[A/N: Happy 1st Anniversary Digimon TCG: Cyber Drive]
I was born…to be a hero…
A muscular lion humanoid landed before the crying girl, kicking away the grotesque bat attempting to assault her.
"Thank you…" the shaken voice made out, causing the Lion to turn back. He looked down, seeing the little girl, as well as the young man who rushed to guard her. Leaving the girl to the boy, he dashed forward to pursue the bat, pulling its fist back, lunging, and slamming it into the ground, the latter dispersing into binary code as a result.
Leaving a crater in the pavement, it stood, cracked its knuckles, and suddenly found itself surrounded by armed individuals, weapons raised.
The lion, knowing full well that he could easily take them all out, raised his hands in surrender.
I was given a second chance to make a difference…
"MEGAN!"
The metallic armored lion's ear twitched from the scream from nearby, and quickly went into action, becoming a silver blur, skidding across the sides of buildings towards the sky where he heard the name. He launched from the edge of a rooftop and recovered the falling girl, using the turbines on its legs to continue pushing him higher and back to the stationary Imperialdramon. There he found a group of teenagers, doing their part to quell the invasion of creatures raining from the sky above them.
Giving a nod of approval, he jumped from Imperialdramon and kicked a bat creature who attempted to sneak up on it. From there, it began to freefall, and as it began to pass other creatures who got past it, it joined its knuckles together, causing the turbines on its arms to go into overdrive, spirals of wind developing as a result.
"KING OF FISTS!" The lion declared, pulling its arms back and punching the air, blowing the would-be assailants to smithereens. Once the path was clear, he continued to dive and eventually landed back on the ground, where he was then greeted by another group of armed individuals. This time, instead of holding his hands up to surrender, he gave them a thumbs up, before leading the charge in the fight below.
"Don't let him escape!" An armed individual exclaimed as red lights filled the darkened hallways, accompanied by blaring alarms.
The sounds of boots, gunfire, and screams all intertwined as soldiers attempted to detain the lion from escaping. Soldiers filled the room leading into one of the labs, only to be blown back with a powerful force. The lion humanoid walked out, adjusting its cap, and pulling the jacket over the egg-shaped object in his care. Once secure, it took off, knocking aside anyone who attempted to get in his way, cutting around a corner and seeing a dark window at the end of the hallway. Taking the chance, it tightened the coat and bashed through the window, glass raining down to the cityscape below, the wind guiding him into the dark unknown.
As long as I live…I will never turn my back on someone in distress…
Chapter 1: The Butterfly Effect Part 1
[Riverbed Academy Dormitory, the following morning…]
"In other news, the counter-terrorist organization AEGIS welcomes to its ranks the 48th graduating class. Since their establishment in 2020, AEGIS was established as a branch organization of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, to manage the growing technological landscape which began in New York several years prior, and later expanded throughout the rest of the country. In addition, their actions have been made known, thanks to back-to-back incidents involving former gaming juggernaut SAIBA Enterprise and their flagship game, "Digimon." Due to the mysterious phenomenon of the fictional creatures coming to life and causing destruction both here in Riverbed and our sister, Cisco City, the once trending activity for all ages, has long since been erased from the social circles of society. After three years, however, sources claim that there have been sightings of figures resembling—"
Shutting off his computer, the young boy pushed himself away from his desk and leaned back in his chair. He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, contemplating if it was worth heading downstairs for the first day of class. He didn't belong here. He may have grown up here and lived off on all the amenities his pompous compatriots have, but he didn't identify as one of them—a Riverbed Elite.
Sixteen-year-old Zachary "Zack" Sullivan may have had a lavish upbringing, but his mother drilled in his head that money and wealth only cause pain and suffering. "Always live below your means," "Keep it simple," "Never turn your nose up to someone in need, as you may be in their position someday." Words of wisdom from a wise woman who married rich but was privy to the smoke and mirrors of how the world worked. If only she was still here, then he wouldn't have been abandoned by a man who only knows how to throw money at his problems.
Zack looked over to his clock, the time and date flashing "September 6th, 2049, 7:45 AM." He had 45 minutes until he needed to be in his first-period class. With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly sat up, turning to his caramel reflection in the mirror.
"Let's get this over with," He told himself before making his way towards the bathroom.
Taking one last look at himself, he brushed his dark hair down, checked his face for blemishes, and straightened out his blazer. After several attempts of getting his tie the proper length, he gave up, leaving it loosened and the collar, undone.
Was it sloppy? Yes.
Was he one to care? No.
He just had to get through the first day of school. No one said that he had to play by the elite's rules, however.
Leaving his dorm room, he held his smartwatch against the door, the sensor picking it up and locking the door. From his right, he heard another student exiting his room several doors down. Zack turned, watching as the tall, glasses-wearing boy locked his door as well in a similar fashion. He turned and saw Zack staring.
Zack gave him a subtle nod, and the boy returned it. That was the extent of their morning greetings.
"Come on Nick, we're gonna be late!" a loud, irritating voice called out to the tall boy. Zack turned in the other direction, seeing a shorter girl calling out from the open elevator. Her brown hair leaned along with her; her uniform barely visible from the side of the wall. Once she caught sight of him, she waved, a little too enthusiastically. "Good Morning!"
The tall boy walked past Zack with a subtle "excuse me," and proceeded to meet up with the girl. After he entered she turned her attention back to Zack and smiled wide. "We got room!"
Zack instead turned his back. "I'll take the stairs."
"…but it's like eight flights though…" She pointed out. "Come on, it'll be faster."
"I need the exercise," Zack replied. Entering the door, he proceeded to jog down the staircase. The last thing he needed was those two weirdoes bugging him; the girl specifically.
About two days into settling in, he ran into that duo, moving into the dorms the prior school year. They were half-siblings through their mother, he heard. The short girl Mikayla, was a sophomore compared to him and her brother Nick, who were juniors. Whereas he and Nick understood one another to the point of not wanting to go past a simple greeting, Mikayla's obnoxious demeanor painted her as one of those annoying bubbly girls, who was easily taken advantage of. Too innocent for her own good if that was a way to describe her. Though he didn't know how accurate that was, being that he didn't care to know more, despite her making a name for herself for her personality. Annoying enough he found out they were siblings.
From there, Mikayla has been making it very obvious that she seeks to make contact, using her brother in her scheme to do so. For what reason, Zack couldn't be bothered to figure out, as once the opportunity presented itself, he was getting himself out of this school.
As Zack exited the stairwell, he was startled by Nick and Mikayla who were waiting for him.
"Told you the elevator was faster," She smiled.
Zack, clearly showing signs of discomfort, turned to Nick who had already begun to walk. Mikayla noticed the lack-of sibling and gave chase, but not before turning back. "You'll be late too, hurry up!"
Zack, unable to argue with her, slowly began walking behind them, making sure to keep his distance.
Setting the coffee on the console, the uniformed man tapped the headset wrapped over his ear and watched the holographic projection on the center table intently as icons moved about on a three-dimensional map resembling the city of Riverbed. One icon was that of a navy-blue dragon head, while the other was a small lion head with a cap on its head. A medium distance separated the two. "Target is several klicks from your location. It's been immobile for the last few minutes so be sure to take advantage of this opportunity."
An obnoxious, raspy cackle responded to his orders, "no need to worry about that. My men and I are more than eager to catch that traitor and make him suffer…"
"Remember, we need them both back alive. Do us all a favor and keep your ego from interfering."
"Hahaha, you know I can't promise that Doctor."
"I would like for you to try your best, nonetheless. BanchoLeomon needs to explain his motives. If this stunt is a result of Liberator influence then—"
"Yeah yeah yeah, I got it, quit nagging!" The voice snapped. "It's no wonder Saiba axed you when he had the chance, you do nothing but—"
The man cut the transmission reactively. He wasn't about to take this nonsense from an AI with the personality of a violent man-child.
"How's the search, Doctor McKnight?" The doors to the room opened, revealing the source of the question being Director Whitaker.
Michael turned around, his hair showing slight signs of grey. "Darkdramon and the rest of the D-Brigade squadron are near the target."
"Excellent. Did you reiterate that he must capture him alive?"
"Naturally. Whether or not he listens, we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it." he crossed his arms and watched as the navy-colored dragon head icon slowly blinked across the map. "How did the exam go?"
"Promising group." Director Whitaker crossed her arms. "Naturally, some are slighted of our use of Digimon, but for the most part they're willing to put up with it."
"Good to hear. Some wounds take time longer to heal than others…" Michael noted, leaning against the console.
"I presume that statement has a second meaning?" Director Whitaker picked up on the subtlety.
Michael leaned up and chuckled lightly, "I must've lost myself there for a moment."
"It's fine." Director Whitaker assured. "I wouldn't have asked for your assistance if I didn't know it would get us to the point where we're at."
"Try telling that to my family," He noted. "Regardless of them, I appreciate the opportunity to atone for my previous actions. With AEGIS, I can see the small glimmers of a bright future with clearer eyes."
"As do I," Director Whitaker said, sharing his sentiments.
"If there was any time to reclaim the future from the Liberators, it's now…"
"So how are you liking Riverbed Academy so far, stranger?" Mikayla leaned to catch Zack's reaction to her question as the trio made their way across the campus. The latter ignored the 3rd time the question was asked, as the two previous attempts over the last several days were unable to give her a hint.
"Not much of a talker in the presence of a cute girl are we?" Mikayla mischievously smirked.
"Not much of a talker early in the morning." Zack shot back, catching the girl off guard.
"He does talk!" She exasperated.
"I spoke to you before, what are you on about?!" Zack snapped again.
"Ignore her. She's just being a pest," Nick said ahead of them.
"I am not!" Mikayla countered him. "What's wrong with making a new friend?"
"Not everyone has to be your friend, Mick," Nick replied realistically.
Mikayla pouted slightly. "That's rich coming from a stoic tree like you."
"Better a stoic tree than a loud-mouth pest."
Zack all the while slowed up, slowly finding the opportunity to break away before he quickly shifted directions. He picked up speed, not looking back to see if Mikayla was charging him. He had to agree with Nick; Zack had no interest in making friends; he didn't want anything to do with this place.
"Well, well well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Zachary…?" A voice came up from behind him, causing the boy to stiffen. He exhaled, not allowing him to grow annoyed from the pompous tone that he grew to loathe.
"Wally!" Zack's over-enthusiasm carried along with it a tone of sarcasm as he spun around to greet the holder of the voice.
The owner of the voice was an attractive, well-kept blonde-haired boy, dressed also in a Riverbed Academy uniform. Along his arm was an equally attractive girl, slightly shorter than the boy, also dressed in the school's attire. Her gaze and slight smirk complimented the cool gesture of the boy as he moved to clear his throat. "It's Wallace…"
"Yeah…still don't care." Zack dropped his previous tone and returned to normal. "What does the student council president want with me?"
"Am I not allowed to greet my old friend after not seeing him for three years?" Wallace and the girl approached closer.
"One, we're not friends. Second, unless you can convince your grandfather to come up with a way to expel me so I can leave this place, then no, you're not," Zack crossed his arms.
Wallace smirked, "still as stubborn as ever, hm? Unfortunately, being that your father donates quite a bit to keep the school running, even if I were to oblige, my Grandfather's hands are tied."
"Worth a shot." Zack sighed and turned to walk away. "Guess I better suck it up and head to class then."
"That aside, I came to recruit you into our fold," Wallace mentioned, making Zack stop unintentionally, "…how about it?"
"Me? A part of the student council?" Zack scoffed, "yeah, okay. And what incentive would I have to go along with that?"
"I'm glad you asked." Wallace broke from his female companion and approached the boy. "What other reason is there other than to become an influence among your peers while you strive to obtain the goals you have. You still have an interest in joining AEGIS correct? Imagine how higher your chances to get into their academy will be if you had the Student Council backing you?"
"If I join, will it give me the power to leave this place?" Zack reiterated that he had no intention of wanting to stay here, let alone become part of the school's upper echelon.
"So much more…" Wallace continued to sell, ignoring Zack's defiance once more.
Zack realized that there was no convincing Wallace otherwise. Plus, at this point, he was going to be late. "Look, I have no interest in the Student Council, or this school, for the millionth time.
"And see, that's your problem. You have nothing to strive for, do you?"
"You're right. I have nothing in this world. Nor do I care." Zack shoved past him and went about his way.
Wallace turned back and watched Zack continue before he drew a smirk and called out one final time.
"Digimon!" Wallace exclaimed, halting Zack once again. "Imagine, having the power to control those beasts…?"
Zack made the mistake of giving Wallace his attention back. The singular word hooked Zack and Wallace was intent on reeling him in.
"Even if the rumors are true, you're delusional if you think you can buy yourself one of those monsters as a pet!"
"With money and power, rumors become reality…" Wallace came close and leaned into Zack's ear. "…and revenge becomes real…!"
Zack felt a cold chill rush through him. He felt his heart begin to race followed up by the sudden image of his mother.
The next thing he realized, Wallace was on the ground, his girlfriend shrieking, which drew stares from all around. As students flocked to aid Wallace, the latter touched the edge of his nose and saw a streak of blood. "How dare you put your hands on me!"
Zack hesitated, realizing what he did. As he took a step back, he turned, only to be blocked by several other students. They shoved Zack onto the ground while Wallace, after dusting his uniform off, rose and didn't hesitate to kick Zack in the face so he fell back on the floor.
"Know your place," Wallace knelt, "with my influence, I can either make this place heaven or hell for you. Choose wisely if you know what's good for you."
Zack, with the warm metallic taste of blood in his mouth, proceeded to spit at Wallace with spite, causing the blonde boy to react violently and drive him back to the ground.
"WALLACE!" A stern voice broke through the air before Wallace could strike. Zack could see the fear fill the boy's expression and he smirked.
The students in the surrounding area all tensed and quickly backed away from the scene, giving a clear path between the approaching headmaster and the two boys. The older man approached, his bald head showing the visible veins appearing on his scalp, with steam visibly erupting from his eardrums as he came across the display. "What is the meaning of this?!"
Wallace looked up slowly, the fear of god painted on his face. "Grandfather, I—!"
"My office." The man stated. He turned to another student and motioned to Zack. "Take him to the nurse's office. Afterward, I would like to speak to him as well."
The student obeyed and scooped Zack up. "Can you walk?"
Zack gave a subtle nod and went along with the student to the nurse's office. Zack, from the corner of his eye, watched as Wallace and his companion were led away by the older man.
While he made his life ten times harder going forward, he had to admit that this moment will be a highlight for a while to come.
"Where did you go little one…?" BanchoLeomon silently growled as he looked towards one rooftop to the other. He continued to hop across buildings, hoping to pick up on some sort of signal. To his detriment, exhaustion settled in his mind and before he knew it, the egg that he was carrying was gone. Whether it was stolen, or else, he needed to find it at any cost.
He was getting closer to the edge of the city, Fresco Bridge and Cisco City in his view. He still wasn't sensing anything and there were no indications that it went beyond. Was AEGIS able to retrieve it when he had his guard down? Impossible, as his keen senses would've noticed a presence outside of theirs…unless they sent him.
BanchoLeomon's ear twitched, and he was just barely able to roll out of the way of the gunfire. Before he knew it, a group of Commandramon, camo-scaled dinosaur Digimon armed with military gear and assault rifles surrounded him. accompanying them were several Sealsdramon, armored Digimon wearing goggles and armed with combat knives. Finally, hovering above them was Darkdramon, a yellow-striped navy-blue dragon-cyborg Digimon, armed with a lance-like weapon on its right arm. Its jetpack spewed air with enough force to make them appear as pale blue wings, giving off the appearance of a harbinger of destruction.
"AEGIS must be desperate to send you guys." BanchoLeomon threw his hands up.
Darkdramon grinned at the sight of his rival, "For once that's something we can agree on. You've given them so much trouble in the last twelve hours that they were desperate for our assistance. And trust me when I say I'm gonna drag out this moment of freedom for as long as I can."
"Don't push your luck. You've never been able to beat me in any of our sparring matches up until now."
Darkdramon raised its weapon. "I've never been able to go all out."
"Don't forget!" Michael snapped through the coms. "Your priority is to secure the egg and bring him to custody! DO NOT—!"
Darkdramon cut the coms. "When is he going to get that I don't take orders from—!" Darkdramon gasped as BanchoLeomon suddenly appeared before him, flaming fist drawn.
"Burning Bancho Punch!" BanchoLeomon connected his attack, sending Darkdramon flying through the air like a horizontal meteor. Gunfire rained from below, prompting BanchoLeomon to descend. With his own blade, he lit it and sent a ring of fire that knocked the group of Commandramon away from him, prompting the Sealsdramon to dive in. Their knives clashing, the Sealsdramon demonstrated their vast fighting prowess, however, BanchoLeomon was then able to break from them and escape.
As the Sealsdramon gave chase, BanchoLeomon's attention was caught by the angered roar of Darkdramon, who was coming after him in full fury. The latter aimed its weapon and charged it, a purplish-black ball of anti-matter, radiating with intense power.
"DARK ROAR!" He exclaimed, shooting the blast, which grew bigger as it flew.
BanchoLeomon stopped and tensed up, roaring himself as he built up its strength to the point where he began to glow. Replacing the fire around his fist was pure light, a counter to Darkdramon's attack.
"Flashing…Bancho… PUNCH!" Once the ball was close enough, BanchoLeomon jumped once again and punched it head-on. The blast stopped in its tracks, despite BanchoLeomon being pushed back as a result. As the two forces clashed with one another, the skyline of Riverbed eventually erupted in an explosion of monochromatic energy waves, shaking the city where it stood.
As spectators below on the streets stopped to see the unusual phenomenon, a small, blue-trimmed sleeve peered around the side of a building, accompanied by a blue eye, which likewise took note of the powerful clash. Hesitant to stay, it ran off, leaving behind a shimmering effect that went unnoticed by the surrounding patrons…
"A mysterious explosion earlier today has caught the attention of many citizens here at Riverbed and has local experts puzzled as to what was the cause of it. Early this morning, commuters crossing the Fresco Bridge and in the areas surrounding Athens Boulevard were shaken by a random explosion that has since left the city on high alert. This comes after recent years of terrorist-related conflicts, as well as rumors concerning the sightings of mysterious creatures, many of which have lingered in the wake of the Digimon Incidents in recent years. AEGIS, which has begun looking into this, assures that while they aren't ruling out a terrorist attack, they are confirming that this attack does not show signs of cyberterrorism, and is encouraging local officials and citizens to remain on high alert as the rush hour commute begins. Trains and buses will be running on a limited schedule, so it is advised that you consider that as you travel. In other news—"
Zack closed out the window on his computer and leaned back, his face bandaged with a gauze pad, showing slight swelling around the left side of his face. He was ordered—after getting chewed out by Headmaster Lancaster—to return to his dorm as per his two-day suspension. When he curiously asked about Wallace, Headmaster Lancaster acknowledged that Wallace started the conflict and that his punishment will be dealt with privately.
Or in other words, no punishment at all.
That aside, Zack was still thinking about his sudden reaction to Wallace's words. It was public knowledge concerning the elitist circle as to what happened to Zack and his family; about how his mom was killed during Millennium Day in front of him. Zack clearly wasn't over it and for Wallace to insinuate that he could do something about it after all this time, came off mockingly, or at the very least diluted. In reality, Digimon took his family away from him and there was no world where getting revenge was a possibility.
His train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door. Given his current circumstances, there was only one person who'd be willing to annoy him. Opening his door, Mikayla and Nick greeted him, the former not hesitating to invade Zack's space. "Where were you, what happened?!"
Mikayla was pulled back by her brother, not giving Zack a chance to react to her unexpected outburst.
"We heard what happened with Wallace," Nick began to explain, "Mikayla noticed that you stopped following us and that's when we backtracked and saw you being escorted away from the scene."
Zack rolled his eyes and turned back. "It's nothing to worry about."
"I beg to differ!" Mikayla insisted. "Wallace Lancaster is the Headmaster's grandson and you just—clocked him in front of half the student body!"
"Will it help my case if I say he deserved it?"
Mikayla paused. "…I guess you're not wrong…but—!"
"Haven't you gotten a clue yet?!" Zack whipped back around. "I don't want to be here! I never wanted to be here! I should've been expelled for that but instead, I'm dorm-bound!"
"Okay, but I still don't see why—!"
"Why do you care?! Why can't you just leave me alone and mind your business?!"
Mikayla clearly felt that by her expression. It looked like she finally understood that he pushed too far and retreated a bit. "I'm…I'm sorry…"
Zack remained stoic to her apology until he saw the first inkling of a tear. Before he could formulate the words to apologize, Mikayla was already racing down the hallway towards Nick's room.
"You're kidding me…" Zack uttered as he watched her slam the door behind her. He turned over to the unmoved Nick, expecting a reply out of him.
"She'll be fine," Nick said. "She's always been the type to make friends out of everyone and everything. Don't think what you said is gonna deter her, she'll be back to bug you tomorrow."
Nick then took his leave, leaving Zack to ponder his words. Zack, now feeling the sting of guilt, walked back into his room and closed the door behind him. He never bothered to give it a thought, but Mikayla and Nicholas never gave the impression of being like the other students. They seemed just as down to earth as Zack was. Chances were, if he gave it a shot, he'd find more in common with them than he thought at the moment. However, making connections wasn't his forte, what with past experiences and all. Even so, having a friendship with those two will prove to be a stepping stone towards that endeavor…
…Help…
Zack jumped at the sound of the voice. He looked around his room and saw nothing.
…not…time…left…
The voice spoke again, this time giving Zack enough of a chance to locate the source of it: his computer. Walking over to it, a mysterious icon was flashing on the screen, accompanied by the weird audio that left him spooked, to say the least.
"…please…!" The voice uttered as Zack sat back down.
Hesitantly, Zack went to hover over the icon and click to expand the window. One double-clicks later, he was thrown back in fear as Darkdramon's face exploded on his screen, the pleas for help replaced by hysterical cackling.
"Thought you could run did you?!" This voice was different, diabolical in nature. Zack sat frozen in fear as his computer exploded with various popups and error messages, the tower itself whirling and buzzing as if it was cranked into overdrive, attempting to process the foreign program.
Zack, regaining his senses ran back to the computer to turn it off, however, once he touched the power button, his hand pulled back reactively, getting a shock from the face of the machine.
"Are you serious?!" he exclaimed as he watched his computer start to short circuit. He dove under his desk and reached for the power cord, only to stop when he heard the first voice again.
…Save her…please…!
His hand stopped midway, that phrase striking a chord inside him. The image of his mother beneath a pile of rubble flashed back in his mind, repeating that phrase over and over while Zack tried to desperately dig her out.
"…save her…save your sister…please…!"
Zack's hesitancy made him oblivious to the sparking plug, which he narrowly avoided before it shocked his hand. Scrambling from under the table, his anxiety kicked in. He needed to think. He had to turn the computer off somehow before it started a fire. He couldn't be bothered to learn why this was happening, he just needed to stop it.
There was a fire extinguisher in the hallway he thought. He could go out and grab it in a worst-case scenario. Turning to his doorway, he raced to open it…only to find it locked.
"You've seen too much…!" The 2nd voice from the computer said, causing Zack to freeze up.
Reactively, Zack continued to scan his watch and forcibly jiggle the knob of the door, but the electronic lock was stuck. Whatever this virus was, it was infecting everything in his room.
Zack dropped to his knees, fearing the worse. If his computer caught on fire, his room and everyone else in the dorm would be in danger. And jumping wasn't an option given how he was on the 8th floor of the building…
Zack suddenly realized what he could do. As much as he hated it, he had to swallow his pride and hope these elites would have a sense of morality. He raced to his window and swung it open, the cold autumn air hitting him back. he looked down, seeing the massive drop from his window. Like he thought, jumping was out of the question.
With a deep breath, he began to scream. "HELP!"
His voice reverberated through the dark courtyard, and some below took note of him. He continued his plea, but after several attempts, he realized that he was being ignored, as none of them were reacting. Was it because of what he did to Wallace? Did that jerk really have that much influence on the student body to the point he could get a student ostracized to death?
A pained, static roar ripped through his speakers, causing him to turn back to the computer. Once again, Zack ran over, and it was now that he was able to see things a bit more clearly.
The head that once appeared on his screen, now had a body resembling a dragon cyborg, which was now beating on a lion-like character dressed in a school uniform. Zack tried to make sense of this but couldn't. Without trying to see if he could turn on an antivirus program, or shut the computer down again, he gave up, surrendering to the bizarre circumstance and accepting his fate whenever it decided to show up, though curiosity had him watching the events unfold.
Meanwhile, the lion attempted to put up a fight, but the virus, which emanated like a purple aura, crippled him and made it an easy target for his adversary. The cyborg pinned the lion on its back and held its weapon before it.
"I was supposed to bring you back alive," Darkdramon said, "but after all this chasing I much rather bring you back as a clump of binary."
"Even then, I won't let you take her…" BanchoLeomon replied.
"As if you can stop me…!" The cyborg pulled his arm back. It took one look at Zack to make sure he was watching before going back to its target. "Begone traitor!"
As the lion braced for his demise, a shimmering ball of light suddenly flew through Zack's open window, catching him by surprise. Before he knew it, the light dove into his screen and knocked the cyborg back, before turning the lion into binary code and absorbing it.
"What in the—!" Zack leaned back once more as the light busted through the screen and landed on his bed behind him. Dissipating, a green and black device lay on his bed, along with a headset.
Taking a moment to process the new events, he reached for the device. "I'm dreaming," he concluded. "There's no way that this, and that they…no…" he found the device in his hand and pressed the button on the side, the device displaying the data for a pre-installed deck of cards.
"This...how…?"
"Get… back… here…!" His computer growled. Zack turned and reactively dove as a black digital cloud exploded from the screen, causing the machine to combust from the strain. Zack ran to the door and the force blasted it from behind, allowing Zack to race out as flames began to spew from behind. The fire alarm sounded seconds later as did the sprinklers as students within their rooms began opening their doors one by one, seeing Zack be chased down by a black cloud of "smoke." Nick and Mikayla also looked out then at one another, deciding to follow after him.
"Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!" Zack muttered between breaths as he shot up towards the roof. As he cut corners in the staircase, the cloud stayed pursuing him. Eventually, he made it, tripping as he got outside, all the while the furious cloud hovered over him.
"HAND HIM OVER, HUMAN!"
If he knew how he would've, Zack initially thought. "You're a Digimon, right?"
"WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CLUE?!"
Zack looked down at the device and back at the cloud that looked like it wanted to eat him. And then, Wallace's words came to mind of all times…
"With money and power, rumors become reality…and revenge becomes real…!"
He may not have known what Digimon attacked and killed his family, but here was one who was willing to finish the job. What better opportunity to seek revenge?
Strapping the device on his wrist, he took a defensive stance and readied himself. The Cloud began to bellow hysterically, before reforming into a black silhouette, shaped like a tall figure. "You really wanna play hero? Fine. I'm pissed off enough, so if I kill you then that egghead might have the chance to see that traitor with his head still on his shoulders."
"Don't…" the voice of the lion spoke. "Focus…on saving her…don't worry about me…"
"My mother taught me to never turn my nose up to someone in need," Zack explained. "Besides, I don't know who you're looking for, to begin with." He looked at the device. "Let's take this guy out and go from there."
The silhouette gestured to indicate humor. "Let's get started then; Digi-Gate: Open!"
Zack braced himself as the sky above them sparked alive, a gate opening above them, and putting a counter between them. Five Security Cards materialized between the both of them as well, as well as an additional five cards to represent their hands.
"I'll start," Darkdramon said. "I hatch Missimon!"
A small, missile-themed Digimon materialized on his side, its pointed blue head and red eyes joined by an olive-green body with small robotic arms.
Missimon (BT4-005)
Color: Black
Level: 2
"I then digivolve it into Commandramon, then play ToyAgumon from my hand."
Commandramon proceeded to overlay Missimon, while a colorful building block like Digimon resembling a small dinosaur materialized before him as well.
Commandramon (ST5-05)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 5000
ToyAgumon (BT2-055)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 1000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Zack)
Zack nodded, watching as the counter turned green for him. He drew his card and studied his hand. He played the game when he was younger, so it wasn't entirely unfamiliar to him. However, the Digimon that sat in his hand, while some of them were familiar as well, were redesigned with different costs and skills. As intimidating as it was, he wasn't about to back down.
"I hatch!" Zack declared.
The first egg on his side hatched, revealing a pink wad with arms, looking like a small block of chewing gum. Zack was able to look up the name of it. "Motimon…?"
The Digimon looked over, hearing its name, and gave Zack a confirming head nod.
Motimon (ST4-01)
Color: Green
Level: 2
"Okay. I then Digivolve Motimon into Palmon and then play Tentomon from my hand."
A mandrake-like Digimon overlayed Motimon in the Breeding Area, while a ladybug Digimon appeared within his Battle Area.
Palmon (ST4-04)
Color: Green
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Tentomon (ST4-03)
Color: Green
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
3-0
"When Tentomon is played from my hand, I reveal the top card of my deck. If it's a green Digimon, I can add it to my hand, otherwise, it goes to the bottom of my deck," Zack explained as the card flipped. The card revealed GrapLeomon, a bipedal cyborg lion Digimon. Adding it to his hand, Zack swapped it for another. "I end my turn by playing Liollmon from my hand."
Liollmon, a gold-furred lion cub Digimon with a tuff of red hair and gold collar with a green gem materialized on his side of the Battle Area alongside Tentomon.
Liollmon (BT4-050)
Color: Green
Level: 3
DP: 5000
MEMORY
0-2 (Turn Change: Darkdramon)
"Quite the little army you got there," Darkdramon chuckled as he drew. "Not that it can stand up to the might of my troops."
"You bring that up like I should be concerned," Zack said.
Darkdramon's chuckle grew to a bit of laughter, "You very well should. Commandramon moves to the Battle Area, then ToyAgumon digivolves into Greymon!"
As Commandramon marched forward, ToyAgumon let out a roar as black binary code covered it and reverted it into a larger, horned dinosaur.
Greymon (BT2-057)
Color: Black
Level: 4
DP: 4000
MEMORY
2-0
"Now Commandramon, Security Attack! Thanks to Missimon, Since Commandramon is a D-Brigade Digimon, its DP boosts up to 6000!"
Commandramon knelt, aimed its rifle, and began to fire, with Zack's reflexes kicking in. A Security Card swoops in and blocks the fire, shattering like glass and revealing a navy-blue bug Digimon in place of it.
Zack
Security: 5-4
Zack looked up seeing the bug charge Commandramon. "Kabuterimon!"
"Forget that quick? Kabuterimon only has 5000 DP and Commandramon's at 6000! Light it up!"
Commandramon: 6000 DP
Kabuterimon: 5000 DP
As Kabuterimon generated an electric ball of energy, it succumbed to the fire before it could unleash it, causing it to disperse into green binary.
"Are you alright?" BanchoLeomon asked through the device.
"Minor setback; I'm good," Zack replied.
"Not for long," Darkdramon said as he played a final card. "Greymon digivolves into Tankdramon to end my turn."
Greymon roared as black binary began to reform it once again into a bigger dinosaur-like Digimon. The top part of it revealed a muscular, blue-skinned dinosaur, surrounded by guns and ballistic weaponry, while it's entire bottom half resembled a tank vehicle. Despite towering on the roof, its massive size didn't affect the integrity of the surface it sat on.
Tankdramon (BT4-071)
Color: Black
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Zack)
As intimidating as Tankdramon presented itself to be, Zack showed clear signs of not backing down. Drawing his card, he went into action. "Palmon moves to the Battle Area, then digivolves into Togemon!"
Palmon skipped forward, twirling about as green binary rained down on it. As a result, Palmon grew into a cactus Digimon armed with a pair of boxing gloves, its bright eyes, and smile, now hollow holes in the being.
Togemon (ST4-06)
Color: Green
Level: 4
DP: 4000
MEMORY
3-1
"Togemon, attack Commandramon! And since I'm attacking your Digimon, Palmon's IE effect grants Togemon an additional 2000 DP!"
Togemon: 4000-6000 DP
Commandramon: 5000 DP
Darkdramon snickered as he watched Commandramon spray gunfire in panic. Togemon bobbed and weaved through the fire, connecting an uppercut on Commandramon, turning it into a rising stream of binary as a result.
"Not done yet; Liollmon, Security Attack!"
Liollmon charged, dashing across the rooftop towards the black silhouette. It leaped forward and, with its claws, slashed the Security that blocked him. The card revealed itself to be another Commandramon whose 3000 DP was no match for Liollmon's 5000 DP. It too fizzled out into binary as well.
Darkdramon
Security: 5-4
"Tentomon, you're up, Security Attack!"
Tentomon as well flew forward, generating a spark of electricity to fire towards Darkdramon. The second Security Card blocked it and revealed itself to be Sealsdramon, who retaliated, its 6000 DP power allowing it to easily do away with Tentomon.
Darkdramon
Security: 4-3
"I end my turn by digivolving Togemon into Lillymon," Zack said, playing the card and shifting the counter. In response, Togemon absorbed the binary code, and allowed it to reform it into a smaller, grass-themed fairy, its dress being that of a pink flower, adorned with four leaf blades to serve as its wings.
Lillymon (ST4-10)
Color: Green
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
1-2 (Turn Change: Darkdramon)
"When my Digimon digivolves into Lillymon, I reveal the top five cards of my deck. I can add one level 6 or higher Digimon from among them and send the rest to the bottom of my deck."
Lillymon snapped her fingers, summoning the five cards, revealing them to be MegaKabuterimon, Terriermon, BanchoLeomon, GrapLeomon, and Electro Shocker. Zack took BanchoLeomon, being the only level 6 amongst them.
Darkdramon drew. "I hatch Missimon, then digivolve it into Commandramon."
A new Commandramon appeared in the Battle Area, though compared to its counterpart, it showed signs of timidness, despite trying to seem tough.
Commandramon (BT4-063)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 1000
Tankdramon, Security Attack! ToyAgumon's IE grants Tankdramon Reboot, and as long as it has Reboot, Greymon's IE grants it Jamming as well!"
"That's not good," Zack muttered in annoyance. In other words, it doesn't matter how big the Digimon is in his security, because Tankdramon can just nullify it.
Tankdramon roared and fired off a missile from one of its several barrels, it soaring across the field and into Zack's security. In response, the golden Level 6 Digimon known as HerculesKabuterimon emerged but was quickly stunned by the effects of the missile, its gold shine turning grey, and fizzling into binary as a result.
Zack
Security: 4-3
"And to end, I play the Option Card Dark Side Attack to delete Lillymon!" Darkdramon revealed, causing Tankdramon to shoot another missile that took out the fairy Digimon, as well as Zack's attempt to go into a Level 6 next turn.
MEMORY
2-3 (Turn Change: Zack)
"He's really tough…" Zack was forced to admit.
"You're doing fine…" BanchoLeomon supported.
"Easy for you to say," Zack drew, gritting his teeth, "If only he didn't take out Lillymon…"
"All you have to do is give me that traitor and I'll let you live," Darkdramon stated. "At the end of the day, this is between us Digimon and not the likes of a weakling like yourself."
Zack didn't take kindly to that. He didn't like that he was at the mercy of a Digimon, especially one as cocky as this one was being. "Mind your business, lizard breath!"
Darkdramon hissed. "I can easily kill you right now."
"Like you did my family?!" Zack retorted. "You monsters took everything from me!"
Darkdramon took a moment and scoffed, "I didn't do anything. AEGIS built me to get jobs done that they can't handle. And I get rid of anything and anyone who gets in my way of doing so."
Zack was taken aback by that. "Did you say that…AEGIS created you…?"
"Did I strike a nerve?"
"Why…? Why would they…?"
"Don't lose focus!" BanchoLeomon scolded. "He's trying to—"
"I HATCH!" Zack shouted, summoning a second Motimon in his Breeding Area. He then swiped a card, digivolving it into a new Palmon. "I play the Tamer Izzy Izumi!"
A young boy with frizzy reddish-brown hair, dressed in a yellow hoodie and green shorts materialized on his side.
Izzy Izumi (ST4-14)
Color: Green
MEMORY
3-1
"Liollmon, Security Attack!"
"Calm down!"
Liollmon charged once more and like before slashed another Security. Sealsdramon appeared once more, and clashed with Liollmon, the pair pushing off one another for a moment before charging once again.
Liollmon: 5000 DP
Sealsdramon: 6000 DP
Sealsdramon out skilled the cub, taking its combat knife and stabbing it in the back, turning it into binary.
Zack grunted and played Togemon from his hand, finally pushing the counter forward.
MEMORY
1-3 (Turn Change: Darkdramon)
"You should really listen to others when they're warning you," Darkdramon chuckled as he drew.
"Shut up!" Zack snapped.
"He's right!" BanchoLeomon agreed. "You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment. Don't let him get into your head."
"Did AEGIS create you too?!" Zack barked into the device. "Has AEGIS really been making those monsters?!"
BanchoLeomon hesitated to answer, giving Zack confirmation.
"Commandramon moves to the Battle Area and attacks your security!"
Commandramon moved forward and shakily aimed its rifle. Locking onto the card, it fired several shots before stumbling. They made their mark on the security card, and out came Terriermon, a rabbit-dog Digimon who sported cream-colored fur with green markings along its body.
Commandramon: 2000 DP
Terriermon: 2000 DP
Terriermon stirred up a green tornado that flew towards Commandramon who, like its predecessor attempted to fire at it. Only when it was swallowed up, did it finally connect to the opposing Digimon, causing the small windstorm to belch green and black binary into the air.
Zack
Security: 3-2
"Thanks to Commandramon's noble sacrifice, I reveal the top three cards of my deck and play One Commandramon from among them," Darkdramon stated as three cards materialized before them. They revealed themselves to be the 2-cost Commandramon, Gururumon, and Final Zubagon Punch. The 2-cost Commandramon appeared in the Battle Area as a result.
Commandramon (BT3-059)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 3000
"That's not all. Tankdramon's effect activates too, as since a D-Brigade Digimon was deleted during my turn, I reveal the top two cards of my deck and summon another Commandramon!"
"Are you kidding me?" Zack was exasperated, watching as Tankdramon opened the hatch on its front and popped out two binary streams, revealing themselves as Megadramon and MetalGreymon.
Darkdramon growled low as Tankdramon didn't give him an additional troop, while Zack was relieved. Even so, Darkdramon continued. "Don't get too comfortable, human. There's no stopping me from beating you and getting my target!"
Zack got defensive, opting to brace himself for whatever Darkdramon had next up his sleeve.
"Now, witness the power of the D-Brigade's most dangerous weapon…! Come forth, Darkdramon!"
The cloud above the silhouette reformed into the navy-blue dragon cyborg and proceeded to land in the battle area, while the Memory Counter shot all the way to 10.
Darkdramon (BT4-074)
Color: Black
Level: 6
DP: 11,000
MEMORY
3-10 (Turn Change: Zack)
Zack stared up at the counter which showed that it was maxed out in his favor. Something about that didn't sit right with him.
"Why didn't he digivolve Tankdramon…?" Zack questioned openly.
"Because of this…!" Darkdramon stated as the silhouette snapped its fingers. Afterward, black-shaded holograms of the three Commandramon and two Sealsdramon materialized to Zack's shock. Even moreso, they all combined and shot up into the Memory counter, dialing it back down to 0.
"What?! But how?!"
Darkdramon responded with hysterical glee. "My effect."
Zack looked back down, while the latter explained, "When I'm played, I return up to 5 of my troops back into the bottom of my deck. For each one sent, I regain 2 Memory."
Zack grew cold. "That's why you attacked with Commandramon last turn."
"Exactly; aside from getting its effect to trigger, I was stacking my trash with D-Brigades. But that's not all."
Zack especially didn't like the sound of that, turning his attention to Tankdramon who readied itself. Zack shielded himself as Tankdramon unleashed a flurry of attacks that reduced his Security down even further, covering his surroundings in digital smoke.
Zack
Security: 2-1
As the smoke cleared, Darkdramon readied himself but was taken aback by the sudden soaring of a cyan and purple electro ball that flew into Tankdramon and reduced it to Binary.
"Security Trigger!" Zack exclaimed, revealing the option card. "Electro Shocker sends one of your suspended Digimon back to your hand!"
Darkdramon paid it no mind. "It doesn't matter. Darkdramon, Final Security Attack!"
Zack scoffed, "Darkdramon was just played, it can't attack this turn!"
"You would be right. Which is why I come equipped with an ability known as Rush, which circumvents the attacking restrictions!"
"No…!" Zack's eyes widened. Darkdramon charged its dark matter sphere and fired it towards Zack's final Security. As the card shattered, Zack, for a brief moment, saw the familiar, glistening ball of light from before, followed by the developing, protective silhouette of a familiar being.
"I've been waiting for this…"
Zack's voice caught as BanchoLeomon, fully materialized before him, standing in the way of the blast.
"Thank you, but I'll take care of it from here," He said, gearing up his fist. With a powerful roar, BanchoLeomon conjured up light energy and punched the dark matter head-on, blinding Zack, as the impact roared into the night.
Darkdramon all the while hissed. "You son of a—!" It felt the resistance push him. "Just delete already!"
"Not when there are those in need…!" BanchoLeomon countered, managing to puncture the sphere. As a result, the two opposing forces exploded into the night, causing a massive wave of energy to envelop the area entirely…