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: Sammael
Very little is known about the Fallen known as Sammael, but what little is known is that he is about 1000 years old. While his age might make him seem like a feeble opponent who could be easily killed, the reality is far different. With all the abilities of a Grimm, and the enhancements his Fallen Status grants him, only Class V Hunters and Slayers can take him on. However, even then it is advised to run when it looks like they are about to lose.
Only heroes and Hunters on the scale of Major Glory's power can take on Sammael, which is saying something since Major Glory is one of the, if not the strongest, heroes in the world. Rumor has it that Sammael also killed the major's uncle, Uncle Sam, but that is something that Major Glory has neither confirmed nor denied. Speculation continues to abound about that.
"What is power?" TOM asked as he closed the Sammael file. "Power can be both good and bad." He leaned back in his chair and pressed a button on his left armrest. "In the words of one person, foolish are those who wish for power in excess, and equally foolish are those who resent it." On the screen, the image of a man in his late sixties came up. He wore a maroon jacket and pants with a white shirt underneath the jacket. His hair was longer and greying, and he had a full beard, along with sharp brown eyes that still held a fiery passion for his homeland. Next to the man's image came the same brown-haired female politician from before, along with the image of the same pink-haired girl from before as well. "One of these people resents power, looking for peace without violence. One wants power to defend his home and is willing to violate even his own nation's ideals to get that. And one represents willingness to use what power they hold to do what they feel is right." TOM looked back from the screen.
"One represents resentment for power, one represents the desire to gain that power, and one represents the willingness to use the power they have for the defense of others and what they think is right." He said as he leaned back in his chair. "An anonymous person once said power is a double edged sword, and how one uses it determines who they are." TOM then tented his fingers. "So, will you become a person who desires power no matter what? Will you resent power because you think it hurts others? Or will you become a person who is willing to use their power for the defense of others and what you know is right? Only you can decide that."
Justice Friends HQ
Major Glory looked on at the two unconscious children. Already their injuries were almost fully healed, at least, the more serious ones were anyway. Aside from some simple cuts, scrapes, and bruises remaining, they looked like they were unharmed otherwise. The major was surprised at how fast they had healed the major injuries, but that was pushed from his mind as the shimmering ribbons then reappeared, surprising him as they did so. The unknown boy and girl were surrounded by the ribbons before the ribbons dissipated into smaller particles of energy, revealing both Digimon once more.
The symbol of peace was at the side of Lowemon in an instant, just as the Warrior of Darkness groaned and slowly regained consciousness. His red eyes opened slowly before he turned his head to see Major Glory next to him. "Major..." Lowemon rasped as Major Glory nodded.
"Yes." He said in a reassuring manner. "It's me."
Lowemon made to sit up, but the hero and leader of the Justice Friends was quick to stop him, putting both hands on his shoulders to keep the Digimon down on the bed. "No." Major Glory said. "You still need to rest."
"But I'm fine." Lowemon insisted, but the hero wasn't having any of it.
Major Glory shook his head. "No. You are not getting up and that's final."
The Warrior of Darkness was surprised by this sudden change in the major's attitude towards him. Something was different, and he wasn't sure what it was. Lowemon frowned behind his facemask at this new development. "But why?" He asked.
Major Glory sighed and sat down next to him. "I can't imagine how scared you must have felt facing down a Fallen like that, all alone."
Confused, Lowemon titled his head to the side. "I had Kazemon with me. I wasn't by myself." He explained, but Major Glory's look made any other protest die in his throat.
"I meant without any adults around." The major clarified, and that was when Lowemon felt a chill run down his spine. If Major Glory had said that, then that meant...
"Shit..."
Thorton, Colorado
Agunimon and Dracon sat below the window they had just pulled down from peering in from, trying to figure out what to do next. "Okay...so how are we going to go about this?" The Warrior of Flame asked as Dracon looked down in thought.
"Well, the Food Witch is said to use magic to control her food and make it come to life." He explained as Agunimon listened, taking in this information himself. "However, there are rumors that the Food Witch may be someone infamous, called Gramma Stuffum."
As much as he wanted to snort at the odd name, the Digimon kept it to himself. "That's an odd name." He remarked as Dracon gave him a look.
"Yes, but she should not be underestimated, because she is known to control her cooking with spells." The Gundam explained. "And that is where the rumors of the Food Witch being her originate from."
Agunimon frowned at this. "So, she is like a villain or Hunter, right?"
"Gamma Stuffum is considered to be a rogue Huntress, who often cooks in Mobians and Faunus to her dishes." Dracon explained. At hearing that, the Digimon's blue eyes went wide before narrowing and glinting dangerously as a low growl escaped him, his fangs bared at the same time he glanced at the wall and up at the window.
Dracon frowned mentally. "I know it sounds bad, and it is." He said as he placed a hand on the Warrior of Flame's shoulder. "But we can save the two."
"Yeah? How?" The Digimon asked as he looked back at the Dragon of Denver. "In case you haven't noticed, we have no idea on what the Food Witch is capable of!"
The Gundam nodded. "Yes, but that is why we are here, to scout and get more information."
As much as he hated to admit it, Agunimon knew Dracon was right. If they just charged in, then they could get hurt or worse. But at the same time, time was running out for Kumamon and that Mobian child, so they had to do this fast too. Looking down at the ground, Agunimon gritted his teeth in anger. The one time he needed to save one of his friends, he lacked the power to do so. He punched the ground in frustration. 'If only I could Slide Evolve or even Fusion Evolve!' The Digimon thought to himself.
Dracon was now peering up into the kitchen again to try and get some more information on the Food Witch. "Odd..." He murmured. If not for his enhanced hearing, the Warrior of Flame was sure he would have missed it.
"What?" Agunimon asked as he looked up at Dracon's face.
The Gundam jerked a bit in surprise at the question directed at him, as he hadn't been expecting the Digimon to hear him, but he brushed it aside and answered Agunimon. "The Food Witch has what is known as the Grimoire. That's what Gramma Stuffum uses to control her food creations."
Looking down, some thoughts ran through the Digimon's mind. Was it possible...? He shook his head. 'No. We can't be too sure yet...' Agunimon thought to himself as he considered what this meant. 'Just because the two use the same weapon, that doesn't mean they are the same person.' And he was sure that his friends would tell him the same thing, to not jump to conclusions (He knew for a fact Dracon would tell him the same thing anyway). Dracon noticed his thoughtful look and titled his helm to the side a bit, but the Gundam couldn't be sure as to what the warrior was thinking.
Taking a chance, the Digimon decided to peek inside once more, Dracon moving aside as he did just that. Agunimon's blue eyes flicked over the room, taking into account everything in there. His sharp vision glanced over the area, taking note of potential sniping spots, mainly the front room, which was ruled out immediately because it was open to the kitchen with no door. A slight growl escaped the Warrior of Flame as he realized that there was no place to hide inside the small cottage so he could try sniping her off. Then, an idea came to him. Looking back behind him, the Digimon saw a tree that looked like a good spot. Or rather, a spot that looked like an old sniper nest to be exact. Agunimon grinned as he realized that could work to his advantage since it was close to the window. Then he frowned a bit. It would work, but it also meant his shooting area was smaller, so he would have to aim carefully and only fire when he was sure he had a good line of fire.
Still, it was better than nothing. He just hoped it would be enough as he stood and made his way over to it.
GrimmFall, Justice Friends HQ
To hear Major Glory say what he did was not what Lowemon expected at all. So it was safe to say he was completely shocked. "You two are nothing more than children." Major Glory continued, having missed hearing Lowemon's swear. "You shouldn't have had to fight a Fallen like that."
"Major..." Lowemon began, but the hero cut him off.
"And who did this to you?" Major Glory continued. "Because if you two were made into this by some villain against your will..."
"Just listen!" Lowemon exclaimed, the sudden snap making the major stop his ranting. "Kazemon and I were not turned to Digimon against our will." He explained. "It has to do with the fact we are from another dimension, like you said we were."
Major Glory blinked at this, but didn't interrupt as the Warrior of Darkness continued to speak. "My friends and I...we were originally human, but when we got called to the Digital World to help defend it, we gained the ability to become Digimon through the use of artifacts called Spirits, left behind by ten ancient Digimon warriors."
"So?" Major Glory asked. "What does that have to do with the fact you are still just children?"
"Everything." Lowemon said. "When we got sucked into that portal and arrived here, our spirits somehow became merged with us." He continued. "And well...if we get hurt badly enough, we revert to our human forms it seems."
"So your spirits are alive and need you to survive while you gain their powers and abilities...is that right?" Major Glory asked as the Digimon nodded.
"Correct." Lowemon confirmed.
Major Glory frowned at the thought of children fighting in place of adults, a motion that did not escape Lowemon's notice. "But you're still just children, even if you have the abilities and powers of these Digimon warriors!" He protested.
"And yet we have defeated some very powerful Digimon." The Warrior of Darkness pointed out.
"That still does not excuse you from doing something only adults should be doing!" Major Glory all but shouted. "Children like you should be protected, not be doing the protecting!"
A growl escaped Lowemon at that point. "What don't you understand about my friends and I being able to handle ourselves?!" He hissed.
"And what is it that you don't understand about you not needing to do the protecting?!" Major Glory countered. "You should be doing things like going to school and playing with others your age, living a carefree life! Not battling enemies that could easily kill you or turn you into Fallen!"
Lowemon frowned at this before he spoke. "My friends and I have been able to handle ourselves for a while. Why is it that you are insisting we can't?" He asked.
Major Glory couldn't believe what he was hearing. He felt fury flooding his veins as he glared at the Warrior of Darkness before his anger just rushed out of him and he sighed. As much as he wanted to remain angry with the Digimon, he found he couldn't. No...there was no way he could remain angry with them. After all, they had probably had good reasons for not mentioning anything about this. Finally, the major looked up at Lowemon. "Look...I'm sorry if I doubted you two and your ability to handle yourselves, but you have to understand, this revelation was...quite disturbing to me to say the least." He explained.
The Digimon blinked before he realized what Major Glory was referring to. A soft chuckle escaped him. "It's completely understandable." He assured the hero before he went serious. "But if you want to know why Kazemon and I didn't say anything, we didn't exactly feel comfortable telling anyone for that exact reason." Lowemon looked down at his hands here. "That, and we didn't wish to be considered enemies or worse."
Major Glory blinked. Now that he thought about it, that was a very valid reason for not saying anything. The symbol of peace sighed here. "Well, I guess we all have some adjusting to do with this new revelation out."
Lowemon nodded. "It appears so." He agreed.
With that out of the way, Major Glory sat back down and sighed. This would take some getting used to, it seemed...
Thorton, Colorado
Dracon looked back as Agunimon found a hiding spot to snipe from, only to return his gaze to the kitchen. He mentally frowned before he had an idea. Maybe... Standing up, the Gundam made his way to where the Warrior of Flame was hiding. "Listen. I have an idea on what to do." He explained as the warrior looked at him for a moment.
"Well?" Agunimon asked. "What is it?"
The Dragon of Denver looked at him. "I am going to head on inside."
A stunned silence was all that he got in response from the Warrior of Flame before Agunimon finally regained his voice and spoke. "Are you nuts?!" He hissed.
"No. Just rational." Dracon explained. "If I can get inside, then I could perhaps help the two out while trying to get the Food Witch into your line of sight. That way, you can take aim and one shot, one kill."
A grimace appeared on the warrior's face at the way Dracon worded the last part of his sentence. Dracon noticed that and felt a bit of guilt come into his reactor, but he shoved it aside before he made his way towards the cottage. "I trust you will know when to take the shot?" He asked as he gave a glance back.
A slight nod was his answer. Dracon flares his optics in a smirk before he turned and left for the cottage. He made his way to the quaint place of residence, making sure his cloak was concealing his frame fully. Once there, he reached up and knocked on the red door.
"Who is it?" A voice that sounded like a sweet old lady's asked.
"Just someone looking for a place to crash for the night." Dracon replied, making it sound like he was tired.
"Well, come on in, dear." The voice cooed. "My place is always open to weary travelers."
Dracon wasn't so sure he liked the sound of that. Still, he entered the small cottage anyway, being careful to avoid anything sharp that risked tearing his cloak.
The Dragon of Denver opened the door and stepped inside. Already he could see it looked small and homey inside, with dark wood floors, a nice reading chair off to the side, and a small fireplace with a warm fire going inside it. Off to the left, Dracon could see the kitchen, and the occupant was no doubt inside.
He made his way towards the kitchen, only to see the form that wore an old witch's cloak and hat, concealing most of her face. He could also see the pot that was boiling with a witch's brew no doubt, and in the corner in a cage were the Warrior of Ice and the Mobian child. Both looked positively scared, and Dracon had the feeling the Warrior of Ice was suffering from exhaustion like Agunimon had in the beginning. 'That would explain why he hasn't escaped yet...' Dracon thought as he eyed the cage.
A quick glance out the window revealed a glint off something glass, and the mech knew that was where Agunimon was hiding. The Gundam turned back to the witch, who was still in the process of making her brew.
"So, are you hungry, dear?" The witch asked, just as Dracon caught sight of a spell book on the table. A quick scan told him it was indeed a spell book, but one that had spells from the Foodian order on the cover. He felt his reactor skip a few pulses at this new revelation. That meant this was indeed the Food Witch...
Agunimon sat where he was primed to snipe from, watching and waiting for Dracon to make his move. Already he was getting anxious and he had never felt the urge to fire so strongly.
The Digimon could see the Gundam in the kitchen, looking around for anything unusual. Peering through his scope, the Warrior of Flame wasn't sure how much longer he could keep still. The urge to rescue Kumamon was getting stronger, and it was making it hard for him.
Still, Agunimon kept in place, not making a move save for breathing. He found it odd that his own breathing was making him calmer, like he could focus better when he concentrated on it. For a moment, he wondered if it was because he was focusing in on his own self, but he shoved it aside when he saw Dracon move. From his hiding spot, the Digimon could see the mech making his move.
Tensing up to act, Agunimon waited until he was sure it was time to take action. And that time soon came.
Dracon could see the Food Witch pick up an apple, only to cast a spell on it, most likely to cause her victims to pass out while she cut into them, then killing them.
She stood up and began to walk towards the cage, holding out the apple to the Mobian child and Warrior of Ice. "Would you like some, my child?" She asked in a sweet voice, but seeing the white warrior move in front of the Mobian child gave Dracon some hope yet. It seemed the Warrior of Ice could tell that piece of fruit wasn't safe to eat.
The Food Witch only shook her head in disappointment. "Poor dears. You will starve if you don't eat." She cooed.
"Likely story!" The Warrior of Ice hissed at her. "I doubt you care about us at all!"
Dracon gave a mental smirk. The smaller Warrior caught on quick it seemed. "Why else would you have cast a spell on that apple?!"
That was Dracon's cue to act. "So..." he said as he pulled out his famed Beam Burst gun. "You're the one known as the Food Witch. Am I right?"
Without removing her hat and cloak, the Food Witch turned to face Dracon. "And why would you want to know?" She purred. "Ze young ones will make a fine delecacy, will zey not?"
A mental snort escaped the Dragon of Denver. 'If Agunimon heard that, he would have gone ballistic.' He mused to himself.
Standing up, the mech looked at the Food Witch with a flare of his violet optics. "I doubt the youngsters will taste very good, especially the way you make them." He growled.
In response to his words, the Food Witch snarled and let out a roar or rage. She aimed her wand at Dracon, only for the Gundam to deploy his fin funnels in response. The beam shield came into existence, blocking her spell. "I'd like to see you try that again." Dracon mocked.
Growling, the Food Witch raised up her wand again before aiming it at the pot of her brew. Speaking an ancient chant that Dracon could not translate, she cast her spell, making the contents come to life. The contents of the pot began to boil over, emerging as they formed into a large Food golem, but one that seemed to be a bit more...intelligent than the others he had seen before.
Dracon took a step back as the golem looked up, two meat patties serving as the eyes, with olives as the pupils and irises. A growl escaped it as the golem took a step towards the Gundam. There was no movement from the Dragon of Denver; Dracon hoped Agunimon would take a shot soon, because he wasn't sure if he could take on a meat and carrot monster.
GrimmFall
Lowemon and Kazemon were soon allowed to leave the medical bay after the latter had woken up and recovered. She had also been told about Major Glory knowing their secret and had initially panicked, but it faded once her fellow Digimon explained the Major had agreed to not say a word to anyone else. The duo were now sitting in the main rec lounge, where Krunk was still trying to get close to Kazemon, much to her dismay and Lowemon's frustration. Luckily, Valhallen caught onto it and was now playing the purple hero in a video game match to pass the time while the two Digimon talked with Tiki Torch.
"So you two fought a Fallen?!" He exclaimed in shock. Lowemon nodded.
"Yes, and it was one of the hardest things we have ever done." He admitted. "We lost."
"That may be true, but it seems the Fallen couldn't get at the object he wanted." Tiki Torch noted, which surprised the Digimon.
Lowemon looked back in surprise. "You mean he didn't get it anyway? I was certain when he beat us, he would take it."
Tiki Torch just laughed. "That vault is one of the hardest to get into. Not even a Fallen of Noble-class rank can get in." He said with a smile. "We called up the best in the business to create that thing, and boy, did it ever show."
While he could have asked about that, the Warrior of Darkness decided to let it go for the time being. Looking back at Krunk, he then spoke to the flame hero. "How do you think Major Glory would reach if I had to fight Krunk if he got to close to Kazemon?"
Tiki Torch blinked in surprise. "Why do you ask?"
"Because he knows no boundaries when it comes to stalking her down." Lowemon replied seriously. "And if anything, if our team leader was with her instead of me, Krunk would be in far worse trouble than he is currently."
The fire element wielder blinked his eyes. "Why is that a bad thing?"
Here, Lowemon had a grim glint to his red eyes. "All I can say is that our leader is one the most caring Digimon out there, especially when it comes to those who make his friends uneasy and worried. But it doesn't help that he also has quite the temper."
With those words, Tiki Torch got the gist of what the Digimon was saying. "So, you're saying that if your team leader was here instead of you, his temper would put Krunk in deep trouble, right?"
A nod from the Warrior of Darkness was his answer. Kazemon shuddered. "It would be better than dealing with Krunk stalking me whenever he gets the chance."
"Hey, Krunk doesn't mean to scare you." Tiki Torch said in an attempt to reassure her. "He just wants to get to know you, that's all."
"Yeah, but how well is what worries me." Kazemon said with another shudder.
Hearing that made Tiki Torch frown. "Don't worry about that now." He said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just focus on getting yourself stronger, okay?" He gave her a smile. "Lowemon and I can help you if you need it." He only grinned even more. "And if you need to, just come and find one of us two if Krunk is bothering you or won't leave you alone."
A smile crossed the Warrior of Wind's face at the offer. "Thank you..." She murmured softly.
Thorton, Colorado
From outside the cottage, Agunimon was preparing to take the shot he needed to take. Peering through the scope of his rifle, the Digimon took aim as the meat and carrot monster closed in on Dracon. His gloved finger was on the trigger, but it wasn't time to shoot. Not just yet...
As the monster moved in closer, the Warrior of Flame kept his aim on target, but the monster was moving away from him. However, it was not his target. The Food Witch followed her creation, slowly moving in towards Kumamon and the Mobian child. Then, he knew it was time.
Pulling the trigger close to the handle, or the stock, the bullet lanced out towards the Food Witch, easily penetrating the glass and striking her in the shoulder. While he had been aiming for the head, the shoulder was just as good a target, because it meant she was unable to use her arm without feeling pain. Agunimon pulled the trigger again, sending out a second round. As the Food Witch looked back, the second bullet struck the wall, but that wasn't what bothered Agunimon. What bothered him was the fact he had missed. However, this also gave him a new target, and he took the chance as quickly as he could.
A third bullet left the rifle, and the Warrior of Flame hoped he wouldn't miss this one. The Digimon's fears were unfounded, as he struck the target he had aimed at. Agunimon could see the Food Witch looking back as the cage door opened and Kumamon took the chance to rush out, the Mobian child following suit. Smirking to himself, the Digimon stood up, slinging his rifle back over his back again.
Emerging from hiding, he ran towards the window and jumped, shattering it as he entered, making the Witch look at him in surprise as Dracon looked up, his optics flaring in shock as the monster looked back at him as well. "Agunimon?!"
"Sorry I took a while." The Digimon apologized as he looked back at Dracon. "But I had to make sure the Food Witch didn't get her targets."
Dracon smirked to himself mentally, not that the warrior knew it anyway. "I saw that last shot. That was quite impressive."
The Digimon just waved it off. "Forget it." He said as he looked back at the Food Witch. "We have a bigger problem."
Dracon nodded. "We sure do." He agreed. "The Food Witch herself."
Kumamon looked back in surprise as he saw his fellow Digimon and Legendary Warrior. "Wait...Agunimon?!"
The Warrior of Flame gave the Warrior of Ice the thumbs up and a smirk, only for the Food Witch's creation to send him flying into a wall with a punch. "No!" The smaller Digimon shouted as he saw Agunimon get sent back into the wall with a grunt of pain.
Dracon saw that as well and growled, flaring his wings and living up to his reputation. "I see you still are after the two." He said as the Food Witch halted her advance on Kumamon and the Mobian child. They had been about to get grabbed by her, but Dracon's words and appearance made her stop.
"Of course." The Food Witch purred. "Zey will make fine delicacies."
However, upon hearing that, Dracon stopped. Or rather, he heard something that made him stop. Looking back in confusion, Dracon was surprised to see Agunimon managing to stand upright, but there was something...different...about him. The Dragon of Denver began to feel uneasy as he slowly backed away from where the Digimon was.
"What...did you say...?" The Digimon hissed out. His eyes were hidden by his wild blonde hair, and he was tense, much tenser than Dracon had ever seen him before.
"I just said ze two will make fine delicacies." The Food Witch replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Dracon caught sight of flames coming from Agunimon's form. 'Oh boy...he's not just mad, he's pissed off!' The Gundam thought in surprise and realization.
"My friend...is no one's 'delicacy!" Agunimon shouted as he looked up before the Food Witch just laughed and sent her monster after him.
"Yes, zey are~!" She sang. "Now, get him, my creation!" The meat and carrot monster roared as it charged at the Digimon, a hand made of carrots coming at him, ready to skewer the Warrior of Flame alive.
"NO!" Dracon shouted in horror. "AGUNIMON!"
But the Digimon didn't move. Dracon was extremely scared for his safety now. "AGUNIMON!"
GrimmFall
Just then, the alarm sounded, surprising the group in the rec lounge. Major Glory looked out, only to see what he recognized as members of an agency that did controversial things like hunting down the Elementals, as well as...
At once, rage filled him as he flew off. Lowemon blinked in surprise. "What's going on?" He asked as Valhallen looked back.
"I don't like this." He said. "You two, stay here." With that, he took off as well, Krunk behind him.
Lowemon looked at Kazemon. "C'mon." He said. "Major Glory may need our help."
The Warrior of Wind looked surprised, but didn't question it as she too followed him out.
But when the two got to GrimmFall Park just behind Valhallen, things went downhill. "Glory!" Lowemon called, surprising the hero. "We got here...oh no..." Lowemon trailed off at the energy he was sensing from the Fallen before them.
"Valhallen, Krunk, keep them back!" Major Glory shouted as the two Justice Friends did just that. "Don't let him have a chance to get anywhere near them!"
"Well now, this is interesting." The Fallen noted as he eyed the two Digimon. "There is something familiar about the two of you. I remember sensing a familiar presence before."
"Keep your eyes on me, Sammael!" Major Glory shouted as he aimed his Star-Spangled Laser Vision at the Fallen. After watching things play out, the portal closed and Major Glory hit the ground while letting out a scream of frustration and rage. Lowemon was unsure of how to handle this, as was Kazemon. Both Digimon were concerned about the hero, but how could they help him...?
Lowemon and Kazemon's secret is now out to Major Glory, Valhallen, and Krunk while Agunimon and Dracon's mission reaches its climax. And how does this new Fallen know about the two Digimon? How come the name Sammael fills them with dread? Will Agunimon survive his first encounter against the Food Witch? Read on to find out~! :3