A few moments later, Ken, Davis, Ryo, Cyberdramon, and Rika arrived at Rika's room, where Rika's mother and grandmother as well as Renamon were already gathered. The uninjured Calumon was fast asleep on a table, his feet twitching as though he was dreaming about chasing something. In the middle of the room lay Takato and Guilmon, using Rika's bed. They both looked badly injured. They were covered in bandages and taped-on gauze strips, all of which seemed to be doing a good job of soaking up the blood.

"Jeez, what happened?" Ryo asked quietly so as not to disturb those who were resting. "It looks like a building fell on them."

"You're not that far off," said Rika's mother. "When we got to them, the digimon was still buried under a pile of rubble."

"I think we'd better take this from the beginning," said Ryo.

"Okay, I'll explain," said Rika. "About an hour ago, we were all sitting around here when the phone rang. I answered it, but I didn't hear anyone on the other end. I almost hung up when I heard Takato's voice. It was weak and hard to hear at first, but then Calumon came on as clear as a bell. I asked him what was wrong, but he was completely confused as usual. All I could get out of him was the fact that something very bad had happened and a street number."

"I immediately headed out while Rika, her mother and grandmother got into their car," said Renamon. "I arrived at the location that Calumon had told us to come to in just a few minutes, but when I got there I was horrified. An incredibly destructive force had been through there very recently; I could still smell its foul odor. The nearby train had been sliced apart and the cut power lines had turned off power in most of the neighborhood. I then noticed a large heap of cement blocks, broken glass, and twisted metal on the street. Covered in dirt and dust and jutting from the debris, I could just barely make out the form of Takato, or rather his head and right arm. The rest of him was still buried. By the time I reached him he was unconscious. Calumon stood by a payphone on the other side of the street, but he approached as soon as he saw me. I wasted no time and began diligently uncovering Takato."

"We arrived a few minutes later," Rika's grandmother chimed in. "Renamon here had already managed to free Takato from the rubble and was trying to help that dinosaur out. We all helped to uncover him and we got both of them and that little white fellow to the car. Of course we headed right for the nearest hospital, but their power was out and they were already far too busy with injured people, many of whom were worse off than Takato was. We did manage to get to talk to a doctor for a few minutes, and he was very helpful. My, my… he was very handsome. He was tall with dark hair that had the slightest traces of graying around the temples. He was very distinguished looking. Oh my…"

"Anyway," said Rika. "He told us Takato didn't look like he was in any immediate danger, and we should just bandage him up and bring him in tomorrow morning."

"It's been a harrowing few months around here," said Rika's grandmother.

"You can say that again," said Renamon.

"Well I'm just glad he's alright," Ryo sighed.

"I wouldn't go that far," said Rika. "He's still pretty beat up. Same for Guilmon."

"So do you have any idea what might have happened?" asked Ryo.

"Hard to say," said Rika, a bit sadly. "The only one we've been able to talk to is Calumon, and he wasn't even making sense. The little guy's been scared stiff."

"Still, whatever he said might be useful," said Ryo.

"Alright," said Rika. "He just kept on babbling about some kind of big scary digimon that attacked them."

"Hold it," said Ken. "A big scary digimon? Sound like anyone we know, Davis?"

"Do you think it's him?" asked Davis. "I mean, there are a lot of scary digimon out there, and any one of them would be considered big next to Calumon there."

"True," said Ken. "But how many of them do you suppose there are sneaking around the city and destroying whatever gets in their way?"

"You've got a good point there," said Davis.

"So you think it's that NightmareOmnimon guy you're looking for?" asked Ryo.

"It's a pretty safe bet," said Ken.

"Then we'd better get going," said Ryo with a very determined look on his face.

"Huh?" asked Davis.

"You want to come with us?" asked Ken.

"Of course," said Ryo. "I'm not about to let this guy get away with hurting one of my friends. Besides, from what you've told me you could use all the help you can get."

"Count me in too," said Rika.

"And me," said Renamon.

"What?" asked Ryo. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm dead serious," said Rika. "Do you actually think I'd let you take all the credit, Mr. Hero? If we're going to fight this thing, we'd better do it all together."

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" said Davis. "With you guys helping us out, NightmareOmnimon is goin' down HARD!"

Rika rolled her eyes. "Oh great. Just my luck that I have to work with the king of all goggle heads."

"Goggle head?" asked Davis.

"Forget about it," said Rika. "Let's just move."

"We should head to the park first," said Ken. "We'll need Imperialdramon and GrandKuwagamon in case NightmareOmnimon decides to make an appearance."

"Naturally," said Cyberdramon. "But now I suppose you'll want me to carry you all."

"Oh I wouldn't even hear of it," said Rika's mother. "I'll drive you kids. Mom? Could you watch over Takato?"

"Of course dear," said Rika's grandmother. "Just be careful out there."

"No way mom," said Rika. "If this NightmareOmnimon guy is running around out there then it's way to dangerous."

"It's just as dangerous for you as it is for me," said her mother. "I won't let you go out there, at least not alone. I might have to accept the fact that you hang out with creatures from another world, but I can't have you throwing yourself into unnecessary danger."

"Your mother is right," said Renamon. "A car would be much quicker than going on foot. I'm afraid that Cyberdramon couldn't carry all of you at once."

"Watch what you say, fox," Cyberdramon snapped. "I could carry this whole room."

"Down boy, I didn't mean anything by it," said Renamon.

"Don't be offended dude, but I wouldn't mind having a nice padded seat in a car to sit on," said Davis. "That hide of yours is pretty rough on the ol' keister."

"A true fighter has more important concerns than his own rear-end," Cyberdramon growled.

"As stimulating as this conversation is, we really should be moving," said Ryo. "I don't think we have much time to spare when it comes to dealing with our new enemy."

"Right," said Rika.

Back at the Shinjuku Skyscrapers, everyone had found themselves in a bad position. Split apart from each other and surrounded by the chaotic mass that was the D-Reaper, they were all looking for any means of escape they could manage. Wargreymon, Henry, Suzie, Yamaki, Lopmon, and Terriermon were trapped against a wall as the D-Reaper closed in from all sides.

"Tai! TAI!" shouted Wargreymon, looking around frantically for his partner.

"He's somewhere else!" said Henry. "Let's just be concerned with our own survival for the moment!"

"D-Reaper or not, I'm going to find Tai!"

"Are you NUTS?!" shouted Terriermon. "If you touch that stuff we'll be scraping Wargreymon bits off the walls for weeks!"

"I can't let this thing hurt Tai!" shouted Wargreymon.

"Henwy make it stop!" Suzie cried.

"Don't cry, Suzie," said Lopmon. "We'll find a way out!"

"Wargreymon, we have to get to safety!" Yamaki insisted. "Once that's done, you can come back for your tamer!"

"Alright, fine. Just stand back!" Wargreymon shouted as he braced himself.

Wargreymon threw himself into the wall, blowing through the spackling with ease. What he encountered on the other side was hardly what he had hoped for though. What he met with was nothing more than another room that was similarly completely engulfed in the D-Reaper.

"Oh great, now what?!" asked Henry.

"Uh… moumantai*?" suggested Terriermon.

"This is not the time!" Henry shouted.

"There's got to be some way out of this!" Yamaki snarled.

Wargreymon smirked and lifted his claws up over his head. "Well, you know what they say. The shortest path is always the most direct. Tornado!"

Wargreymon began to spin like a top, going faster and faster with every second. He kicked up a strong wind that not only threatened to throw his companions back away from him, but also managed to stall the D-Reaper's progression inward.

"Now take THIS!" Wargreymon yelled.

Wargreymon launched himself forward directly into the mass of red fluid. He burrowed directly into the D-Reaper, throwing it out of his path with ease and leaving a pathway through the chaos for his companions.

"Well I suppose that works," said Henry.

"Aw heck, I could've done THAT," said Terriermon.

"Somehow, I doubt that," said Lopmon.

"Hurry! We won't have much time!" said Yamaki.

The five of them immediately took off after Wargreymon. Elsewhere though, TK, Kari, Matt, Sora, Tai, Seraphimon, and Magnadramon were cornered in the stairwell leading down.

"There's just not enough room in here to attack!" said Seraphimon.

"Come on! Sure there is!" said Matt.

"Not if everyone wants to stay alive," said Magnadramon.

"Well we can't just stand here!" said Sora.

"There's got to be an some way to escape," said TK.

"You know, I just might have one…" said Seraphimon.

Seraphimon turned to the wall right beside them and formed a fist with his gauntlet-covered hand. He pulled back and then thrust his fist forward, striking a powerful blow that tore through the brick wall. Seraphimon removed his hand and Matt went up to the hole to look through.

"There's some of that D-Reaper on the other side," said Matt. "But it's a big room, and it'd be a lot easier to work in than this place!"

"Right!" said Magnadramon and Seraphimon.

The two digimon immediately set about smashing their way through the wall toward freedom. Back at the park, all of the other Mega digimon sat around in a circle. Preciomon and Vikemon eyed each other closely. Their stares were cold, their faces emotionless. Both squinted slightly. A bead of sweat rolled down Vikemon's temple.

"Got any…threes?" asked Vikemon.

"Um…" Preciomon hesitated, looking at the standard-sized cards in his flippers.

"Stop stalling," said Vikemon.

"Um… I can't tell," said Preciomon.

"You can't tell?" asked Vikemon.

"Well can you tell what hand you've got?" asked Preciomon.

"Not as such, no," said Vikemon.

"I told you this wouldn't work," said GrandKuwagamon. "Even holding these things is hard enough, especially when all you've got are giant pincers."

"I hear that," said HerculesKabuterimon.

Just then, the digimon heard a group of people approaching.

"Quick! Hide!" said Imperialdramon.

"Where?!" asked all the others.

"Oh… yeah…" said Imperialdramon.

Just then someone emerged from the trees. It was Davis.

"Hey guys!" Davis shouted. "I found them!"

"What are you doing back here?" asked Imperialdramon.

"We've got trouble," said Davis.

Soon the rest of Davis' little group emerged.

"Come on, we've got to find the others," said Ken.

"Is it NightmareOmnimon?" asked GrandKuwagamon.

"Who else?" asked Ken.

"Hold it!" said Cyberdramon, sniffing the air. "I sense something."

"It's familiar," said Renamon.

"What is?" asked Ryo.

"It's…" started Renamon.

"The D-Reaper!" said Cyberdramon.

"What?!" asked Rika. "That's impossible! The D-Reaper is in the Digital World, remember?"

"No, it's out there," said Renamon. "It's so pungent that I'm surprised all of you can't smell it!"

"This is really bad," said Ryo. "Come on! We have to hurry!"

Meanwhile, Metalgarurumon, Rosemon, Diaboromon, Valkyrimon, and Guardromon stood on the roof of a building right next to the skyscrapers with the programmers, Mimi, Izzy, Yolei, Willis, and Cody. The streets below were already flooding with the D-Reaper's ghastly form and running civilians. The red glow of the D-Reaper was basking everything in its ominous light.

"Do you think the others escaped?" asked Valkyrimon.

"I sure hope so," said Daisy.

"How could this have happened?" asked Cody.

"My tamer is still in there!" said Guardromon.

"We've got to do something!" said Mimi.

"Hurry! There may be little time to spare!" said Metalgarurumon.

"Diaboromon, I want you to go save the others!" said Willis. "Don't let the D-Reaper hurt them!"

"Immediately…" said Diaboromon.

"Wait!" shouted Mr. Wong, pointing to the top of the right tower. "Do you see that?!"

"What?" asked Izzy, looking up.

All eyes came to rest on a massive, shadowy figure atop the skyscraper. Despite the distance and the darkness, they could clearly make out the silhouette of the one and only NightmareOmnimon.

"Perfect timing…" Izzy grimaced.

"Do you think he's seen us?" asked Rosemon.

At that moment, NightmareOmnimon leapt from atop the building and fell like a stone, his huge cape billowing in the wind. At the very instant he became level with the building on which the group stood though, he came to an abrupt stop.

"I think that's a yes," said Mimi.

Bathed in the hellish glow of the D-Reaper, NightmareOmnimon looked down at the small group of humans and digimon with his solid white eyes. His cape continued to sway in the night air. One could hardly keep from trembling just from looking at him.

"Looks like he wants a fight," Valkyrimon said nervously.

"So let's give him one," said Yolei.

"I'm right behind you," said Metalgarurumon.

"No, don't," said Shibumi. "You and Guardromon should try to find those still trapped. I doubt you could concentrate on the battle knowing your partners were still in danger."

"Perhaps that would be wisest," said Metalgarurumon. "So be it. Coming, Guardomon?"

"Roger wilco!" said Guardomon.

"Alright, Diaboromon," Willis whispered. "New plan."

"Fight virus?" asked Diaboromon.

"Right."

"Good plan."

"I too will lend my aid in the fight," said Rosemon. "At the very least we can hold him off while you two rescue the others."

"Time to die," NightmareOmnimon growled.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[*Actually, I have no idea how to spell this word, but I gave it a shot.]