(Author's Note: Here it is! The first chapter. Thanks for reading! Hope to have you along for the ride.)
Chapter 1: The Party
The metal door of a tavern opened.
The inn was quiet. Only a few Digimon sat at the tables and at the bar counter. They were all machine Digimon.
The floors and walls were made of a smooth, dark grey metal and the public area was illuminated by lanterns. Standing behind the bar was a broad-bodied, metal barkeep. His thick body was covered with a copper-like metal, and he had several pipes, vents, and valves on him. When the door opened, the Guardromon looked over.
The first Digimon that he saw emerge from the door was GrandisKuwagamon, who casually strode up to the bar. Directly behind him were Blitzmon and Bolgmon, who followed him until he reached the bar. They stood at the counter and looked at the Guardromon bartender.
"Two organics, one synthetic," GrandisKuwagamon told him, leaning forwards and resting his arms on the counter. "Can you serve us?"
"Affirmative," the Guardromon responded. "While we don't exactly get many outsiders here, we have plenty of organic Digimon around, especially in the D-Brigade." He prepared some metal glasses. "What would you like?"
"A pint of WarGreymon's Finest," GrandisKuwagamon told him.
"I'm afraid we aren't the Royal Knights; we don't carry that brand of fine ale here," the Guardomon barkeep responded.
GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. "Whatever. I'm guessing you don't have any mead either… Okay. I'm no snob. Just give me whatever beer you have as long as it's stronger than tap water."
"Very well. A pint of rust lager," the Guardromon said, stepping over to the beer tap and pulling the insect Digimon a pint.
"I'll have that too," Blitzmon spoke up.
Bolgmon leaned his arms on the bar counter as GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon sat down on a couple of stools. "Gimme a double shot of requiem oil."
"Of course," the bartender said, placing a frothing glass of beer in front of GrandisKuwagamon.
GrandisKuwagamon took the glass in his hand and brought it up to his insect-like mouth to drink it. He knocked back a large mouthful and swallowed it with a sigh. "…By the way, can we have a room or two for a day?"
"We have several vacancies, so yes," the Guardromon replied, getting the other two drinks. "What brings you three to Facture? Not many foreign Digimon receive the clearance to enter the city… Are you guests at the party tonight?"
"Party?" GrandisKuwagamon asked. "Nah… We're here on business. We're travelling merchants, so we go from place to place, selling our services…"
"Yeah. We'll make some serious shockwaves in the industry around here before we're done," Bolgmon spoke up, ending with a fierce cackle.
"Subtle," Blitzmon thought to himself, giving Bolgmon a look before looking back at the Guardromon. "Our products have caught the attention of the Metal Empire. We're confident that they want to buy the license and adapt them for themselves."
"Ah. Well, the very best of luck to you in your endeavours," the Guardromon told them. He gave Blitzmon a glass of beer like GrandisKuwagamon's, and then slid a large shot glass filled with a black liquid with tinges of purple and green to Bolgmon. "Thank you for your patronage. Please excuse me while I fetch the room keys from the back."
"Sure," GrandisKuwagamon replied dismissively as the Guardromon stepped into a back room. When he was gone, GrandisKuwagamon glanced around the inn before turning to his two comrades. "Nobody said anything about a party tonight."
"It's fine," Bolgmon assured him, eyeing his potent, alcohol-infused-oil drink. "The target building is a ways away from the crowded parts of the city."
"They'll still probably step up their security," GrandisKuwagamon countered.
"Or they'll divert the security to the party instead," Blitzmon suggested in a low tone. "Either way, we should still go ahead with the plan tonight. We can't afford to stay here long; they have security to the point of paranoia around here. It won't be long until someone realizes we don't have clearance."
"Fine by me," GrandisKuwagamon answered. "After these drinks, let's go to our rooms and crash out until then. I'm beat."
Blitzmon nodded. "We'll need a good rest for what's to come."
Bolgmon smirked. "They won't know what hit them…"
The grey sky turned dark as night overtook a sweeping city.
The city was grey and metallic throughout – the buildings mainly used steel and other types of metals for their construction materials - and it showed. A wide river (called the Rust River) ran along the west edge of the city before curving and draining into the ocean on the western side of the continent. The whole city was dark, uniform, and industrial. It looked like it had been very meticulously planned and developed with utmost organization. It was designed in a way that favoured efficiency as well.
There were very wide roads filled with street lamps that were fueled by oil in some areas of the city and electricity in other areas. All of the roads and walkways were made of smooth, flat steel, so metal surfaces coated the city. Every so often, some pipes leading from the ground and buildings would expel bursts of steam.
Along the river were a few guarded bridges leading across the river to the other side of the city. Also on the river, were large, metallic, electricity-producing water wheels that were protected by tall, electrified fences and guard towers with spotlights. These fences were actually quite common, as there were several around the foremost manufactories, workshops, and research facilities of the city.
This city was Facture. The capital of the Metal Empire. The Metal Empire was a territory of a robotic and cyborg Digimon who remained neutral and distanced from world affairs. Instead of looking outwards, they looked inwards at their own society, building it up and advancing their technology. Their technology was superior to anybody else in the Digital World, and their economy was flourishing. All of the industries were owned by the state, which Emperor Chaosdramon was the head of. However, society was extremely rigid and controlled. Trade was monopolized by the government. There was always a fear of espionage - that outsiders would get their hands on the Metal Empire's technology and copy it, so security was enforced stringently. Also, since the government was so wide-reaching in the society, those that worked for it had much more money than the average Digimon of the Metal Empire.
On the outskirts of the city was a massive military base belonging to the D-Brigade. The D-Brigade was the Metal Empire's highly disciplined, elite army which doubled as a police force and a counter-espionage force. They maintained the security and the neutrality of the Metal Empire. The D-Brigade was incredibly efficient and well-trained, and they had some of the most high tech weaponry around.
In Facture's center, along the edge of the river, was a huge palace. Both the inside and yard were illuminated, and the building was large enough to comfortably fit Emperor Chaosdramon. Due to his sheer weight, however, the building could only sustain one level. Spotlights surrounded the gated palace gardens, from which fireworks were launched into the sky in a show of pomp.
Chaosdramon was hosting a grand party of notable guests from all over the continent. There were monarchs, leaders, aristocrats, councillors, key political players, and other prominent or powerful Digimon.
Among these guests were the Royal Knights.
Parties like this were rarely as simple as a friendly get-together. They were marketplaces for high level diplomacy. Digimon would come and talk about world affairs and to ensure their place in the Digital World. Friendships were made, alliances were formed, information was shared, rumours traded… The Royal Knights, being prominent participants, had to attend. It was their duty to, as defenders as the Digital World. It was also in their best interests. Despite the fact that the Order was largely self-sufficient, it never hurt to have allies or to be in the know of continental and world affairs. They also still had to maintain their prestige, after it had been brought into question by DarkKnightmon's actions against the World Tree two and a half years ago.
"Alphamon. I am so glad that you made it," a growly, hollow, monotonous voice spoke.
Alphamon stood in an extravagant ballroom. Gold and silver coloured the walls and thick, beige and white marble tiled the floors. The spacious room was filled with Digimon of all shapes and sizes. The back of the room was gated, but the gates had been opened to allow access to the back garden. Elegant, classical music flowed through the palace, giving the pompous party a regal feeling.
The leader of the Royal Knights looked up at a huge Digimon. The Digimon was a giant, bipedal, cyborg dragon Digimon. He was plated in heavy, red digizoid armour which he wore over his grey scales, which were covered with glowing, crimson, graph-like lines. Over this armour, he was actually dressed in a giant, custom-made, black tuxedo. His left arm had a giant set of claws, and his right arm were claws in the form of a crushing vice. These clamp-like claws held, with remarkable delicacy, an oversized champagne flute that was filled with oil.
Alphamon, who was dressed in a black tuxedo with a white undershirt and a black tie, lightly held the glass of red wine in his hand and smiled up at Emperor Chaosdramon. "Thank you for having us, Chaosdramon," he politely answered. "It's not every day that we have the chance to relax like this."
Standing beside Alphamon was Omegamon. Alphamon's second in command wore a pristine, white tuxedo with light blue buttons and cufflinks, matching white pants, and a white bowtie. Omegamon, being the reserved, soft-spoken Digimon that he was, wasn't entirely comfortable at parties. He especially didn't want to be asked about what had happened with him during DarkKnightmon's Coup. He had stayed near Alphamon and followed him around since arriving; Alphamon was more outgoing and confident in these situations, so it put Omegamon at ease to be near him.
The white knight nursed a small glass of white wine and looked up at Chaosdramon to hear his response.
"I would think not," Chaosdramon breathed. "Unlike us, the Royal Knights are so active in worldly affairs. Coming to the rescue of those weaker than you with no personal gain… There are perks to being neutral, I suppose." When the giant machine Digimon noticed a lack of a response, he reiterated in his mechanical voice. "That was a joke."
Alphamon chuckled. "I suppose that's a valid point of view."
Emperor Chaosdramon nodded his metal, draconic head. "I suppose you all have been busy, following that business at the World Tree two and a half years ago."
At this, Omegamon looked off to the side quietly and brought this glass up to his face.
Alphamon glanced at Omegamon, noticing the movement, but looked back at Chaosdramon and answered. "Yes, we have been. However, things are more or less back to normal now. Isn't that right, Omegamon?" he asked, looking over at the white-clothed knight with a smile.
Omegamon tensed up slightly at being expected to speak. "Um, yes," he answered sheepishly, reflexively bringing his other hand up and fingering at this bowtie. "Things are running smoothly again."
"That is good to hear. Efficiency is the best policy," Chaosdramon told them. "Everything should run like a well-kept, well-oiled machine. That is what brings such prosperity to the Metal Empire."
"Surely the Digimon who live here have something to do with it," Alphamon suggested.
"Because they are disciplined," Chaosdramon contended. "The success of the Metal Empire lies in its order – the structure, discipline, and cooperation of Digimon at all levels. There is no room for chaotic elements seeking to undermine us here."
At this, Alphamon frowned. Chaosdramon's words reminded him of DarkKnightmon all too much. Order at all costs, is what Chaosdramon meant. The rhetoric sounded like it could easily come out of DarkKnightmon's mouth, said in such a way that made it sound like he had a point. It made Alphamon feel ill-at-ease.
The Royal Knights were suspicious of Chaosdramon and the Metal Empire. They were well aware of the dark side of this seemingly flourishing empire. There were rumours that Digimon who spoke out against Chaosdramon's regime were eliminated. This included political rivals who opposed him when he took power, dissenters, and even Digimon who seemed distrustful, so the rumours said.
There was an undercurrent of oppression and suspicion in the Metal Empire. As the most industrious and technologically advanced state in the Digital World, there was a constant worry that their technologies and blueprints would be stolen and copied. If that happened, it would cause other Digimon to compete with the Metal Empire, which would destroy the prosperity that they had and render their main exports worthless. This meant that, despite the fact that the Metal Empire was neutral in all conflicts, they would treat spies sent by other states as enemy combatants, capture them, and execute them in secret. Because of the fear of espionage, they wouldn't allow their Digimon to leave their territory. This was all done to ensure the Metal Empire's prosperity.
Very few of the average Digimon of the Metal Empire knew about this, and if they did, they kept very quiet about it for fear of reprisal. The only reason that the Royal Knights knew about this was through rumours from their scouts, spies, and from their head of the technical division, MetallifeKuwagamon. Being defenders of the Digital World, the Royal Knights always kept a close eye on the Metal Empire. However, the Metal Empire never acted aggressively and the Royal Knights never had any solid proof of these oppressive measures or disappearances, so they couldn't act in good conscience. There was also the fact that the Metal Empire had the D-Brigade, a very large and a very loyal army, so if the Royal Knights were to act against the Metal Empire's regime, it would likely mean a very violent war. With that said, the Royal Knights never entirely took their eyes off the Metal Empire and they weren't going to leave it alone just for those reasons. They bided their time and waited for other options and opportunities.
Meanwhile, they attended Chaosdramon's party, and both sides acted as though they were on good terms.
"I see… And what do you define as chaotic elements?" Alphamon asked him, though trying to be innocuous while doing so.
Chaosdramon looked down at Alphamon calmly and steadily. "Well-" He interrupted himself when he noticed something out of the corner of his dark, red eye.
Through a large, arched, opened window, flew a Digimon with a humanoid body. A mechanical cyborg Digimon covered in emerald-coloured metal flew in and descended towards Chaosdramon with both haste and grace. As he landed at the giant Digimon's side, Alphamon and Omegamon could see his lean, slender body touch down softly. His green, metal chest was angular, protrusive, and had layers that thinned as they went down to his torso. His collar and the two vents on his chest were lined with gold. The Digimon had long, metal bars for arms, which ended in large vents for some sort of semi-solid particle energy. In fact, they were reproductions of the Critical Arm belonging to the Justimon species. They were connected to the mecha Digimon by two big, round, metal shoulders that were lined with thin, curved blades, making his shoulders look like small turbines. He turned his slender, metal legs towards Chaosdramon and looked up with his uniquely shaped head. His head had a long, pointed V-shape. Coming from the back of his head was a lengthy, narrow, green ponytail that was even longer than Dukemon's. It swayed behind him as he turned and it possessed four decorative pairs of rose-coloured, spherical hair pins. Behind his head, part of the back of his breastplate was a tall, green, halo-like projection that gave him a majestic appearance. The back side of the green metal was toothed, and on each side was a different golden symbol, one reading "wind" and the opposite one reading "god".
"Commander Fujinmon?" Chaosdramon asked him, turning and leering down at him. "What is it?"
Fujinmon glanced at the two Royal Knights apprehensively. "It's a sensitive matter, Lord Chaosdramon…" he said to the giant, cyborg dinosaur.
"Very well, Commander…" Chaosdramon turned to Alphamon and Omegamon. "Apologies, but please excuse me… Duties never cease, even at my own party."
"I understand all too well," Alphamon assured him, nodding gently.
The two Royal Knights watched as Chaosdramon walked off with Fujinmon to discuss whatever he wanted to speak about. With every heavy footstep, the floor trembled slightly. It would have been worse, but the floor had been specifically built in a way that absorbed heavy impacts.
"That was strange," Omegamon spoke, looking over at Alphamon to see what he thought.
"Rather…" Alphamon agreed, eyeing the two as they disappeared through a giant set of double doors that lead further into the palace. He looked over at Omegamon. "Sorry if I put you on the spot earlier. It looked like you wanted to get off of the topic of DarkKnightmon."
"Don't worry about it…" Omegamon responded with a small smile. "And thanks for the thought."
"Are you still sensitive about it?" Alphamon questioned.
"Never mind that," Omegamon said, raising his glass of white wine. "We're supposed to forget our troubles at a party, aren't we?"
Alphamon relinquished a smile and raised his glass of red to gently clang it against Omegamon's. "Then consider it forgotten," he replied over the light ringing. He brought the glass up to his mouth and sipped from it.
"Excuse me, am I interrupting?" a deep, growly voice asked.
The two knights turned to see a large, middle-aged Imperialdramon Dragon Mode approaching them.
"Councillor Imperialdramon," Alphamon greeted. "Not at all."
"Good," the quadrupedal dragon said, stepping up to them and looking down. "How are you both enjoying the party?"
"It isn't bad," Alphamon spoke.
Omegamon nodded in agreement.
"How are things back in my home country?" Alphamon asked Imperialdramon, knowing that he was one of the Councillors of the Council of Seven that governed the Republic of Node from the capital city of New Terminal.
"Things are well in the Republic of Node, even if my tenure as Councillor will run out by the end of the year," Councillor Imperialdramon told them.
"I'll be sad to see you go," Alphamon told him.
Councillor Imperialdramon chuckled. "Will you?" he asked him. "It's no secret that the Council of Seven and the Royal Knights don't exactly get along…"
Alphamon smiled a bit at this. "That's true, but that's not your fault," he told him. "There are other elements within the council that don't appreciate us as much as you do…"
"Yes, well… I would appreciate you all more if you didn't accept my daughter into your ranks recently…" Councillor Imperialdramon spoke with a furrowed brow.
Alphamon thought for a moment. "Paildramon, correct?" he asked. "You know that we weren't the ones that picked the Republic's team of soldiers as a part of that goodwill effort towards us. You seven voted on it and the commanders of your military handpicked the troops from their own units to transfer to our military."
"Yes, I know," Councillor Imperialdramon said with a sigh. "I don't regret the decision; your Order needed the replacement troops after the Battle of the World Tree and I believed that it was a good diplomatic effort to mend relations between us. I just wish that my Paildramon didn't have to be one of the ones to leave."
"She'll be in good hands," Omegamon assured him, deciding to speak up.
Imperialdramon nodded, although still frowning. "I suppose it's the idea that she is in the military at all that bothers me. It was supposed to be my son, but he, well… isn't interested in the slightest," he muttered.
"You should have more faith in your daughter," Alphamon told him. "Paildramon is an extremely competent soldier, and she has a good, level head on her shoulders. I know she'll be a huge asset to us."
Imperialdramon grunted. "That is kind of you to say…" he murmured, glancing away. "…She won't thank me at all for saying this to you, but look after her."
Alphamon smiled. "We will, although she is more than capable of doing that for herself."
"Yes… Rather…" he mumbled. He gave Alphamon and Omegamon a short nod. "Pardon me. I'm going to refill my drink."
Alphamon nodded to the Councillor as he meandered away with heavy steps. When he walked off, Alphamon turned to Omegamon. "How do the others seem?"
"They generally seem to be enjoying themselves," Omegamon explained, looking around. "They're socializing with the other guests."
"No sign of Gankoomon?" Alphamon asked, gazing across the expansive room. "I was hoping he'd change his mind and come in."
"You know how stubborn he can be," Omegamon responded. "Then again, he does have a point. You can't really see him attending one of these elegant, grandiose parties, can you?"
"Maybe not, but this sort of thing comes with being a Royal Knight. He's going to have to get used to it," Alphamon explained. "Dynasmon was the same way a long time ago, but he doesn't complain about it anymore."
"Man, I hate coming to these things…" Dynasmon muttered. He looked down at the large, black tuxedo over his muscular body. Under it was a white dress shirt and a pale violet neck tie, and his wings sprouted from the back of the suit. "I look like a total fop."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous," RhodoKnightmon protested. On his lean body, he wore a pink, gold-trimmed tailcoat that had a red rose in his jacket pocket. Along with this was a white cravat around his neck, long, goldish-beige pants over his legs, and tall, black boots. "You look very sharp and sexy in a suit."
"Well of course you'd say that…" Dynasmon responded dismissively, gesturing to RhodoKnightmon's extravagant attire.
"Of course! My fashion sense is impeccable, as you well know," Rhodo replied.
"It's all of your other senses that' are the problem," Craniamon added from beside them. Like them, he wore a full suit as well, though it was dark purple in colour. He also had a dark blue scarf that he wore snugly around his neck. In Craniamon's hand was a glass of semi-sweet, blue wine that came from the north part of the continent.
"Oh, hush, you," said RhodoKnightmon with a quick look.
Dynasmon rolled his eyes. "There isn't even any beer here. I hate wine…" he murmured.
"Really. It sounds like you love to whine," Craniamon teased. Dynasmon gave him a strong elbow that nearly made Craniamon spill his wine.
"You could always go outside and keep Gankoomon company," RhodoKnightmon proposed.
Dynasmon gave it some thought. "Yeeeeah, maybe…" He trailed off when something caught his eye. He looked up and saw the beautiful, feminine body of a Rosemon striding towards them in a red evening dress. When he looked up at her face, she smiled at him. "Maybe I'll stay here…" he finished with a broad, dopey grin on his face.
The other two knights rolled their eyes.
"Good evening, Sir Dynasmon," she greeted him first. "Sir Craniamon, Sir RhodoKnightmon."
"Councillor," Craniamon said with a nod.
"Good evening, milady Councillor," Dynasmon responded with a wink. "But we don't need to be so formal, do we?"
"No? I suppose we don't…" Rosemon told him with an enticing smile.
"You look very pretty this evening, if you don't mind me saying so," Dynasmon said to her, his smile broadening.
"Why, thank you. And you look quite dashing in that tuxedo," the Councillor answered, admiring him.
"Thank you, my lady."
She smiled and offered her arm. "Would you care to take a walk with me? I would love to hear of some of your gallant adventures."
"But of course," Dynasmon said, his voice decidedly more formal than it was before. He gently locked arms with her and began to walk with her, away from the other two Royal Knights. "And what would you like to hear about first?"
"Hmm…" Rosemon mused, stepping in tandem with Dynasmon. "Perhaps we should go somewhere more private first?"
Dynasmon raised his eyebrow and smiled wider. "Like where, Councillor?"
"A guest bedroom, perhaps?" she offered, smiling at him. "Then you can tell me all about it… and more."
The dragon man smirked and his cheeks went a bit red at the idea. "That sounds good to me…" he responded.
"Come. This way," she told him, pulling his arm and leading him through a large set of doors, further into the palace.
RhodoKnightmon and Craniamon watched as they disappeared from sight.
"…What a forward woman," RhodoKnightmon uttered with an indignant huff.
"No more forward than you," Craniamon told him with a small grin. "You're just jealous. He liked her rose more than yours."
"Ugh! Don't be ridiculous, Craniamon," the pink Royal Knight replied dismissively.
"She's from the Council of Seven, right?" Craniamon asked him. "From the Republic of Node?"
"I believe so," RhodoKnightmon answered. "At any rate, help me with my search."
"Your search?" Craniamon asked, idly swirling the blue wine around in his glass. He had been tuning him out before. "For what, again?"
"A boyfriend for Alphamon," RhodoKnightmon responded, looking around the party for Digimon. "I've located a few possible suitors for him."
"Ouryumon's gonna love this," Craniamon muttered sarcastically.
RhodoKnightmon readjusted the rose in his pocket before placing his hands on his hips. "Councillor DORUgoramon."
"He and Alphamon can't stand each other."
"KaiserGreymon, AncientGarurumon, Anubismon," RhodoKnightmon suggested.
"The Warrior Ten didn't even come to the party."
"Gaioumon, Goddramon, Butenmon."
"You know… he still likes girls as well as guys," Craniamon reminded him, beginning to think that RhodoKnightmon was conveniently forgetting that part for his own preferences.
RhodoKnightmon pretended not to hear him. "Seraphimon, Omegamon, Jupitermon…"
Craniamon palmed his face and shook his head. "There are things wrong with each of those," he retorted. "I don't think you have a good grasp of this matchmaking thing, Rhodo. You're just listing attractive male Digimon…" Craniamon sighed and raised his glass to drink from it. "Don't you need to bring personality and chemistry into it?"
"That is precisely what I am doing!" RhodoKnightmon countered. "He has chemistry with most of those Digimon."
"Uh huh… I think you're reading too much into it," Craniamon said with a roll of his eyes. "Besides, if Alphamon wants a relationship again, then he can make that decision himself."
"Do you honestly think he would pursue his romantic interests after all of the baggage of the past few years?" RhodoKnightmon asked. "He needs a helping push!"
"Why don't you focus on getting yourself a boyfriend instead?" the violet-suited Royal Knight suggested dryly.
"I think not. Where is the fun in that? It is far too much effort," RhodoKnightmon said with a dismissive wave of his hand. However, he turned to Craniamon with a twinkle in his mask. "Unless, of course, you are offering…"
Craniamon immediately took a step back. "No."
Meanwhile, Examon, Dukemon, and Sleipmon all stood together over near one of the large windows.
Dukemon wore a standard black tuxedo, white undershirt, and red tie over his form. However, Examon and Sleipmon, due to their unique bodies, went a different route. Sleipmon wore a white suit, shirt, and pale purple bowtie over the humanoid part of his body, and black, specially tailored pants for his six-legged, equine lower body. Examon simply wore his regular - albeit polished - armour and a black bowtie around his neck. This was partly because he preferred it this way, but mostly because it was impossible to even custom tailor a suit that would accommodate his giant Caledfwlch wings, his arm wings, and his shoulder spikes. However, he did agree to wear a pair of black dress pants which had a hole for his long tail to jut out of.
"I don't see why we have to come here at all," Dukemon said with a frown. "It doesn't feel right, putting on fake smiles and acting friendly with an autocrat like Chaosdramon."
"I know what you mean," Sleipmon conceded, rubbing the back of his head, his fingers sifting through his violet hair. "But I think this is one of those things that we have to grin and bear. It's for the sake of diplomacy, isn't it?"
"I know, but still. I feel like a total hypocrite," Dukemon responded with a sharp exhale. "If anything, we should be taking this guy down for the way he treats the Digimon who live here."
"We don't actually have any proof of that…" Examon said to him. He held a glass of red wine in his hand but it didn't look like he had taken a single sip of it. "Even if the sources are reliable."
"Yeah, yeah…" Dukemon said, placing his empty wine glass down on the nearby table before folding his arms.
"Anyways, we probably shouldn't talk about that here," Sleipmon advised, looking around carefully. "You have to be careful about what you say at parties. You never know who's listening."
"That's another thing I don't like," the crimson knight spoke curtly.
Examon smiled at him. "It's just a few more hours, Dukemon."
"Don't think of it as being here for Chaosdramon," Sleipmon advised. "We're getting things out of being here too."
"I guess…" Dukemon muttered. He looked around to see if there were any Digimon he recognized nearby.
Examon glanced about too. "I don't see any of the Warrior Ten here," he pointed out.
"That's because KaiserGreymon made it very clear that he doesn't like Chaosdramon," Dukemon informed him. "He publically called Chaosdramon out on being a tyrannical slave-driver. …His words, but I cleaned them up for Sleipmon's delicate ears." The humanoid knight cast a smile to the horse Digimon.
"Very kind of you," Sleipmon told him, though smiling a bit. "So are they banned or boycotting it?"
"Depends who you ask," Dukemon responded with a shrug. "Maybe both."
"I doubt we'd find anything out of place if we looked around," Examon mused.
"Definitely not. Emperor Chaosdramon's smart. He probably spent the last week making sure that everything's clean and tidy for this party," Dukemon explained.
Sleipmon glanced past him and over to the back door that lead to the yard. There was a big, red, sturdy Digimon standing guard at the door. He had brawny, metallic body covered with crimson metal that was lined with gold. The indoor light reflected cleanly off the thick metal. Like Sleipmon, his upper body was semi-humanoid (if that) and his lower body was more bestial in nature. He had four, sturdy legs and a long, flexible tail. His upper body was more mechanical, with two, massive arms that were modelled off of the Justimon species' Accel Arm. They lead to two thick shoulders with large cannons sticking out of them. Just above them were two more giant cannons that had a likeness to those of a Mugendramon. His body and his head were one and the same, and he had two, large red eyes that stared at Sleipmon from the openings in his armour.
"I think we're attracting attention," Sleipmon mumbled at Dukemon and Examon sheepishly.
Dukemon looked over at the large Digimon and waved amiably. "That Suijinmon guy? I think I'll go introduce myself." He walked past the two and began to make his way over to the guard.
Examon and Sleipmon exchanged worried glances. "Dukemon, wait a second…" Sleipmon cautioned.
"It's good to be sociable at parties!" Dukemon dismissively responded over his shoulder.
Examon frowned. "Sure, but…"
Ignoring their heed, Dukemon strode up to the daunting, bulky Digimon.
"Hey. Don't they call you the Waterfall Commander?"
Suijinmon's red eyes slowly turned and set upon Dukemon with a calm, intimidating gaze. "Yes."
Dukemon smiled and extended his hand. "I've heard a lot of stories about you. You're quite the tactical genius, aren't you? You got promoted to Commander immediately after your victory in the Pirate Wars." After a few seconds, he glanced down at his unshaken hand and then back up at Suijinmon.
"…Pardon me. I'm on guard duty for Lord Chaosdramon," Suijinmon rumbled stoically.
Dukemon grinned and stepped forwards. "Oh, come on, Commander. It's a party! You should loosen up a little. What do you drink? Requiem oil? Oil-wine infusion?" he asked, reaching out and placing his hand on Suijinmon's lower shoulder cannon, once again breaching the limits of generally accepted personal space, as Dukemon often did. "I'll even get it for you."
At this action, Suijinmon suddenly tensed up. His eyes slowly turned to look at Dukemon's hand. "Please remove your hand; I don't like to be touched," he said, his calm voice containing a subtle tightness of strain and warning.
Dukemon smiled innocently, unaware that his close proximity was making Suijinmon uncomfortable. "What? Why?"
"I just… do not…" Suijinmon told him, his calm voice brimming with an emotion.
"Come on, I'm not-:
Suijinmon became visible agitated. "Remove your hand now! I don't like to be touched!" he suddenly shouted.
The crimson knight raised his hands diplomatically and backed off a step. "Sorry, sorry…" he responded, a bead of sweat running down his head.
"What did you do now, Dukemon?" Sleipmon asked, walking over with Examon.
"Nothing!" Dukemon protested sheepishly. "I was just being friendly…"
"Pardon my friend," a voice said.
Walking in from outside, through the door that Suijinmon was standing beside, was a humanoid cyborg Digimon. He was clad in bright gold armour from head to toe. He had massive, silver, mechanical hands that were based off of a Justimon's Blitz Arms. In one of his hands was a glass of bluish purple wine which indicated, unlike Suijinmon and Fujinmon, he was off duty. He had a bulky upper body with broad shoulders that gave him an intimidating appearance, although less so when standing beside the larger Suijinmon. Over his shoulders were four, large barrels hooked together in a half ring above his head. They seemed to exist for the purpose of generating electricity. On the faces of the two lower barrels were a minus and plus sign, respectively. On the two barrels above them were two symbols, one reading "thunder" and the other reading "god". He had a yellow helmeted head that was surrounded by the collar of his armour. Below the bladed crest on his helmet was a pair of yellow eyes that had an intense but affable look to them. Trailing behind him was his tail which consisted of several, thick, intertwined, yellow wires and ended in an electrical plug. He had red dots and double comma-shaped futatsudomoe symbols on various parts of his armour.
The Raijinmon placed his hand on Suijinmon's back, which didn't elicit the same negative reaction from the red machine Digimon. "He doesn't mean to be rude, but he doesn't like people who he doesn't trust touching him," the yellow cyborg explained.
"Hmph," Suijinmon huffed, apparently calm again, although still indignant.
"Oh, sorry… Didn't mean any offence," Dukemon explained, smiling awkwardly and rubbing the back of his head. "You're Raijinmon, aren't you? The Thunderclap Commander?" he asked, extending his hand towards him.
Raijinmon took his hand and shook it with an amicable smile. "That's correct. It's nice to formally meet you, Dukemon. You're looking well."
"Thank you," Dukemon responded, returning the firm shake. "I'll take any compliment from the leader of the D-Brigade's three Storm Commanders." He then managed a smile. "How is it that you're off duty but Suijinmon and Fujinmon aren't?"
"Luck of the draw," Raijinmon responded.
"Lord Chaosdramon prefers you the most of the three of us," Suijinmon pointed out, looking at his gold comrade.
"Moving on, how are you three enjoying the party?" Raijinmon asked the Royal Knights, brushing off Suijinmon's comment.
"Quite a bit, thanks," Sleipmon replied, offering a smile.
"It's an honour to have such prestigious Digimon attending," Raijinmon went on. "I would love to be as renowned as all of you, one day."
"It's not all autographs and fan mail, you know," Dukemon responded, grinning. "Some fans write these weird stories about us."
"I think some of them are charming," Sleipmon suggested with a chuckle.
"Duftmon says they're uninspired, amateurish, self-indulgent drivel," Examon spoke, thinking to himself about the last time the topic had come up.
"That's just because one of the stories Ulforce showed him involved Duftmon falling in love with Alphamon," Dukemon said with a hearty laugh.
Raijinmon folded his arms and frowned. "That may have been my story…" he informed them with some annoyance in his tone. "I had a copy mailed to the Order for fact-checking and constructive criticism but I never received a reply…"
Dukemon slowly turned back to face Raijinmon, smiling sheepishly as another bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. "R…Really…"
Sleipmon mumbled to Examon. "Dukemon's doing great tonight," he sarcastically said.
"Maybe we should rescue him," Examon agreed.
Dukemon chuckled awkwardly and scratched his cheek with a finger. "Oh, that one! I loved that one! You really – er – captured Duftmon's essence well!" he exclaimed trying his best to backpedal out of the hole that he dug for himself.
Raijinmon leered at Dukemon blandly. "I made it as factually accurate as I could. Was I wrong to include the sexual tension with Alphamon that I noticed in Duftmon's published memoires and journals?"
"Apart from the fact that he doesn't have a romantic bone in his body?" Dukemon thought to himself. "Not at all!"
The night continued to loom over the city of Facture. The grey clouds sprawled across the sky, blocking moonlight and threatening rain in the near future.
On the side of the river that was opposite to Emperor Chaosdramon's estate was one of the several manufactories. It was somewhat separated from the urban part of the district because it had to be fenced off and allow a good line of sight. About a kilometer away, near the edge of the city, was the giant base of the D-Brigade.
This manufactory was surrounded by an electrified fence and several metal watch towers possessing spotlights that covered 360 degree radiuses. In one of the corner towers, which was somewhat close to the riverbank, was an Andromon on guard duty. He was a cyborg Digimon possessing a humanoid form. He had metal over his slender, partially robotic body. Beside him was a large, thick spotlight that slowly turned via a gyrating gear system that was present at the base of the light. The perpetual movement of the gears created an incessant click-clacking sound as they made the light pivot from one side of the tower to the other. The light scanned the ground and the bank of the river.
The Andromon stood beside the spotlight and adjusted it every so often. He also kept a look out, himself, although he wasn't at his most alert. 98% of guard duties were boring and uneventful. He doubted this would be any different.
He simply gazed across the serene river to the lights coming from Chaosdramon's palace, which he admired from afar with a bit of envy. The cyborg Digimon glanced up at the sky. "Wonder if it will rain…" he mumbled to himself. He started to analyze the clouds with his optical sensors. "I suspect there's a 40% chance…"
The Andromon's attention was pulled away when he noticed a flash of light out of the corner of his eyes. The spotlight beside him burst with sparks and flickered several times before going dead. The guard backed away with surprise before his face firmed up with frustration. The area around the tower was suddenly dark.
"Damn thing…" he muttered, bending over and starting to tinker with the dead light. "It must have blown a circuit or the bulb… I had better not get blamed for this."
As the Andromon fiddled with light, he was unaware of the shadow that slipped in behind him.
With frustration, he kicked the spotlight and stood up straight again. "Forget it; I'll go ask for a replacement…"
It was in that moment that his optical sensor began to sense something looming behind him.
Before he could react, a black hand reached out from behind him and went in front of his face, covering his mouth. The Andromon's eyes widened and his sensors began to alert the danger. He started to resist, but he could only release a sharp, muffled yell when three claws pierced into his back and emerged out of the front of his metal body. Oil dripped down his chest and his body shut down before bursting into data.
Standing behind the cloud of glowing data particles was GrandisKuwagamon, who slowly lowered the Gran Killer that he stabbed the guard with. "You'll need a replacement. That's for sure…" he said as he stepped through the data particles, passing by them.
The black insect Digimon walked to the railing of the watch tower and whistled. He watched as Blitzmon and Bolgmon stealthily emerged from the shadows of the riverbank and began making their way up the metal ground. When they grew close to the electric fence, GrandisKuwagamon flew down and landed on the opposite side of the fence.
Blitzmon approached the fence and nodded at GrandisKuwagamon. "I'll do the honours," he said in a low voice. He grabbed hold of the electric fence, which immediately began to surge with electricity. Blitzmon, however, was a Digimon of electricity, so the effect was much weaker than it would have been. He growled and tore the fence open with a strong heave, creating an opening large enough for Bolgmon to go through.
"Good. Let's go before we're spotted and the D-Brigade comes down on our asses," GrandisKuwagamon said, turning and heading towards the giant building inside the fenced area. Blitzmon stepped through the fence and Bolgmon rolled in after him.
The manufactory itself was forty feet high and much, much wider. It was made with light metals, and there were several vents and vapour ducts at various points around the building.
The three quietly approached in the darkness of the night. Bolgmon rolled up beside the leading two as quietly as his treads would allow. "How do you guys wanna infiltrate?" he asked them in a whisper.
"With as little attention as possible," Blitzmon responded, surveying the building carefully as they drew nearer. He turned to GrandisKuwagamon. "Zone Black Hole?"
"I like to know what my exit looks like when I do that…" GrandisKuwagamon responded hesitantly. "But I guess it beats bashing the door down. These walking scrap heaps have metal rods up their ass ports when it comes to security."
Blitzmon nodded. "Then let's stick with the plan." He turned to the tank Digimon. "Bolgmon?"
"Yeah, I'll cover the exit from out here," he said, driving towards the wall of the manufactory.
GrandisKuwagamon stepped up to the side of the building. Nearby, a vent unleashed a surge of warm steam. "Good. Blitzmon and I will infil, find the factory director's office, get the blueprints, and then exfiltrate." He looked around warily before turning so that his back was to the building. "Now give me some space."
Blitzmon and Bolgmon both reversed several paces, giving GrandisKuwagamon room to move.
"Slide Evolution."
GrandisKuwagamon's form became encased in a blackish-grey aura that wasn't too noticeable in the darkness of the night. Within this umbrous aura, GrandisKuwagamon's body grew substantially in size. While he still retained some of his characteristics like his black exoskeleton, orange hair, and long, jagged pincers, his body became very different. He took on the appearance of a giant, beast-like insect, with four, clawed legs. Instead of one red eye, he had two, and his four wings pointed back. Extending from his sides, between his fore and hind legs, was a pair of arms.
"GranKuwagamon…"
As he emerged from the darkness, the insect Digimon's spiked head looked around to make sure that nobody saw him.
"We're fine," Bolgmon said, glancing around and fidgeting a bit. "Now get a move on."
"Get on my back, Blitz," GranKuwagamon told him. "Keep that big, metal ass of yours outta site, Bolg,"
"Uh huh. Just don't fuck up," Bolgmon retorted, reversing.
"With the pay this job has? Don't plan to," GranKuwagamon answered.
"And remember, the office should be on the second level near the middle of the building. Overlooking the assembly line," the large, armoured insect reminded them.
"We know," Blitzmon answered, mounting GranKuwagamon's back.
GranKuwagamon's red eyes flashed and his long, scissor-like pincers began to cut through the very fabric of space. "Zone Black Hole!"
His jagged forceps sliced open the space in front of them, creating an incision that expanded and revealed a large hole leading to a black void. The void in front of him was an inter-spatial rift. Going through it allowed GranKuwagamon to emerge wherever he needed to get to in the general area. He planned to travel through it with Blitzmon in order to get inside the factory.
The abyss opened itself up to him, inviting him. Without hesitation, GranKuwagamon flapped his wings and flew through. Blitzmon held onto him tightly.
Bolgmon watched as they went through the tear in space. As soon as the whole of GranKuwagamon's body went through, the rift shut behind them. It was as if it had never been there.
A gleeful expression formed on Bolgmon's face. "This is gonna be a fun night..."
Outside, in the sizeable backyard that overlooked the adjacent river, Magnamon, Duftmon, and UlforceVeedramon stood near some of the other party guests.
Like the rest of the Royal Knights, they all had formal wear on as well. Magnamon had a dark blue formal vest, pants, and bowtie, and a gold, long-sleeved undershirt. UlforceVeedramon wore a blue suit and a gold tie over a white dress shirt. For leg wear, he had on his blue tights that he always wore with his combat armour. Duftmon was more extravagantly dressed, with a dark brown suit and pants, studded with golden buttons, a white undershirt, and a long, rippling cravat from his neck down to his chest. He also had his usual red sash around his waist, deeming it nice enough to add to his attire.
"So, Duftmon," UlforceVeedramon said with a broad grin. "Are you going to go and socialize with all of these Digimon?"
Duftmon folded his arms. "If I see anybody worth having an intellectual conversation with, then I will speak with them. Otherwise, I won't waste my time," he responded.
"So… unlikely," UlforceVeedramon joked.
"I like meeting new Digimon," Magnamon said, looking around. "There are so many different types of Digimon in the world. So many personalities and stories… It's interesting."
"Not to me," Duftmon spoke. "What do I care about another Digimon's life story? Digimon aren't fascinating; ideas are fascinating. History, sciences, warfare, politics, philosophy, literature… things that are intellectually stimulating. You can't have a meaningful debate about Digimon…"
"I think that's relative, Duftmon…" Magnamon told him.
"Yeah, we debate about you all the time," UlforceVeedramon teased the tactician with a playful elbow to his arm.
Duftmon gave him an annoyed, sideways glance. "Please refrain from scuffing my jacket."
UlforceVeedramon's eyebrow cocked. "Jackets can scuff?"
Magnamon smiled. However, his attention was drawn away by the thunderous footsteps nearby. He turned and looked up, seeing the tallest, most fearsome Digimon at the party stepping out of the building. A giant, gold and beige-scaled spinosaurus Digimon inadvertently loomed over them as he walked into the night air. He was at least forty feet tall – twice as large as a regular Spinomon – and he had a giant, fearsome sail of blades. It was King Spinomon, the monarch of the Mesozoic Kingdom.
Flying beside his face was Sinduramon, the Rooster Deva and one of Baihumon's servants. He talked loudly, making no effort to hide their conversation, to try and match King Spinomon's booming voice.
"It's true! Omegamon betrayed the Royal Knights to join DarkKnightmon!" Sinduramon told the giant dinosaur. "I saw it with my own eyes!"
"When you were their prisoner, you mean?" King Spinomon said thunderously, looking over at the rooster Digimon with a grin in the corner of his oversized mouth.
Sinduramon flushed momentarily at the memory and then turned his head to look away indignantly. "W-Well… I suppose so. That's how I know it's true!"
"Then what's he doing in there?" the dinosaur monarch asked, thumbing with his claw over his spiked shoulder. "Wouldn't the Royal Knights have thrown his ass out?"
"Oh, the Royal Knights are a bunch of bleeding hearts," Sinduramon responded dismissively. "That's why the World Tree took so much damage during DarkKnightmon's Coup. It's their fault that Baihumon wanted to pluck my tail feathers out one-by-one."
"I think that was your own fault for using your beak too much," a voice said.
Both Spinomon and Sinduramon stopped. Spinomon craned his head down and saw Magnamon standing in front of them, arms folded and looking annoyed.
"This is a private conversation, Magnamon…" the Spinomon monarch told him.
"Really? Because with the way you two were talking, it sounded like you were addressing the whole party," Magnamon responded, narrowing his eyes. "Omegamon probably heard you."
"This is my speaking voice," King Spinomon said with a bit of a snarl. He took a threatening step towards Magnamon. Despite Spinomon being nearly ten times his size, the unfazed Magnamon didn't even flinch.
"Even so, you could be more considerate," Magnamon told him. He turned and looked at Sinduramon. "Especially by not indulging in baseless gossip."
Sinduramon felt a bead of sweat run down his avian head. "S-So, I suppose you know the truth of the matter, then?" the rooster Deva challenged, not giving Magnamon an inch. "Because I saw Omegamon for myself. He was covered in black armour and he even held me down as they interrogated me!"
"Which he feels terrible about," Magnamon responded defensively. "I know he would tell you himself if you talked to him."
"If that were true, he knows where I am," Sinduramon protested indignantly.
"He isn't good with initiating conversations. He's more action-oriented…" Magnamon sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Look, Omegamon was corrupted by DarkKnightmon using dark data. He had no control over his actions. He really is a good guy, and he feels awful about what happened."
Sinduramon opened his beak to retort as he flapped in place, but he frowned and thought better of his reply. "…Well, I'll speak to him later for my apology and that'll be the end of it, I guess."
"Thank you…" Magnamon responded sincerely.
"You have a lot of guts and heart in that tiny body, Royal Knight," the dinosaur monarch observed with an amused expression.
Though he maintained a calm smile, there was an annoyed twitch in Magnamon's face. "…I'll take that as a compliment, your majesty," he replied before nodding and walking back to UlforceVeedramon and Duftmon.
Sinduramon then turned back to King Spinomon. "So, have I mentioned that Cherubimon has a thing for Ophanimon?"
"But doesn't she like Seraphimon?"
As the two went further into the backyard, Magnamon rejoined his friends.
"That was pretty good of you, Magna: sticking up for Omegamon," UlforceVeedramon told him, putting his hand on Magnamon's shoulder.
Magnamon blushed. "Yeah, well… He's a good friend," he answered.
"Would you do that for me and Duftmon?" UlforceVeedramon asked with a playful grin. Duftmon scoffed.
"You would probably both deserve it," Magnamon teased back.
"Yeah, yeah…" the cobalt Royal Knight said. He then flashed Magnamon a grin. "You so would, regardless."
"That depends on how many times you mentioned my height that day," the Knight of Miracles mentioned, beginning to head inside. "I'm going inside to talk with some of the other guests. Are you two coming?"
"Sure," UlforceVeedramon responded, following him in. "It looks like it might rain tonight anyways."
"If I must," Duftmon answered reluctantly.
The three Royal Knights walked back into the palace ballroom, unaware of what was going on across the river.
Inside the factory, two Digimon walked down a wide, sturdy, metal catwalk. The catwalk was attached to the side wall of the factory, beside several small windows that overlooked the fenced-off loading yard and the river. On the other side of the walkway was the factory floor, twenty feet below it. The elevated walkway offered a good view of the production and the workers in order to ensure efficiency. At the end of a catwalk was a door leading to the factory director's office, which overlooked the entire factory floor from the end of the room.
The two Digimon walked side by side, heading towards the office. The factory was dark except for the light in the factory director's office. They were the only two in the factory. One was a broad, mechanical robot Digimon with two long arms, claws on his back, a horned, beetle-like head, and a electromagnetic armour over his blue and red body. The AtlurBallistamon walked alongside a tall, humanoid cyborg covered in black armour. The HiAndromon also had a red and blue turbine on his left and right shoulders respectively.
"Everything is secured and shut down for the night, factory director," the AtlurBallistamon said, turning his head to look at the HiAndromon beside him.
"Good," HiAndromon responded. "We have increased productivity by 7% and reached our quota well ahead of Chaosdramon's deadline." He turned his head and looked at AtlurBallistamon. "I-…"
"What is it?" the AtlurBallistamon asked.
"Did you hear something?" HiAndromon queried.
"No… Perhaps it was the machinery cooling down," AtlurBallistamon suggested to his superior.
"I don't know," HiAndromon said sceptically. He turned and looked around through his visor. His gaze tightened and he scanned the dark factory. "Look out!"
"What?" AtlurBallistamon sputtered, turning around upon hearing the sharp crackle of electricity behind him.
"Thor's Hammer!" a voice shouted.
Blitzmon's body flew up suddenly in front of the railing of the catwalk. His fists were balled together, swelling with electricity as he raised them above his head. He slammed his fists down, bashing the back of AtlurBallistamon's head and sending electricity flowing through his metal body.
The stocky mecha Digimon let out a shout of pain and surprise, stumbling forwards and slamming into the wall. He pushed off of the wall and swung around, tightening his fists. "Wh-What was that?! That hurt!" he exclaimed with shock, the horn on his head sparking up. "But he's just a Blitzmon!"
Blitzmon smirked and landed on the railing of the walkway, his features highlighted by tendrils of electricity. "I'm not your average Blitzmon…" he told them.
"Intruder!" HiAndromon shouted, rushing forwards and levelling a punch at Blitzmon.
Blitzmon lunged off the railing, jumping over the punch, and threw his leg into a sweeping kick. His metal boot impacted the HiAndromon's cheek and sent him careening onto the sturdy metal catwalk.
HiAndromon scowled and clutched his face as blood dripped from the corner of his lip. "That shouldn't be possible… How is a champion-class hybrid Digimon capable of delivering such a strong blow?!"
The mercenary insect man gave him a dark grin. "I'm not constrained by your limits. Not when I'm a hybrid Digimon with the X-Antibody. I've taken down Ultimate levels before."
"X-Antibody?" AtlurBallistamon asked with an angry frown.
"He looks exactly like a regular Blitzmon, though," HiAndromon muttered. "Forget it. Destroy him, AtlurBallistamon!"
As AtlurBallistamon's upper body surged with electricity, Blitzmon merely flew back, away from the catwalk, his horn sparking.
"Rocket Bunker!" AtlurBallistamon droned dynamically, extending his arm and launching his fist with high speed, pneumatic pressure.
The fist flew towards Blitzmon, but Blitzmon vanished in an instant, reappearing over on the catwalk.
"He's fast…" AtlurBallistamon muttered.
"Anti-gravity field," Blitzmon explained with a calm grin. "Thunder Toppler."
His horn surged with flashes of electricity. The light streaked through the air as Blitzmon rushed forwards and drove his horn into the AtlurBallistamon's chest. The sturdy horn went right into the cannon port of the AtlurBallistamon's midsection. With all of his might, Blitzmon then lifted him into the air and sent electricity coursing through him. As the machine Digimon grunted with pain, Blitzmon threw him off the catwalk and AtlurBallistamon landed on a set of mechanical equipment below with a thunderous crash.
"Don't think you'll get past me, even with an X-Antibody," HiAndromon spoke, clenching his fists.
Blitzmon smirked and looked past him, down the catwalk. At the end of the walkway, he saw GrandisKuwagamon step out of the factory director's office with the blueprints under his arm.
"We already did," Blitzmon replied, nodding behind HiAndromon.
"What?!" HiAndromon demanded, spinning around to see GrandisKuwagamon.
"Don't worry," GrandisKuwagamon told him with a grin. "We'll give you guys a quicker end than Chaosdramon would. I don't think he tolerates incompetence of this level, does he?"
"Mercy deletions all around," Blitzmon spoke, cracking his electrically-charged knuckles.
HiAndromon unleashed a furious shout and charged GrandisKuwagamon desperately, preparing to do whatever he had to in order to get those blueprints back.
Meanwhile, a figure stood outside of the palace. The air was cool, but not so much that it was uncomfortable. The flickering stars were overtaken by grey clouds.
Gankoomon leaned against the metal fence that surrounded the palace. The electricity had been turned off for the party. He stood on a metal road, which led down from the city and passed in front of the palace before stopping at the steel river bank. The twelfth and newest Royal Knight was positioned right beside the entrance gate that led into the palace grounds and up to the building itself. It was guarded by two, strong-looking D-Brigade members.
Unlike the other Royal Knights, he didn't make an attempt to dress in formal attire, which caused an argument between him and Duftmon on the way there about showing them up. Instead, he just wore his usual clothing: his white jacket, black bodysuit, and red geta. In Gankoomon's mouth was a kiseru pipe that had been imported from the eastern continent. It was medium-length and slender, and had a bamboo base dyed red and two clean, metal tips. In one hand, he had a box of fine, brown threads of kizami tobacco, which he gently plucked out with his fingers. He then closed the box and placed it in the pocket of his jacket before placing the clump of tobacco in the palm of his hand and gently rubbing it into a ball. When satisfied, he placed it into the mouth of the kiseru pipe.
As Gankoomon took out a box of matches, he glanced over his shoulder, through the metal fence, over at the palace where the party was taking place. He could hear the music playing and the loud, reverberating rumbles of some of the guests. Exhaling through his nose, Gankoomon looked forwards again, struck the match, and brought the ember to the tobacco, softly lighting it. After grasping near the end of the pipe with his fingers, Gankoomon flicked the match onto the steel ground as while gently inhaling.
As he blew out a gentle puff of smoke, he watched as the Tankdramon guard who helped stand sentry at the palace gate suddenly rolled over and picked up the match in his long claws. The guard then shifted into reverse and placed the match into a nearby garbage can. Gankoomon observed this with a curious expression as he smoked, suddenly wondering if he managed to break a littering law or something.
"Hey, Gankoomon!" a voice called out.
Gankoomon turned his head and looked up the road. He saw two figures walking down from the city towards him. One was Captain Karatenmon, the captain of the Royal Knights' Stealth Forces. The black, anthropomorphic, corvid Digimon walked towards him with a small grin.
Walking beside him was a humanoid Digimon, similar in shape to Gankoomon, but leaner and more agile. Over his body, he wore a white, blue, and black, skin-tight bodysuit. While he was mostly organic, his right arm was cybernetic and completely made of metal. Thanks to the Extend Transmitter implanted in his back, the arm could shift into three different modes: the Blitz Arm, the Accel Arm, and the Critical Arm. Currently, it had the same size and form as his left arm, meaning it was in its Blitz Arm state. The top three quarters of his head was completely covered in a metal helmet, and the rest was covered in a mask. Around his neck was a long, red scarf. Both ends of it flowed in the breeze as he approached with Karatenmon.
"Karatenmon," Gankoomon greeted after releasing another breath of pungently aromatic smoke.
"Not joining the party?" Karatenmon asked him, stepping up to the knight. "I never would have thought you to be anti-social."
"I'm not. Just don't feel like it. It's too pretentious in there," Gankoomon responded with an indifferent shrug. He took the pipe out of his mouth to talk properly. "What are you doing? I thought you—"
Karatenmon placed his hand on Gankoomon's shoulder and casually led him away from the guards. He gave a subtle glance in their direction to indicate to Gankoomon that they could hear them. "My friend and I were looking around while we waited but we ran out of places to visit. For such a big city, there's not a lot in the way of tourist attractions," he innocently spoke to cover up the real reason he had accompanied the Royal Knights on their journey.
Gankoomon walked alongside the Royal Knights' spymaster up the road towards an adjacent street, away from the guards. "Oh…" he spoke in reply. He glanced over at the Justimon who accompanied Karatenmon. "And who is your friend? Does he speak?"
"He can count without using his fingers too," the superhero Digimon responded with a smirk, raising the index finger of his mechanical hand.
"On a good day," Karatenmon teased, looking over at the Justimon.
"I'm Justimon," he greeted, offering his Blitz Arm to Gankoomon. "Junior Commander of the Tactical Division of the New Dramon Army."
"Gankoomon. Nice to meet you." Gankoomon replied, switching his pipe to his other hand and shaking Justimon's hand firmly. "And you two are friends?"
"Yeah. We met in a bar in Cloudspire," Karatenmon explained. "We were both there for work."
"Sounds unprofessional," Gankoomon mused. He then grinned. "I like it." After a moment, he glanced over his shoulder to see if the guards were watching them. When he saw that they weren't, he leaned in and spoke quietly. "Weren't you supposed to be spying, Karatenmon?"
"I was," Karatenmon whispered back. "It's harder than it looks in Facture. There's a lot of security."
"Then I bumped into him," Justimon explained.
"Right when I thought I saw something across the river," Karatenmon added, looking at Justimon.
"Across the river?" Gankoomon asked, turning around and looking down the road to across the river.
"He claims he saw something," Justimon spoke, looking as well.
"I'm a ninja and an avian Digimon," Karatenmon reminded him. "My eyesight is impeccable."
Gankoomon placed his kiseru in his mouth and inhaled slowly as he watched the opposite side of the river. Right as he exhaled a wisp of smoke, he saw a bright light flare up in the distance. It was followed by a nearby explosion. Across the river, flames plumed and billowed into the night sky, soon followed by a deep reverberation.
"What the…?" Gankoomon muttered, glaring.
"I definitely saw something that time," Karatenmon spoke, flapping his wings and floating off the ground.
"An explosion?" Justimon asked, his face darkening.
"Karatenmon! Go check it out!" Gankoomon said, quickly upending his pipe and tapping the tobacco out. "I'll get the others!" He took off running, dashing down the street and turning at the gate. The Royal Knight ran up the pathway to the palace to inform the other Royal Knights of the chaos taking place on the other side of the river.