. . . Madison . . .
Mephistomon, the Dark Lord of this domain.
Madison had spent some time trying to figure out exactly how she could find her partner and get out of here. But she'd never been the best at planning... Anything, really. But she couldn't give up, she couldn't just sit here knowing that Mephistomon was only keeping her alive to keep Tsu in check. Tsu probably couldn't even fight back because that monster was threatening to hurt her.
"And... The others." She thought, staring out the window of her room, the lock preventing her from actually stepping out onto the balcony.
The land around this gothic palace was a dense forest, fog clouds rolling across the earth while the endless moonlight reflected off a distant shore. A stark contrast to the dark clouds that had filled the air before, were those simply to block out the sun during the day? The sky itself was now filled with colors, purples and blue auroras mixing with pale starlight. She knew this place should fill her with some sense of dread or despair, it was a textbook evil villain's fortress but-
"Hey!"
"AGH!" Madison jumped, snapped back to reality by the shrill voice of someone in her doorway. Turning to see one of those Gazimon standing there, her surprise turning to anger at the sight of her captor. "What do you want?"
He narrowed his eyes at her, reaching back out around the doorframe and pulling up a plate of steaming food. A well done steak, sides of cooked vegetables and a glass of crystal clear water on the tray beside it. "I was ordered to bring you food, human." He grumbled out.
Even as her stomach growled in approval, Madison shook her head. "I'm not hungry."
"Well too bad!" He barked back at her, storming in and setting it down on the desk. "Eat."
"No," She said simply, turning back to the window. "For all I know you're trying to drug me or something so I'll do whatever Mephistomon wants..."
The Gazimon scoffed, dismissively waving her off. "Unbelievable, you should count yourself lucky this is the kinda treatment you're getting."
"He can't be serious." Madison thought as she looked back at him. "I'm being held against my will while my partner is likely being tortured or forced to do something she doesn't want to, how am I lucky?"
"Because this is five star compared to what most of us get around here." He grunted back, causing Madison to blink in surprise. "Eat, don't eat, whatever, not my problem." He shrugged his shoulders, making his way back to the door after taking a last, longing look at the plate. As he walked away, Madison noticed something. Unlike the other Gazimon, he had a pair of twin tails.
"Hey!" She called out without thinking, causing the Gazimon to flinch and tense up. "I never even considered..."
"What is it now?" He demanded, glaring back at her.
"I'm not very hungry but... Do you want some?" She asked, forcing a weary smile. "Mephistomon... Is a tyrant, a narcissist, and a monster."
Gazimon hesitated for a moment, eyes widening like a deer caught in the headlights. "Y-You mean I could-" Before he shook his head, "No way! You're just trying to trick me! Get me to lower my guard so you can run away! Or get me in trouble for eating your food!"
And for the first time in what felt like a long time, Madison laughed lightly as she held up her hands. "No tricks here, you just look like you could use a good meal."
Gazimon suspiciously watched her for a moment, before he slowly made his way over to the plate. Before he grabbed a handful of the vegetables between his claws and took a big bite, his eyes lighting up and for a brief moment Madison could have sworn she saw him start to smile, before he began ravenously devouring the food. Taking a few big mouthfuls before stiffening as he remembered she was right there watching.
He swallowed half his mouthful before bashfully offering an awkward, "Uh... Thanks..."
"Don't mention it," She replied, "I heard them call you Gazimon earlier right? That's your name?"
"Mmmhmm." He nodded, mouth already full of more food.
"I'm Madison, nice to meet you."
"What the hell is with you humans?" Gazimon tilted his head sideways, "First you're biting my head off for just bringing you dinner and now you're acting all buddy buddy?"
Earning a more embarrassed laugh from the teen, "Yeah sorry about that," She offered, lowering her head a bit. "I just kinda realized... I've been a prisoner here for all of one day and I'm miserable, I can't imagine what actually living under a monster like Mephistomon is like."
Gazimon quirked an eyebrow, taking a big bite of the provided steak. "Yeah well... It's not all bad." Walking over to the window beside her, staring out. "The view's pretty nice."
Madison followed his gaze, looking back up to the starry night that had been distracting her earlier. "Yeah... Yeah it is."
She'd been quick to write all the digimon here off as evil, after meeting Devimon and Mephistomon. But there was some good here, or at least... There was innocence. Innocence being ruled over by a tyrant.
. . .
. . . Thomas and Kokuwamon . . .
Making his way through the vents was a slow and steady process, Thomas doing his best not to make any noise as he went along. Peaking out of any vent covers he came across in a desperate hope to find his partner. But as Datamon said, the Kokuwamon volunteering to power this place were a few floors up. He saw various patrolling machines, more scrapped Digimon, most still alive, being carried off somewhere else to be converted back into data.
The idea made him sick to his stomach, like feeding animals into a slaughter house. He wouldn't let this continue, he was going to find his partner and shut down this whole operation!
And he wouldn't have to look much further, as he finished the climb to the next floor he could hear wailing through the vents. The voices were familiar, similar to that of his Partner. It made him start moving faster, caring less about making noise as he found his way to the vent cover leading to the power supply of this facility.
As he peered through the metal cover, his eyes widened in horror. Before him he saw dozens, no... It must have been hundreds of Kokuwamon being used as the power supply itself. Their bodies hooked into various machines, sapping their energy. Patrolling Hagurumon stopping before any who didn't seem to have anything left to give, pulling the drained Digimon from their prison and carting them off.
Likely to be scrapped as well.
Thomas clenched his fists so tightly it hurt, white knuckle rage blinding his thoughts as he leaned back and used both legs to kick through the vent cover before jumping down. He landed on the ground and started running down the long hall of wailing cries, "KOKUWAMON! WHERE ARE YOU!" He screamed, desperately trying to find his partner before he suffered the same fate.
Many rows down, one Kokuwamon was struggling to keep it together. Cringing in pain every time the power was sapped from his body, fearing what might happen if he gave up. But hearing that voice, his eyes shot wide open. "THOMAS!" He cried out in response, as if he'd been brought back to life. "I'm over here!"
"Hang on I'm coming!" Thomas assured, racing towards him even as the patrolling Hagurumon noticed their presence and began floating over. Thomas slid to a stop before his partner, and began unhooking the wires. "Are you alright?" Before he noticed the wires trying to ensnare his partner faster than Thomas was freeing him. "Hey!"
"Th-They won't let me go," Kokuwamon cringed as he tried to aid in the struggle. "Not without a fight!"
Thomas nodded, pulling out his Digivice, "Then we'll give them one."
The equally angered little beetle nodded his head, "Lets tear this place apart."
Digivolution
The approaching Hagurumon were forced to shield their eyes as Kokuwamon transformed. Growing into the mechanical suit known as Mekanorimon, with Thomas in the driver's seat as as they ripped free of the wall with ease. The servants of Andromon's grim work not at all interested in battling such a large machine, already backing away before completely turning tail to run.
"It'll take too long to unhook them all," Thomas noted, eyes darting around the room before using a screen to trace where all the power was going. "Up there!" Looking up to the core of this terrible place. "Let's take it down!"
"On it!" Mekanorimon agreed, the shoulder silos opening. "Gyro Break!" Firing a salvo of his disc shaped bombs, they flew up and latched unto the pulsating core before erupting with a fiery explosion! Making debris rain down harmlessly onto the open floors of the massive room. While the wires constraining the Kokuwamon began to loosen, allowing the exhausted machine digimon a reprieve.
"Y-You saved us?" One rasped out, looking to the dynamic duo.
"No time for thanks you, with the power offline you won't have to worry about the factory's defenses." Thomas replied as the top of Mekanorimon opened, "Get your people out of here, and all the digimon still alive in the scrap pit too."
The many metal beetles nodded, those that still had strength left to help already on the move. While one of the weaker ones looked up to their saviors, "A-And what about you two?"
Thomas didn't even need to consider his answer, "We're going to take down Andromon!"
"Lets GO!" Mekanorimon added, igniting his thrusts as the two began blasting off towards the same entrance Andromon had guided Mekanorimon down. They were heading right for the center, as lights throughout the facility sparked and shattered, systems shutting down rapidly.
The doors that would lead to the center of this place were up ahead, Thomas tapping away at the keys. "Lets make an entrance!"
"With pleasure!" His partner replied, lenses on his chest coming to life as they fired off twin shining beams. "Twin Beams!" The lasers blasting clean through the doors and blowing it right off its hinges.
They charged through within the plume of smoke, Mekanorimon turning towards the central computer where Andromon sat in his throne like some wannabe king. He gave up trying to salvage the dying monitors before him, turning to face the intruders as he laid his eyes upon Mekanorimon.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" He demanded, rising from his seat.
"We're shutting down this twisted operation, Andromon!" Mekanorimon exclaimed, "You aren't going to enslave anyone else!" But Thomas knew that was only part of his atrocities.
"Twisted operation?" Andromon scoffed, "You think I enjoy this? You can't imagine the horrors I've seen, watching each and every one of my friends get destroyed by those monsters!" He held up his right hand, the fingers interlocking and starting to spin at high speed like some kind of drill. "Our sacrifices will ensure we aren't all destroyed!"
"From where I'm standing your subjects are the only ones sacrificing anything!" Mekanorimon added, watching as two Tankmon began rolling up from behind with their cannons trained on him and his partner.
Andromon stared down at him with grim anger, "Watch your tongue, you could never imagine having to surrender your soul for the greater good..."
But Thomas wasn't having any of it, he would never accept this self pity nonsense. "If you really believed this was the only way to defeat your enemy, and that this was acceptable," His fingers gripping the controls tighter. "Then you never had a soul in the first place."
"Hrrngh!" Andromon's anger boiling over, he lashed out with his spinning arm. "Spiral Sword!" The limb releasing a wave of energy that raced towards them.
"Thrusters NOW!" Thomas cried, as Mekanorimon fired up the engines blasting them into the air. The spinning energy blade wave cut clean through the Tankmon, destroying them instantly! "All power to main gun!"
"Tri Beam LASERS!" Mekanorimon was already on it, thrusters dying and flooding the main weapon with full power! Unleashing a massive wave of energy as all three beams combined. They blasted Andromon head on, smashing him through his own throne and monitors, causing him to fall to the ground on the opposite side as the entire platform collapsed.
The two heroes landed, keeping power in the weapons and refusing to lower their guard. The smoke slowly clearing, revealing Andromon picking himself up, dusting off his scuffed chassis. "You would undo my work, and condemn us all to destruction," He wasn't backing down in his insane beliefs, his self righteous attitude. "Then you must both be destroyed!" His chest cavity suddenly opened up, revealing silos of some kind! "Gatling Missile!" Firing a wave of his own missiles.
"Power to Thrusters!" Thomas was at work on the controls instantly, as Mekanorimon took flight. The two flying high into the air of the center chamber, but it wasn't enough! "Ngh!" Thomas realizing too late that they were guided missiles, curving to chase after them mid flight!
"Brace yourself!" Mekanorimon cried, bringing his arms up to shield Thomas.
The missiles hit mark, striking the champion machines body and exploding with thunderous bangs that rocked the entire room. It threw them off course, Mekanorimon hurtling towards the ground fast. Thomas tried to correct it at the controls, but the thrusters weren't responding! So instead he shielded his face and upper body with his arms to try and minimize impact.
They hit the unforgiving metal floor hard, the dome of glass protecting Thomas was shattered in an instant and he was thrown across the floor. Tumbling over shards of glass that cut into his arms until he came to a halt.
He lay there in pain, wincing as he looked to his partner, hanging from the edge of the great pit. He could see the conveyor belts above, they'd come to a halt since the core was destroyed but he realized now that this must be where the scrapped Digimon were sent. This was the pit that Datamon had told him of.
"I can Salvage the mess you've created," Thomas turning to Andromon walking towards him. "I can rebuild, I can still save everyone that is left." He reached down, picking up Thomas by the front of his shirt. "Your data will feed our reconstruction." He began carrying him towards Mekanorimon, the pilotless suit struggling to recover as his damaged body sparked and cracked with every movement.
Looking up at Andromon with his single eye, "I-I won't let you-" His words silenced as Andromon used that spiral sword to slash off Mekanorimon's only functioning arm.
"You both think me some terrible villain," Andromon shook his head, "But you cannot fathom what I've had to sacrifice, what I've had to do to ensure our survival... It has to be worth it in the end."
Thomas grit his teeth, glaring daggers at Andromon. "It has to be worth it, or else you betrayed your last friend for nothing right?"
Andromon visibly tensed up, "Wh-What did you say?"
"You and I... We're not so different," Thomas said, holding eye contact with the android Digimon. "To save my world, I had to sacrifice the safety of myself and my friends..." He had an idea brewing, probably not a good one but they were running out of options. "Just like you... The difference is, I'm not giving up on them! Not like the way you ABANDONED DATAMON!"
Andromon's face twisted in anger, "Don't you DARE say that name!"
"You can't destroy us!" Mekanorimon added, leaning forward as best he could. "T-Thomas and I... We can't stop until we've all made it back home, nobody left behind!"
The symbols on the walls around the room, all across the factory, they began to thrum to life. Glowing a soft golden color, the intersecting triangles responding to something.
"SILENCE!" Andromon raised his Spiral Sword as if he were about to strike Thomas, but the human was one step ahead of him. Tucking in his arms, he slipped right out of his shirt. Dropping to the ground, he hit the ground running right towards his partner. "What!?"
"Do you trust me Mekanorimon!?" The pit was meant to convert data into more energy for more living Digimon to be created. But with the machines halted, all that stored data was exposed.
"Always!" Mekanorimon replied watching his partners body starting to glow that same golden color as the symbols. Before Thomas threw himself at the machine, the impact carrying just enough force for them to fall over the edge and into the glimmering data stored below!
If Thomas' theory was correct, they'd be fine.
If it wasn't... Well they wouldn't be around to regret it.
Andromon watched them fall over the edge, running to the side as they were both engulfed by the ocean of raw data. "You FOOLS!"
Before the symbols that ringed the entire chamber roared to life, each one shooting a beam of golden energy into the sea of data, striking one core before bouncing to another and another! Creating a network among the chaotic sea of Digital Remains, all lines beginning to converge on two points!
They struck both Thomas and Mekanorimon's bodies! The entire pool burning to life with energy, as that golden light focused into both human and digimon. The power of those abused and mistreated Digimon around them being funneled into both! The indignation of those betrayed by the Digimon who they thought was their savior was almost overwhelming!
Amidst the chaos of power swirling around them, Thomas felt something in a handful of cores that were converging around him alone. He felt himself reaching out, fingers meeting with the cores as information flowed into his mind!
Crest Digivolution
Mekanorimon's body overflowed with energy, the damaged valves and pipes on his back venting steam before he hunched over.
"Mekanorimon Digivolve to!"
The metal split, as a massive creature was released from within! It's body almost serpentine in nature if not for the two long arms and broad shoulders. A draconic head barely visible through the light.
What remained of Mekanorimon's body melted down into molten steel, before flying up into the air. It splashed down on both the creatures hands, solidifying into metal gauntlets that doubled as cannons. It also splashed down over his face, creating a menacing steel faceplate. Before what remained of the liquid metal splashed over the creatures back, forming and hardening into great wings of steel!
His skin was a pale shade of purple, eyes of gold burning beneath the helm. And on top of his head, standing tall and proud was Thomas. His exposed chest bearing the symbol of his new Crest, the interlocking golden triangles thrumming with light. His hair now a glimmering gold, waving in the winds.
"GIGADRAMON!"
Andromon stared up at them in shock and awe, stepping back slowly. "No... You couldn't have! Data convergence of that scale shouldn't be possible!"
"MetalGreymon, MetalTyrannomon, and MetalMamemon." Andromon visibly stiffened as Thomas began to speak their names. "You betrayed the trust of your followers, and disgraced the memories of friends who sacrificed themselves so you could live!" Thomas cried out from atop his partners head. "You hid behind your fear to justify these atrocities, now you'll answer for your crimes, ANDROMON!"
"Grr..." He grit his teeth in anger, opening his chest silos again. "You think just because you've digivolved, you can talk down to me!? The Dum Dum Factory is MINE!" Opening fire with those dreaded missiles once more. "And I'll use it to fix everything!"
But he didn't realize how outclassed he was, Gigadramon flexing his steel wings creating a great gale of winds throughout the entire chamber. The roaring winds threw the missiles off course, causing them to explode against the ceiling, blowing away the roofing and destroying more of his precious fortress.
"No! Damn you!" Andromon cried in anger, seeing the destruction he himself had caused. "You're ruining everything!"
"Oh I'm just getting started!" Gigadramon replied, raising both his arms, the launchers on his palms opening. "Genocide Gears!" Firing off a massive salvo of his own missiles, not just at Andromon but at the entire room around them.
The android digimon forced to shield himself as he was engulfed in the blast. Explosions roaring across the walls, shredding the structures support, causing it to start collapsing. "Lets get out of here!" Thomas ordered, before Gigadramon nodded and took flight proper, erupting through what little remained of the factory's roof and into the smoke filled sky.
The various turrets couldn't fire, all power lost since the destruction of the core. The defenders, patrolling Tankmon and Guardromon, they all looked to the sky to see the great metal serpentine beast. Their first instinct was to open fire, before they saw the symbol carried on Thomas' body, a symbol that triggered something in back of their minds. It was like a memory, or a feeling of deja vu. They recognized this symbol, this sign that everything was going to be okay, that someone was finally, truly fighting for them.
The Crest of Dedication.
Granting its holder the power to interface directly with data, to find a solution to any problem that threatens those in need.
And so they lowered their weapons, and focused on evacuating the factory, alongside the freed Kokuwamon and Hagurumon from the lower levels. Dozens of machine digimon fleeing the flames and explosions, both relieved and shocked by their sudden freedom from this place. Gigadramon and Thomas watched from on high, before Gigadramon gave a great gust from his wings once again. Unleashing a gale that billowed across the burning factory, snuffing out the flames in an instant, salvaging something of these poor digimon's former home.
They flew down to the ground, Gigadramon using one hand to help Thomas get down from his head. As he stood before the crowd of gathered machines, the smoldering ruins of the factory behind them. "I'm sorry we destroyed your home, but Andromon had been defeated, you're all free now from this terrible place."
"Free?" A guardromon repeated, shifting nervously. "But... How will we defend ourselves from Lavogaritamon now?"
Thomas had already considered this, taking a deep breath before nodding. "We'll defeat that monster for you, so you can rebuild here in peace."
Before a shift in the rubble drew everyone's eyes. Scrap metal turned aside, as Andromon stumbled out of the wreckage. His body badly damaged, leaking oil as he collapsed to the ground on his knees. "Y-You two..."
Gigadramon growled lowly, clearly ready to attack again if need be. But Thomas held up a hand, "You've lost Andromon, the Dum Dum Factory isn't yours anymore, I'm giving it back to the digimon you've terrorized."
"S-So it would seem..." He grunted out weakly, "I was scared, and let fear drive my actions... I thought, if I just fueled enough data into the pit with their Cores, my friends might come back..." He sighed heavily, looking up at Thomas. "Please... I do not deserve to be reborn into this world," He said simply, "Take my Digi-Core, if I can find any sort of redemption... It is in the destruction of Lavogaritamon, so please... Take my power, add it to your own."
Thomas thought on it for a moment, before looking up to Gigadramon. Sharing a brief nod, he walked over to Andromon. "Alright, if you're sure..."
"I am..." He smiled weakly, as a small orb of light emerged from his hand. It looked similar to the data clusters that Thomas had encountered in the datapool. "B-But before I go... I must know," He shifted weakly, "Did Datamon... Does he live?"
Thomas nodded slowly, "He was hiding in the salvage yard beneath the factory, that's where I found him."
Andromon released a sad, pained chuckle. "Of course... He was always so much smarter than me... Thank you, and..." He took one last look at the various machine digimon watching. "I'm sorry..."
Before his body broke down into nothing, his core pressed into Thomas' hands. The human taking it carefully, this victory feeling nothing more than bittersweet. He sighed heavily and made his way back to his partner. "Guess we're not quite done here yet huh?"
Gigadramon shook his head, before the duo looked to the mountains in the distance. Where smoke and fire rained over the landscape, "No, not yet..."
Thomas nodded, before the core in his hand disappeared, internally storing itself in his Crest. His eyes looking to the ruins around them, "First, we should probably clean up a little around here." Reaching out, he placed a glowing hand on a section of rubble. The broken steel breaking down into data, before rapidly reshaping into a makeshift shelter.
"How did you do that?" Gigadramon asked as he watched.
Thomas shook his head, looking at his hand. "It's the crest, I can... See the digital structure of things around me... Its kind of overwhelming, but with some time I might be able to make more complex things."
Gigadramon grinned suddenly, "Do it to me! Make me even bigger and stronger!" He demanded excitedly.
Earning a laugh from the tired teen, "Yeah I don't think I'm gonna be rewriting a Digimon any time soon."
They had bigger things to worry about after all, like fixing this place up and then dealing with the so called burning demon that had lead to so much strife and insanity in this place...
Thomas only hoped the others were having a better time than he was.