(Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 30. Thanks everyone for the feedback. Enjoy this next chapter!)
Chapter 30: Restraint
A heavy snowstorm raged across the Cathode Tundra. The air was cool and biting, warmed only by the condensation in the form of thick drops of wet, slushy snow. The flat, barren expanse was gradually becoming covered by the white snowflakes that began to pile up on the ground, creating a crisp layer of sparkling ivory. The snow was a few centimeters deep and it was just warm enough in the Cathode Tundra for some of the snow to melt upon hitting the ground. Still, the snowstorm was thick, and it didn't just precipitate hefty fragments of snow, but also large bits of stray data. The data packets were harmless, but they further obfuscated the vision of anybody who was passing through.
It wasn't that common for Digimon to travel into the Cathode Tundra during a snowstorm, as the weather could become pretty intense. Despite this, residing in this harsh landscape were local inhabitants of the tundra – nomads, herds, or solitary Digimon; those who did their own thing separate from being a part of Digimon society. However, even they knew to be careful during one of Cathode Tundra's snowstorms. Comparatively, the present weather was just a light snowfall, but it was possible that the winds could pick up and become treacherous. It was all a matter of luck.
In spite of this, three Digimon were travelling in the thick of the snowstorm. One was a giant eagle with majestic wings and red feathers. The determined Aquilamon led the way through the flurry, shaking snow from his wings with every powerful flap. Soaring alongside him was the round, brown and white form of an owl. The owl Digimon had a metal visor over its eyes and a pair of antennae-like sensors for ears. The Owlmon was having trouble keeping up with the Aquilamon, especially with the thick veil of snow, but he just about managed it. Nearby was a hybrid between a pterodactyl and a fighter jet. The Pteranomon sported a violet, metal body, which dripped with water as he flew through the air. Stretching out from his sides were two, fixed wings that became caked with snow while flying through the curtain of precipitation.
They were a recon patrol from the Order of the Royal Knights. This was evidenced by the yellow buffs emblazoned with the Order's crest that they wore on their bodies. They were tasked with scouting out the Cathode Tundra around the coordinates where one of the Seven Great Demon Lords was said to have emerged.
"Aquilamon, this is preposterous!" the Owlmon protested as he struggled to keep up with the large eagle. "We should go back! Or at least wait for the storm to die down! We shouldn't fly in such unclear weather under any circumstances!"
"No, we need to do this. We have a schedule to keep," the Aquilamon firmly said, glancing over his shoulder. "You heard what the Weathermon said; it's just going to be a bit of snowfall."
"Besides, we're looking for one of the Demon Lords here. This isn't small fry we're talking about," the Pteranomon scout added with a grin. "This is a big deal. We have to find something!"
"I can hardly see a thing in all of this snow!" the Owlmon explained while looking around through his specialized visor, which could switch between normal vision, night vision, and infrared vision.
"Switch to infrared," Aquilamon told him dauntlessly. "We're almost at the coordinates. We have to see if there's anything there."
"If it isn't all buried in snow," Owlmon murmured.
"I sure hope we find this Demon Lord guy," Pteranomon said with a grin. "I wouldn't mind blasting him back to the Dark Area."
"We are not to engage," Aquilamon said calmly and firmly. "Captain Grani has made that perfectly clear. As patrol leader, I agree with him."
Pteranomon looked off to the side as he flew forwards through the falling snow. "…See anything, Owlmon?" he asked the smaller of his feathered friends.
"Not yet…" Owlmon responded, gazing down and rotating his head around to properly scan the ground many meters below them. Suddenly he stopped flying and beat his wings in order to fly in place. "Hold on…"
"What is it?" Aquilamon asked, stopping as well and looking behind him.
"Do you see something?" Pteranomon wondered.
"There's a heat source about two hundred meters ahead of us. A big one," the Owlmon scout explained, frowning behind his visor.
Aquilamon narrowed his eyes and looked forwards, through the blinding snowfall. Despite the snow, Aquilamon's sharp, eagle-eyed sight managed to notice a dark colour within the white, off in the distance. "…Proceed with caution. Let's get visual confirmation and then get out of here," he ordered, softly flapping his wings and gliding forwards.
"Is that all?" Pteranomon muttered, flying after him.
"Affirmative," Owlmon answered, soaring forwards as well. He kept a tight gaze on the heat source in the distance.
As they approached, the rainbow-silhouette in his infrared vision became clearer and shapelier. The image was that of a massive Digimon far larger than any of them were, even Aquilamon. Despite it being on the ground, they were forced to fly high in the sky to keep themselves at a safe distance. As the Owlmon looked at the shape, the heat source seemed to be top-heavy in nature. He also noticed that the shape wasn't simply at body temperature; the infrared was picking up temperatures far hotter than anything he expected.
Aquilamon flapped his wings and flew forwards. "…Why isn't there any snow falling here?" he asked.
"Because of that…" Owlmon stated fearfully, pointing his talons downwards.
The group looked down to see a massive, brown-furred Digimon hovering above the ground. They were stunned at what they saw below them.
It was Belphemon.
The giant Demon Lord was slumbering peacefully in the middle of the snowy tundra. The ground around him was completely devoid of snow, which had melted into the grass and dirt. Even the snow falling above him melted into water, falling onto his furry body and soaking his fur. The intense heat was from the greyish-black flames that emanated from the chains wrapped around his body. The goat-like demon seemed to be completely static and immobile. All he did was breath gently as he slept.
"It's Belphemon…" Aquilamon said direly, gazing down at the Demon Lord apprehensively. "Target confirmed. Let's return to base."
"What?! We're going to just leave it here?!" Pteranomon protested, frowning at Aquilamon.
"We have our orders; let's go, Pteranomon," Aquilamon ordered.
"This is our chance! He's asleep!" Pteranomon protested, looking from Aquilamon down to the Demon Lord. "If we can get rid of him here…!"
"Don't be an idiot! This is a job for the Royal Knights. We won't be able to touch him!" Aquilamon said unwaveringly. "We're leaving now. That's an order!"
"Come on, Pteranomon. Aquilamon's right," Owlmon agreed cautiously.
"What if we leave and he wakes up before the Royal Knights get here?! He could go on a rampage!" Pteranomon protested. "I'm not letting that happen. Cover me!"
With that, much to Aquilamon and Owlmon's horror, their Pteranomon comrade wheeled around in the sky and put his thrusters into full emission. He began swooping down towards Belphemon with determination.
"Pteranomon, stop it! That's an order!" Aquilamon shouted, flying after him. "Get back here!"
Pteranomon glared stubbornly and tilted his body so that his angle of descent lined up with Belphemon's position. As he dove down, the collection of missiles on the undersides of his wings began to emit steam and unlock from their fixed positions. "Side Winder!" he shouted, launching his entire payload, one pair of missiles after the other.
The first pair of missiles sailed down and exploded on contact with Belphemon, creating two large explosions against the Demon Lord's head. The next set of missiles pierced through the flames and detonated within them, causing an even bigger explosion against the Demon Lord. The final pair of missiles slammed into Belphemon's chest so that the whole of his large body was obfuscated by the resulting explosions.
Upon seeing that all of his missiles hit true, Pteranomon let out a proud laugh. "I did! I hit him! Did it delete him?!" he uttered in the midst of his adrenaline.
He gazed down and observed his handiwork, watching as the billowing explosions and smoke continued to rise into the air. At first, it seemed as though there wasn't anything behind the fiery swell, which told him that he had deleted him.
Pteranomon grinned and looked over his shoulder. "See? No sweat. He was still weak and his power was—"
"Pteranomon! Look!" Owlmon yelled at him.
Pteranomon blinked and looked forwards. He could finally see through the flames and smoke of his explosions. To his horror, Belphemon: Sleep Mode was still there. He was completely unharmed by the missiles. The only damage that he had to show for it was a few burnt fur ends. The Demon Lord of Sloth still floated there, sleeping contently.
Mostly contently.
The explosions caused enough of a disturbance to make Belphemon's cat-like mouth yawn cutely. This was no ordinary yawn, however… From his mouth surged a massive shockwave that caused the very air to ripple under its power. The crushing blast of air rolled towards Pteranomon like a speeding Locomon.
Pteranomon's confident smirk suddenly faded from his face and he stared towards the oncoming attack like a deer in the head lights.
"Pteranomon, look out!" Aquilamon shouted, diving towards the stunned scout. Right as the blast was closing in on him, he grabbed Pteranomon with his large talons and flew them out of the path of the shockwave.
Aquilamon flapped his wings furiously to get them to evade the blast. Despite the fact that he managed to fly fast enough get them clear of the snoring attack, the sheer force of the blast was apparent. Aquilamon's left wing was grazed by the residual shockwave of the blast, and the mere, glancing blow was enough to slam into it with tremendous, crushing force.
Aquilamon released a screech as his wing was crushed by the blast. The wing bent backwards and red feathers erupted out in the wake of the impact. Aquilamon was caught up in the auxiliary shockwave and sent plummeting to the ground with Pteranomon in his talons.
Owlmon stared in shock as the giant eagle Digimon crashed into the snowy ground. He flinched with worry and flew over to them as fast as he could. "Aquilamon! Pteranomon!" he shouted, diving down towards the pair.
Pteranomon pulled himself out of Aquilamon's talons and hovered in the air. He turned and looked at the wounded bird. He saw that his wing was in bad shape. "Aquilamon! Aquilamon!" he shouted, grimacing with guilt and worry.
Aquilamon groaned with pain as he lay in the snow. "I c-can't… move my wing… He's too strong…!" he said, his deep voice shaky as he grimaced in agony.
"Damn it…" Pteranomon said, wincing. "We've gotta get outta here!"
"Oh, so now you're listening to me!" Aquilamon grunted through his pain.
"I'm sorry…" Pteranomon muttered guiltily. "Now let's go - before he attacks again," he said to him urgently. "I'll help you walk. Can you stand?"
"Just… barely," Aquilamon responded, pushing against his uninjured wing and getting himself onto his talons. He winced as his left wing hung limply on his side. "L-Let's go. I'll be fine."
Pteranomon nodded and put his smaller body under Aquilamon's right wing to keep him standing and help him walk. "Owlmon, lead the way!" he told the concerned owl Digimon.
"Got it. Let's hurry, if you can," Owlmon stated, looking over nervously at the slumbering Belphemon.
It didn't seem as though they woke him up, but he was still very worried about another one of his devastating snores. If he was this dangerous while asleep, he certainly didn't want to see what he'd be like while he was awake.
"Yeah, let's go…" Aquilamon stated, hobbling away and into the centimeters of snow with the help of Pteranomon.
Owlmon soared forwards, using his keen vision to lead the way out of the Cathode Tundra. Aquilamon glanced over his shoulder at the giant Demon Lord.
"We need to report back to Headquarters ASAP…"
With that order, the patrol of scouts made their way out as swiftly as physically possible. They left the Demon Lord slumbering in thick of the Cathode Tundra. They just hoped he would remain asleep for at least awhile longer...
"How do you feel, GrandisKuwagamon?"
GrandisKuwagamon grunted as the sturdy straps binding him were loosened from the bed that he was lying on. The pressure released from around his body as the straps fell beside him, and he slowly sat up and moved his arms. He reached his hand up and rubbed the back of his neck, where there was a slight stinging pain.
He was inside the medical bay in the large, basement level of Castle Albion. He was situated in a separate room that was connected to the medical bay; the room was a sterilized area that was used for surgeries and other delicate procedures. In the room with him was Duskmon, who was eyeing him with a few of his several eyes. Duskmon was busy cleaning up the tools that they had used during the procedure.
Also in the room were Karatenmon and Magnamon, both of whom leaned against the wall and kept a watchful eye on GrandisKuwagamon.
"I feel weird…" he responded, shifting in the bed so that his legs hung over the sides. He attempted to move pincers, but found that they were still unresponsive. "I guess I still have that inhibiting virus, huh? Just great…"
"I told you that the purpose of this procedure wasn't to remove that virus," Karatenmon pointed out.
"It was to give you less freedom, not more of it," Magnamon added, frowning at GrandisKuwagamon as he stood up from the wall. "We aren't so naïve as to let you walk around freely and use your abilities. You would take the first opportunity to stab us in the back and escape."
"I wasn't asking you, runt," GrandisKuwagamon responded offhandedly, prompting an angry glare from Magnamon. He glanced at Karatenmon. "So, what did you guys do to me?"
Duskmon gazed at him. "We just implanted you with a passive virus which restricts your freedom of movement," he explained as he walked towards the door of the room.
"Oh, wonderful. Just what I always wanted," the black insect sarcastically responded, still rubbing the sore spot on the back of his neck. He felt a small hole in his carapace there.
GrandisKuwagamon watched carefully as Duskmon walked out of the room, the doctor's shoulder eye still fixed on GrandisKuwagamon as he walked. In the dark physician's hand was a pneumatic injector that was attached to a small vial filled with a bright green substance imbued with binary code. The mercenary eyed Duskmon as he detached the vial and placed it inside a large medical cabinet that was just outside of the room.
"You did agree to do things our way. You aren't exactly in a position where we can easily trust you," Karatenmon reminded him.
"Especially when you deleted and wounded several Digimon of our Order," Magnamon added with barbs to his voice. "You knew the deal when you agreed to work with us."
GrandisKuwagamon grunted and tentatively stood up. "Fine. Whatever you say, big guy," he answered with a standoffish leer. "You know, I'm putting my ass out on the line for you guys. A little reciprocation would be nice."
"You aren't putting it on the line for us, you're putting it on the line for yourself," Magnamon pointed out, bristling at his height remarks. "Don't act like you're doing us a favour, GrandisKuwagamon."
GrandisKuwagamon turned and gave Magnamon a sideways leer, acknowledging him. "Even so, if the type of Digimon I associate with catch wind that I'm working with the Royal Knights, that's my credibility as a merc completely tarnished. There's nothing we hate worse than informants. Especially the ones who work with the Royal Knights. I'd be black-listed or worse."
"You mean like Dorbickmon?" Karatenmon put forward.
"Is that why you sent the mob on him?" Magnamon asked pointedly.
GrandisKuwagamon folded his arms indignantly. "I did that because he was trailing us and feeding you guys information so you could capture us," he responded. "It was nothing personal. Just survival. You gotta take out threats before they take you out."
"I see…" Karatenmon said with a grin. "So, you won't mind working with him, then?"
"…What?" GrandisKuwagamon asked blankly.
"He's going to be on the team that's escorting you," Karatenmon informed him with a smirk beneath his beaked helmet. "That's not a problem, I take it."
"Yeah, it kinda is a problem!" GrandisKuwagamon answered sharply. "The big lizard's gonna have it out for me now that I dropped him in it! He's probably gonna try to screw me over or shiv me in my sleep."
"He assured me that he would behave," the crow ninja responded.
"And you believe him? I wouldn't," the black beetle man countered.
"I believe that you both have a common interest. I think you're both smart enough to know that working together is a better option than working against each other," Karatenmon explained with a smile. "You don't have to like each other, but you'll both be helping each other's credibility in the long run. You'd be helping him dispel the idea that he's working with us, and that'd also be in your interest, since you don't want to be tarred with the same brush as him – you know, being an informant for the Order. I'm sure you're both professional enough to put the bad blood aside."
"Tch," GrandisKuwagamon scoffed, hating to admit that he had a point. "Whatever. I'll play along, but I'm not about to start trusting him."
"I'm sure the feeling will be mutual," Karatenmon mentioned with a grin. The spymaster stood up from the wall and folded avian arms. "Can you walk?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm good," GrandisKuwagamon responded, taking a few tentative steps forward.
"Then why don't you go meet the team that will be escorting you?" Magnamon stated, walking forwards and stepping out of the room to the main area of the medical bay.
"Sure, why not? I could use a good laugh," GrandisKuwagamon stated. He made his way through the door and out into the greater medical bay area.
Standing in the middle of the room, talking to Duskmon, was Paildramon. Upon seeing GrandisKuwagamon, Magnamon, and Karatenmon walk out of the room, she said goodbye to the physician and turned to face them.
GrandisKuwagamon walked forwards but then suddenly stopped upon seeing Paildramon. He frowned and gazed at her. His crimson eye looked her up and down, sizing her up. After his gaze lingered for a moment, he looked up to meet her own red eyes.
Paildramon stared at him with a firm, dauntless, and cool gaze. She made the first move and walked straight up to him. "GrandisKuwagamon?" she asked, stopping right in front of him.
"That's me," he answered standoffishly.
"I'm Paildramon. I'm the team leader for our mission," she stated confidently, offering her clawed hand to him. "We will be working together. It is nice to meet you."
GrandisKuwagamon leered at her and stared down at her hand, stonewalling her for a few moments. After a few tense seconds, he frowned and took her hand, shaking it firmly. She returned the solid grip. "We've met before. You shot at me," he dryly mentioned.
"You have a good memory," she said, releasing his hand. "Yes, I did; when you took one of the members of the Order hostage."
"…Your aim sucks," GrandisKuwagamon told her with a goading smirk.
Paildramon stared coolly at the insect mercenary in front of her but didn't rise to the insult. "We will be leaving tomorrow morning. That should be enough time for you to rest up and recuperate from the procedure," she explained. "Does that suit you?"
"Do I have a choice?" he responded, his grin turning ironic.
"Not really, but I would like for you to be a cooperative member of our team. It would suit all of us. Especially since this is a dangerous mission," Paildramon explained.
"Whatever. I'll do what benefits me," GrandisKuwagamon responded with some hostility.
"Okay. That's about what I expected," Paildramon told him. "Helping the team would benefit you."
"Uh huh. You done?" the black beetle Digimon questioned with brusque nonchalance.
"Not yet. I'm going to take you to meet the other two members of the team," she explained. She looked at Magnamon and Karatenmon behind GrandisKuwagamon. "May I, Sir?"
"He's all yours," Magnamon said with a nod.
"Yeah. I'll stick around to bring him back to his cell when you're done," Karatenmon agreed.
Paildramon nodded and saluted before turning around and beginning to walk out of the medical bay. "This way," she said, giving GrandisKuwagamon a look as she passed him.
GrandisKuwagamon grinned and looked her over as she walked away from him. Magnamon gently elbowed him and looked up at him with a stern gaze. "I'd follow her, if I were you," he suggested, tacitly telling him to stop what he was doing.
The insect mercenary rolled his eye and followed after Paildramon. "Whatever you say…" he stated, walking after her. He quickly caught up and began walking beside the dragon woman Digimon. GrandisKuwagamon leered at her out of the corner of his eye. "Paildramon, was it?"
"Yes, that's right," she answered, glancing back at the insect Digimon beside her.
"You walk like a soldier, but you don't talk like one. You sound educated," he observed. "Wealthy background?"
Paildramon glanced at him with a look of veiled annoyance at his accurate read of her. "You're observant… Yes, I guess I am," she responded, intentionally omitting the fact that her father is one of the councillors of the Council of Seven. "It's not that odd for soldiers to be educated though. It's a noble profession."
"Yeah, real noble. Unlike mercenary work…" GrandisKuwagamon said with a smirk. "Yeah, I guess working for the Royal Knights must be pretty prestigious. So, just how loaded are you? You from an aristocratic family?"
"Please mind your own business," Paildramon responded, giving him a cold leer.
"Oh. Did I strike a nerve?" he asked, grinning at the fact that he managed to annoy her.
"No, I just think we should keep our interactions strictly professional," she said to him. "I won't ask about your past and you don't ask about mine. It's better that way."
"Whatever. Not that I actually care. I was just making conversation," he said with a shrug. He then grinned again. "…Keep things professional, huh? Why do you say that? Are you fighting the urge to tear my armour off and have your way with me? Because I wouldn't say no to someone as sexy as you..."
Paildramon shot him an annoyed look. "Watch it, GrandisKuwagamon," she warned him.
GrandisKuwagamon merely laughed and continued walking down the castle corridor. They neared a corner halfway down the hallway and turned left down it. Despite not hearing footsteps, GrandisKuwagamon knew that Karatenmon was following them. He looked at Paildramon again. "So… You're a Paildramon. Did you used to be an ExVeemon and a Stingmon until you jogressed? …How does jogressing work anyways? Is it like sex? Did you put your Spiking Strike in his—"
"No," Paildramon interrupted bluntly, rolling her red eyes. "I'm not a jogress Digimon. My lower form is ExVeemon."
"How the hell does that work?" GrandisKuwagamon questioned, assuming that all jogress Digimon came from two composite parts.
"My father is an Imperialdramon. I already have the insect data in me necessary to reach this form. No partner was required in this case," she explained.
"So, what you're saying is that you're single," he teased her.
She didn't grace his joke with a reply. "They're up there," she informed him, looking ahead.
GrandisKuwagamon turned his gaze away from her and looked down the illuminated castle corridor. He could see Dorbickmon talking with a familiar Digimon. To his incredulity, the Digimon he was talking to was none other than the annoying blockhead who had volunteered to help guard the dungeon: VictoryGreymon.
VictoryGreymon was talking to Dorbickmon animatedly. There was a familiar glimmer of excitement in his wide, green eyes.
"Seriously? Him? You chose him?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, gazing at Paildramon with an irritated look. "You've gotta be kidding… I've seen him trip over his own tail."
"His qualities outweigh his flaws," Paildramon insisted, walking towards them.
"…He once said, 'For all intensive purposes'," the mercenary insisted, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he followed after her.
"He's a good, dependable soldier," she stated, not really leaving any room for debate.
GrandisKuwagamon scoffed. "I hate soldiers. They're usually too stupid or too weak to think for themselves," he grumbled. "All they can do is follow orders blindly."
"That isn't true at all. Good soldiers are able to think outside of the box, take the initiative, and make snap decisions in high pressure situations," Paildramon insisted.
"Whatever. There's still a chain of command, so they're always getting their orders from somebody," the bug Digimon stated. "There's no such thing as independent thinking in the army. You're always doing what somebody else tells you, not matter what you actually think. You never have to make hard decisions for yourself; you get to just say 'Well, those are my orders so it's not my fault'. It's weak and pathetic, really."
Paildramon's scarlet eyes slowly turned and fixed themselves on GrandisKuwagamon. She stared at him pensively for a few moments. "…You don't like authority, do you?" the dragon woman deduced, observing the black beetle carefully.
The insect man grinned a bit and shrugged. "Not particularly. And authority doesn't like me either," he responded matter-of-factly.
"Aren't I lucky?" she murmured with an exasperated breath.
"To get to look after a good-looking guy like me? Yup. You sure are," GrandisKuwagamon responded with a teasing smirk. "Just too bad I'm stuck with a leader who thinks it's a good idea to bring a big, thick, walking encyclopedia of Royal Knights trivia along."
As he walked with Paildramon up to VictoryGreymon and Dorbickmon, he overheard their conversation.
"You're really friends with Sir Examon?!" VictoryGreymon asked excitedly. "What can you tell me about him? Is it true that he lived in the mountains for years, perfecting his battle skills and training?! Is it true that he jogressed with a Breakdramon to become Examon? I was told that he didn't have a fusion partner, but-"
Dorbickmon stared at the muscular dragon man with a raised brow. "Uh… Look, I knew him as a kid and then we reconnected recently. Everything in between, I've got no idea about," he explained, hoping that would get him to stop asking questions.
"Aww, well, alright… Thanks anyways," VictoryGreymon responded, smiling sheepishly as he twiddled his fingers and played with the tip of his tail. Upon seeing Paildramon and GrandisKuwagamon approach, he smiled broadly. "Over-sergeant Paildramon! Hi."
"Hello, VictoryGreymon," Paildramon greeted, nodding at him as she came to a stop beside them.
"So, this is the crack team?" GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically asked, folding his arms and looking over the group judgmentally.
"No, no. The Crack Team is made up of about seven Digimon and they mainly operate on Colossus. It's rare to see them on our continent," VictoryGreymon explained as he proudly placed his hands on his hips.
GrandisKuwagamon turned and gave Paildramon a bland look. "Not the brightest bulb, is he?" he asked her.
Paildramon sighed. "GrandisKuwagamon, this is Dorbickmon and VictoryGreymon," she introduced them, extending her hand towards the red and orange dragon men.
"I know," he stated flatly.
"Hey! I'm really glad you made the right decision and started working with the Royal Knights," VictoryGreymon happily said, holding his hand out amiably. "Maybe we can finish that handshake now."
GrandisKuwagamon stared at VictoryGreymon blandly. He then gazed down at his hand distastefully and stared at it. He then looked back up at the dragon man.
Paildramon leaned over to the insect mercenary slightly. "Shake his hand," she whispered low enough that VictoryGreymon couldn't hear her.
GrandisKuwagamon rolled his crimson eye and took the VictoryGreymon's hand. VictoryGreymon squeezed his palm tightly, hard enough to send pain shooting through GrandisKuwagamon's hand. Judging by the big, dumb grin on VictoryGreymon's face, it was clear that it wasn't malicious. It seemed that the dragon man didn't know his own strength, of which there was plenty.
GrandisKuwagamon stifled a wince and swiftly retracted his hand. "Hell of a grip," he muttered.
"Oh, sorry. Too tight?" VictoryGreymon asked with a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his red-haired head. "I get that a lot."
"I'll live," GrandisKuwagamon answered, glancing at Dorbickmon. "Assuming he doesn't try to kill me in my sleep."
Dorbickmon gave him an unnerving, toothy grin. "Tempting, but I promised that I wouldn't touch a hair on your head," he explained. "You're safe from me, bug."
"You're the one who's safe," GrandisKuwagamon countered. "Attacking me would be your last mistake."
"Huh. And I thought I was safe because you got your powers bugged… bug," Dorbickmon responded with a dark grin. He folded his arms across his armoured chest and looked at GrandisKuwagamon with smug satisfaction. "Aren't you on a leash right now?"
GrandisKuwagamon scowled. He did remember that Karatenmon mentioned that they had implanted another virus in him in order to restrain his movement. Apart from being unable to evolve and use his attacks – both effects of the first virus – he didn't feel any different from usual. He didn't like not knowing what the virus was and how it was affecting him. He needed to know what his limits were. The fact that he was in this situation at all got under his exoskeleton, but he knew it was his best option, so he stomached it.
"What do you know about it?" GrandisKuwagamon asked accusingly.
"I know that you won't be running off any time soon," Dorbickmon said with a rough chuckle. "You're tied to us."
"How the hell does that work? I feel fine," GrandisKuwagamon responded sceptically.
Dorbickmon grinned at him and nodded over his shoulder, down the corridor. "Give it a try if you don't believe me. Walk down the length of that hallway."
GrandisKuwagamon frowned and looked at Paildramon. "Is it dangerous?" he asked her.
"It shouldn't be," she answered, frowning as well. "Would you mind? It won't be pleasant, but we need make sure it works without any problems or unwanted side effects."
"What am I? A test subject?" the insect mercenary questioned bitterly.
Paildramon shook her head. "This inhibitor has been field-tested several times. We just need to make sure that it has acclimatized to your body properly. It's for your own safety," she explained.
"We'll be right here, GrandisKuwagamon," Karatenmon's voice suddenly said from behind them.
VictoryGreymon let out a sharp, high-pitched yelp and he jumped into the air in surprise. Upon landing, he stumbled over his feet and staggered into the stone wall.
The other three reacted less dramatically, turning around to see the ninja spymaster suddenly standing behind them.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to surprise you," he said with an amused grin. Karatenmon looked at GrandisKuwagamon. "Go ahead. I'm sure you're curious about it."
"Tch. Fine…" GrandisKuwagamon responded. On the one hand, he was curious. He knew that it would probably be a bad experience, but he had to know. On the other hand, if the virus didn't work, this would be the perfect opportunity to escape from the Royal Knights. He had to try.
GrandisKuwagamon began beating his x-shaped insect wings and his body lifted up from the stone floor. He began to tentatively fly down the long, wide corridor as the group of Order Digimon stayed where they were. The mercenary flew forwards, making his way down the length of the hall.
He passed about ten meters but didn't feel any different. Feeling emboldened, he picked up his speed slightly. Twenty meters passed. Still nothing. He flew faster and further. At thirty meters, he was halfway down the corridor and he still felt fine. A smirk grew on his face.
He began to feel more confident that nothing was going to happen. He increased his speed further and his mind was beginning to toy with the idea of escaping. GrandisKuwagamon was nearly at the end of the corridor, where it turned into two hallways to the left and right.
As he approached fifty meters, GrandisKuwagamon suddenly began to feel a faint, static feeling tracing his body. He thought it was strange, but it didn't seem that strong at the moment, so he pressed on and ignored the warning. He was nearly there.
However, once he passed fifty meters, everything changed. A strong surge of electricity coursed through his body for two seconds. The electricity caused his body to seize up and he was knocked out of the air. GrandisKuwagamon crashed to the ground with a loud clamour. In the wake of the surprising jolt of lightning, his muscles suddenly began to go numb. He found that he couldn't move his arms, legs, or wings at all.
"D-Damn it…!" he hissed, panting heavily as his body was wracked with pain and rendered immobile. He knew that this was the virus setting in.
"We should help him now," VictoryGreymon said, wincing sympathetically at what looked like a very painful experience.
Paildramon nodded and the group began to walk down the hallway towards them. Once she was in proximity, the effects of the virus began to subside.
GrandisKuwagamon swore under his breath, feeling relief when he felt prickling sensations in his muscles. He began to regain control of his body. The numbness faded and he could feel his muscles begin to respond to his movements.
The group walked over to him and VictoryGreymon offered him his hand to help him up. GrandisKuwagamon shot him a furious glare and swatted his hand away, still feeling lingering traces of electricity in his twitching muscles. He stood up on his own. "What the hell was that?" he demanded as he shook out his muscles.
"That was the virus doing its job," Karatenmon explained. "How do you feel?"
"I just got electrocuted; how do you think I feel? I feel pissed off!" GrandisKuwagamon responded matter-of-factly.
"The inhibitor keeps you from moving more than fifty meters away from your teammates. Once you do, you will receive a static sensation that warns you that you're reaching the limit of distance. If you continue going past it, you will receive a sharp, electric shock and then your muscles will go numb, rendering you immobile. You will be immobile until you are, once again, in proximity to the group," Paildramon explained.
"Like I said, think of it like a leash so that you don't make a run for it," Dorbickmon said with an amused grin.
"Wonderful," GrandisKuwagamon muttered, brushing himself off. "That's not at all limiting or inconvenient! How am I supposed to do my job with this pain in the ass inside of me?"
"You'll get used to it. We won't be far away during this mission," Paildramon explained.
Karatenmon looked at GrandisKuwagamon. "Any lingering side-effects?"
"Just a bad mood," the insect answered bitterly.
"You had that anyways," Dorbickmon joked, folding his arms.
"Hilarious," GrandisKuwagamon answered flatly, making it clear that he didn't see the humour in the situation.
Karatenmon grinned. "Anyway, we'll take you back to your cell. You four are heading out tomorrow morning, aren't you?" he asked them.
Paildramon nodded affirmatively. "Yes, Captain," she confirmed.
"Then you should all get some rest. Alphamon wants to speak to you before you leave, as well," the raven informed them.
"He does?!" VictoryGreymon exclaimed excitedly. "That's so awesome! He's going to address us personally?! I might be too excited to rest!"
"Try, V. We have a long journey ahead of us," Dorbickmon said to him with a grin, patting the dragon man on his broad shoulder.
"He's right. You get some rest too, GrandisKuwagamon," Paildramon told the mercenary.
GrandisKuwagamon folded his arms and narrowed his eye. "Assuming I don't get electrocuted as I sleep."
"You'll be fine," Karatenmon assured him. "Just remember why you're doing this."
"Yeah, I know…" he muttered, looking away.
Karatenmon nodded and smiled. "Anyways, you're all introduced now, so you're dismissed. I'll see you four tomorrow before you leave," he stated.
Paildramon and VictoryGreymon saluted him before turning and walking alongside GrandisKuwagamon and Dorbickmon.
Paildramon gazed at the mercenary quietly. For safety reasons, they were making it seem like the virus bound GrandisKuwagamon to the whole group, but in reality, it was she who he was tied to. It was best that the mercenary didn't know that. She didn't trust him and she knew that he was capable of many things, so she knew that she would have to keep a close eye on him.
It would be a dangerous mission, but, at the least, GrandisKuwagamon was subdued.
A day passed…
It was a generally cloudy morning over Splendour's Reach. The sky was covered by white clouds with the occasional patch of grey. There were small gaps between the clouds that allowed rays of light to intermittently shine down across the grassy landscape every so often. These holes teased blue skies and sunlight as the clouds lazily drifted overhead.
It was still early in the morning, so only the early birds and the Order members who were on duty were up. Dozens of Digimon walked around the grounds of Castle Albion. Guards walked along the walls and some soldiers practiced in the firing range and training ground while the areas were still empty.
Nearby, Alphamon walked alongside Omegamon and Dukemon, all of whom had woken up early. The three meandered down the main road in front of the castle, heading away from the main building of the HQ. They passed by shops and stalls that lined the road leading up from the main gate. Many of the merchants and shop owners were just opening up for the day.
Their metal boots rattled against the cobbled road softly as they passed by the blacksmith's. Dukemon grinned and waved good-naturedly at some of the recognizable show-owners as the trio passed by. When they neared the end of the road, Omegamon looked over at the pair curiously.
"May I have an update on the scouting reports?" he asked them, his soft, double voice revealing hints of unease.
"Are you getting antsy, Omegamon?" Alphamon questioned, gazing at Omegamon and his gold eyes shimmering with levity.
"Somewhat… With every day that passes, the threat of the Demon Lords grows. We have no idea what they are planning or even what they are doing," he explained.
"Yeah, I don't blame you. I'm itching to go after them too," Dukemon agreed, looking over with a small smile reflected in his goldenrod eyes. "I'll be the first to admit that I'm getting impatient."
Alphamon nodded softly. "I understand completely, but there is only so much that we can do until we find them. We're scouring the continent of Eniac as swiftly as possible. Until then, we just have to remain patient and trust Grani, Karatenmon, and their capable subordinates," the black knight explained even-headedly.
Omegamon sighed. "Yes… You are absolutely right," the white knight admitted sheepishly. "I just feel edgy about the whole situation. They are capable of so much destruction."
Dukemon narrowed his eyes and nodded in agreement. "We've experienced that firsthand," he stated, his demeanour suddenly growing serious. "We need to stop them before they can cause any more destruction and suffering in the Digital World. They're just too dangerous to be allowed to roam freely…"
As Dukemon spoke, Omegamon's soft, blue eyes lingered on him pensively. He quietly nodded in agreement.
"I'm inclined to agree," Alphamon stated, idly reaching over his shoulder to readjust the hem of his flowing cape. "However, it isn't as straightforward as simply going to beat them up, as tempting as that might be… If we have learned anything from our previous encounter with them, it's that we need a strategy to take them down. Barbamon is a capable strategist, and they are all extremely powerful, so it is too risky to rely on brute force alone."
"Sometimes brute force works," Dukemon countered, looking over at Alphamon. "When we first faced them, there were only seven of us. Now there are twelve Royal Knights, and we're all stronger."
"That may be, but we don't know how powerful they are," Alphamon responded. "DarkKnightmon came out of the Dark Area more powerful than before."
"That's true in the long term, but in the short term, when they come out, they tend to be weaker, don't they?" Dukemon questioned. "I don't know the reasoning behind it, but it seems like they need to regain their strength."
Alphamon eyed Dukemon calmly. "I would prefer to be cautious... When we first fought them, they had only recently achieved their demon forms. They were likely weaker than they are now," he said sceptically. "We need a plan."
"I have a plan, oh ye of little faith," Dukemon answered, grinning playfully at Alphamon.
"Oh?" Alphamon asked with a touch of amusement in his voice. "Well then, what do you propose, Dukemon?" he asked him.
"As soon we find the Demon Lords, we hunt them down, attack them, and make the strategy up as we go along," he declared with a confident grin.
Alphamon stared at Dukemon with flat incredulity.
Omegamon, on the other hand, folded his arms and closed his eyes, nodding sagely. "Ah, yes. An improvisational-search-and-destroy-operation-with-strike-force-capabilities-and-adaptatable-variables-for-greater-operational-flexibility," Omegamon agreed completely, dressing up Dukemon's words to make the idea sound better than it actually was. "An excellent idea, Dukemon."
Alphamon looked between the two Royal Knights, his steady, deadpan gaze slowly shifting between Omegamon and Dukemon. Alphamon palmed his face. "You two are as bad as each other…" he said, sighing with exasperation.
He could count on Dukemon to be impulsive, but Omegamon had a hidden reckless streak that would emerge every now and then when he was particularly adamant about something. It was an aspect of Omegamon's personality that carried over from his WarGreymon side, sometimes contrasting with his measured demeanour that came from his MetalGarurumon side.
Dukemon laughed good-naturedly and placed his hand on Alphamon's shoulder. "Oh, come on. We know what we're doing, Alphamon," he said with a grin, patting the ebony paladin reassuringly.
"I have a long history of getting you two out of trouble," the black Royal Knight reminded them.
Dukemon flashed a smile at his black armoured friend. "It isn't all one-sided, you know," the crimson-caped knight was quick to remind him. "We've each gotten you out of some scrapes too, if you'll remember." He winked playfully.
Alphamon couldn't help but smile. "That may be… However, I still believe that we need to be strategic in dealing with the Demon Lords," he explained, rubbing his chin with his thumb and index finger. "What is that old saying…? 'A good warrior knows when to move, but a good commander knows when to remain still.'?"
"You just made that now, didn't you?" Omegamon responded with a small, knowing smile.
"You crafty fox," Dukemon teased, smirking and folding his arms. "Have you been deceiving us with your clever, philosophical sayings all this time?"
Alphamon grinned at them playfully. "Only sometimes… I thought it sounded pretty good for something I just made up on the spot, don't you…?" he said with a hint of humour in his voice. "With that said, perhaps we should leave this discussion for when we actually find the Demon Lords. It is better to engage in a debate like this when there are hard facts rather than hypotheticals."
Omegamon smiled and nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're right," he concurred. "We can speak with the other knights about it once we hear solid reports of their activities."
"Yeah, that sounds good to me," Dukemon stated, placing his hands behind his helmeted head as the three walked up the road beside the training grounds. "I'm awaiting news from Grani."
"You rang?" a voice abruptly said from behind Dukemon.
Dukemon jumped a bit and spun around on the street, moving his red cape out of the way with his arm as he pivoted. "Don't sneak up on me! You're spending too much time with Karatenmon," Dukemon exclaimed, although with a grin forming.
"No, I am certainly not," Grani responded with a bit of a huff. "More importantly, I have just received an urgent report from one of my patrols."
Alphamon and Omegamon looked at Grani with interest. "What is it, Grani?" Alphamon asked him curiously.
"It's the patrol that was sent to investigate the influx of data up in the Cathode Tundra," Grani explained, his sapphire eyes calm but emanating the severity of the situation. "…They have located the Demon Lord, Belphemon."
The expressions of all three Royal Knights suddenly became serious and their eyes narrowed. "What?" Dukemon asked.
"They found him at the exact coordinates positioned on the DADAR scan. It must have been where the dark rift had been located," Grani explained as he hovered before the three Royal Knights.
"What happened?" Alphamon inquired.
"The patrol encountered Belphemon, who was merely floating there in a state of slumber. It seems as though his power is still sealed in his Sleep Mode," the crimson Zero ARMS explained.
"Good," Dukemon said with a sigh.
"However…" Grani said ominously. "One of my scouts decided to break protocol and attack Belphemon while he slept. As you can expect, this was a foolish decision. Belphemon was unharmed and he remains asleep, and it appears that he is still capable of attacking, even in his Sleep Mode. He released a snore in the form of a shockwave; just being grazed by it was enough to dislocate Aquilamon's wing."
Alphamon frowned at this news. "So, Belphemon is not to be taken lightly, even when his powers are restrained and he is in his Sleep Mode," he mused. "I suppose we should at least be fortunate that he is immobile and unconscious." The Aloof Hermit gazed at Grani with concern. "How is Aquilamon?"
"He will be fine. He is being treated by Duskmon now," Grani explained. "But, yes, it appears that Belphemon is still subdued by the program that was placed on him when he was banished to the Dark Area. He is neither conscious nor mobile."
"Lucky for us, then," Dukemon stated, folding his arms and looking at Alphamon. "Alphamon…?"
Alphamon nodded. "I know… We must reach Belphemon before the rest of the Demon Lords do," he responded with firm resolve.
"We should gather the other Royal Knights and prepare a morning meeting to discuss it," Omegamon agreed. "Dukemon?"
"Yeah, let's go," Dukemon responded. "I'll try to wake up Dynasmon."
Alphamon looked down the road. "I will catch up with both of you. There is something that I need to attend to first," he explained.
"You mean Paildramon and them?" Dukemon questioned, beginning to turn around. "Alright. Wish them luck for me."
"We'll be in the meeting room," Omegamon said, nodding at Alphamon.
"Okay. I won't be long," Alphamon assured them.
The two Royal Knights then turned and began flying back down the road at a more pressing pace. Alphamon watched the pair soar back the way they came, towards the entrance of the main building. As soon as they turned the corner and disappeared behind the towers and walls of the castle, Alphamon continued walking up the road towards the staging area.
Ahead of him, he could see Karatenmon standing in front of four Digimon, talking with them casually. Paildramon stood up straight, nodded politely, and calmly conversed with him. Beside her was the muscular member of the Greymon Five, VictoryGreymon. The dragon man talked animatedly with Karatenmon with excited, green eyes and a broad smile on his face. Next to him was Dorbickmon, who stood with a relaxed demeanour. He occasionally chimed in with an impish smirk on his face. Off to the side was GrandisKuwagamon, who stood with his arms folded, not really interested in taking part in the conversation.
Alphamon made his way over to them, garnering their attention as he approached.
VictoryGreymon gasped with excitement. "It's Alphamon! Alphamon's coming over to talk with us!" he fanboyed, nearly bouncing on his toe claws with excitement and allowing his draconic tail to snake back and forth. "He looks so cool; he carries himself with such composed confidence-"
"Okay, settle down," Dorbickmon said with a grin. "This isn't the first time you've seen him."
"Seriously, enough with the fangasm," GrandisKuwagamon agreed with a roll of his eye. "It's embarrassing to watch."
"Sorry," VictoryGreymon responded, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "Alphamon's one of my personal heroes."
"Along with the rest of the Royal Knights," Dorbickmon pointed out with a sarcastic grin. "I think we get the picture."
"Hey, what about me?" Karatenmon asked with a good-natured smile. "Don't us Captains get any acknowledgment?"
"Oh, of course!" VictoryGreymon spoke excitedly. "You're really cool too, Captain Karatenmon! The adventurous ninja – the Gold Crow from Yakumo who broke the code of his village in order to free them from the bonds of their ancient, sacred duty to the Spirit of Wood! You were the mentor of the famous Warrior of Wood, Shurimon, who went on to become AncientTroiamon of the Warrior Ten! You taught him most of the ninjutsu that he knows, and he helped you in your time of need! It's such an awesome and beautiful story!"
At this, Karatenmon couldn't help but be taken completely off guard. He blinked and awkwardly scratched his black, feathery cheek with a talon. "…Those things… aren't supposed to be common knowledge…" he admitted, a bit shocked that VictoryGreymon knew that much about him, given what he knew about VictoryGreymon.
"Impressive," Alphamon said, walking over and looking at VictoryGreymon with a smile. "You're quite knowledgeable, VictoryGreymon. Being a ninja, Karatenmon is adept at keeping things a secret. His role as our spymaster isn't known outside of the Order, barring a few individuals. I'm amazed that you know so much about him."
At this VictoryGreymon's face turned bright red. A big, dumb smile formed on his face, he ducked his head, and rubbed the back of his head. "Me? Knowledgeable? Nah…" he responded humbly, although unable to hide his embarrassment and happiness at being complimented by Alphamon. "I'm pretty dumb when it comes to most things. I just love everything about the Order, so I like to know as much as I can about it. Plus, I like the Warrior Ten too. I did a bunch of research after I joined and asked around."
"Probably stalked him," GrandisKuwagamon muttered under his breath.
Alphamon smiled warmly at VictoryGreymon. "I see. It's good to have such a dedicated member in our ranks, then," he stated, stopping in front of the group of five.
"Hahaha…!" VictoryGreymon laughed with goofy embarrassment, still rubbing the back of his head with a massive grin on his face.
Paildramon smiled, tolerant of his obvious excitement. She took a step forwards and saluted Alphamon with a vertical swipe of her clawed hand. "Sir Alphamon," she greeted professionally. "Good morning."
"Oh!" VictoryGreymon stammered. He blushed and quickly caught himself from his fanboying. He puffed his muscular chest up and hastily saluted as well. "Ready and awaiting your orders, Sir Alphamon!" he exclaimed, trying to save face by looking professional.
Dorbickmon merely glanced at Alphamon and nodded. "Hey," he greeted informally.
GrandisKuwagamon folded his arms and leered at Alphamon out of the corner of his eye, not interested in greeting him at all.
"So, this is the team," Karatenmon said, gesturing with his talons to the group of four.
Alphamon nodded and saluted the two soldiers gently. "A solid bunch. Are you all ready?" he asked them.
"Yes, we all know what our job is," Paildramon explained.
"We won't let you down, Alphamon!" VictoryGreymon promised him, his eagerness and determination flashing in his sharp, green eyes. "We'll bring those mercenaries to justice!"
"Ahem…"
VictoryGreymon turned and saw GrandisKuwagamon standing beside him, shooting him a sarcastic stare. "Oh!" VictoryGreymon exclaimed sheepishly, smiling with embarrassment. "Sorry! No offence, Grandis! Uh, you too, Dorbickmon!"
GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye.
"Remember, VictoryGreymon, you're only going to gather information about their client. Capturing them is not the priority," Karatenmon explained. "A ninja must gauge when it is best to act and when it is best to merely watch."
"Of course, Captain Karatenmon, Sir! I'll be a good ninja! I promise!" VictoryGreymon insisted eagerly.
"Yeah, right," Dorbickmon muttered sceptically, inwardly thinking that ninjas don't usually trip walking up the stairs.
GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his red eye and turned towards Alphamon. "…What are you doin' here? Checking up on me?" he asked the Royal Knight pointedly.
"In a manner of speaking," he diplomatically responded. "Are you still okay with this? I know that you were close with Blitzmon and Bolgmon…"
"Not that close apparently," GrandisKuwagamon muttered. He turned and folded his arms across his chest, facing Alphamon directly. His locked his red eye with Alphamon's golden ones. "…You'll hold up your end of the bargain?"
"Of course I will. You have my word as a Royal Knight," Alphamon assured him.
GrandisKuwagamon nodded, satisfied with the answer. "…Then, yeah. I'm good. I'll do whatever ensures my freedom. That's all I care about," he replied bluntly. "There's no love lost between me and them, so if I get to screw them over while helping you guys, all the better."
"Very well. As long as we agree…" Alphamon responded, steadily studying the mercenary.
"It's not like I can do much else with this shock collar on me," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out with a bit of acerbic defiance in his voice.
Alphamon sighed. "I know it's not ideal, but we have to be pragmatic. And you did agree to do things our way," he pointed out.
"Yeah, yeah," GrandisKuwagamon dismissively replied with a wave of his hand. "Do I at least get my Gran Killers back?"
"Nope," Karatenmon stated matter-of-factly.
"What the hell am I supposed to do if we get into a fight?" GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically asked. "Swear at them?"
"Your ugly mug should be enough to scare them off," Dorbickmon said with a taunting laugh. He smirked at the black insect Digimon. "If not, just hide behind Paildramon. She'll protect you."
"That's true, but the purpose of this mission isn't to get into a fight," Paildramon stated, looking at her three teammates.
"Paildramon's right," Karatenmon said. "This mission is simple information gathering. The idea is to avoid confrontation and gathering a lot of attention onto you. If you're getting into a fight, you're doing something wrong."
Alphamon nodded in agreement. "Correct. Just find out who Black Pincer Company's client is. There shouldn't be any need for violence," he concurred.
"Things aren't always that simple," GrandisKuwagamon explained. "There's a chance that something could go wrong and we could be attacked. I want to be able to defend myself if shit goes down."
"And I'm not taking the chance of you skewering us in our sleep," Dorbickmon challenged, locking eyes with GrandisKuwagamon.
Alphamon closed his eyes pensively. "Your abilities may be sealed, but you still have your natural weapons, even without the Gran Killers. I've seen your hand-to-hand abilities first hand. Those should be enough in a pinch. After all, you don't need to kill the enemy."
"And we'll back you up too!" VictoryGreymon assured him with a warm smile. "We're a team, after all! Teammates help each other! If you're in trouble, we'll be there."
"Aww, thanks!" he responded disingenuously. GrandisKuwagamon sighed with exasperation. "…Okay, fine; we won't get our cover blown," he said, although making his distaste clear.
Alphamon nodded and gazed at GrandisKuwagamon. "Good. I knew I could count on you to be professional," he stated.
"Well, no shit; we ran a professional merc company. If you get into the mercenary game, you've gotta be serious. No devil-may-care, fly-by-night stunts there. You've gotta have a reputation for getting the job done or else you'll find yourself getting crushed by bigger, more professional companies," GrandisKuwagamon explained, folding his arms. "I know you knights don't approve of the jobs we took, but even the darker parts of the Digital World have standards."
Alphamon smiled. "I'm aware of that, GrandisKuwagamon," he said to him. "Treat this as one of your jobs. Do your best, don't try anything, and we'll live up to our end of the bargain."
"I intend to," GrandisKuwagamon answered, not shying away from his gaze.
"And we'll keep him in line," Dorbickmon said, placing a hand on GrandisKuwagamon's shoulder with a grin.
"Like hell, you will," GrandisKuwagamon said, shrugging his hand off.
Paildramon looked over at the protesting bug. "I'll be doing that," she promised him.
"Well, at least you're better-looking than this guy," GrandisKuwagamon said, thumbing at Dorbickmon.
"I also have an Ultimate form, so keep that in mind as well," she warned him matter-of-factly, subtly telling him not to attempt anything by underestimating her.
GrandisKuwagamon managed a grin. "I'll look forward to seeing that," he mentioned, taking joy in goading her.
Paildramon gave him a flat look and turned back to Alphamon. "We are ready to move out, Sir Alphamon," she stated. "Captain Karatenmon was just informing us on the latest intel."
Karatenmon nodded his helmeted head and turned to Alphamon. "I'm done. I was just waiting for you to show up and see them off," he explained. "Grani filled me in on what happened with the patrol too."
"Good. We're going to be telling the other Royal Knights after this," Alphamon responded. "But enough about that…" He turned to the team of four and smiled gently. "Good luck. Keep safe and do your best to uncover this mystery…"
"We will, Sir," Paildramon assured him.
"We won't let you down!" VictoryGreymon added with an eager smile.
Dorbickmon looked at Alphamon with a frown. "Tell Examon…" He stalled, his tongue sticking on the roof of his mouth as he thought. He shook his head and dismissively waved his hand. "Never mind. Forget it."
Alphamon looked at Dorbickmon curiously, but nodded, accepting his change of mind.
"Come on, let's head out. We have a long journey ahead of us," Paildramon said to the other three. She saluted her two superiors before walking past them and heading down the stone road, away from the staging area.
VictoryGreymon saluted as well, his excited eyes lingering on Alphamon for a moment before he followed after Paildramon. Dorbickmon followed after them at a leisurely pace, while GrandisKuwagamon matched pace with them, not wanting to activate the effects of the virus implanted in him.
Alphamon and Karatenmon watched as the group of four walked off down the stone road and headed for the exit. The black and gold armoured Royal Knight turned to the avian ninja. "Do you think they'll be okay?" he asked the spymaster.
"I think they'll be fine. Paildramon's a strong, intelligent leader. Dorbickmon and GrandisKuwagamon are both street-smart and they have a vested interest in working together. If Dorbickmon is seen with GrandisKuwagamon, then his reputation as an informant will be put into doubt, and GrandisKuwagamon will want to help Dorbickmon with this or else people will start thinking that he's working with our Order too," Karatenmon explained.
Alphamon nodded. "I can see your logic. Hopefully they can put that bad blood behind them as well," he mused. "What about VictoryGreymon?"
"Well, he's not the most intellectual or outside-the-box thinker, but he's loyal, dependable, and he's strong enough to hold off a few Ultimate-levels by himself," Karatenmon answered. "They'll be fine."
"I can only hope so…" Alphamon said, glancing after them.
He exhaled and began walking past Karatenmon, down the road. "Come on, Karatenmon. Let's go meet with the others," he stated, striding with his cape flowing in the wind. "We need to discuss what to do about Belphemon…"
Bagramon and six out of the Seven Demon Lords walked down a decayed, beaten road. The ground below was cracked, sunken, and dirty. It was clear from the state of disrepair that hardly anybody ever travelled down the path. It was wide enough for Leviamon's massive body to walk down it without any problems.
Flanking the sides of the road were bent, gnarled street signs – some were half-melted and others were twisted around multiple times. Behind them was the Void Mountains, which loomed over the landscape ominously. Its crooked, rocky peaks and outcroppings, especially when cast against the backdrop of the dark grey sky, made it especially foreboding. The surrounding area on both sides of the road stretched out as far as the eye could see. The fields were barren and desolate with dirt. Every so often, there were scars in the land: furrows and craters from long ago that had mostly (but not completely) filled in. They were remnants from the cataclysmic battles that took place there, in the Desolate Wastes. In the distance, on the far, western side of the Void Mountains, was a cove that connected to the Delta Ocean. Even the cove was completely placid and still. The whole landscape had the lingering feeling of death.
Parts of the sky occasionally flickered and distorted. It was like there were miniature cracks and implosions that took place for a millisecond before the appearance of the sky would return to normal. It was the result of damaged data that couldn't be repaired. It was harmless, but it was caused by one of the major cataclysms that tore through the area and across the Digital World. The ground had similar impurities – flickering blocks of glowing data. The area was lifeless and desolate. Littering the dark wasteland was out-of-order electrical equipment. A kilometer away, there was a non-operational TV tower standing tall over the dreary terrain. Scattered around the forsaken fields were several warped cell phone towers and a few street clocks whose hands were spinning wildly and chaotically. The landscape was like something out of a surrealist nightmare.
Bagramon walked alongside the six other Demon Lords. He noticed Lucemon walking at the front of the group, leading the way down it. Bagramon followed directly behind him, as did Demon. Behind them was Lilithmon, who meandered up the road at a leisurely pace. Barbamon strode beside her, looking around the bleak landscape curiously. Taking up the rear was Leviamon, whose massive body waddled up the street. He was heavy enough to cause cracks to appear beneath his feet in the already fractured road.
Driving beside the group was Beelzebumon, who chugged along on the Behemoth in short, impatient bursts. The leather-clad demon man rolled along the bumpy road, occasionally looking over at the other Demon Lords to see if they would hurry up. It was clear that they weren't going to. A vein of frustration throbbed in his forehead and he wore a broad, toothy scowl on his face. The Behemoth was meant for speed and so was he.
After a few more minutes of walking at what seemed like a snail's pace. Beelzebumon suddenly revved the engine of his motorbike. "Fuck this! I'm going on ahead without you losers," he declared, raring to go.
Barbamon smirked and folded his arms. "That didn't take you long, Beelzebumon…" he observed with a condescending, knowing tone to his voice.
"My joints aren't rusty like yours, old man. I'm out of here!" Beelzebumon fired back, about to slam his foot onto the accelerator.
Lucemon: Falldown Mode turned around to stare at him with piercing eyes. "Wait," he spoke calmly.
"I'm not waitin' around for you guys," Beelzebumon defiantly responded, leering at Lucemon.
"Just wait a minute," Lucemon replied, folding his arms.
Bagramon stopped and nodded with agreement. "Lucemon is right. Now would be a good time to decide who is going where," he added.
"Think you can manage to wait that long, Beelzebumon?" Lilithmon asked with a sly smile.
"Tch. Make it quick," the three-eyed demon answered curtly, coming to a rolling stop.
"Hmph," Barbamon scoffed, placing the butt-end of his staff against the road. "As I mentioned before, it would be more efficient if we split into two groups. One group will go to the Desolate Moors, near Sepulcrum, to curry support from the demon aristocrats there. The other will head directly to the Cathode Tundra in order to secure Belphemon. Time is not something that we are rich in, so rather than all of us going first to Sepulcrum and then to the Tundra, we should split up."
"Yes, that seems sensible," Demon stated, leering at Barbamon behind his hooded robe.
"I will go to Sepulcrum. Obviously, my intellect and diplomatic skills are most required there," Lucemon: Falldown Mode announced as if there was never any doubt in his actions. He placed a hand on his hip and turned to the others. "If any of you wish to follow me, you may do so."
Leviamon rolled his gold eyes and grunted in response to Lucemon's arrogance. "I'm going after Belphemon," he declared in a deep, booming voice. "You guys can do what you want."
"I shall accompany you, Lucemon," Bagramon explained. "I arranged the meeting and I am well acquainted with many of the elites whose support we need."
"Naturally," Lucemon agreed. "Barbamon, you come as well."
"Of course. You need somebody strategically and fiscally-minded to be there," Barbamon confirmed, walking up to him. "We can plan our movements better that way."
"Why do you think I asked?" Lucemon stated, tilting his head back with a smug grin.
Lilithmon idly examined the back of her hand. "Hmm… I think I shall come along as well. A good negotiation requires a delicate touch. I can definitely be more even-headed than some Digimon with larger egos," she pointed out, casting a grin to Lucemon. "Besides, I would rather be exploring the streets of Sepulcrum than looking after Belphemon."
Beelzebumon scoffed. "Whatever. You guys go courting the demon pansies. I'm not kissing any asses – well - not in a non-sexy way, that is," he pointed out, a smirk growing on his face as he leaned forward on the handlebars of the Behemoth. The biker demon shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Point is, I'm gonna go pick up the furball. I'm hopin' to see a little action while I'm there. You did say it was possible that the Royal Knights or the Heavenly Choir might show up there to get Belphemon first."
"Do try not to engage them if you can manage to restrain yourself," Barbamon advised him in a sardonic tone. "I know for a fact that you aren't yet at full power. We need to play this intelligently. If you get yourself killed, you're putting us at a disadvantage. Just focus on getting Belphemon somewhere safe."
"Gee, I'm touched," Beelzebumon snarkily responded. "Where the hell's the fun in that?"
"I'll go with Leviamon and Beelzebumon to make sure that they stay on track," Demon told the group that was going to Sepulcrum.
"You do that," Leviamon muttered distastefully.
"Whatever," Beelzebumon dismissively uttered. He sat up on his bike and put his clawed hands on the handlebars. "We decided? Good. I'm goin' on ahead. No sense sitting around on our asses."
As Beelzebumon began revving the Behemoth's engine. Demon flapped his dark wings and began rising towards the grey sky. "We'll go ahead. Don't get too far ahead, Beelzebumon," he warned him. "And, Leviamon, don't slow us down."
Leviamon scoffed and began walking off of the worn down and fractured road. "I'll swim up the coast along Delta Ocean," he answered, beginning to head westward. "I'll meet you two there. It's faster this way."
"Whatever scale-butt," Beelzebumon dismissively stated. He glanced over at Lucemon and Bagramon with a smirk. "Good luck with making friends. We'll get the fluff ball out safe and sound."
"Make sure that you do," Lucemon warned him with a cold leer.
"Uh huh," Beelzebumon responded, looking forwards without a care. "Later, suckers."
With those words, he slammed his foot onto the gas pedal and performed a wheelie on the Behemoth before accelerating up the stone road. He ripped up chunks of broken rock with the thick wheels of the bike as he tore down the path.
"We'll meet up afterwards," Bagramon said to Demon. "Good luck."
Demon nodded and flapped his wings, speeding after Beelzebumon. Meanwhile, Leviamon wandered off towards the distant ocean.
"I suppose we should speed up as well," Lucemon stated, flapping his dichotomous set of wings.
Bagramon nodded and flew into the air alongside Lilithmon and Barbamon. They took off to the north east, making a direct flight towards the Gloaming Fields and the city of Sepulcrum. The four Demon Lord Digimon flew in relative silence, apart from the occasional sniping between Barbamon and Lilithmon. As they travelled, the Sage of Death thought to himself.
"This is merely the continuation of the rebellion that started so many years ago… I have had years to build up my strength and my plans… It is finally time to put all of those plans into action," Bagramon thought to himself.
A dark smile crawled on his face. "What will you do, Alphamon?" he wondered. "As if I don't already know the answer…"
Alphamon sat at the round table in the Royal Knights' meeting room. All twelve of the armoured warriors sat around the table. There was a feeling of anticipation lying heavy in the earthy air of the stone, council room. The eleven other Royal Knights all stared at Alphamon as he finished telling them the news about Belphemon.
"…So, that's the situation," he explained, looking around the table from the Empty Seat.
"So, we know where Belphemon is. That's great!" Dynasmon exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Finally, we have something to work with," Magnamon agreed, clenching his blue fist with determination.
Gankoomon smirked and punched his opened palm with his fist. "I was getting impatient. I'm fired up!"
Alphamon turned his head, gazing at all of his fellow Royal Knights. "The next order of business is deciding what to do…"
"Isn't that obvious?" Craniamon asked straightforwardly. "We need to find him and take care of him."
"I don't know if it's necessarily that clear," Alphamon replied calmly.
Dukemon glanced over at Alphamon. "I think the best idea is to go to Belphemon's location as quickly as possible," he explained in a way that made his fiery determination shine through.
"That may be, but I do not approve of going in ill-prepared," Duftmon responded, folding his arms as he thought about the situation at hand. "We require a strategy."
"That is what I believe as well," Alphamon added, gazing back at Dukemon.
"What strategy?" UlforceVeedramon said with a chuckle. "According to that report, Belphemon is in the middle of nap time; it seems pretty straightforward to me. All we have to do is go there and send him back to the Dark Area."
"It isn't quite that simple," Alphamon explained. "Belphemon is still dangerous, even with his powers restrained. Also, by attacking him, we risk awakening him from Sleep Mode. His powers are well sealed, but there may be a point in which his self-preservation measures may kick in and override the restraints."
"The other Demon Lords will also wish to locate him, most likely," Duftmon suggested. "We must be prepared for this possibility."
"If the other Demon Lords want to find him, then that is all the more reason why we should get to him first, isn't it?" Omegamon offered, looking at Alphamon.
"What about the Warrior Ten?" Sleipmon suggested, frowning. "They're closer, and AncientMegatheriummon is best suited for the Cathode Tundra."
"As are you, Sleipmon," RhodoKnightmon pointed out, reluctant to let the Warrior Ten do this in their stead.
Alphamon looked across the table at Sleipmon. "This is our mess, Sleipmon. We played into the Demon Lords' hands by going to war with the Metal Empire. We had no idea that we were being used. Therefore, it is our responsibility to be the solution. We must take care of the Demon Lords. We must fix our mistake. We must finish what was initiated decades ago."
Sleipmon sighed. He didn't especially fancy the idea of having to fight and kill so soon after their bloody battles with the Metal Empire. However, he knew that what Alphamon said made sense. This was their responsibility as Royal Knights. "Yes, I suppose you're right…" he agreed.
RhodoKnightmon looked at Alphamon. "I also believe that we should reach Belphemon swiftly," he implored.
"I sure as hell don't want to sit around talking about it when we could be doing something about it," Gankoomon added, leaning forwards on the table with obvious eagerness.
"We can't always rely on a detailed strategy. We need to be able to think on our feet," Craniamon concurred.
Examon frowned as he listened to their discussion. "Strategy is important… However, it seems like speed is of the essence. We can still strategise a little: now, en route, and at the destination," he suggested, trying to play the middle.
Alphamon nodded. "Very well… All in favour of leaving within the day with minimal time wasted?" he asked the Royal Knights.
All of the Royal Knights apart from himself and Duftmon raised their hands. Alphamon looked around and saw the determination in the eyes of his comrades. He released a sigh of defeat. He was wary of rushing in, but… he couldn't ignore that they had a point.
Alphamon placed his hands on the table and gazed at the Royal Knights. "Alright, it's decided… A team of Royal Knights will leave as soon as possible," he affirmed. However, his gold eyes softened. "All that I ask is that you don't underestimate Belphemon."
The Aloof Hermit turned his gaze to Omegamon and proceeded to look around the table. "Omegamon, Dukemon, Magnamon, Dynasmon, Rhodo, and Ulforce… You all know how dangerous the Demon Lords are individually. Be prepared to face Digimon as strong as yourselves. It's possible that they could even be stronger – we can't know for sure. We aren't dealing with the D-Brigade here. That's why I want us to be cautious."
Omegamon levelled his sky blue eyes at Alphamon, staring at him pensively. "…Is that the only reason?" he couldn't help but ask.
Alphamon's eyes shifted back to meet Omegamon's. "That's…"
Duftmon cleared his throat. "Apologies for interrupting," he was quick to add, briefly glancing down at something in his lap, "but can we use this time to get some strategizing in before you rush off to your undesirable fates?"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Duftmon," UlforceVeedramon said with a grin.
"Well, strategy is important precisely to make sure that that doesn't happen," Duftmon countered. "Alphamon? How large of a team do you suggest?"
"No fewer than three," Alphamon stated, turning his attention away from Omegamon. "Also, I would like someone who has fought the Demon Lords before to go along. I don't want to take any chances if we don't have to."
"I would suggest four," Duftmon added. "Four should be more than enough to destroy Belphemon, even if his inhibitors break. We cannot spare more than four knights for a single mission at this point."
"Belphemon is ferocious and not to be underestimated, but yes, four Royal Knights should be enough to contain him," Alphamon explained. "Dynasmon, Magnamon, and AncientGreymon were the ones who contained him last time."
Magnamon nodded. "He may look big and brawny, but he moves like a high speed Trailmon when he's active," he informed them.
"He hits like one too," Dynasmon added, folding his arms.
Dukemon stood up from the table. "I volunteer to go," he declared confidently. "I was the one pushing the hardest, so it's only fair that I go."
"I'll go too," Sleipmon said with a smile. "I'm the one best-suited for the Cathode Tundra."
"I'm in," UlforceVeedramon stated. "I think speed is a pretty good idea. A mix between mid- and short-range."
Duftmon nodded. "Long range is out of the question due to the poor visibility of the area," he mused. "Powerful mid-ranged attacks would be the best option."
"In that case, I will go too," Omegamon offered, knowing that mid-to-close range was his forte.
Alphamon looked over at Omegamon. He smiled a bit and nodded. "Very well… That's four," he observed.
"We'll be safe, Alphamon," Omegamon assured him meaningfully.
"I trust all of you," Alphamon answered.
Dukemon smiled and got out from behind his seat. "Good… We'll take care of him. Then we'll just have six more to deal with. It'll be easier if we can take them out one-by-one."
Omegamon nodded and stood up as well. "We should go prepare. We can have a quick strategy briefing before we leave," he suggested.
"Wish I was going," Gankoomon muttered, standing to his feet.
"There'll be plenty more chances," Dynasmon told him with a smirk. "For you to make an ass of yourself, that is."
Gankoomon scoffed but grinned. "We'll see, Bull-face."
Alphamon closed his eyes and rose to his feet. "Things are rarely that easy…" he said to the Royal Knights as they concluded their session.
As he spoke, the rising Royal Knights turned to him, heeding his words.
"I'm sure that the path ahead of us will be far from straightforward… I feel that it will be twisting and chaotic…" Alphamon advised. He looked up at them with serious, crimson eyes that revealed the intensity of his thoughts. "We will need to be prepared for anything."