Digital Souls
By Wanderer D
Chapter 6
"Matt! Matt!" Called a familiar female voice, but try as he might, the Maverick Hunter could not remember who she might be.
Zero opened his eyes to find he was in the middle of a forest. It seemed to be day time but he couldn't see the sun. Shrugging, he started looking around for some clue as to how he got there.
"Matt! Matt!" the female voice continued, growing more urgent.
Zero turned around trying to identify the origin of the voice. It seemed to come from everywhere, although he was sure it was because of an echo.
"Matt! Come back!" the voice insisted.
This time he was able to deduce the point of origin of the voice. It came from his left. Turning, he could now see a small trail.
Walking down the discovered trail, he was now able to hear another sound; the familiar sound of blasters and explosions. Zero started running towards the sounds, only to stop suddenly in front of a mirror that had materialized on his way.
He stared at his own reflection for a moment. He wasn't wearing his normal red armor; instead, he was using the, stronger black version he had used against Repliforce.
Shaking his head, he tried to find the sounds or the voice again, but he couldn't. Wondering what a mirror was doing in the middle of the forest he walked around it, stopping once again facing his reflection.
The mirror glowed, and his reflection was replaced by an image of himself instructing X not to get involved in the fight against the Mavericks.
Why was he doing that? Oh, yes, X wasn't designed to fight. But then why did leaving him behind seem wrong? Staring at the image, he noted the crystal in his helm shining with a white 'W' inside it.
Suddenly the image was replaced by X about to be finished by Vile. Zero saw himself blow off Vile's Vehicle's arm, but when he knelt besides X, he changed into a young boy of about ten to twelve years old.
The boy helped X to his feet, then was replaced by Zero again as he berated the Reploid on his interference.
***
"Zero... promise me!" It was the voice of a young boy, familiar, but the Digidestined couldn't put a face to it. Or a name.
Matt ran down the metal corridor, gradually getting closer to the origin of the plea.
"If I go Maverick, you have to stop me!" The voice pleaded.
Matt slid to a stop in front of a large door.
"Can I count on you, Zero?" the voice asked.
Matt grabbed the side of the door and pulled, opening it just a little. The voice was coming from the inside.
Pulling the door completely open, he stepped into a gigantic room with a lake in the center. Matt looked around the place, but was unable to find anyone or anything.
Sitting down next to the lake, he looked into the waters. He was greeted by his own image. Suddenly, the surface of the water blurred and he found himself looking at the camp where it had all started.
He watched his brother, T.K. run around happily. He saw himself smiling, but when it started to snow, he was replaced by an armored robot-like teenager with long blonde hair. He looked familiar, and Matt sensed that he should know who it was.
The robot picked T.K. up, much as he had done and carried him into the small house with the others.
Matt found himself a little saddened at the lack of trust the robot was showing T.K., but he knew his little brother wasn't capable of taking care of himself at that moment as he could now.
Then he saw that same robot marching towards Myotismon's last evolution, walking alongside Tai.
The robot then changed into Matt when he grabbed Tai's hand, placing his faith in his brother and Kari and Tai. It was Matt the arrow from Angemon struck, not the robot.
Then he turned back into the robot again when he had turned to stare at his mother.
"Zero..." The same voice he had heard repeated, and Matt jumped up, still staring at the lake, which had started shifting again.
"Matt..." Said the girl's voice again, and Zero took a step back as the mirror glowed yet again.
Suddenly they were bombarded with images.
Matt saw himself playing the harmonica for Gabumon. Zero saw himself telling X again to wait while he took care of things.
Matt saw the robot, instead of him, pushing Tai away from Gabumon forcefully, knowing that Tai wasn't talking seriously when he asked Gabumon for his pelt.
Zero saw the young boy, not him, jumping on the back of Vile's war machine and blowing up, knowing that X wouldn't survive against those odds.
Various memories and images played themselves in front of Matt and Zero, sometimes replacing Zero with the young boy, sometimes replacing Matt with the Reploid. The memories rushed, faster and faster, until, finally they stopped.
Zero stood in front of the mirror, now noticing the tag that hung from his neck, bearing the symbol of friendship.
Matt kneeled down, looking into the lake, his hand gripping the handle of the energy sword harder until his knuckles were white.
Matt now saw the robot. "No," he thought. "Reploid." looking at him.
Zero extended his hand towards the mirror that showed the young boy, noticing that the reflection of the mirror emulated his action.
Matt touched the surface of the water at the same moment Zero touched the mirror.
Everything turned white, and they found themselves standing side by side in front of the rotating symbol of Friendship, that had somehow grown to their size.
"The only thing that marked you as being yourself when you were lost was the value you gave to your friends and family." Intoned the female voice.
"You fought your way towards that value, and thus survived." Added the childish voice.
"No one else could've fought the same battle you fought, and no one else would have made it this far and gotten such a prize." Said both voices in unison.
The symbol of friendship floated up, and below it Matt and Zero could see the forms of various people.
There was Tai standing next to Agumon, Izzi and Tentomon, Sora and Biyomon, Mimi and Palmon, Joe and Gomamon, T.K. and Patamon, Kari and Gatomon, Peregrine and Gabumon, Dr. Cain and X, Iris and Colonel, Magma Dragoon and Shocker. Leomon, Andromon and Afroman were there too, along with a number of other Digimon and Reploids. Everyone bathed in the light of the symbol of Friendship.
"No one else." Repeated both voices.
Matt and Zero looked at each other in surprise, before smiling and shaking hands. They were bathed in warm light as everything faded from view into whiteness.
***
Matt opened his eyes as T.K. was backing away a little to give him space to sit up.
"Are you okay, Matt? You were tossing and turning." His brother asked.
Matt rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay now, T.K., I was just dreaming."
"Really? About what?"
Matt smiled at his brother. "Nothing interesting, T.K."
"Matt?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you going to tell me where you went? Gabumon found you pretty fast, but you somehow got your hair longer, and you also look taller."
"Well, T.K., I went to a world where everyone fought, and I had to fight too for a while. I met Pereg- Jessie there and another friend I'm hoping you to meet. His name is X."
"What kind of a name's X?" Asked Patamon perching on T.K.'s shoulder.
"Well, it's not his fault Dr. Light called him like that." Jessie muttered.
"And this friend of yours fought too?" Asked Izzi sitting next to them, followed by Tentomon.
Matt nodded. "Yup. X's probably the most powerful Reploid to ever walk the Earth.
"Reploid?" Kari asked also joining the conversation along with Gatomon.
"Yeah!" Gabumon commented. "Reploid are like robots, but able to feel and touch and cry..."
Izzi looked very interested by now. "But, that shouldn't happen, robots are machines. They can't feel."
Gabumon shook his head. "I couldn't understand it at first, but you should think of them as real people, only made of circuits and metal."
"Right." Izzi deadpanned.
"But I know for a fact that they feel! Just like-" Gabumon was interrupted when Matt grabbed him, sweating a little.
"Now, now, Gabumon, we don't want to bore them out of their minds. With small details, right?" He asked, grinning foolishly at the others.
Gabumon pulled Matt's hand from over his muzzle. "But, what about Sigma, the Dragoons, Dr. Cain, Spray Rat..." Matt closed Gabumon's muzzle with his hand.
"Uh, no. We should concentrate on Piedmon; there will be time for stories later, right, Jessie?" Matt insisted.
Jessie rolled her eyes. "Sure."
Sora was suddenly standing next to Jessie. "So tell me, Jessie, how long have you and Matt been dating?"
"Well, um, about a week or so..."
"A WEEK?!"
Sora jumped in front of Matt, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him.
"How could you not tell us you had a girlfriend all this time?!" She demanded.
"Well..." Matt said, shifting from foot to foot.
At that moment Tai came running from his watch, followed by Agumon. They both looked a little worried.
"Guys! I've just seen an enemy coming this way! It's Ladydevimon!"
"A what?" Jessie asked.
"A female version of Devimon!" Gabumon informed her. She blink blinked, still in the dark.
Tai turned around. "Listen, I have a feeling that we'll need all the Digidestined here for the battle with Piedmon, Sora, you and Izzi take Birdramon and Kabuterimon and find Mimi and Joe."
"But, you'll need us here!" Izzi argued.
Matt placed his hand on Izzi's shoulder. "Go find them, we'll help here. I also have the feeling that all of us should be together."
Just then Ladydevimon stopped over their heads hovering. "Digidestined! I will kill you by the order of Piedmon!"
Jessie braced herself for battle, analyzing her enemy. She looked like a 20- 30 year old woman in very good condition. She was dressed in what looked like leather and it covered her completely except for the chin and mouth, it also covered what seemed to be two long horns that sprouted from Ladydevimon's head.
"Gatomon Digivolve!" Kari told her Digimon. Gatomon nodded.
"Gatomon Digivolve..." The cat-like Digimon was surrounded by white light as its body elongated and grew. "Angewomon!"
When the light faded, where Gatomon had once stood now was a female angel with a helm that covered her eyes.
Where Ladydevimon was a seductress surrounded by evil, Angewomon was refined and emitting dignity. And also cold anger.
Jessie sensed that this battle would be in the hands of Angewomon. She had seen the looks shared by those two and she wouldn't want to be caught in the crossfire.
***
The huge, muscled, battle-scarred and feral-looking were-lion that was Leomon dared take a peek outside from inside the ruined house where he was hiding.
He had found Joe and Mimi, along with Gomamon and Palmon helping Ogremon out and had saved the group from Puppetmon's and Metal Etemon's battle.
Then, he had brought them all to the deserted town, where he had told them his story and the resent events. They had seen the forest part of Spiral Mountain disappearing and had guessed at Puppetmon's demise at the hands of the other Digidestined.
It had been a couple of hours since then, and nothing had happened in that time. Suddenly, he noticed something, or rather someone walking into the small town.
It was a young human boy, with blue hair and blue metallic gauntlets, he was wearing a yellow T-shirt and blue Jeans.
He was walking around the town, looking around as if he was searching for something... or someone.
Frowning, Leomon hurried into the house where Mimi, Joe, Gomamon, Palmon and Ogremon were.
Leomon looked at Ogremon in disgust before telling them anything. His rivalry with the green smelly creature that looked like a mixture of a boar, human and oni had been a long one, getting worse when Devimon had controlled them both.
But this was not the time to dwell on the past.
"There's another human boy out there." He informed them.
"Really? Who is it?" Mimi asked.
Leomon shook his head. "I don't know, he's not one of the group you were in when we met."
"But, I thought we were the only humans here. He was human, right?" Joe asked Leomon, as he stood up.
Leomon nodded. "He was no Digimon."
"With Metal Etemon looking for us he might be in trouble!" Mimi exclaimed a little worried.
Ogremon stood up. "Then we must warn him, or at least find out what he's doing here."
"Right!" Mimi said.
***
X looked at his radar yet again. The red dot was in this town, no doubt, but Dr. Cain's radar could only detect the general area where Zero's Digivice would be. Unbeknownst to him, Dr. Cain had sent him a full day before Zero, Gabumon and Peregrine's arrival to the Digital World.
He had followed the red dot in the radar into this deserted town, hoping to see his friends after 5 years. His motion detectors informed him that a small group was approaching.
He had found no hostiles so far in this world, but he remembered Zero's and Gabumon's warnings, so he became attentive to anything out of the norm.
The first one to approach him looked a little like Slash Beast. But, unlike the late Maverick, this were-lion carried his power with more dignity.
Behind him stood two kids whom he didn't recognize. One was a girl with long golden-brown hair in a western style dress and with a pink cowboy hat.
A little taller than her, a scrawny-looking boy with blue hair cut short, thick glasses, a white sweater and shorts stood nervously next to the two Digimon that seemed ready to protect them. One looked like the sapling of a palm tree with a red flower on it's head and bug-like eyes. The other looked like the cross of a seal and a dog. White with purple stripes.
He noticed that both kids had Digivices and sighed. Almost.
"Hey, you wouldn't have happened to see Zero, Peregrine and Gabumon pass by, have you?"
Everyone stopped short at his mention of Gabumon. "You know Gabumon?!" The seal asked.
X nodded as he remembered his friend's descriptions from long ago. "Yes, and you wouldn't be Gomamon, Palmon, Mimi and Joe?"
This surprised everyone even more.
"Have we met?" Joe asked, pushing his glasses up a little to take a better look at him.
X shook his head. "No, but Zero and Gabumon told me about you."
"Who's Zero?" Palmon asked.
"Uh, yeah, that's right! You guys know him as Matt." X reasoned.
"Who are you?" Gomamon asked. "We didn't meet you on Earth and you couldn't have got our stories from Matt knowing him only for a few minutes before losing him."
"Well, I can say that I've known Matt for a few years..." X started.
Just then an explosion rocked the ground where they were standing, and Metal Etemon waltzed into the town.
X saw a silver monkey in a full body pajama standing there with a microphone in his hand.
Metal Etemon gathered energy in his hands and sent a green ball at Mimi and the others.
In a flash X was in front of them as his internal systems analyzed the green ball. Pulling out his antiviral-laser sword he batted it away.
"Hey why did you do that, twerp?!" Metal Etemon raged as the others stared at him.
"The friends of Zero are my friends." X stated as his armor started appearing instead of his clothes. "And I don't think you are one of them."
When his transformation finished, X stood in a defensive position. He now sported a stylized samurai-looking helmet, whole body armor with white edges against a deep metallic blue. His boots had also changed, instead of the normal blue boots; he now had metallic blue boots with golden highlights going in three lines.
Joe and the others continued to stare at X while Mimi's eyes became small stars. "What a hunk!" She whispered. Palmon heard her, however, and elbowed her. "This is not the time for this!"
Metal Etemon considered this new development, but he was sure that, since he was the most powerful being in the world, he wouldn't have any problems with them.
"Now I'll show you a trick Zero taught me!" X shouted as he jumped and landed just in front of Etemon.
"Raijingeki!" X shouted shoving his sword forward. Etemon was subjected to hundreds of Watts cursing through his body.
"Shippuuga!" The Reploid dashed towards Etemon slashing at the same time with his sword, and cutting a gash in the monkey's suit.
"Kuuenbu!" Immediately after the slash, X jumped into the air, spinning with his sword cutting at Etemon.
"Hyouretsuzan!" X stopped in mid spin and turned his sword into a spike made of ice of about his same height. He descended stabbing Metal Etemon with it.
The monkey was frozen in place just as he was starting to register pain.
"Ryuenjin!" Said X the moment he landed, doing an uppercut slash with his sword, which was surrounded by fire. The ice covering the monkey shattered and he was surrounded by flames.
Metal Etemon was about to shout in agony when X landed and slashed down once, twice and finally slashed again diagonally.
Etemon stared incredously at X before becoming digidust.
X sighed, putting his sword away as his armor turned into clothes. He turned around to face the Digidestined and their friends.
"Well, not as good as Matt, but I think I've got the hang of it." He said self critically.
Joe fainted.
***
The group was gathered around a small fire, surrounded by one of the many forests that covered the Digiworld.
They had decided to go to Primary Village which Ogremon had mentioned was in a bad state. They had been joined by Gekomon a small creature that looked terribly underfed and also looked like a frog with a hornet twisted around his neck, and Otamamon, who looked like a Tadpole.
"So, X, you said that Matt taught you those attacks?!" Mimi asked incredously.
Leomon had been very impressed by X's prowess, but also found it difficult to believe that Matt would've been able to do that. Much less teach it.
X blink-blinked. "Yeah, I mean, I know Matt could have taught me better, but he, Peregrine and Gabumon wanted to get out of the city as soon as possible and get here." He said.
"But that's impossible! Matt never fought good enough to be able to teach someone something like that! At the most he traded punches with Tai!" Joe argued.
"Well, since he came to my world, the two of us got into a lot of fights. I think Matt told Gabumon that the Mavericks we had to fight were like Mega level Digimon... but if that Metal Etemon was a Mega level Digimon, I have to say that Matt alone has fought worse."
Joe's eyes rolled and he fainted again. "Joe!" Gomamon muttered putting one of his fins to his head. "You've got to be kidding."
The others however were looking at X in disbelief.
"Like who?" Ogremon asked.
"Well, Sigma, of course, Vile, Magma Dragoon, Colonel, Repliforce's General, me..." X looked thoughtful for a moment. "Although Sigma was the hardest. He kept upgrading himself and one we had to attack him both at the same time to defeat him."
This was a little too much for Mimi, who also fainted.
Palmon ran up to her and shook her awake. "Mimi!"
"Oh, Palmon, I had this dream... I dreamt that Matt had been fighting Mega Level Digimon bare handed and winning..."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, he wasn't bare handed and they weren't Digimon. That was just a comparison." X provided.
"It wasn't a dream?!" Mimi shouted panicking.
"Um... no?" Palmon informed her friend.
"It's impossible!" Mimi cried out.
Immediately Gekomon and Otamamon were at her side. "Is there anything you need, your majesty?"
"Don't call me MAJESTY!" Mimi shouted.
***
End Chapter 6
By Wanderer D
Chapter 6
"Matt! Matt!" Called a familiar female voice, but try as he might, the Maverick Hunter could not remember who she might be.
Zero opened his eyes to find he was in the middle of a forest. It seemed to be day time but he couldn't see the sun. Shrugging, he started looking around for some clue as to how he got there.
"Matt! Matt!" the female voice continued, growing more urgent.
Zero turned around trying to identify the origin of the voice. It seemed to come from everywhere, although he was sure it was because of an echo.
"Matt! Come back!" the voice insisted.
This time he was able to deduce the point of origin of the voice. It came from his left. Turning, he could now see a small trail.
Walking down the discovered trail, he was now able to hear another sound; the familiar sound of blasters and explosions. Zero started running towards the sounds, only to stop suddenly in front of a mirror that had materialized on his way.
He stared at his own reflection for a moment. He wasn't wearing his normal red armor; instead, he was using the, stronger black version he had used against Repliforce.
Shaking his head, he tried to find the sounds or the voice again, but he couldn't. Wondering what a mirror was doing in the middle of the forest he walked around it, stopping once again facing his reflection.
The mirror glowed, and his reflection was replaced by an image of himself instructing X not to get involved in the fight against the Mavericks.
Why was he doing that? Oh, yes, X wasn't designed to fight. But then why did leaving him behind seem wrong? Staring at the image, he noted the crystal in his helm shining with a white 'W' inside it.
Suddenly the image was replaced by X about to be finished by Vile. Zero saw himself blow off Vile's Vehicle's arm, but when he knelt besides X, he changed into a young boy of about ten to twelve years old.
The boy helped X to his feet, then was replaced by Zero again as he berated the Reploid on his interference.
***
"Zero... promise me!" It was the voice of a young boy, familiar, but the Digidestined couldn't put a face to it. Or a name.
Matt ran down the metal corridor, gradually getting closer to the origin of the plea.
"If I go Maverick, you have to stop me!" The voice pleaded.
Matt slid to a stop in front of a large door.
"Can I count on you, Zero?" the voice asked.
Matt grabbed the side of the door and pulled, opening it just a little. The voice was coming from the inside.
Pulling the door completely open, he stepped into a gigantic room with a lake in the center. Matt looked around the place, but was unable to find anyone or anything.
Sitting down next to the lake, he looked into the waters. He was greeted by his own image. Suddenly, the surface of the water blurred and he found himself looking at the camp where it had all started.
He watched his brother, T.K. run around happily. He saw himself smiling, but when it started to snow, he was replaced by an armored robot-like teenager with long blonde hair. He looked familiar, and Matt sensed that he should know who it was.
The robot picked T.K. up, much as he had done and carried him into the small house with the others.
Matt found himself a little saddened at the lack of trust the robot was showing T.K., but he knew his little brother wasn't capable of taking care of himself at that moment as he could now.
Then he saw that same robot marching towards Myotismon's last evolution, walking alongside Tai.
The robot then changed into Matt when he grabbed Tai's hand, placing his faith in his brother and Kari and Tai. It was Matt the arrow from Angemon struck, not the robot.
Then he turned back into the robot again when he had turned to stare at his mother.
"Zero..." The same voice he had heard repeated, and Matt jumped up, still staring at the lake, which had started shifting again.
"Matt..." Said the girl's voice again, and Zero took a step back as the mirror glowed yet again.
Suddenly they were bombarded with images.
Matt saw himself playing the harmonica for Gabumon. Zero saw himself telling X again to wait while he took care of things.
Matt saw the robot, instead of him, pushing Tai away from Gabumon forcefully, knowing that Tai wasn't talking seriously when he asked Gabumon for his pelt.
Zero saw the young boy, not him, jumping on the back of Vile's war machine and blowing up, knowing that X wouldn't survive against those odds.
Various memories and images played themselves in front of Matt and Zero, sometimes replacing Zero with the young boy, sometimes replacing Matt with the Reploid. The memories rushed, faster and faster, until, finally they stopped.
Zero stood in front of the mirror, now noticing the tag that hung from his neck, bearing the symbol of friendship.
Matt kneeled down, looking into the lake, his hand gripping the handle of the energy sword harder until his knuckles were white.
Matt now saw the robot. "No," he thought. "Reploid." looking at him.
Zero extended his hand towards the mirror that showed the young boy, noticing that the reflection of the mirror emulated his action.
Matt touched the surface of the water at the same moment Zero touched the mirror.
Everything turned white, and they found themselves standing side by side in front of the rotating symbol of Friendship, that had somehow grown to their size.
"The only thing that marked you as being yourself when you were lost was the value you gave to your friends and family." Intoned the female voice.
"You fought your way towards that value, and thus survived." Added the childish voice.
"No one else could've fought the same battle you fought, and no one else would have made it this far and gotten such a prize." Said both voices in unison.
The symbol of friendship floated up, and below it Matt and Zero could see the forms of various people.
There was Tai standing next to Agumon, Izzi and Tentomon, Sora and Biyomon, Mimi and Palmon, Joe and Gomamon, T.K. and Patamon, Kari and Gatomon, Peregrine and Gabumon, Dr. Cain and X, Iris and Colonel, Magma Dragoon and Shocker. Leomon, Andromon and Afroman were there too, along with a number of other Digimon and Reploids. Everyone bathed in the light of the symbol of Friendship.
"No one else." Repeated both voices.
Matt and Zero looked at each other in surprise, before smiling and shaking hands. They were bathed in warm light as everything faded from view into whiteness.
***
Matt opened his eyes as T.K. was backing away a little to give him space to sit up.
"Are you okay, Matt? You were tossing and turning." His brother asked.
Matt rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay now, T.K., I was just dreaming."
"Really? About what?"
Matt smiled at his brother. "Nothing interesting, T.K."
"Matt?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you going to tell me where you went? Gabumon found you pretty fast, but you somehow got your hair longer, and you also look taller."
"Well, T.K., I went to a world where everyone fought, and I had to fight too for a while. I met Pereg- Jessie there and another friend I'm hoping you to meet. His name is X."
"What kind of a name's X?" Asked Patamon perching on T.K.'s shoulder.
"Well, it's not his fault Dr. Light called him like that." Jessie muttered.
"And this friend of yours fought too?" Asked Izzi sitting next to them, followed by Tentomon.
Matt nodded. "Yup. X's probably the most powerful Reploid to ever walk the Earth.
"Reploid?" Kari asked also joining the conversation along with Gatomon.
"Yeah!" Gabumon commented. "Reploid are like robots, but able to feel and touch and cry..."
Izzi looked very interested by now. "But, that shouldn't happen, robots are machines. They can't feel."
Gabumon shook his head. "I couldn't understand it at first, but you should think of them as real people, only made of circuits and metal."
"Right." Izzi deadpanned.
"But I know for a fact that they feel! Just like-" Gabumon was interrupted when Matt grabbed him, sweating a little.
"Now, now, Gabumon, we don't want to bore them out of their minds. With small details, right?" He asked, grinning foolishly at the others.
Gabumon pulled Matt's hand from over his muzzle. "But, what about Sigma, the Dragoons, Dr. Cain, Spray Rat..." Matt closed Gabumon's muzzle with his hand.
"Uh, no. We should concentrate on Piedmon; there will be time for stories later, right, Jessie?" Matt insisted.
Jessie rolled her eyes. "Sure."
Sora was suddenly standing next to Jessie. "So tell me, Jessie, how long have you and Matt been dating?"
"Well, um, about a week or so..."
"A WEEK?!"
Sora jumped in front of Matt, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him.
"How could you not tell us you had a girlfriend all this time?!" She demanded.
"Well..." Matt said, shifting from foot to foot.
At that moment Tai came running from his watch, followed by Agumon. They both looked a little worried.
"Guys! I've just seen an enemy coming this way! It's Ladydevimon!"
"A what?" Jessie asked.
"A female version of Devimon!" Gabumon informed her. She blink blinked, still in the dark.
Tai turned around. "Listen, I have a feeling that we'll need all the Digidestined here for the battle with Piedmon, Sora, you and Izzi take Birdramon and Kabuterimon and find Mimi and Joe."
"But, you'll need us here!" Izzi argued.
Matt placed his hand on Izzi's shoulder. "Go find them, we'll help here. I also have the feeling that all of us should be together."
Just then Ladydevimon stopped over their heads hovering. "Digidestined! I will kill you by the order of Piedmon!"
Jessie braced herself for battle, analyzing her enemy. She looked like a 20- 30 year old woman in very good condition. She was dressed in what looked like leather and it covered her completely except for the chin and mouth, it also covered what seemed to be two long horns that sprouted from Ladydevimon's head.
"Gatomon Digivolve!" Kari told her Digimon. Gatomon nodded.
"Gatomon Digivolve..." The cat-like Digimon was surrounded by white light as its body elongated and grew. "Angewomon!"
When the light faded, where Gatomon had once stood now was a female angel with a helm that covered her eyes.
Where Ladydevimon was a seductress surrounded by evil, Angewomon was refined and emitting dignity. And also cold anger.
Jessie sensed that this battle would be in the hands of Angewomon. She had seen the looks shared by those two and she wouldn't want to be caught in the crossfire.
***
The huge, muscled, battle-scarred and feral-looking were-lion that was Leomon dared take a peek outside from inside the ruined house where he was hiding.
He had found Joe and Mimi, along with Gomamon and Palmon helping Ogremon out and had saved the group from Puppetmon's and Metal Etemon's battle.
Then, he had brought them all to the deserted town, where he had told them his story and the resent events. They had seen the forest part of Spiral Mountain disappearing and had guessed at Puppetmon's demise at the hands of the other Digidestined.
It had been a couple of hours since then, and nothing had happened in that time. Suddenly, he noticed something, or rather someone walking into the small town.
It was a young human boy, with blue hair and blue metallic gauntlets, he was wearing a yellow T-shirt and blue Jeans.
He was walking around the town, looking around as if he was searching for something... or someone.
Frowning, Leomon hurried into the house where Mimi, Joe, Gomamon, Palmon and Ogremon were.
Leomon looked at Ogremon in disgust before telling them anything. His rivalry with the green smelly creature that looked like a mixture of a boar, human and oni had been a long one, getting worse when Devimon had controlled them both.
But this was not the time to dwell on the past.
"There's another human boy out there." He informed them.
"Really? Who is it?" Mimi asked.
Leomon shook his head. "I don't know, he's not one of the group you were in when we met."
"But, I thought we were the only humans here. He was human, right?" Joe asked Leomon, as he stood up.
Leomon nodded. "He was no Digimon."
"With Metal Etemon looking for us he might be in trouble!" Mimi exclaimed a little worried.
Ogremon stood up. "Then we must warn him, or at least find out what he's doing here."
"Right!" Mimi said.
***
X looked at his radar yet again. The red dot was in this town, no doubt, but Dr. Cain's radar could only detect the general area where Zero's Digivice would be. Unbeknownst to him, Dr. Cain had sent him a full day before Zero, Gabumon and Peregrine's arrival to the Digital World.
He had followed the red dot in the radar into this deserted town, hoping to see his friends after 5 years. His motion detectors informed him that a small group was approaching.
He had found no hostiles so far in this world, but he remembered Zero's and Gabumon's warnings, so he became attentive to anything out of the norm.
The first one to approach him looked a little like Slash Beast. But, unlike the late Maverick, this were-lion carried his power with more dignity.
Behind him stood two kids whom he didn't recognize. One was a girl with long golden-brown hair in a western style dress and with a pink cowboy hat.
A little taller than her, a scrawny-looking boy with blue hair cut short, thick glasses, a white sweater and shorts stood nervously next to the two Digimon that seemed ready to protect them. One looked like the sapling of a palm tree with a red flower on it's head and bug-like eyes. The other looked like the cross of a seal and a dog. White with purple stripes.
He noticed that both kids had Digivices and sighed. Almost.
"Hey, you wouldn't have happened to see Zero, Peregrine and Gabumon pass by, have you?"
Everyone stopped short at his mention of Gabumon. "You know Gabumon?!" The seal asked.
X nodded as he remembered his friend's descriptions from long ago. "Yes, and you wouldn't be Gomamon, Palmon, Mimi and Joe?"
This surprised everyone even more.
"Have we met?" Joe asked, pushing his glasses up a little to take a better look at him.
X shook his head. "No, but Zero and Gabumon told me about you."
"Who's Zero?" Palmon asked.
"Uh, yeah, that's right! You guys know him as Matt." X reasoned.
"Who are you?" Gomamon asked. "We didn't meet you on Earth and you couldn't have got our stories from Matt knowing him only for a few minutes before losing him."
"Well, I can say that I've known Matt for a few years..." X started.
Just then an explosion rocked the ground where they were standing, and Metal Etemon waltzed into the town.
X saw a silver monkey in a full body pajama standing there with a microphone in his hand.
Metal Etemon gathered energy in his hands and sent a green ball at Mimi and the others.
In a flash X was in front of them as his internal systems analyzed the green ball. Pulling out his antiviral-laser sword he batted it away.
"Hey why did you do that, twerp?!" Metal Etemon raged as the others stared at him.
"The friends of Zero are my friends." X stated as his armor started appearing instead of his clothes. "And I don't think you are one of them."
When his transformation finished, X stood in a defensive position. He now sported a stylized samurai-looking helmet, whole body armor with white edges against a deep metallic blue. His boots had also changed, instead of the normal blue boots; he now had metallic blue boots with golden highlights going in three lines.
Joe and the others continued to stare at X while Mimi's eyes became small stars. "What a hunk!" She whispered. Palmon heard her, however, and elbowed her. "This is not the time for this!"
Metal Etemon considered this new development, but he was sure that, since he was the most powerful being in the world, he wouldn't have any problems with them.
"Now I'll show you a trick Zero taught me!" X shouted as he jumped and landed just in front of Etemon.
"Raijingeki!" X shouted shoving his sword forward. Etemon was subjected to hundreds of Watts cursing through his body.
"Shippuuga!" The Reploid dashed towards Etemon slashing at the same time with his sword, and cutting a gash in the monkey's suit.
"Kuuenbu!" Immediately after the slash, X jumped into the air, spinning with his sword cutting at Etemon.
"Hyouretsuzan!" X stopped in mid spin and turned his sword into a spike made of ice of about his same height. He descended stabbing Metal Etemon with it.
The monkey was frozen in place just as he was starting to register pain.
"Ryuenjin!" Said X the moment he landed, doing an uppercut slash with his sword, which was surrounded by fire. The ice covering the monkey shattered and he was surrounded by flames.
Metal Etemon was about to shout in agony when X landed and slashed down once, twice and finally slashed again diagonally.
Etemon stared incredously at X before becoming digidust.
X sighed, putting his sword away as his armor turned into clothes. He turned around to face the Digidestined and their friends.
"Well, not as good as Matt, but I think I've got the hang of it." He said self critically.
Joe fainted.
***
The group was gathered around a small fire, surrounded by one of the many forests that covered the Digiworld.
They had decided to go to Primary Village which Ogremon had mentioned was in a bad state. They had been joined by Gekomon a small creature that looked terribly underfed and also looked like a frog with a hornet twisted around his neck, and Otamamon, who looked like a Tadpole.
"So, X, you said that Matt taught you those attacks?!" Mimi asked incredously.
Leomon had been very impressed by X's prowess, but also found it difficult to believe that Matt would've been able to do that. Much less teach it.
X blink-blinked. "Yeah, I mean, I know Matt could have taught me better, but he, Peregrine and Gabumon wanted to get out of the city as soon as possible and get here." He said.
"But that's impossible! Matt never fought good enough to be able to teach someone something like that! At the most he traded punches with Tai!" Joe argued.
"Well, since he came to my world, the two of us got into a lot of fights. I think Matt told Gabumon that the Mavericks we had to fight were like Mega level Digimon... but if that Metal Etemon was a Mega level Digimon, I have to say that Matt alone has fought worse."
Joe's eyes rolled and he fainted again. "Joe!" Gomamon muttered putting one of his fins to his head. "You've got to be kidding."
The others however were looking at X in disbelief.
"Like who?" Ogremon asked.
"Well, Sigma, of course, Vile, Magma Dragoon, Colonel, Repliforce's General, me..." X looked thoughtful for a moment. "Although Sigma was the hardest. He kept upgrading himself and one we had to attack him both at the same time to defeat him."
This was a little too much for Mimi, who also fainted.
Palmon ran up to her and shook her awake. "Mimi!"
"Oh, Palmon, I had this dream... I dreamt that Matt had been fighting Mega Level Digimon bare handed and winning..."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, he wasn't bare handed and they weren't Digimon. That was just a comparison." X provided.
"It wasn't a dream?!" Mimi shouted panicking.
"Um... no?" Palmon informed her friend.
"It's impossible!" Mimi cried out.
Immediately Gekomon and Otamamon were at her side. "Is there anything you need, your majesty?"
"Don't call me MAJESTY!" Mimi shouted.
***
End Chapter 6