[Aurora Playground, Cisco City
Many Years Ago…]
"…Mommy…" the little girl whimpered as tears rolled from her eyes. The little girl found herself helpless, losing track of her mother for a brief second as she chased her ball that flew off into the distance. Not knowing where she was, the girl cried as she took small steps down the row of benches, hoping to come across her mother.
It seemed though, that the longer it took for the blonde girl to walk, the more hopeless she felt. "Where are…you?" She continued to sniffle.
A passerby noticed the little girl crying, and not noticing any adults around, broke from her friends and approached her. She was older than the little girl, around ten or so give or take. "Are you okay?"
The little girl heard the voice of the stranger and saw the older girl approach her. The sight of the stranger recalled her mother's words about strangers, causing her to cry harder.
"Hey hey hey, I'm sorry!" The older girl knelt. "Where's your mom?"
The girl continued to catch herself between breaths before continuing to wail.
The passerby turned, noticing her classmates were already far off in the distance, decided for herself to stay put. "Poor thing…What's your name?"
The little girl, realizing the passerby was still standing in front of her finally looked up. The concerned look on the older girl reminded her of her mother for some reason, causing her to ease up. "…Sydney."
"Sydney…pretty name." The passerby smiled. "Nice to meet you. My name's Melissa."
Little Sydney nodded, still sniffling. "…do you know where my Mommy is…?"
Melissa paused, attempting to come up with something. "I don't…"
Naturally, this wasn't what she wanted to hear, restarting the waterworks.
"But I can stay with you until she comes back. Or I can help you find her…is that okay?" Melissa asked.
Little Sydney reactively took hold of Melissa's hand, gripping it tight. "Promise…?"
Melissa, finding herself impromptu babysitting, didn't hesitate to nod. "I promise…
…I'll never leave your side…"
Chapter 21: A Song of Fire and Ice
Sydney's feet were barely licking the surface of the tiled floors of Cisco University Hospital as a mix of tears and sweat flew behind her. Already feeling emotional through the confrontation with Layla and the other girls, it was one brick after another it felt like; a never-ending nightmare that seemed to have no end in sight.
As she swung around the corner, she caught the glimpse of Quincy's stoic build and Melissa's smaller frame, halfway curled in the seat nearby. Sydney was so out of it she disregarded the box of cake that sat beside her leader.
A weight pulled Sydney's heart down into her stomach. Despair encroached with each step she took towards the two. Quincy turned, hearing the slow footsteps approach. He was silent, adding to the pressure she was feeling.
"Where's…Carlos…?" Sydney could barely get the words out; she was so terrified. Quincy remained silent and Melissa was too through herself to put words out.
As Sydney got closer, the image through the window on her left caught her attention. Slowly turning she saw as Carlos laid peacefully in the bed, an oxygen mask on his face, the monitor showing a slow, green pulse as well.
He was alive…thank god he was alive…
"It was Trojan…" Michael's voice interrupted Sydney's train of thought.
Turning to her right where the door was, Michael closed it behind him, sighing deeply. "Carlos was on patrol when he was ambushed by a Trojan Agents. He claimed that he was able to handle it, but when it got to be too much, I was forced to eject him. It was then that Trojan acted…"
Sydney turned back to Carlos who remained in his state. That was a lie. She knew that was a lie. She was just with the Beta Testers not long ago and they explained that SAIBA is constantly covering their tracks and keeping everyone in the dark. Between Carlos' theories and everything that's happened…
"For now, until we find a way to restore his consciences, he will remain in a comatose state. I'm…sorry for what's happened." Michael turned to Sydney and reached to put his hand on her shoulder.
"…Liar…" Sydney murmured.
Michael hesitated, barely catching her statement. He retreated, putting his hand back into his pocket. "Quincy, a moment."
Quincy perked up, watching as Michael began to build distance from the group. He took one last look at Melissa and then at Sydney. "Look after her."
Sydney didn't respond, feeling as though those should've been words to give to Melissa for her sake. Either way, Quincy followed Michael, while Sydney took a seat next to Melissa, who was quietly sobbing in her lap. This isn't what Sydney had in mind for spending time with Melissa this evening…but it was something…
"…I'm done…"
…Until it wasn't…
The words, like everything else, came unexpectedly. Sydney even pretended to not catch what she said. Melissa leaned up, and dried her face, her eyes bloodshot from crying. "I can't…I can't take it anymore…"
Sydney's throat closed up. This wasn't happening…this couldn't…be happening…
Reluctantly, the words forced themselves out. "What…do you mean…?"
Melissa cleared her throat and held back tears that remained. "I'm sorry…but as of Monday, I'm stepping down."
Sydney was left astonished. "Stepping down…?"
"I know…I'm sorry—"
"THE HELL YOU ARE!" Sydney screamed, exploding from her seat. "How dare you run away when we need you! When I need you!"
"I'm not running away!" Melissa countered. "After everything that's happened, it's clear that I'm not a leader! We failed in protecting Babylon, and Carlos is in a coma! What else needs to happen before you understand that I can't do this?!"
"And the one time you have a chance to be one you decide to run from it?!" Sydney countered. After thinking about it for a few moments she involuntarily scoffed. "You know, maybe you're right. Between flirting with your replacement and crying over those stupid kids, when did you ever have time to be a leader?"
Melissa didn't deny that.
"Maybe I'm the idiot in all of this; thinking you actually cared about any of us. Thinking that I looked up to you this whole time. Yeah, sure I didn't have an interest in being a community manager but seeing a vibrant woman like you were a huge inspiration for me to reach out more. You were literally the big sister I always wanted…but now, here I am, realizing that you ended up being was SAIBA's puppet, just like the rest of us."
Melissa continued to be silent, taking the verbal abuse head-on with no rebuttal.
"Tell me I'm wrong," Sydney told her. "Please, tell me that nothing I said was true…"
When she realized that all Melissa could do was crumble back into her initial position, Sydney gave up. Heartbroken, she turned her back on Melissa and drifted down the hallway, leaving the mess of a woman to sob away…
"You just missed Trevor," Morris said, turning his attention to the materializing Adam and Tyrone.
"He's coming back, right?" Adam asked as the pair approached the older man. "I mean, you did call us here for something right?"
Emily and Layla both followed suit, materializing in the cyberspace behind the duo. Both boys acknowledged the girls as they approached.
"Megan's not with you two?" Tyrone crossed his arms, taking note of the lack thereof.
"She should be here in a moment as well," Layla said. "When we broke off, she said she had something to take care of before coming here."
It didn't take Adam long to put two and two together, even though it was a small theory at best. He kept it to himself as Morris motioned for their attention.
"I believe you have something to give to us, Ms. Saiba?" Morris directed his attention to Layla.
The latter nodded, opening her hand. In it, a holographic object materialized, and with a slight flick, she sent two copies of it to Adam and Tyrone.
"What is it?" Tyrone was the first to say something regarding it.
Adam meanwhile tapped the object, it expanding into an animated image with the words "You're Invited" in bubbled letters. Mini Tapirmon danced along the side of it for added effect.
"An invitation?" Adam furrowed his brow in curiosity. "What for?"
"My father is throwing his annual Gala event tomorrow evening." Layla began, "And I thought it would be nice if all my friends could attend."
Tyrone looked at the invitation and back at her. "Yeah, Nah. I don't do suits and ties."
"Do I even have a suit?" Adam added.
Emily couldn't help but roll her eyes. "The both of you are hopeless."
"While the invitation is a nice touch, you all aren't going to the Gala to socialize." Morris clarified. He turned his whole body towards them and leaned forward. "I have a feeling that Akiyoshi is going to finally make his move and for safety's sake I want you all to investigate."
That caught the boy's attention. Adam was the one to speak up for them, "what makes you so sure that he's going to strike tomorrow?"
"My Father tends to invite shareholders and other esteemed guests to these kinds of events. Normally to keep up appearances, as well as find new opportunities to weave himself into." Layla explained. "Of course, if the last event that involved shareholders is anything to go by, then it's fair to assume that something might happen tomorrow, right?"
Adam couldn't argue that. She had a valid point.
"And if it is, then now would be a good time as ever to find out where Millenniummon is hidden."
"Wait, you don't know where it is?!" Adam exclaimed.
"What's a 'Millenniummon?'" Tyrone asked.
"The ultimate amalgamation of Digimon," Morris explained. "Originally a creation I intended to use to bring down SAIBA years ago, the data was stolen and dismantled within SAIBA's network. Some time ago I managed to retrieve and begun to rebuild it, but I was hindered by Akiyoshi Saiba's interference. Up until recently, I was keeping an eye on it to see what would happen, only for me to lose access to it. I can only assume that Akiyoshi has caught on to my scheming.
Tyrone slowly nodded before asking another question. "So, then what, are we going to this Gala to steal it back, or…"
"We're going to destroy it," Morris stated. "It's bad enough I'm not in possession of it, and it's worse that it's in SAIBA's. Akiyoshi in his hubris doesn't understand the magnitude of such a destructive force. Honestly, my biggest concern is how to go about dealing with it, as such a massive amount of data expelling at one point could very well destroy Babylon entirely and by extension cause untold amounts of harm to the users. It's essentially the same as attempting to diffuse a bomb."
"There's obviously a lot of planning that has to go into this," Emily noted. "After all, aside from the Millenniummon situation, we can assume the Royal Knights will be there as well."
"Well then, all the more reason not to show my face." Tyrone shrugged.
"Come on, you're really not helping here." Adam groaned.
"What do you have to complain about, you didn't have to try and knock some sense into—" Tyrone paused, realizing his statement. He retracted his words and sighed. "Alright, fine, I'll go."
"Glad to hear it," Adam smirked. From the corner of his eye, Trevor and Megan materialized in the space, both of them clearly trying their best to keep a straight face.
"What did we miss?" Trevor asked.
"A lot actually…where were you two?" Adam asked, eyeing them both.
"We were just talking…" Megan replied, rather sheepishly.
Adam read the disposition in their demeanors and realized that something big must've happened between them. It looked like his small theory panned out after all.
Layla meanwhile swiped invitations to both of them. "Hope to see you both tomorrow."
Trevor and Megan looked at one another and back at Layla, who was also now realizing what must've happened and was slowly regretting the gesture in said manner.
"Thanks," Megan responded with a forced smile. "Now I don't have to crash it."
"I'll…think about it," Trevor responded with a sense of honesty in his voice.
Layla looked at the both of them and could tell this was growing more painful by the second. "Don't force yourselves to go if you don't want to…" Layla spoke up. "Anything big happens, we can handle it."
It took another moment for either of them to respond. Trevor shook himself out of the funk and stared back with a more serious expression.
"No, actually I will go." He reaffirmed. "My Dad's probably gonna expect me to show my face there after all."
"Yeah…and I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to dress up." Megan as well agreed.
With the slight reassurance on their part, Layla felt a bit more optimistic about their presence. "Alright. So, I guess that means we'll all be there tomorrow then."
"Come for the food, stay for the world-saving." Adam joked.
"Honestly, I prefer boring gala with my friends over world-saving." Megan chimed. "But if we gotta kick butt… we can do it while looking good."
Morris found himself humored by that. "Then if all of that's settled, let's begin our plan of action, shall we?
We have a long night ahead after all…"
[Jerry's Tavern, Cisco City
The Next Morning…]
"Oh man, I didn't think this place was still around!" Ben gleefully scanned the menu in his hands, feeling like a kid again. "Had I known you came here a lot I would've suggested this a while ago."
Melissa passed off a smile to humor his comment, though it was clear her mind was elsewhere. Her guilt was coming back to chomp her, resulting in barely any sleep and the dismay of seeing that Sydney blocked her number. She admitted she was emotional when she said she wanted to quit. The stress and fear of screwing up got to her, yet Sydney won't even give her the chance to explain herself.
As for Ben…
"Is everything okay?"
Melissa perked up, seeing the concerned expression on the young man's face. His enthusiasm shifted to a concerned expression directed towards her.
"Yeah…I just had a long night…"
"Had a fight with Sydney?"
Melissa paused. "…something like that…"
Ben felt compelled to pry but he also didn't want to make the situation worse. Not only that, he wasn't ignorant to what happened to Carlos either. He himself had something on his mind that needed to be addressed as well.
"Listen, Mel…there's…something I need to tell you…"
"I'm resigning as of Monday…" Melissa suddenly cut him off.
Ben paused. "What? Why?"
"Because it's clear I can't handle this."
Ben snickered, "You're plenty capable! You've always been!"
Melissa raised her eyebrow towards him. "Are you kidding? What have I done, since being put in this position, denotes capability? I manipulated and betrayed the boys I swore to protect, I failed in stopping Trojan from attacking Babylon, one of my members is in a coma, and there's no telling when he's gonna wake up…!" At this point, her voice began to shake. "How does any of that make me capable of doing anything…?"
Ben regretted his words of encouragement. He tried to not make the situation worse, and he accidentally did. "I'm…sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that."
"It's not your fault." She sniffled. "I messed up…I lost the trust of my team, and I lost the trust of the Beta Testers. It is what it is…"
"I still trust you though…that counts for something, right?"
Melissa shrugged.
"Here is your coffee and orange juice." The waiter approached, juxtaposing the situation with his cheery demeanor. After setting the two glasses, mugs, and the pot, he pulled out his small electronic device and prepped himself. "Are you two ready to order or do you still need a moment?"
Ben, caught off guard, hesitated to respond.
"Belgian waffles please," Melissa spoke up. "Strawberry syrup if you have."
"I'll have the same, thanks." Ben quickly added.
"No… problem…Okay! it'll be out shortly!" The waiter jotted down the order and with a quick click, he smiled and went about his way.
Ben turned his attention to Melissa who seemed to be recomposing herself. Ben took the chance to try again.
"Listen. I know you want to quit SAIBA and everything, but…I kinda need you to stick with it just a bit longer for me…"
Melissa grew a small, humored smile, something she hasn't been able to do since the day before. "Could it be… you would miss me that much?"
Ben's cheeks gave him away, so he didn't bother to deny it. "Partly that…but more importantly…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out his D-Case, a D-Case, switching the side of the silver and purple device on to produce the holographic image.
Melissa was taken aback by the gesture, examining the front of the D-Case. The holographic display showed an ID; Ben's profile picture, as well as credentials, and an emblem on the bottom, depicting a gold digital hazard symbol, similar to Gallantmon's.
"Several weeks back, during the Diaboromon incident, you were interviewed by a colleague of mine, Detective Daniel Harding of the CCPD." Ben began.
Melissa continued to stare in disbelief, turning to look at Ben, whose expression became more serious and unexpected. "Who…are you?"
"My name is Agent Benjamin Merlo of the 'Anti-Extremist Guardians of Internet Security,' also known as AEGIS," Ben explained. "I'm sorry for deceiving you up to this point, but aside from that I'm in desperate need of your assistance going forward…"
"Why did you call me here?" Sydney's snarl lingered in the air for a few more seconds after she spoke. Michael, who sat on the other side of his desk studied her for a moment before responding. Quincy, sat quietly, as usual, allowing Michael to take the lead in this discussion.
"How are you feeling this morning?"
"My best friend is nearly dead; how do you think I'm feeling?!" Her response was quick.
"Sydney calm down," Quincy said with little effort.
Sydney whipped her head around and turned all her attention towards Quincy. "Calm down?! How do expect me to keep calm in a situation like this?! Why aren't you as pissed off as I am?!"
"Because he fully understands the full weight of the situation, as you will in a moment," Michael replied to her.
This got her quiet and her focus shifted back to him. "What does that mean?"
"It means that unless you want to end up like your friend, you'll keep your mouth shut!" Leopardmon's voice echoed through the speakers of the computer.
Sydney froze from the unfamiliar voice and watched as Michael stood up. Snapping his fingers, binary code began to float around them, catching the girl off guard before changing the scenery completely.
"What the…? Are we in the Netspace?" Sydney looked around in confusion. The area was dimly lit, the silhouette of machines and large computers outlining the area in the distance all around.
"Select offices have been modified to have a direct link to the Netspace without the use of D-Coms. It's experimental at best, but the goal is to have users physically transfer themselves into the Netspace and vice-versa."
"Okay, so why show me this?" Sydney turned back towards him. Her heart stopped when she saw the massive construct behind him.
The Black and Purple cocoon began to pulsate once she centered her attention on it as if it were responding to her building fear. Michael snapped once again, with several spots of light, coming forth to illuminate the surrounding area once more.
Sydney could only be filled with more horror as she saw what looked like a dozen human-sized pods all feeding into the cocoon.
"What…what is that…?"
Leopardmon finally made his appearance, materializing before the two knights. "This is Millenniummon. SAIBA's ultimate weapon in our quest for cybernetic domination."
"Cybernetic…domination…?" Sydney repeated the foreign concept. "What do you mean…?"
"He means, that you Royal Knights were but a means to an end," Michael explained. "Aside from obtaining Omnimon, your purpose was to assure the positive image of Babylon as a safe landscape for millions of users. All the while we inched closer to our goal of dominating the cybernetic arms race amongst us."
Sydney continued to be in disbelief. She was almost afraid to ask. "What…does this have to do with Carlos…?"
"He got too close to the fire," Leopardmon's voice sounded humored as it spoke. It turned its head to one of the pods directly connected to the cocoon. "So, I purged him."
Quincy directed his attention to his side, reacting to those words. Sydney's body meanwhile dragged her up to the capsules in the distance. She frantically scanned each of them, looking through the glass until she stopped. Her shallow breathing accelerated, and her knees buckled, the sight of an unconscious Carlos filling her with dread and anxiety.
"But don't worry," Michael reassured, as she dropped to the floor. "His conscience data will aid Millenniummon's growth. His sacrifice won't be in—"
"GIVE HIM BACK!" Sydney cried, crumbling where she sat. "I beg of you…don't…please don't…"
Quincy took a deep breath and looked to face Michael, the latter's slight grin getting under his skin. He watched as Michael approached the emotionally taxed girl and knelt behind her.
"There is a way to save him…" Michael said, whispering in her ear like a serpent.
"Please…I'll do it…I'll…"
"Melissa intends to side with Trojan." Michael declared, helping her to her feet. "Take her out, and I'll gladly swap Carlos' consciousness data for her's."
"And what if we fail?" Quincy asked, speaking up for the broken girl as he approached.
Michael looked up at him, meeting his icy gaze. He knew that Quincy saw through the blatant lie, so he didn't bother to challenge that. "Humans are interesting creatures. They'd do anything to serve their own selfish interests."
"No kidding…" Quincy replied.
Michael walked up to him, the black knight just barely having the height advantage on him. "You won't fail, I can assure that."
Michael opened up a menu screen and typed away. "Hope to see you both tonight at the gala."
With a push of a button, both of the two Knights were forced out of the space, leaving Michael to bask in his accomplishment in psychotic laughter.
[Saiba Manor, Riverbed…]
"You two actually went through with it?!" Adam was taken aback a bit when Trevor broke the news. Tyrone quietly drove down the path towards the Estate, listening to Adam intake the news of the conversation between Trevor and Megan as if it was the biggest news of the century. Both he and Trevor wore full suits with ties reminiscent of their respective colors, while Tyrone went with a more casual route, forgoing the tie all together in favor of an unbuttoned dress collar and wearing a suit vest.
"Yeah…" Trevor said in a melancholic tone. "She turned me down though."
"Really?"
"Was it because you embarrassed her with the waterworks the other day?" Tyrone commented.
"I'll allow that because you're our ride home, y'know." Trevor threw out there. "But no, that wasn't the reason. She wants to be a better person than she is now…and I need to get my own head on straight."
"Okay, so it wasn't a full-out rejection, technically."
"Still, anyone's game…" Tyrone commented.
"I mean hey, if you end up with her then that means you finally beat me in something," Trevor said, coming back from the previous diss.
"Nothing would fill me with more joy than to watch you cry in front of a crowd of people after all," Tyrone replied.
Adam kept his opinion to himself, looking out the window. He could see the manor in the distance; a decent-sized mansion of what looked to be three stories, following the trend of the several they already passed. Tyrone followed the direction of the stationed valet and stopped when one of them pulled him over.
Tyrone handed the keys to the valet as he exited. "Not a scratch on this, understood?"
The Valet silently nodded before jumping in to take it to the private parking spaces. Adam, noticing the comment made turned to Tyrone. "Trying to sound cool or something by telling them that?"
"Clearly you haven't grown up around certain families," Tyrone noted as they climbed the wide, pearl-colored stairs. Other well-dressed guests lined the sides of them, lost in their own conversations.
Adam, immediately understanding what Tyrone's statement implied, responded in kind. "When we were thirteen, Trevor, Megan, and I were caught sneaking in an R-rated movie. We didn't see Megan for a week because her mother instilled the fear of God in her. Literally."
Tyrone, likewise, understood exactly what that meant and couldn't help but crack up. "I take it back."
"Are you embarrassing us already?" They heard Megan's voice not far off from them. The three turned as they reached the top and caught a glimpse of the girl approaching them. Without her beanie to hide her curly hair, it laid draped along her shoulder, her dark hair complimenting the emerald shoulder bow dress she obtained in the dress shop prior. She also went with dark lipstick to compliment the attire.
Tyrone couldn't help but whistle, making Trevor jab him the side reactively.
"Layla and Emily aren't with you?" Adam asked.
"They're inside talking to the rich people. Not my cup of tea, y'know."
"Got it. Well, we're here now so let's be 'not-rich people."
Megan nodded, the trio joining her in entering the building. The sounds of conversations flooded the outside as the doormen opened the doors for them. Golden lights illuminated the inside of the entryway, the foyer itself overtaken by the guests, carrying on with glasses of wine, champagne, and appetizers obtained by the waiters who passed through now and again. Despite all that, there was one thru line into the main ballroom directly ahead, where even more guests were lost in their conversations.
The quartet made its way into the much louder room. Layla, who was in the middle of a conversation with some of her classmates took note of the group and bid her farewell from them. She waved Trevor down as she approached, all smiles as she came up to them.
"You all clean up nicely!" She said examining each of them. Layla was wearing a purple sleeveless halter neck gown along with matching heeled sandals to go along with them. She also wore a lavender eyeshadow, as well as having her hair tied up in a bun.
"You're not too bad yourself," Megan commented. She glanced at Trevor and nudged him slightly, making him jump. "Stop staring, you're embarrassing yourself."
"I'm not staring!" He hissed, causing her to smile slightly. She knew he wasn't, but she couldn't resist the temptation to mess with him.
"There you are," Emily, said, finding Layla. "Was wondering where you—oh, hey."
Emily was wearing a rather modest yellow skater dress with matching heels. Her usual braid was undone, allowing her blonde hair to flow down her back, as well as for opting for contact lenses instead of her usual glasses, allowing her naturally blue eyes to pop out more.
Adam found himself lost in her appearance, as she was nearly unrecognizable to how she usually is. Emily took note, and to ease her comfortability, she snapped her fingers in his face, waking up. "You're staring…"
Adam's face turned red, and he quickly apologized. "Sorry, it's just…you look really pretty."
Emily accepted the compliment, figuring that it was better than being called "cute" again. Both Megan and Layla had the same idea regarding both of them thanks to this brief exchange.
"So…" Tyrone crossed his arms. "Now what?"
"Nothing's out of the ordinary yet," Layla commented. "Well, aside from one of the Royal Knights missing…"
"Missing?" Megan asked, looking around the room. She caught glimpses of Quincy and Sydney on one side of the room, and Melissa along with the Community Manager on the other. Carlos was nowhere in sight. "Yeah, you're right…weird."
"Think something happened?" Trevor asked.
"I'm not sure," Layla said. "Maybe I should've mentioned this before, but when we're out shopping yesterday, we ran into Sydney, the Blue Knight."
"And what? I'm guessing nothing came out of it if you're just now bringing it up."
"Well…that was before I realized that one of the members is missing."
"Morris did say that SAIBA's onto him. Maybe he's in Babylon in case Morris tries to pull something." Adam mentioned.
"Either way, just to be safe we should just keep an eye on them in case they—" Trevor was interrupted by the sight of Quincy approaching them.
Tyrone naturally took point, intercepting Quincy as he approached. "What do you want? We haven't done anything."
Quincy stopped before his brother and took note of the other teens around him.
"We need to talk…"
"Quincy is engaging with the targets…" Sydney spoke into her D-Com which was hidden by her hair. "What should I do?"
"Keep an eye on Melissa, make sure she doesn't make it to them."
Sydney hesitated to speak further. "Do you promise to free Carlos if I do this…?"
"The fact you're asking me tells me you don't have faith in my words…"
The cold chill shocked her spine. "Never mind…"
"Good girl." Michael cut the line off, making Sydney do all she could to keep her composure. It was hard to hide her fear, but she felt like she was doing a good job thus far.
"Syd…" Melissa's voice lingered into her consciousness. Sydney turned and saw the older woman standing in front of her—alone.
"Melissa…" Sydney's voice nearly caught in her throat. She steeled herself. "What do you want?"
Melissa took a moment. "I…want to apologize, for what was said before."
"It's a little late for that." Sydney coldly replied.
"Still…I wanted to tell you that I'm not going anywhere." Melissa said. "I'll continue to be a knight for as long as I have to…"
Confused, Sydney took a moment to process her statement. "Why?"
Melissa paused. "…because I realized…"
"Nevermind. Whatever you say isn't going to change anything." Sydney stated. "Michael told me everything."
"Michael? What did he tell you?"
"That you sided with Trojan and the Beta Testers."
"Wait—what? Sydney, you know that's not—!"
"Don't lie to me!" Sydney snapped. "God, I'm so sick of being in the dark; I just want all of this to end!"
"That's what I'm trying to say! Listen, I was talking to Ben earlier and—!"
"Why am I not surprised…?" Sydney scoffed.
"Just listen to me!" Melissa reached for her, but Sydney pushed her back.
"No! I'm through with you and your favoritism! Stop pretending as you care!" Sydney began to storm out of the room as a result.
Melissa now growing annoyed by Sydney's 'brattiness,' as she saw it, followed behind her until they were outside. "Fine then. Tell me where Michael is so I can chew him out for lying about me."
"Like you're getting that out of me." she stopped midway down the staircase and turned around.
"Wh-what is with you?!" Melissa exclaimed. She hesitated, noticing that Sydney was armed with her D-Case. "Are you serious right now?"
Without responding, Sydney clicked the button on the side, activating the application on it. Melissa's D-Com chimed, causing her to react. Before she realized it, binary began to rain down all around them. And just as quickly the area shifted around the pair, appearing in the very room that Sydney and Quincy were taken to prior. Melissa, however, felt dizzy all of the sudden, the shift in scenery throwing off her perception.
"Where…where are we?" She turned and saw the massive cocoon behind Sydney. The mere sight of it made her breath escape from her, not to mention the faint humming sound coming from it.
"Michael promised…if I beat you then he'll save Carlos…" Melissa heard Sydney's words, the situation became clear to her now.
"Sydney…" Melissa's voice shuddered. "…Michael is lying to you. SAIBA has been lying to all of us…"
"I don't care anymore…" Sydney replied. Trailing of a crooked smile began to form on Sydney's face, shaking Melissa further. "All I care about is saving Carlos…whatever it takes…" She raised her arm and equipped her D-Brace.
Melissa, on the other hand, realizing that this was the only option she had to get through to her, reluctantly equipped herself as well. It seemed like this would be the only way to get her to listen to her.
"DIGI-GATE: OPEN!"
"I Hatch DemiVeemon!"
Sydney started by hatching the baby dragon Digimon, who danced, as if oblivious to the situation at hand.
DemiVeemon (BT2-002)
Color: Blue
Level 2
"I digivolve it into Veemon, then play Gabumon from my hand to draw one card."
As the smaller DemiVeemon grew into the kid-like Veemon, Gabumon materialized, granting Sydney an extra card to draw and ending her turn.
Veemon (BT2-021)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Gabumon (BT1-029)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 1000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Melissa)
Melissa drew. "Likewise, I hatch Gigimon!"
Gigimon appeared in like manner, attempting to strike an intimidating pose against Veemon and Gabumon.
Gigimon (BT2-001)
Color: Red
Level: 2
Melissa took two cards from her hand. Gigimon's going to digivolve into Guilmon, and then into Growlmon from there!"
The small red Digimon quickly grew into the ferocious Growlmon, the muscled dinosaur eager to feast on its enemies.
Guilmon (BT2-009)
Color: Red
Level: 3
DP: 3000
Growlmon (BT2-013)
Color: Red
Level: 4
DP: 4000
MEMORY
3-1
"Finally, I'll play Sora Takenouchi from my hand and end my turn." Melissa finished by summoning her respective Tamer, with Sora materializing beside her.
Sora Takenouchi (BT2-084)
Color: Red
MEMORY
1-2 (Turn Change: Sydney)
Sydney drew. "Veemon moves to the Battle Area, followed up by Hammer Spark to gain an extra memory."
Veemon hopped forward to join Gabumon, as the memory counter increased for Sydney.
MEMORY
2-3
"Since you're using Tamers, guess I should too, right?" Sydney asked in a disturbingly humored tone. "I play Rina Shinomiya from my hand!"
Rina materialized on Sydney's side, giving Melissa's side a wink before snapping her fingers, revealing three cards from the top of Sydney's deck, being Bastemon, Gabumon, and AeroVeedramon.
MEMORY
3-0
"When Rina is played, from the top three cards of my deck, I'm allowed to add one card with 'Vee' in its name to my hand. I retrieve AeroVeedramon and send the other two cards to the bottom."
After adding the card to her hand, she threw her hand forward. "Let's get started; Gabumon, Security Attack!"
Gabumon obeyed the command of his Tamer, crossing its arms and firing forth a small stream of blue flames that was blocked by Melissa's Security.
Melissa
Security: 5-4
Melissa shrugged the attack off, revealing her Security. "Biyomon!"
Gabumon: 1000 DP
Biyomon: 2000 DP
Biyomon materialized from the Security and retaliated with a green spiral of wind, blowing Gabumon's blue flame away and it along with it.
"I'll end my turn by digivolving Veemon into Gorillamon," Sydney concluded, turning the small Dragon into the hulking Gorilla Digimon.
Gorillamon (BT1-037)
Color: Blue
Level: 4
DP: 6000
MEMORY
0-1 (Turn Change: Melissa)
Melissa drew. "I play Shield of the Just! Normally this card deletes one of your Digimon with 5000 DP or less; but since I have a red Tamer on the field, I can delete one with 8000 DP instead. I use it on Gorillamon!"
MEMORY
1-5 (Turn Change: Sydney)
Gallantmon's hazard symbol traced itself into reality before the shield encircled it. Sydney shielded herself from the radiance of the beam as the energy exploded from the shield, incinerating Gorillamon where it stood.
Sydney pulled her arms down with her smirk holding on, "Not going to beat me if you feed me Memory like this, you know."
"It's not like I want to," Melissa said. "All I want is for you to listen for a second."
Sydney's lips relaxed. "I already told you that I don't care…" She drew. "I hatch DemiVeemon and digivolve it into Gomamon."
Gomamon appeared in Sydney's raising area, digivolving off of the pre-summoned DemiVeemon.
Gomamon (BT1-030)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 3000
"Please I'm begging you just listen…! You know SAIBA is behind what happened to Carlos right? You know that I would do nothing to hurt any of you!"
Sydney's eye twitched. "But you did…!" She slapped the card on her D-Brace, digivolving Gomamon into Veedramon. The Dragon Digimon roaring as it was summoned, echoing Sydney's building anger.
Veedramon (BT2-026)
Color: Blue
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
5-3
"This whole time…I've been confused," she began, "and scared. Becoming a knight was nothing like I thought it'd to be…"
"I understand…" Melissa said, making moves to approach her. "So was I…I've been scared. This too was nothing I thought it would be…This whole time I thought this would give me the power—"
"To protect them!"
"And you, too! All of you…!" Melissa reaffirmed. "I wouldn't have accepted the role of leader if I didn't have all of you in mind! I care about Quincy, and Carlos…and you especially…"
Tears welled up in Sydney's eyes, her heart being torn apart internally. "You're lying…"
"I'm not…!" Melissa was getting closer. "I wouldn't be trying to convince you otherwise…"
Sydney couldn't argue, instinctively taking a step back. The pain in her chest was getting worse. "Stop…"
"For the last time…let me be the leader I'm supposed to be. Let me help you…"
"I said stop…"
Melissa reached out for Sydney, causing the latter to scream out of fear. Without thinking she played the card in her hand, causing Veedramon to roar as it digivolved into AeroVeedramon.
AeroVeedramon (BT2-028)
Color: Blue
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
3-0
The tremendous power stirred up wind gusts that pushed Melissa back into the arms of Growlmon who managed to intercept her. While Melissa proceeded to get her bearings, she looked up, forced to see Sydney's conflicting demeanor. Little by little, she was losing her sense of self, and more and more Melissa's heart was ripping at the seams.
"I don't wanna be alone…" Sydney muttered as her hands wrapped around her head. "Please…don't leave me alone…"
Melissa, jumping from Growlmon's comfortable arms, watched as her emotional opponent and her winged Dragon gear up for their ultimate spectacle.
Getting a hold of herself, with drained eyes, Sydney looked up at Melissa. "Transcend…Azure Blade…AeroVeedramon digivolves into UlforceVeedramon!"
AeroVeedramon roared, blasting off towards the ceiling in a bright blue spiral of wind, exploding into the armored knight known as UlforceVeedramon.
UlforceVeedramon (BT2-032)
Color: Blue
Level: 6
DP: 11,000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Melissa)
"Sydney…" Melissa could feel the urge to cry creep on her. Gritting her teeth in resistance, Melissa screamed, drawing her next card, and swiping the next two over her D-Brace. "DESCEND, CRIMSON GUARDIAN!"
Growlmon's eyes began to glow red as it itself gained a tremendous infusion of power, passing its evolution into WarGrowlmon and straight into Gallantmon. Gallantmon unleashed the excess power, in somewhat retaliation to Ulforce's show of strength prior.
WarGrowlmon (BT2-017)
Color: Red
Level: 5
DP: 8000
MEMORY
3-0
Gallantmon (BT2-020)
Color: Red
Level: 6
DP: 11,000
MEMORY
0-4 (Turn Change: Sydney)
Melissa took a deep breath, steeling herself once more. "Gallantmon, we're getting Sydney back, one way or another…"
"Understood Milady!" Gallantmon responded, readying its spear.
Sydney drew. "I'm not letting you stand in my way! I suspend Rina to give Ulforce +1000 DP to crush you! Sydney declared, moving it into the Battle Area. Ulforce from there drew its blade and dove forward as the Security Card appeared to intercept.
Melissa
Security: 4-3
With a clean slice, the cyan blue blade cut the Security in half. MetalGreymon reformed from the Security card lashing forward to retaliate, only for Ulforce to sidestep and then skewer the metal dinosaur.
UlforceVeedramon: 12,000 DP
MetalGreymon: 7000 DP
"I'm not done! Since Rina was suspended, Ulforce unsuspends, giving me +1 Memory."
MEMORY
4-5
"On top of that both DemiVeemon and AeroVeemon grant Ulforce an additional +1000 DP and Jamming!"
UlforceVeedramon: 12,000-13,000 DP
"Security Attack!"
Ulforce, drawing a second blade, crossed its gauntlets and slashed forward, sending a wave of blue energy in V-Shape hurdling towards Melissa. Melissa braced herself as the Security took the brunt of the attack.
Melissa
Security: 3-2
The card revealed Kokatorimon, however, it didn't matter as the Security fizzled out before the Digimon could even emerge from the card.
"I play Gabumon from my hand to draw an extra card, then end by playing a 2nd Rina," Sydney concluded as both cards materialized. She drew her initial card and allowed the 2nd Rina to reveal Veemon, Vikemon, and Ray of Victory. Taking Veemon from the three, it was clear that Sydney wasn't thrilled to see the other two cards be sent to the bottom of her deck.
MEMORY
5-2
MEMORY
2-1 (Turn Change: Melissa)
Melissa drew. "Our turn." She moved Gallantmon to the Battle Area. "You ready?"
Gallantmon turned to her and nodded.
"Gallantmon attacks UlforceVeedramon!" Melissa declared as Gallantmon vanished from her side.
Sydney was taken aback, adding to it, laughter. "Did you finally give up or something?"
"Actually, you might wanna pay more attention," Melissa answered, catching Sydney off guard.
Realizing what she was saying, Sydney pulled up her menu and checked her trash, realizing her folly. Hammer Spark, Gabumon, DemiVeemon, Veemon, and Gorillamon's icons all stared back at her, signaling the 5 cards required for Gallantmon's power boost. The sudden wind pressure blew in her face as Ulforce blocked Gallantmon's thrust.
"Gigimon, Guilmon, and WarGrowlmon's IE effects give Gallantmon a total of +3000 DP for you having at least 5 cards in your trash! Not only that, but Growlmon's IE effect deletes one of your Digimon with 2000 DP or less as well!"
Gallantmon: 11,000-14,000 DP
UlforceVeedramon: 11,000 DP
The two pushed off one another, launching into the skies to continue to duke it out. Ulforce relentlessly put pressure on Gallantmon, striking it repeatedly with its blades, to which it blocked with its shield. Once Gallantmon found an opening, it pushed back, and kicked Ulforce downward so it flew like a meteor back behind Sydney.
Sydney spun around, only to see Gallantmon land on her knight and drive its lance through it. The shockwave whipping outward, catching Gabumon in the wave and knocking Sydney back as well. She was able to catch one final glimpse of Ulforce before it dispersed into data before her, creating immediate silence in the room.
Sydney was left in awe as the feeling of her chances of saving Carlos were slipping…
MEMORY
1-0
"Gomamon's IE effect gave you a memory, I didn't forget about that," Melissa stated. "I end by playing Kokatorimon from my hand and ending my turn. It's your move."
Kokatorimon (BT1-014)
Color: Red
Level: 4
DP: 4000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Sydney)
Kokatorimon materialized, squawking at Sydney, who ignored Melissa as she stared longingly at what remained of UlforceVeedramon. Without it, the tables turned.
At this rate, Carlos would be lost forever…
"I still have five security…" Sydney uttered. "Yeah…I still have the advantage…"
"Not for long you will," Melissa replied.
Sydney grinned as she drew, "I may not be able to delete Gallantmon, but I can at least slow him down some… I play Howling Crusher! All Digivolution Sources underneath Gallantmon are trashed!"
The silhouette of SaberLeomon materialized, diving through the recovering Gallantmon and eating away its sources, forcing it to drop to one knee in response.
MEMORY
3-4 (Turn Change: Melissa)
"Are you okay Gallantmon?" Melissa checked.
"That was nothing…" It responded with confidence.
"Good."
Sydney snickered. "Don't mock me…"
Melissa drew. "Far from it. I hatch Yokomon!"
Yokomon materialized in the raising area, its cheery demeanor sticking out in the tense situation unfolding.
Yokomon (BT1-002)
Color: Red
Level: 2
"Yokomon digivolves into Biyomon!"
Biyomon replaced Yokomon in the breeding area, the pink bird eager to fight.
Biyomon (BT1-012)
Color: Red
Level: 3
DP: 2000
"Then, Kokatorimon into MetalGreymon!"
Kokatorimon subsequently morphed into the metallic dinosaur Digimon, likewise eager to fight on behalf of Melissa's goal.
MetalGreymon (ST1-09)
Color: Red
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
4-1
Watching Melissa's army of Digimon outnumber her further infuriated Sydney, who continued to feel Carlos drift further from her. So much it prompted her to speak.
"Why…"
"Why what?" Melissa asked.
"Why are you not helping me save him…?"
"Sydney, get a grip!" Melissa yelled. "Michael is lying to you! Beating me isn't going to change anything and you know it!"
"Why can't you just lose already and take his place?!" Sydney screamed back. "Just die already so he doesn't have to!"
That shook Melissa. What…did that mean? Melissa's eyes lingered on the pod-like devices lined up behind the walls and a cold chill shocked her. "Don't tell me…"
Melissa ran past Sydney, catching the latter off guard.
"Get away from him!" Sydney screamed as Melissa reached the capsule and saw Carlos inside.
It took all the willpower in the world to keep from screaming, the horrific reality settling in closer as she realized that the capsule was feeding into the cocoon. It all made sense now.
"Sydney…" Melissa turned to her. "I…"
"Just shut up and die…" Sydney snarled. "Die so you can take his place. So, I don't have to feel alone anymore…"
Not knowing how to respond to that, Melissa instead built up the nerve to reject that. "Gallantmon! Security Attack!"
Gallantmon suddenly appeared, towering over Sydney from behind. It raised its javelin into the air and sent it down crashing over her. The Security naturally swung in between it and her as a result.
"Gallantmon's effect!" Melissa declared. "For every 10 cards in your trash, Gallantmon trashes the top card of your Security Stack!"
A second Security appeared underneath the first one as the initial one shattered into binary immediately. The 2nd revealed Zudomon, appearing through the card to knock Gallantmon's lance back with its hammer.
Gallantmon: 11,000 DP
Zudomon: 7000 DP
Before Zudomon could go in further, with its free hand, Gallantmon grabbed Zudomon by the horn and kneed its face, before calling lightning to electrocute the Digimon into binary.
Sydney
Security: 5-3
"I end my turn by playing Monodramon," Melissa said as the purple Dragon Digimon added itself to her group.
MEMORY
0-1 (Turn Change: Sydney)
"Why…?" It was Melissa's turn to ask. "Why did we end up here?"
Sydney stood quiet, accepting the fact that continuing would just lead to her defeat. "You betrayed us…"
"No, I didn't…"
"Michael said that he would save Carlos if I beat you…"
"He's lying…"
"I can't lose him…" Sydney began to cry. "He's one of the closest things to family…he's kept me from being alone…he never abandoned me…"
"I understand…"
"So then why won't you die for him?"
"Do you want to kill me then…?"
Sydney choked.
"You don't think Michael will do you what he did to Carlos after you're done with me?"
"Shut up…!"
"And what about Quincy? Or the Beta Testers? Or the users in Babylon; are you going to trade all their lives because of a false promise?!"
"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Sydney finally broke, dropping to her knees. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Sydney couldn't take it anymore, fully giving into emotions and letting them come out all at once.
Melissa couldn't bear to watch, as she walked up to the girl and knelt. She wrapped her arms around the girl and pulled her close. "I'm not going anywhere…I promise we'll save Carlos…As long as it takes, I won't let you be alone…"
"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Sydney cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…!"
Melissa's hug grew tighter as if she was squeezing the apologies out of the girl. Melissa needed to make sure that Sydney understood her words. She wasn't going to let go for anything…
The humming sound noticeably was slightly louder. Through all of the commotion, Melissa realized she forgot about it. Her attention was drawn back to the cocoon as it continued to pulsate as it always had.
Although…something was different.
Gallantmon, as well as the other Digimon who were present, all began to take note of the humming. It was Gallantmon who then noticed the distortions in the air around them.
"MILADY!" Gallantmon exclaimed.
A quick jab forced Melissa and Sydney apart, breaking Melissa's embrace with a forceful tug. The next thing she knew, Sydney's scream ripped through the air, grabbing Melissa's attention.
"HELP!" As she dangled in the air, Sydney screamed, the distortions becoming more visible, like transparent tentacles extending from the cocoon. Said distortions wrapped around Sydney as she desperately fought to break free from them.
"SYDNEY!" Melissa screamed in horror as she saw the girl be thrust backward in the direction of the cocoon.
Gallantmon and the remaining Digimon jumped into action, bolting ahead towards the Cocoon in an attempt to break its grip. Yet another mysterious force blew each of them back and away from Sydney. Gallantmon was the only one managing to hold its own, but the gravitational push was slowly overwhelming it.
Must…consume…all…
The familiar voice shook Melissa to her core, forcing her to realize that it came from the cocoon.
"That was…Carlos' voice…" She uttered.
All the while, Sydney continued to fight but to no avail. She looked at Melissa who once again looked pale and horrified at what was happening.
"Promise me…" Sydney said as she grew closer to the Cocoon. "You'll save him…"
"And you, too!" Melissa reached out desperately. "I swear I'll save the both of you, whatever it takes! Promise to just hold on for me…!"
Sydney felt the gel-like surface ooze on her back as it sucked her in. Immediately, her vision blurred. She was losing consciousness. With the last of her strength, she reached forward.
"…I…Prom…" As her head completely submerged, her hand grew limp before she was completely absorbed.
The scene burned itself in Melissa's mind, causing her to scream as the Cocoon pulsated violently in cyan.
Gallantmon was silent, as the other Digimon, the latter of them taking their leave one by one so that the Royal Knight remained.
"Mel…ca…ar me?!" Ben's voice broke up through her D-Com.
"What is it, Agent Merlo," Gallantmon answered for her. Gallantmon, in a solemn tone, nodded and turned to his Tamer.
"They've begun…"
"To be honest, I didn't take my father to be one to throw a coup," Trevor concluded. "But if he's the one really pulling the strings then…"
"That doesn't exclude my father's role in everything as well." Layla pointed out.
"I know you two aren't about to argue whose father is the worse egomaniac right now." Megan looked at both of them.
"Guys, focus!" Adam stepped in, attempting to be the mediator. "The point is that while we're at this party, Trevor's Dad is probably back at SAIBA getting everything set to unleash Millenniummon. Whether Akiyoshi Saiba is aware of it or not isn't as important as figuring out a way to keep it from happening."
"Where're the other Knights? How come they aren't involved in this conversation?"
Quincy didn't sugarcoat it. "Carlos caught wind of the situation and was already dealt with. As for Sydney, Michael got to her first, and Melissa is too broken herself to do anything about it…"
"Explains why you broke rank and came yourself," Tyrone noted.
"I wouldn't have approached you all if I didn't believe that you guys are the only ones who have a decent shot a this. After all, you all saved Babylon once before. That's more than what we Knights can say."
"When you put it like that, you're not wrong…" Adam admitted.
"So how we doing this? Is half of us jumping into Babylon to figure out where Millenniummon is?" Tyrone asked.
"We don't have the first idea on where to look though." Trevor countered.
"My suspicions are the Digi-Citadel. As for where specifically, likely below ground." Quincy explained.
"Okay, that's one-half of the problem. Now the part where we sneak into the place. The Citadel is crawling with Babylon mods most likely." Emily pointed out. "Plus, if Michael catches wind that you're helping us…"
"He already knows I don't like him," Quincy assured.
"Still doesn't make it easier on us." Emily insisted.
"Well, we still have some time to come up with—" Adam was cut off by the loud tapping of a champagne glass off towards the center of the ballroom.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may we have your attention, please? Welcoming the man who put this glorious shindig together is Cisco City's very own, Akiyoshi Saiba!" The DJ announced, receiving erupting applause from the audience. By this point, the teens were gearing up for whatever surprises they had in store, based on the information that Quincy disclosed to them.
Akiyoshi appeared from the crowd, giving small, but wide waves to everyone who welcomed him. His smile was wide with glee as he continued to eat up the attention.
"Thank you! Thank you all for coming to this beautiful evening tonight." Akiyoshi said, one hand holding a glass and the other in his pocket. "I must say, thanks to all of you, the world of Cybernetics has grown tremendously in potential in the last year. Between your support as well as your own strides in our respective fields, may we all continue to build a world that will propel humanity to heights never thought possible!"
The crowd responded in kind, applauding his brief words. If one didn't know better, they wouldn't have guessed that this was a room full of competitors vying to dethrone SAIBA Enterprise someday.
"So, with that, I'd like to propose a toast. As we enter into a new age of cybernetics, where our ideas clash, and our passions ignite our dreams into reality, let us all continue to strive to make a better world for humanity! Let us continue, to bridge the gap between man and machine; let us continue…" He raised his glass in the air and smirked.
"…to welcome the Advent of the Millennium…"
