Digital Shuffle

by famirad

One night, Takato vanishes, leaving Guilmon behind. With something weird happening at Hypnos, maybe there's more to this than just a missing boy. Jenrya and Ruki must face conspiracies, a Digital World bent on invasion, and new allies with their own agendas. They aren't the first kids to meet Digimon...and these partnerships aren't as magical as they seem. [Tamers AU with 01, WS]

28. Knight of Thorns

Digital Shuffle
by famirad

Disclaimer: Naturally I don't own Digimon. This fic is for fun.
Author Notes: AU, divergence from Digimon Tamers. Has links to Adventure and the Ryo Wonderswan games, as well as some links to X-Evolution.

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Digital Shuffle
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(Knight of Thorns)

Ruki Makino didn't agree with this mission at all.

She hated to say it, but she sided with Alice and Ryo. Both of them thought it was a colossal waste of time, though for different reasons, and Ruki found it hard to even talk to Jenrya on the phone when he called to clue her in on his plan. He wouldn't listen to reason at all, convinced rescuing Black Growlmon was necessary. From a tactical point of view, Ruki understood treating Black Growlmon as an asset – strange as that felt – and denying the enemy him was important, but what about the risk?

Too riskuy. Ryo was right. It was a suicide mission, plain and simple.

Ruki wanted to fight, to do something as much as Jenrya, but she wasn't too keen on throwing herself into a fight only to get needlessly killed. She liked Jenrya, she had to grudgingly admit, but he wasn't focused anymore. Not after Takato went off and vanished. And it didn't help his partner was backing him up 100% either, totally convinced Jenrya was right and they had to follow up on Black Growlmon's abduction by this Vajramon. They didn't seem to care if Ruki or the others backed them up.

Unfortunately, Ruki grumbled, his friends did care and she wasn't about to let him do this alone.

It was when Matsudas were found that everything suddenly changed overnight.

The rain was particularly heavy, the sky weeping sheets of water. Faint tendrils of steam rose up from the streets as she stood guard. Her butt was sore from sitting down on the unforgiving concrete of the shelter, but she had a job to do and that was keeping watch while the others slept. It took days for Jenrya's family to make it this far (their car had been crushed in the earthquakes), and tacked onto that was the fact Mr. Lee insisted on visiting the Matsudas and seeing if they were okay. Alice was out doing…well, Ruki didn't know what she was doing, but she wasn't here. She had a habit of vanishing in and out, like a ghost, and only stared and said that it wasn't relevant when pressured about where she was going. To be honest, it was really starting to get on her nerves.

Ruki rubbed at her arms for warmth, straightening her sweatshirt and drawing the hood up over her head. Her face still felt cold, but at least it covered her ears. Renamon sat next to her Tamer, her fox's tail flicking idly.

"They might have stopped," Renamon said, peering through the rain. "It would be difficult to travel in this weather."

Ruki hugged her knees, shifting her weight. "Jenrya said they'd come today."

"Jenrya has been known to be wrong."

"If they're not here, then we keep on waiting."

"Have they called in yet?"

"No."

The two boys had been tracking Vajramon for almost a week and counting now, coming back periodically to check up on the others and then disappearing off into the night with only time to eat and catch a few cat naps here and there. Jenrya was too busy to talk to her, and all the details came from Ryo, of all people. Ruki still didn't like him, but she had to admit that he was trustworthy. And reliable. And there. Even if he was a jerk most of the time, at least he was a helpful jerk.

Ruki hugged her knees up to her chest.

She jumped as her cell phone suddenly rang. Groping with half frozen fingers, she thumbed for it to receive the incoming call.

"Hello?" she asked, hearing an awful lot of background noise.

" – got them… - on….way."

"Jenrya, you're breaking up –"

Jenrya's voice on the other end was tight. "Matsudas….watch over them and –"

It cut off. Frowning, Ruki glanced at it. Lost signal. She knew they needed to conserve the battery power on these things – no telling how long they'd be out trying to scrap a living out here – but she was sorely tempted to call him back. Renamon didn't need to be told; she slipped out from the shelter and disappeared through the gloom and rain. It was some time before she came back. She wasn't alone. Ruki shot to her feet.

Following behind her was a small band of people, Gargomon bringing up the rear. Despite the plastic tarp they'd tried to use as a shield against the rain, everyone look more or less soaked to the bone. Ruki stepped out in the rain, watching as the group came closer. Jenrya's dad and sister were herding two adults with them, a man and woman who looked shell-shocked as they kept looking from Renamon to Gargomon and back again. So that was the Matsudas. Judging by their expressions, they were probably still trying to cope with the fact monsters really were real and, to top it off, they could talk. As for the third adult, a beautiful woman with purple hair…no idea. Jenrya would have to explain what she was doing here next chance he got.

Assuming he could stop thinking about this rescue mission for one second.

"Hey," Ruki said. "I'm Ruki. This's my partner, Renamon."

Mr. Matsuda tried to put on a friendly smile, but it was weak at best. "It's…it's nice to meet you."

Renamon wisely didn't step forward, maybe sensing that he was pretty much at his limit for Digimon right now. She instead nodded, watching as Janyuu took Takato's dad by the arm and steered him into the tunnel, talking and trying to distract him from seeing a big, talking bunny and now a fox. The woman from before, the one Ruki didn't recognize, glanced at Mrs. Matsuda and made a small motion with her hand. The other woman hurried to join her husband. The purple-haired woman started to go in after them, but thought of something. Ruki could see she was very beautiful; having had to live with models, she could tell one when she saw one. But this woman definitely didn't carry herself like any model she knew of.

"You must be Ruki Makino," the woman said. She was clearly intelligent, her eyes traveling from Ruki to her partner. There was something vaguely disdainful about the way her eyes roved over Renamon. "I'm Reika. Jenrya Lee told me about you."

Ruki stared back, not breaking eye contact. Reika didn't seem bothered by it, returning her gaze evenly. "You're helping us." It wasn't a question.

Reika smiled, but the smile didn't reveal anything. "Yes. Seems I had no choice, but we'll leave it at that."

She waved and then headed down the tunnel after the Matsudas and Janyuu. Renamon made a hmphing sound.

"Pleasant woman."

"Just think of her as an extra pair of hands," Ruki said with a snort. Renamon smiled one of her private smiles. "Doesn't matter if she likes Digimon or not, so long as she makes herself useful. Show her around, get her settled?"

Renamon nodded and then vanished in the next blink of an eye, leaving Ruki to make a beeline toward Jenrya. The other Tamer looked dead tired, the red light of the tunnels making the dark spots under his eyes stand out. He looked up and frowned despite himself, as if expecting her to jump him. He wasn't far off the mark. Ruki blocked his path, her hands on her hips.

"You're not going out again. Not tonight."

Jenrya scowled. "We got the Matsudas here safely. I don't want to risk Vajramon moving his camp."

"You're going to kill yourself before Vajramon gets the chance," Ruki blocked him again. "You're not going tonight."

"Jenrya..." Gargomon trailed off.

The half-Chinese Tamer nodded. "Okay. We'll need a plan of attack if we're going to get the jump on them, right? We'll have to get it all ironed out before then."

It was pretty obvious to Ruki that he wasn't willing to do the simple thing and take a nap. He pushed past her, Gargomon following, leaving her alone with Ryo. Ryo just met her eyes and shook his head. For a second, despite him being little more than a stranger, she felt like she understood where he was coming from sometimes. Dealing with Jenrya when he made up his mind about something for a change could get pretty frustrating.

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Ryo wrapped his jacket tightly around him, careful to not jostle his healing fingers. Of course he wasn't exactly invited to the whole Tamers battle plan session these days, but he could live with that and with "guard duty". It was basically just standing around outside the "bunker" and making sure it was safe outside. He wasn't so sure he liked this new, improved Jenrya; the Jenrya who trailed after Vajramon with a single-minded focus, who planned to take back Black Growlmon but had no real plans for what to do once they got that bloodthirsty murderer in their hands. Sure, he liked that he was going after a target instead of waffling about Takato nonstop. Problem was, the whole I'm-the-leader deal didn't exactly work when your end game ended with a bunch of question marks. But that was what Ryo was for. He might not be friends with the other kid, but he could hold his own, he knew what these Digimon were capable of and how to survive. Sooner or later, Jenrya would have to come around. Face the facts. See that rescuing Black Growlmon didn't mean he'd suddenly turn into a cuddly, goofy little red Rookie again.

It was late evening when someone joined him. Ryo heard footsteps from the tunnel behind him and he turned around. His mouth thinned into a line. Alice. It would've been easy to sneak up on him, moving like a ghost as she usually did, but instead she made enough noise to give him a warning. Ryo wasn't sure if he was relieved or suspicious. He was instantly on his guard though.

"They done?" he asked, turning back to keep watch of the outside, but flicking a sidelong glance to track her. The blond girl sat down daintily next to him on a piece of rubble.

"Yes. But you're not going with them."

Ryo turned, glaring at her. "Why not?"

"You're coming with me."

"I thought you couldn't stand being around me."

Alice's smile was cool. "This has nothing to do with liking you."

"Why would I go with you?"

Dobermon came padding out of the darkness. His eyes were unreadable, but Ryo noted how his fangs were at just the right height to be level with his head. It wasn't a "why", but more like a "when" – he was going whether he wanted to or not. Ryo weighed his options, black eyes flicking from Dobermon to his Tamer. Things weren't adding up here. Knew that from day one. But it was much, much worse now. And why did Alice know about another Ryo, who'd done things he hadn't? The right thing in his mind was to turn around, tell Alice to shove it (Dobermon too), and go with Jenrya. Why were they even dividing up the group? It was so mind-boggling stupid even a kid could see through it – okay, so everyone here was a kid, but seriously. They were facing a rogue Champion and an Ultimate. They weren't exactly great odds even with every available Digimon here digivolved. Ryo ran a hand through his hair, frowning. He honestly sized up how fast he could move and already knew that if he tried anything, Dobermon could run him down without even breaking a sweat. He had a feeling Jenrya and Ruki didn't know about this little visit either.

"Okay, I'll go," he said grudgingly. "But only if you tell me why first."

Alice paused, debating if she should give who, in her mind, was possibly a spy or a traitor, any information at all. She seemed to decide on giving him some, her doll's face expressionless. "Because of the others. They're coming."

Ryo had no idea what that meant. Others as in allies or more "friends" as in the current group trying to kill them?

"What about Jenrya and Ruki?"

"They're not planning to attack immediately. But what they do between then and now isn't any of your business." Alice stood and turned to Doberman, lying a hand on the side of his snout and petting it. It was the most affectionate he'd ever seen the girl. "Let's go. Renamon will take over watch."

Ryo shot a look back toward the tunnel, but Dobermon not-so-subtly blocked him with his body, his chest rumbling with a growl. Alice easily swung onto her partner.

"You can either ride with me or Dobermon picks you up with his fangs."

He couldn't believe he was getting shanghaied. Okay, so he was the only kid here without a Digimon, but that didn't mean he could get dragged around like he didn't know what he was doing. Unlike Alice, he'd actually been to the Digital World, he'd seen how brutal it was up close. He knew how far they need to go, how they'd have to fight these battles from now on: you didn't just fight for fun, for power. You fought to kill. You fought to win. But – and he hated to have to admit this – you couldn't fight to win if you didn't know all the facts. He needed to know who these others were. And why Alice knew about them and no one else seemed to. He ignored the hand Alice held out to help him up Dobermon, clambering up the Digimon easily despite his messed up hand. Ryo settled in for the ride, holding on tight as the Champion took off like a shot. Ryo found himself automatically adjusting for the way Dobermon moved, shifting his weight without even thinking about it, keeping an eye for any landmarks as they drew further and further away from the Tamer's tunnel/bunker. Buildings, some intact, some ruined, others just nothing more than rubble, flashed by.

It was after an hour that Ryo raised his voice, shouting over the wind.

"So how do you know about these others? What's the big secret? If you've got important info, you need to share it with Jenrya and Ruki!"

Alice didn't turn around. He almost thought she wasn't going to answer. "We weren't sure they would make it. One successfully bio-emerged beyond Tokyo and made it through the barrier. The other is on her way."

"You sound sure now."

"Ruki and Jenrya will know soon enough. But they're not our concern right now. You are."

Ryo was getting tired of being treated like he was less than human. Sure, he wasn't exactly the nicest of guys to people. Okay, whatever. Could deal with people thinking he was a jerk. But if there was anything he wasn't, it was a traitor. He sure as hell wasn't some spy for the Council, like Alice seemed to think he was. But the way that Alice spoke, it sounded somehow final. There was the possibility she was going to off him, but this seemed to be taking him pretty far just to do that. Ryo chewed on this, shifting his weight to the side as Dobermon made a skidding turn around a corner, claws scrabbling at the broken pavement, the scenery still little more than a big blur, the wind rushing in his face.

"So what happens?"

Alice did look around now, blue eyes fixed on his. "She will judge you."

Yeah, that sounded pretty final to him. Obviously whatever this judgment was, Alice didn't think he was going to pass. It explained why she was turning almost chatty, for her. Ryo didn't know if he was going to be alive at the end of the night, but the least he could do was pry some answers out of her while she was in a talkative mood.

"How did you know about these Digimon?"

"My grandfather was an ally. Not all Digimon have sided with the Council. Resistance is usually quickly crushed, so if they can offer us help, it's only very little – they have their own problems in the Digital World to deal with. Back when Ryo," it was obvious she didn't mean him now, "was still alive, one of the few safe havens was the Northern Archives. They're still allies."

Ryo snorted. "You mean they sent a librarian?"

"As well as the leader of the Archives."

"Great. Two librarians."

Dobermon finally spoke up, his voice rumbling; Ryo could feel it through all the muscle and fur, like a car engine. "Be glad we have any help at all. At least they can fight."

That shut Ryo up. It was actually one of the sore spots for him, something he hated to admit to himself and he definitely wasn't going to go broadcasting that doubt to the others. For being a Digimon of few words, Dobermon knew exactly where to stick in the knife and twist. Ryo was quiet for a few more minutes. He used to tell himself he didn't care what these Tamers did, that everyone was screwed. But somehow he'd been pulled in, somehow he started wanting to live to see this through, and now out of nowhere he was going to get judged. Whatever that meant. He'd always known he was going to die and that it'd probably be bloody, but like this? This was a new one. Couldn't say he saw it coming.

Suddenly Ryo thought of something. Tamayo! In the chaos from the earthquake, he hadn't been able to get to her. She might just be his legal guardian, but she didn't deserve to get stuck in a hospital that might be rubble or overrun with survivors trying to find food or shelter.

"Okay, so I'm going to be judged. But whatever happens, could you two do something for me? Swear it's not a trick."

Alice and Dobermon didn't say anything at first, although he could swear somehow they were communicating. There weren't that many telepathic Digimon – he knew for sure Dobermon's kind wasn't one of them - but it wasn't unheard of for a bonded human/Digimon pairing to be able to just think so closely that they didn't need words to get to the same conclusion.

Alice's blond pigtails whipped in the wind as the ruined streets passed under them. Finally she spoke up. "Within limits."

"There's this woman. Her name's Tamayo, she's got green hair and a broken leg. Last I saw her, she was in this hospital," Ryo rattled off the address. "That was before the earthquake. Could you check up on her? If…" he trailed off. He didn't know why he was even dancing around this, it wasn't like him, "if she's not dead, try to get her out of Tokyo and somewhere safe."

"…Fine. We'll see to it."

Ryo didn't relax, but he felt a little better. He told himself Tamayo wasn't any more special than the strangers he used to pass on the street, but it was his fault she'd been hurt like that. Ryo fell silent, just settling on moving with the flow of Dobermon's body and watching her Tamer up front. Whatever was going to happen to him today, he knew in the back of his mind that there wouldn't be any turning back.

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You could barely see the barrier, even up close. The air where it was seemed to shimmer, a ripple of blue light sometimes flowing from the sky, but other than that, if you didn't know where to look, it was pretty hard to see it with a quick glance. Ryo could definitely feel it though; it felt like a digital field. Sort've. All he knew was he kept wanting to instinctively lean away, the hair on the back of his neck and his arms rising as if the air was filled with static. Dobermon veered course, taking a series of side alleys until they suddenly burst out into a parking lot of a supermarket. There were a few cars still there, a pickup on its side, the glass of its windshield shattered. The supermarket's windows were broken as well, the insides dark and silent; it'd been looted, apparently, judging from some of the cans and packages of spoiled meat he could see littering the asphalt.

Dobermon slowed to a halt, his black nose sniffing the air and testing it before padding forward. As they approached, a large shadow stepped from inside the supermarket, ducking his head and squeezing his large frame through the front entrance with some difficulty. The Leomon looked big, compared to a human, but Ryo knew it was a small one of its kind. Small or not, there was no kidding the way he laid his clawed hand on the hilt of his sword, almost casually. This librarian knew how to use it.

"Just in time," Leomon said. He bowed deeply, and then held out his claw to the side. "There were some…changes, when I bio-emerged."

It was then that Ryo saw a human girl step out from behind Leomon. He started a little when he realized he knew her. Juri Katou. The girl in Jenrya's class.

The one who was supposed to be nice and far from Tokyo.

Obviously things hadn't gone as planned.

Juri waved shyly at him as she came to stand next to Leomon. Alice slid down from her perch on Dobermon, not even turning to check if Ryo did the same. She strode forward, dwarfed by Leomon.

"You have a Tamer," she said and she almost sounded surprised.

Leomon's smile revealed his fangs. "In a manner of speaking. I encountered her outside of this human city, being hunted by Golems."

Golems. Ryo pursed his lips as he got off of Dobermon, the shock of hitting the pavement traveling up his legs. Last he remembered, she was supposed to be out camping with her family. What was Juri doing here? Had her family been attacked by Golems, and not been so lucky to run into a friendly Digimon?

"What about her family?" he asked.

Alice shot him a look but Leomon looked…amused? He put a gentle hand around his Tamer's shoulder, his huge claws almost enveloping her. Juri beamed up at him, her face lighting up in a way that made Ryo feel that old jealous ache settle in his stomach and chest, almost like he was getting sick. He didn't look away, determined to face this and just accept that whatever they and the rest of the Tamers had between them? It was over for him. Leomon cleared his throat, a deep purr in his chest that bordered on a growl.

"I still had my mission here. Juri wanted to come with. So I had to reveal myself to the family."

Oh jeez. Ryo couldn't imagine how that went; he'd been there in person to see just how well it went with the Matsudas. They'd been torn up over Takato's disappearance, but that didn't stop them from panicking when they suddenly saw Gargomon pop up – then again, the fact he had two guns for arms wasn't real welcoming either – and they'd had to bust their way through a pretty pathetic, makeshift barricade in the Matsuda's bakery just to talk to them face to face. They'd then had assure them that no, Gargomon wasn't going to kill them and was, in fact, a good guy.

Juri took over for her partner, her hand unconsciously reaching up to touch Leomon's. Just watching them, Ryo could tell Juri had changed; she seemed to be more mature, more aware of what was really out there. Something happened out there when she met Leomon. In the very brief time he'd known the girl, Ryo had gotten the impression she was in her own little world. Nice, he guessed, but a little ditzy. There was no sign of that goofy puppet of hers.

"They got kinda scared. I guess they weren't ready for a big walking, talking lion," Juri laughed a little. "Don't think I was either, but it's not like we had a choice. I wasn't going to let Leomon go on alone. He told my parents they couldn't get back to Tokyo and that the safest thing to do was take Calumon and head farther away."

Ryo was incredulous. "They didn't stop you?"

Juri's laugh was on the nervous side this time. "They wanted to. But I want to do my part in protecting them, even if it means being away for awhile. I want to fight with you guys," she added, stronger now. "I know I can help out."

Alice, standing there listening to the conversation had reacted to this with her typical reaction to just about everything else: a face as expressionless as a doll.

"I'm sure Jenrya and Ruki will appreciate you coming back, Juri. Leomon?"

Leomon motioned for them to join him, heading back to the dark confines of the supermarket. Obviously whatever he was going to tell them, he didn't want to tell them standing out in the open. Once the group was inside, stepping over the remains of the looting, Leomon turned to face Alice. In the dim light from outside, Ryo could see his expression was grave.

"It's not good. They've been amassing forces before I left. There was also talk at the Archives that some of the Devas were on the move, heading south. There was also a solid sighting of a Sovereign One, also heading south."

Juri looked like she was a bit lost following all this. "Sovereign One?"

"They're essentially gods of the Digital World," Leomon said patiently. "In the past, they shaped the world but they withdrew ages ago into seclusion. I believed the five Holy Beasts were biding their time, waiting to see how all of this would turn out. At least, until before I left. Alice, that's why she is coming now. We identified the Sovereign: Zhuqiaomon."

Ryo grit his teeth. It sounded a lot like one of the Sovereign Ones had begun picking sides, just like Vajramon said when he took Black Growlmon. Who knew where the other Sovereigns stood? They were the most powerful of all the Digimon; if they thought fighting an Ultimate was going to be hard, trying to face one of the gods was going to be pretty much impossible, unless all the Digimon here somehow digivolved to Mega overnight. Then they might just have a tiny chance. Nevermind the Devas. Each Sovereign had their own select group of warriors (not that they needed it, talk about overkill), but a Sovereign accompanied by his own personal guard? It spelled bad news and that was putting it lightly. It sounded like they meant to end this for good. The Council was bad enough, but that was before, when the Holy Beasts had been happy to just sit around doing whatever it was gods did in their free time and left everyone else to their own devices.

"We haven't seen the others," Leomon went on. "The Royal Knights sent out dispatches to the remaining four, but they don't expect to make successful contact."

Alice was unfazed. "We don't have much time.'

"No."

"There's also another matter…" Dobermon changed the subject, turning his eyes on Ryo. Ryo didn't look away. He knew what this was about, although Juri was still glancing around as if waiting for the real explanation to come any time soon. Leomon also gazed at him, his eyes gleaming despite the poor lighting; the librarian didn't look at him like Alice and Dobermon did. He just gazed at him quietly, without passing judgment, just taking him in.

"Yes," he said finally. "I was told a little about you. Quite an interesting problem we have with you."

Juri frowned. "What problem? What's going on?"

"It's personal," Ryo said automatically.

Leomon gave him that, dipping his snout solemnly. "She will be here soon. She'll see to you."

Ryo still didn't know who this was. Traveling in the Digital World, he hadn't exactly been able to go sightseeing; he'd spent a lot of it trying to pass himself off as anything but human, especially when humans were still hunted years after the Purge. Alice said the Archives were safe, even for humans, but it wasn't something he'd experienced personally. He hadn't ever been there. He had no idea who was the head of the Archives. Seeing his look and realizing he didn't know who this "she" was, Leomon actually smiled; it somehow looked noble, despite being filled with fangs the length of his fingers.

"Don't be afraid, young one. The Knight of Thorns will see the truth, as she always does."

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Jenrya kept going over the battle plan, but he'd gone over it at least ten times by now.

He knew it by heart. He wanted to be out there now, getting Black Growlmon back. But they had to wait and so he waited, pacing his little patch of the tunnel, Terriermon watching him from the floor.

"Nervous?" the Rookie asked.

Jenrya thought about it. There was a part of him that was scared to death, remembered what it'd felt like just being near Vajramon. "I'd say no, but you know I'd be lying."

"Me too. But I think we can do this, if we give it all we got."

Ruki's voice was dry from behind them. "I don't think just trying really hard and giving it our best is going make us win."

Jenrya sighed. He knew Ruki hadn't exactly been behind this; she'd made it pretty clear what she thought, actually, when they got back with the Matsudas in tow and she pulled him aside. She hadn't yelled at him. In fact, she hadn't even got sarcastic at him, like he expected. Instead, she'd been calm, trying to tell him he should focus on getting the Matsudas to safety, waiting until they could track Black Growlmon and get to him when Vajramon wasn't around – they'd have a better chance of taking him if there wasn't an Ultimate in the mix. But she was in this still, which was what mattered to Jenrya. He didn't like people coming to him, expecting answers, acting like he was the final say in this, especially people like Ruki. But they had to get organized, right? Ryo had been pretty insistent about that.

Where was he, anyway?

"I brought you this," said Ruki. She held out a bottle of water, as well as a small cup so Terriermon could have some too. "I think we need a supply run soon, since we don't know how long we'll be here."

Jenrya poured some water for his partner before taking a sip from the bottle himself. "I know."

"What about the Matsudas?"

"I don't know yet. This was the safest place I could think of."

Ruki frowned, but instead of getting on his case, she switched tactics. "Do you know where Alice took off to? She's been constantly running off with her partner and disappearing on us."

"You're the one who spends the most time with her."

"I'm not her Mom," Ruki said waspishly. "But she's been going somewhere. She didn't tell us everything. And I could've sworn I've heard her talking with someone when everyone was asleep."

"Dobermon?"

Ruki shook her head. "No, he was asleep. She was talking into her D-Arc."

Jenrya felt tired. Sometimes he felt like there was this heavy weight on him, pressing down, smothering him. Some days he couldn't keep track of what everyone was doing – it seemed like everyone had their own agenda. Ryo, sure, that was a given. Ryo wanted to take this all the way to the death before they all got killed. He was dead set on deleting Black Growlmon. And Alice? He had no idea what she was up to.

"I don't know where she went," Terriermon said, "but I think Ryo went with her. Last I checked, Renamon was pulling guard duty for him. Real reliable guy."

Jenrya took another swig of water, resisting the urge to close his eyes. He couldn't keep dwelling on stuff he couldn't have any effect on, like finding out where these people were disappearing to. He could deal with Ryo, argue with him or whatever, when they got back. He looked up and caught Ruki watching him. She thought he couldn't deal with this. Maybe he couldn't, but he was going to try until someone better stepped up.

"Okay. We can't do anything without everyone here," they needed Alice and Dobermon to fight, and while he wasn't too happy to admit this, he did need Ryo. The other boy knew way more about card slashing than he ever would. They would have to play to win, like Ryo kept saying, and whatever Digimon was guarding Black Growlmon? It wouldn't just be a slap on the wrist – they were aiming for full deletion this time. "Let's just rest, make sure everyone's holding up."

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Being in the middle of a digital field as a Digimon bio-emerged was never fun.

The pressure increased in his head, throbbing like a pulse, like a heartbeat thundering in his skull and his bones. Ryo stood his ground, sandwiched between Leomon and Dobermon: Leomon didn't seem to have any problems with him, but Ryo knew when he was being boxed in and herded, no matter how nice one of his guards might be about it.

The digital field expanded, white fog suddenly exploding outward from the parking lot, thick mist spraying out in a mushroom cloud and covering the cars, the cracked asphalt. His eyes were tearing up now thanks to the field, but he saw he wasn't the only one – on the other side of Leomon, he could see Juri reaching up, wincing, and rubbing at her eyes. He also saw Leomon turn to her, say something with a smile, and the girl lowered her hands, blinking away the tears starting to stream down her cheeks. Ryo faced forward just as the sheer presence of the Knight of Thorns hit him like a physical push. It was almost like being back near Vajramon: his feet felt rooted to the spot, just like last time, but this was different, too, because he could somehow feel her as she walked toward them through the dense fog, an impossibly heavy invisible weight pushing aside the very air to come toward them.

When she finally materialized, Ryo couldn't look away.

The Knight of Thorns was a Rosemon, standing almost as tall as Leomon, but deceptively slight compared to him. Her armor was light and made for easy traveling, the platinum breastplate, shoulder plates, and greaves lined with a delicate shade of red interwoven with green. Her cloak was flung regally over one shoulder as she strode purposefully toward them, one hand on her hip, casually waving away the digital field. The fog fled before her until the parking lot was clear again. The Knight's only visible weapon, a vine whip lined with deadly thorns, remained where it was, curled neatly into a loop and hanging from a strap off her studded belt. Ryo froze and not just because he was in the presence of someone who embodied power. There were very few Rosemon in the Digital World, only one who was a Royal Knight.

A survivor of the Purge.

Was this a trap?

Didn't Alice know who Rosemon really was?

Rosemon turned her face toward him then. The Mega's eyes weren't visible, covered by a crown of petals but he knew that didn't mean anything. She could see him just fine. Her ruby-red lips curved up into a smile but she said nothing. Ryo was distantly aware of Leomon kneeling before the Knight, Alice and Dobermon doing the same. He and Juri were the only ones standing and even that didn't last long: Juri sank down into an awkward kneel herself, deciding it was best to copy her partner even if she didn't understand just how important Rosemon really was. Ryo remained standing. He wouldn't ever willingly kneel before a Digimon, not even a Royal Knight herself, much less one who played hand-dog to the Council. What was bugging him was why wasn't she going off the walls to attack them? They were even lined up, making them easier to kill. As if sensing his thoughts, Rosemon's smile widened, but the next moment she turned away from him, holding out a hand that was as perfect and flawless as her armor.

"You may rise."

Everyone got to their feet. Leomon stepped forward, bowing even more deeply than he had to Alice and Dobermon, clapping a fist to his chest.

"My lord."

Rosemon dipped her head in acknowledgment, tapping her armored fist to her breastplate like her servant. "I would that our meeting would be with good news, but it isn't to be."

"I do have some good news," Leomon said, glancing down at Juri. He didn't say anything, but Ryo got the impression this was a test. Was she going to judge her like he was supposed to be judged?

The Royal Knight peered down at Juri for only a few seconds. "Juri Katou has a lion's heart and courage, though she might not think it. Also," and Rosemon's smile turned a tiny bit mischievous. "she thinks you're the most handsome creature she's ever met. She's not wrong."

Leomon couldn't blush like a human, but he was doing a good job trying. Rosemon ignored Ryo, facing Alice and Dobermon in turn. Her expression turned grave.

"I'm sorry about the accident with your father," she said. "But even now, he looks out for you. He's not lost."

Then she turned to Ryo. And crooked a finger, beckoning him to her.

"Come. It's time to judge, young one."

Ryo braced himself, shoulders stiff, and then walked after her. Despite being clad in armor that probably weighed as much as he did, she simply seemed to glide along the ruined streets, stepping over the rubble gracefully with her polished boots. Ryo had to take two steps to every one of hers to keep up, but she wasn't moving as fast as he knew one of her kind could. She was actually taking it slow, as if she was being considerate. Ryo didn't know what game she was playing, but he knew her story, like all the others. She'd had a human as a partner once, supposedly a girl. She'd been obviously hunted down and killed in the Purge, her Palmon the lone survivor, rounded up and collected by the Council for "rehabilitation". He was amazed she'd worked her way to being a Knight, though. Maybe she'd worked extra hard to be that kind of material, tried her best to forget her partner, and just soak up the Council's brainwashing. Ryo had no idea how she could judge him. Maybe she was just telepathic, but honestly he didn't care if she was. So what if she was reading his thoughts? He couldn't stop her and if she wanted to wipe him off the map, she didn't even have to lift a finger to kill him.

Killing him would be less than easy; he was only human, after all.

They were quite a ways from the others, too far for any of them to hear or see. Rosemon stopped then, turning her face toward him. Ryo could feel her looking at him. Not saying anything, just looking. But instead of getting to the point, she just tilted her head.

"So. You are the boy Alice McCoy has been warning me about. The boy who isn't." The Royal Knight studied him more, curiously. "I know what you're thinking, but I can't read minds. I only see the truth of things, what someone is concealing, but I'm not omniscient. Young one, you seem to know who I am. Perhaps you're wondering what I'm doing here, why I'm not killing all of you."

Ryo looked up at her. "It crossed my mind."

It was hard to read Rosemon's face when the top half was concealed, but he got an impression of a deep, still fresh sadness. "My partner's name was Mimi. Mimi Tachikawa. She was about your age when they found us. I saw her die and then they took me, they told me things for many years, they said she was a disease and I was to be purified. It went on forever, the stories, the lies. They didn't even let me keep her crest. But in the dark, listening to those whispers saying my Mimi was evil, I closed myself. It was there I taught myself to see without using my eyes – I wanted to remember Mimi for who she really was, not who the Council said she was. I did what the Council wanted, like so many of the others, but I never forgot who Mimi Tachikawa was. Eventually they began to turn some of us loose, those with the most promise for recovery first. I did many things I'm not proud of, carried out their evil work. But my loyalties never changed."

"So you worked up the ranks to become a Royal Knight."

"Yes. I felt I could get more access to information if I became one, and try to stop the Council's influence from the inside. So no, I don't believe I will be attacking any of you very soon; I see what these new Tamers have and it pleases me to see these partnerships blooming."

Rosemon motioned for him to walk with her. The Royal Knight moved slower than before as if they were just out for an evening stroll, her armored hands clasped crisply behind her back.

"As for you, Ryo Akiyama. I have seen the truth about you. I saw it when I first laid eyes on you, but even then I wasn't sure if I saw correctly. But I'm sure you want to get to the most important part, which is this: you aren't a danger to these Tamers. You will live."

Ryo deflated a little, although he sensed she wasn't done by any means.

"But I also saw truths about you that you might not even know. Or remember," she added, as an afterthought. "You're no danger to these Tamers, I see you want to fight to save this world, though you didn't save others. But you are a traitor. At one point, a choice was laid before you and you took advantage of circumstances. You are someone else. You are both Ryo and not him."

Ryo had no idea what she was talking about. He hadn't betrayed anyone – in fact, he'd been the one who'd been attacked and left for dead, until Tamayo found him that day. But he kept his mouth shut and listened.

The Knight of Thorns stopped walking, turning her face toward him again.

"Sooner or later, he will find you and he will hunt you down. This isn't a Purge but personal. You know this but you haven't told anyone." Rather than waiting for a response, Rosemon kept talking, her voice steady. "This darkness following you, it's like nothing I've ever seen in this world and to be honest, it frightens me. This darkness is even as strong as the Sovereigns. Perhaps stronger. He is only a shadow of himself right now, but there is the potential to become what he was before. But this truth about you, I see that right now he doesn't want to conquer either World. He only wants what's his," the Knight of Thorns was silent and then said, "I'm sure you noticed there are some different things about you; you survived things you shouldn't have, you heal faster than the typical human, you have strange dreams. Within time, you will remember it, despite trying to keep it repressed. Perhaps when he is close, you will know."

Rosemon fell silent. She was thoughtful.

"I can tell you the truth I see, the full truth, if you would like. You may not believe me, but sooner or later, everything will come back because your powers are fading the longer you live in the Real World. It will be harder and harder to maintain this web of yours, even if you don't remember weaving it."

"Powers? Are you saying I'm a Digimon or something?"

"No. If only you were so lucky."

Ryo bit his lip. He still didn't know what she was talking about, but in the back of his mind, there was a voice saying he needed to know, that there were just too many things that didn't make sense. He was tired of running. He was tired of looking over his shoulder, waiting for that certain death. He was tired waiting for a partner who wasn't his anymore.

"Tell me."

The Knight of Thorns knelt down, still taller than him, and bent her beautiful face toward Ryo, reaching up to cup his cheek in one armored hand. Her voice was just a breath, quieter than a whisper, but he heard her clear as a bell.

She told him everything.

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Jenrya was taking a nap when the other came back. Or, rather, when Renamon sent up the alarm.

He woke up to a weight suddenly dropping on him out of nowhere, knocking the air out of him as Terriermon did his best tackle.

"Jenrya, wake up!"

The Tamer jerked awake and almost brained himself on a low-hanging pipe. Rubbing at the growing bruise, he shot a look at his partner. "What was that for?"

Terriermon's words came out in a rush, the bunny-Digimon bouncing impatiently.

"Something's coming. Something big! Renamon's at the entrance waiting for us, your dad's moving everyone deeper into the tunnels. Can't you feel it?"

Jenrya paused. Now that he thought about it, he did feel something, like that heavy feeling you got when it was about to rain, as well as a pressure in his head. Bruise forgotten, Jenrya gathered up his D-Arc and cards with his good hand, and bolted down the tunnel after his partner, the red emergency lights lining the ceiling flashing by. His shoes pounded on pavement as he tried to furiously think. Was this an attack? Had Vajramon found them? Was it that unseen enemy from before, that attacked with all those cables?

Renamon was waiting for them at the tunnel entrance – or, rather, Kyuubimon was, her hackles raised as Ruki stood by with a full set of cards ready. Kyuubimon spoke through bared fangs, gazing intently at the darkness of the night outside. It was raining again, the water coming down in sheets.

"It's a group. But there's someone extremely powerful with them. Ruki, she's as strong as Zudomon. Stronger!"

Oh. Oh no. Jenrya sucked in a breath. Whatever Digimon was coming, it was a Mega.

He already had a card selected, though he knew even as Gargomon, there was no way they could take on a Mega, no matter how well they planned against this new opponent. There was just too big a difference between their power levels. He was about to slash the card anyway when he thought he saw a shape coming at them through the darkness and the rain. It looked vaguely familiar. In fact, it was familiar, he saw, Dobermon and Alice materializing from the rain, the Digimon loping toward them. Ruki stood a little taller, like she was two seconds away from demanding to know where Alice had run off this time. But whatever she was about to say, it died when she saw what was following the two.

They came out of the rain in a group. First Ryo, followed by…Juri? Jenrya stared. What was she doing here? And then he noticed the hulking shadow behind the girl and his jaw dropped. There was another Digimon, a (he had to frantically remember his cards), a Leomon. Was she his Tamer? Since when? What was she even doing here, she was supposed to be out of Tokyo, wasn't sh –

Jenrya suddenly forgot whatever it was he'd been thinking as he felt the full weight of a Mega Digimon hit him with all its force. The Digimon wasn't huge, like Zudomon was, but she had this presence. The rain didn't even touch her, the water rising up in curls of hissing steam off her armor and cloak. The Rosemon came right at them and while he couldn't see her eyes, he still felt like she was looking at each of them in turn, sizing them up, dissecting them somehow. She didn't even have to say anything, the Mega simply stepping forward through plumes of steam. Automatically the small group parted to give her space, Ryo looking down as she passed.

Rosemon came to a stop before them.

"We have come to help you in your battle," she said. "You won't fight this alone."

He didn't know if it was because of her sheer, almost overwhelming presence, but Jenrya was finding it hard to think. He just stood there, frozen to the spot, feeling like all his nerves had gone cold, and watched as she looked at Kyuubimon and Ruki. And then, to his surprise, Rosemon bowed.

"Ruki Makino and Kyuubimon. I have heard of the strength of your partnership. It will be an honor to fight alongside you."

She turned to Jenrya and he got the full force of her attention. He forgot to breathe.

"Jenrya Lee and Terriermon. I know these are hard times and that change is upon us. Stand firm and know that while there are not many, there are still others out there waiting to make their move when the time is right. We will help shoulder your burden."

She bowed. She straightened and while her sense of sheer presence never changed, she did seem to relax slightly. Jenrya breathed again.

"Unfortunately, because I was bio-emerging, I am short on the immediate details of the last few days, aside from knowing a companion of yours was captured by Vajramon. My research aide," she gestured to Leomon, standing by, "and I would like to do what we can to help you. We will need to be brought up to speed."

Jenrya remembered suddenly that he had a voice. Thankfully, it didn't crack or squeak, and was surprisingly level and calm. "This way," he said, and led them deeper into the tunnel. It wasn't a tight squeeze, like he dreaded; Growlmon so long ago had been able to fit and Leomon and Rosemon had no problems entering. The Mega's heels clicked as she walked, her head tilting this way and that as she took in their surroundings, not like she was seeing it for the first time but like she'd come home.

Ruki speed-walked to catch up to him, lowering her voice. She sounded awed and uncharacteristically subdued.

"Jenrya, this changes everything."

"I know."

"You're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you? You don't sound like you're exactly jumping for joy here."

Jenrya shot her a tired frown. "I'm trying to think ahead. If Rosemon and Leomon want to join the fight, it means we don't just have a slim chance of winning, we have a really good chance of winning if we attack Vajramon's camp. But I don't know yet what we do when we get Black Growlmon. Kinda doubt he'll want to talk."

"No, I'm pretty sure he'll try to kill you."

"That's comforting," Terriermon chimed up for his perch on his Tamer's shoulder.

"I'll ask Rosemon and Leomon what they think we should do. For all we know, they might know something about this," Jenrya said.

Ruki didn't say anything, but she looked almost, but not quite happy at what he said. Jenrya wasn't sure why. The tunnel branched off to a side tunnel; Jenrya steered them toward that, deciding they should wait on the introductions to his family, the Matsudas, the Makinos and Reika later. A few more minutes of walking and then the side tunnel opened up, widening out into a large room that might've been used to store machinery once. Pipes and cables ran along the wall. Jenrya watched as Rosemon stalked ahead, her face turning as if studying something, staring right at the cables.

"You have a spy here."

Jenrya didn't have time to ask what she meant. The Mega moved to the center of the room and suddenly that thorned whip was in her hand, looking less like a decoration and more like a deadly weapon. She flicked it almost lazily, crack-crack-crack, too fast to see, and suddenly several of the cables were in pieces on the floor. They actually writhed for a few seconds before shuddering to a stop. Rosemon looked around again but seemed satisfied, coiling up her weapon and hanging it back on her belt again.

Ruki and Jenrya exchanged questioning looks.

"I see the truth of things being concealed, Tamers. This spy sought to hide it was here, but it didn't hide what it was – I don't know what the truth is if it's not being hidden from me," she said, like they were talking about what nice weather they were having. And then, she sat down on the floor crosslegged and waited.

Jenrya closed his mouth, sitting down hurriedly. The others joined him: Dobermon and Alice sitting off to the side – noticeably far away from Ryo, who'd chosen to sit behind Jenrya's shoulder – Kyuubimon and Ruki to Rosemon's left, Leomon and Juri to the Mega's right. Jenrya went ahead with the briefing, trying to ignore the fact that all eyes were on him, and launched into it, trying to keep it from being too long. Rosemon sat with her back ramrod straight, giving him her full attention which he actually wished she wouldn't – he kept feeling his human instinct to a Mega being so close was to just freeze his breathing and heartbeat. It was hard to focus on what he was supposed to be doing.

When he was done, Rosemon nodded once to herself.

"Ah."

She fell silent, thinking it over.

"So this companion of yours, Guilmon, was corrupted somehow. And you believe something happened to his Tamer to do this."

"That's the only thing we can think of."

"I will judge him when we bring him in, but I can't guarantee results. If he hides nothing in his heart because there is only room for hate and bloodlust, I can read nothing. Then he must tell us himself in his own words, of his own free will. However, this camp you've scouted out, where you last spotted the Founder Vajramon and his cohorts? It's not going to be there tomorrow."

Jenrya knew they should've attacked today! "What do you mean?"

"They would have felt me bio-emerge. I would only have come to the Real World for one reason; Vajramon isn't stupid, he knows if I'm here, it means I betrayed the Council. They might not know exactly where I am, but they will move Black Growlmon to a safer location as a precaution, closer to stronger Digimon. I may be a Mega, but even I can be overwhelmed given the odds. They will bank on that and pull in whatever Champions and Ultimates they have stationed in Tokyo to try keeping me out."

"Odaiba," Ruki said. Everyone looked at her. "There's an Ultimate there. Zudomon."

Rosemon's tone was regretful. It seemed almost as if she spoke from personal experience. "It will be a difficult fight then. Zudomon isn't easily swayed, and with Vajramon there, he may lean toward that loyalty and not to me. Can any of you digivolve yet to Ultimate?"

Kyuubimon and Terriermon shook their heads.

"Despite having all the knowledge of the Archives, I can't teach you how to digivolve to Ultimate in the Real World. It's something that must be learned, when the bond of Tamer and human becomes even stronger," Rosemon said. She rested her armored hands on her knees, "But our time is limited. What do you think we should do?" she suddenly looked toward Jenrya.

Jenrya had no idea why she was looking at him. She was a Mega, she seemed to know more about what was going on here than he did. But – and he wasn't sure if he was relieved or horrified – she saw him as the leader and she wanted to know what he planned to do now, since things would have changed. Their last scouting mission meant almost nothing if Black Growlmon was being moved overnight. But the words just came to him, almost like someone else was saying them.

"Alice, Dobermon? We'll need to know what they're doing in Odaiba now."

Alice nodded, got up, and left with her partner. Jenrya thought hard about what they should do.

"Leomon? You're a research aide, right? Is there anything you can tell us about the Council or the Digital World that can help us?"

Leomon sat close to Juri, so close their knees were touching. The girl was dwarfed completely by him but looked like she wanted to be nowhere else but here.

"The information I have may not help, except to widen your perspective on the situation back home and help you understand just how serious this Council is," Leomon rumbled. "The Council is growing increasingly restless. The pressure to initiate the takeover and invasion of the Real World increases each day; there's unrest and panic from the rest of the Digimon because a virus we've never seen before has emerged a few months ago. It's been dubbed the 'X' virus, running rampant like one of your human plagues. As I have told Ryo Akiyama and Alice McCoy, one of the Sovereign Ones and his personal Devas are on the move. It's possible they will attempt to bio-emerge."

Jenrya had no idea what a Sovereign was, but it sounded powerful. Judging from the look on Juri and Ruki's faces, they weren't much better off. This was a lot to take in for all of them.

Leomon continued. "There's also a rumor that the 'X' virus was introduced by humans. But right now we have no way to trace it, although the Archives are looking into it. Were looking into it," he corrected himself. "Those at the Archives have remained loyal to humans, but they won't be able to help you. My lord," he motioned with a deferential claw to Rosemon, "has ordered them to evacuate. She believes come tomorrow, when we battle in Odaiba, that the Archives will be raided by the Council because news of her betrayal will reach the Digital World by tomorrow night, at the latest. The rest of us will be forced into hiding and will be spread out. This will, however, distract some of the Council forces. It's possible some of the other loyal Digimon out there might choose to bio-emerge and help the cause of the Tamers if they feel the Council has its attention elsewhere."

"As you know, bio-emerging is dangerous. Very risky," said Rosemon. "It's also possible some of those seeking to come through won't make it or will be deleted in the attempt. My advice is to assume for now that we are on our own against the Council here in Tokyo. If we have reinforcements, then so much the better, but it wouldn't be wise to bank on it."

"We'll just have to focus on Odaiba and Black Growlmon," Jenrya said, frowning. "For now, at least."

Rosemon had one more thing to say, though it felt like the briefing was wrapping up. "It's been awhile since I've been in the Real World, but I remember where Odaiba is. Where is Zudomon located?"

Ruki pursed her lips. "The harbor. At least, last time I was there, so was he."

"Then he'll probably still be there – he prefers bodies of water or ice," Rosemon said. "Jenrya Lee, I would like to make a request of you. Come tomorrow, I would like to take point. Their attack must be centered on me if you are to get past their defenses and find your prisoner."

Everyone looked at him. Jenrya swallowed, finding it somehow wrong he was ordering around a Mega. "Okay."

"Thank you."

The others began getting to their feet, breaking off into groups. Rosemon was one of the last to leave, but Jenrya ran to catch up to her, hoping to speak to her alone. She towered above him, that pressure in the air from being near her almost stifling. Jenrya was all too aware of being "just" a human.

"Rosemon?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"I didn't want to bring this up in front of the others, but...well, I've been seeing a pattern. First Greymon, then Zudomon and now Garurumon...?"

Rosemon's shoulders braced. "I was one of them. I still am. I long for the day when they will see the error of their ways, but I will fight them even so." She turned then to him. "Jenrya Lee, we Digimon aren't all powerful, contrary to belief. We may be able to do things humans can't, but we are weak in other ways. We fall. Sometimes we can't get up. Sometimes we can, but only with the help of a human. The Council teach that this is the fault of all humans, that because of their blight on the Digital World that we are only shadows of ourselves, that it's a dangerous co-dependency we must break out of. But I will always value the partnership between a human and a Digimo. Together, you will be strong, far stronger than you are apart. Trust Terriermon. And remember what you would do for each other."

She spoke softly now, remembering another time.

"Tomorrow, if we succeed and Black Growlmon is back among us, remember he, too, is a Tamer's partner. For him to be corrupted, there isn't just hate. There is the same level of commitment and love for his Tamer that is still there. I'm not saying at all it will be easy...but there might be a way to appeal to whatever love is there, beneath the rage. He may be fighting against you, he may lash out, but he is not the true enemy here. If you want to fight these battles, don't forget that. Don't let the others forget it."

Rosemon offered a small smile to encourage him and then left, the click of her heels eventually fading at the same time as the pressure in the air cleared. Jenrya was left alone in the room, wondering how tomorrow would turn out. This morning, he'd been pretty sure they were going into a death trap. Now it looked like they might have a chance, even if it'd gotten more complicated.

Either way, it was coming. And he couldn't do anything but face it and do his best.

To be continued...

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