I know it's been a while, everyone. Thank you for your patience for the next chapter. I promise I'll try giving this fanfic more love in the future.
There will be a surprise in this chapter, so look forward to it. Prepare yourselves for an extra-long chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own any Digimon characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 6: The Ultimate Team No More?
As I suspected, Father gave Thomas an earful before he suspended the blue team for a week. It felt odd to see how the best team of DATS got reckless and went against orders, especially when they had always behaved well.
I was actually more proud of Thomas than disappointed. He had started opening up a little bit and got less stiff and serious. He was slowly becoming more human who expressed himself instead of constantly having a stoic expression. Maybe having Masaru as partner wasn't a bad idea after all.
Speaking of, last night, Masaru and Agumon took down a rogue Tortomon together before the rest of us arrived to help out, but we got greeted by quite the mess the duo had done by the harbor. Masaru and Agumon had both looked proud by their accomplishment and bragged about being the best team, so it was a shocker to see how quickly their attitude changed in less than twelve hours.
Dorumon and I were one of the first teams arriving for the morning shift, since it was Saturday, so I helped Thomas with some analysis before the others arrived. I stood by Father's desk, sorting some documents, when the automatic door opened next to me. I turned to my right and saw it was Masaru, but I immediately noticed he had a grumpy expression and Agumon was nowhere near him.
"Good morning, Masa-", I managed to say before said boy slammed his Digivice on the desk with a loud bang, which caught me off guard.
Without saying a single word, Masaru stomped over to free seat and sat down on it. He turned his back to the commander desk and crossed both his arms and legs with a loud snort.
"What just happened…?" Dorumon spoke up after a moment of silence.
"No idea", I replied slowly.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today", Yoshino commented as she and Lalamon approached us.
"Serves him right!" Agumon's voice came from the orange Digivice.
Yoshino picked up the Digivice to take a closer look. "What are you doing inside the Digivice, Agumon? Didn't you hate it before?"
"Yeah, but now I love being in here!" Agumon replied sarcastically.
"What happened between you and Masaru? Yesterday you two were like best friends", I said.
Agumon snorted loudly with a glare. "We're no longer a team."
"What? Why not?" Lalamon asked.
Long story short, last night at dinner, Masaru and Agumon had an argument about the last fried egg which led into a big fight of telling one another that they didn't need each other to defeat a single Digimon. That was why they were angry at each other and didn't want to be a team anymore.
"That explains why you're in the Digivice", Dorumon commented after the explanation.
Agumon just frowned and turned away.
"This is the worst…", Yoshino sighed.
"They both are acting like kindergarten kids", Lalamon chirped.
That caused both Masaru and Agumon to growl loudly. I saw from the corner of my eye how Masaru glared at the Digivice in Yoshino's hand before he turned back with a frown.
"I'm not surprised", Thomas spoke up from the computer he was working on, but he never once turned around in the seat.
"What do you mean by that, Thomas?" I wondered.
"Both Masaru and Agumon have a bad temper, so it only makes sense they would act so immature", Thomas responded casually.
That comment hit a nerve on Masaru. "Care to repeat that, rich boy?!" he shouted angrily.
"He's right, Boss!" Agumon said out loud.
"Shut up!" Masaru yelled at his partner. "I told you we're done! I don't need your help to take down a Digimon!"
"Oh yeah? Prove it to me by defeating the next Digimon that will appear singlehanded!" Agumon dared.
"Pah! That'll be a piece of cake, just you wait and see!" Masaru retorted.
Masaru must have had lots of pressure and anger inside him that he decided to leave the room, without his Digivice.
"Good luck, 'cause you're gonna need it!" Agumon frowned after the doors closed.
I didn't like seeing this development between Masaru and Agumon. If there was one thing I had learned while being partnered with Dorumon is we needed one another to complete each other. Without one another… We couldn't be as strong as we were in a team.
"Commander…", I spoke up.
Father understood what I thought about and nodded. "Go. We'll be fine on our own."
"Thank you, sir", I saluted before turning to my partner. "Dorumon… Will you stay here and talk to Agumon?"
"Of course", Dorumon nodded.
I returned his nod before I hurried out of the room to catch up with Masaru.
XXXXXXXXXX – Masaru's POV
I changed out of my uniform and back into my casual clothes before leaving the HQ. The weather totally fit my mood right now. The sky was grey with clouds, but it hadn't rained yet. I went to nearby park and laid down on a bench, resting my head on my hands while glaring at the sky.
"Finally some peace and quiet instead of Agumon's babbling mouth…", I muttered to myself, enjoying the quietness around me.
Or, I wish I could've enjoyed the peace, but I was still frustrated by yesterday's fight. Why was that? Agumon said he didn't want to be partners with me anymore and that was totally fine with me! Right?
"I don't need Agumon as my partner after I've proven to everyone that I can defeat Digimon on my own…", I mumbled out loud.
"You might want to reconsider that, Masaru", Eve's face suddenly appeared in my sight, her fake kendo sword strapped onto her back.
I almost jumped down from the bench in surprise by her sudden appearance, but I caught myself before I could crash on the ground. "Eve! Where the heck did you come from?!" I exclaimed loudly as I sat up.
"I followed you because I was worried about you", Eve responded in a monotone voice.
I frowned loudly and crossed my arms and legs while staring out at the sea. "Doesn't sound like that with that voice…", I muttered.
I didn't mean to hurt Eve, but I was still in a bad mood and couldn't exactly control myself. She said nothing while she silently sat down next to me and stared at the ocean with me.
"I know I have a difficult time expressing my feelings sometimes, but I'm learning", Eve replied. "Just as I have learned many things while working with Dorumon at DATS."
"Like what?" I spat irritably.
"That I need Dorumon to bring out my full potential to become stronger than I am as an individual."
She needed Dorumon to become much stronger than when she's alone? What did she mean by that? I've sparred with her multiple times in the training room and she often beat my butt, which was pretty embarrassing.
"Why? You're already very strong", I commented.
Eve let out a soft sigh. "Well… It's a little hard to explain, but…" A gentle gust ruffled our clothes and hair, so Eve tucked her long strands behind her ear. "…Whenever I'm away from Dorumon, I feel like there's a gap in my soul, that something is missing. That something is my precious partner, Dorumon. When I'm together with him, our souls become one and we help each other to become stronger on the battlefield. That's when we're reminded we need each other in order to grow and achieve our goals together. We can't function normally without one another; we need each other no matter what."
That was some deep talk and I didn't really understand all of it.
"That…sounds nice", I replied sheepishly. "Have you ever fought with Dorumon?"
"A couple of times in the past before I became a teenager", Eve replied. "There were so many things I didn't understand, especially emotionally, so I unintentionally took it out on Dorumon. It often hurt his feelings, so I tried making up for it by apologizing and showing him how much I love him."
"Did he accept your apologies?"
"He always did, and he was so patient with me. Even to this day when my emotions get out of control."
Eve losing control of her emotions? I've never seen her doing that while I've been working at DATS. She was always so stoic, calm, and collected, just like Commander.
"You could say…after every fight we had, we got much closer and we began understanding each other better", Eve added. "I learned that's how close relationships work in real life. You fight because you care for each other. It's not always a bad thing."
"Fight because you care…?" I repeated with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you fight because you're angry at each other?"
"Not necessary", Eve shook her head. "I think the way we humans and Digimon…argue with each other is to express our concern for one another. I'm not a professional psychologist, so this is just my guess."
"Psychology, huh… I'm not a fan of deep thinking", I muttered loudly. "I prefer expressing my feelings through my fists."
"I know", Eve giggled softly.
We stayed quiet for a few minutes until the weird silence around us started feeling a little awkward for me. "Say, um…", I slowly began. "I really need to get some steam out of my body, so… Care to join me in the batting center?"
"What is a batting center?" Eve repeated confusedly.
I almost fell off the bench when I heard the question. "You don't know what a batting center is?" I asked in surprise.
"No, I'm afraid not", Eve shook her head. "I've lived quite a…confined life. I'm homeschooled, so I've never really stepped outside in the world, except for DATS and my kendo lessons."
I resisted the urge to face palm, but then I realized I was now slightly superior to Eve because it sounded like she hadn't explored the world around her. My lips twitched into a grin as I stood up and turned to her with a cocky smirk.
"Well then, my junior! I'll show and teach you how to play in the batting center!" I exclaimed as I patted my chest.
Eve blinked her eyes for a few seconds before she began laughing in a soft manner. The way she rested her right hand above her upper lip made me remember how Mom laughed sometimes and it was kinda adorable.
"Okay, Teacher Daimon", Eve giggled before standing up. "Teach me how to play in the batting center."
XXXXXXXXXX – Agumon's POV
Even after Boss left, my sour mood wouldn't get better. Miki and Megumi tried cheering me up with a triple cheeseburger, but I wasn't hungry. All I wanted was to be left alone, but Dorumon, Gaomon, and Lalamon kept pestering me by staying by the desk where Yoshino had placed the Digivice.
"Agumon, I know your pride got hurt, but you can't stay mad forever", Dorumon said.
"Yeah, you should apologize to Masaru when he comes back", Lalamon added.
"No way will I apologize!" I retorted irritably. "He hurt me by saying I'm useless without his DigiSoul!"
"And he's useless without you as his partner", Dorumon pushed in.
"That I agree with you, Dorumon!" I nodded with my arms crossed, thinking Dorumon was on my side.
"Because you need each other to become stronger", Dorumon added.
"What'd you mean by that?" I blinked confusedly.
"I'll explain", Gaomon the silent doggy spoke up. "Thomas discovered some time ago that humans and Digimon who share the same DigiSoul can bring forth their full potential if they work together. It is like there is a link between the two of them and if one goes away, the link won't be as strong as when you're a team."
I didn't get it at all. "Too much science, Gaomon! You're giving me a headache!"
"In other words, we Digimon can only become stronger if we've got our human partners by our side", Dorumon explained. "They'll help us by sharing their DigiSoul so we can reach our hidden strength within us and digivolve. In return, we Digimon become a family with our partners and help them when they are in danger or they need someone to rely on when they're having a difficult time."
Okay, Dorumon's explanation made a little more sense, but not much. "So you say I should help Boss whenever he's having a hard time? But he still hurt me!" I spat irritably.
"Actually, having fights with your partner can bring you closer to each other", Dorumon said. "It might be a miscommunication when you say things you don't mean, so it's always best to come forward and tell properly what you actually meant to say and apologize for the words you used before."
"This is an unknown territory for me", Gaomon spoke up. "Thomas and I never had any miscommunications since we became partners, so we never had fights with each other."
"Oh, you two never argue?" Lalamon asked. "Yoshi and I have small fights almost daily."
"That's intriguing", Gaomon replied. "What do you and Ms. Yoshino fight about?"
"It's all from her morning breath to the way she leaves things on the floor like her magazines, socks, and underwear-"
Yoshino suddenly screamed out of nowhere before I heard Lalamon make struggling noises. "Stop it, Lalamon! Don't tell everyone how I keep my place clean!" the girl yelled.
"Sorry, Yoshi!" Lalamon whined in pain.
After hearing from the others that it was kinda normal to have fights between partners, I started considering of apologizing to Boss…
No!
He's the one who hurt me first, so he should apologize to me!
"Don't you want to come out, Agumon?" Gaomon wondered. "There is no need to hide in the Digivice while your partner is away."
"No thanks!" I shouted.
"If you say so", Gaomon said before I heard him walk away.
I sighed deeply as I was getting confused about my feelings. I actually wanted to stay partners with Boss since it was fun being with him and his family, but…
"Agumon", Commander spoke up all of the sudden.
"Y-Yes, Commander?" I said.
"It is normal to have fights with your partner, but you should let it go and move forward", Commander explained. "If you hold onto a trivial thing, you won't be able to become the team you and Masaru were before. However, take this experience and learn from it. That is how I learned from my disconnections in life."
Learn from this fight…? Could you really learn something from it?
XXXXXXXXXX – Eve's POV
I got a new experience in life, that's for sure. I have never used a baseball bat before, so Masaru taught me how to properly hold the bat and how to swing it. The first few times I swung the bat, I moved it like how I swung my kendo sword, which made Masaru laugh really hard while my cheeks turned red as tomatoes in embarrassment.
It was nice to see Masaru be in a better mood now than before, but I could tell something was still missing in his soul. He didn't have the same aura as he had when he was with Agumon.
Could Masaru ever let go of his angry feelings and realize he needed his Digimon partner to be complete in mind and spirit?
"Man, you were really bad with a baseball bat, Eve", Masaru laughed softly as we walked down the stairs to exit the batting center. "You missed most of the balls."
"I've never played baseball before, so of course I don't have much experience with it", I replied. "I prefer reading books over activities."
"But you still take kendo classes, right?" Masaru asked.
"Yes… It was a request by me since I found it interesting after I watched a kendo match on the television couple of years ago-"
We had just exited the building when I was interrupted by a loud explosion coming down from the streets and then people started yelling in panic and children crying in fear.
"What was that?!" Masaru exclaimed.
"An accident?" I asked with my eyes widen in surprise by the sudden noise.
We hurried to the location of where the explosion occurred to investigate. We pushed ourselves through the crowd and were met by a sight of several cars and vehicles had crashed into each other and they were on fire. The majority of drivers and passengers managed to get out of the cars before they were engulfed by flames.
"What happened?!" someone in the crowd shouted.
"The cars from the left had green light, so the other ones drove through red lights!" another person yelled.
"But the lights were all green! Are they malfunctioning?!"
"Call the ambulance! We've got injured people here!"
"This is terrible…!" Masaru gaped in shock.
I had my attention at the words that I had just heard from the people around us. The traffic lights were green for every direction? If there was a malfunction, the lamps were supposed to blink orange to indicate there was a technical difficulty.
I glanced up at the lights to see if there was any abnormality when I spotted a red creature on top of one. Its blue eyes stared at me with such an intense look that it gave me the shivers.
"Elecmon…", I instinctively figured out the Digimon.
Elecmon gave me a wicked grin before it laughed and jumped over to the next traffic light. Its nine peacock-like tails sparkled and sent electricity into the traffic light that first had the red light and then switched it to green light.
So Elecmon was behind of the chaos!
"Masaru!" I yelled to my friend.
"I saw it too!" Masaru nodded as we pushed ourselves through the crowd to chase after the rogue Digimon. "That Digimon must be behind of this!"
"Don't lose sight of it!" I added as I pulled the earpiece from my pocket and inserted it into my right ear before activating it. "This is Satsuma Eve! Masaru and I are in pursuit of a rogue Digimon; Elecmon! It's causing havoc by manipulating the traffic lights and creates accidents downtown! Requesting backup!"
"Confirmed! We've located your Digivice signature and are tracking it while sending backup!" Miki responded.
"We've also picked up the energy signature of the rogue Digimon!" Megumi added.
"Another request! Send Dorumon and Agumon to us!"
"Agumon…?!" Masaru gasped while running.
"Request approved! Yoshino and Thomas shall bring them to you!" Miki replied.
"Thank you! In the meantime, we'll follow Elecmon and try preventing more casualties!" I nodded.
XXXXXXXXXX
The city was like a warzone. Cars were on fire in almost every corner and large trucks with cargo had crashed and fallen to the side of the road blocking the way. The fire, the smoke, and the citizen's screech for help reminded me of something, like… I had been part of it before. I was having the same weird feeling as the time when Masaru and I faced Meramon on the same day Thomas returned to DATS.
I hadn't realized the sun had now touched the horizon, so Masaru and I had chased after Elecmon for quite some time now. However, I noticed the Digimon's fur glowed brighter each and every time it jumped onto an electric pole and manipulated it with its power.
Was Elecmon absorbing the electricity while manipulating the electronics?
That could mean one thing.
Elecmon was preparing for a powerful attack. Or even worse…
The Digimon jumped into an authorized area of the old broadcast tower, which confirmed my suspicions. Masaru and I jumped over the short but closed gate when we reached our goal and looked around for Elecmon. However, it was now dark and the Digimon was hiding somewhere in the shadows, concealing its glowing self.
I gasped loudly as I tried catching my breath. I may be athletic, but running for a long time without a short break could exhaust me. Masaru was also out of breath, but he recovered faster than me.
"Where the heck is the Digimon?!" he growled.
"I-It must be nearby…", I panted softly.
The screech of braking tires behind us made me look over my shoulder. I smiled in relief when I saw it was the backup team.
"Are you two okay?" Yoshino asked as she exited the car with Thomas, Lalamon, Gaomon, and Dorumon.
"Yes, we're okay", I responded. "Elecmon is currently hiding somewhere here."
Thomas was able to hack into the old system and opened the gate so they could enter the secluded area. Dorumon ran immediately to me, so I got down on one knee so I could hug him.
"I was so worried about you!" he said. "I'm so glad you and Masaru are safe."
"Me too", I smiled before I noticed something. "Didn't you bring Agumon with you?"
"Agumon was insistent of not leaving DATS, claiming he's still angry at Masaru", Thomas explained.
"Good! 'Cause I don't need Agumon to deal with that red rabbit!" Masaru frowned loudly.
"You can't secure a rogue Digimon without your partner, Masaru, so step out of it and we'll take care of the rest", Yoshino told him.
"No! I told you all I'll deal with a Digimon by myself to prove that I don't need to team up with Agumon, so this is my fight!" Masaru shouted.
The next thing we knew, a bright light shone from the top of the old tower. Elecmon was up there absorbing more electricity as its fur glowed like it was on fire.
"There it is!" Masaru yelled.
"Meheheheh!" Elecmon laughed before it jumped down to the ground with its tails sparkling.
Our Digimon stood in front of us to shield us in case Elecmon was going to attack us. The rogue Digimon's big eyes studied each one of us until its eyes landed on me. Its wicked grin returned as it slowly stepped towards us.
"You…", Elecmon spoke like a mischievous boy. "You got the DigiSoul I've been looking for."
I confusedly blinked my eyes as I pointed at myself. "Me?"
"Eve?" the others repeated confusedly.
"Become my partner and I'll swear my loyalty to you", Elecmon continued as he came closer. "And I shall defeat anyone who comes in our way."
"She's my partner!" Dorumon growled as he bared his teeth. "So stay away from her!"
"You're her partner?" Elecmon asked my Digimon.
I snapped out of my confusion and straightened my back. "That's right. My partner is Dorumon, so I decline your offer. However, we need to send you back to your real home, so come with us and we won't hurt you."
"Back to my home?" Elecmon said before laughing loudly. "This world is far more interesting than the old boring world and I refuse to accept that you've already got a partner, human! If you aren't convinced just yet, then I'll show you my power!"
Elecmon unleashed a Super Thunder Strike from its tail that was aimed at Dorumon. We all jumped away before the attack could accidently hit one of us. Masaru, Dorumon, and I jumped to the right while Yoshino, Thomas, and their Digimon threw themselves to the left side.
We quickly scattered to our feet when Elecmon's body started glowing in digital particles.
"Stand back, everyone!" Thomas yelled. "Elecmon is digivolving!"
"Elecmon digivolve to…Leomon!"
I gritted my teeth in frustration. Elecmon absorbed energy in order to digivolve into his Champion form!
"The red rabbit evolved into a lion man?" Masaru said in surprise before he smirked and punched his fist into the palm of his hand. "A perfect opponent for the ultimate fighter!"
"I have no desire to fight you, male!" Leomon snorted before glaring at the Digimon. "Now… Come at me so I can prove to my partner that I am worthy of her DigiSoul!"
"What of Earth is going on?" Lalamon wondered.
"I don't know, but now we have to fight him!" Yoshino replied as she grabbed her Digivice.
"Leomon is known as the King of the Beasts as well as the Noble Hero, so he should have a strong will and a heart of justice…", Thomas mumbled as he checked the data on his portable laptop. "It doesn't make any sense why he would want to fight us."
"I agree, sir, but we still need to secure him", Gaomon said.
"Right", Thomas nodded before he put away the laptop and grabbed his Digivice.
"You wish to fight, Dorumon?" I asked my partner.
"Yes!" he nodded.
"DigiSoul Charge!"
"Lalamon digivolve to…Sunflowmon!"
"Gaomon digivolve to…Gaogamon!"
"Dorumon digivolve to…Dorugamon!"
Compared to our bigger Digimon, Leomon was about three meter tall, so they should have a height advantage.
"Ready, you two?" Gaogamon asked.
"Ready!" Sunflowmon and Dorugamon replied.
Leomon smirked as he grabbed the sword he had strapped on the back and unsheathed it. "Your large size doesn't scare me. I shall defeat you with ease!"
Gaogamon and Dorugamon took a few steps forward when Masaru suddenly ran and blocked their way. "Stay out of this! I told you this is my fight and I shall defeat the lion man!"
"Masaru, you idiot! Get out of there!" Yoshino shouted desperately.
"Fist of the Beast King!"
Leomon jumped over Masaru, completely ignoring him, and punched Gaogamon in the face with his other fist enveloped in a burning aura in the shape of a lion's head. Gaogamon didn't have time to react, so he was knocked back several meters and right into a building.
"Gaogamon!" Thomas shouted.
Sunflowmon tried grabbing Leomon with her long arms, but he was quick on his feet and dodged her. He grabbed his sword with his free hand and swung it at Sunflowmon, slashing her on the chest, leaving a scar on the body.
"Sunflowmon!" Yoshino yelled worriedly.
Leomon crouched down when he landed on the concrete before he straightened up and faced Dorugamon. "It's your turn."
"I won't let you get any closer to Eve!" Dorugamon growled. "Cannonball!"
Dorugamon fired a large iron sphere at Leomon who just looked nonchalantly at it while sheathing his sword. "Fist of the Beast King!"
He punched the iron sphere with his glowing fist and shattered it into pieces. Dorugamon gaped in shock at the sight and Leomon took advantage of it. He ran towards my partner with both his fists glowing in the burning aura.
"Hundred Beasts Fist!"
He launched several Fist of the Beast King attacks at Dorugamon that punched him back so he was sliding backwards on the concrete. I jumped out of the way before he could accidently squash me flat. Leomon kept firing the burning aura until he punched Dorugamon in the left eye!
"AAAAHH!" Dorugamon screeched in pain.
"Dorugamon!" I yelled in shock and fear.
My partner got kicked down by Leomon after that dirty move so his muzzle was pushed into the ground. The lion man landed on the concrete between me and Dorugamon with his back facing me. I was about to unsheathe my hidden katana to battle Leomon, but before I knew it I was picked up by him and held like a princess, surprising me immensely by his agility.
"Put me down!" I shouted as I struggled in his arms.
"Eve!" my friends cried my name as Leomon jumped up to the top of a building.
XXXXXXXXXX – Masaru's POV
I didn't react in time when Leomon suddenly grabbed Eve and jumped to the top of a building with her in his arms. He was like a brown flash that just moved in the speed of light like the red-clad superhero in the Marvel comic books.
"I have proven I am worthy of my partner's DigiSoul, so we shall take our leave", Leomon said as his silhouette was shown in the middle of the big moon.
"Are you going with the hostage strategy now?! That's low of an honorable hero!" Yoshino yelled angrily.
"I am not kidnapping my partner", Leomon rumbled. "We shall become a team and she will lend me her DigiSoul to I can become the most powerful Digimon. Fret not, I will treat her well."
That was all he said before he jumped over to the next building running away with Eve.
"Eve!" Thomas shouted worriedly before turning to the Digimon. "We need to chase after Leomon before something happens to her! Gaogamon, Sunflowmon, Dorugamon, you three still have strength to battle?"
"Yes, sir…", Gaogamon nodded as he got up on all his four paws.
"Leomon is really fast, though", Sunflowmon stated as she pushed herself up with her arms.
"It makes sense, since having a small body than a big one gives you the advantage of moving fast", Thomas nodded. "It won't be easy to defeat Leomon without a plan."
While Yoshino was reporting the situation, I suddenly felt anger towards Leomon. Not because that he refused to battle me, but he actually had the nerve to kidnap someone I've grown to respect! If he wanted to use Eve as a hostage, then I wasn't going to let that happen!
"Dorugamon!" I called as I ran to Eve's partner. "Dorugamon, can you still move?"
"Y-Yeah…", Dorugamon nodded while keeping his hurt eye shut.
"Good! Then can you use your wings?"
"Yes, they're unharmed", Dorugamon nodded as he flapped his wings.
Gaogamon and Sunflowmon had digivolved back into their Rookie forms and followed the others to the car when they realized we weren't with them. "Masaru, what are you doing?!" Yoshino yelled.
I climbed onto Dorugamon before answering. "We're gonna chase after Leomon in the air! That way, we can catch up to him and stop him in his tracks!"
"Don't tell me you intend to fight Leomon with your bare fists?! That's suicide!" Yoshino added.
"Well, somebody needs to stop Leomon and keep him busy before you guys show up!" I argued. "Go, Dorugamon!"
"Right! We're coming, Eve!" Dorugamon roared before he flew up to the sky.
Hang on, Eve!
XXXXXXXXXX – Eve's POV
I was in Leomon's arms as he jumped across the buildings in the night sky. This moment reminded me of those weird romantic movies I was forced to watch by Miki and Megumi before, since they wanted to educate me about romance. I never really understood what the meaning of it was, so I didn't feel anything special.
Leomon was silent the whole time, but then he started rumbling irritably in his throat and cuddled me closer to his chest. "We've got company." I tried looking over his shoulder, but his body was too big for me to stretch my head to see who was following us. "Don't worry, partner. I shall keep you safe. However… I need to get rid of the nuisance."
The rogue Digimon landed in the middle of an incomplete subway station on the surface and turned around to face the enemy. My eyes widened when I saw it was Dorugamon and…
Is that Masaru riding on my partner?!
Dorugamon landed on the railroad several meters from us and crouched down to let Masaru jump off. The boy clenched his fists as he bared his teeth in anger.
"Listen here, lion man! I challenge you to a fight!" Masaru demanded.
"A fight, you say?" Leomon questioned.
"That's right! I won't let you kidnap my superior and get away with it!" Masaru added.
Superior… Masaru actually considered me his superior?
I may be one of the members of DATS who has been part of the organization since the beginning, but I never had someone under my command, so… It felt special to hear how much Masaru respected me.
"Very well", Leomon nodded before he gently settled me down on the ground. "If you wish to retrieve your mate, I accept your challenge."
Wait, what did he just say? Mate? As in… A couple?
That's impossible. We were just colleagues and friends.
Dorugamon remained in his Champion form while he and I walked to the side to give Masaru and Leomon space to fight.
"Since you are a human, I shall give you a handicap", Leomon said as he unsheathed his sword and threw it aside, making clanking noise when the weapon bounced against the concrete. "I shall fight only with my bare fists and not use my sword or my usual attacks."
"That's fine by me! You'll regret that, big boy!" Masaru smirked as he focused his DigiSoul on both his fists, causing them to sparkle.
I had recently taught him the only way humans could actually hurt Digimon were by using their DigiSoul just like what he was doing right now. The principle was pretty much similar to how I used my katana against Giromon in the Digital World.
Speaking of the Digital World… I haven't heard a single word from A.H. since we returned from the Digital World after retrieving Thomas and Gaomon.
"You may go first", Leomon said. "Show me what you've got."
XXXXXXXXXX – Masaru's POV
I couldn't help but smirk wider when Leomon let me have the first move. With both my fists sparkling with my DigiSoul, I ran towards the lion man with a battle cry. I jumped up and punched him on the left cheek with my right fist. He grunted as he got pushed back by the force while I landed in a crouch.
"Score 1 for the ultimate fighter!" I laughed.
Leomon recovered from the punch and turned to me with a feral glare in his eyes that made me flinch back in fear for a second. Like a predator that had enough and wanted the game to be over.
"You have quite the strength, human… But it's not enough to defeat the King of the Beasts!" Leomon roared like a lion.
I didn't have time to straighten up and move when the lion man appeared in front of me in a flash and punched me so hard I flew through the air and crashed against a wall of concrete. I screeched out in pain and collapsed on the ground, my back aching by the terrible pain.
"Masaru!" Eve yelled from the other side of the subway.
I forced myself up on my knees while my body was burning in pain. I could hear Leomon's heavy steps approach me, so I had to move fast. However, I wasn't fast enough, so I got grabbed by the throat, almost cutting off my air supply. I struggled against the tight grip and tried to get the giant paw off of me while scratching it with my nails, but Leomon didn't even flinch by the pain I tried inflicting without my DigiSoul.
"Foolish human… You sincerely thought you can defeat a Digimon by yourself?" Leomon asked as he held me up while I tried kicking him with my feet. "I can smell the scent of a Digimon on you, meaning you have a partner. However, you refused to cooperate with it to battle me. I do wonder whether you had a strong bond with your Digimon in the first place."
He was right. Agumon was my partner, but my pride got in my way when I got hurt by his words, but… Those were probably just words said by anger just as I had said hurtful things to him.
I'm such a stupid kid! Why did I think I could defeat a Digimon by myself?! All this time, the only way I managed to defeat them was because I was working together with Agumon! I shared my DigiSoul with him so he could digivolve and be strong enough to protect our home.
Leomon raised his other arm in which he now held his sword. My eyes widened as I realized what was about to happen.
"I would have preferred to deal with you in a kind way, but you are a nuisance", the lion man growled as he held his weapon in the air. "Any last words, human?"
"Masaru!" Eve yelled from the other side of the subway station.
I didn't realize a small tear ran down my left cheek as emotions swirled in my heart. I had so much to say to Agumon and ask for his forgiveness, but now… I'll never get to do that!
"I'M SORRY, AGUMON!" I yelled as loudly as I could in remorse.
"PEPPER BREATH!"
Leomon roared out in pain as he got hit by two fireballs on his right side. The sudden attack forced him to let go of me, which was a huge relief. I fell down on my backside and quickly pushed myself up with one hand as I used the other to rub my sore throat and coughed to clear the air way.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Boss!" a familiar voice yelled.
I looked up and couldn't it at first. Agumon was here!
"Agumon?!" I gasped in shock.
My partner ran across the station to reach me with one of his clawed hands clenched into a fist. "I realized I need you to become stronger, Boss. So… Let's become a team again", he said before he opened his fist to reveal my Digivice.
He felt the same way of how I felt? We really were like two peas in one pod. I grabbed the Digivice and gave my partner a nod and a smile. "Right! We are, after all, the ultimate team!"
"Yeah! It's fighting time!" Agumon nodded.
"DigiSoul Charge!"
"Agumon digivolve to…GeoGreymon!"
XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV
Leomon recovered from the assault and growled at the sight of the newly evolved Digimon. "So your partner arrived in the last minute to save you, human?" He raised his sword again and aimed it at GeoGreymon. "No matter; I shall defeat you both!"
"Not under my watch!"
Leomon barely had time to react and block the incoming katana glowing in purple DigiSoul with his weapon. Eve glared at the lion Digimon as she strained herself to push him back.
"Why are you attacking me, partner? We are meant to be a team!" Leomon shouted.
"I already have a partner and it's Dorugamon!" Eve retorted determinedly. "I'll never be partner with a Digimon that's after my DigiSoul!"
"Eve, stand back! It's our turn now!" Masaru yelled.
The blackette nodded before she quickly jumped back as GeoGreymon took a big step towards Leomon, crushing the railroad under his feet. The rogue Digimon smirked as he sheathed his sword and got into a pose with both hands clenched into fists.
"Come at me", Leomon taunted.
GeoGreymon growled through his bared teeth before flames spilled out of his mouth. "Mega Flame!"
"Fist of the Beast King!"
Leomon punched the flames with his burning fist, causing an explosion with smoke covering the station. GeoGreymon saw nothing and coughed while trying to fan away the smoke, but he never saw Leomon coming. Leomon used his burning fist to punch the orange dinosaur on his head, but it barely did any damage thanks to the hard carapace. Leomon's intensions were to punch GeoGreymon in the eye like before, but Masaru's partner had moved around so much he missed it.
"Mega Roar!"
GeoGreymon released a war cry from his mouth that forced Leomon to cover his ears while he was pushed back by the force of the attack. He landed on the ground and kept covering his ears to withstand the noise.
"Dorugamon! Care to help us?!" Masaru yelled through the war cry.
"With pleasure!" Dorugamon nodded. "Cannonball!"
Eve's partner fired an iron sphere from his mouth at Leomon. The rogue Digimon saw the sphere from the corner of his eye, so he lowered one of his hands to intercept the attack.
"Fist of the Beast King!"
He launched an aura in the shape of a lion's head from his fist at the iron sphere. The two attacks collided with one another and the force made the sphere shatter into million pieces.
"Mega Burst!"
Leomon had one ear still covered, but he was able to snap up the noise of the other attack. He quickly realized Dorugamon's attack had been nothing but a distraction! He turned towards GeoGreymon and saw the incoming energy beam of fire approaching him. His eyes widened at the sight. He was about to draw his sword to intercept the attack, but it was too late. His body was swallowed by the Mega Burst attack as he roared in immense pain.
It didn't take long before Leomon transformed into a Digi-Egg, laying calmly on the now broken railroad.
"Alright! We did it!" Masaru cheered.
GeoGreymon and Dorugamon smiled to each other victoriously before they digivolved back to their Rookie forms. Eve was relieved that nothing horrible happened in the end, so she sheathed her katana.
Masaru approached Agumon who waited calmly on his partner. The boy held out his hand for a handshake. "We did it, Agumon!" the auburn-haired boy smiled.
"Yeah! Because we worked together as a team!" Agumon added.
"As long as we're a team, no Digimon can stand against us!" Masaru nodded.
"Yeah, 'cause we're the ultimate team, Boss!" Agumon smiled.
Masaru took a deep breath. "Listen, Agumon… I… I'm sorry for all the stuff I said to you. I didn't mean any of that."
"I'm just as guilty as you, Boss", Agumon shook his head.
"Next time, let's split the last fried egg in half so we both get a piece", Masaru suggested.
"Sounds good to me!" Agumon smiled.
Eve had picked up the Digi-Egg and now she and Dorumon approached the reunited team. "Agumon, how did you get here? You weren't with Yoshino or Thomas, right?" Dorumon asked.
"Grandpa brought me here", Agumon explained.
"Grandpa? You mean the Commander-General?" Masaru questioned.
"Yeah! He really surprised me with his condition. He's fast for an old man", Agumon said.
"Really? I never expected that from him", Masaru said in surprise.
"Grandfather is always full of surprises", Eve smiled.
The group soon started laughing to release the tension they have been carrying in their bodies throughout the whole day. However, things got rocky when Yoshino and Thomas showed up and scolded the two teams for creating the mess of the subway, but then calmed down when they saw Eve was safe after the kidnapping.
XXXXXXXXXX
Yep, I switched BlackGarurumon with Leomon to create more drama. I hope you guys don't mind that I switch the rogue Digimon and their evolutions from time to time. I'm certain the animators made Elecmon digivolve to BlackGarurumon to add a classic scene featuring GeoGreymon and the big wolf.