Here is another chapter~! :3 And I have a story cover up too~! :3 It is of Omnimon's emblem here. It is the Crest of Friendship with the points of the Crest of Courage, but this will become a golden color on his cape later on. The only thing that is not is the grey slash mark. :3

Opening Files: Grimmnoids

Founded 150 years ago, the Grimmnoids are a group, more like a cult, of humans, Faunus, and Mobians who believe that humanity can live in harmony with the Grimm by offering up young infants as sacrifices to stay safe. This has caused the United States government to label the Grimmnoids as terrorists and creators of newborn Fallen, and as such, any soldiers, Huntsmen, and Huntresses are given strict orders to kill on sight if they see the symbol of the Grimmnoids, which is a black Grimm outline on a white cape that has a hood.

This has led to some confusion with Omnimon, the Grimm Slayer, being mistaken as a member of the Grimmnoids. However, if one looks closely at the back of his cape, if they see the golden crest with the grey slash mark across it, then he is not a Grimmnoid or a member of the group. Safe to say though, it is also thanks to the Grimm Slayer that the Grimmnoids were broken up and sent scattering to the wind.

With the loss of their great leader, Winslow the Wicked, the Grimmnoids had nowhere to turn for help, and as such, were sent scattering to try and continue their lifestyle as well as recruit new members. But because they are recognized as terrorists, as soon as individual members set foot into cities such as GrimmFall, Empire City, and Denver, they are arrested on the spot.

Due to the efforts of the Grimm Slayer, the majority of the Grimmnoids have been arrested and are currently awaiting trial and conviction. Those few who have escaped are classified as threats that only Class IV and V Hunters can handle.

"Sometimes beliefs can be taken too far and can cause harm to others." TOM lectured as he closed the Grimmnoid file. "This can go both ways, good and evil. If someone has good intentions, they can sometimes go too far and hurt others. The same goes for those who have bad intentions. Except when those types of people take action, they are then considered terrorists." He pushed a button as the image of his own nemesis appeared. "Even I have a nemesis who takes his actions too far. He hurt SARA and myself, which makes his actions all the more intolerable." TOM then looked back at the audience. "What about you? Have you ever gone too far with good or bad intentions and hurt someone? If you have, you always have a chance to right it if it was a good intention. But if not...well then, you're screwed."

The sun shone down the next day as Omnimon made his way around the small village, looking for answers. He had his hood down, revealing his head, but he still wore his cape around his form. Many of the villagers looked at him with suspicion, but a few whom had been in the inn when he drove off the Grimmnoids knew better and waved to him in greeting. Omnimon nodded back in return before making his way to what was the village hall, or the main gathering place.

He threw open his cape so he didn't get mistaken as one of the Grimmnoids, who liked to wear their capes around their bodies to hide for whatever reason. His blue eyes drifted around as he tries to find someone who would be willing to talk to him, but it seemed no one was. With a sigh, the Royal Knight was about to give up on looking for someone to give him the information he wanted, when a male voice made him look back. "You looking for something?"

The Digimon glanced over his shoulder to see a man standing behind him, holding a toddler. "Yes. Why?" Omnimon asked as the man laughed.

"You have the look of a newbie Huntsman." The man replied. "I heard you were responsible for driving off the Grimmnoids even though you are supposed to be one of them."

Here, Omnimon growled. "Why is it that everyone keeps mistaking me as one of these Grimmnoids even though I saved their lives?"

"It could be because you lack a distinguishing emblem." The man replied. "Every newcomer to the Grimmnoids lacks one."

This surprised Omnimon. "So a newcomer has no image of a Grimm outline on their cape?"

Another laugh. "You got it." The man replied. "Why don't you come with me?" He then gave a smile. "I can tell you more about the Grimmnoids if you wish."

At once, Omnimon was wary. He knew next to nothing about this man, who was offering him information. And after what he had gone through last night, it was only logical to assume it was a trap.

Still, he wasn't about to pass up the chance to gain more information, so, he decided it would be worth the risk. After all, he had no one to blame except for himself if he fell into a trap. "Very well." The Digimon said as he followed the man. He was led to a small but cozy looking house, one where a female human was working on hanging up clothes to dry on the lines outside.

"I'm back." The man called to the female human. "And I've brought a guest too."

Looking back, the woman smiled. "Well, I can see that." She joked. To Omnimon, it seemed that opening his cape to expose his body to the villagers had been a wise choice since she didn't even panic and assume he was one of the Grimmnoids. "Who is he?"

The man looked at her with a smile. "He's the one who drove off the Grimmnoids last night." He replied. "I thought it would be a good idea to at least thank him for his efforts."

"Well, don't just stand there!" The woman said as she grabbed the Royal Knight's arm and pulled him in despite his protests.

"Ma'am, there's no need to..." Omnimon began, but she cut him off.

"Oh, don't be shy!" She cooed. "There's no need to be here!"

As much as he wanted to protest, something told the Digimon it would be futile to resist, so he just went along with it. A sigh escaped Omnimon. "Very well." He replied at last. "Only because I apparently don't have a choice in the matter anyway."

The woman giggled at his response. Once inside the house, she motioned for him to sit down on the couch. The Digimon did so, only to give a small start as the cushions sagged a bit beneath his weight, which, given his half digital state, wasn't as much as a regular human's.

"So, what brings you here?" The woman asked.

Omnimon looked back at her. "I am out looking for a missing friend of mine." He began. "And well, when I came here, I intended to only spend one night, but after last night, it became apparent I just couldn't leave this place with such characters lurking around."

"And you decided to stay to help us against the Grimmnoids, did you?" The man asked as the Digimon nodded.

"Yes." Omnimon replied. "It would not look good for me if I just left someone in need without helping them." He added. "As a Knight, I cannot in good conscience leave innocents to fend for themselves against those that want to hurt them."

The man nodded. "Good words to live by in this age and era." He said proudly. "My name is Jackson Hills, and this is my wife, Serena Hills." He then lifted up their three year old daughter. "And this is our daughter, Emily." The toddler giggled as she waved at the funny looking guest.

Omnimon nodded. "My name is Rik." He said, keeping up with his alias. "At least, that is what I wish to be called."

"Why not your real name?" Jack asked as he looked back at the Digimon.

"That...is a tale for another time." Omnimon replied vaguely. "But for now, all you need to know is that I prefer to be called Rik."

Jack shrugged. "Very well." He then smiled. "So, Rik, what do you wish to know about the Grimmnoids?" He asked. "I did promise you information on them after all, did I not?"

Omnimon nodded. "You did." He confirmed. "And what I want to know is why they have chosen this village to terrorize."

Looking down, Jack sighed. "That...we don't know. I wish we did, I truly do. But I cannot give you that answer." He replied at last. "I'm sorry."

A sigh escaped Omnimon. "I see." He then looked back up. "Well, even if you can't, any ideas on why you might have may be helpful as well."

Serena frowned here. "Well, we don't really have any ideas either." She said sadly. "As much as we want to help you, we just don't have the information you are asking for."

Omnimon sighed again. "Then can you at least tell me when the Grimmnoids tend to strike this place?" He asked as he looked back up once more. "Because if I can get that information at the very least, I could follow them back to wherever their hideout is."

Jack nodded. "I see. Well, that I can help you with." He confirmed. "The Grimmnoids tend to strike at night, as you probably saw last night. They also go to large places where parents tend to go with their newborn children. That's because they seek out infants to offer up to the Grimm."

Omnimon nodded, taking in this information. "I see. And have you tried to hide these areas from the Grimmnoids?"

Jack just huffed in anger. "You bet we did. And each time, those areas were found and penetrated into!"

The Digimon frowned at this. If what he was hearing was correct, then it seemed like someone was giving out the locations, but if he was to determine that, he needed more information. "And who is the one who comes up with these locations?" He asked, pressing for more information.

"It is the village elders." Serena replied. "More specifically, the housing elder."

Omnimon was thinking now as he looked down. 'It seems the elders are behind this. And if this housing elder is behind coming up with these safe areas, then there is a chance the elder could be working with the Grimmnoids.' He mused to himself. Looking back up, he spoke. "Do you know where the elders live?"

Jack blinked. "Only in the village's center." He replied. His blue eyes narrowed beneath his yellow bangs as he ran a hand through his long blonde hair. "Why do you ask?"

"Someone may be giving the Grimmnoids the safe area information." Omnimon replied sternly. Serena's blue eyes went wide, almost reaching her black bangs.

"But...that's impossible!" She cried. "The elders are looking out for our village! They can't be responsible!"

"Anything can happen." Omnimon said seriously. "Even your village elders betraying the village for whatever reason they have."

Jack frowned at this. "So, you're saying the village elders may be giving out the information on the safe areas to the Grimmnoids?"

"It's highly possible." Omnimon admitted. "But then again, it's also possible someone else may be behind it too."

Jack sighed. "I don't like the implications you are putting forth, Rik." He said seriously. "These are serious accusations that could get you, and anyone else in this village, killed."

Omnimon snorted. "As I said, it's possible there may be someone else behind these information leaks, but you can never be too careful."

Serena didn't like what she was hearing. If what this newcomer was saying held some truth, then the village elders were purposely endangering the inhabitants. It scared her, as she had moved here to escape the Grimm and any people who followed crazy beliefs, not deal with them again! "So...what do you suggest we do?" She asked in a soft voice.

Omnimon looked back at her. "I would suggest you leave things to me." He said, trying to reassure her. "If anyone is their enemy here, it is now me. So I will be the one to deal with the Grimmnoids and return peace to your village."

Serena wasn't sure on what to say to that. She just remained silent while Jack looked back at the Royal Knight. "Well, if you wish to talk to the village elders, I can lead you to them." He said while his wife looked down, as if seeming to be torn on something.

The Digimon nodded. "Thank you." He said as he stood up. Serena looked away as the two left. When the door shut, tears ran down her cheeks as she sobbed softly to herself. She couldn't keep doing this if others continued to get hurt...

Mountain Hideout

White robes were everywhere as the Grimmnoids walked throughout the old mountain town. Ever since taking it over, no one had dared to enter, leaving it the perfect place to grow and thrive. In the center of the old mining town, a man wearing the same white cape and hood as the rest of his followers sat on his throne, his black hair and grey eyes standing out against his very pale complexion. This was Winslow the Wicked, the leader of the Grimmnoids. Before him was his greatest sacrificial hunter, Grey the Gory. His brown hair was the only thing that made him stand out from the rest of the Grimmnoids, all of whom had the same pale complexion as their leader, along with matching grey eyes and black hair. His grey eyes were closed as he remained in the kneeling position before his great leader.

"Well, Grey the Gory, I hear you had a failure in securing more offerings for our great ones." Winslow hissed as Grey nodded.

"I did, your lordship." Grey replied without even looking up. "It was one who pretended to be one of us, wearing our sacred white robes. He snuck in while I was in the midst of procuring our offerings, and then fought me to a standstill. I could barely hold my own against him."

"Is that so?" Winslow demanded. "And just who is this interloper supposed to be, hmm?" He asked. "Because as far as I know, no government dogs come out this way."

Grey didn't even look up as he replied. "The one who interfered said he was sent by no one, and that such a person was a far more dangerous enemy than one sent by a governmental institution that desires to oppress our religion."

Winslow snorted. "A likely story." He said, looking back at Grey. "While I am disappointed in your failure to secure more offerings, I am pleased you were able to report back that we have an obstacle, an interloper, to remove. "

"I am most pleased you are pleased with my report." Grey said as he knelt even lower. "After all, you are indeed the wisest of us all."

Winslow smirked at the praise. "Yes, I know. Now, rise my loyal servant. I have a new mission for you..." He purred as Grey did just that.

Back in the village, Jack led Omnimon to the central building in the center of it. "This is where the elders reside." He said as he looked at the Digimon. "I have to let them know I have a guest who wishes to speak with them, so I would like you to wait here while I do so."

Omnimon shrugged. He didn't have anything better to do anyway. While Jack went inside to alert the elders as to his guest, Omnimon took the chance to look around for anything unusual. He could see nothing out of the ordinary with the building, and the windows were all open to let in fresh air and sunlight. The Royal Knight didn't really take notice of anything else until he suddenly perked up, as if sensing a new and familiar, yet unknown, energy signature. He whipped his head to the right, only to see a black clothed form sitting on the ground, holding something in one hand before running off on its knuckles and feet. Omnimon was very tempted to give chase, but the opening of the doors made him rethink that was he turned around. There was Jack with one of the village elders.

"You may come in now, Rik." He said as the Digimon nodded, following the two men inside. As the doors closed, Omnimon gave one last look outside, as if hoping to see the strange being he had seen running off again. But nothing emerged as the doors shut behind him fully.

He sneered as he hefted up his new prize. Yes...the hidden scroll was now his, and soon he would know the location of the Shield of the Primate. And with that, he would be invincible! He laughed as he swung from tree to tree, keeping his prize in his grasp.

All that he needed to do was go to the last location and then place the jewel he had found earlier in his mission in the pedestal. Then the shield would be his!

In the village's min building, Omnimon entered what looked like a council room, but instead of younger people, there were only elderly men who sat in a circle, each on a mat and each wore robes that were elaborate with colors like reds, browns, and greens. The leader looked up, opening his beady brown eyes to lock gazes with Jack. "I see you brought our...ahem...'honored' guest." He said in a raspy, wheezing voice.

"Yes, oh honored elders." Jack replied as he bowed to the five men.

"Stand, my child." The leader said in a reassuring tone. "You have done well for us."

Looking at the Digimon, the leader of the elders had his eyes wander up and down Omnimon's form, taking in every part of him, as if looking for any sign he was to be distrusted. For his part, the Royal Knight hid his emotional state as well as he could, appearing emotionless and not giving out any signs he was here on a mission.

"So, you are here to help us against those retched Grimmnoids, is that correct?" The leader finally asked at last.

Omnimon nodded as he looked down, closing his blue eyes as he did so. "Yes, that is correct." He replied, keeping his voice as level as he could.

The elder smiled. "Well, we can only give you our gratitude, since we are such a poor village. We don't even have the money to pay even a low-ranked Huntsman or Huntress for help."

The Royal Knight shook his head and waved off the comment. "I am not in need of any monetary offerings, nor am I in it for that either."

"Then what are you in the Huntsmen business for?" Another elder asked. "Because no one says they aren't in it for monetary gain."

"Calm yourself, Brother Walkers." The leader of the elders scolded him.

"Very well, Brother John." Brother Walkers sighed.

Brother John, the leader of the elders in the village, smiled as he looked back at Omnimon. "Now, why are you here if you are not looking for any monetary gain?"

Omnimon didn't wish to reveal exactly why he was there, but he figured a half-truth wouldn't hurt. "I am merely looking for a friend of mine, and I was passing through here. While I had intended to leave today, I couldn't just leave when you were having trouble with the Grimmnoids."

Brother John nodded. "I see." He then gave a look to Brother Walkers. "What do you think, Brother Walkers? Should we allow him to help?"

The other elder shook his head. "No. If he does not request monetary gain, we should say no. As I stated before, no one can claim to work for no monetary gain, lest they be found out as a fraud."

Omnimon frowned mentally. "So, you think I am a fraud?" He asked, being blunt and straight to the point. "And all because I request no money? That is an odd reason to assume someone is a fraud." He was getting the feeling like Brother Walkers was trying to hide something as well, if his attitude towards him was any indication.

Brother John frowned at his fellow elder. "Now, Brother Walkers. He is just looking to help us out. If he does not wish to have any monetary payment, we can work with that since it will help us out in saving our village money for other, more important things we need." He said in a lightly scolding tone.

Brother Walkers frowned, but relented. This would not be good for him and the village if this continued as it was. This newcomer was too much of a wild card to trust, and he had to leave. But with Brother John in charge, there was little he could do.

Omnimon didn't notice, or if he did, he didn't say a thing about. In truth, he had noticed the frown of Brother Walkers, but he acted like he hadn't. Something was up with the man, and he didn't like it one bit.

Jack then spoke. "Our guest's name is Rik, and he is looking for information on the Grimmnoids." He said as Brothers Walkers and John looked back at the Digimon. "I brought him here because I figured you of all the villagers could tell him what he needs to know."

"Well, I'm sure we can do our best to provide you with that information that you seek, Rik." Brother John said with a warm smile.

"I appreciate the gesture." Omnimon said as he looked back at the elder leader. "What I really would like to know is why the Grimmnoids have chosen this village over everywhere else to terrorize."

Brother John sighed at that. "Ah. I see...so it is that information that you seek."

"What do you mean?" Omnimon asked as he cocked his head to the side.

Brother John looked up at him, his beady brown eyes meeting the blue eyes of the Royal Knight himself. "You seek the knowledge that the Grimmnoids are after."

"I am afraid I do not understand what you are saying." The Digimon said, keeping his voice level.

Brother Walkers gave a glare to the Royal Knight. "You are here to find out why the Grimmnoids are terrorizing our village? Hah! All you are after is what they seek! No one should be trusted, Brother John!" He said as he turned to his fellow elder. "This newcomer's inquiry is further proof of that!"

Omnimon frowned at what he was hearing. "I see you don't trust me." He said as both elders looked back at him. "If that is the case, then what do I have to do to earn your trust?"

"You could start by leaving our village and never coming back!" Brother Walkers sneered. "And then you could do us a favor and never mention our plight to anyone else!"

Here, the Digimon closed his blue eyes and looked down slightly. "Then I am sorry to say that I cannot do what you have asked."

Brother Walkers looked furious before Omnimon opened his blue eyes once more and looked back up at the smaller human, his own grey eyes growing wide at the look of resolve and unwavering determination at fulfilling his goal. "It is against the code of the Knights to leave those who cannot defend themselves without some form of protection." He continued as he continued to look directly at Brother Walkers. "And if I recall correctly, you have a large number of defenseless infants who cannot protect themselves because they are still too young yet."

Jack realized the Digimon was right and frowned to himself. Why was it that there were so few defenses for the infants and their parents? Now that he thought about things, Rik had revealed a big flaw in the protection plans the elders had for new parents and their infants. The only thing the elders did was move the new families to safe areas, never sending guards or even some of the men to protect the mothers and infants as they made the perilous journey to the safety of the caverns. Seeing Rik pressing for information made him feel a bit more at ease, since there was no reason the elders couldn't send some of the other villagers with as protection.

"So?" Brother Walkers protested. "What we do to protect our young generation is none of your business, outsider!"

Omnimon didn't react to being called an outsider, or at least he didn't flinch, much to his credit and the dismay of the elder who had tried to insult him. "Are you done with the hostile attacks against my person when I haven't done anything to antagonize you?"

Jack had to hide a snort of laughter at Brother Walkers' reaction. It was priceless, the way his face looked. He had a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face, much to his amusement. Brother John cleared his throat to get the attention of the Digimon. "I am sorry for Brother Walkers' attempts to antagonize you, but I can assure you, he just looking out for the best of this village."

'I doubt that highly.' Omnimon thought before he nodded. "Understandable, I suppose. But still, can you answer my question?"

Brother John nodded. "Yes, I can." He confirmed. "Why the Grimmnoids chose this village is because we are so isolated."

Something told Omnimon it was more than just that, but he wasn't about to say it out loud. "Are there any artifacts or anything of that nature that can grant the user power or something that were hidden here in this village?" He asked, pressing for more information. He knew about such things since they existed in the Digital World, but that was one part of his past he wasn't going to reveal.

Brother John hummed in thoughtfulness before he looked up at the Digimon again. "I believe there was an old scroll that could lead to an artifact of great defensive power hidden here. But no one has sought it out, deeming it to be too much of an effort to seek out and master." He replied. "Why?"

"I believe there may be a connection between the Grimmnoids choosing this village to terrorize and that scroll." Omnimon replied. It was then he remembered the strange figure he had seen outside the public house and seeing something in its hand. "Just where is this scroll hidden?" He asked, suddenly getting a bad feeling in his core.

"It is hidden in Brother Isaac's room." Brother John replied. "He can lead you there."

A tall elder stood up, his green eyes matching those of Omnimon's blue eyes. "Come." Brother Isaac said as he led the Royal Knight to the room where he stayed.

Omnimon followed, and, after being led down a short hallway to Brother Isaac's room, was shown the door. Brother Isaac opened the door to his room, only to gasp in horror at the mess that was before the two. "No! How could this be?!" Brother Isaac exclaimed. Sure enough, the small mat he used for sleeping on was thrown around, his robes were scattered all over the floor, and his meager possessions were thrown against the walls. But what was most disturbing was the massive hole in the wall where a rack was shown, but even that was in pieces. "The scroll is missing!"

Walking in, Omnimon began to look around for anything unusual, just as the rest of the elders came rushing over. Sure enough, the scroll was missing from its hiding place, but the Digimon wasn't that interested in it. Rather, he was eyeing something that stuck out to him. It was a simple thing, a mere slip of paper, but it had on it a symbol of some sort. He shifted his weapon's data into its hand form and opened the mouth of his WarGreymon head, exposing it so he could grab the piece of paper. Flipping the paper over, Omnimon's blue eyes narrowed slightly. "And I think I may know who the culprit of such a heinous robbery is." He said as he stood up. He turned and showed the paper to the elders, revealing a Grimm outline on the paper.

"The Grimmnoids?!" Brother Walkers demanded. "You really expect us to believe such a thing?!" He bellowed. "For all we know, it could have been you who stole our scroll!"

Omnimon didn't even flinch. Instead, he turned to glare back at the smaller human. "I, for one, am insulted you would accuse me of such a crime when I have done nothing to make myself your enemy." He said with a low snarl to his voice. "As it stands, I have already put up with most of your insults without as much as a thought on retaliating, but to have you accuse me of theft is just barely crossing the fine line between making me an enemy or making me an ally!" Brother Walkers looked surprised at how serious and angry the Digimon was. "You have been nothing but hostile towards me since I came here asking for your insight and help when I have done nothing to antagonize you, and that has given me the suspicion you might be trying to hide something from me, and from the rest of the villagers."

Brother Walkers looked fearful now, which made his fellow elders look at him with confusion. "What does he mean, Brother Walkers?" Brother John asked.

"He-He's lying!" Brother Walkers protested. "He is just after our scroll for himself!"

"Oh? Then why are you acting so defensive if I have truly committed the crime in question?" Omnimon countered as he folded his arms across his chest.

Jack and the other elders looked on in surprise before Brother Walkers turned and stormed off, leaving the remaining six behind him.

Brother John sighed. "Forgive Brother Walkers. I do not know what has come over him. Yes, he can be hostile to outsiders, but never before has he attacked them verbally so."

Omnimon didn't say a thing on the matter. "I will leave him to your discretion then." The Royal Knight said. "But as for me, I believe I should go out and hunt down the scroll, since someone stole it."

"And you believe it is the Grimmnoids?" Brother John asked as Omnimon nodded.

"Yes, I do." He replied. "Although I think there are some of the villagers who may be working with the Grimmnoids in an attempt to keep them happy with 'offerings' of infants as well."

Brother John frowned at the accusation. "And what if what you say isn't true?"

The Royal Knight looked back at him. "Then feel free to accuse me of whatever you wish." He replied, surprising Brother John as well as Jack and the other elders. However, they knew deep down that they couldn't just accuse someone so easily and readily, as it went against their oath to protect the people they led. There was no way they could do such a thing.

Suddenly, Omnimon perked up as he sensed the energy signature he had begun to associate with the Fallen, the same signature he had sensed with Skarr before, when he had been in GrimmFall. He had only milliseconds to act, and he couldn't let that time pass by with trying to decide on who to save. His Royal Knight training kicked in, causing him to run in front of the elders and Jack, deploying his Brave Shield as his Aura flared to life, giving it a much needed boost. And it was just in time too, as a monkey face-shaped blast of energy came out of nowhere, hitting the Brave Shield and forcing Omnimon to take a few steps back. He grunted at the force of the hit, but his shield remained up, much to his relief. The Brave Shield went down, just as the energy signature faded. Confused now, Omnimon was baffled as to why someone would just randomly attack the elders of this village.

But now he at least had a lead, even if it was not what he had been expecting. "Well...I think we can safely say we have a lead on why this place is being terrorized by the Grimmnoids."

"And why would that be?" Brother John asked as he looked at the Digimon in confusion.

"That scroll." Omnimon replied seriously as he looked back at the elder. "And I can also safely say the Grimmnoids are probably being used, or are just a front at the very least."

"But why do you say that?" Brother Isaac asked as he eyed the Royal Knight with suspicion.

"Because I sensed something that was disturbing." Omnimon explained.

"And what is it you sensed?" Jack inquired, but Omnimon knew he wouldn't like the answer. None of them would.

He closed his blue eyes and sighed. "You won't like the answer."

"Please, tell us." Brother John pleaded softly. "What was it that attacked us, and that you claim to have sensed?"

Omnimon slowly looked up, his blue eyes opening as he did so. "A Fallen..."

Here is the next one~! :3