Tale of the Dark Digidestined
Runt of the Pack
Hikayo made a face as he unwrapped the plastic cling from his sandwich, noting with disgust that the cheese had melted off onto the cling wrap once again. He took one bite into the warm sandwich and forced himself to chew and swallow it. The sun burned down from the sky mercilessly, adding to his already near burn on his skin. His other camping friends had taken this opportunity to go swimming in the pond nearby, leaving Kayo all by himself to guard the camp. They said they would be back to guard the camp in shifts, but it was three hours later and they showed no signs of returning.
It was an uncharacteristically hot summer, even by Vancouver standards. The grass was drying up rapidly and even the supposedly cool camping tents offered no relief or shelter from the sun. At night it was still stifling. Kayo had heard reports of snow falling in Japan and floods in normally dry countries. If only they could get some of that flood here...any hotter and Kayo wouldn't even be able to keep his shirt on!
Suddenly, the sky darkened until it seemed like night. Kayo swore he heard a wet shredding sound as it did, and looked up into the sky. He wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted him.
The sky seemed to have been torn into shreads by a paper shredder, and now every other shread of sky displayed a dark forboding set of mountains that seemed to be standing on their peaks. Kayo scrambled to his feet, his head full of mixed emotions. The apocolypse?
From the sky, a bright red light flared and soon seemed to be moving towards the ground. Kayo stared at it, unsure of what to do. Then with a shock he realized the thing, whatever it could have been, was bearing down on his position. Kayo fled into the safety of his camping tent just as the object hit the ground. When he was sure the proverbal dust had settled, he catiously looked out.
A small crater had formed right at the front of his tent and something lay in it. Kayo reached out and brushed away some of the loose dirt hiding it. As soon as his fingers made contact with whatever it was, it emitted a beam of light and a shrill whistle. Kayo shrank back, startled, but soon mustered up enough courage to glance at his find.
A blood red electronic device of some sort, with black buttons and a circular screen, about the size of a pager. He didn't know why, but Kayo was drawn to the device, as if it was his. He was deathly afraid of it yet fascinated at the same time. He stuck his arm out and clasped the device.
The world began to spin wildly. Panicking, Kayo tried to let go of the device, but he couldn't. With a force that threatened to rip him apart, and unseen force ripped him off the planet's surface and into the air, towards the forboding mountians in the rip in the sky. He kept flying like a comet on crash course for the dinosaurs, straight for the middle of the area--a dark, menacing spiral mountain with what looked like a large bird's nest on top. He stopped flying with a shuddering halt, then began falling to the ground at a sickening speed. He thought he was going to hit the ground and splatter all over the place when, with a sharp jerk halted his downward descent--just before he hit the ground. The unseen force relaxed, dropping him to the ground. A ring of dust rose around Kayo as he coughed and crawled to his feet. The fact that his knees were like gel did not help.
"Goodie! Oh boy, it's a human! Can I eat him?" A scratchy, high-pitched voice cried excitedly. Kayo glanced around and saw a wolf-like animal staring excitedly at him, wagging it's tail. It had bright gold eyes like that of a wolf and it's lupine body was covered in shades of slivery blue. From the sides of his front legs facing out, two falcon-like wings grew out from the ankles, the feathers a darker shade of blue. It yipped happily and licked it's chops.
"No you may not," objected a forceful voice from behind Kayo. The boy spun around and found himself glancing up at a tall jester with a mean smile and a mask. Kayo flinched. Behind him, the winged wolf cowered slightly.
"This boy is your Dark Digidestined, and at no time shall you even think of devouring him, you silly fool," the jester continued. Kayo stared popeyed at the two.
"D-d-dark Digi-what?"
"Dark Digidestined," the jester snapped. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Piedmon, leader and last remaining digimon of the Dark Masters who were destroyed by the Digidestined. I am also the strongest level Digimon there is in the Digital World." Piedmon gestured around him for emphasis. "I have brought you here to aid me in disposing of these Digidestined fools, along with two others."
"And you expect me...to do just that? I mean, why me? Surely these...Digidestined that you speak of aren't anything beyond you, being the highest level Digi-whatsit in the world."
"Ohh, don't even go there!" The wolf cried, tucking its tail between its legs and hunkering down on the ground. Piedmon's lips curled into a snarl at that remark. He raised his hand in the air.
"Clown Trick!"
A ring of energy hit Kayo in the head and the world began to spin again. He couldn't think clearly anymore and everything rushed by in a blur at a dizzying pace. The light seemed to dim to an angry red and suddenly, it was gone. Kayo collapsed to his knees and groaned.
"That will teach you to defy me." Piedmon flung a medallion at Kayo's feet. The boy groped for it and finally lifted it up to his face. It had an obsidian black surface, and carved on it was an evil-looking logo of a fanged face. Seeing his blank expression, the wolf attempted to help.
"It's a tag and crest. It's a device that will help me digivolve stronger when it's activated."
"Digivolve...as in evolve? Like, grow?"
"Very good!" Piedmon said. "Yes indeed it does. This is the crest of Havoc. Use it well, and do not fail me. Clown Trick!"
With a dizzying flash, Kayo and the wolf found themselves in a thick forest. A figure in the darkness jumped slightly, but recovered. Kayo turned to face the new person.
"Uh...hi. I'm Kayo, Dark Digidestined."
"I'm Jareth, Dark Digidestined," the figure announced, walking out of the shadows. He wore sunglasses and was dressed entirely in black, and he was a bit older than Kayo. At his side was Venomon. "I see you're a new member to our team. There are seven Digidestined headed for Spiral Mountain, and one somewhere in these forests. He should be an easy target."
To himself, Jareth thought, [Pitiful kid. He looks so weak even a Numemon could take him at a moment's notice. What was Piedmon thinking?] Jareth stared down at the wolf at Kayo's heels. "And what Digimon might that be?"
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Aeromon, a rookie Digimon that is said to be fabled after the legendary wolf spirits of the forest. I'm your partner in crime for life!" Aeromon rubbed his face against Kayo's leg and growled happily. "Did I mention you smell like meat?"
"Cut it out, Aeromon, we're here to work with them, not eat them," Venomon growled.
"But I haven't had a bite in weeks! I gotta eat sometime!"
"Once we find that Digidestined, there will be plenty of meat."
"Venomon's right," Jareth agreed, his voice cold. "Let's go."
Some wolves live in a pack. Some wolves walk alone.
Gabumon quietly regarded his human friend as they continued their endless trek through the forest of File Island. These days, Matt would not speak a word unless he had to, and they had journeyed in silence, often hunger. Gabumon was beginning to wonder if this Matt was indeed the Matt he knew, or a stranger. He sighed to himself. But whatever Matt decided to do, Gabumon had to go along with it. After all, they were friends. And if Matt forgot what that had meant, it was up to Gabumon to remind the human boy.
Hidden in the nearby bushes, Jareth and Kayo regarded their prey in silence. Aeromon was eagerly shifting from foot to foot, his tail wagging rapidly.
[Perfect target for this boy to prove his worth.] Jareth turned to the boy.
"Get out there and cream him."
"What?"
"Piedmon doesn't like weaklings and nether do we. Get out there and prove your worth, kid. Show us a little boy like you has spunk."
"I am not little!" Kayo huffed angrily. He slunk out of the bushes with Aeromon in tow. Venomon glanced questioningly at Jareth.
"You sure about this?"
"Newbies need to gain respect. Besides," Jareth added coldly, "it saves energy."
Gabumon stopped dead in his tracks and looked around. "Matt, did you hear that-OW!"
"Gabumon!" Matt yelled, spinning around to see what had transpired. Gabumon kept yowling and Matt saw what was the cause of his pain--a wolf-like digimon had latched itself onto his Digimon's tail. Gabumon somehow managed to twist away and kick the attacker off. "Who is that?"
"It's Aeromon, but I've never heard of one so aggressive before," Gabumon explained. "Gabumon and Aeromon usually get along with each other--gah! Blue Blaster!"
Aeromon leapt into the air, spreading his wings for extra lift as the attack sailed harmlessly to the side. Flipping through the air, Aeromon landed a few paces away from Gabumon. His licked his chops gleefully, growling.
"Ah, fresh meat at last!" Aeromon yipped, lowering his head and unfurling his wings as he began to charge at an incredible speed. "Light Speed Strike!"
Gabumon had no time to dodge as Aeromon leapt at him and struck from the side, sending him tumbling a few feet at Matt's feet. Aeromon landed on all fours once again and got ready for a second attack. Matt took action.
"Gabumon! Digivolve!" Matt cried as his digivice began to glow. Suddenly, he was knocked off his feet and went tumbling to the ground. When he looked to see who his attacker was, he found himself staring face to face with another boy about his age or older. The boy smirked as he ripped the Digivice away from Matt's belt.
"I believe you'll be needing this," Kayo sneered as he tossed it over his shoulder and out of sight. Matt gasped and flung his attacker to the side, scrambling to his feet in pursuit of his Digivice, but Kayo managed to trip the other boy up by grabbing his left leg. Matt grunted and lashed out with his other foot, taking Kayo's cap off but failing to do anything more. Kayo grabbed Matt's other leg as his victim lashed out again and tried to stagger to his feet in this position. Matt squirmed in the dust, finally managing to twist around and deliver a mad punch at Kayo's face. Kayo's grip loosened, allowing Matt to scramble to his feet and take off while he still could.
Aeromon saw this and abandoned his death grip on Gabumon, racing off to halt the Digidestined boy. Spreading his wings once again, he bore down on Matt. Aeromon charged through the air just as Matt bent down to pick up his Digivice, causing the wolf Digimon to miss completely and crash headlong into a thick oak up ahead. A loud cracking sound ensured and the tree began to tumble--right onto Matt.
"Gabumon, Digivolve to...Garurumon!"
Garurumon smacked the tree trunk away with a swipe of his paw, sending it and Aeromon flying a few feet away with a loud crash. Kayo slammed his dusty cap back onto his head and ran off in that direction, only to be tripped up by Garurumon's large paw. Kayo tried to get up, but Garurumon's paw came down, pinning the boy solidly to the ground. Matt glared down at the boy.
"Okay, would you mind telling me what was that all about? Why are you attacking me? Who are you?"
"I'm not answering any of the above," Kayo said stubbornly.
"You're a Digidestined because you have a Digimon," Garurumon pressed, hot blue fumes rising from his mouth. "Yet you attack us. Why?"
"I told you, I'm not answering! It's none of your business!" Com'on, Jareth, where are you?
"He's not talking, Matt. Got any ideas?"
"Well, he's obviously working for someone and he's a Digidestined--"
"I refuse to be known as a Digidestined nutbar like you! I am the Dark Digidestined, and there's nothing you can do to stop us!"
"Dark Digidestined? Us?" Matt puzzled.
"Who sent you to kill us?" Garurumon growled threateningly.
"Hey, wait! He has a crest, just like the Digidestined! Do you think someone is manipulating him..."
Matt was cut off in mid-sentence by an unearthly howl and the snapping of wood, and finally a small grey comet came bearing down on him and Garurumon. "Light Speed Strike!"
"All right Aeromon!" Kayo exclaimed. Aeromon knocked Matt clear head over heels and proceeded to annoy the large striped wolf like a small buzzard, darting this way and that, biting and shredding with all the hellery he could muster. Since Aeromon was much smaller than Garurumon, the larger wolf could not seem to contain him, and descended to a fury of growling and snapping.
From their hiding place in the bushes, Venomon and Jareth watched the battle in silence. "He's got spunk," Venomon mused.
"And Kayo doesn't know the first thing about fighting," Jareth observed.
Garurumon finally scored a hit, rearing up on his front legs and swiping at the small wolf. However, this freed Kayo, who rolled away before he could be squashed flat by those paws. Seeing this, Matt pounced on the boy, and soon the two where fighting. Aeromon rolled to his feet and barely managed to avoid a blast of blue flame from Garurumon's mouth. Even with his agility, the rookie Digimon was no match for a champion.
"Why do you want to destroy me?" Matt wheezed as he pinned Kayo to the ground.
"It's his orders!"
"Who's him?"
"I can't tell you!"
"WHO IS HE?"
"It's none of your business! You're the one who destroyed his bunch of what-he-calls them Digimon! You brought this upon yourself! Don't expect me to feel sorry for you!"
It suddenly dawned upon Matt. "Piedmon hired you?!"
At this, Kayo got one leg free and kicked Matt solidly in the gut, causing his attacker to sprawl onto the ground.The Dark Digidestined spat forcefully at the ground as he got to his feet.
"Great. Now I'll just have to kill you. At least you'll know you paid for your actions." Kayo reached into his shorts pocket and flicked out the blade of his camping knife as he pulled it out. Matt's eyes widened in fear and he wisely backed away. However, the glint of the blade caught Garurumon's eye. Swiping blindly with his paw, he swatted Aeromon out of the air, sending the Digimon crashing into a tree. The large wolf then leapt between Matt and Kayo, puffing arcid blue fumes.
"Touch Matt and you'll wish you were never born!" Garurumon threatened.
"Now you've made me mad!" Aeromon snarled as he got shakily to his feet. Kayo turned and rushed towards his Digimon, worrying that the lupine cub might try something suicidal in the next few seconds. Aeromon collapsed in a heap as he struggled to get up again, fighting Kayo's attempts to withstrain him.
"Get a grip, Aeromon! You can't fight in this condition!" Kayo hissed.
"We beat you fair and square!" Matt straightened as he looked down at his attacker. "Now tell us, why are you working for Piedmon? You're a Digidestined!"
"Oh would you please shut up!" Kayo yelled as he flung himself at Matt again, but this time Garurumon was ready. His paw flew out, swatting Kayo off his feet and flying off with a force that might snap his neck if the boy hit the ground. Aeromon howled in anger and suddenly, Kayo's digivice began to whistle shrilly and emit a blinding light.
"Aeromon! Digivolve to...LUPIDRAMON!"
Kayo landed with a thud on Lupidramon's blue furry back. When he looked up, he found himself staring into the large face of a wolf the size of Garurumon.
"Aeromon...?" Kayo asked, confused.
"I'm Lupidramon now," the wolf replied stiffly, without once moving its mouth. "Part wolf, part dragon, I obliterate my enemies with my Dark Lighting attack. They'll be sorry they never paid their electric bills." His gold eyes gleamed evily as he turned to face Garurumon.
"You can be whomever you want to be," Kayo replied meekly. With a slight shock he realized that Lupidramon was airborne. The small wings that were formerly on his ankles had repositioned themselves on the Digimon's back and grown several sizes bigger. Lupidramon threw back his head and howled so loudly that the forest seemed to shake with its vibration. As he did so, gold electric energy gathered itself in a tight ball just between his jaws. The energy grew darker and went totally black as more electricity was compacted into the tight ball. Then, Lupidramon flung his head forward, at the same time catapulting the ball of distructive energy straight at Garurumon.
"Dark Lightning!"
Garurumon knocked Matt aside as the attack bore down onto their postion before leaping away, but not fast enough. The dark ball of energy shocked the wolf into submission and Garurumon hit the ground with a thud. However, he was back on his feet in the next second, shaking off the after effects of the attack.
"Howling Blaster!"
Lupidramon barely avoided the shot and flew up higher to get out of the attack's range before retorting with another volley of Dark Lightning. Garurumon nimbily danced out of the way but could not avoid being scorched. Matt looked at Garurumon and nodded. Matt's crest and digivice began to glow.
"Garurumon! Digivolve to..."
"Quick! Aeromon! Hit 'im while he's still digivolving!" Kayo shouted hastily as he saw the opening. "He can't attack or defend while he's doing so!"
"Dark Lightning!" Lupidramon howled, shooting several black balls of electric energy at the glowing form of Garurumon. Each hit its target, sending a blinding cloud of smoke every time. Very soon, it was impossible to see whether the attack had succeded or not. Matt coughed as he stumbled to the blast area, trying to see if his Digimon had survived the attack. Even Jareth and Venomon were on the edge of their seats.
"Hey Jareth, that's a pretty good strategy!" Venomon exclaimed, a little surprised by the boy's tactic.
"I'll start complementing him as soon as I see if it works."
Finally the smoke cleared, revealling a worse for wear Gabumon, slumped on the forest floor. Matt rushed up to his downed Digimon, yelling his name over and over again. Gabumon shook himself off and looked up weakly at Matt.
"He's...stronger than I though..." Gaubmon winced. Matt's crest and digivice activated again at these words.
"Let's show him what Digivolving's all about! Go get him!"
"Gabumon! Warp Digivolve to..."
Lupidramon was ready this time and sent a volley of Dark Lighting straight for the digivolving Gabumon, but this time both Dark Digidestined and Digimon did not consider that Warp Digivolving might be faster, hence its name. As before, the attack found its mark, sending a binding cloud of dust high in the air.
MetalGarurumon shook off the attack easily and shot up into the air to match Lupidramon, who had recoiled in shock.
"What is that thing?!" Kayo exclaimed.
"If I'm not mistaken, that is Gabumon's Mega form!" Lupidramon replied, obviously unnerved.
"Mega?" Kayo asked, confused.
"The highest level Digimon there is! Such as Piedmon!"
MetalGarurumon didn't wait for an opening. Several compartments opened all over his body and the Mega fired several freezing missles at Lupidramon, who despirately tried to avoid them all. Kayo hang on for dear life, flattening himself against Lupidramon's back as the missles whizzed too close for comfort. One missle did find it's mark, detinating at Lupidramon's chest. With a howl of pain and anger Lupidramon stumbled back and regained his balance, his dark lavender mane bristling.
"Give up yet?" MetalGarurumon growled.
"I was about to ask you the same thing!" Lupidramon replied sharply as he clacked his jaws together and seemingly spat out his entire jaw, but it was actually a translucent energy mold of them, and it shot towards MetalGarurumon. "Hound's Fang!"
The attack deflected off MetalGarurumon's metal-plated head and into the horizon. Lupidramon did another double-take. That attack should have ripped open his skull. MetalGarurumon threw back his head, powering up with a freezingly cold move.
"Metal Wolf Claw!"
The attack hit Lupidramon dead on, flinging him and his rider a few feet off. Lupidramon howled in surprise as the attack began to encase him in a layer of ice. Kayo let go of his Digimon in fear of being frozen as well. No longer able to move, Lupidramon pummelted to the forest floor, Kayo close behind.
"LUPIDRAMON!" Kayo cried as they both hit the forest floor with a sickening thud. The boy recovered quickly and started pounding the icy prison with his fists, trying to free his Digimon pal. The ice near Lupidramon's head shattered as Lupidramon began thrashing wildly--or attempting to. Kayo took out his camping knife and tried to chip the ice with its blade. Lupidramon glowed and shrank as he returned to his rookie form, who emerged, stiff and cold, from the large ice casting. Aeromon collapsed, shivering violently.
"Aeromon!" Kayo looked around frantically to see if they were being followed by Matt or MetalGarurumon before carrying the frozen wolf in his arms and runnning as fast as he could into the forest.
Some time later, Kayo and Aeromon sat in front of a campfire which they had set near a river. Aeromon's shivering had stopped, but he refused to move at all, stating that every nerve in his body was raw with the cold. A sneeze reported every so often from the wolf Digimon's mouth.
Kayo returned with an armful of sticks to toss into the fire. "Feeling any better, pal?"
Aeromon said nothing but sneezed in reply.
"Bless you," Kayo offered.
"That was really an undignified retreat," Aeromon said finally.
"Retreat was never dignified," Kayo pointed out.
"We failed Piedmon. With a devistating defeat."
"Look on the bright side--we're still alive."
"Your point?"
"'He who flees and runs away, lives to fight another day.'"
"There's a second chance?"
"What were you thinking, you get only one shot at everything? On second thoughts, don't answer that."
"When I get my paws on that wolf..."
"He practically handed your ass to you on a platter."
"That's why I'm going to get back at him!"
"And get your ass kicked again."
"I was just unlucky that time! I can do it!" Aeromon staggered to his feet and flopped to the ground with a groan.
"We're not going anywhere until you heal up completely."
"On the contrary, you're going to move out right now." Kayo and Aeromon turned to face Jareth, who had emerged from the shadows. Venomon was close behind, and both didn't look pleased. Kayo got up, ready to defend his actions if necessary.
"Aeromon's in no condition to move," Kayo said calmly. "That battle took a lot out of him."
"You two *will* move out immediately because I ordered it."
"Who died and put you in charge of my life?" Kayo snarled bitterly. Jareth scowled.
"You watch it, kid. I'm your superior and you do what I say, or ELSE. You have no excuse for that defeat. You had him where you wanted and he slipped through your fingers."
"I'd like to see you do better, SIR," Kayo retorted.
"Careful there," Aeromon warned, struggling to his feet. Jareth's face darkened dangerously.
"You know nothing, so shut up. Your orders are to trail your target and attack him when you see an opening. And I don't want to see your face until you have succeded, you hear?"
Kayo scowled but said nothing. He really hated this guy. Why, he didn't know. Maybe it was his bossy nature. He turned his back on his "superior", facing the campfire. "Fine."
When Jareth and his Digimon had dissapeared into the forest, Kayo sat down with a thud. There was a moment of silence before Kayo spoke again.
"You know something? You did pretty good back there. You held your own."
"You really think so?" Aeromon's spirits seemed to perk up.
"Yeah. Ya-know, with a little more practice and a little more luck, you could've beaten him."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Aeromon sprang to his feet energetically. "Let's go get outselves some meat!"
"Did I ever say we were going to eat them?" Kayo laughed.
"Blizzard Rush!"
Kayo woke with a start and sat up, looking around in panic; he hadn't realized he had dozed off. Aeromon was already on his feet, eyes fixed on something in the sky. Kayo looked up and saw a large green animal sailing through the air, a flurry of sharp icicles slicing through the sky above and finding its mark on an unseen target. The ground shook, reporting a supposite almighty thud.
"Harpoon Torpedo!"
"Needle Spray!"
The green Digimon decended from its long leap right into the hail of cactus needles and the green torpedo. With a roar, it crashed into the forest below, decidedly not far from Kayo's position. Kayo turned to Aeromon.
"What do you make of it?"
"We're goin' in! Aeromon! Digivolve to...Lupidramon!"
Kayo climbed clumsily onto Lupidramon's back and held on for dear life as they leapt into the fray. From their vantage point above, Kayo could now see the three Digimon--a large walrus, a cactus wearing punching gloves, and a green panther with needles sticking out all over it's body. Squinting, Kayo barely made out the forms of three humans alongside their Digimon.
"Which targets?" Lupidramon asked, swinging his head back and forth between the two options.
"Uh...the green panther!" Kayo directed. Lupidramon swooped down at its target, who looked up, slightly startled. However, it recovered quickly.
"Blue Lazer!"
"Hound's Fang!"
Both attacks exploded at midpoint, showering ashes to the forest floor. The green panther lept up, bristling angrily. The girl standing next to it was as equally displeased.
"What in the world--"
"Dark Lightning!"
The green cat yowled as the attack hit it at full force and it collapsed to the ground. The girl grew even angrier.
"Just what do you think you're doing, mister?!" She yelled up at him.
"Doing a little cleanup around the Digiworld...of Digidestined!"
"Well then, you're barking up the wrong tree!"
"Huh?" Kayo and Lupidramon echoed.
"The *real* Digidestined is getting away, bozo! I'm a Dark Digidestined!"
"There's another one?" Kayo asked Lupidramon. The lupine Digimon was just as confused.
"You two are hopeless! Get out of my way!" With that, the girl remounted her Digimon and took off after the fleeing Digidestined.
"Need an extra hand?" Kayo called after her.
"Just stay out of my way!"
"Boy did we screw that one up," Kayo remarked a little later when the hubbub had died down.
"Hey, it could have been worse," Aeromon remarked, then coughed as he uttered the name "Jareth." Kayo took his Digimon's point. He looked around at their new location, which was in a clearing of the forest. His target was nowhere to be seen. Jareth is sure to kill me now, Kayo thought with a groan. He didn't want to be around when Jareth appeared again.
"What do you say we should do now?" Kayo asked.
"Find something to eat," Aeromon suggested. "I'm starving!"
Truth be told, Kayo had been hungry a bit after the fight with Matt. He reached into his pants pockets, hoping to find something edible and did--if you call a squashed, grubby cheese sandwich edible. The very sight of it was enough to make Kayo loose his appetite. However, Aeromon's appetite wasn't the least bit affected by its appearance.
"Food!" Aeromon yipped happily. "Can I have it? Can I?"
Kayo would've given it anyway, regardless of Aeromon's energetic bouncing around him. Ripping the plastic away from the sandwich, he tossed it to his Digimon, who was on it in a flash and swallowed it whole. Kayo blinked.
"Got any more?" Aeromon asked hopefully. Kayo dug into his pockets--empty. Aeromon looked crestfallen.
"Hey, we'll think of something." Kayo encouraged, "right now we've gotta find those two again. And while we're at it, think of a battle strategy."
"What's a strategy?"
"Well, it's a method we'll use to take those two down. We'll probably hit them in a series of sneak attacks, and we've already developed a strategy of hitting his Digimon while he's digivolving, which for some reason didn't turn out so well when he Digivolved to Mega. I wonder why."
"I can't say for sure, but I heard that Warp Digivolving is a lot faster than normal Digivolving. Guess I'll just have to hit him harder and faster then."
"Supposing we can even find them now," Kayo sighed, looking around him. "Where are we going to start? This place is so big."
"You know something, Kayo?" Aeromon's ears drooped slightly. "I don't know the answer to that, either."
----Digimon Analyzer----
Aeromon
Rookie
Vaccine
Legendary Digimon
Attack: Lightspeed Strike
Said to be descended from the ancient wolf spirits of the forest. He is a steadfast and loyal companion.
Lupidramon
Champion
Vaccine
Legendary Digimon
Attack: Dark Lightning, Hound's Fang
He's a strong and determined fighter, and he'll defend to the death what he thinks is right!
Runt of the Pack
Hikayo made a face as he unwrapped the plastic cling from his sandwich, noting with disgust that the cheese had melted off onto the cling wrap once again. He took one bite into the warm sandwich and forced himself to chew and swallow it. The sun burned down from the sky mercilessly, adding to his already near burn on his skin. His other camping friends had taken this opportunity to go swimming in the pond nearby, leaving Kayo all by himself to guard the camp. They said they would be back to guard the camp in shifts, but it was three hours later and they showed no signs of returning.
It was an uncharacteristically hot summer, even by Vancouver standards. The grass was drying up rapidly and even the supposedly cool camping tents offered no relief or shelter from the sun. At night it was still stifling. Kayo had heard reports of snow falling in Japan and floods in normally dry countries. If only they could get some of that flood here...any hotter and Kayo wouldn't even be able to keep his shirt on!
Suddenly, the sky darkened until it seemed like night. Kayo swore he heard a wet shredding sound as it did, and looked up into the sky. He wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted him.
The sky seemed to have been torn into shreads by a paper shredder, and now every other shread of sky displayed a dark forboding set of mountains that seemed to be standing on their peaks. Kayo scrambled to his feet, his head full of mixed emotions. The apocolypse?
From the sky, a bright red light flared and soon seemed to be moving towards the ground. Kayo stared at it, unsure of what to do. Then with a shock he realized the thing, whatever it could have been, was bearing down on his position. Kayo fled into the safety of his camping tent just as the object hit the ground. When he was sure the proverbal dust had settled, he catiously looked out.
A small crater had formed right at the front of his tent and something lay in it. Kayo reached out and brushed away some of the loose dirt hiding it. As soon as his fingers made contact with whatever it was, it emitted a beam of light and a shrill whistle. Kayo shrank back, startled, but soon mustered up enough courage to glance at his find.
A blood red electronic device of some sort, with black buttons and a circular screen, about the size of a pager. He didn't know why, but Kayo was drawn to the device, as if it was his. He was deathly afraid of it yet fascinated at the same time. He stuck his arm out and clasped the device.
The world began to spin wildly. Panicking, Kayo tried to let go of the device, but he couldn't. With a force that threatened to rip him apart, and unseen force ripped him off the planet's surface and into the air, towards the forboding mountians in the rip in the sky. He kept flying like a comet on crash course for the dinosaurs, straight for the middle of the area--a dark, menacing spiral mountain with what looked like a large bird's nest on top. He stopped flying with a shuddering halt, then began falling to the ground at a sickening speed. He thought he was going to hit the ground and splatter all over the place when, with a sharp jerk halted his downward descent--just before he hit the ground. The unseen force relaxed, dropping him to the ground. A ring of dust rose around Kayo as he coughed and crawled to his feet. The fact that his knees were like gel did not help.
"Goodie! Oh boy, it's a human! Can I eat him?" A scratchy, high-pitched voice cried excitedly. Kayo glanced around and saw a wolf-like animal staring excitedly at him, wagging it's tail. It had bright gold eyes like that of a wolf and it's lupine body was covered in shades of slivery blue. From the sides of his front legs facing out, two falcon-like wings grew out from the ankles, the feathers a darker shade of blue. It yipped happily and licked it's chops.
"No you may not," objected a forceful voice from behind Kayo. The boy spun around and found himself glancing up at a tall jester with a mean smile and a mask. Kayo flinched. Behind him, the winged wolf cowered slightly.
"This boy is your Dark Digidestined, and at no time shall you even think of devouring him, you silly fool," the jester continued. Kayo stared popeyed at the two.
"D-d-dark Digi-what?"
"Dark Digidestined," the jester snapped. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Piedmon, leader and last remaining digimon of the Dark Masters who were destroyed by the Digidestined. I am also the strongest level Digimon there is in the Digital World." Piedmon gestured around him for emphasis. "I have brought you here to aid me in disposing of these Digidestined fools, along with two others."
"And you expect me...to do just that? I mean, why me? Surely these...Digidestined that you speak of aren't anything beyond you, being the highest level Digi-whatsit in the world."
"Ohh, don't even go there!" The wolf cried, tucking its tail between its legs and hunkering down on the ground. Piedmon's lips curled into a snarl at that remark. He raised his hand in the air.
"Clown Trick!"
A ring of energy hit Kayo in the head and the world began to spin again. He couldn't think clearly anymore and everything rushed by in a blur at a dizzying pace. The light seemed to dim to an angry red and suddenly, it was gone. Kayo collapsed to his knees and groaned.
"That will teach you to defy me." Piedmon flung a medallion at Kayo's feet. The boy groped for it and finally lifted it up to his face. It had an obsidian black surface, and carved on it was an evil-looking logo of a fanged face. Seeing his blank expression, the wolf attempted to help.
"It's a tag and crest. It's a device that will help me digivolve stronger when it's activated."
"Digivolve...as in evolve? Like, grow?"
"Very good!" Piedmon said. "Yes indeed it does. This is the crest of Havoc. Use it well, and do not fail me. Clown Trick!"
With a dizzying flash, Kayo and the wolf found themselves in a thick forest. A figure in the darkness jumped slightly, but recovered. Kayo turned to face the new person.
"Uh...hi. I'm Kayo, Dark Digidestined."
"I'm Jareth, Dark Digidestined," the figure announced, walking out of the shadows. He wore sunglasses and was dressed entirely in black, and he was a bit older than Kayo. At his side was Venomon. "I see you're a new member to our team. There are seven Digidestined headed for Spiral Mountain, and one somewhere in these forests. He should be an easy target."
To himself, Jareth thought, [Pitiful kid. He looks so weak even a Numemon could take him at a moment's notice. What was Piedmon thinking?] Jareth stared down at the wolf at Kayo's heels. "And what Digimon might that be?"
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Aeromon, a rookie Digimon that is said to be fabled after the legendary wolf spirits of the forest. I'm your partner in crime for life!" Aeromon rubbed his face against Kayo's leg and growled happily. "Did I mention you smell like meat?"
"Cut it out, Aeromon, we're here to work with them, not eat them," Venomon growled.
"But I haven't had a bite in weeks! I gotta eat sometime!"
"Once we find that Digidestined, there will be plenty of meat."
"Venomon's right," Jareth agreed, his voice cold. "Let's go."
Some wolves live in a pack. Some wolves walk alone.
Gabumon quietly regarded his human friend as they continued their endless trek through the forest of File Island. These days, Matt would not speak a word unless he had to, and they had journeyed in silence, often hunger. Gabumon was beginning to wonder if this Matt was indeed the Matt he knew, or a stranger. He sighed to himself. But whatever Matt decided to do, Gabumon had to go along with it. After all, they were friends. And if Matt forgot what that had meant, it was up to Gabumon to remind the human boy.
Hidden in the nearby bushes, Jareth and Kayo regarded their prey in silence. Aeromon was eagerly shifting from foot to foot, his tail wagging rapidly.
[Perfect target for this boy to prove his worth.] Jareth turned to the boy.
"Get out there and cream him."
"What?"
"Piedmon doesn't like weaklings and nether do we. Get out there and prove your worth, kid. Show us a little boy like you has spunk."
"I am not little!" Kayo huffed angrily. He slunk out of the bushes with Aeromon in tow. Venomon glanced questioningly at Jareth.
"You sure about this?"
"Newbies need to gain respect. Besides," Jareth added coldly, "it saves energy."
Gabumon stopped dead in his tracks and looked around. "Matt, did you hear that-OW!"
"Gabumon!" Matt yelled, spinning around to see what had transpired. Gabumon kept yowling and Matt saw what was the cause of his pain--a wolf-like digimon had latched itself onto his Digimon's tail. Gabumon somehow managed to twist away and kick the attacker off. "Who is that?"
"It's Aeromon, but I've never heard of one so aggressive before," Gabumon explained. "Gabumon and Aeromon usually get along with each other--gah! Blue Blaster!"
Aeromon leapt into the air, spreading his wings for extra lift as the attack sailed harmlessly to the side. Flipping through the air, Aeromon landed a few paces away from Gabumon. His licked his chops gleefully, growling.
"Ah, fresh meat at last!" Aeromon yipped, lowering his head and unfurling his wings as he began to charge at an incredible speed. "Light Speed Strike!"
Gabumon had no time to dodge as Aeromon leapt at him and struck from the side, sending him tumbling a few feet at Matt's feet. Aeromon landed on all fours once again and got ready for a second attack. Matt took action.
"Gabumon! Digivolve!" Matt cried as his digivice began to glow. Suddenly, he was knocked off his feet and went tumbling to the ground. When he looked to see who his attacker was, he found himself staring face to face with another boy about his age or older. The boy smirked as he ripped the Digivice away from Matt's belt.
"I believe you'll be needing this," Kayo sneered as he tossed it over his shoulder and out of sight. Matt gasped and flung his attacker to the side, scrambling to his feet in pursuit of his Digivice, but Kayo managed to trip the other boy up by grabbing his left leg. Matt grunted and lashed out with his other foot, taking Kayo's cap off but failing to do anything more. Kayo grabbed Matt's other leg as his victim lashed out again and tried to stagger to his feet in this position. Matt squirmed in the dust, finally managing to twist around and deliver a mad punch at Kayo's face. Kayo's grip loosened, allowing Matt to scramble to his feet and take off while he still could.
Aeromon saw this and abandoned his death grip on Gabumon, racing off to halt the Digidestined boy. Spreading his wings once again, he bore down on Matt. Aeromon charged through the air just as Matt bent down to pick up his Digivice, causing the wolf Digimon to miss completely and crash headlong into a thick oak up ahead. A loud cracking sound ensured and the tree began to tumble--right onto Matt.
"Gabumon, Digivolve to...Garurumon!"
Garurumon smacked the tree trunk away with a swipe of his paw, sending it and Aeromon flying a few feet away with a loud crash. Kayo slammed his dusty cap back onto his head and ran off in that direction, only to be tripped up by Garurumon's large paw. Kayo tried to get up, but Garurumon's paw came down, pinning the boy solidly to the ground. Matt glared down at the boy.
"Okay, would you mind telling me what was that all about? Why are you attacking me? Who are you?"
"I'm not answering any of the above," Kayo said stubbornly.
"You're a Digidestined because you have a Digimon," Garurumon pressed, hot blue fumes rising from his mouth. "Yet you attack us. Why?"
"I told you, I'm not answering! It's none of your business!" Com'on, Jareth, where are you?
"He's not talking, Matt. Got any ideas?"
"Well, he's obviously working for someone and he's a Digidestined--"
"I refuse to be known as a Digidestined nutbar like you! I am the Dark Digidestined, and there's nothing you can do to stop us!"
"Dark Digidestined? Us?" Matt puzzled.
"Who sent you to kill us?" Garurumon growled threateningly.
"Hey, wait! He has a crest, just like the Digidestined! Do you think someone is manipulating him..."
Matt was cut off in mid-sentence by an unearthly howl and the snapping of wood, and finally a small grey comet came bearing down on him and Garurumon. "Light Speed Strike!"
"All right Aeromon!" Kayo exclaimed. Aeromon knocked Matt clear head over heels and proceeded to annoy the large striped wolf like a small buzzard, darting this way and that, biting and shredding with all the hellery he could muster. Since Aeromon was much smaller than Garurumon, the larger wolf could not seem to contain him, and descended to a fury of growling and snapping.
From their hiding place in the bushes, Venomon and Jareth watched the battle in silence. "He's got spunk," Venomon mused.
"And Kayo doesn't know the first thing about fighting," Jareth observed.
Garurumon finally scored a hit, rearing up on his front legs and swiping at the small wolf. However, this freed Kayo, who rolled away before he could be squashed flat by those paws. Seeing this, Matt pounced on the boy, and soon the two where fighting. Aeromon rolled to his feet and barely managed to avoid a blast of blue flame from Garurumon's mouth. Even with his agility, the rookie Digimon was no match for a champion.
"Why do you want to destroy me?" Matt wheezed as he pinned Kayo to the ground.
"It's his orders!"
"Who's him?"
"I can't tell you!"
"WHO IS HE?"
"It's none of your business! You're the one who destroyed his bunch of what-he-calls them Digimon! You brought this upon yourself! Don't expect me to feel sorry for you!"
It suddenly dawned upon Matt. "Piedmon hired you?!"
At this, Kayo got one leg free and kicked Matt solidly in the gut, causing his attacker to sprawl onto the ground.The Dark Digidestined spat forcefully at the ground as he got to his feet.
"Great. Now I'll just have to kill you. At least you'll know you paid for your actions." Kayo reached into his shorts pocket and flicked out the blade of his camping knife as he pulled it out. Matt's eyes widened in fear and he wisely backed away. However, the glint of the blade caught Garurumon's eye. Swiping blindly with his paw, he swatted Aeromon out of the air, sending the Digimon crashing into a tree. The large wolf then leapt between Matt and Kayo, puffing arcid blue fumes.
"Touch Matt and you'll wish you were never born!" Garurumon threatened.
"Now you've made me mad!" Aeromon snarled as he got shakily to his feet. Kayo turned and rushed towards his Digimon, worrying that the lupine cub might try something suicidal in the next few seconds. Aeromon collapsed in a heap as he struggled to get up again, fighting Kayo's attempts to withstrain him.
"Get a grip, Aeromon! You can't fight in this condition!" Kayo hissed.
"We beat you fair and square!" Matt straightened as he looked down at his attacker. "Now tell us, why are you working for Piedmon? You're a Digidestined!"
"Oh would you please shut up!" Kayo yelled as he flung himself at Matt again, but this time Garurumon was ready. His paw flew out, swatting Kayo off his feet and flying off with a force that might snap his neck if the boy hit the ground. Aeromon howled in anger and suddenly, Kayo's digivice began to whistle shrilly and emit a blinding light.
"Aeromon! Digivolve to...LUPIDRAMON!"
Kayo landed with a thud on Lupidramon's blue furry back. When he looked up, he found himself staring into the large face of a wolf the size of Garurumon.
"Aeromon...?" Kayo asked, confused.
"I'm Lupidramon now," the wolf replied stiffly, without once moving its mouth. "Part wolf, part dragon, I obliterate my enemies with my Dark Lighting attack. They'll be sorry they never paid their electric bills." His gold eyes gleamed evily as he turned to face Garurumon.
"You can be whomever you want to be," Kayo replied meekly. With a slight shock he realized that Lupidramon was airborne. The small wings that were formerly on his ankles had repositioned themselves on the Digimon's back and grown several sizes bigger. Lupidramon threw back his head and howled so loudly that the forest seemed to shake with its vibration. As he did so, gold electric energy gathered itself in a tight ball just between his jaws. The energy grew darker and went totally black as more electricity was compacted into the tight ball. Then, Lupidramon flung his head forward, at the same time catapulting the ball of distructive energy straight at Garurumon.
"Dark Lightning!"
Garurumon knocked Matt aside as the attack bore down onto their postion before leaping away, but not fast enough. The dark ball of energy shocked the wolf into submission and Garurumon hit the ground with a thud. However, he was back on his feet in the next second, shaking off the after effects of the attack.
"Howling Blaster!"
Lupidramon barely avoided the shot and flew up higher to get out of the attack's range before retorting with another volley of Dark Lightning. Garurumon nimbily danced out of the way but could not avoid being scorched. Matt looked at Garurumon and nodded. Matt's crest and digivice began to glow.
"Garurumon! Digivolve to..."
"Quick! Aeromon! Hit 'im while he's still digivolving!" Kayo shouted hastily as he saw the opening. "He can't attack or defend while he's doing so!"
"Dark Lightning!" Lupidramon howled, shooting several black balls of electric energy at the glowing form of Garurumon. Each hit its target, sending a blinding cloud of smoke every time. Very soon, it was impossible to see whether the attack had succeded or not. Matt coughed as he stumbled to the blast area, trying to see if his Digimon had survived the attack. Even Jareth and Venomon were on the edge of their seats.
"Hey Jareth, that's a pretty good strategy!" Venomon exclaimed, a little surprised by the boy's tactic.
"I'll start complementing him as soon as I see if it works."
Finally the smoke cleared, revealling a worse for wear Gabumon, slumped on the forest floor. Matt rushed up to his downed Digimon, yelling his name over and over again. Gabumon shook himself off and looked up weakly at Matt.
"He's...stronger than I though..." Gaubmon winced. Matt's crest and digivice activated again at these words.
"Let's show him what Digivolving's all about! Go get him!"
"Gabumon! Warp Digivolve to..."
Lupidramon was ready this time and sent a volley of Dark Lighting straight for the digivolving Gabumon, but this time both Dark Digidestined and Digimon did not consider that Warp Digivolving might be faster, hence its name. As before, the attack found its mark, sending a binding cloud of dust high in the air.
MetalGarurumon shook off the attack easily and shot up into the air to match Lupidramon, who had recoiled in shock.
"What is that thing?!" Kayo exclaimed.
"If I'm not mistaken, that is Gabumon's Mega form!" Lupidramon replied, obviously unnerved.
"Mega?" Kayo asked, confused.
"The highest level Digimon there is! Such as Piedmon!"
MetalGarurumon didn't wait for an opening. Several compartments opened all over his body and the Mega fired several freezing missles at Lupidramon, who despirately tried to avoid them all. Kayo hang on for dear life, flattening himself against Lupidramon's back as the missles whizzed too close for comfort. One missle did find it's mark, detinating at Lupidramon's chest. With a howl of pain and anger Lupidramon stumbled back and regained his balance, his dark lavender mane bristling.
"Give up yet?" MetalGarurumon growled.
"I was about to ask you the same thing!" Lupidramon replied sharply as he clacked his jaws together and seemingly spat out his entire jaw, but it was actually a translucent energy mold of them, and it shot towards MetalGarurumon. "Hound's Fang!"
The attack deflected off MetalGarurumon's metal-plated head and into the horizon. Lupidramon did another double-take. That attack should have ripped open his skull. MetalGarurumon threw back his head, powering up with a freezingly cold move.
"Metal Wolf Claw!"
The attack hit Lupidramon dead on, flinging him and his rider a few feet off. Lupidramon howled in surprise as the attack began to encase him in a layer of ice. Kayo let go of his Digimon in fear of being frozen as well. No longer able to move, Lupidramon pummelted to the forest floor, Kayo close behind.
"LUPIDRAMON!" Kayo cried as they both hit the forest floor with a sickening thud. The boy recovered quickly and started pounding the icy prison with his fists, trying to free his Digimon pal. The ice near Lupidramon's head shattered as Lupidramon began thrashing wildly--or attempting to. Kayo took out his camping knife and tried to chip the ice with its blade. Lupidramon glowed and shrank as he returned to his rookie form, who emerged, stiff and cold, from the large ice casting. Aeromon collapsed, shivering violently.
"Aeromon!" Kayo looked around frantically to see if they were being followed by Matt or MetalGarurumon before carrying the frozen wolf in his arms and runnning as fast as he could into the forest.
Some time later, Kayo and Aeromon sat in front of a campfire which they had set near a river. Aeromon's shivering had stopped, but he refused to move at all, stating that every nerve in his body was raw with the cold. A sneeze reported every so often from the wolf Digimon's mouth.
Kayo returned with an armful of sticks to toss into the fire. "Feeling any better, pal?"
Aeromon said nothing but sneezed in reply.
"Bless you," Kayo offered.
"That was really an undignified retreat," Aeromon said finally.
"Retreat was never dignified," Kayo pointed out.
"We failed Piedmon. With a devistating defeat."
"Look on the bright side--we're still alive."
"Your point?"
"'He who flees and runs away, lives to fight another day.'"
"There's a second chance?"
"What were you thinking, you get only one shot at everything? On second thoughts, don't answer that."
"When I get my paws on that wolf..."
"He practically handed your ass to you on a platter."
"That's why I'm going to get back at him!"
"And get your ass kicked again."
"I was just unlucky that time! I can do it!" Aeromon staggered to his feet and flopped to the ground with a groan.
"We're not going anywhere until you heal up completely."
"On the contrary, you're going to move out right now." Kayo and Aeromon turned to face Jareth, who had emerged from the shadows. Venomon was close behind, and both didn't look pleased. Kayo got up, ready to defend his actions if necessary.
"Aeromon's in no condition to move," Kayo said calmly. "That battle took a lot out of him."
"You two *will* move out immediately because I ordered it."
"Who died and put you in charge of my life?" Kayo snarled bitterly. Jareth scowled.
"You watch it, kid. I'm your superior and you do what I say, or ELSE. You have no excuse for that defeat. You had him where you wanted and he slipped through your fingers."
"I'd like to see you do better, SIR," Kayo retorted.
"Careful there," Aeromon warned, struggling to his feet. Jareth's face darkened dangerously.
"You know nothing, so shut up. Your orders are to trail your target and attack him when you see an opening. And I don't want to see your face until you have succeded, you hear?"
Kayo scowled but said nothing. He really hated this guy. Why, he didn't know. Maybe it was his bossy nature. He turned his back on his "superior", facing the campfire. "Fine."
When Jareth and his Digimon had dissapeared into the forest, Kayo sat down with a thud. There was a moment of silence before Kayo spoke again.
"You know something? You did pretty good back there. You held your own."
"You really think so?" Aeromon's spirits seemed to perk up.
"Yeah. Ya-know, with a little more practice and a little more luck, you could've beaten him."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Aeromon sprang to his feet energetically. "Let's go get outselves some meat!"
"Did I ever say we were going to eat them?" Kayo laughed.
"Blizzard Rush!"
Kayo woke with a start and sat up, looking around in panic; he hadn't realized he had dozed off. Aeromon was already on his feet, eyes fixed on something in the sky. Kayo looked up and saw a large green animal sailing through the air, a flurry of sharp icicles slicing through the sky above and finding its mark on an unseen target. The ground shook, reporting a supposite almighty thud.
"Harpoon Torpedo!"
"Needle Spray!"
The green Digimon decended from its long leap right into the hail of cactus needles and the green torpedo. With a roar, it crashed into the forest below, decidedly not far from Kayo's position. Kayo turned to Aeromon.
"What do you make of it?"
"We're goin' in! Aeromon! Digivolve to...Lupidramon!"
Kayo climbed clumsily onto Lupidramon's back and held on for dear life as they leapt into the fray. From their vantage point above, Kayo could now see the three Digimon--a large walrus, a cactus wearing punching gloves, and a green panther with needles sticking out all over it's body. Squinting, Kayo barely made out the forms of three humans alongside their Digimon.
"Which targets?" Lupidramon asked, swinging his head back and forth between the two options.
"Uh...the green panther!" Kayo directed. Lupidramon swooped down at its target, who looked up, slightly startled. However, it recovered quickly.
"Blue Lazer!"
"Hound's Fang!"
Both attacks exploded at midpoint, showering ashes to the forest floor. The green panther lept up, bristling angrily. The girl standing next to it was as equally displeased.
"What in the world--"
"Dark Lightning!"
The green cat yowled as the attack hit it at full force and it collapsed to the ground. The girl grew even angrier.
"Just what do you think you're doing, mister?!" She yelled up at him.
"Doing a little cleanup around the Digiworld...of Digidestined!"
"Well then, you're barking up the wrong tree!"
"Huh?" Kayo and Lupidramon echoed.
"The *real* Digidestined is getting away, bozo! I'm a Dark Digidestined!"
"There's another one?" Kayo asked Lupidramon. The lupine Digimon was just as confused.
"You two are hopeless! Get out of my way!" With that, the girl remounted her Digimon and took off after the fleeing Digidestined.
"Need an extra hand?" Kayo called after her.
"Just stay out of my way!"
"Boy did we screw that one up," Kayo remarked a little later when the hubbub had died down.
"Hey, it could have been worse," Aeromon remarked, then coughed as he uttered the name "Jareth." Kayo took his Digimon's point. He looked around at their new location, which was in a clearing of the forest. His target was nowhere to be seen. Jareth is sure to kill me now, Kayo thought with a groan. He didn't want to be around when Jareth appeared again.
"What do you say we should do now?" Kayo asked.
"Find something to eat," Aeromon suggested. "I'm starving!"
Truth be told, Kayo had been hungry a bit after the fight with Matt. He reached into his pants pockets, hoping to find something edible and did--if you call a squashed, grubby cheese sandwich edible. The very sight of it was enough to make Kayo loose his appetite. However, Aeromon's appetite wasn't the least bit affected by its appearance.
"Food!" Aeromon yipped happily. "Can I have it? Can I?"
Kayo would've given it anyway, regardless of Aeromon's energetic bouncing around him. Ripping the plastic away from the sandwich, he tossed it to his Digimon, who was on it in a flash and swallowed it whole. Kayo blinked.
"Got any more?" Aeromon asked hopefully. Kayo dug into his pockets--empty. Aeromon looked crestfallen.
"Hey, we'll think of something." Kayo encouraged, "right now we've gotta find those two again. And while we're at it, think of a battle strategy."
"What's a strategy?"
"Well, it's a method we'll use to take those two down. We'll probably hit them in a series of sneak attacks, and we've already developed a strategy of hitting his Digimon while he's digivolving, which for some reason didn't turn out so well when he Digivolved to Mega. I wonder why."
"I can't say for sure, but I heard that Warp Digivolving is a lot faster than normal Digivolving. Guess I'll just have to hit him harder and faster then."
"Supposing we can even find them now," Kayo sighed, looking around him. "Where are we going to start? This place is so big."
"You know something, Kayo?" Aeromon's ears drooped slightly. "I don't know the answer to that, either."
----Digimon Analyzer----
Aeromon
Rookie
Vaccine
Legendary Digimon
Attack: Lightspeed Strike
Said to be descended from the ancient wolf spirits of the forest. He is a steadfast and loyal companion.
Lupidramon
Champion
Vaccine
Legendary Digimon
Attack: Dark Lightning, Hound's Fang
He's a strong and determined fighter, and he'll defend to the death what he thinks is right!