Reality Redux
By ArchangelUK & Digicowboy

We the undersigned, do waive all rights to the soul of Mexican singing sensation El Greco Del Momas, who (like us) does not own digimon...

Chapter 18 - Better The Devil You Know...

"You'd best stay close to me."

"No problem." Sora muttered under her breath, ArchangelUK did a double take.

"Huh?"

"Nothing!" Sora said, smiling quickly.

"Okay... Dark Gate OPEN!" Angelus thrust his sword point first towards the pavement and a flash of what can only be described as 'black light' swallowed him, Sora and Biyomon up. In a fraction of a second they were standing in the Dark Ocean, Sora shivered.

"So this is what it's like?"

"You haven't seen the half of it." The Gatekeeper said, recalling his capture and torture at the hands of the four harbingers.

Four.... Four.... FOUR....

Angelus held his head in pain, Sora grabbed his arm to prevent him from falling over.

"Are you okay?" Biyomon asked frowning, Angelus's vision seemed to flicker in and out. Something important....something...

"I don't know." He answered truthfully, "Let's get Wolfie and get the hell out of here." Angelus was back in his 'Gatekeeper Uniform' of a long leather jacket. For some reason the jacket seemed to become different in length depending upon the world he was in. They made their way to a cave, everything seemed pretty much deserted no Scubamon were visible and neither was Piedmon. For now.

They entered the cave and as soon as they did they found two cages, one contained a pile of bones - human bones - and a smashed digivice. Sora clung on to Angelus's arm, he said nothing but brought out his own digivice which appeared to scan the skeleton.

"DNA Database - Searching..." The 'voice' of the DX was oddly female, it reminded Angelus of the voice of the computer from the modern Star Trek series only plummier somehow.

"Do you think it's someone we know?" Sora asked, the Gatekeeper did not reply.

"DNA match confirmed." The DX announced, and a picture appeared on the little screen. Angelus swallowed and looked up at Sora, who simply cocked her head to the side giving the unspoken question "Who?"

"I don't think Davis and Ken are going to have much luck locating the DigiEgg of Fate." He said softly, turning away and continuing further into the tunnel. Sora quickly followed his example and was handed the DX, they did know the person in that cell, that skeleton.

It was Willis.


They moved further into the cave which appeared to be more than a network of cave than just one. Suddenly a wave of pain swept over Angelus's head again and he nearly blacked out.

"Uggh."

More images, memories, sounds, all broken up and disjointed. Now he knew how Ken felt trying to remember things with the Dark Spore inside of him.

"Hello?" A voice called out inquisitively, "Anyone there?"

"Hello?" Sora called, "Where are you?" The little group began to run down the rocky corridor in the direction of the voice.

"It's about time you got here!" The female voice greeted them, becoming louder as they approached a small light infront of them

"Wolfie?" Biyomon asked Angelus.

"Come on you dumbarses get a move on!" The voice said with a hint of anger.

"Wolfie." AAUK nodded.

"Hey come on! Lemmie out of here!"

They rounded the corner to see the New Zealander in what looked like a giant bird cage. It even had a large blue mirror, a seed tray and several 'perches', this was obviously Piedmon's idea of a joke. Wolfie breathed a sigh of relief as she caught sight of Sora.

"Phew, about time. Hey Sora - I assume you are who I think you are - can you get me out of he....wahhhh! IT'S A FREAK!"

Angelus glowered at her as he too came out of the shadows, his wings casting their own black shape on the rocks.

"That's as maybe but this freak has come to rescue you." He sliced the lock clean off with his sword and yanked the wide-eyed teen out of her prison.

"Ahh!! Get it off me, get it off me!" She punched Angelus in the stomach before cracking him on the back of the neck with a double fist. Angelus groaned falling to one knee, Wolfie grabbed Sora's arm. "Come on quick before it gets up!"

"That's ArchangelUK you dip!" Sora yelled removing the elder girl's arm from hers.

"Oh."

The Tokyo Plaza area was packed as usual, tens of thousands of people going about their lives. One of the busiest parts included the brand new multi billion Yen Sony building which had just opened. Outside local kids could sample the new games in development for the PlayStation 2. Jyn Takyari twisted her baseball cap around and her fingers thumped down onto the control pad, little more than a blur. On the screen the new Digimon game 'Digimon World 3' showed her own personal 3D Greymon doing a number on a notoriously bad guy. The stick of the lolipop she was sucking stuck out the side of her mouth as her friend Ligo Chan cheered her on.

"Go Jyn!" On the screen Greymon took in a deep breath, it's opponant looked wary.

"Nova Blast!" A ball of flame shot from the dinosaur's mouth and incinerated it's opponant which howled in pain before being deleted.

"Alright!" Jyn whooped, "I can digivolve to ultimate now!"

"Don't get yourself too excited Jyn, after all Devimon's only a champion."

"I still have to win round 2 as well and he's no pushover - he's a champion impowered by the forces of darkness!" Jyn said sticking out her tongue. "But you're right, even I could take down that sorry 'mon's ass all on my own."

"Oh really?" A deep voice asked behind them,

"Hey that's a good impression you do of him Ligo." Ligo lowered the can of soda he had been drinking and looked at Jyn like she had grown an extra head... or two.

"I didn't say anything." Jyn paused the game and turned around, as soon as she did so she wished she hadn't. The lollipop hit the ground by her feet followed by a half empty can of soda, she went to run but her mind was in such blind panic her legs wouldn't move in the same direction. A pair of red eyes stared into clear green.

"We didn't mean it!" Ligo stammered.

"I swear I'll never play as Greymon again!" Jyn wailed backing into the little booth accidentally knocking the game off of pause. Her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"EVIL WING!"

"MWAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

And on the screen Devimon deleted the Greymon...

"And what do we have here?" A voice chortled as they exited the cave, it belonged to Piedmon. The insane digimon floated a good foot above the sandy floor, it waggled a finger at the three humans and Biyomon. "Uh uh uh. You know it's very rude to drop in on someone announced."

"You invited me remember?" AAUK said stepping forward, "I believe you wanted this?" He held up the Digiegg of Miracles.

"Oh yes, only thing is I'm altering our little arrangement. You are going nowhere."

"On the contary my dear Piedmon, I am altering the arrangement." Piedmon blinked. "You will give me the DigiEgg of Fate - I know you have it - or we will destroy you." Biyomon stepped up beside Angelus and shot Piedmon a withering glance.

"You won't get the better of me twice over Piedmon." The bird decreed, gearing up to attack the mega.

"So you want the DigiEgg of Fate do you?" Piedmon smiled and produced a table and three large cups. As quick as a flash he laid the three cups out put the golden digiegg underneath one and switched them all around.

"Oh good grief." Biyomon groaned.

"Step right up and win a prize!" Piedmon now appeared to be wearing a straw hat as well as a red and white striped waistcoat. "Hunt the egg! One chance, three choices, guess correctly and you win. I can't say fairer than that can I." He had some kind of bamboo cane he was twirling around too, the four blinked in disbelief as Piedmon again moved the cups around rapidly.

"Pick the centre one!" Biyomon motioned to Angelus.

"No, it's never the centre one. Pick the left one!" Sora entreated pulling on Angelus's jacket sleeve.

"Noooooo, pick the right one." Wolfie said making to pick it up herself, but Sora swatted the hand away.

"LEFT ONE!"

"RIGHT ONE!"

"LEFT!!"

"No, the RIGHT!"

The two growled intently at each other, Angelus noted that fists were raised and even more worryingly he was standing between the two warring parties. He took a step forward towards Piedmon who shook his head sadly, Angelus shrugged as they watched the girls. Even Biyomon was yelling now.

"You know, I don't think you know the meaning of the word fair Piedmon." Angelus reached under the table and before Piedmon could do anything he removed the hidden DigiEgg.

"What? No!"

"One chance? I chose right." The egg flared with golden light, the Gatekeeper smiled as a sense of calm flowed through him. The egg belonged to him, he didn't know how or why but it just did, it felt like it was his. The aura of gold was enough to stop the bickering among the three girls and they looked on as Piedmon grew in size. He drew one of his swords.

"You think I will be beaten so easily?"

"Yes?" Wolfie tried, smiling sweetly.

"Garrrgh! TIME SHOCK!"

"Time shock?" Biyomon looked puzzled, she was even more puzzled when Angelus fell backwards and landed ontop of her.

"Caaan't bre-e-a-the..."

"Nap time." Piedmon chuckled, floating above the fallen Gatekeeper. Sora shook his shoulder but Angelus reamined motionless.

Yamashita looked on at his little puppets and laughed as he made Gabumon and Matt start to ballroom dance together.

"Oh this is fun."

You have the bearers of Hope and Light. The voice said eagarly, Destroy them!

No. It would destroy the Digital World. MY world. Why should I destroy what is mine?

Yamashita could have sworn the voice growled in dissatisfaction.

You will destroy them Yamashita.

"I will not destroy them!"

DESTROY THEM!

"I...will destroy them." Yamashita said suddenly changing his entire opinion about the situation much to his own surprise. He reached out towards TK and his hand began to glow, TK wasn't sure what was happening but he was feeling hot and cold at the same time. He could vaguely 'sense' if that was the right word Kari calling out to him mentally, she, Gatomon and Patamon all straining against their physical imprisonment. The part of his brain that was functioning rationally was up to two thirds now, and TK was sure he was dying. He felt the life being sucked out of him and had he been able to see for himself he would have been alarmed to note he was being erased much like Dragomon had been - from the feet upwards.

"What have you done to him?"

"Me?" Piedmon asked pointing to himself, "Moi? Nothing!"

"You call this nothing?" Wolfie asked dubiously, Angelus had keeled over backwards and had remained in a catatonic state since. Every effort to wake him had resulted in failure, Biyomon had tried to digivolve by Piemdon wasn't letting her. The clown blinked as though suddenly understanding.

"Oh this!" Piedmon exclaimed, "Oh I just seperated his spirit from his body."

"YOU WHAT?"

"Yes, he's quite unreachable I'm afraid."

"Well if he is, then someone's gotta beat you." Wolfie announced, rolling the Gatekeeper onto his front and drawing his sword. Piedmon sighed, but Wolfie charged anyway swinging the enchanted blade towards the Digimon.

CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAACK!

Piedmon stepped aside and the blade bit into the large black rock that was behind him. The sword blade broke, a large segment spinning away to bury itself in the sand. Wolfie looked perplexed at the trunkated sword. Piedmon shoved her backwards into Sora who growled at the Kiwi, Piedmon laughed.

"If it's one thing you've got to learn it's that enchanted weapons are merely ordinary fighting implements in the hands of unenchanted mortals. But anyway, eventually ArchangelUK will find his way back to his body. In the interests of fairness, I don't like being called unfair, I will give him an hour to get back... Or I'll kill you."

"Brilliant." Biyomon muttered, as Piedmon started to time the hour using his pocketwatch.

"Who are you calling unenchanted buster? I'll have you know I'm very enchanting." Wolfie stuck out her toungue.

"Oh please." Sora groaned,

"You got a problem red?" Wolfie and Sora were glowering at each other again, it wasn't long before blows were being exchanged. Piedmon cackled with glee and produced an armchair and some popcorn,

"Oh, a free public show! Ten bucks on the one in the red!"

To Be Continued....

The NEW Announcer (Sora): Will an army of Willis fans launch a barrage of blunt objects at AAUK and DC? Will anyone really care? Will TK die? Will Gabumon and Matt win 'Come Dancing' ? Will Angelus return to his body in time? Find out in the next chapter of Digimon - Reality Redux!

AAUK: *grins* A much better announcer.
DC: You WOULD say that.
AAUK: Hell yeah!

Kari's Angels - http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian/