. . .

Kai and Samantha

. . .

"Kai Sarata, its a pleasure to meet you sir." He greeted the older man formally, bowing his head and shaking his hand.

He seemed a bit surprised by his greeting, shaking his hand and nodding. "R-Right, and to you as well." He nodded with a smile, looking to Kai's partner briefly. "And you are...?"

"Kotemon! At your service!" He replied excitedly, raising his sword.

While Sam rolled her eyes, "Great, now that that's out of the way, we still need to find the others."

Her father nodded, "Actually I was thinking about that, and I might have found a solution." He stated, waving for them to follow as he made his way towards the main computer terminals. "A few days ago, I noticed a few strange energy fluctuations around the Digital World," A large map blowing up on the main screen. Showing all three of the continents, highlighting this mountain lab on the Easternmost one. "Not uncommon, but after knowing your friend had arrived so close by I went back to check them."

"And what did you find?" Darcmon questioned curiously.

"Well, your signal and Samantha's were not abnormal, likely because you're both from this world." He explained, before looking to Kai. "But there were four abnormal fluctuations, like the four new human arrivals being converted into data, I checked my logs and the anomalies match for all four locations!" Watching as three more pings showed up on the map, two located on the southern continent and one on the western.

"That's great news," Kai crossed his arms, "So we have a general idea of where to look."

"Yeah but we still gotta cross the ocean to get there," Sam scoffed, "Still feels like we're flying kinda blind here, I mean we'd hardly know where to look when we reach the other continents."

"That's not entirely true," Kotemon chimed in, "When Kai and I arrived, we were close to where I came from, not far from where I was pulled from this world in fact."

"Right," Kai nodded, "So we just figure out where Kokuwamon, Shamanmon and Tsukaimon came from and we'll know where to look."

"Hmm," Darcmon brought a hand to her chin. "Well, Shamanmon mentioned being part of a tribe of Goblimon, they mostly reside in the jungles of the south."

"And almost all Machine digimon come from the factories on the southern continent as well." Sam added.

"Which means Tsukaimon and Madison are-" Kai's thoughts hitched for a brief moment as his eyes landed on the Western Continent. "Mephistomon..." Knightmon's warning replaying in his mind. "They are likely in danger, if what Knightmon said is true."

Sam took a deep breath and sighed, "Alright, so we find a way across the ocean, find Thomas and Cody, then we go after Maddie."

"Madison might be all alone," Kai pointed out, "Perhaps we should go find her first."

But Sam wasn't hearing it, "If this Mephistomon is as strong Knightmon says, another digimon like Dragomon, I'd prefer if we had all available hands on deck."

Kai didn't like it, but knew that splitting up was a bad idea. "Fine, but how do we get there?"

"That's going to be the tricky part," Darcmon shook her head, "Crossing the ocean is already an obstacle, but we know that Dragomon has it out for us, if he knows were here alright, it'd be safer if we could fly."

Kai and Kotemon both had a realization, looking to one another before they both said, "Knightmon."

Sam quirked an eyebrow, "Uh... Maybe it's been awhile since I've seen a Knightmon, but I'm pretty sure he can't fly."

"No, you're right, Knightmon can't fly," Kotemon nodded, looking up at her. "But his steed, Maildramon, can."

Kai smirking as he crossed his arms, "And it just so happens he owes us a favor."

She chuckled lightly, shrugging her shoulders. "Well I guess we fly then, and hope that Cody and Thomas have stayed out of trouble..."

"Knowing Thomas, he's probably already found Cody and they're staying safe, he's a smart kid."

. . .

Thomas and Cody

. . .

"You sure this is a good idea?" Cody questioned, wind howling around him, high above the jungles.

"If we wanna track the others, I need tech, I need to get back to the Dum Dum Factory." Thomas answered, narrowing his eyes as he glared up at the volcano. "And those two aren't going to let us pass back over the mountains without a fight."

"Things will be different this time," Gigadramon assured, flying steady as they neared the target. "This time it'll be a team fight!"

Gokuwmon stood tall atop Gigadramon's back, staff in hand and holding his balance perfectly. "That's right! We can't lose this time!"

While both Thomas and Cody were following on a silver cloud, one that Gokuwmon had conjured out of thin air, keeping their distance but keeping up with the two ultimate level digimon. In the distance, near the top of the mountain, they could see the winged demons taking flight. Fire and steel launching from over the edge of the volcano, as if they detected the young heroes approaching.

"We'll stay out of your way," Cody nodded, taking a seat on the cloud, wincing a little as he grabbed his arm. "Kick their asses!"

"You ready?" Gokuwmon questioned, gripping his staff tighter as he watched the two winged digimon arching down and beginning to dive towards them.

"I was born ready!" Gigadramon replied, raising both arms and opening both launchers. "Genocide Gears! Full Barrage!"

Smoke trails flowing from his metal arms as the storm of missiles were fired, racing up towards Jazarichmon and Lavogaritamon. Just like before, the metal digimon began firing his own lasers, striking the incoming missiles with deadly precision, causing them to explode in the sky between and filling it with smoke and fire.

Gokuwmon narrowing his eyes, "Here it comes!" Watching as molten stones came raining down from within the smoke. "I've got this!" Leaping forward, a silver cloud of his own forming beneath his feet. "HRAAAGH!" Swinging his staff with all his weight and strength behind it, he slammed one of the large molten stones sending flying right back. Before doing the same with the others that followed, knocking them aside so they fell harmlessly into the mountains below.

Lavogaritamon came flying through the smoke screen, on burning wings as it released a thunderous screech. Gokuwmon performed a barrel roll on his silver cloud, evading the talons of the mighty magma wyvern. While Jazarichmon swooped around the side, eyes flashing it began lining up a shot, as well as locking onto both targets.

Gigadramon picked up the pace, slamming into Lavogaritamon as it missed Gokuwmon. Pushing him into the smoke cloud, carrying him higher and higher, "I'm not letting you get away this time!" His long tail starting to wrap around his talons and intertwine with Lavogaritamon's tail to ensnare him fully! Jazarichmon opened fire, lasers pinpoint accurate and striking at Gigadramon's opening causing him to hiss in pain. All while Lavogaritamon bit and clawed at the cyborg dragon. "Gnngh!"

"Gokuwmon you've gotta keep Jazarichmon off of Gigadramon!" Cody called into his digivice.

Gokuwmon arched upward, flying high over the ensuing battle between giants as he locked eyes with Jazarichmon. "Lets see how you fight on an even playing field shall we!?" The machine spotted him, and seemed to accept his challenge. Locking onto Gokuwmon and his silver cloud, lasers and missiles firing without any hesitation.

But the monkey warrior showed no fear, diving right through the barrage. His keen eyes pathing a way between the oncoming assault, while his silver steed granted him the speed to follow it! Missiles colliding with one another behind him, lasers flying harmlessly past, as Gokuwmon crossed the distance in a matter of seconds!

Jazarichmon realized the incoming danger, and began to break off. Strafing and trying to put distance between itself and Gokuwmon. The smaller target would be impossible to hit at close range, but even with the machine digimon's howling jet engines, Gokuwmon remained right on its tail!

"What's wrong!?" Gokuwmon challenged confidently, twirling his staff all while racing through the skies beside Jazarichmon. "Having trouble keeping up!?" Before he jumped from his cloud, spinning in the air before slamming the great metal wyvern across the side of its head with his staff. "Now FALL!"

The impact at such high speed threw Jazarichmon completely off coarse, and with so much momentum behind its movements the digimon had no chance of correcting itself or recovering. Hurtling down towards the mountain, while Gokuwmon landed on another cloud and began chasing behind him.

While Gigadramon finally overpowered his own foe, driving it into the rockface of the volcano as well, pinning the molten demon down and preventing it from flying away. The beast still fighting tooth and nail, trying to throw off Gigadramon so it could get airborne once more.

"Nice!" Thomas grinned as he watched, hands clenched into fists. "They've got this!"

"Of course they do!" Cody replied, as they flew closer to the action. "Was there ever any doubt?"

Gokuwmon flew over the crashed Jazarichmon, watching it struggle to get up, the impact leaving it partially buried within a crater. He narrowed his eyes, before raising up his staff towards the darkening clouds above. "Lets end this!" Flipping forward off of his cloud, his staff began to glow as he held it up high. A thunderous crash sounding as lightning struck his weapon, bringing it to life with sparks of electricity as he fell upon the metal demon. "Raikou HOU!"

On impact, his staff released the power it had gathered from the clouds. An explosion of light shaking the mountainside as the harnessed lightning was released against Jazarichmon's already injured body. Sending stone and dust flying in all directions.

"HELL YEAH!" Cody cried out, fist pumping before he cursed loudly, "Ow! Dammit that still hurts!"

Gokuwmon stood amidst the crater left by Jazarichmon, now doubled in size by his attack. Looking around for any sign of the digimon or its data dispersing. But he didn't see anything, "But where- Huh?" Before spotting a tiny digimon, a little metal winged wyvern laying beaten in the dirt. "It dedigivolved?"

"Now we've just gotta beat the other one," Thomas noted, looking to Gigadramon. "You okay over there buddy?"

"I'm working on it!" Gigadramon replied, "I can't exactly release my missiles at this range without blowing myself up too you know!?"

Before a somewhat familiar, piercing ring sounded through both Thomas and Cody's digivices, making them wince and recoil from them. "Agh! What the hell?" Cody questioned, looking to Thomas for answer.

"Finally," A female voice sounded through them both. "Now that I've hacked into your communication system, call off your pets so we can talk."

Thomas blinked, "Pets?"

Cody of course, taking offense to the statement. "That pet just beat your metal birds ass, and he's got a name!"

"Irrelevant," A flash came from Lavogaritamon, the digimon regressing in size beneath Gigadramon into a rookie level. It shared the hard obsidian body with small glowing magma stones on its form. "There, I have disarmed my guards, as it stands I am defenseless, will you speak with me now?"

"Oh so hers are guards but ours are pets huh?" Cody scoffed.

Thomas rolled his eyes, "Yeah we'll uh... Land, somewhere... Where did you want to meet?"

"I'll unveil the landing pad." A loud metal shrieking sounded near the top of the volcano, the smoke plumes fading away and revealing some kind of landing pad. "Do not keep me waiting."

Before their digivices turned off, Cody narrowing his eyes. "Great, time to go into the pushy ladies volcano lair." He shook his head, "What is it with all the crazy chics lately?"

"Starting to miss Kinkakumon?" Thomas teased.

Earning an audible groan from Cody, as both partners and digimon converged on the landing pad. Those strange rookie digimon making their way to the location as well. Both Gigadramon and Gokuwmon dedigivolving as well upon seeing the size of the doors they needed to enter through. A bulkhead of some kind, metal doors that began to grind open upon their approach.

"Nice work out there." Cody told Shamanmon while the cloud dispersed beneath him. "You kicked ass, and looked badass doing it."

Shamanmon bashfully rubbing the back of his head, "Really? Yeah I thought that lightning attack was pretty cool..."

"So we just go in?" Kokuwamon asked the rookie digimon, who seemed to completely ignore them and wandered inside. "Uh... Alright?"

Thomas quirked an eyebrow, "I guess they might not like us very much..."

"Yeah well I don't like them either." Cody shrugged his shoulders, "In we go I guess..."

The four of them slowly following inside, the doors closing behind them before the long metal hall began to light up. Blinding them momentarily, before her voice sounded on the speaker. "Straight ahead please, I'll be waiting for you in the central lab."

"What was that you said about needing some tech?" Cody nudged Thomas as they went, stuffing his good hand into his pocket.

Thomas nodded, taking in the sights around them. "Yeah we might have everything we need here..."

The long hall eventually opened up into a large chamber, the walls lined with computers with wires running all over the place. Papers, notes, various tools scattered across the floor and tables. While the two small rookie digimon walked over to a couple of large glass pods, climbing inside before the doors sealed. Both rookies closing their eyes as if they were sleeping now.

Cody blinking as he watched, "Uh..."

"Don't mind them," Sounded the woman's voice. Her blonde head just barely peaking out from behind a chair nearby as she clicked away at a keyboard. "They just need a recharge, I'm honestly impressed." She added, turning in her chair. Revealing an older woman, long curly blonde hair with sharp features and sharp eyes hidden behind glasses. "I took a great deal of care in designing my watchdogs, but you made short work of them with those two."

"Watchdogs?" Cody repeated, scoffing as he shook his head. Completely ignoring the fact that there was another human in front of them. "Those dogs of yours have been terrorizing the entire continent!"

"They've hurt and destroyed a number of innocent digimon," Thomas added, "They've done a lot more than just guard this mountain."

"Hmm, yes well." She turned back around in her chair, closing out a few screens. "Data collection and experimentation is imperative to protecting the Human World from these... Digital Monsters."

"You said you designed those two," Thomas crossed his arms, "Are you saying Jazarichmon and Lavogaritamon are artificial digimon?"

"In a sense, yes." She responded, rising from her seat finally and turning to face them. "They aren't quite as sentient as yours evidently, but they are programmed to do simple tasks I assign them."

"Like killing babies." Cody chimed in, narrowing his eyes at her. "Can't believe you had one attack a damn nursery for Digi-eggs."

"Triceramon's data is what I wanted," She answered casually. "The village was collateral damage, unavoidable, I don't have time to wait for him to leave."

His fists clenched, "Are you serious!?"

"Before we go on with hating your guts," Thomas intervened, placing a hand on Cody to stop him. "Who are you? I thought we were the first humans to come to this world."

"Angela Ross," She replied, "Formerly a founding inventor of the Cyber Core program, a misstep in testing left me and my colleague stranded here roughly twenty-five years ago."

"And where is your colleague?" Thomas asked, noting there didn't appear to be anyone else here.

"If he was smart he'd have stayed hold up on our old lab." She shrugged, "But I haven't seen him in a few years and I don't have time to worry about that when our own World can be threatened by these monsters."

"Well aren't you just peachy." Cody rolled his eyes.

"What exactly are you trying to do here?" Thomas questioned, "You said you were collecting data, for what?"

"A deterrent," Angela answered, "I'm trying to develop a weapon in case Digimon ever start freely entering our world and causing trouble."

"Little late for that," Cody said, "We've already been kicking digital ass, in fact we stopped an entire invasion!"

Angela quirked an eyebrow, "Ah, so that's what the mass energy fluctuations must have been, then it seems I'll need to move up my timetable." Folding her arms over her chest in thought. "I was targeting higher level digimon, but if things are progressing so quickly I'll need more data, it seems we'll need to start collecting data from champion and rookie levels as well-"

"You aren't hurting anyone else!" Cody exclaimed, waving his one good fist at her. "Don't make me beat up an old lady!"

"You don't need a deterrent," Thomas trying to reason with her. "We've had great success repelling Digimon attacks in the real world."

She didn't seem convinced, quirking an eyebrow. "You two? Really?"

"It's not just us," Cody shook his head. "We've got friends who are fighting too, Madison and Kai, and Sam too!"

Her eyes widened, "Sam? You... You know Samantha?"

Thomas nodded, "Yeah, she and her partner Darcmon are the ones that helped bring us all together."

Angela hesitated for a moment, "Is she... Back here in the digital world as well?"

Cody nodded, "As far as we know, all of us got sucked here when the portal closed." Before tilting his head, "You know her?"

"She is my daughter, in a sense."

Cody blinked, "She's your- Yikes..."

"If what you say is true, perhaps my deterrent is not necessary," She shrugged her shoulders, "But I'll decide nothing until I've had a chance to speak with her, do you know where she is?"

"No but we're working on that," Thomas said, stepping forward. "You said you hacked into our communications, I've studied the signals from our digivices extensively as well as Cyber Core, I'm confident that with all the tech you've got here I can broaden our communication abilities and get in contact with the rest of our friends."

Angela seemed surprised, "A child genius? Well its been awhile since I've gotten to share notes with anyone other than my colleague."

Cody rolled his eyes, "Yeah you two have your nerd talk, I'll be over here keeping an eye on the murder birds."

Finding a potential ally in an unlikely place perhaps, but the two could at least agree they were finally making progress...