(Author's Notes: I've been pretty busy, but expect more regular updates from now on, probably. By the way, I'm retroactively referring to "Huckmon" as "Hackmon" because people can't seem to decide which one is the more official version. When I go back and edit ADiSA and the previous Holy War chapters, I'll make this change too. Anyways, enjoy! I appreciate all the comments.)
Chapter 15: Steel Will (Part I)
"Dimension Scissor!"
GranKuwagamon skimmed through the night sky towards a Royal Knight patrol. A bright arc of energy discharged from his long, black pincers and streaked through the air. It cut at the fabric of space as it soared.
The Megadramon scout it was aimed at, in turn, launched a volley of missiles from his cannon arms. "Genocide Attack!"
The sickle-shaped blast cut into the missiles, causing a chain of explosions that lit up the darkness. The Megadramon lowered his gaze and kept his cannons pointed towards the fading explosions.
"Grand Death Screw!" a voice hissed from behind the Megadramon.
He quickly looked over his shoulder and saw stunned to see GranKuwagamon behind him somehow. "How did he-?!"
GranKuwagamon spun his body like a black, horizontal tornado, tearing through the air like a drill. His whirling body slammed into the Megadramon's back and tore through him with his pincers and claws. The Megadramon released an agonized roar as GranKuwagamon bore through him and reduced him to data.
A JewelBeemon, who was the leader of that scouting team, scowled at the loss of his teammate. "Retreat!" he ordered the two remaining scouts – a Pegasmon and a Yanmamon.
However, it was too late.
"Mjölnir Thunder!" Blitzmon shouted from within the forest below. He slammed his sparking fist into the dirt and unleashed a high-powered blast of electricity. The spear of lightning coursed upwards and engulfed the Pegasmon scout. The attack shot through him and he burst into data particles as well.
"Catastrophe!" GranKuwagamon spoke, wheeling around through the air and descending on the nearby Yanmamon. The dragonfly Digimon attempted to speed away, but GranKuwagamon quickly caught up with him. He grabbed the Yanmamon in his pincers and unleashed a swath of dark energy that disintegrated the Digimon completely.
JewelBeemon watched furiously as his two remaining scouts were deleted. "Damn it…" he growled. Knowing that he had to make it back to base, he turned around and began shooting through the dark sky at full speed. He had to tell the Royal Knights what happened here.
He saw GranKuwagamon approaching him so he slashed his spear down at light speed. "Spike Buster!" he called out, unleashing a shockwave that pushed the giant, ebony beetle away. With the mercenary temporarily distracted from the blast, he tried to use the opportunity to get a lead on the mercenaries and out-fly them.
"Hahahah!" Bolgmon cackled from below the forest canopies. "Where do you think you're going?! Field Destroyer!"
A high output beam burst through the trees and streaked into the sky, lighting up the night. JewelBeemon turned and saw the beam hurdling towards him. "No!" he yelled, trying to brace himself before the laser washed over his body and vaporised him.
The blast continued on into the clouds above before diminishing with a hiss of residual energy. The Order patrol was gone.
Once certain of their destruction, GranKuwagamon slide-evolved back into his GrandisKuwagamon form. With his red eye, he cast a lingering look across the dark landscape to make sure there was nobody that they missed. After a few moments, the bug mercenary turned away and proceeded to fly down to the forest floor to meet with the other two members of Black Pincer Company.
GrandisKuwagamon touched down on the mossy ground and released a breath. "That's done…" he said as Blitzmon and Bolgmon made their way over to him. He adjusted the Gran Killers over his wrists.
"At least we don't have to worry about them finding our hideout anymore," Bolgmon said, rolling over the forest floor on his tank treads, his horn cannon still smoking.
"I wonder why that is!" GrandisKuwagamon said accusingly, shooting the larger Digimon a glare. "Oh, that's right. Because they already found our hideout, ransacked all of our stuff, and made sure we can never go back there. All thanks to a certain, trigger-happy dumbass!"
"Change the record already!" Bolgmon fired back. "They were looking for us! They were going to find our hideout anyways!"
"Maybe, but you didn't have to paint a huge friggin' bull's-eye on us. We could have escaped with our money and stuff," GrandisKuwagamon insisted. "Do you know how much money we lost?!"
"Yeah, I do! Blame the damn Royal Knights, not me!" Bolgmon argued.
Blitzmon folded his arms and leaned against a nearby tree. "We've completed this job. Our reward should help to put a dent in our losses," he explained. He looked at GrandisKuwagamon. "But we might have to stay on this contract for longer than we intended, if we want to make back the money we lost…"
GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye and looked away. "That's a nice idea, but will the client still need us now that we've been found out? If the Royal Knights know what we've been doing, there wouldn't be any point in us trying to play the two groups of tin cans off of each other," he pointed out.
"We don't know for sure that we've been discovered," Blitzmon countered. "Maybe they just wanted to take us down because we're mercenaries. The client could still use us."
"That's exactly what's happening. We're being used," GrandisKuwagamon argued. "I don't like being used, even if it's for a profit. I mean, I know, we're mercenaries and I don't expect people who use our services to have our best interests in mind, but I don't want to end up being somebody's scapegoat just because they dangle cash in front of us. This guy will cut us loose as soon as we stop being useful to him. Hell, maybe he was the one who tipped off the Royal Knights."
"Now you're being paranoid, Grandis," Blitzmon said.
"I'm being realistic," GrandisKuwagamon replied. "Somebody sold us out to the Royal Knights. They didn't just come across our base by accident."
Blitzmon sighed with annoyance. "Maybe. It doesn't matter. We need the money," he stated emphatically. "We're not a big operation, so we can only take on jobs one at a time. We just lost almost all of our reserve money and we don't know when we're getting our next job. For now, we should keep working under this contract until we make back some of what we lost. It's our only steady flow of income right now. We didn't escape the gutters just to wind up back there again."
"Yeah, and we didn't escape death that day just to do something to get us deleted," GrandisKuwagamon countered. "We're not up against gangs or adventurers here. We're up against big players with big armies. I just don't want to press our luck too much."
"We'll be fine, Grandis," Blitzmon assured him. "Let's just see what Wizardmon says once we tell him we've finished this job. Then we can gauge what he wants to do."
"I'm with Blitzie," Bolgmon said, folding his cannon arms. "If the Royal Knights are going to be on our asses anyways, we might as well get paid for it."
GrandisKuwagamon turned away and looked into the dark forest with a reluctant gaze. "…Fine. We'll do that," he agreed. "It depends on what he wants us to do."
Blitzmon glanced at GrandisKuwagamon. "There's gotta be a way for us to make some money on the side, though..." he mused.
"Yeah…" GrandisKuwagamon agreed, thinking to himself.
"We shoulda kept one of those scouts alive and ransomed him off to the Royal Knights," Bolgmon suggested with a nonchalant shrug.
Both GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon turned and looked at each other with enlightened expressions. Dark grins formed on their faces and they turned to Bolgmon.
"You know, Bolgie… That's surprisingly not a bad idea…" GrandisKuwagamon exclaimed with a grin.
"Bless Fire!"
The rapid sound of gunfire cracked across the castle shooting range. Sistermon Noir aimed her two Anthony guns and unleashed a storm of bullets towards BaoHackmon, who was poised fifteen meters down the shooting range. The swift popping of the automatic fire resounded as the bullets tore from the machine pistols.
Wearing his red, goggled hood over his head, BaoHackmon narrowed his golden-yellow eyes and dug his four feet into the grass before dashing off. The bullets impacted the ground where he was standing and sent tufts of grass flying up in his wake. BaoHackmon darted to the left as fast as he could, hearing the whirr of bullets shooting behind him. Sistermon Noir began to lead him by shooting in front of him. BaoHackmon winced as a few bullets ricocheted off of his armoured body, prompting to him to skid to a stop and sprint in the opposite direction.
The dragon ducked his head and kept his body as low as he could while he ran. The bullets impacted around him and his face was sprayed with dirt. His gaze hardened and he lunged into the air to avoid the projectiles. With impressive agility and flexibility, he somersaulted in the air and dove back towards the ground as Sistermon Noir raised her guns to shoot at him in mid air.
As soon as he landed, he dashed in the opposite direction, using the claws of his fore feet for boost and his bladed hind legs for control. He dipped his head as a bullet whizzed past his snout. He seemed to be faring pretty well against the assault.
However, Sistermon Noir halted her fire and adjusted her aim before firing another burst. This time, the bullets slammed into BaoHackmon's side. BaoHackmon released a gasp and was knocked onto his side.
Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode, who had been watching the whole thing, winced at the impact.
"S-SIS!" a voice squeaked disapprovingly. "What in Yggdrasil's name are you doing?!"
"Yuh-oh. Busted," Sistermon Noir muttered, lowering her smoking machine pistols and turning around. The black-garbed human Digimon saw her younger sister running over.
"H-How many times have I told you not to shoot at BaoHackmon?!" Sistermon Blanc demanded, although visually looking more worried than angry. She held a hand to her mouth and looked over at BaoHackmon. "Are you okay, BaoHackmon?" she asked, walking over to him.
"I'm fine…" BaoHackmon insisted, wincing and pulling himself to his feet.
"Chill, sis," Sistermon Noir replied, tapping her shoulder with one of her guns. "I loaded them with rubber bullets. They weren't real ones."
"You still could have taken his eye out if you weren't careful," Sistermon Blanc reprimanded her older sister.
"I'm always careful!" the older sister replied with her usual chipper tone as she holstered her weapons. "You're such a worrywart."
"It's fine, Blanc-chan," BaoHackmon insisted as he steadied himself on his feet. "I asked for this. I wanted to train hard."
Imperialdramon Dragon Mode walked over to them and looked at BaoHackmon. "You did a pretty good job dodging those bullets too," he complimented his friend.
BaoHackmon sighed and shook his head. "Not really, Peri," he responded with disappointment. "It wasn't good enough. I was too slow to react."
"Yup! That's for sure!" Sistermon Noir teased him.
Sistermon Blanc and Imperialdramon shot her a look. "It's not easy to dodge bullets at that close of a range," Peri insisted. The large dragon smiled encouragingly. "I sure couldn't do it and I'm an Ultimate-level."
"And I'm just an Adult-level. Thanks for the reminder," BaoHackmon muttered, dipping his head deflatedly.
Imperialdramon winced. "Oh, come on. I didn't mean it like that. I'm saying you did great!" he insisted.
"I screwed up at the end. How am I ever going to get as good as the Royal Knights at this rate?" he said with a sigh. He kicked at the ground with frustration. "Gankoomon-sensei doesn't let me go on any missions."
"Well, duh," Sistermon Noir said. "If Gankoomon thinks you're not ready, then you're not ready."
BaoHackmon glared at this. "But I am ready! All I do is train in the castle! How am I ever going to get any real combat experience if nobody ever lets me out of these walls?!" he complained.
"Huh. And to think, you were practically salivating the first time we came to Castle Albion," Sistermon Noir pointed out, closing her eyes and nonchalantly putting her hands behind her head. "How quickly they get cynical."
"That's not what I mean!" BaoHackmon insisted with frustration. "I love it here, but I feel like I'm not improving fast enough! Sensei seems like he's always too busy to train me anymore. With everything that's going on lately, I'm getting forgotten about! It's not fair!"
"We can still train you…" Sistermon Blanc suggested, twiddling her fingers.
BaoHackmon sighed and pulled his red hood back so that it rested on his caped back. "I know. And I appreciate it. But… I need to see some actual combat if I want to improve. That's what Sensei and the Royal Knights did. I can't stay sheltered like this forever, and I can't expect them to take time out of their busy schedules to teach me."
"So, if that's how you feel, take some initiative," Sistermon Noir suggested bluntly. "Do something instead of whining about it, kiddo."
"N-Noir!" Sistermon Blanc complained at her goading. "B-BaoHackmon, you should really just be patient… You can't just get strong overnight. And you've improved a lot since you first started training."
BaoHackmon sighed and stared at the ground.
Imperialdramon Dragon Mode looked at him empathetically. "She's right. Just give it time," he suggested. "Come on, BaoHackmon. Let's go get something to eat."
"Fine…" BaoHackmon responded, beginning to walk along the grass from the shooting range. He and Imperialdramon walked around the training grounds and headed for the courtyard road that led the way to the main building's entrance.
As the two dragons started to walk past the large barracks buildings, Imperialdramon looked down at his friend as they plodded onto the stone road. "So… What's bothering you?" Imperialdramon asked him curiously.
"It's like I said, Peri," BaoHackmon replied, scuffing his claws against the ground as he walked. "I feel like I'm not getting better. I know I have the ability to improve, but I don't have the right outlet. Sensei doesn't let me do anything, and now I'm just a useless hanger-on to the Order." The teen dragon growled a bit at his own words.
"Nobody sees you that way," Peri assured him.
BaoHackmon looked up at the larger dragon Digimon. "I see myself that way," he explained. "I want to be a Royal Knight, not just Gankoomon-sensei's apprentice forever!"
Imperialdramon sighed. "Give it time…" he told him.
"How much time, Peri?" he asked rhetorically. "Noir-chan's right. If I don't take action myself, then who will? I can't expect others to improve myself for me. I have to do something."
"Like what?" the large, blue dragon asked sceptically. "If you want, I could put in a recommendation with my over-sergeant for you to join the Reconnaissance Squadron…"
"Thanks, but that's not really enough…" BaoHackmon responded. "I need to prove myself, somehow."
"Don't do anything reckless, BaoHackmon. Nobody in the Order needs that right now, after what happened at the battle…" Imperialdramon said with a sigh.
BaoHackmon winced at the mention. He felt terrible about the news that Dukemon and Dynasmon had been taken prisoner. Morale in the Order wasn't great at the moment. BaoHackmon looked away as he and Peri walked down the road, past the blacksmith and the various shops that had permits to sell inside the castle. "Don't remind me…" he muttered grimly.
Peri looked at BaoHackmon inquisitively. "…Does that have something to do with this sudden mood change?" he asked him. "I bet it does…"
BaoHackmon grimaced as he walked up to the entrance of the main building and opened the pair of double doors. He walked inside the entrance hall and made his way up towards the foyer. "Okay, I guess it does. I'm worried about Dukemon-shishou and Dynasmon-shishou," he admitted. "They got taken prisoner after saving the Strike Forces, and now it's like nobody's doing anything to try and rescue them."
Imperialdramon walked up the few stairs and onto the landing that led to the foyer doors. "Be patient. You know full well that the Royal Knights wouldn't just forget about them. Rule Three of the Royal Knights' Code, remember? It takes time to prepare a rescue operation, you know."
The caped dragon sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know… I guess I am being impatient. I… get like that when I'm worried…" he admitted. "I just hate that I can't be of any help to anyone…"
"After we get some lunch, let's do something to take your mind off it," Peri suggested. "Why don't we spar? You owe me a rematch after you kicked my butt last time."
BaoHackmon smiled a bit and walked into the foyer. "Yeah, sure…" he complied.
As the two walked into the marble, octagonal entrance area, they could hear voices coming from the closed, double doors on the other side of the foyer. BaoHackmon raised an eyebrow and walked over to the doors, listening in inquisitively.
Imperialdramon blinked and walked over. He watched as BaoHackmon pressed his ear up against the door to try and hear the conversation. The dragon could hear Gankoomon speaking with Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon.
"And what the hell's with Duftmon?" Gankoomon asked. "He's been disappearing and acting weird for days."
"He took the loss pretty hard," Magnamon answered."
"Yeah? Whenever I try to talk to him, but he just passes by without even acknowledging me. At first, I thought it was just him being his usual arrogant self. But I tried insulting him to get a rise out of him and he still didn't respond. I didn't even get an eye roll or a huff."
"It's just his way of dealing with it," Omegamon responded. "He isolates himself from others. He buries himself in a book after arguments or stressful situations. It's a means of forgetting about it. He eventually calms down and gets on with it."
Alphamon sighed. "It's been a few days though… Maybe I was too hard on him…" he suggested remorsefully. "I shouldn't discount his feelings just because he doesn't show them often."
"It needed to be said, Alphamon," Magnamon assured him.
Gankoomon scoffed and folded his arms. "Duftmon's a big boy. He should know how to take a little criticism."
"Even so, I should probably talk to him and clear the air," Alphamon said. "Both on a personal level, and based on the fact that we need his help with coming up with a potential rescue plan."
"Well, good luck," Gankoomon told him. "You might have to grovel."
Alphamon smiled a bit behind his helmet. "It wouldn't be the first time…" he responded resignedly.
"More importantly, what are we going to do about Dukemon and Dynasmon?" Magnamon asked, frowning deeply and worried about his friends. "What do you think the Metal Empire plans to do with them?"
Alphamon sighed and scratched his forehead. "I'm not sure… Take them back to Facture, maybe? I don't know how worried we should be… Will they receive an amiable imprisonment or will it be a vindictive one? Will they be interrogated for information?" he asked aloud with a grimace. "It's hard to tell with the Metal Empire. I at least suspect that they won't be ransomed to us; the Metal Empire has no need for money, and I doubt they would want to release two Royal Knights in the middle of a war."
Omegamon winced and nodded. "We need to get them back somehow," he said, his tone worried and gloomy. "We have to make sure that they're alright."
The black Royal Knight looked at Omegamon sadly. He knew that the white knight was particularly worried about Dukemon and Dynasmon, even though he tried to hide it. "We will, Omegamon."
"Don't worry about them. They're tough," Gankoomon stated casually. "We'll figure something out."
BaoHackmon couldn't help but frown at his sensei's lack of urgency towards the situation.
"I suppose…" Magnamon responded, although he sighed and rubbed his eyes, obviously not having had much sleep. "We need to think of something quick though… I want to get them back… We can't leave them to the Metal Empire much longer," he stated adamantly. He lowered his clawed hand and frowned. "…And there's also that other thing. Black Pincer Company's mystery client who's supposedly paying them to attack us and make us think it's the Metal Empire."
Alphamon narrowed his eyes as he thought about it. "That is worrisome… The spies and Dorbickmon are working on it, but, apparently, it isn't an easy trail. I don't like the idea of some Digimon working in secret, trying to create chaos in the Digital World for unknown reasons."
Gankoomon shrugged and placed his hands in his pockets as if the situation were simpler than they were making it out to be. "Whoever it is, we'll just trash them," he said aloud, walking towards the doors leading to the foyer. "That's what the Royal Knights do, right?"
Alphamon couldn't help but smile at Gankoomon's confidence. "When you put it like that, it sounds so simple, Gankoomon."
The red haired Royal Knight looked over his shoulder at the Lord of the Empty Seat and flashed him a smirk. "It is that simple," he responded.
As Gankoomon approached the doors leading to the foyer, he placed his foot against them and roughly pushed it open, hard enough to hit BaoHackmon and send him crashing to the floor. "…Huh? BaoHackmon?" he asked, looking at his squire sprawled out on the marble floor of the foyer. At first, he arched an eye inquisitively, but then he frowned with realization. "You were eavesdropping…"
Imperialdramon Dragon Mode immediately arched his back to stand up as straight as a quadrupedal dragon could. "We're sorry, Sir Gankoomon!" he apologized, bowing his head. "We were just going to lunch and—"
BaoHackmon groaned and stood to his feet, rubbing his cheek. "What was that about Black Pincer Company, Sensei?" he asked his teacher curiously, unapologetic for eavesdropping. He looked over at Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon. "Sir Alphamon-shishou," he said extra-formally. "What's going to be happen with Sir Dukemon and Sir Dynasmon?"
Gankoomon placed his fist on BaoHackmon's head and pushed downwards. "Nothing you need to know about, kid," he answered in a rebuking tone.
BaoHackmon frowned and pulled his head away. "S-Sensei!" he complained, blushing with embarrassment as he glanced at the other onlooking Royal Knights. "I'm not a child!"
"And you're not a Royal Knight either, so leave this stuff to us," Gankoomon said to him firmly.
BaoHackmon looked up at him defiantly, a nerve obviously getting struck by the comment. "…How am I ever going to become a Royal Knight if you keep treating me like this!" he protested. "You won't even let me go on a single job outside of the castle! I'm not helping the Order at all!"
Gankoomon moved his arms out of his jacket, fists lightly clenched. However, he positioned his arms so that he folded them across his chest. "Okay then… You want to help the Order? Go eat lunch, go to the cafeteria kitchen, and go help the staff clean the dishes," he said in a no-nonsense voice.
The teenage dragon was stunned into incredulous silence. He looked up at Gankoomon, his gold eyes wide, disbelieving and questioning, and his mouth partially open, as if asking if Gankoomon was joking. "…Are you serious, Gankoomon-sensei?" he asked in partial amazement. "You want me to clean the kitchen? I helped sweep the damn hallways last week; you expect me to get better by constantly making me help the maintenance staff? I want to be a warrior, not a maid!"
"You want me to stop treating you like a child? Then stop whining like one and take some responsibility!" Gankoomon scolded him, taking BaoHackmon by the hood and lifting him off of his front legs so that he was at eye-level with him. He stared at him sternly. "Unless you think that throwing a tantrum like a little kid is a good way to prove that you're Royal Knight material, that is…"
BaoHackmon clenched his jagged, draconic teeth and uttered a snarl. He stared back at Gankoomon defiantly. The dragon was very aware of the stares of Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon. He could feel his face heating up from the sheer embarrassment of Gankoomon treating him like a child in front of them. His stare of defiance momentarily lapsed into a grimace, but his resolve hardened again and he pushed Gankoomon back, forcing the Royal Knight to release him.
BaoHackmon dropped to the ground and he glared at Gankoomon with a flushed, furious expression. "How am I supposed to take on responsibility when you won't let me?!" he shouted. "I'm mature enough and I'm strong enough to do more than I'm doing now! You always talk about not liking authority, but you love having authority over me! You're such a hypocrite, Sensei!"
"What?!" Gankoomon demanded, growing furious and clenching his fist at the tone that his student was taking with him. "What the hell did you say?"
BaoHackmon snarled and lowered his gaze with Gankoomon. Now he just wanted to embarrass Gankoomon as much as he had been embarrassed. "You heard me. I think I know why you're holding me back. You're worried about the student outshining the master!"
Gankoomon lashed his arm out with a swift, decisive strike across BaoHackmon's metal cheek.
BackHackmon's eyes widened as the slap caused his head to jerk to the side. He could immediately feel a numb pain in his cheek. Gankoomon gritted his teeth and retracted his hand, which bore a bloody cut across the back of his hand from the impact with BaoHackmon's firm, jagged face.
For a moment, BaoHackmon was stunned. It wasn't from the slap; Gankoomon had disciplined him physically more times than he could remember. It was the fact that he did so in full view of his heroes. He could see Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon wince and look away awkwardly. The perception they must have of him now… It was this that caused BaoHackmon's emotions to flare up.
BaoHackmon's eyes began to shimmer and glisten as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. However, he refused to show any weakness. He hardened his gaze and slowly turned his head back towards Gankoomon, who he looked up at with a defiant glare. "Still treating me like a kid, huh, Gankoomon-sensei…?" he spoke, his voice rebellious, yet quivering a bit. "Well… I'll show you how far I've come…"
The dragon shut his eyes and looked away. "I'll prove it!" he yelled. BaoHackmon snarled and ran off down the hallway, just as a tear was able to escape his eye.
"B-BaoHackmon!" Imperialdramon called after him. He hastily saluted Gankoomon and the others before trying to give chase.
Gankoomon released a breath and raised his hand to rub his forehead. After a moment, he turned around and looked at the three Royal Knights. "Teenagers…" he said dismissively.
"Will… he be alright?" Magnamon asked, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah, Hackmon knows how to take a hit," Gankoomon explained, flexing his sore fist, which oozed drops of blood down his fingers.
Omegamon glanced at Magnamon. "Well… we should get going. We need to speak with Captain Knightmon." Omegamon winced a bit. "Then I want to check on Grani…"
Magnamon nodded and began walking. "Good luck with Duftmon, Alphamon…"
Omegamon placed a hand on Gankoomon's shoulder as he passed by him. The two walked across the foyer and began heading outside.
Alphamon watched the two leave before turning his attention to Gankoomon. "…Are you okay?" he asked him.
Gankoomon looked down at his bloodied hand and raised it. "Huh, this? It's nothing," he insisted with a dismissive wave that sent a drop of blood onto the floor. "I just forgot how tough Hackmon's scales are."
"I didn't mean physically," Alphamon said, folding his arms and looking at Gankoomon with an inquisitive yet caring look.
Gankoomon shrugged nonchalantly. He walked down the great hall for a few paces before suddenly stopping behind Alphamon.
"…When he was younger, he used to look up at me with wide eyes… full of admiration," he muttered. "…The way he looked at me today, I've never seen that before…"
"I see…" Alphamon turned around and placed his hand on Gankoomon's jacket-covered shoulder. "…I noticed that you called him 'Hackmon'," he pointed out with a slight smile.
Gankoomon grunted. "…Did I?" he mumbled, raising his non-bloody hand and scratching the corner of his mustache with a finger. "…Maybe the kid's right. Guess I do sometimes treat him like he's still a Hackmon." He released a soft breath. "The fact is… he's changing more than I like to admit… He's growing up. What happened there was proof of it… He never would have dreamed of speaking to me like that before."
Alphamon removed his hand from Gankoomon's back. "We all change. We grow and evolve; it's the nature of Digimon," he explained. "It's up to us to make sure that BaoHackmon changes for the better… He has so much potential." Alphamon walked up beside Gankoomon and looked at him. "He's your student, so I don't want to impose, but… maybe it is time that you give him some more responsibility. I know that you challenge him heavily in your own way, but he needs to experience new and different things if he wants to grow and become stronger. That's how the rest of us grew."
Gankoomon scratched the hair on the back of his head as he thought about what Alphamon said. "Yeah… Maybe. To be honest, I've been thinking about it, but… the kid still has a lot to learn. Not just about combat, but about the world. I know he's got the capability, but I don't know if he has the maturity."
"He seems to have a good head on his shoulders… Think about it, Gankoomon," Alphamon advised him. "He might surprise you."
"Yeah, he might," Gankoomon admitted. "…I'll think about it, Alphamon."
He turned and raised his bleeding hand. "I guess I better go patch this up before I get anymore blood on Imperialdramon Paladin Mode's nice floor. …Don't you have a sour-faced tactician to visit?"
Alphamon smiled and nodded. "Yes, I do," he responded. "I'll see you, Gankoomon."
Gankoomon nodded and parted ways with Alphamon, who made his way to the left staircase in the nearby foyer.
Alphamon walked up the stone staircase to the second level of the castle. Once reaching the top, he walked out from the wide set of stairs, into the hallway on the bedroom wing. The Aloof Hermit looked down the long corridor towards Duftmon's bedroom. From what he could tell, the door was closed, but he wasn't sure if that meant that the tactician was inside or not.
The black Royal Knight began to head down the hallway. He began to near Duftmon's room, but he was interrupted when a tall, gold figure appeared in his view. Ouryumon walked down from the staircase that led up to the third level, where the captains' quarters were. The Strike Forces captain stopped when he saw Alphamon.
"Ouryumon?" Alphamon greeted, walking up to him. "I had heard you were back..."
"Huh, Alphamon? Hey…" he acknowledged in response. "I just got back this morning." He looked off to the side, his violet eyes narrowed with bitter contemplation. "It doesn't feel right though…"
"The Strike Forces need to recuperate here for a bit," Alphamon reassured him. "Now that the Saversburg military repaired the bridge that the D-Brigade destroyed, the Strike Forces don't have to protect the temporary one that they built."
"Yeah, but still…" Ouryumon muttered, frowning deeper.
Alphamon smiled at him. "…We'll get them back," he told him, knowing what Ouryumon was thinking. He was worried about Dukemon and Dynasmon. To be honest, Alphamon was concerned as well, but he couldn't let it show. Back when Omegamon had been captured by DarkKnightmon, his worry had a negative effect on the rest of the Order. He had to be calm and composed about the situation.
Ouryumon looked at Alphamon. "Yeah… Good," he responded, folding his arms across his gold chest. It was through this action that Alphamon noticed the bandage around Ouryumon's forearm.
Alphamon looked at the wound. "You're hurt… May I?" he asked, gently taking Ouryumon's arm in his hands and inspecting the bandaged limb.
"Oh. It's just a cut…" Ouryumon assured him, looking down at the wound as well. "Standard for a battle. No big deal."
"I'm glad to hear it…" Alphamon responded with a touch of relief to his voice. He looked up at the tall dragon. Ouryumon returned the look and their eyes locked for a few, quiet moments.
After a moment, both Digimon looked away sheepishly. Alphamon lightly released Ouryumon's arm and glanced at him. "Um, Ouryumon…" he began uncertainly.
At this, Ouryumon smiled sweetly. "We should focus on getting Dukemon and Dynasmon back…" he suggested to him.
Although he was initially surprised, Alphamon returned the smile. "Yes… Yes, you're right…" he agreed.
Ouryumon raised his claws and ran them through his violet hair, trying his best to appear cool. "So, uh… Where are you headed? Might tag along."
"I'm going to talk to Duftmon," Alphamon responded with a knowing grin.
"…On second thought, I think I have some things to do," Ouryumon said with a smirk.
Alphamon chuckled. "I didn't think so," he replied. "Don't overdo it, Ouryumon. Give that cut some time to heal."
"Yeah, okay," the serpent dragon responded. "Might see you later if I'm not busy with Strike Forces stuff. Don't have a whole lot of time now that HippoGriffomon's stuck in bed."
Alphamon gave him a nod. "Just do what you need to do. The Strike Forces need you right now," he said to him.
"Yeah, okay…" Ouryumon answered, beginning to pass Alphamon.
The black knight watched as the tall dragon made his way past him. "Wish me luck," he added.
Ouryumon grinned and walked past him. "Good luck. You'll need it," he told his friend before heading down the stairs behind him.
The leader of the Royal Knights smiled over his shoulder as Ouryumon walked down. Once he was gone, Alphamon became serious once again when walked down the corridor towards Duftmon's room.
The black knight stopped in front of the door to the tactician's bedroom and gave it a few firm courtesy knocks. "Duftmon?" he asked. "Are you in there?"
There was silence. Alphamon was just about to raise his hand to knock one last time, but before his knuckles could reach the door, he was interrupted. "Please, come in," Duftmon's voice said from beyond the door.
Alphamon tentatively opened the door and walked inside of Duftmon's room. He saw the slender Royal Knight sitting on the edge of his bed. The blinds were closed over the windows, so the room was dark except for a lamp on the nearby desk.
Duftmon was staring down at his book, but he looked up once Alphamon entered. He had a tired look in his eyes. "Yes, Alphamon?" he questioned contemplatively.
Alphamon frowned and walked over to the bed, prompting Duftmon to place his book down and stand up. "You seem tired, Duftmon…" he observed. "Are you alright?"
"My sleep routine has become dishevelled…" the tactician admitted faintly. "I keep thinking about the battle. I have thought about nothing but that battle for the past few days…"
Alphamon winced and rubbed the back of his neck. "Duftmon…" he spoke gently. "I'm… sorry for coming down on you so forcefully. If it seemed like I was laying most of the blame at your feet, that wasn't my intention."
Duftmon closed his eyes and folded his arms, bowing his head. "Don't be ridiculous, Alphamon… It was my fault. The responsibility for the outcome of that battle was entirely mine," he admitted after turning and looking away.
The black Royal Knight stood and looked at Duftmon in shock. Alphamon was stunned at this admission of fault from Duftmon. Such a thing was almost unheard of. It made it clear to Alphamon just how serious the situation was.
"Duftmon… I hope we didn't make you think that…" Alphamon said to him diplomatically. "You know as well as anybody that the situation in battle can change rapidly. It was a small oversight. The tide of battle is fluid and chaotic, so you can't take it to heart."
Duftmon winced. "It was a massive, battle-ending oversight. A gigantic blunder… To assume that those reinforcements were their rear guard…" He shut his eyes and clenched his fists. "It was my own fault, Alphamon… I have been thinking about it for days, and that is my conclusion. I should not have blamed the others for my shortcomings…"
Alphamon sighed and took a step towards him. He placed a hand on Duftmon's winged shoulder comfortingly. "Don't blame yourself, Duftmon…" he said to him, although inwardly thinking that he never thought he'd have to say that to the tactician.
"What am I supposed to do, then?" Duftmon asked, turning his green eyes away from Alphamon. "Refusing to blame myself was precisely what I did before. I dismissed the blame onto others. However, the truth of the matter is that I'm to blame…"
The leopard knight narrowed his eyes reflectively. "I made a mistake… I… I don't know what to do with mistakes, Alphamon…" he admitted sullenly.
Alphamon rubbed his shoulder. "…You learn from them so that you don't make the same mistake twice," he said to him.
Duftmon turned and looked at Alphamon. "…How?" he asked him with questioning, insecure eyes. "I need to know… What am I doing wrong, Alphamon…? I have been thinking about it constantly, but…"
Alphamon's gaze softened as he looked into Duftmon's eyes. "I don't know if I can answer that, Duftmon…"
The blond haired Royal Knight turned his head and looked down, sighing. "…I've been thinking hard about what Tactimon said to me in Saversburg. He says that I'm too impersonal… That I treat others like pawns…" he spoke. Duftmon closed his eyes. "I… realize that I am not the best Digimon when it comes to social situations and interpersonal relations… Other Digimon seem to get annoyed by me."
"Well…" Alphamon admitted. "If I can speak honestly, you do sometimes come across as superior and disdainful…"
"I did gather that much…" Duftmon responded, some of his sarcasm still lingering despite his beaten down mood. "However… what Tactimon said keeps resonating for some reason… He sounded so convinced, as if he could see a glaring flaw within me that I couldn't. Sleipmon, as well… They said that I distanced myself from my forces… that I was too focused on logic. They said that I have to take them into account for my tactics to succeed." Duftmon grimaced with frustration. "But I have taken them into account! I placed Craniamon, RhodoKnightmon, Dukemon, and Dynasmon based on where I needed their strengths!"
Alphamon looked at Duftmon with thoughtful eyes. "…If I may, Duftmon… That might be it. You placed them based on where you needed them to be. You, as a tactician, needed them placed in certain positions, based on the objective strengths and weaknesses of their abilities, correct?" he asked him.
"Exactly… As I always do. So, what is the problem with that?" Duftmon replied, genuinely confused.
"Well… I wouldn't say there's something inherently wrong with that…" Alphamon admitted. "But… there is more to a Digimon than just their abilities. They are more than just a set of skills. I've noticed that whenever you wanted to add an additional Royal Knight to our ranks, you wanted them to fit a certain role… Examon for long-ranged support for example, or Sleipmon for mid-ranged attacks and agility. I think that's the point where your interest in other Digimon ends: anything beyond how they can be useful for the Order."
Duftmon frowned and thought about his words.
Alphamon gripped Duftmon's shoulder before removing his hand. "There is so much more to Digimon than that. They have personalities, styles, methodologies, preferences… They might not always match up with your own views."
Duftmon grimaced and looked away. "Why do you think I…?" he sighed and cut himself off.
Alphamon smiled. "You do have to take those variables into account…"
"…Variables…" Duftmon murmured distastefully.
"Yes… I know you hate them. You like everything to be ordered and structured in a certain way. Your cleanliness, your rigid schedules, your detailed plans… They're all methods of preserving order and eliminating variables, aren't they?" Alphamon asked him.
The brown-armoured Royal Knight frowned at his words. "…I… suppose?" he offered noncommittally. "I have never thought about myself like that…"
"I have thought about you a lot. I've thought about each and every one of you, Duftmon," Alphamon explained kindly. "It's my responsibility to get to understand all of you. These social connections are paramount to the wellbeing of the Order… I learned that after I failed with DarkKnightmon…" Alphamon sighed and then turned to look at Duftmon. "Dynasmon and Dukemon are the sort of Digimon who would risk themselves if it meant saving others. Craniamon prefers to be in the thick of the fighting, challenging strong opponents. RhodoKnightmon likes to have space to move freely," he explained. "I know that you can't create tactics to suit a single Digimon, but you do have to take these things to heart when you are asking them to go into battle. Digimon can't be forced into a certain role. They are individuals... I do think there is truth in the idea that you have to understand the Digimon you're commanding. That's how I try to operate, at least."
Although wincing at the idea, Duftmon nodded. "I… I see…" he responded. "So that's what Tactimon meant…" Duftmon turned his head to look back up at Alphamon. "I… don't think I can do that. I can't… do what you do, Alphamon. I am unable to talk like this… and make those connections. I cannot simply change overnight, even if what Tactimon said about me is true."
"Nobody expects you to, Duftmon," Alphamon told him warmly. "Nobody can change just like that… However, you recognize that you need to do something differently. That's a big step…"
"Mhm…" Duftmon replied broodingly. "I… simply do not wish to give the Order a bad name…"
"You don't have to worry about that, Duftmon," Alphamon reassured him.
Duftmon nodded. He briefly locked eyes with Alphamon and opened his mouth to say something. After a moment, he looked away, thinking better of his words. "Your input is…" He turned his face away sheepishly.
"Appreciated… Alphamon."
Alphamon couldn't help but smile. He gave Duftmon a light pat on the back. "You're welcome…" he said. "Can we expect you to help formulate a rescue plan? You are our tactician after all…"
At this, Duftmon stood up a bit straighter. "Of course…" he replied, turning back to face Alphamon.
Alphamon nodded. "I'm glad to hear it," he said, beginning to turn to leave. "But perhaps you should have a nap first."
"Perhaps…" Duftmon stated, closing his eyes.
"I'll see you soon," Alphamon said to his fellow Royal Knight.
Duftmon nodded quietly.
Alphamon looked at Duftmon for a moment before turning back to the door. He walked away and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
BaoHackmon sat alone in one of the alcoves of the castle's first floor corridors. He was seated on a cushioned bench, where he sulked and thought about what had happened. He hated that Gankoomon embarrassed him in front of the Royal Knights. He was made to look weak and child-like. It was his goal to become one of the Royal Knights, but if Gankoomon kept treating him like that, they would never be able to respect him as an equal, let alone think he was prepared to take on the responsibilities of a Royal Knight. It burned him up inside.
The armoured dragon grimaced and rested his chin on the soft, red fabric. He wanted to prove them wrong somehow. He needed to prove that he was capable.
His thoughts were distracted when he noticed one of the torches cast a shadow down the hallway. He glanced over with his gold eyes and saw Grani floating down the corridor.
BaoHackmon lowered himself against the seat more, partially worried that Grani had been told about what had happened to him. However, Grani didn't even look at him. The Zero ARMS just floated past the alcove that BaoHackmon was in, not even acknowledging that he was there.
This struck BaoHackmon as strange. Grani had extremely good eye sight, so there was no way he didn't see him. It was as if he was distracted. There seemed to be a sombre aura hanging over the Reconnaissance Captain's form. BaoHackmon frowned and peered out of the nook, glancing down the hallway as Grani hovered down it.
He watched as Karatenmon turned a corner and headed towards Grani's direction.
"Hey, Grani," Karatenmon called out to him. The raven man cocked an eyebrow with curiosity when Grani didn't respond. "…Grani?"
Grani still failed to reply. He kept heading towards the spymaster while completely engrossed in his thoughts. The way he was going, Grani was going to end up crashing into Karatenmon.
"Woah, there. Stop, Grani!" Karatenmon stated just as the avian dragon was about to fly into him. He raised his taloned hands and gently placed them on Grani's wings, gently stopping him before he could collide.
Grani blinked and looked up from the ground at the sudden obstruction. "Karatenmon…?" he asked. He looked away sheepishly, embarrassed by his carelessness. "My apologies. I didn't notice you there. I was… thinking."
Karatenmon grinned a bit and removed his hands from the Zero ARMS. "You nearly crashed into me and I was walking right towards you. You must have been thinking awfully hard," he pointed out. The crow Digimon's smile vanished. "…Are you okay?"
Grani sighed dismally. "I… was thinking about Dukemon," he admitted. "I am… worried about him…"
The corners of Karatenmon's mouth turned down. "Oh… Sorry, Grani. I should have guessed," he answered sympathetically.
"You have nothing to apologise for," Grani assured him with a deflated calm. "I just can't help but feel frustrated. I wasn't there to help him. I'm angry that he went and did something so reckless…"
BaoHackmon overheard their exchange. He winced at the mention of Dukemon. He, too, wanted to get both he and Dynasmon back. He respected the two Royal Knights greatly, and he hated that they had been taken prisoner by the Metal Empire. He stayed in the alcove, listening in while also keeping himself out of sight.
"You know him better than anybody, Grani. If there was a chance that he could help his friends, Dukemon would risk anything," Karatenmon stated with a faint smile.
"That is part of what annoys me," Grani explained. "It is hard to be too angry with him when he is doing something noble." The Zero ARMS sighed and dipped in the air a few inches. "I just wish that he thought about the consequences of his actions before he lets his impulses take over. He can be so reckless…"
"It's possible to think and deliberate too much, though," Karatenmon debated. "Sometimes you just have to act in the moment if you think it's the right thing to do."
Grani looked up at Karatenmon with a bland, exasperated stare. "How come I always get stuck with the foolish, impulsive, disobedient ones?" he asked dryly.
Karatenmon grinned and rubbed Grani's head with his hand. "You need us to balance out your analytical, rule-abiding stoicism."
Grani scoffed and pulled back. "I'm not sure that I can agree with that," he responded. Despite his humour, after a few moments, Grani began to grow worried again.
The avian spy captain picked up on this. "Don't worry, Grani. We'll get him back," he assured him, his voice optimistic and reassuring. "I've already sent some of my spies and infiltrators. It's possible that they might be able to rescue them without a big operation."
Grani closed his eyes and released a soft, sceptical breath. "If you're in charge, I suppose we have nothing to worry about," he stated with playful sarcasm. However, after a moment, he looked up at Karatenmon with subtle appreciation. "Thank you, Karatenmon."
Karatnemon offered a kind smile. "Of course…" he told him. "Just don't worry about him. Dukemon will be okay."
A faint, hardly noticeable wince graced Grani's blue eyes. "No… That isn't all. Something happened…" he explained to the spymaster.
At this, Karatenmon frowned. "What? With Dukemon and Dynasmon?" he asked.
"No… I received news from MailBirdramon. Apparently one of our patrols went missing last night. It was a four-Digimon patrol and not a single one has returned…" Grani explained. A breath escaped his beak. "They've been deleted… Most likely by Black Pincer Company."
Karatenmon's eyes hardened. "What? Black Pincer Company?" he asked.
Grani nodded bleakly. "Yes… Judging by the coordinates where the patrol last made contact, it is likely that the mercenaries were heading north after we captured their hideout from them," he explained. "Dorbickmon said that they had been hired to take down one of our patrols. I should have guessed that they would still follow through after we took their hideout from them. I was careless… I should have managed the patrols more carefully." The Zero ARMS bowed his head and winced.
"You can't blame yourself, Grani. They could have attacked at any point," Karatenmon assured him. "Besides, we don't know for sure that they were deleted. We should send a team to investigate. What were the coordinates?"
"Zeta-Lambda sector. Exact coordinates unknown. Perhaps around the forest there. The Forest of Memories," Grani replied informatively. "However, if we send a team, we need to make sure that it's strong enough to engage those three Digimon. They are deceptively powerful. I don't want to endanger the investigation team in case they're ambushed."
"Fair enough," Karatenmon agreed. "Let's head to the war room and discuss how to handle this."
"We should let one of the Royal Knights know as well," Grani stated.
BaoHackmon's eyes hardened with resolve as he listened in on Grani and Karatenmon. "Zeta-Lambda, huh…? If I can find Black Pincer Company first, then there won't be any danger. I can take those three down; I just have to be smart about it. I'll prove it to Sensei. I'll prove it to the Royal Knights that I have what it takes." he thought to himself. "I'll take down those three criminals and show off what I'm capable of in the process…"
He laid in wait as Grani and Karatenmon made their way down the corridor away from him. Once they were gone, he walked out of the alcove with a new found resolve in his eyes. He had a mission and he fully intended on carrying it out to its conclusion.
The dragon raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. Now he just had to figure out where Zeta-Lambda sector was…
BaoHackmon waited outside of the cafeteria. He didn't really want to go inside in case any of the Royal Knights were in there, but he knew that Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode was probably in there. He tapped his foot eagerly as he waited for his friend to come out; he knew that Peri was a slow eater.
Just as he was going to risk venturing inside, he saw a large, familiar mass of blue, white, black, and red pass through the spacious doorway. BaoHackmon sprung into action.
"Peri!" he greeted, grabbing one of Imperialdramon's forelegs with his own and began to pull the dragon, who was over twice his size, down the corridor.
"Gah! BaoHackmon?" Imperialdramon Dragon Mode exclaimed with surprise, not expecting to see him again so soon. He allowed himself to be pulled and he looked down at the white dragon. "Are you okay? I was worried."
"Yeeaaah, I'm fine," BaoHackmon assured him. "I just needed to vent by going a couple rounds with the punching bag. Don't worry about it."
"That's good," Peri answered. "So… Where are we going?"
"The library. I need your help," BaoHackmon explained, pulling him around a corner to the right, heading to the stairs that led to the basement level. "You're recon, so you know maps and geography and stuff, right?"
"Yeah, that's the first thing we're taught," the large dragon responded. "Captain Grani made us memorize all of the different sectors on the continent. Names and landmarks too. It was hard work."
BaoHackmon grinned. "Good. I was hoping you could teach me a few things," he said.
Peri looked at him curiously. "Does this mean you're considering joining Recon after all?" he wondered.
"I dunno. I'm just looking into it. It'll be useful information to know, no matter what I do," BaoHackmon explained noncommittally. "Everybody in the Order should know about geography."
Peri blinked and turned to look down at his friend. "I never thought I'd hear you say that…" he said with a grin. "It sounds like Sir Gankoomon hit you harder than I thought."
BaoHackmon rolled his eyes as he pulled Peri into the expansive library. "Very funny. So, where are the maps at?" he questioned.
"The map copies are over in this corner. Don't rip any," the helmet-wearing dragon explained, making his way over to the corner where the collection of maps was stored.
"I won't. I'll get us a table," BaoHackmon said, making his way over to one of the tables in the front area of the library. He found a table large enough to place a map on and sat beside it, waiting for Imperialdramon to return.
Peri walked to the table, holding a rolled up map in his tail. He spread out the map and angled it so that BaoHackmon could see it easily. "I got one of the ones of the whole continent."
"Great!" BaoHackmon exclaimed, smiling broadly. He tilted his head and looked at the map before him. "So… For example… If I wanted to find Zeta-Lambda sector, how would I do that?"
"That's a good place to start," Imperialdramon Dragon Mode explained, sitting down so that he could raise his forelegs. He pointed with the spike protruding from his oversized claws. "First, you look at the axes. There's the X-axis and the Y-axis, and they're both labelled from alpha to omega. So, if you want to find somewhere that you know the coordinates of, first look at the X-axis, so zeta…" He pointed to the left side of the map.
BaoHackmon followed along, only half-interested. He was more concerned with finding the actual location rather than actually learning this stuff.
"Then you follow it along until you reach lambda, which would be around here…" Peri stopped his claw near a forest to the north-west of the Free Area. "See? So, Zeta-Lambda sector is around the Forest of Memories. Right here."
BaoHackmon gave the map a look over, to see where Splendour's Reach was relative to the Forest of Memories. After studying the map for a few more moments, the dragon grinned, confident that he could get there. "Okay, thanks, Peri!" he said to him, walking away from the table and heading towards the library exit.
"Huh?" Peri asked, blinking and looking over at BaoHackmon started to leave. "Where are you going? We only just started!"
"I just remembered that I have a job I need to do!" BaoHackmon called back as he walked out into the corridor. "Don't wait up!"
"BaoHackmon!" Imperialdramon called after him. The young, Ultimate-level dragon sighed when he didn't get a response.
BaoHackmon ran up the stairs to main floor. He knew that if he wanted to get to the Forest of Memories before dark, he'd have to leave right now. He bolted down the halls as he made his way to the exit. His metallic limbs clinked against the smooth, stone flooring with every step. BaoHackmon ran down a long corridor towards the foyer.
Just as he neared the end of the corridor and approached the marble entry way, he saw Gankoomon emerge from the stairs on the opposite side of the foyer. Gankoomon stepped out and began to get in his path, looking at his student calmly.
BaoHackmon's golden eyes hardened, some of his residual anger flaring up again. "Get out of my way!" he said harshly, making a sharp turn to the left. The dinosaur Digimon ran into the entrance hall, dashing down it towards the exit.
Gankoomon frowned. "BaoHackmon!" he shouted after him.
BaoHackmon knew that if Gankoomon knew what he was up to, there would be no way he would get away with it. "Just leave me alone, Sensei!" he called back over his caped shoulder. Although he really was still angry at Gankoomon, he played it up as an excuse to get away from him. He just hoped that Gankoomon wouldn't try to follow him.
Gankoomon released an irritated sigh as he watched BaoHackmon run outside. He always did this whenever they had an argument. Gankoomon decided that it was better to just let him cool down. He knew that they'd probably just end up having another fight given the nature of their temperaments at the moment.
He turned and continued down the castle corridor. Little did he know, BaoHackmon had other plans.
The hours went by and the afternoon had completely passed. The sun had almost set, and the sky was a blackish-blue hue. Stars flickered over head, and two half moons were positioned on opposite ends the sky.
BaoHackmon jogged along the grassy plains in intermittent bursts. He wanted to move quickly, but he didn't want to tire himself out, knowing that he would have to fight Black Pincer Company. He had taken the Locomon Rail a third of the distance and then travelled the rest by foot. It had taken him all afternoon. Luckily for him, he was in peak physical condition, and Gankoomon had taught him pathfinding and tracking skills. He was fairly sure that he was on the right track.
As he ran, his hooded, crimson cape fluttered against his back. BaoHackmon jogged up the side of a small hill and stopped at the crest of the mound. Sure enough, he sighted something from the vantage point. He grinned at what he saw.
In the near distance was a sprawling forest filled with spread out trees. He was sure that it was the Forest of Memories. Due to the darkness, it was hard to make out much of anything other than the outlines of the canopies. The dinosaur Digimon squinted his eyes and looked around the landscape. He sniffed a bit and took in the scent of the area.
"I smell smoke," BaoHackmon noted to himself. He looked around the area carefully. He could just barely make out several, singed tree branches strewn around the ground a dozen meters from the base of the hill he was on. "Looks like there was a fight here…"
The dragon frowned and began to walk down the hill towards the patch of grassland between the hill and the edge of the forest. Once he was down there, he looked around cautiously. He was able to see a large gap in the tree canopy. It looked as if something had vaporized the trees there.
BaoHackmon narrowed his eyes and ducked his head down, scanning the area alertly. "This must have been where the patrol was deleted… Black Pincer Company can't be too far away…" he thought to himself as he carefully advanced towards the forest.
He could smell smoke. It smelled fresh. The armoured dinosaur made his way to the edge of the forest. He leered into the darkness of the woods. In the distance, he could see a faint glow of light.
BaoHackmon cautiously stepped inside the forest. He was pretty sure that it wasn't one of those random flames or patches of light that sometimes floated through forests. It looked more like static fire. He suspected that it was a campfire.
The dragon narrowed his eyes as he quietly headed towards it. He knew he needed to stealthy. "It must be Black Pincer Company…" he thought to himself.
BaoHackmon crept forwards through the forest towards the distant flame. A chill crept down his scales as the weight of what he was doing finally sank in. He began to wonder if he could really manage fighting Black Pincer Company or not. He began to breathe a bit heavier and he could feel a tightening feeling in the pit of his stomach. He began to doubt himself.
Despite BaoHackmon's fears, he pressed on as quietly as he could. To be a Royal Knight, one had to be brave. He knew that he needed to trust in his capabilities, even if he had doubts. He steeled his willpower and pressed forward, remaining ever vigilant. He figured he might have a fighting chance if he could take on each of the three mercenaries one-by-one. He knew he needed to scout out their campsite before making a move.
The dragon Digimon released a quiet breath and moved with his body close to the ground. He was mindful of his feet and made sure not to step on any noisy twigs or hit any stones.
As he drew nearer to the flames, he ducked behind a tree and some shrubbery and glanced out cautiously. BaoHackmon could see a campfire burning in the middle of a gap in the forest. However, to his surprise, there were no Digimon near the fire. The area was deserted.
BaoHackmon arched an eyebrow with confusion. "Huh?" he whispered to himself. He didn't know why there would be a campfire lit if there was nobody there. An uneasy feeling began to loom over him.
He looked all around him carefully. There was nobody there. All he could see was darkness. BaoHackmon winced and stepped out from behind the tree. He began to wonder if he should go back to the castle. He was seriously considering it.
It was then that a cold chill swept down his back. The dinosaur's gold eyes widened with terror. He could sense a presence standing directly behind him.
BaoHackmon slowly turned his head, daring to look over his caped shoulder.
GranKuwagamon stood directly behind him. The giant, black insect smirked, entertained by the look of stunned horror that formed on BaoHackmon's face. "Surprise," he greeted. GranKuwagamon swung his massive arm around and drove his clawed fist into BaoHackmon's plated side.
BaoHackmon was thrown through the air and his back slammed into the trunk of a tree. He released a winded cough and then fell to the ground, barely managing to land on his feet. The dragon winced at the numb pain in his back but forced himself to stand up straight and look at his opponent.
To his shock, GranKuwagamon was already rushing towards him, coiling his arm back and poised to strike. BaoHackmon snarled and leapt into action. He lunged to the side and rolled out of the way right as GranKuwagamon unleashed a mighty punch. His claws sheared through the tree with ease and caused the trunk to come crashing down with a thunderous crash.
BaoHackmon spun around and clenched his teeth. "Burn Flame!" he shouted, unleashing a torrent of flames from his maw towards GranKuwagamon.
GranKuwagamon narrowed his eyes when he saw the swathes of fire billowing towards him. He darted out of the way, narrowly missing getting enveloped by the inferno. He flew to the side and slashed his pincers forward.
BaoHackmon watched his movements and tried to blow more flames towards him. However, the dragon was stunned when GranKuwagamon seemed to disappear behind a tree; there was no way an insect Digimon that big could hide behind such a skinny trunk.
It was then that he realized that GranKuwagamon hadn't hidden. He teleported. Out of the corners of his eyes, he saw GranKuwagamon shoot out of a spatial rift nearby. The ebony bug closed in on BaoHackmon and drove his foot hard into BaoHackmon's cheek.
The dinosaur Digimon let out a cry of pain and was sent flying off of his feet. He winced when he hit the ground and skidded along it for several meters. Despite the pain in his face and the metallic taste of blood inside his mouth, BaoHackmon wasn't about to just give up. He rolled over and got to his feet, digging his limbs into the ground before shooting off across the forest floor.
"You don't know who you're dealing with, do you?" GranKuwagamon said to him, watching the Adult-level Digimon as he tried to resist him. "Did you really think you could mess with us? You realize that I'm an Ultimate-level Digimon, right? You're smart enough to understand what that means? Hell, maybe you're not."
"Shut up!" BaoHackmon shouted, dashing towards GranKuwagamon in an unpredictable charge. "I'm going to take you down, you oversized beetle!" The dragon dashed to the side and then zigzagged back towards GranKuwagamon. He lunged into the air and his front claws suddenly ignited, becoming wreathed in flames. "Fif Cross!" he shouted, slashing his claws down in an 'X' motion.
The flames slammed into GranKuwagamon's side. The insect narrowed his eyes at the fire against his carapace, but he seemed otherwise unaffected. He lashed his arm out and swatted BaoHackmon out of the air.
The dragon winced as he slammed into the ground and tumbled across it inelegantly. He came to a rolling stop and levelled a defiant glare at GranKuwagamon. He tried to straighten his legs and stand up once more.
At this, GranKuwagamon couldn't help but smile. "You've got guts, kid. It's just too bad you don't have any common sense," he told him, his large body becoming consumed with a dark-grey light. "Slide Evolution. GrandisKuwagamon."
BaoHackmon narrowed his eyes when he saw GrandisKuwagamon emerge in his lither but arguably more dangerous form. "…Great, so now you're even uglier," he said defiantly.
GrandisKuwagamon smirked and adjusted the Gran Killer gauntlets over his forearms. "Mouthy too…" he observed. He started buzzing his X-shaped wings and started zipping towards BaoHackmon, poised to strike.
BaoHackmon growled and lunged into the air, spinning his body around so that he could lash out with his bladed tail. "Teen Slash!" he shouted, slashing his tail blade towards GrandisKuwagamon.
GrandisKuwagamon caught the tail easily before the blade could strike him. He whirled around in mid-air and launched BaoHackmon towards the sky. "Do it!" he called out.
"Hahah! With pleasure!" Bolgmon shouted out ecstatically from nearby. He burst through a thick bush, driving at full speed. His cannons spun rapidly and brimmed with electricity. "One fried lizard coming right up! Ultimate Thunder!"
He launched two, interconnected electric spheres from his arm cannons. The lightning bolas whipped through the air towards BaoHackmon, who reached the apex of the flight.
Wincing, BaoHackmon watched as the two spheres of lightning spun towards him. He tried his best to brace himself, but the electricity wrapped around his body and surged through him. BaoHackmon let out a pained scream as the lightning shocked him. He fell to the ground in a heap, his body twitching and trembling.
"D-D-Damn… it…" BaoHackmon swore, growling in pain and protest. He winced in pain and tried to stand up on his legs, but he his limbs buckled and he collapsed to the ground. The dragon Digimon narrowed his eyes and hissed again, once more trying to stand up, leg-by-leg.
"Hell, he's still trying to fight?" Bolgmon observed, rolling over to GrandisKuwagamon, who landed on the ground and watched BaoHackmon. "I weakened my shot so that I didn't accidentally toast him but it should still've been enough to lay him flat."
GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye and stared at BaoHackmon. He watched as BaoHackmon locked eyes with him and stared back at him with a look of fury and defiance. He leered at BaoHackmon's angry eyes. GrandisKuwagamon scoffed and shook his head. "Tch… Stupid kid… Should know when to give up…"
"I'm not… a kid…" BaoHackmon responded in a snarl, his voice scathing. He grunted with pain and effort, driving his bladed foot into the ground to try and steady himself. "I won't… give up… Not to… the likes of you…"
"Oh, shut up." Blitzmon appeared from behind a tree and walked up behind BaoHackmon. He casually drove an electrically charged fist into BaoHackmon's back, hard enough to knock him flat against the ground. This time, BaoHackmon didn't get back up.
"Thank you!" Bolgmon whimsically chimed out to Blitzmon, rolling over to him.
GrandisKuwagamon followed, approaching the beetle man and the unconscious dragon. The black insect stopped and folded his arms, looking down at BaoHackmon. He nudged his unmoving body with one of his black feet. "So… What d'you guys thing?" he asked the two, deep blue insect Digimon with him.
"He can't be with the Royal Knights, can he?" Blitzmon stated. "There's only one of him and he's only an Adult-level. Not enough to investigate a missing patrol."
"He talks like a Royal Knight. He looks like a Royal Knight. He's even got the damn cape," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out. "You think he just wandered into the Forest of Memories this late at night? He's probably alone so that he didn't draw as much attention to himself while he investigated."
Blitzmon shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe…"
GrandisKuwagamon stared at the unconscious dragon. He turned towards the large, tank Digimon beside him. "Take him, Bolgmon. Bring him back to our real camp," he told him. "We'll find out how much this kid's worth…"