Sorry I haven't updated in a while. It's been rough around here lately. Anyway, here's the third chapter.


Chapter 3: Battling Secrets

After Takato got dressed, he went into the back of his parent's bakery, took some bread for Guilmon, and headed to the park. When he got there, Guilmon was happy that Takato had gotten him some bread and started to eat. The others got there for some more discussion. Jeri didn't come today because her family decided to go visit relatives in northern Tokyo. Rika looked around for Inderamon but didn't see him.

"Hey Takato. Where's Inderamon?"

Takato gulped and said, "I'm not sure. He didn't want to stay with anyone last night and he took off."

"Great. We finally get some help and now we can't even find him. What's he going to do? Appear only when Phoenixmon attacks us?"

"Well, that does sound like a good idea," said a voice up in a tree.

The tamers looked up and saw Inderamon sitting on a tree branch with one leg dangling down. He just looked at them and smiled.

"Hey don't worry. It's not like we're going to miss you anyway," Terriermon said.

Inderamon smiled and said, "Well no one would miss you either. You're annoying."

"Hey! I'll have you know that I'll be missed and you're probably as annoying as Impmon here."

Impmon growled at Terriermon while Terriermon jumped down from Henry's shoulders and stood in front of the tree, looking at Inderamon.

"Maybe. But I have the sense of knowing when to stop my insulting. Unlike some people. Besides who would you be missed by? Suzie?"

"Yeah and Henry too."

Inderamon just shrugged his shoulders not saying anything more. Terriermon looked at him and finally spoke.

"Well I guess no one would miss you, seeing as you have no one to miss you."

"Terriermon!" Henry said.

Inderamon stopped smiling and just looked at the bunny below him. Terriermon looked at his tamer.

"What? It's true. Besides I'm sure no one would miss him even if he did have someone to miss him."

"Terriermon!" Henry said again.

Inderamon's eyes slanted and kept looking at Terriermon. Suddenly, Terriermon had a blue orb around him.

"Terriermon! Stop it! What are you doing to him?" Henry said looking at Inderamon.

Henry ran to grab his partner. Inderamon then held up his hand and, right when Henry went to grab him, Inderamon's hand motioned upwards, making Terriermon hover in the air. Henry fell as Terriermon slipped from his grasp. The others watched unsure of what to do. Terriermon kept going upwards until he was face to face with Inderamon. Terriermon gulped, now afraid of him. Inderamon looked at him and finally spoke.

"Don't ever talk to me like that. Maybe I should just leave and let Phoenixmon destroy your family. Then you will know what it feels like to be alone and to have no one miss you."

With that said, Inderamon swiped his hand across his chest making the orb around Terriermon disappear. Terriermon fell and Henry caught him in his hands. Henry looked at his partner to make sure he was all right.

"Terriermon, you ok?"

"Yeah. But that was freaky."

Takato glared at Inderamon and said, "What did you do to him?"

Inderamon merely shrugged and said, "I just did a little levitation on him. Wasn't going to hurt him, but maybe I should have. I know my father would've if he were in the same position. He never took crap from anyone."

Henry looked up at him and said, "By father, do you mean Impmon?"

Inderamon nodded.

"I'm surprised he didn't hurt him. He was close enough to smash Terriermon's face in," Rika said.

As Inderamon stared at the ground, trying to get rid of his anger, Impmon looked at him. There was something different about him but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Sure his looks were different, but his techniques and powers were nothing like his. Also, he could understand why Phoenixmon wanted him dead, but Renamon? What does she have to do with any of this? After a few minutes of silence, a sudden explosion filled the quiet city air. The tamers all looked and saw some of the city in flames.

"It's Phoenixmon! He must be trying to lure us out by attacking a defenseless city," Inderamon said.

"Well I'm not going to stay here and let innocent people get hurt. Ready Guilmon?" Takato said.

Guilmon nodded and said, "Always ready when you are."

"Ok! Then lets show him what we're made of," Rika said.

Takato, Rika, and Henry held up their D-Arcs and said, "Bio-merge Activate!"

A bright light from each of their D-Arcs enveloped them and their partners. Soon, there stood three megas and a fourth one stood beside them as Impmon warp-digivolved to Beelzemon Blast Mode. Inderamon looked at them and smiled. He jumped down from the tree landing beside the megas. Kazu, Kenta, MarineAngemon, and Calumon climbed onto Gaurdramon's back.

Gallantmon looked at Inderamon and said, "Inderamon. Aren't you going to digivolve?"

Inderamon smiled and said, "I can't digivolve. Never have and never will."

"But how are you supposed to help us defeat Phoenixmon?" Sakuyamon asked.

Inderamon winked and said, "I have my ways. Now lets go before Phoenixmon destroys the entire city."

They all took off and, since they could all fly one way or another, they forgot about Inderamon's mode of transportation. Of course, Kazu came up to them to ponder this situation.

"You guys do realize that Inderamon doesn't look like he has flying capabilities and that we probably just left him behind."

"Well that's just great. Thanks for notifying us Kazu," Rika said sarcastically.

They were about to head back when they heard a voice.

"Hey! You do realize you're going the wrong way."

They all looked and what they saw would send anyone off of the edge. There was Inderamon, up in the air, and not just floating but standing! It looked as though there was a floor or something in the air and he was standing on it. He looked at them some more and pointed toward his right.

"He's that way and no more damage has been done so I'm guessing he's waiting for us, or rather you because he has no idea that I'm here, rather patiently."

They nodded and followed Inderamon toward the area he confirmed as Phoenixmon's landing area. They got there and landed swiftly, staring at the huge bird digimon.

"So, you decided to go into your mega forms again. Useless. Simply useless," Phoenixmon said as he quickly did his ultimate attack on them.

"Crimson Flame!"

They all tried to avoid the attack but once again Phoenixmon was too fast and had successfully hit his targets. They screamed as pain went through their bodies and de-digivolved back into their rookie forms. Phoenixmon laughed as he watched them struggle to their feet. Inderamon moved in front of Phoenixmon, preparing to attack the mega.

"Phoenixmon! How dare you! How dare you come into the past to try and change it for your future! The blood of humans and the data of digimon are stained on your claws from your rampage in our time but now you come here for more destruction! You make me, and anyone else that knows you, sick. Sick to our stomachs."

Phoenixmon stared at him and said, "So, you have decided to follow me here. Stay out of this Inderamon. This is nothing of your concern."

"Nothing of my concern! You monster! It's because of you that I feel this way! I will not let you destroy the warriors who have saved our own world. They deserve to live and they shall not die under your talons."

"How noble of you, to sacrifice yourself for those you don't even know about. You hardly know anything. You are not a threat to me…"

"Well I should be. You were mighty scared when we were fighting in our time. I almost destroyed you, but then you escaped into this time hoping to get rid of me for good. But it backfired! I followed you and now I am going to make you pay for all the lives you ruined… by destroying you."

Phoenixmon looked at him. He knew Inderamon was right, but he also knew Inderamon hadn't told these tamers anything about the future. It wouldn't matter anyway. Soon he will have supreme rule over the worlds and nothing would be in his way. Not even Inderamon. He looked at Renamon and Impmon, standing there next to each other. He smiled and did his attack.

"Star Light Explosion!" he said has thousands of stars started to come crashing down on the two rookies.

Inderamon was fast though as he teleported and stepped in front of the two, raised his hands up, and said, "Shadowed Shield!" as a gray orb of energy shielded them. Inderamon held the shield up as long as he could and, after Phoenixmon's attacked ceased, the shield went down and Inderamon landed on his knees panting heavily.

"What's wrong Inderamon? I thought you were stronger than that. How disappointing," Phoenixmon said tauntingly.

Inderamon looked at him and said, "Go to hell!"

Phoenixmon ignored him and continued.

"You may have protected them for now, but what makes you think you can protect them throughout this battle? I know how much they must mean to you but you're only protecting them because you know if they die you won't exist. Your only here to insure that you are born."

"That's not true and you know it! I'm here to destroy you! I could care less if I am born in the future or not!"

"Then why haven't you told them the truth, Inderamon? Why haven't you told them about your… parents?"

Inderamon just stared at him and started to clench his fists. He was trying to make the others believe that he was selfish just like his father. Inderamon stared at the ground, unsure of what to say next. Phoenixmon smiled and knew how to get this conversation more intense.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid that they will find out? Come now. Look at yourself. Who do you resemble the most? Your father perhaps? Are you afraid that they will find out that you are just as selfish and cold-hearted as your father was?"

Those words hit Inderamon hard. Despite how weak he was at the moment, he stood up and walked up to Phoenixmon. Breathing heavily and glaring at him, he said, "I will never be who my father was! He made a wrong choice but he righted it by protecting people and destroying creeps like you. I promised him, my mother, and all of the other warriors that I would always protect the innocent and put others needs in front of my own. I promised them...and I'm keeping my promise."

He unsheathed the sword from his back and held it forward, ready for battle. Phoenixmon looked at the imp and saw that he was willing to fight to the bitter end. He looked upon the two digimon he wanted to destroy so much but he knew that he had to destroy Inderamon to do so.

"You can try to destroy me, Inderamon, but what makes you think that I won't be able to destroy your parents as well?"

His parents? But that must mean that… Henry thought as he realized who Inderamon was talking about. Impmon is obviously his father and the only other person that could be his mother is...Renamon.

Phoenixmon looked at Inderamon and said, "Fine then. Let us see who the real champion is. Your fate has been set."

Phoenixmon dove at Inderamon as Inderamon held his sword high and charged at the huge bird.