[Ground Zero, Babylon…]
Trevor followed the link that Megan DM'd him during Tyrone and Quincy's match, saying to follow her once they had a moment to break off. He was somewhat surprised that she chose Ground Zero of all places to talk, but then after a moment, this was the place where major events before this conflict happened so it wasn't too far out there. There was the obvious chance as well that they were being watched, but again, what did it matter? Omnimon was already in their possession, and the Knights just suffered a massive blow with what just happened.
Megan materialized as well, catching Trevor's attention. He looked over watching as the girl made her way towards him from the center of the broken rooftop.
"Did I make you wait?" She asked.
"Not really," Trevor answered.
She gave him a small smile. Not a teasing one like he would expect, but a genuine, sincere one.
"So…about this morning…" Trevor began, recalling his emotional outpour that caught them and the small group of students off guard the morning of.
"Are you and Layla…" The words left Megan's lips before she realized.
Trevor hesitated. "Meg, what's…?"
"I mean do you like her…like that…?" Megan, again, let her heart direct her words.
Trevor didn't know how to respond, leaving a longer pause than intended. "We're just friends…"
That stung Megan. "Be honest…"
"I am being honest."
"You're lying…"
"How am I lying?!" Trevor snapped.
"Because you are!"
"Broad leap in logic there."
"Christ can you just not be a smart mouth for a second?!"
"As soon as you stop throwing baseless accusations against me!"
"I'm not!"
"You are!"
Megan stopped herself and took a deep breath. "Okay, fine. Then answer this: if you two don't have something going on, then why did you go out of your way to save her and not me, hm? You told Adam that you couldn't focus on me because you had everyone else, especially Layla, on your to-do list."
Trevor paused. "That's not fair and you know it…"
"Adam showed more concern for my well-being than you ever did," Megan stated. "Even after the fact, he stalked Babylon for a whole week looking for me, while you prioritized everything else."
"Because somethings are more important—"
"More important than what? Your alone time with her?"
Trevor likewise at this point took a deep breath. "You're being a jealous brat."
That was a gut punch, strong enough to draw an angered tear. "I'm warranted that luxury at this point, aren't I? For everything I've been through the last several weeks, I think I'm allowed to be a little jealous, aren't I?!"
Trevor could see her eyes watering and realized he couldn't take his words back.
"I tried apologizing to you that day. But you ignored my calls, my messages, I was kidnapped by terrorists and was brought into a situation I wanted NOTHING to do with…! While you ran off to save the very terrorist that was way out of your league. Jealous or not, the fact you refuse to acknowledge it to my face shows who you care about more. And you hate that I'm making you realize it, don't you…?"
Trevor crossed his arms. "So that's why you brought me out here? To make me hear what I've known this whole time? To remind me how bad I screwed up?"
Megan shook her head. "I brought you here so you can hear from me how much of a self-righteous jerk you ended up being. And how much of an idiot I am for thinking otherwise…"
Megan turned and dissipated, leaving Trevor to think her words over. She's been holding onto that for a while, and whether that was her intentions or not, they're out there now.
Chapter 19: Fine Line Between Light and Dark
[Byte-Byte Park, Babylon, several days later…]
"Come back!" A toddler's giggling laced the air like music as her little feet pursued the bouncing Nyaromon who gleefully hoped between neon-colored block tiles. Across the way, a trio of Poromon soared to the awe of the children and their parents while a group consisting of Frimon and Bebydomon played Red Light, Green Light with a separate group of kids. The leader counted down and spun around, one of the Bebydomon stopping short and falling over to the humor of its friends.
Sydney admired the blissful ignorance of the children. Their glowing faces seemed unaware of the hassle Trojan has brought upon Babylon as well as themselves. She never saw herself as a hero, only taking this job to help her get through college in a timely fashion. With the flexibility being a huge plus, as well as the pay, it was hard to say no to the application. And while the training itself was grueling enough, to see these kids enjoy Babylon the way it was meant to be enjoyed, made it all worth it.
Wanyamon purred in her lap as she rested on the leg of UlforceVeedramon, who likewise was relaxing the work shift away. It's been a quiet few days in retrospect, the most eventful thing of the week being Quincy going missing, doing whatever he does. He turned up the next day, and though he seemed like something was weighing on his mind, Sydney dismissed it well enough. Carlos continued to bug her about his conspiracy theories, to the point where she'd begun ignoring him. After two days he got the hint and she ended up seeing less of him, which in some cases is a good thing.
As for Melissa, Sydney continued to try and push for a friendship with her, though it seemed that Ben was winning more on that front if anything, despite any excuse Melissa gave her. Of course, she was entitled to spend her time with whoever she wanted, but being the only other girl, she felt compelled to form some sort of relationship, especially since Melissa was their leader.
She could always fake an emergency…nah, that's childish. Also, she was a bad liar. She had a better chance inviting Melissa out for coffee one evening after class…
"Whoa check it out!" A young boy exclaimed, catching the eye of UlforceVeedramon.
"Wow it's a real Royal Knight!" another kid called out.
Before Sydney realized it, several kids came racing up to her, all in awe at the azure dragon knight sitting, both of the latter rendered surprised. Wanyamon, frightened by the kids, flew from Sydney's lap and behind UlforceVeedramon.
"So cool!"
"Can we touch him? Please."
"Actually…" Sydney said, still flustered. "I don't think she would mind…"
"She?" The kids blinked and looked up at the Digimon.
UlforceVeedramon nodded and put her hand down for them to get a feel. The kids were lost in the metallic claw of the Knight Digimon, while others saw the chrome reflection in her leg armor.
"It feels like real metal…" one of the kids felt the cool material of the claw while others ran their fingers on the ridges of the gauntlet blades.
"My armor is made from a material known as Chrome Digizoid…" UlforceVeedramon spoke up to the children. Her voice, while clearly feminine, was equally powerful in tone. SAIBA designed it to protect me from the worst that the bad guys can throw at us."
"That's so sick!" the same kid exclaimed, feeling even more excited to meet UlforceVeedramon.
"Hey! Were you a baby Digimon like the ones out here?" A little girl asked UlforceVeedramon.
Sydney looked up at her partner and gave a nod. UlforceVeedramon nodded and had the kids back up. UlforceVeedramon began to glow, sending a massive trail of Binary skyward, shrinking in the process. Eventually, it became a small blue Digimon about the size of an average teddy bear. Replacing the metallic armor, was a furry blue baby dragon with big red eyes and a cute smile.
"You mean like this?" Her voice rose dramatically in pitch, to the point she sounded squeaky in nature. "My name in this form is DemiVeemon. Pleased to meet you!"
The little girl who asked the question squealed. "YOU'RE SO CUTE!" Without warning she latched on the smaller Digimon and nearly squeezed it to death, causing Sydney to briefly panic a bit.
"Careful, she's not as tough in this form as in the other one!" Sydney reacted, laughing as she got a hold of her partner.
"I'm sorry…" the little girl pouted, quickly realizing she messed up.
"It's okay," the Digimon coughed. "Accidents happen."
"You guys have to remember that the Digimon have feelings too. They're not toys, they're real-living things."
"They're not real!" One of the kids retorted. "Nothing in Cyberspace is real."
Sydney caught wind of that comment and turned her attention to the child. "Well…I think they're real enough. So that's good enough for me." DemiVeemon agreed with a firm nod.
A chime went off on Sydney's D-Com. "Oh wow, it's time already?"
"What? You're leaving already?" the kids began to protest.
"Sorry guys, just like you, I gotta go to school too." Sydney looked over to Wanyamon who hid behind her now. She knelt, petting it to relax it. "Mind spending some time with these guys in our place?"
Wanyamon was hesitant, but the appearance of one of the Frimon from before bounced over to nudge it. Its encouragement to play led Wanyamon, as well as the kids over to the game the other Digimon were a part of.
Sydney stood, happy to leave work with that image to take with her. Children and Digimon together happily.
That's what they were fighting for as Knights…
"Thanks for agreeing to come along, Emily," Megan said as the subway car rocked down the tracks. Megan's tone of voice was low, enough for Emily to make a note of it, but not fully address.
"I mean, it was on my way home after all." She admitted. She turned to her, realizing that she felt obligated to address it. "You and Trevor have kept your distance from each other all week. Everything okay with you two?"
"I don't wanna talk about it…" Megan rolled her eyes, wanting to dismiss it.
Emily nodded. "Of course not. Suddenly you inviting me to a 'girl's day afternoon' with Layla makes a whole lot more sense."
"I'm not even gonna deny that."
"As if you could." Emily scoffed. She looked over to Megan again, "Are you sure you don't wanna talk about it?"
"If it's all the same I want this afternoon to not think about the guys," Megan admitted. "Just wanna clear my head a bit."
Emily nodded. "Granted, this means you can't interrogate Layla."
"I know…"
"You know but I bet you're gonna still try."
"Then whenever I go that route, find a way to change the subject or something."
"And why do I have to do your job for you?"
"Because I'm your friend and you love me."
"That term is subjective at best."
"I'll take that as a yes."
NOW APPROACHING: ILIAD STATION
"We're here." Emily stood up. "I texted Layla when we were leaving class, she'll be waiting for us."
"Great. It's been a while since I've been back here. Wonder if anything's changed in the last year.
"You seriously never bothered to pass through?" Emily inquired.
"To visit my Grandmother maybe. But why come through Riverbed when Cisco City has everything to offer?"
"So why insist on hanging out in Riverbed?" the train car slowed as it pulled into the station. "Wait, that's a stupid question. I already know."
"You'd really think I would pass up the opportunity to shop at some high-end stores when the opportunity's here?"
"Gotcha. Interrogate Layla, while maxing out your credit card. Real smart."
"Hey, Morris is treating me for my work the other night."
"Is he now?" Emily crossed her arms. "He's really trying to make himself seem like a good guy all things considered."
The doors opened the pair of girls were greeted by a crowd of maroon-colored uniformed students on the other side of the doors. All coming from Riverbed Academy. They managed to push through the crowd and onto the other side.
"Look," Megan began "I know, for the hundredth time I sound naïve but—"
"I believe you." Emily cut her off. "He has the opportunity to avenge his son. I don't blame him for wanting our help in doing it and I can sympathize with that."
"Weren't you and Layla friends with him at some point?"
Emily tilted her head slightly in response.
"Morris explained it to me. Made some past experiences make a little more sense."
Emily continued to study Megan. "I question your thought process sometimes…"
Megan looked puzzled. "Thanks…?"
"That wasn't a compliment." Emily clarified.
Megan rolled her eyes as the pair continued to the staircase upward. As they reached the top, they were met by the sunrays and more students dressed in Riverbed uniforms. The area itself wasn't as busy as Cisco City, sporting a more suburban, albeit high-end aesthetic compared to the metropolitan vibes of the former.
Emily looked around, catching glimpse of the raven-haired girl across the street. "There she is."
Megan also took note, noticing that the uniformed Layla was lost in her phone. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the charm strung on the end of it resembled a familiar metal wolf that got to her slightly. Megan extinguished the ember and followed Emily across the street.
"Waited long?" Emily approached the girl.
Layla looked up, smiling at the sight of Emily and Megan. "I just got out of class a few minutes ago so it's perfect timing."
"Hey, thanks for agreeing to hang out," Megan added.
"Thanks for inviting me," Layla said, holding onto her smile. "Emily spoke highly about you and said you're fun to hang out with."
"She did?" Megan blinked.
"You have your moments…" Emily cleared her throat.
Megan stifled her laughter. "God, you're so cute."
Emily twitched. "Ugh, that word again!"
"Wait, 'again'?" Megan asked surprised. "Who else called you cute?"
"Don't worry about it!" Emily was turning slightly red.
"Bet you it was Adam, wasn't it?"
"Stop!"
"Ha! Got it right, didn't I?" Megan continued to tease. "Aww, you two would be cute together."
"As if!"
"You're cheeks say otherwise!"
Layla watching the pair go back and forth finally cleared her throat. "Hey Emily, where did you want to start first?"
Emily took the window of opportunity and pointed ahead. "The Gala is tomorrow night, right? I still need to find a dress."
"A party?" Megan repeated as they started walking.
"It's a boring event for Shareholders and other elites," Layla explained. "I have no real interest in going but as the daughter of the CEO I'm expected to make an appearance."
"And my father likewise is one of the said shareholders so I'm gonna keep Layla company," Emily added.
"Sounds fun…Is Trevor going by any chance?"
"He knows about it, but he hasn't confirmed anything by me," Layla responded.
Emily gave a slight glance at Megan for mentioning his name.
"Well, if he is, I'll ask if he wouldn't mind a date…"
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind bringing you along," Layla answered, just as neutral sounding.
Emily turned back forward, realizing what Megan was doing. She left it be for her own sanity, not wanting to get in between them when this eventually bites her back.
Megan took note of the silence and cleared her throat. "By the way, I'm just joking." Guarantee you Morris is gonna have me patrolling to be sure SAIBA's isn't using the event to start yet another spectacle."
"On an unrelated note," Layla turned to Emily, completely ignoring Megan, "do you want to stop at Juno's afterward to get some cakes?"
"Juno's still around?!" Megan exclaimed, reinserting herself. "My Dad used to take me there all the time when I was little!"
Emily nodded. "They renovated a bit over the last several years to make the space bigger, but yeah it's still around."
"Thank God! At least something stayed the same after this place became an elitist breeding ground."
Layla ignored that comment from Megan as well. As they walked, Layla silently reviewed her decision in agreeing to Emily's request. Emily convinced her that Megan, despite her abrasiveness at times, was a sweet person, and more so, given their situation, comradery would be essential for what would come.
Despite that though, Layla couldn't see any of that thus far…
"So, to close out our discussion of Chapter 18, let's dissect this closing scene and see what we can draw from it. Ms. Calder, can you take the role of Maria, and I'll read CJ's lines."
Sydney nodded, zooming in on the assigned text her professor pointed out. "Ready."
Professor Jackson nodded. "Okay…" he then began to recite the text,
"I pushed the doors in and entered the Academia side. Maria stood leaning against the wall, scrolling through her phone. She looked up and gave me a small wave. I approached her, wondering what she was doing here.
'You didn't go to class, did you?'"
Sydney picked up on her cue.
"'CJ, I'm nearly two thousand earth years old. Why do I need an education in Earth Studies when I gave Humans the groundwork of understanding their own solar system?'"
"I scoffed as I began to walk from her, 'you gotta be exaggerating.'Maria bit her lip, then smiled, joining me."
"'Okay fiiine, maybe not the whole solar system. Humans back then did think of us as gods at one point because we came out of the sky and all, she chuckled, sliding her phone in her blazer pocket, 'Ah, that was fun while it lasted.'"
"Nice emotion in that delivery." Her Professor noted.
"I looked over to her as we went down a nearby staircase. 'So, let me get this straight; you enrolled in a school for Knights… just to cut class because you're bored?'"
"'I mean if that's how you want to see it.'"
"'What, you don't want to be smart and pretty? Worried that doing both will out you as something 'non-human?'"
"Maria scoffed, stopping at the second-to-last step so she towered over me, "'it will draw unwanted attention if anything. If you haven't noticed, Jessie is the school's idol. Aside from being the Headmaster's granddaughter, she has a lot of weight on her shoulders as the Ace of Spades.'"
"'Ace of Spades meaning what? Like she's the best at something?' I looked up towards her."
"'Beauty, brains, elegance among other things. This school is her domain, whether or not she's vocal about it. And if I want to do what I want while I'm here, I best not step on their toes any more than I have to.'"
"'Ah, gotcha.' Wonder if I should tell her I stepped on Mary Sue's toes already?"
"'That being the case, I couldn't help but overhear what happened.' She hopped from the step and landed on the tile floor."
"Ah crap, 'and… what's your take?'"
"'Should I have one? After all, … I'm the enemy…'"
Sydney found herself hesitant from this line, in contrast to the confidence of the character who delivered the line.
"'I wouldn't say that necessarily…my Mother said that this world is a spectrum rather than simply being black and white.'"
Professor Jackson took a moment before he looked up and noticed Sydney zoning out. "Ms. Calder?"
Sydney perked up, "Sorry! Uh…okay."
"'Theodore used to say that a lot. He explained that everyone sees the world differently. Everyone has opinions on right and wrong, good, evil, just, and unjust. That's why there's constant divide everywhere you turn…'"
"Maria grew quiet, making me look over to her. She looked like she was zoning out for a second, prompting me to speak up, 'are you okay?'"
"'She didn't answer. Instead, the bell rang signaling the beginning of the Second Period. As the hallway started to flood, I put that question in the back of my mind. By this point, I concluded that the situation I was in was unique. Between Maria and the Royal Flush guys, where I should put my trust in was still in the air.
So, for now, I'm not trusting either one of them. See where this move takes me….'"
Professor Jackson set his tablet on his desk. "So, for those who missed last class, our main character CJ just discovered he's a Knight, destined to defend earth against an intergalactic army known as an Apex. But the twist is the last known surviving Apex, is posing as one of his classmates named Maria, who has a connection with his late grandfather and who claims to be an ally. With all of that said, what can we tell about the relationship between these two through this conversation?"
Sydney, just like her character, Maria, was quiet as the Professor went about asking his question. Her mind hung over the line, "this world is a spectrum rather than simply being black and white."
"Sammy, go for it." Professor Jackson pointed to one of the students in the back.
"The part where they're going down the staircase, the author points out how Maria is standing two steps above him," he explained. "This could symbolize how because she's an Apex, Maria holds power over CJ and knows more about the motives of the characters, while he's still trying to learn and understand the world, he's just been thrown in."
"Interesting point; Nancy, wanna follow it up?"
"As he said, Maria introduces herself as an ally, but the fact that she and CJ stand opposite from one another, rather than walk together, also hints at CJ's hesitancy to fully trust someone whose supposed to be an enemy of Humanity."
"That could be argued as well, excellent points. Sydney, since you read Maria's lines in this scene, what's your opinion on the line, 'this world is a spectrum rather than simply being black and white?' Maria expands on why CJ's grandfather would recite this, but do you think this holds any weight in today's world?"
Sydney looked up, catching the latter half of the question. "I think so because…I guess the author wants us to reflect on the world and understand that situations are always more complicated than we assume. The Character CJ was thrown into a situation where the 'good guys' hint at morally gray, and the 'bad guys' too because they clearly have ties to his family. Everyone believes they're in the right, which is why it takes learning the other's perspective before you make a final decision. While it may not change opinions, or fix the situation, doesn't make it any less important to listen…"
Sydney's voice trailed as her personal situation with the Knights resurfaced. The Knights were the defenders of Babylon…and yet ever since they retrieved Omnimon things have felt off, with each day making that feeling grow bigger. Between Quincy's quietness and Carlos's conspiracy theories giving her small levels of anxiety, the words of the book feel like they're foreshadowing the events of their own life.
As class ended, Sydney was still lost in her thoughts, finding herself questioning her role as a Royal Knight even more. She pulled out her phone to take it off of vibrate mode and thought for a moment.
It was a long shot, and technically this was an emergency…
As she came outside onto the campus, she rested the phone on her ear and waited anxiously for a response.
"Hey, Sydney, what's up?" Melissa spoke.
Sydney hesitated. She swallowed and went to speak, "Hey, are you busy this evening?"
"Assuming that everything stays quiet, I do not. Why?"
"Oh, great, I was just wondering if we could talk…" Sydney bit her lip.
Melissa noticed something was off. "…You, okay?"
"Yeah, just a lot of stuff on my mind, need to vent…"
"Yeah, sure. You're in Riverbed right now, right?"
"Mhmm, just leaving class…wanna meet at Juno's bakery?"
"Yeah, that work's great. I should be over that way in like an hour."
"Awesome! I'll see you then."
"See you later."
Sydney hung up and exhaled. She wondered if Melissa's felt the same way as she did right now what with everything going on.
Guess there's only one way to find out…
Megan couldn't help but think to herself, how she went from organizing this day out, to becoming the third wheel in this dynamic. The whole time they were in the dress shop, it seemed as though Layla was keeping Emily's attention, and yet when Megan would try to strike up a conversation with Layla, Emily would interject and pull Layla off to the side. At the very least she could understand Emily's viewpoint, though she couldn't get a chance to pull her off to the side to confirm that theory. What was the deal with Layla? Megan thought they were cool, but things seemed to switch after they met up. Small talk-wise, the only things the two had in common was the fact they were both from Riverbed and they were Trojan Agents. Obviously talking about the latter in public is a dumb idea, and Megan's thought was the Riverbed that Layla lived in was drastically different from the one she remembers as a child.
Megan used to be good at making friends, albeit at the time she had to literally fight to gain Emily's friendship. Regardless people gravitate to her! And she kept her lips shut about Trevor so what the heck?
"Emily, do you remember when we were little, and Ivan accidentally kicked the ball into the hornet's nest?"
Megan watched as Emily's eyes widened in horror. "You know I couldn't sleep for several days after that?"
Layla stifled her giggling, remembering the terror of the hornets full well. "I feel bad because we locked him outside to get stung by them."
"And we both got in trouble for doing it." Emily rolled her eyes. "I remember he got us back for that. Remember that Halloween party when your Dad brought that jack-o-lantern Pinata?"
Megan now looked to Layla who looked like she wanted to squeal at the thought. "He and Ivan filled it with those fake spiders! I can't! Stop making me think about it!"
That was funny coming from someone who played Purple, Megan thought. She slid her fork through the edge of the red velvet cake and watched as the two continued to trade stories. If at all else, the emerald dress she was able to find at the shop was a highlight that she could appreciate about this trip.
Emily finally noticed Megan's silence, "You've been quiet for a while."
Now she noticed, Megan thought silently. "Yeah, I'm good. You two were so deep in your conversation I didn't want to interrupt."
Both of the girls realized the slight sarcasm behind that and realized their fault. Megan took another bite of the cake, continuing to be nonchalant.
"Sorry," Layla apologized. "To be honest this is probably the first time that Emily and I have really had a moment to catch up."
"I understand, and by the sound of it you guys remind me a lot of when I was growing up with Adam and Trevor; always finding ways to get into trouble."
Layla smiled at that, something Megan didn't really expect. Megan took the incentive to continue on, "Hey, Em, did I…ever tell you about the dream Trevor had when we were younger…?"
Emily shook her head; however, she had a slight sense of hesitation. Megan smirked, her gaze shifting over to Layla who was equally curious.
"Well, we were around twelve when this happened. One day we were joking around and one way or another, he ends up admitting that—!" Megan stopped, seeing the expressions of the girls shift. Megan slowly turned and her heart stopped.
Sydney stood, her hand tensed around the strap of her bookbag, not expecting to run into the girls here of all places. Sydney took a glance at each of them and focused on Megan, whom she recognized from Babylon.
"Um…" Sydney was at a loss for words.
"Excuse us." Emily took point, grabbing Layla's arm, as well as prompting Megan to rise. Sydney quickly reacted, halting them.
"Wait up a second! Please, for like two seconds…"
The trio of girls stopped, their anxiety growing the longer this dragged.
"Look, I don't know if I'm gonna get another opportunity like this so…can we talk?"
The girls looked at one another and decided to slowly settle back down. Sydney slid into the booth, making the trio a quartet.
Layla was the first to speak. "How did you know we were here?"
"Coincidence…?" Sydney answered as if she was unsure. "Look, I'm a Junior at Meyrin University. I was meeting up with a friend here when I just so happened to run into you guys. I swear."
The girls didn't know whether to believe that or not. Sydney equally felt awkward, but like she said she didn't have opportunities like this.
"I wanted to ask…" She began. She looked up at Layla directly, putting the girl on the spot. "At first, I thought I was just seeing things in the Wasteland Area the other day, but…you're Mr. Saiba's daughter, right?"
Layla nodded. "I don't make it a habit to come out of the shadows, but I do exist in real life." Layla threw in a joke to ease the tension.
"So then why?"
Layla blinked. "Why what?"
"Why are you helping Trojan?" Sydney continued. "The Beta Testers I can understand, but now that I know it was you, I fought before, it's bugging me, among other things. I mean, making yourself an enemy of SAIBA doesn't make sense."
Layla took a moment to formulate her words, "So…can I ask, why do you think the Beta Testers got involved with Trojan then?"
"Because it's obvious they want to get Omnimon back."
"Besides that."
Sydney hesitated. "What do you mean?"
"Did you know that I'm a Beta Tester as well?"
Sydney grew quiet. "That was a rumor…"
"Strange how they kept such a huge detail isn't it? At the very least Melissa knows, so I wonder why she kept quiet…unless she was ordered to. What else did they keep from you Royal Knights I wonder…?"
Sydney needed a moment to process this. "There were six of you…yeah six. Adam Russo, Director McKnight's son…"
"Tyrone Kingston, Quincy Kingston's younger brother as well."
"…Quincy's bro—" Sydney had a realization, recalling a memory from a while back…
"Weren't there six testers altogether? What's to say that they're all not banded together?"
"Layla Saiba was rumored to be one of the missing Beta Testers, but nothing concretes behind that. As for the other two, one of them died in that accident five years ago, and the other one's records were lost during the Diaboromon attack."
Did Quincy know about this too? What about Carlos…? Did he figure something out and that's why he's been going crazy with the theories?
What if Carlos was right to be suspicious…?
Sydney had enough, standing up. "I'm sorry but…this was a bad idea after all."
Layla looked at her. "Excuse me?"
"I'm placing the three of you are under arrest." Sydney reaffirmed. "Melissa is on her way and we're going to take you three back to SAIBA for questioning."
"There's no chance that's happening." Megan threw her opinion out.
"The three of you don't have a choice in the matter. As much as I hate to admit it, this is for your own good."
"My father—"
"Will deal with you when he sees you," Sydney interjected.
"Actually, he wouldn't bat an eye." Layla crossed her arms. "And I guarantee that no one at SAIBA would care either."
Sydney once again felt her sails deflate. What was happening right now? Even Megan was thrown by Layla's sudden hijacking of the situation.
"But assuming that Melissa will take some time to get here, let's have some fun." Layla rested her D-Case on the table.
Sydney looked at the D-Case. "A Battle?"
Layla nodded. "If you beat us, we'll come back to SAIBA and answer all the questions you may have. If we win, we leave here and we pretend none of this happened."
"You know I can't make a deal like that," Sydney admitted.
"Then let's just kill time then."
The little voice in Sydney's head was telling her that this was a bad idea. And yet she rested her icy-cyan and white D-Case on the table. Emily switched places with Layla so the two sat at the edges of the booth. Their D-Cases lined up, and their fields set, the memory counter appeared between the cases.
"DIGI-GATE: OPEN!" The two girls exclaimed, starting their match.
"I'll start by hatching." Sydney flipped the card over. "I hatch DemiVeemon!"
The mini blue baby dragon Digimon materialized on top of the table thanks to the feature of the D-Cases. It bounced, eager to get the battle started.
DemiVeemon (BT2-002)
Color: Blue
Level: 2
"It'll digivolve into Veemon to follow up."
Sydney set the card on top and allowed the baby dragon to become a slightly older variant of itself, developing claws on its hands and feet, as well as yellow markings on its face and cheeks and a small horn.
Veemon (BT2-021)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
"And finally, I'll play the Tamer Rina Shinomiya from my hand to end my turn."
A Tamer in the form of a green-haired teen girl wearing a black and white hoodie and biker shorts materialized on Sydney's side. She turned to see Veemon in the Breeding Area and the pair gave a silent sign of acknowledgment to one another.
Rina Shinomiya
Color: Blue
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Layla)
"When I play Rina, I reveal the top three cards of my deck." Sydney began as she revealed the top three, being Gorillamon, Hammer Spark, and Veedramon. Afterward, I add one card with "Vee" in its name to my hand and set the rest to the bottom of my deck." She took Veedramon and added it to her hand while placing the other two to the bottom.
"I can already see where this is going," Layla commented. "My turn then," she drew. "I hatch DemiMeramon.
A small ghost-like fireball materialized, its mouth partly restrained by a wire-like thread and its purple eyes gazing forward towards its opponents with anticipation
DemiMeramon (BT3-006)
Color: Purple
Level: 2
"DemiMeramon digivolves into Gabumon and then into Garurumon!"
DemiMeramon digivolved straight into the Wolf Digimon, the predatorial gaze on its opponents amplified by its evolution.
Gabumon (BT2-069)
Color: Purple
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Garurumon (BT2-073)
Color: Purple
Level: 4
DP: 4000
MEMORY
3-1
"To end my turn, I'll play Seadramon from my hand." Layla set the blue card down, summoning forth a yellow-headed, green-scaled sea-serpent Digimon.
Seadramon (BT2-024)
Color: Blue
Level: 4
DP: 4000
MEMORY
1-2 (Turn Change: Sydney)
"Wait I thought you were making a Purple/Yellow deck!" Megan was surprised to see the blue card sitting on Layla's side.
"Blue supports my new trump card better," Layla said. She looked over to Megan, expecting a follow-up, but Megan retreated silently. "It's your turn."
Sydney drew. "I don't know what you're planning, but I'm not gonna let it happen. Veemon moves to the Battle Area, then I follow up with Hammer Spark, to gain another Memory."
Veemon was moved forward while the Memory Counter increased for Sydney's side.
MEMORY
2-3
"Veemon digivolves int Veedramon!"
Veemon in response began to enlarge, growing muscular and more feral in appearance. The horn on its face grew out, and its ears on the back of its head became additional horns. It roared to expel the eruption of internal power
Veedramon (BT2-026)
Color: Blue
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
3-1
"Veedramon, Security Attack!" Sydney suspended Veedramon, causing the dragon to respond with bright blue flames in its jaws. It fired a spiral of flames colliding with the sudden Security Card that appeared on Layla's side.
Layla
Security 5-4
Layla revealed the card. "Meramon, with 6000 DP."
"Hate to break it to you but Veedramon has Jamming since I have Rina in play," Sydney explained with a smirk.
Layla accepted it, setting the card down in her trash with it fizzling on her.
"I'll Digivolve Veedramon into AeroVeedramon to end my turn." She set the card over it, causing the ferocious Veedramon to sprout red, tattered wings from its back. Its horns became metallic, and its arms grew blades near its elbows and gained shoulder pads as well.
MEMORY
1-2 (Turn Change: Sydney)
"AeroVeedramon's effect allows me to unsuspend one of my Blue Digimon if I also have a Blue Tamer in play. Rina allows me to unsuspend AeroVeedramon. Veemon's IE effect allows me to draw a card for unsuspending during my Main Phase." She then proceeded to unsuspend and draw, passing the turn over to Layla.
Layla drew. She was greeted by a Level 6 card that had the appearance of an attractive woman with gothic-like themes, sitting on a throne. Lilithmon, as she was known, was said Ace that Layla built her deck around. Unfortunately, it was far too early to utilize her to her full potential.
Naturally, it didn't mean she couldn't get started with it.
"Garurumon moves to the Battle Area. Also, thanks to having Seadramon present in my Battle Area, I'm allowed to use blue Option cards. I also play Hammer Spark, to gain an extra Memory."
MEMORY
2-3
"I Digivolve Garurumon into LadyDevimon!" Layla set the card over Garurumon, allowing the binary to wrap around it, transforming the Digimon into a slender feminine figure. She had pale white skin and she wore a leather suit, covered in metal chains on her arms and torso. She also had a large claw on her left arm and a specter-like scarf around her neck that seemed sentient as well.
LadyDevimon (BT3-088)
Color: Purple
Level: 5
DP: 8000
MEMORY
3-0
"LadyDevimon's effect triggers, allowing me to draw two cards from my deck," Layla explained drawing. She saw she got MetalGarurumon as well as Tapirmon. "Afterward, I discard two cards from my hand and send them into my trash. I'll send Tapirmon and Gazimon from my hand."
As she set the two cards into her trash, her hand returned to pull out her next card. "Eclipse the Moon with peerless intellect and awaken the armies from the depths below! LadyDevimon digivolves into MetalGarurumon!"
LadyDevimon flexed, unleashing purple light from her card beneath her. She then reformed into the metallic wolf, MetalGarurumon taking charge of the situation. It stared down AeroVeedramon, daring it to make a move on it.
MetalGarurumon (BT2-081)
Color: Purple
Level: 6
DP: 11,000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Sydney)
"Clever play. Using Blue to get to your Level 6 quickly, I mean." Sydney commented as she drew.
"This is far from the only surprise I have in store," Layla replied.
"Same for me," Sydney replied. "Now transcend, Azure Blade! AeroVeedramon digivolves into UlforceVeedramon!"
The moment Sydney set the card down, AeroVeedramon unfurled its wings and took upward. It spun in a blue spiral as binary surrounded it. Once it hit the zenith of its ascent it exploded into the metallic dragon knight, shimmering with the restaurant light above it.
UlforceVeedramon (BT2-032)
Color: Blue
Level: 6
DP: 11,000
MEMORY
3-0
"Face the wrath of the azure Royal Knight. UlforceVeedramon, Security Attack!"
UlforceVeedramon threw her arm out, extending the radiating blade from its gauntlet.
"I activate Rina's effect; since my blue Digimon attacks, I can suspend her to boost it by +1000 DP
UlforceVeedramon: 11,000-12,000 DP
"And guess what else? Because I suspended a blue Tamer, Ulforce unsuspends, allowing it to attack again! Not to mention that it gets me +1 Memory, gains Jamming from Aero, as well as an additional +1000 DP from Demi. And Veemon draws me a card for unsuspending."
UlforceVeedramon: 12,000-13,000
MEMORY
0-1
UlforceVeedramon swung its blade, slicing Layla's second Security card.
Layla
Security: 4-3
Layla looked at the security and grew a smirk before revealing it. "Security Trigger: Darkness Claw. It's Security Effect gains me +2 Memory, putting a stop to your second attack and all the perks that came with it."
MEMORY
1-1 (Turn Change: Layla)
Sydney snickered as the Memory counter switched over. An unexpected turn of events if anything. "There's only so much you can do with one memory. You're only prolonging the inevitable."
"Or so you think." Layla countered as she drew. "I hatch Yaamon!"
A small purple ball-like Digimon, similar to a Koromon or Pagumon, materialized on Layla's side, holding a mischievous grin on its face.
Yaamon (BT2-008)
Color: Purple
Level: 2
"To be honest, you're not as brutal as I expected."
Sydney didn't know how to respond to that. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
Layla chuckled lightly, "Who knows? Yaamon digivolves into Gabumon."
Yaamon undertook its new form as Layla moved over to MetalGarurumon.
"MetalGarurumon, Security Attack! It's effect revives one Level 3 Digimon from my Trash and puts it into the Battle Area. I choose Gazimon from my Trash, who will keep your Memory Boosting under control unless of course, you have a Tamer to assist you."
Gazimon, a gray, bipedal canine-like Digimon with long black claws on its hands and feet. It carried a devious smirk as it watched MetalGarurumon fire a slew of digital missiles that flew around UlforceVeedramon and came down on the Security that appeared on Sydney's side
Sydney
Security: 5-4
Sydney flipped the card. "Penguinmon, with 5000 DP."
MetalGarurumon: 11,000 DP
Penguinmon: 5000 DP
The revealed Digimon was no match for MetalGarurumon, not that Sydney would bother to argue. It didn't matter because next turn she'd take out—
"I play Trump Sword on UlforceVeedramon," Layla revealed.
"Nice!" Emily commented.
Sydney snickered, watching as digital swords pierced her Knight unexpectedly. She was forced to remove her Ace and set the whole stack in the Trash. The Memory Counter climbed to 6 Memory on her side, allowing her to recover from that massive blow.
MEMORY
1-6 (Turn Change: Sydney)
"That Darkness Claw from earlier saved you," Sydney commented.
"Maybe, maybe not." Layla continued in her taunting manner.
Sydney drew. "Can I ask why you're so sure that arresting you three would be a waste of time?"
Megan reacted. "That wasn't part of the—"
"Because I know personally how manipulative my father is." Layla cut her off. "As one of the original members of Trojan, I made it my personal goal to expose SAIBA for everything."
Sydney didn't expect that. "What do you mean 'original member?'"
"I'll answer that if you're able to impress me this turn."
Sydney's eye twitched. "You little…I hatch DemiVeemon and digivolve it into Veemon!"
Veemon materialized into the Breeding Area.
"I follow up by playing Howling Crusher for 7 Memory! All of the digivolution underneath MetalGarurumon are sent to the Trash!"
MEMORY
6-1 (Turn Change: Layla)
Layla couldn't help but laugh, as she moved MetalGarurumon's card and set the cards in her trash.
"What's so funny?!"
"You think that sending my cards to my trash would be detrimental to me but actually you're helping me." Layla picked up her trash and counted the cards in it. She counted 9 cards. "You should've picked up on it after I used LadyDevimon at least. "I grow stronger with the more cards in my Trash."
Sydney didn't say anything. Of course, she knew that. For her to make a blunder like that…this girl—or was it everything was slowly getting to her at this point.
Layla drew. "I'll digivolve Gabumon into Meramon."
The Gabumon in the Breeding Area ignited in flames, forming into a humanoid-like flame monster in the process.
Meramon (BT3-083)
Color: Purple
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
1-0
"I play another Hammer Spark to recover my spent Memory." Layla set the card in her trash, totaling her to 10.
MEMORY
0-1
"MetalGarurumon, Security Attack! I use its effect to revive Tapirmon from my trash!"
MetalGarurumon dashed across the table, extending its wing blades, and taking out yet another Security on Sydney's side and tying the game up.
Sydney
Security: 4-3
She revealed the card. "Security Trigger: Airdramon!" Sydney responded.
The monstrous-looking winged serpent materialized and lunged at MetalGarurumon as the latter jumped back in defense and landing next to the newly revived Tapirmon. While the former was nowhere near as strong to delete MetalGarurumon, its Security Effect was able to pull it into the Battle Area.
Airdramon (BT3-024)
Color: Blue
Level: 4
DP: 4000
"I'm still in this…" Sydney said, internally fighting to keep herself focused. She had so many questions that needed answers. And yet she was in the middle of an opportunity that would benefit the knights and protect Babylon, yet even so…
…why did she feel wrong about it?
"Seadramon Security Attack!"
Seadramon responded by firing a torrent of water towards Sydney, another Security Card falling.
Sydney
Security: 3-2
She flipped it over. "Vikemon, with 12,000 DP!"
From the card a massive Walrus-like Digimon dressed in Viking gear materialized, arming itself with its morning stars and moving to propel itself forward onto Seadramon, bashing it into Binary with one swift stroke.
Seadramon: 4000 DP
Vikemon: 12,000 DP
Layla barely batted an eye as she sent Seadramon to the Trash. "I end my turn by digivolving Tapirmon into Vilemon."
Tapirmon covered itself in its smoke, with that and the additional binary forming it into the grotesque, bat-like Blocker Digimon.
Vilemon (BT2-072)
Color: Purple
Level: 4
DP: 6000
MEMORY
1-1 (Turn Change: Sydney)
"You're clearly not focused," Layla mentioned.
"You think?!" Sydney abruptly snapped. "…Sorry I…you being an original member of Trojan…"
"One of my best friends was killed in the Beta Test accident from five years ago," Layla explained. "And my father and the rest of SAIBA Enterprise covered it up. I joined Trojan to expose SAIBA for what it was."
"You all keep saying that! What does it mean?! What do you know that we don't?!"
Layla grew quiet and by her expression, obstinate. "It's your turn."
Sydney gritted her teeth and drew. "Airdramon Security Attack!"
Airdramon conjured a tornado-like spiral between its jaws and fired forward breaking Layla's security.
Layla
Security 3-2
Layla revealed the card, Angewomon materializing and shooting an arrow that pierced the winged dragon.
Airdramon: 4000 DP
Angewomon: 10,000 DP
Sydney leaned back irritated and ready to give up mentally. She couldn't take the mind games anymore at this point, and the other girls realized it. To some extent, they were feeling pity for the Royal Knight, who they realized was yet another puppet in the grand scheme of things.
Layla nonetheless continued her turn. She drew and moved Meramon to the Battle Area. "Meramon, Security Attack."
Sydney
Security: 2-1
Sydney looked down and forced herself to flip the card over. "Ray of Victory, bounce Gazimon to your hand."
Layla did just so, Gazimon vanishing from the tabletop. "MetalGarurumon Security Attack…"
Sydney
Security 1-0
She flipped it. "UlforceVeedramon, 11,000 DP
MetalGarurumon: 11,000 DP
UlforceVeedramon: 11,000 DP
A clean trade. The digital avatars clashed in the air with their respected blades, taking each other out before they could land.
"Vilemon attacks directly." Layla finished, concluding the match.
Sydney exhaled, conceding. "A deal's a deal." She rose from the booth and allowed Megan to move out of it, while the other two girls made their way out of it as well. There was an awkward silence amongst the four of them.
"If it means anything, I'm sorry you were caught up in all of this…" Megan said.
"I'm fighting…" Sydney began, "to protect Babylon and all who enjoy it. You three have your reasons for fighting, I understand that. But no matter what you say, at the end of the day, it's conflicting for my reasons…"
She turned to Megan, holding an icy gaze towards her, causing the latter to tense slightly.
"I refuse to take pity from Cyberterrorists." She finished, grabbing her bag, and walking out of the restaurant.
The three girls felt too uncomfortable at this point to stick around, setting the money on the table and taking their leave as well, leaving the tense, unexpected turn of events behind them, never to be spoken of…
Returning to the train station, Megan began making her way to the staircase as Layla and Emily prepared to bid her a farewell.
"It was nice getting to know you, Megan," Layla said, causing the girl to stop. "Maybe next time you can finish that story of yours."
Megan stopped. "Actually…" she turned. "Why wait until next time?"
Emily rolled her eyes in response, watching as Megan came back towards them.
"So yeah, like I was saying…" Megan began, "When we were younger, Trevor slipped one day and told us about a dream he had where he and I were married and traveling the world as a Pro Tamer couple! It ended up being a running joke and ever since I've always teased him about it."
Layla nodded. "So that explains it…"
Megan didn't expect the relief in Layla's voice.
"Explains what?"
"This whole 'wanting to hang out' today was just a ploy to see if Trevor and I had something going on between us, wasn't it?" Layla crossed her arms.
Megan's eyes widened and she jerked to Emily. "You told her?!"
"Trevor did, actually," Layla replied.
Megan was quiet. "Why would he…"
"Because he's crazy about you?" Layla shrugged.
"Wait-wait-wait time out…I'm confused."
Layla smiled. "The truth is, he's been worried about you nonstop."
"Don't save him! This whole time he always prioritized you over me! When I was kidnapped, he opted to rescue you over me! So, why are you telling me this now?!"
"Because…that's what he told me…"
Megan grew quiet, processing the information. "Did he…?"
"It's fine." Layla felt a tear escape her, wiping her face. "I've been a huge fan of Trevor while he was in the Pro Circuit, and still am. That's all."
"But—"
"He saved me because I was in reach of him…" Layla continued. "He didn't know how to go about rescuing you, so he saved me, hoping it'd led him to you."
"And just so we're clear, I saved Layla," Emily spoke up. "Trevor ran around calling you a terrorist and trying to be the moral judge, jury, and executioner."
"I built my deck with the colors representing the two heroes in my life." Layla reached for her D-Case and pressed the button on it, revealing three cards, one being Lilithmon, another being a Cerberus-like Digimon with a blue card border, and the last one being an angelic Digimon split down the middle with opposing sides, one white and one black. Megan noticed the latter card having two Digivolution Costs, one being Purple and the other Yellow, likely explaining the inclusion of the Angewomon from earlier.
"As for Trevor, he wanted to build a deck to remind him of the motivation he has to fight, both for the present and the future."
Megan didn't respond, thinking back to what she said several nights ago. Before she realized it, she found herself slowly breaking down.
[Ground Zero, Babylon…]
Summoned once again to Ground Zero, Trevor found himself materializing in the same spot as before, following a similar link to the one that Megan sent before. Only this time, Megan was already present, waiting for him.
"What happened? You feel like yelling at me some more?" Trevor asked her as he walked up.
Megan stood silent as he got closer. Trevor could tell something was different and it was making him uncomfortable.
Once they were close enough, Trevor stopped. "Why did you call me out here?"
Megan took a deep breath. "Here." She opened her hand, a card materializing in it.
Trevor looked down at the holographic item and took it from her. "Imperialdramon…?"
"The original version of it was corrupted by Kentaurosmon, so Morris re-created it with a blue base. It should make for an excellent Ace in your new deck." Megan explained.
Trevor was somewhat speechless. "You didn't have to do this…"
"I wanted to. I want to be sure that some part of me is there to protect you…somehow."
Trevor didn't know how to respond to that. Megan took advantage of his silence.
"I'm sorry for everything I said before…" Megan continued. "You were right; I was being a jealous brat, and I shouldn't have accused you the way I did. I guess it goes without saying but—"
She was cut off by Trevor's abrupt gesture. Megan felt herself melt from Trevor's embrace, as his lips gently latched onto her. Her body surrendered to the emotions that flooded, as tears slid down the side of her cheek. She didn't know she wanted this so badly…
…and yet…
A gentle push unlocked the two, causing Megan to yearn for more, but she was doing it intentionally.
"It goes without saying…but as badly as I want this…I can't."
Trevor seemed to snap back into it himself, realizing slowly what he just did. His face flared as he took a step back. "Sorry! I—I didn't—I just…"
Megan couldn't help but giggle at his stammering. "You're so bad at this."
"I mean…" Trevor was so embarrassed. "I…I'm sorry. For that stupid fight, for ignoring your calls, for not putting in the effort to look for you…for whatever this was…just now…"
Megan shook her head. "It's okay. I'm sorry for everything too. Sorry for the years of teasing, and for smacking you…and for…not wanting to go forward with…this."
Trevor took a moment to process that. "I…"
"…Love you." Megan finished. "Which is why, if we are meant to be…I want to be the best 'me' I can offer you."
"But you are!" Trevor insisted. "I love you, Megan…"
Megan felt her emotions well up again. "You don't…you're just trying to fix the situation, as you always do…"
Trevor didn't respond to that, feeling his chest tighten.
"I don't want you to fix me. I don't want to be a burden on you, or anyone else..."
"Can't you let me decide that for myself?" Trevor continued to insist, though Megan knew her friend better than he probably did.
He was in denial. He didn't want to believe that he's trying to rectify the situation as he always does, wanting to think that he kissed her out of his true feelings, and not because it would make her feel better.
"Once I feel worthy of that, I'll give you the option to decide…" She finished.
Trevor reluctantly conceded to her wishes, especially when she hugged him for a minute straight with no intention of release. He cried along with her, embracing her, and accepting the fact that at the end of the day, he had his best friend back…
…And with her support, there was no other path but forward.
[…Unknown Location, Netspace…]
Carlos flew back, his security cards taking the brunt of the brutal onslaught until one remained. The cold space surrounding him, aiming to silence him, he grinned, determined to see his objective through.
"…It won't be long…until the others realize it…" He struggled to get on his feet. "One way or another, I'm gonna drag every one of you snakes down with me."
Michael, who stood opposed to him crossed his arms, the silhouette of several Digimon standing around him. "If that's the case then…
…save me a spot…"
