Back at the vault, the situation was less than encouraging. Metaldracomon, in a terrible rage, had burst back into battle mode. His wounds had all repaired themselves while Piximon's remained.
"You… INSECTS!" screamed Metaldracomon. "You've pushed me for the last time, and now you will feel my wrath!"
Metaldracomon charged forward, intent on killing his opponents swiftly and brutally. He tried to strike, but his blow was blocked by a swift move from the injured Piximon. The tiny digimon was able to hold off Metaldracomon for the moment, but his strength was quickly waning.
"DigiDestined!" called Piximon. "I can't continue this fight! The ball's in your court now! I only hope you've learned enough to win!"
"Silence!" shouted Metaldracomon, slapping Piximon away with his free claw.
Piximon was knocked into the far wall. He was rendered unconscious, and would clearly be unable to provide any further assistance.
"Kari, we've got to move fast!" said TK.
"Way ahead of you!" said Kari, lifting up her crest.
TK did the same, and both of their digivices activated. With an incredible burst of light, Gatomon digivolved to Angewomon, while Patamon digivolved to Angemon, and then again to Magna Angemon. With the light show completed, the two angels stood, protecting their partners from Mealdracomon's terrible rage.
"It's over, Metaldracomon," said Magna Angemon.
"We don't want to destroy you," said Angewomon. "But don't think we'll hesitate to do it should it become necessary."
"Enough of this!" said Metaldracomon. "C'mere, pretty angels! Let me clip those wings of yours!"
Metaldracomon rushed forward, slicing at the pair with his right claw as he charged. He wasn't quite fast enough though, as both digimon were able to dodge and come around behind him. Angewomon swiftly took aim with him Celestial Arrow, firing directly for Metaldracomon's head. The metal menace though had apparently not lost his reflexes in the least, as he quickly turned about and dragged his metal claw right through the attack, dispersing it without taking any damage whatsoever. Magna Angemon charged and slammed his shoulder into Metaldracomon's belly, pushing him with incredible force across the floor and burying him nearly a foot deep in the wall. The floor had been torn up from Metaldracomon's claws as he tried to resist, and the large dent in the wall fit snuggly around his frame. Before Magna Angemon could withdraw though, Metaldracomon regained his composure and grabbed him firmly with both arms and even his tail. Caught in a vicious bear hug, Magna Angemon saw no avenue of escape open to him. Angewomon tried aiming another Celestial Arrow, but even her expert marksmanship wouldn't be able to hit Metaldracomon without significant risk to Magna Angemon. Angewomon knew her only option was to hold back and wait for just the right moment.
"I can hear your bones crumbling…" whispered Metaldracomon. "How does it feel to know you're only moments away from oblivion?"
"You haven't won yet…" croaked Magna Angemon.
Summoning all his strength, Magna Angemon flexed his muscles and began to loosen Metaldracomon's grip just enough to let him bring out his Excalibur. The purple blade quickly extended, and with truly impressive skill, Magna Angemon brought it slicing down through Metaldracomon's right arm and tail, severing a good amount of both. Suddenly released from his captor, Magna Angemon dove out of the way.
"Now!" shouted Magna Angemon.
With her carefully established aim, Angewomon released her attack. Her aim was true, and it tore through Metaldracomon's left shoulder. The shimmering shaft of light remained stuck in Metaldracomon's arm, pinning him against the wall and causing him terrible pain. He was a wretched sight to say the least. Most of his right arm and tail had been sliced away, leaving only stumps that sparked with electricity. His jaw hung open in agony, dripping his caustic drool on the floor. As he screamed, the digimon and their partners began to notice some kind of dark energy that had infested Metaldracomon's body begin to leak from the open wound in the form of bits of black data.
"Metaldracomon…" said Magna Angemon upon once again approaching his former ally. "We have no desire to kill you. We can help you. Please, don't fight us."
Metaldracomon's only reply was to continue to struggle with the burning dart in his shoulder.
"Like it or not this is for your own good," Magna Angemon said as his wings rose to attention and began to emit a rainbow of color. "Magna Anti—"
With sudden vigor, Metaldracomon tore his left arm free from the wall. Though it had cost him much of his shoulder, Metaldracomon was free once again. He smashed his palm against Magna Angemon's face, grabbing his entire head in his hand. With a mighty heave, Metaldracomon hurled Magna Angemon at Angewomon, taking them both down with a mighty blow. While they were down, Metaldracomon summoned up the inner strength given to him by the virus that coursed in his veins. He began to regenerate his damaged body, repairing bone, tissue, armor, and robotics with equal ease. Within a matter of moments, all of his injuries had completely repaired themselves.
"I am restored once again!" shouted Metaldracomon. "Don't you see that I am invincible?! You can never win against me! I will crush you insignificant creatures so easily that it'll be embarrassing!"
Magna Angemon and Angewomon were back on their feet and ready for a brawl, but they knew their chances to be rapidly diminishing. Yet, fate had another card to deal them.
"Spider Shooter!" shouted a fiery voice from the hallway.
All of the room's occupants quickly looked to see what was going on, but it was Metaldracomon who got the biggest surprise of all. A series of four projectiles smashed into him at great speed, stirring up the rubble that was becoming a very common sight in the room by that point. The next surprise came when Infermon burst into the room with Wizardmon, Meramon, Willis, Davis, Michael, Cody, Yolei, Joe, and Izzy riding on his back, all trying to stay on the behemoth by holding tightly onto his spikes.
"Guys! You made it!" said TK.
"Come and get your equipment!" said Kari, who had been left burdened with the D-terminals, crests, and digivices.
"Bottom floor: digivices, super villains, and lawn furniture" announced Infermon, lowering himself to allow his passengers off.
"Prodigious!" exclaimed Izzy, rushing over to reacquire his digivice and reacquaint himself with his crest.
"Awesome!" said Yolei, also retrieving her equipment.
"Now this is what I'm talkin' about!" said Davis.
Everyone else shared fairly similar jubilant expressions, but Metaldracomon was meanwhile coming back to his senses. He was just about to attack when an explosion rocked the whole room from directly overhead. A gaping hole was soon seen above, and floating down from it was Lillymon, carrying Mimi and Sora, who has holding Yokomon in one arm. They all looked very happy to see their friends alive and well. Ogremon also leapt from the hole, making a rough landing in some of the debris from the fight. Terriermon helped carry Veemon down by using his ears as a parachute. Lopmon did the same for Wormmon, while Hawkmon brought down Armadillomon, with no small complaints about his weight, and Tentomon helped out Gomamon.
"Hi everybody!" Mimi greeted warmly as Lillymon landed gently.
"Mimi!" called Joe. "You seem… happy!"
"You better believe it!" said Sora.
"We gave these two the help they needed," said Lillymon.
"Here!" TK shouted as he tossed the girls their crests and digivices.
No sooner had the girls caught their crests than waves of green and red washed over the corrupted crests, returning them to their original glory.
"We did it!" said Yokomon excitedly.
"This can't be!" shouted Metaldracomon. "This is an INSULT!"
"Like it or not, this is real!" said Sora.
"Looks like you're outnumbered, Metaldracomon!" Mimi said as confidently as ever.
"No…" snarled Metaldracomon. "This… this can't be happening!"
"Hey Willis," whispered TK. "Just how did our new friend manage to digivolve?"
"Long story," said Willis. "In a nutshell, eating half a dozen Mekanorimon AND a Giromon apparently agreed with him."
"Surrender and make it easy on yourself!" insisted Wizardmon.
"The virus shall NEVER be toppled!" yelled Metaldracomon. "And I will prove it to you NOW!!!"
Suddenly, a powerful field of electrical energy surrounded Metaldracomon, tearing up the ground at his feet and blowing the debris away from him. His hair stood up on end as his muscles swelled and metal joints creaked. Sparks of electricity shot from his eyes and curled up and down his appendages. His wings stretched to their maximum extension. His entire body quaked with incredible power.
"And now…" grunted Metaldracomon. "I'll show you the true power of this body."
Metaldracomon's lips curled up in a vicious sneer. An instant later, he unleashed a massive amount of energy. He let out a terrible scream as he pulled his head and arms back. His muscles swelled to an incredible size, and a burst of light shot from his body in all directions. Everyone in the room shielded their eyes and tried to keep from being knocked off their feet be the shock wave. Gradually, the light died down. One by one, all those present in the room reopened their eyes and slowly glanced over at where Metaldracomon had stood. As the bright light faded into nothingness, a familiar figure appeared in the midst of it. Bolts of pure energy swam around him, curling up and around his massive, sinewy muscles. His armor glinted in the dim lighting, his wings stood taut, his chest moved in and out very slowly, and his tail swished around behind him hypnotically. The most fearsome part about him, though, was undoubtedly his eyes. Those cold green eyes of his seemed to stare straight through anyone who looked into them.
"B-B-Bahadramon!" Yolei squeaked.
"No way…" gasped Davis.
"This isn't exactly encouraging," said Wormmon.
"Stand tough," said Veemon. "He can't possibly beat all of us."
The great dragon digimon slowly began walking forward.
"And now… DigiDestined," said Bahadramon in a low, but very forceful voice. "Your time has passed. Your destiny is to fall to me here, today. I can't let you interfere with the grand scheme ever a—"
For no apparent reason, Bahadramon suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes had a strange look in them. He would've seemed completely frozen in place, if not for the fact that his muscles persisted in twitching. Several seconds passed with no new developments.
"What's happening to him?" asked Angewomon.
"Beats me," said Lillymon, moving in slightly.
"He seems stunned," said Magna Angemon taking a very close look.
Angewomon tried waving her hand in front of the dragon's face, but still received no response. Lillymon tried pinching his cheek but met with similar results. It was as if Bahadramon was in some kind of trance.
"I don't think we have to worry about him attacking us like this," said Angewomon.
"You guys be careful over there!" said Gomamon.
"Relax," said Lillymon. "We're on top of things."
Suddenly, Bahadramon stumbled forward, causing the digimon around him to leap back in surprise. Bahadramon landed hard on his hands and knees. He was sweating and breathing very heavily. He was clearly in pain, but no one could determine why. Bahadramon clasped a hand over his mouth, but nothing he could do would stop the inevitable. In, suffice to say, an unsavory scene, Bahadramon vomited up some kind of think, black fluid. The stuff dripped from his sharp teeth and stuck to his long, pointed tongue. It took Bahadramon several more heaves to sufficiently clear his body of the vile substance, but finally he spit the last of it out, leaving it in a puddle on the floor. He then proceeded to stand up very weakly.
"Oh great," said Joe. "Now I think I'M gonna' be sick."
"Me first," said Davis, who was looking a little green around the gills.
The digimon surrounding Bahadramon quickly got on guard as he stood up. He slowly calmed his heavy breathing and started to look around him.
"Guys?" asked the disoriented Bahadramon. "What's going on?"
"Bahadramon?" asked Kari with slight optimism.
"Kari?" asked Bahadramon as he rubbed his head struggled to stay on his feet. "Is that you?"
"You feeling alright?" asked Magna Angemon, quickly grabbing Bahadramon's right arm to help hold him up.
"I don't know," said Bahadramon, who had to back up against a wall to keep from losing his balance.
"What is this stuff?" asked Izzy while examining the black fluid.
"I bet I know what it is," said Lopmon. "It's gotta' be part of the virus."
"You think?" asked Armadillomon, taking a closer look at the goo.
"I don't doubt it for a second," said Lopmon.
"That's how the virus had control of Metaldracomon," said Joe.
"I see…" mused Izzy. "When he digivolved, he must've become too strong for the virus to handle."
"But why?" asked Yolei. "I mean, we've seen the virus control Mega digimon before. It didn't have any problem with Diaboromon or Kerpymon or even Protomon."
"This isn't the virus itself," surmised Izzy. "I bet the real virus, the core of its being, is inside Jack right now. This stuff must be like a copy or an extension of the original. It probably wasn't as strong as the core of the virus."
As this went on, the digignome sneaked up on TK. While he was engrossed in the conversation, the digignome swiped his hat.
"Hey!" shouted TK, instinctively grabbing at his hat.
The digignome evaded TK though and quickly headed into the vault. TK went after the little creature. After several seconds of looking through the vault for the digignome, TK came across something he did not expect.
"Hey guys!" called TK. "I think you'd better get in here!"
Following TK's request both the humans and digimon headed through the trashed vault door. Mimi had grabbed the unconscious Piximon from the wreckage and brought him along. Magna Angemon continued assisting the confused and exhausted Bahadramon. The small chamber was already crowded enough, so Infermon had to settle for simply sticking his head in through the door to watch what was happening. Once everyone found TK, they instantly understood the urgency of his call. The digignome, with TK's hat on its head, perched comfortably atop a glowing white digiegg.
"It can't be," said Meramon.
"I can't believe this," said Wizardmon. "I never imagined that I'd actually one day see this most sacred of places."
"What makes this place so great?" asked Davis. "It's a base for an evil computer virus bent on world domination."
"Don't you see?" asked Meramon. "Any place where this digiegg rests is sacred."
"Wow…" said Ogremon. "So that's what it looks like."
"If we can release him, our problems are over," said Wizardmon.
"Hold it right there!" said Davis. "I don't know where you guys were a few weeks ago, but in case you hadn't noticed, the thing inside that egg almost killed us all!"
"Don't worry, Davis," Kari said reassuringly. "Protomon isn't our enemy any more."
"How do you know that?" asked Willis.
"The digignome told me so," said Kari.
That remark got Kari a few odd glances, but most of the original DigiDestined and digimon seemed to understand.
"Well… if you say so," said Davis.
"But we still don't know how to free him," said Lillymon.
"Leave that to me," said Kari.
Slowly, Kari stepped forward and placed her hands on the digiegg. It glowed even brighter in response to her touch. They could hear the slightest hint of some beautiful music in the air.
"Protomon…" prayed Kari. "Hear my voice. Listen to the battles all around us. The digital world you gave birth to is in danger. You are needed once again. Hear my prayer, noble Protomon, and respond."
A brilliant light burst forth from the egg and it completely dissolved away in Kari's hands. The light quickly engulfed everyone in the room. And then, all was still.