There was nothing else to do but to collapse to the pavement and let out a piercing scream into the night.
As a dark beam of matter was released, and before she felt her world go hazy, she could see off in the distance a noticeable face.
"Noriko!"
Davis was the first to the scene, Veemon – more alert than he was prior – still in his arms. As he looked on in sheer panic at what was beginning to unfold, the rest of the Digidestined appeared behind him.
"Ah, at last…"
As the matter began to take its shape, it began to speak.
"I finally have what I've been looking for…so close, yet so far, no thanks to your legions."
"Who are you and what do you want?"
Davis's question fell on deaf ears – within that instance, Daemon took on its demonized form.
"Greetings, I am Daemon, the leader of the Corps, and the only thing I am after is one certain child."
The leader's eyes became more disgusted as he saw Noriko on all fours, close to being motionless.
"Don't be foolish – I'm not after her, but rather, I'm after the former emperor."
All eyes glanced towards Ken, standing in the middle, eyes flashing as he heard the request.
"Why," he said, moving forward, "do you want me?"
"You have something special that I want in my possession – it's your Dark Spore."
Ken took a few steps back.
"Why do you—"
"It's an end to a mean, and I'll leave it at that."
"Well then," Davis said, "you'll have to go through us."
"Davis, are you—"
"No, I'm not allowing this…monster from destroying any more lives! Not Noriko, not Ken, not anybody!"
Daemon chuckled. "Oh, you silly boy, I already have three of your allies latched onto me."
At this, Kari – near the back, still aiding Gatomon – stepped back further, shaking her head slowly.
"Nobody may see it, but I think a certain girl has figured out her fate."
"That's enough!"
Surprised by many, it was Gatomon that spoke within the back, her earlier feelings vanishing suddenly into the air.
"Not now."
The feline turned her attention towards Kari, whispering and shaking her head.
"But—"
"I agree – Davis, let me at him!"
Veemon was now ready to fight, and before anyone could protest, the dragon leaped from his partner's arms and digivolved into ExVeemon, charging towards the demon.
"This is too cute…"
Daemon swung his wings towards the champion, the attack successfully hitting as ExVeemon was flung into the air and rocketed behind the group, landing on the sidewalk gravel near the bay.
"I'm too powerful – this will not be as easy as the others, and seeing as the majority is too downtrodden, it's best to let me go."
As Davis ran back to retrieve his partner, laying still and de-digivolved back to his rookie form, the former leader looked around. Here they were – the younglings not mentally ready to go, and the older group, after surviving their numerous battles, wasn't all together as well.
"This can be over in a matter of seconds – I'll take a broken Noriko, along with Ken and Kari, back into my dimension, where all will be well."
It was here that Tai found his voice. "You'll have to pry my sister from my dead hands before you take her away!"
"…That could be rearranged."
Before the boy could reply, Daemon spoke once more, "As a matter of fact, it's set to happen. You don't know when until it happens, but you will only have such little time to react."
"We can always send you off," Matt said, joining in on the verbal battle.
"And where to? Better yet, how do you think I brought my army into here? It won't matter, as I can come back and wreak more havoc than before."
"We have a way, right?"
Matt turned towards his brother and partner on the end, and as their eyes met, the elder knew that what he wanted to happen will not come true.
"I think little TK has his answer for you."
His attention turning towards Daemon once more, Matt shook his head. "You won't win in the end!"
"Are you sure? Look around – as I said, everyone is down, too beaten to continue. I'll make the suffering end sooner rather than later, I can guarantee you all that."
With a wave of his arm, a portal opened below him, and as he began to travel out of Odaiba, he let out a cackle.
It may have been a couple of seconds, but it left the group frozen for much longer.
