Holy War

by Griff4823

The sequel to "A Dragon in Shining Armour". The Royal Knights secured victory, and peace set over the continent, but it isn't to last. The autocratic Metal Empire, a team of amoral mercenaries, and a mysterious Digimon in the shadows; it's up to the Order of the Royal Knights to intervene. Can they stop things from spiralling out of control, all while dealing with their own issues?

47. Chapter 33 Part 2: Black Claw

(Author's Notes: Here's Part 2 of Chapter 33! The team of four continue their mission. I decided to have a different title for the second half since it fit thematically. Thanks, everyone, for all the reads and reviews. I'll get to replying to the last batch soon.

Enjoy the second half of Chapter 33! Let me know what you think.)

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Chapter 33: Black Claw (Part II)

After a long, interruptive night in Analog Forest, the morning came.

The group of four continued their trek as soon as dawn broke. Rested, refreshed, and greeted with enough dawn light to safely trek through the rest of the forest, they made their way westwards to Dark Point. It took them another three or four hours of travel, but by late morning, they finally arrived at their destination.

Dark Point stood before them, a shadowy bastion against the Delta Ocean. It was a medium-sized coastal city that ran along a small, outreaching peninsula and along the inland of a bay. The bay provided a large, natural harbour from which ships and marine Digimon could dock and surface respectively. The jutting, arc-shaped peninsula ran along the right side of the bay, dividing it from the Delta Ocean. At the top of the peninsula was a tall, blazing lighthouse that could be seen for dozens of kilometers. It overlooked the mouth of the harbour that provided entrance from the ocean into the bay.

Dark Point was a well-populated city with tens of thousands of buildings, both along the peninsula and further inland. It had a sophisticated harbour with primitive cranes for moving cargo to and from ships and transport Digimon. Due to Dark Point being an independent city in the Western Reaches, it had its own lax import laws. City officials were corrupt and the smuggling of traditionally banned goods was permitted in Dark Point as long as the city received a cut. Dark Point was known for being a shady city which provided a safe harbour for criminals, not unlike its rival city of Shroud. It made advantageous territory for somebody like GrandisKuwagamon.

However, Dark Point was a shady city in a completely different way, as well. Despite the fact that it was mid-morning, when the group of four Digimon looked ahead at the city, the landscape was completely dark. It was as if it was night time. The sun was absent and only the starry night sky could be seen. This was due to a digital distortion that hung over the city, refracting the sunlight from entering the city and the ten kilometers around it. The only time that sunlight entered Dark Point was at dawn when the sun was first rising over the horizon, and at sunset, when the sun was sinking below it. This caused it to be night in Dark Point for all but five hours during the day. These long periods of darkness made the city an ideal haven for criminals and spies, as it was easy to slip into the night, away from pursuers. There was law enforcement in the city, but, like Shroud, it was often corrupt and it typically only dealt with crimes that threatened the security of the city, so petty crime was often overlooked.

The 'night' that loomed over Dark Point caused the city to be constantly lit by street lamps and the lights of buildings. It was also necessary that the multiple lighthouses that lined the coastline of the harbour were illuminated with inextinguishable beacons of light. This ensured the safety of ship and marine Digimon traffic. It caused the city to look both beautiful and enigmatic at a distance, especially when there were traces of sunlight in the far horizon, beyond the distortion.

Paildramon, GrandisKuwagamon, Dorbickmon, and VictoryGreymon headed west as they followed the main road toward the city. As they approached the outskirts of the city, they saw that the nearest building to them was a city guard station in which guards would size up the Digimon entering the city. They usually didn't stop many Digimon, but they did often inspect cargo and shipments.

After passing the guardhouse, the four Digimon walked inside the city without a problem. The city was as dark as the night. The streets were lit with lanterns and the various buildings had their windows tinted orange, illuminated from the inside. The inbound road that led into Dark Point went right into a busy commercial center. The group travelled down it and they saw that there were inns, shops and various services all around them. The commercial road continued on for about two kilometers. It eventually sloped downwards as a direct route to the harbour of Dark Point, allowing easy access for cargo coming inland from the harbour and vice versa. There was also a northern and southern entrance to the city, both connected by a single, large, thoroughfare road that continued up the west coast.

"Here we are," VictoryGreymon mused, looking around the foreign location curiously as they entered the commercial street. As he walked, he rested the massive Dramon Breaker behind his head, across his shoulder blades. "Wow, it's so cool that it's night here when it's actually day."

GrandisKuwagamon spun around and began walking backwards so that he could face VictoryGreymon while walking. "Okay, first of all… you can stop that," he bluntly advised VictoryGreymon. He levelled a flat stare at the tall dragon Digimon and extended his index finger. "You're already an easy mark as it is without announcing to all of Dark Point that you're a tourist that has no idea how Dark Point works."

"Huh? I am?" VictoryGreymon asked, blinking and looking at GrandisKuwagamon with surprised innocence. He frowned a bit. "Sorry. What should I do?"

"Don't look around so much, but keep your wits about you. Look straight ahead and don't make eye contact with people. And don't wear that big, doofus grin so much," GrandisKuwagamon advised him, spinning around to walk forwards again. "And keep your hands on your bag at all times."

"Got it, got it, and got it!" VictoryGreymon replied, still very much wearing a big, infectious grin on his face as he spoke.

GrandisKuwagamon scanned the busy street with subtle glances. He was adept at looking around an area without drawing attention to himself. Since it was nearly noon, there were plenty of Digimon out and about, going about their daily business. He spotted Digimon coming in and out of stores, chatting with each other, a Gesomon complaining to a fishmonger about his prices… Nothing unusual.

Dorbickmon turned and looked at Paildramon. "What about you? Ever been here before?" he asked her.

"Only twice," she admitted, walking in a calm, confident stride that didn't give off the vibe that she actually wasn't a frequent visitor. "Not enough to know my way around."

"Gotcha. Between the bug and I, we've been here enough to know the city like the backs of our hands, I'm guessing," Dorbickmon responded. "Let's go to an inn or bar and get ourselves situated. Y'know, a strategy meeting."

"Sounds like a good plan," Paildramon concurred. "Where would be a good place for that? Somewhere quiet, preferably."

"The Hook and Eel," GrandisKuwagamon said, immediately thinking of his favourite Dark Point pub.

"You want us to get mugged?" Dorbickmon asked him, leering sideways at the insect mercenary. "We're not going to your seedy, local bar. We're going to the Horn and Dragon. It should be quiet there at this time."

"Yeah, because dragons are so good at keeping away from beer and hearty food at lunch," GrandisKuwagamon said with a roll of his eye. "The Eel is way quieter. There's a reason why it's my local. Small crowds, remote, good for information trading…"

"Does the Horn and Dragon have bigger portions?" VictoryGreymon couldn't help but wonder with a hungry smile. "I'm so hungry that I'm ravenesque."

Paildramon glanced at him. "I think you mean 'ravenous', VictoryGreymon," she corrected him. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at Dorbickmon and GrandisKuwagamon. "You two can decide between yourselves which inn we should go to. You know them better than we do."

Dorbickmon fixed a rivalrous stare at GrandisKuwagamon. "We're trying to," he responded. "Once the bug realises that we're trying to blend in while we're here."

"You just want to blend in because don't want to be spotted by bounty hunters searching for your ass," GrandisKuwagamon retorted. "The Hook and Eel has way less clients than your crowded dragon bar. We can all keep a low profile there. Besides, I know the owner. He's cool."

Paildramon kept looking at the pair as she walked, not paying attention to what was in front of her. "Are there any other optio—"

Before she could finish, she sensed a presence in front of her, but reacted too late to avoid a collision. She felt herself walk straight into a warm, firm wall of scales and fabric. "Ngh," she grunted, quickly recoiling to see what she had hit.

She looked up to see the tall, bulky form of a emerald-scaled triceratops that was walking on his hind legs. Over the Triceramon's green arms and white underbelly was a long, brown trench coat that concealed most of his muscular body. Over his grey frill was a large, matching fedora that rested on his head plate, between his forehead horns.

The Triceramon looked down at Paildramon. "Sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you alright?" he asked her, bending down towards her level.

"It's my fault. I should have been watching where I was going," she responded, keeping a firm hold on her bag. She glanced up at the tall dinosaur sceptically, wondering if this was a ploy to steal something from them. Paildramon kept a close eye on his hands.

To her surprise, he leaned down, putting his snout in her personal space, and whispered in her ear. "Meet me in the Drunken Phoenix in thirty minutes. The Gold Crow of Yakumo smiles at you," he whispered to her cryptically. He then stood up straight and spoke in his regular gruff voice. "Sorry again. I don't want any trouble," he spoke, walking straight past them.

"Watch where you're going, weirdo," Dorbickmon growled at the Triceramon threateningly as he passed.

"Sorry…" he murmured, passing them without further incident, his thick tail curling behind him from under the long trench coat.

GrandisKuwagamon walked up beside Paildramon. "What was that about?" he asked her. "Did he steal anything? …Did he try to cop a feel?"

Paildramon frowned pensively in response to what he whispered to her. She knew that 'Gold Crow' was the rank that Karatenmon once held when he was a ninja in his hometown of Yakumo. The Triceramon must be one of his spies.

"He said that he'd buy us drinks in the Drunken Phoenix…" she told the three. "We should go there."

"That's awfully nice of him," VictoryGreymon mused.

"What? Are you saying he asked you out?" GrandisKuwagamon questioned, gazing at Paildramon with a sceptical red eye.

Paildramon levelled a meaningful gaze at the three. "Trust me…" she said calculatedly. "He wants to make it up to me. It doesn't seem like a bad offer."

After a few moments, GrandisKuwagamon and Dorbickmon exchanged looks, picking up on Paildramon's underlying meaning. VictoryGreymon, never one for detecting subtlety, was still in the dark, but was happy to go along with it.

"Yeah, fine," GrandisKuwagamon agreed. "The Drunken Phoenix isn't a bad place for us to stay."

"Sounds good to me," Dorbickmon concurred, walking ahead. "I'll lead the way."

Paildramon followed him, flanked by GrandisKuwagamon and VictoryGreymon.

GrandisKuwagamon leaned over. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked her.

"He's trustworthy," she assured him lowly. "He mentioned the Gold Crow."

"Okay…" GrandisKuwagamon acquiesced. He glanced over at VictoryGreymon, whose stomach was audibly snarling now. "Come on, V. The faster you go, the sooner we can shut your stomach up."

VictoryGreymon laughed heartily and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Haha, sorry… I've got a big appetite."

The sarcastic mercenary stared ahead of him with a deadpan expression. "You don't say…"

---

"This is it?"

VictoryGreymon stared up at a large wooden sign hanging above a set of metal doors. The sign had a large painting of a majestic phoenix with its wings outstretched and wreathed in flames. The six dots around its neck made it clear that the bird was supposed to be reminiscent of Zhuqiaomon. The Digimoji below read 'The Drunken Phoenix'. It was said to be Zhuqiaomon's favourite tavern in Dark Point, though hardly anybody really thought that one of the Holy Beasts actually ever set foot in the place. For one thing, it wasn't nearly big enough.

VictoryGreymon, Paildramon, and the two mercenaries stood outside of the tavern. A pair of fiery torches rested on bronze, avian sconces outside of the entrance, lighting the way in the dark night of the city. The windows were stained glass with autumnal colours of yellow and red. They noticed that the building's architecture had an Eastern design, complete with curved, golden roof tiles and red, exterior walls.

"Yeah. Let's go in already," GrandisKuwagamon said, walking up to the reinforced doors and pulling them open. Without waiting for the others, he walked inside the homey bar.

Dorbickmon looked at Paildramon and shrugged. He opened the door and the trio followed GrandisKuwagamon inside.

The interior was warm and rustic. It was a middle-end establishment with a relatively pleasant atmosphere and generally well-behaved clientele. Along the walls were auspicious wall scrolls and Eastern style art of the Four Holy Beasts. As they entered, they spotted the bar counter, which led along the right side of the building. They could see a door leading to the kitchen behind the counter, from which the clatter of metal and alluring aromas originated. The rest of the room consisted of tables and booths, with a large table across from the bar counter for gambling games. Each booth was divided by the same kind of stained glass that the exterior windows were made of.

The team of four looked around the bar for the Digimon they were supposed to meet. They spotted the unmistakably large, hunched-over form of a Triceramon sitting in one of the corner booths. He seemed to be drawing as little attention to himself as possible, but with such a large body, doing so just made him look comical to GrandisKuwagamon. The Triceramon was still clad in a trench coat, but he had removed his hat so that he could easily look over his shoulder, towards the entrance. Spotting the group, he nodded them over.

"There he is. Let's find out what he wants," Paildramon said, striding over to the table.

"Good idea," VictoryGreymon agreed, walking over with Dorbickmon and GrandisKuwagamon as well.

As the group gathered around the booth, Triceramon scooted down the leather seat to make room. "Squeeze in," he said them, curling his large tail around to the side that was adjacent to the wall.

"Thanks!" VictoryGreymon exclaimed, sitting down and squeezing in, next to the Triceramon. "It was nice of you to invite us."

The Triceramon tilted his head and looked across the wooden table at Paildramon as she, GrandisKuwagamon, and Dorbickmon sat across from him and VictoryGreymon. "You did tell him I work for the Gold Crow, right?" he asked her.

At this title, VictoryGreymon perked up and looked at the Triceramon excitedly. "You work for Kara—mmm!" He was interrupted when Triceramon placed his hand over VictoryGreymon's snout.

"Don't say his name. You never know who's listening around this city," Triceramon told VictoryGreymon, emphatically staring into his surprised, green eyes.

VictoryGreymon nodded sheepishly and gently lowered the hand from his mouth. "Sorry about that. Guess I wouldn't be a very good spy," he said with an embarrassed smile and a laugh.

"Major understatement," GrandisKuwagamon quipped as he looked at Triceramon. "So, what do you want?"

"Ignore his rudeness," Paildramon interceded. "Do you have a message for us?"

Triceramon shook his head and raised a patient finger. A Ranamon waitress walked over to take their orders, and he ordered them four beers. The waitress walked off and promptly returned with their drinks and a tray of assorted nuts and seeds. The five glasses of light brown liquid were parcelled out to each person.

"Thank you," Paildramon said to the Ranamon. "How much will that be?"

The Ranamon looked over at VictoryGreymon and smiled flirtatiously. "Oh, it's on the house," she said to them.

"Really? Thank you!" VictoryGreymon replied with a big smile.

"No problem, big guy. We have a policy of not letting handsome Greymon pay for their first drinks," she playfully mentioned, sending him a wink.

"Huh, really? I've never heard of that policy, but I should tell my friends about it! Maybe other taverns have it too," VictoryGreymon obliviously remarked, still grinning.

GrandisKuwagamon whispered to Dorbickmon. "He really is as dumb as a plank."

"I wonder how much he gets flirted with without realising," Dorbickmon replied with a grin.

As soon as the waitress was gone, Triceramon glanced around his immediate vicinity. "I have information," he explained cagily. "I was told to inform you of the goings-on in Dark Point and any other useful info once you arrived."

"You know our mission?" Dorbickmon asked him, relaxing in his seat and taking a long, appreciative swig of the amber-tinted ale in his claws.

"Yup. I've been told about what you're doing here," Triceramon affirmed, placing his hat back on his frill. "I don't want to linger too long, so let's get down to business."

"Okay," GrandisKuwagamon agreed, looking at Triceramon curiously. "What's been going on in Dark Point? I haven't been here since I first got the request for the Facture job," GrandisKuwagamon mused, thinking all the way back to before this mess started. He tried not to think too hard about it. It seemed like much simpler times back then…

"A lot, as it happens," Triceramon explained, glancing at them seriously from under the shade of his fedora. "There's been a big shift in the local underworld politics lately."

GrandisKuwagamon frowned at this. He raised his glass of mead and took a slow sip before placing his mug down. "What kind of shift?" he asked curiously. He didn't like being out of the loop.

Dorbickmon folded his arms and studiously stared at Karatenmon's agent. He shared GrandisKuwagamon's sentiment. "Yeah, what is it?"

"The Talons are at war," Triceramon explained, leaning back in his seat and taking a gentle sip of the alcohol. "All of a sudden, about two weeks ago, about a hundred or two hundred demon Digimon suddenly showed up in the city like out of thin air. They set up in the loading district, started taking shipments hostage unless they got paid. Now they're muscling in on the Talons' territory. There've been fights, a few killings… It's getting ugly."

"Demons… Two weeks ago, huh?" Paildramon mused, looking around at the others. That was right around the time that they were showing down with the Metal Empire outside of Saversburg. "They must be from the Dark Area."

VictoryGreymon frowned and nodded slowly. It took him a moment, but he suddenly blinked and raised a finger. "…Hey, that was when all those dark rifts were popping up during the battle, wasn't it?"

"I guess the Demon Lords weren't the only ones that escaped, huh?" Dorbickmon muttered, scowling distastefully at the news.

"So, looks like the power balance is pretty screwed up right now," GrandisKuwagamon deliberated. "How unstable are things?"

"The city's still got it under control. Dark Point isn't about to collapse into anarchy. There's just some more violence. It's only a turf war," Triceramon explained, waving one of his clawed hands. "Nothing you need to worry about."

Paildramon nodded and raised her red helmet to take a sip from her beer. When she placed the glass down, she looked at the spy. "Is there anything we do need to worry about?" she asked him.

"Two things," the Triceramon murmured, glancing over to his right. "One… We're being eyed up right now."

The team of four all glanced over out of the corners of their eyes to see what he was referring to.

They saw a pair of Digimon sitting at the bar counter. One was the tall, mantis-like form of a Snimon while the other was a white mammal clad in Viking armour – a Vikemon. They were staring over their shoulders at the group with scowls on their toothy mouths. The pair seemed to be whispering animatedly with each other.

GrandisKuwagamon leered at them without needing to noticeable turn. He quietly sized up them and their unsubtle movements. He was able to get a good read of them just by the way they moved and held themselves. "They're mercs, not spies; they're being too obvious about it to be spying on us," he perceptively deduced.

"Do you know them?" VictoryGreymon wondered, keeping a hand close to the Dramon Breaker that rested beside him, just in case.

"I know the Vikemon from somewhere, but I can't place where," Dorbickmon explained, leering over at the pair suspiciously.

"They can't hear us, so we can continue," the Triceramon explained, although keeping a careful eye on the two mercenaries. "The second thing you should know…" His eyes rested on GrandisKuwagamon.

GrandisKuwagamon stared at him blandly, wishing that he'd just say it already. "What? Spare the dramatics and out with it already," he said impatiently.

"…Blitzmon and Bolgmon – your former teammates – are in Dark Point right now," Triceramon finished.

GrandisKuwagamon's eye widened ever-so-slightly and his grip tightened around the handle of his beer mug. Without realising, he squeezed it like a steel vice.

"…What?" he asked, his voice as low as it could go. His tone was cold and restrained, but his timbre was like a seething hiss that cut through the warm pub air. His crimson eye gleamed dully as he stared across the table at the Triceramon. "Blitzmon and Bolgmon are here…?"

Paildramon frowned and looked at GrandisKuwagamon with concern. "GrandisKuwagamon… Don't do anything rash," she said to him, trying to calm his anger. She initially had doubts about his loyalty regarding Black Pincer Company, but now she could see the sheer anger in his eye. However, this wasn't particularly good for them either – it would be bad if they came into contact with them and ended up fighting.

GrandisKuwagamon hissed with frustration. "As if I could, with this damn virus in me," he fired back.

VictoryGreymon looked at GrandisKuwagamon sympathetically. He couldn't imagine how much it must hurt for GrandisKuwagamon's best friends to have betrayed him. He couldn't imagine any of his friends ever doing that, but he imagined it must have been like a sword through the heart. The mercenary didn't show it, but VictoryGreymon was sure he must feel pain after that. The dragon warrior couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"I can understand your anger, but remember that we're here for the mission," Paildramon reminded him. "We're supposed to find out who they're working for."

GrandisKuwagamon sighed irritably, but he focused and put his feelings into perspective. He was doing this mission so that he could get freedom. He couldn't let himself get blinded by revenge for now. "Yeah, I know…"

"Maybe we could capture one of them and make him tell us," Dorbickmon suggested. "Beat it out of him if necessary."

"Um… I don't know…" VictoryGreymon meekly protested, not liking the idea of interrogating somebody. It didn't feel like the right thing to do. "We're representing the Order… and stuff."

Paildramon nodded. "I would rather that we avoid a fight. Our mission is one of stealth. We aren't well equipped to deal with a fight, with GrandisKuwagamon unarmed and us being in a crowded city," she explained.

"So, what is our plan?" VictoryGreymon questioned. He looked around the table and poked his untouched beer glass.

"We infiltrate Black Pincer Company's office," Paildramon answered with straightforward direction.

Dorbickmon turned nudged the black beetle beside him. "Where's your office, exactly? Is it even still there?" he asked him, cocking an eyebrow.

"Should be. Blitzmon had the good idea of paying our next month's rent in advance since we'd be gone for awhile," GrandisKuwagamon replied, cooling down.

The crimson dragon folded his arms and leaned on his elbows."So, we sneak into their office and then what?" Dorbickmon pondered, idly thumbing his spiked forearms as he thought.

GrandisKuwagamon tapped his index finger on the side of his beer mug. "If Blitzmon and Bolgmon are in the city, they probably went to the office. Blitzmon's anal about keeping our books and ledgers straight. Maybe if they know who our client is now, they've written his name and address down."

"So, there might be a paper trail for us to follow," Paildramon said, looking at GrandisKuwagamon for confirmation.

"Maybe," the insect Digimon agreed. "But—"

"Hey! You!" a loud, boisterous voice called out from across the bar. The group heard a pair of loud, thumping footsteps setting a tempo to the raucous voice.

They looked over and saw the Vikemon and Snimon marching over to them, each with threatening scowls on their faces. As soon as Dorbickmon saw the Vikemon's face from the front, he scowled and looked away. "Shit…" he muttered apprehensively.

The Vikemon strode right up to their booth and slammed a hand down on the table, causing their drinks to rattle and spill a bit of liquid. He glared across at Dorbickmon, bearing his teeth as he scowled. The Snimon lingered behind the wide-bodied Vikemon, menacing Dorbickmon as well.

"Is there a problem?" Paildramon calmly asked, gazing up at the two Digimon.

"W-We don't want any trouble…" VictoryGreymon insisted, wincing as he tried to ignore the fact that the entire pint of beer that he had slowly been nursing had spilled onto his lap.

"Oh, there's a problem," the Snimon spoke up, pointing his scythe over at Dorbickmon. "He's the problem."

"He's a damn Royal Knight spy!" the Vikemon exclaimed angrily. At this accusation, the Triceramon tensed up subtly, but he didn't make any sudden movements. Vikemon drew a heavy, spiked mace from his back and pointed it across the table at Dorbickmon. "He sells out mercenaries to the Order!"

Dorbickmon snarled and placed his claws on the ground to stand up, but Paildramon's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Instead, he cast a furious glare at the Vikemon. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he insisted vehemently. "I'm not a damn informant!"

"Yeah, you would say that!" the Vikemon fired back.

"Do you have any proof? Or is this just a baseless rumour?" Paildramon questioned, figuring that it was obvious that none of them appeared that they were working for the Order.

"Of course I have proof!" the Vikemon mercenary insisted, scowling. "I was there in the bar when he was outed as an informant." He pushed his mace inches away from Dorbickmon's face. "You punched me in the face, you piece of shit!"

Dorbickmon released a low, rolling snarl. Flames flickered in his throat as his yellow and violet eyes narrowed at the mercenaries. "You attacked me first. I'm not a damn rat," he defensively insisted, placing his hand on the spiked head of the mace.

"You got the wrong idea, buddy," GrandisKuwagamon insisted, placing his hand on Vikemon's muscular arm and gently lowering it, forcing the weapon down.

"Oh, yeah?" the Vikemon asked, turning his annoyed glare towards GrandisKuwagamon. After a moment, the white, furry mammal's brows plunged and he squinted at GrandisKuwagamon charily. "Hey, wait a second… Aren't you GrandisKuwagamon from Black Pincer Company?"

"That's me, in the carapace," GrandisKuwagamon responded, casually thumbing at himself.

"What the hell? Blitzmon and Bolgmon have been saying that you got captured by the Royal Knights!" the Snimon spoke up. The mantis stepped up beside his Vikemon friend and stared at the ebony beetle.

"Yeah? Well, they're fucking liars," GrandisKuwagamon nonchalantly replied, trying to shift the narrative to their advantage. "They used me as a scapegoat and left me for dead when the Royal Knobs were chasing us in Saversburg. I was lucky enough to escape. They're just covering their asses so it didn't seem like they turned tail and ran like cowards."

"Whatever. I don't care about that," the Vikemon insisted, leering down at GrandisKuwagamon with incredulity and scepticism. "You were the one who stood up in the bar and told everyone that Dorbickmon was an informant! Now you're having a drink with him?! What the hell's going on?!"

VictoryGreymon exchanged glances with Paildramon. This could potentially be bad.

However, GrandisKuwagamon merely chuckled. His laugh was casual yet carried the cynicism of black comedy. "Oh, that… Just a bit of fun at Dordickmon's expense," he responded, playing it off completely. "It was hilarious the way all of you mugs bought it hook, line and sinker. The look on the lizard's face too…"

"What?!" the Vikemon demanded, feeling affronted. "You mean that was all just a prank?!"

"More like payback," the insect mercenary explained, not exactly lying. "He screwed me over on a job awhile back. Thought that if I was gonna get even with him, I might as well have some fun doing it."

"I chipped a good tooth because of that!" the Vikemon protested, glaring at Dorbickmon.

Snimon tilted his head as he looked between Dorbickmon and GrandisKuwagamon. "If you both screwed each other over, then why are you two together now?" the oversized mantis asked them.

"Practicality," GrandisKuwagamon answered plainly. "Black Pincer Company screwed me over and pushed me out, so I need a new team to get myself back on my feet. That's why I'm working with these three idiots." He gestured around the table. "As for Dorbickmon, my little joke ended up getting blown outta proportion by you guys, which meant he got ostracised by the mercenary community. He needs a job and this is my way of paying him back. I owe him that, and a drink."

Vikemon frowned, nodding somewhat. He turned and looked back at Dorbickmon cagily. "So… You're really not a Royal Knight informant?"

"Of course not!" Dorbickmon fired back defensively, putting on his best act. "I was working with DarkKnightmon against them! They nearly killed me at the Battle of the World Tree! Who the hell do you think I am? As if I'd want to work for those damn do-gooder, bucket heads!"

"Would I be working with him if he was?" GrandisKuwagamon rhetorically added. "I hate those damn tin cans. Hero-wannabe bastards nearly ruined me."

"Okay, okay, sorry…" the Vikemon muttered, retracting his mace and placing it on his back once again.

"Tch," Dorbickmon grunted, folding his arms indignantly. "I've got enough problems without mercs like you thinking I'm an informant and causing me problems. I've got to work with the damn bug because of that."

"Fine. Look, I'll spread the word around. Call it even for what happened in the Severed Arms," Vikemon said to him with reluctant contrition.

"I'd appreciate that," Dorbickmon said moodily, glancing at the pair with sour eyes.

"Yeah… Anyway, later," the Vikemon said, turning around and heading back to his table. "Come on, Sni."

As the Snimon followed after the Vikemon, the table inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. VictoryGreymon tugged at the collar of his armour and relaxed. "That was tense…" he said, taking a long, calming breath.

The Triceramon spy stood up and made his way past VictoryGreymon out of the booth. "I'm gonna leave now," he told the group. "When you're going to the office, avoid the main streets because you might get seen, and avoid the dark alleys because you might get ambushed or something."

"We'll do that. Thank you for your help," Paildramon said to him.

"I'll also help spread that story around to try and clear Dorbickmon's name," the Triceramon added, putting his large claws in his oversized trench coat pockets. "See ya." With a slight nod, the bulky triceratops Digimon went to go pay and began making his way to the exit of the bar, leaving the group of four.

Once he was gone, VictoryGreymon looked at GrandisKuwagamon with an appreciative smile. "Good work, Grandis!" he complimented. "You really smoothed things over there."

Paildramon nodded. "That was good of you," she agreed. She gave a glance over at Dorbickmon. "Right?"

Dorbickmon grunted and folded his arms, looking away indignantly. "Tch… Yeah, I guess…" he half-heartedly agreed, unwilling to concede that Grandis helped him. However, he realised that he probably should, given the situation. He sighed and murmured in a low, baritone hiss. "…Thanks."

Although initially annoyed by the compliments, GrandisKuwagamon smirked as soon as Dorbickmon spoke. He cupped a hand to his ear and leaned towards the tall dragon. "Sorry, didn't quite hear that. What was that again?" he goaded him.

"Don't push it, bug!" he snarled irritably. "It's your fault I'm in this situation to begin with!"

GrandisKuwagamon chuckled and took a big swig of mead, taking pleasure out of teasing him.

"So, why did you do that?" Dorbickmon followed up, wondering why the insect mercenary uncharacteristically helped him.

"It's because Grandis is a good guy," VictoryGreymon suggested with an optimistic grin.

"Muzzle it, V," GrandisKuwagamon replied with succinct and decisive immediacy. He turned to Dorbickmon. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for me. You getting us hounded by mercenaries is bad for our mission."

"Plus, if people think that Dorbickmon is associated with the Royal Knights, and they see you two working together, they might assume that we're all working for the Royal Knights," Paildramon added. "And that would be particularly bad for GrandisKuwagamon."

Dorbickmon smirked. "So, it's in our best interests to keep each other above suspicion…" he pointed out.

"Something like that…" GrandisKuwagamon murmured.

VictoryGreymon nodded. "…So… when do we want to try to check out Grandis' office?" he broached the topic.

"Let's say before Evening Light," the ebony mercenary suggested, referring to the bright, sunset period in Dark Point, where the sun was visible before it set. "We shouldn't hang around too long."

"Yeah, especially with your friends around," Dorbickmon agreed. He made his way out of the booth and stood to his feet. "Come on, Vic," he said to the orange dragon man. "Let's go get some rooms for us so we have somewhere to strategise in private. There's an inn down the road."

"Sure thing, Dorbickmon," VictoryGreymon eagerly complied, standing up and grabbing his Dramon Breaker. He was still dripping a bit from the spilled beer on his lap.

Paildramon nodded. "We'll catch up to you," she replied.

"It's close enough that it should be in Grandis' leash range," Dorbickmon made sure to add. "But it might be easier if you both come along."

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. He didn't bother telling Dorbickmon and VictoryGreymon that the jig was up and that he had guessed that the restraint system was tied only to Paildramon. He figured it would be a hassle since that meant they would want to keep a closer eye on him, and it would be more fun to watch them make fools of themselves by keeping up the act.

"I've got something I want to talk to Paildramon about," the beetle Digimon explained.

"I'll keep an eye on him. We won't be long," Paildramon reassured them, feeling more confident than before that GrandisKuwagamon wouldn't try anything.

Dorbickmon was a bit unsure, but he nodded. He gave GrandisKuwagamon a look for warning. "Behave, bug," he told him.

"Look after the salamander, V," GrandisKuwagamon retorted, grinning at VictoryGreymon.

"I will," he assured him. The Ultimate level Greymon put a hand on Dorbickmon's back and began walking out with him.

Paildramon finished her mug of beer and placed the empty glass down. She turned and gazed at GrandisKuwagamon curiously. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Strategy," he said plainly, forgoing any of his usual banter and getting straight to the point. He ran a finger around the rim of his empty beer mug and looked at Paildramon. "We keep our office locked, obviously."

"I see. That makes sense…" she agreed, looking back at him.

"I'd rather not have to kick the door open," he continued, looking across the table at her. "That'd arouse suspicion."

Paildramon frowned questioningly. "You don't have a key?"

GrandisKuwagamon shook his head. "I do…" he tentatively replied. He stared at Paildramon meaningfully. "I keep it in void space for safekeeping… You know how I can distort and fly through space? My Dimension Scissors and Zone Black Hole abilities? Void space is the negative space that I pass through when I do that."

Paildramon closed her eyes pensively. "…And you can't use those powers to get the office key with that power inhibitor inside you," she concluded.

"Exactly. If we had that key, we could get in there without drawing attention to ourselves," GrandisKuwagamon explained. "All you need to do is remove the power inhibitor…"

"That would be naïve of me to consider," she explained to him. "I think you know that."

"It's not like I'm gonna make a break for it as soon as it's disabled. I don't exactly want to be a fugitive on the run from the Royal Knights forever," GrandisKuwagamon informed her. "Besides, aren't the two viruses separate? If you disable the power inhibitor, then the restraint system is still in place. It's just so that we can get into the office."

Paildramon sighed and looked forwards. "I can't do that," she said apologetically. "It gives you too much power. I have my orders."

"Orders that are getting in the way of our ability to do this mission effectively," he argued. His gaze softened as he stared at Paildramon. "I promise I won't try anything… I know my priorities."

"I'm sorry, GrandisKuwagamon," she replied.

GrandisKuwagamon sighed and rubbed his head. "Look, P…" he said, glancing at her beseechingly. "If this 'team' thing is going to work, then you guys are gonna need to actually start trusting me. Yeah, I was a bit of a dick at first, but I know how to be a team player. I'll be a team player from now on, but I need you guys to trust me too," he explained, his voice serious and sincere.

Paildramon sighed and looked back at him. "I know…" she answered apologetically. "And I'm starting to… But even if I wanted to, the vaccine that removes the virus is back at Castle Albion; I don't have it with me."

"Well, shit…" he muttered, folding his arms. He sighed and shrugged. "…Guess we've got no choice. I can try to pick the lock, but it won't be easy. It'll take longer but it'll be less conspicuous than breaking the door in."

"We'll figure it out," Paildramon assured him. "Should we go after the others now?"

GrandisKuwagamon nodded and stood to his feet. "Yeah. Wouldn't mind getting some food before we go either," he added.

"We'll get something," she agreed, following him out of the booth. The dragon looked at him as she stepped up beside him. "And, thank you for what you did for Dorbickmon."

"Like I said, it was just self-interest," he casually responded, walking ahead. "Come on already. Don't make me get zapped by the damn virus."

Paildramon smiled a bit and followed after him. They had several hours before sun set. There was plenty of time to plan their infiltration.

---

It was an hour before Evening Light. Dark Point was still as dim and shadowy as if it was midnight. The stars flickered overhead, and the Digital World's moons emerged in the eastern sky. To the west, traces of deep, amber light began to encroach on the city as the sun started to set over the Delta Ocean.

The covert team moved quickly. They wanted to finish their work at the office complex by night time. They definitely wanted to be done before the office complex closed for the night, and preferably before sunset.

GrandisKuwagamon had told them which floor and room number the office was in. The group had entered the building through conventional means, simply using the front entrance. They didn't attract much attention, since GrandisKuwagamon frequently visited his office in the past. They reached the fifth floor, which contained a hallway that was shaped like an 'H'. Black Pincer Company's office was at the center of the middling, perpendicular hallway.

Dorbickmon and VictoryGreymon were on guard duty. Dorbickmon waited at the right end of the hallway, guarding the stairs and watching for anybody who might be coming up. VictoryGreymon was positioned on the opposite end of the hallway, covering the left side. Meanwhile, Paildramon and GrandisKuwagamon were to enter the office and search for clues. Currently, GrandisKuwagamon was kneeling in front of the office door, slowly trying to pick the lock. He had been at it for about fifteen minutes now. Thankfully for them, nobody had come up.

"You know, this would be so much easier if we had the key…" he dryly hinted as he used a thin half-diamond pick to slowly raise the tumblers of the lock.

"Just focus, GrandisKuwagamon," Paildramon said from beside him.

"I am focusing," he insisted. After a few moments, a tiny click could be heard. "I've just about got it…" he said, keeping the torsion wrench firm in his hand.

As Paildramon waited for him to finish, she looked down the hall at Dorbickmon. "Everything okay over there?" she asked him.

"Yeah. No noises or movement," Dorbickmon responded. "I'll give you the signal if anything changes."

"Everything's all good here too," VictoryGreymon exclaimed from behind her, waving down the hallway at them.

"Hah!" GrandisKuwagamon announced triumphantly. He turned the torsion wrench sharply and the lock opened successfully. He smirked and turned the doorknob, letting the door open inwards with a smug grin.

Dorbickmon folded his arms and leaned against the wall, glancing over at him. "Don't look so happy with yourself. How humiliating is it that you have to sneak into your own office?" he taunted with a wry grin.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. "Least I know how to pick a lock. Now shut up. Guards shouldn't talk," he retaliated.

"Neither should prisoners!" Dorbickmon fired back.

VictoryGreymon smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, you guys go in. We'll make sure things are safe out here…" he offered, trying to interrupt their argument.

The dark mercenary rolled his eye and looked at Paildramon. "Well? Shall we?" he asked her.

"After you," she offered, gesturing with her hand to the awaiting threshold.

GrandisKuwagamon opened the door fully and stepped inside. His footsteps were soundless, like a ninja stepping on feathers.

The room was impenetrably dark since it was night out and there were no lights illuminating the area from the inside, but GrandisKuwagamon had excellent night vision to compensate. The office looked exactly the same as the last time he set foot inside its cool, stuffy confines. There was a large closet on the right hand wall for storing jackets, armour, and various other bulky items. Opposite to it, on the left hand wall, was a long, well-used couch that looked like it had seen some wear and tear over the years. On the far wall of the small room, across from the entrance, was a large desk with three chairs behind it, directly in front of a large window. In the left corner, behind the desk, were a couple, metal, file cabinets for storing financial records. Covering the surface of the desk itself was a clutter of papers, scattered haphazardly without much further thought.

GrandisKuwagamon flicked on the office light and walked inside. "Come on," he said to Paildramon, leading the way into the office. "Close the door behind you."

Paildramon followed him in and shut the office door. She took the opportunity to look around the office, quickly sizing up the area. She wasn't especially awed by the state of the room. "Is it always this messy?" she judgmentally asked, noting the clear disorganization and clutter.

"Blitzmon usually keeps things organised, but we left for our Facture job in a hurry. We had a deadline to meet," GrandisKuwagamon explained, nonchalant at the criticism.

Paildramon nodded and walked up to the desk, placing her clawed hand on it. "…You had no idea who gave you that job?" she probed him.

"Nope," he said with a shrug as he walked around behind the desk. "He used an intermediary to contact us. It's not that unusual. A lot of clients want to remain anonymous when they use our services. Since we're black claws, they worry about our actions leading a trail back to them."

"I'm sure it's bad for one's public image, using the services of such a notorious mercenary gang," Paildramon suggested with a critical edge to her voice, glancing at the black insect.

"Yup," GrandisKuwagamon answered matter-of-factly. He briefly shuffled through the papers on the top of the desk. They were mostly invoices and files about their job from before the Facture job.

"It's a miracle that this place wasn't broken into while you were gone," Paildramon mused, walking over to the closet and opening it up.

"You'd think, but people know better than to mess with Black Pincer Company," GrandisKuwagamon responded, reaching the bottom of the pile of papers. He made sure to leave the papers in their exact positions from when they came in.

Paildramon searched through the closet. It was about one square meter in area. Inside was a pair of black, leather jackets hanging on a closet rail. There were also a few personal effects, like boots, gloves, scarves, and equipment like wrenches, screwdrivers, a bundle of rope, a pair of pliers. The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to know if these items were used for things other than their conventional purposes. More importantly to her, there didn't seem to be anything of value to finding out their client.

"Let me guess," Paildramon spoke up, looking over her shoulder at GrandisKuwagamon. "The leather jacket's yours?" she deduced.

GrandisKuwagamon released a half-exhale, half-laugh. "Good guess. You've been checking me out enough to be able to guess my measurements?" he asked with a teasing grin.

Paildramon smiled and rolled her eyes. "No, I somehow just had a feeling..." she responded. "You seem like the type."

"Hey, don't knock it. Not every Digimon can pull off looking this good in leather," he answered as he opened the lower drawer of the desk. After sorting through the papers and letters inside the drawer, he lifted up a false bottom to reveal a few small, glass jugs of runny, amber honey. "Hey, my honey stash is okay…" he mused, more to himself than to Paildramon.

Paildramon turned around from the closet. "Please tell me that that isn't your term for pornography…" she dryly said.

GrandisKuwagamon grinned and took out a one of the jars, placing it down on the desk emphatically. "No. This is grade-A stuff, all the way from the Golden Swarm. Importing quality shit like this from the Royal Hive… it cost a hell of a lot; Blitzmon nearly had a heart attack when I bought it," he explained with a laugh.

Paildramon couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, and she tried her best not to find it amusing that a rough, tough Digimon like GrandisKuwagamon liked something so sweet. "You like honey that much…?"

GrandisKuwagamon's cheeks tinted a bit and he turned away, marching over to the file cabinet. "…Yeah, well, I'm a bug!" he exclaimed, trying not to sound defensive. "It tastes good."

Paildramon grinned a bit but decided not to tease him. "Anywhere I should be looking?" she asked him, focusing back on their mission.

"You can try the desk again, but if it's not in this file cabinet, it might not be looking good," he answered, opening the top drawer of the file cabinet and going through the chronologically-sorted folders inside.

---

Meanwhile, Dorbickmon and VictoryGreymon continued standing guard out in the hallway. Dorbickmon stood at the end of the hallway; he leaned against the corner of the wall that separated the set of stairs leading down and the hallway that connected to the main one at a right angle. All had been quiet since they arrived. Regardless, he kept a careful eye on the stairs that led up from the lower floors.

The minutes passed and he waited for Paildramon and GrandisKuwagamon to finish. He still didn't fully trust the mercenary, but he felt a bit better about it given the fact that GrandisKuwagamon would cooperate with them since it would be in his own best interests. He was definitely being more cooperative than when they had first started, at least.

Suddenly, Dorbickmon's muscles became rigid and he stood up straight. A tingle of anticipation jolted through his body. His senses became even more alert. His violet irises narrowed and wheeled towards the base of the stairs.

He heard the sounds of approaching Digimon. He could make out a set of footsteps pattering rhythmically from the hallway below. Serving as a counter-melody to the footsteps was the low reverberations of an engine. As the pair grew nearer, he could hear a pair of voices, one low and one higher.

Dorbickmon hid his body behind the corner and peered his snout around it to stare down the set of stairs. He raised his hand up and gestured to VictoryGreymon at the other end of the hall. Upon seeing Dorbickmon's signal, VictoryGreymon frowned and nodded, getting ready to act in an instant.

The dragon mercenary saw a mass of blue metal emerge at the base of the stairs. His eyes widened when he saw Bolgmon stop in front of the stairway. Blitzmon walked up beside him and began to look up the stairs. Dorbickmon promptly hid behind the wall and took a step back, not yet retreating, but not letting himself be seen.

"I can't believe these cheap bastards still haven't put in a ramp for tank treads," Bolgmon complained. He expelled high pressure steam from vents underneath his body to make himself hover. He lifted the front part of his body so that his mechanized treads lifted on top of the edges of the first few stairs to give him traction. Once he was sure of his footing, he began tentatively driving up the set of stairs. "Making me do this every time… That's discrimination! It's wheelism. This isn't very damn accessible!"

Blitzmon sighed and followed after him. "Just slide evolve into your Blitzmon form…" he suggested.

"No, it's a matter of principle!" Bolgmon complained, slowly making his way up the stairs to Dorbickmon's level. "Besides, it takes up energy and I don't want people confusing me with you."

"Nobody will ever have that problem, Bolgmon," Blitzmon dryly responded.

Dorbickmon swore under his breath. They must be headed to their office. That was bad for Paildramon and GrandisKuwagamon. Even worse, he wouldn't be able to stall the mercenaries because if they saw him, they'd recognise him and then a big fight would break out. He still contemplated the benefits of just attacking the pair, beating them to a pulp, and questioning them afterwards, but they were strong opponents and this wasn't a good location for a fight. They might end up levelling the whole floor.

The dragon mercenary took off down the hallway, hailing VictoryGreymon to hide as he ran.

---

Back inside the office, GrandisKuwagamon continued going through the file cabinet. His crimson eye studiously inspected the contents as he flipped through the folders swiftly.

After a few moments, he sighed and closed the drawer. It was clear to him that there wasn't anything there. He looked over at Paildramon, who was behind him, examining the contents on top of the desk. "Damn it… Looks like we're shit out of luck," he explained. "I don't think Blitzmon and Bolgmon have been here yet. There's no records or invoices of any of our jobs over the past few months. Blitzmon always keeps them. I know our hideout got ransacked, but I'm pretty sure he kept extra copies with him…"

Paildramon frowned with disappointment. "I see… Then it looks like we'll have to wait around until they do get here," she supposed. "We'll come back another time."

Before GrandisKuwagamon could reply, there was a sharp and rapid knocking on the office door. "Paildramon! It's Blitzmon and Bolgmon! They're coming!" Dorbickmon's voice announced urgently, trying to strike a balance between loud enough for them to hear his warning, but quiet enough not to alert Blitzmon and Bolgmon.

The red eyes of both Paildramon and GrandisKuwagamon both widened at this announcement. "What?" Paildramon demanded.

"You've got forty five seconds before they're up! Hurry! Get outta there!" Dorbickmon warned them. Unable to wait around for fear of getting seen himself, Dorbickmon bolted down the hallway to the opposite end where VictoryGreymon was. He grabbed VictoryGreymon by the arm and hauled him around the corner.

"W-What about Paildramon and Grandis?" VictoryGreymon asked worriedly.

"Shh. Stay outta sight, Vic. They can probably escape. If they get seen, we'll go and back them up," Dorbickmon explained in a hushed whisper.

Back inside the office, GrandisKuwagamon and Paildramon were scrambling.

"Shit!"GrandisKuwagamon hissed. He quickly closed the file cabinet and tossed the jar of honey back into one of the desk drawers. He made sure to remove all evidence that they had been there.

Paildramon jogged over to the door of the office and looked over at GrandisKuwagamon. "Hurry! We don't have much time," she insisted.

"We can't go out that way!" GrandisKuwagamon hurriedly retorted. "We don't have the key to be able to lock the door from the outside. They'll know someone's been inside and then we'll lose our chance." He quickly but meticulously put everything back the way that he found it. "Hurry, lock the door and kill the lights."

Paildramon grimaced and locked the door from the inside before flipping the switch to the room's electricity. She heard the sound of Bolgmon's engine and tank treads at the end of the hallway, gradually coming nearer. "The window," she responded, spotting another method of escape. She jogged over and tried pulling up the window, but found that it wouldn't budge and that the glass would break if she pushed any harder.

"Not that one!" GrandisKuwagamon said in a harsh whisper. "That one's jammed!"

By now, they could both hear the mechanical purring of Bolgmon's engine just outside the room. Paildramon narrowed her eyes and grabbed GrandisKuwagamon by the arm. "There's no time," she whispered. "Here."

Without giving him a chance to protest, she pulled him over to the closet and bundled them both inside. She pressed her winged back up against the wall and pulled GrandisKuwagamon's back against her chest, pulling his pincer-adorned face down to give her enough room to slide the door closed.

"Pail-mm!" GrandisKuwagamon's objections were silenced by Paildramon's hand, and she brought her other arm around his chest to hold him in place. There was barely enough room for their statuesque bodies in the meter-wide closet, especially with their wings and the other contents of the closet filling up the space. Nevertheless, they were able to fit in without attracting attention.

"Shh," she quietly hushed him. GrandisKuwagamon exhaled and obeyed, beginning to concentrate on keeping as quiet and stealthy as possible.

The pair went silent as they heard the clicking caused by the unlocking of the door. The door swung open, signalled by the soft whine of old hinges. The darkness of the room disappeared as the lights flickered on once again. The sound of footsteps and tank treads filled the office as the pair of mercenaries entered.

"Well, it doesn't look like we got broken into while we were gone," Blitzmon observed as he stepped into the office. "It looks the same as ever. Lucky for us."

"Sure does," Bolgmon agreed, rolling inside and moving his cannon arm to close the door behind him. "Guess thieves are smart enough to know what'll happen to them if they steal from us. Hahah…"

At the mere sound of his former friends' voices, GrandisKuwagamon became irrationally angry. His chest churned with fury, his blood boiled, and his muscles tightened. The wound was still fresh and open, the blood still hemorrhaging. He couldn't forget their betrayal of him so easily. Their very voices served as a reminder, like needles to his chest that caused wrath to course through his veins. His mind became hot and his pincers twitched aggressively. Despite this raw and intense anger, he was able to keep himself under control.

"It's still a mess. I need to clean up," Blitzmon said, walking across the office to the desk. Paildramon and GrandisKuwagamon both became rigid as he passed in front of the closet, his shadow visible through the cracks. Fortunately for them, he didn't open it.

Blitzmon began sorting through the desk papers and started organizing them. He placed his bag on the desk and pulled out a few more documents that he set beside the pile.

Bolgmon rolled over to the center of the room, stopping at the other side of the desk. "Should I check the mailbox for new job offers?" he suggested.

"Don't bother, Bolgmon," Blitzmon stated decisively. "With our contract still ongoing, we won't have time for any other jobs. He says he'll be getting more than enough money soon, so when he does, we'll be set."

GrandisKuwagamon couldn't help but narrow his compound eye at this. So they were still continuing with their client's contract after all… He supposed he shouldn't be surprised, since both Blitzmon and Bolgmon were all for continuing with the lucrative contract, while he was the one sceptical about continuing. He quietly wondered if that was one of the reasons why they decided to use him as bait against the Royal Knights. Was it to get him out of the way so they could do what they want? These thoughts of doubt only fueled his anger.

Paildramon narrowed her eyes. She could feel the warm air of GrandisKuwagamon's breaths increase against her palm. Sensing his anger, she held him tighter to prevent him from doing anything reckless.

"Hah, and with Grandis gone, that means more money for us!" Bolgmon exclaimed with an unabashed chortle.

These words ignited a fire inside of GrandisKuwagamon. His anger surged and began to numb his mind and overtake his commonsense. He began fighting against Paildramon's hold, breathing hard as he tried to burst out of the closet. He was desperate to wipe the smile off of Bolgmon's face.

Paildramon glowered and pulled GrandisKuwagamon back, keeping one arm around GrandisKuwagamon's waist while moving the other arm underneath GrandisKuwagamon's shoulder to keep him from reaching to open the door. It was difficult, but she held him back with all of her might. She moved her face close to his ear and whispered as lowly as she possibly could.

"Stop. Control yourself," she whispered in but a breath. "Focus, GrandisKuwagamon."

This seemed to bring GrandisKuwagamon to his senses. He knew she was right. He couldn't let his emotions control him. He couldn't succumb to anger. He couldn't lose control…

GrandisKuwagamon's bitter gaze softened and his crimson glow in his eye dulled. His harsh, furious breaths became deep and tranquil. He stopped resisting Paildramon's hold and his muscles became relaxed and serene. He entered a nearly meditative state inside of himself. It was something that he often did when he wanted to center himself and control his body, mind, and emotions.

Paildramon closed her eyes and remained vigilant. She slowly raised her hip cannons past either side of GrandisKuwagamon's body and pointed them at the closet door in case she needed to use them.

"…Shut up, Bolgmon," Blitzmon bitterly said to the large tank Digimon. He looked up from the papers and gave him a cool look with his green eyes. "I'm not happy about what happened. GrandisKuwagamon was a good teammate and has been our friend since childhood. We were together ever since what happened… I only went along with your plan because our lives were on the line at that point and I knew that he could handle himself."

"Tch, some friend he was. He was only out for himself; he didn't care about us!" Bolgmon fired back. "We're better off without him, Blitz."

"So you say… So, we're better without him… Tell me, Bolgmon, do you have access to void space? Can you teleport us from one place to another? Can you conceal our approach in a veil of mist?" Blitzmon countered pointedly. He stared at Bolgmon for his response, his eyes like daggers.

The mechanised insect failed to give one. He frowned, looking away with a mixture of stubborn defiance and chastised sheepishness. "Uh…"

"No, you can't, genius. And thanks to your ill-conceived plan for petty revenge – and don't try to deny that that's what it was – we're down a useful member who was vitally important to our operations. He was our primary means for infiltration and exfiltration. You have resented him for several months recently, and you let your emotions and your ego get the better of you," Blitzmon responded, his words cold, harsh and direct. "I'm tempted to try and smooth things over with him next time I see him – if we ever see him again, that is. Maybe I can convince him to come back with us... And you'll be as contrite as I tell you to be if I do decide to. Is that understood?"

"Like hell, I will…" Bolgmon muttered under his breath, defiant, but not enough to argue with Blitzmon.

Blitzmon gave him a sharp look before he turned away to start sorting the papers into the file cabinet. "Doesn't matter now. Make yourself useful for a change and make some coffee…" he said, gesturing to the table at the far right corner of the office where a pot, a coffee grinder, and a filter was.

As Bolgmon grumbled and rolled in front of the closet to reach the table, Paildramon glanced at GrandisKuwagamon. She wasn't sure how Blitzmon's words were affecting him. He had a soft, thoughtful frown on his face.

GrandisKuwagamon mulled over what Blitzmon had said. He wasn't expecting that kind of remorse and regret from him. He had expected him to be cold and cynical about it – unrepentant like Bolgmon was. It frustrated him. He had a sick, twisting feeling in his stomach. He was still furious at them. He was especially angry at Bolgmon for orchestrating the whole thing, but he was also angry at Blitzmon for opting to save his own hide. However, Blitzmon's anger and regret caused clouds of doubt to form inside of Grandis' mind.

Should he be mad at them? Could he overlook what they did? Should he try to reconnect with them? Should he keep going with his current course of action? What would be best for him and what emotions should he listen to? GrandisKuwagamon glared as he thought.

"Coffee's boiling," Bolgmon spoke up a minute later, having heated up the water using his cannon arms. He began steeping the ground coffee into the water. "So, when do you want to head out to the Gloaming Fields? Did he say when he wanted to meet us there?"

Both Paildramon and GrandisKuwagamon perked up at the mention of not only a destination, but a 'he'. They continued remaining silent and listening intently.

"He said whenever was convenient over the next week. He and the Demon Lords will be staying there at least for the short term," Blitzmon explained. "Let's leave the day after tomorrow."

"Works for me," Bolgmon responded. "Some place in the Desolate Moors, specifically, right?"

"Yeah. You can find it, right?" Blitzmon asked him.

Bolgmon put a cup of coffee on the desk for Blitzmon to take. "Obviously. I know all the maps by heart," he responded. "…So, what do you think of working for the Demon Lords? Never thought we'd be working for some religious nut-jobs who tried to drop a whole Sky Colony."

"'With' the Demon Lords," Blitzmon corrected. "They aren't the ones paying us. As long as Bagramon keeps bankrolling us, I don't care who we have to work with. The Demon Lords haven't done anything to us, so it doesn't matter to me."

"Yeah, I guess not. Might even be fun. I hear some of them are pretty wild," Bolgmon said with a sharp cackle. "Guess we'll see if it's possible for former angels to be fun or not."

"Try to stay focused," Blitzmon told him before downing the hot coffee in a few, quick gulps. He exhaled and placed the cup down before turning around and sliding the cabinet drawer shut. "Come on. I want to go by the shops before they close for the night. We need to buy a safe for the office now that our hideout's gone. I want a double-locked one."

"And you expect me to carry that shit, don't you?" Bolgmon said with a groan.

"Yes. And I don't want to hear a single complaint. It shouldn't be a problem unless you've gotten weak," Blitzmon goaded him, grabbing his bag from the desk and swinging it over his shoulder.

Bolgmon sighed and pivoted around, slowly driving by the closet where GrandisKuwagamon and Paildramon were hiding. "You've been busting my bolts all day…" he complained exasperatedly.

"Stop bitching," Blitzmon told him, walking around the desk. As Bolgmon opened the office door, Blitzmon turned and gazed at the closet.

The cobalt insect man frowned and approached the sliding closet door, tentatively raising his hand towards the handle. GrandisKuwagamon and Paildramon both froze. GrandisKuwagamon clenched his fist while Paildramon aimed her hip cannons in anticipation. They held their breath as he reached for the door.

Blitzmon hesitated, his hand stopping a few centimeters away from the door handle. He looked over at Bolgmon. "Do you think it'll be cold tonight? I'm debating bringing a jacket," he stated.

"It'll be fine. It's Dark Point. The sun'll warm things up once it sets," Bolgmon responded. "Don't be a wuss and come on."

Blitzmon looked back at the closet door, staring at the exact point where Paildramon and GrandisKuwagamon were hiding. His eyes narrowed slightly. After a few moments of deliberation, he retracted his hand. "…Fine," he said, turning away. "Let's go."

Blitzmon walked over to Bolgmon and turned the office lights off. The pair of mercenaries opened the door and proceeded to leave the office. Blitzmon locked the door behind him and they made their way back down the hallway to the descending stairs.

GrandisKuwagamon and Paildramon remained in tense silence for awhile longer. They listened carefully to make sure the two mercenaries had left. They could hear Bolgmon's engine slowly fading as the two azure bugs headed down the hallway. As soon as the dulcet hum of the engine dissipated, the two Digimon finally breathed the sighs that they had kept trapped in their lungs for what seemed like ages.

"Finally…" Paildramon whispered.

"Yeah…" GrandisKuwagamon agreed. He looked over his shoulder at her. "…So, P… I know I have a nice body, but are you ever gonna stop hugging me? I'd like to get out now," he asked with a soft, shit-eating grin. "Unless… you've got a thing for almost getting caught?"

Paildramon levelled a cool, flat gaze with him and wordlessly released him from her arms. "Make sure it's all clear," she told him firmly.

GrandisKuwagamon slowly and cautiously opened the closet door and peered out into the office. It was dark, but he could see that there was nobody there. He exhaled and stepped out, prompting Paildramon to do the same.

Suddenly, there was a knocking on the office door that caused them to spin around.

"Paildramon! Grandis! It's me!" Dorbickmon called in from the other side of the door. "Are you guys in there? You okay?"

"Yes, we're here. We're fine," Paildramon told him. "We'll go out the window. We'll meet you outside in five minutes, okay? Be careful of Blitzmon and Bolgmon on the way down."

"Yeah, got it. We'll see you two down there," Dorbickmon responded before walking off to get VictoryGreymon.

Paildramon frowned and looked at GrandisKuwagamon. "That was a fortuitous encounter…" she said, looking at him.

"Yeah…" GrandisKuwagamon agreed, walking over to the file cabinet. He took out of the most recent file that Blitzmon had just put in. He looked the sheet over carefully. "They listed the client as nameless. They did say Bagramon though, right?"

"That's what I heard. Do you know him?" Paildramon asked him.

"Never heard of him. I guess that's who's been hiring us," GrandisKuwagamon responded, putting the file back and closing the cabinet. He walked over to the window to the right of the central window and opened it. "Here. Ready to go?"

Paildramon nodded and climbed over the window sill, ducking under the raised window as she got into position. She leapt out into the evening air, just as the golden light of the setting sun began to shine horizontally across Dark Point. She flapped her draconic wings and hovered in place, waiting for GrandisKuwagamon to follow her.

GrandisKuwagamon climbed out of the window just large enough to fit his body. He started beating his insect wings rapidly to keep him aloft. Once hovering outside the window, he closed it behind him with a solid pull.

With both of their bodies now basked in the amber sunlight of the setting sun, they turned to look at each other. "Let's go down and meet with the others," Paildramon said to him, angling her body forwards and beginning to fly down towards the still dark streets.

"Yeah," GrandisKuwagamon agreed, pitching forwards and flying down at a diagonal angle as well. "So, what next?"

"We should have enough information. We'll let the others know what we found and then we can go back to the inn. We should stay the night and leave tomorrow morning," she explained.

GrandisKuwagamon nodded and quietly flew alongside the dragon as they descended. He scanned the area below for signs of Blitzmon and Bolgmon. He didn't know how he felt about them at that moment, but he knew that now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

He just focused on what was in front of him and what he was able to do. Right now, that was meeting up with the others and completing their mission.

---

Twenty minutes passed since the investigation team met up at their assigned meeting place. They managed to evade Blitzmon and Bolgmon, and they proceeded to wait for a short while before venturing out onto the streets. Once comfortable that it was safe to go out, the four began walking down commercial side streets that were less busy than the main streets. These streets often contained bars, food shops, and other retail stores. They continued following these streets back towards the inn that they were staying at.

The darkness of the night lingered in the sky immediately overhead, with a pair of crescent moons looming large in the starry sky. The sun continued to dip over the western horizon, shining a deep, pink and orange light across Dark Point's harbour. Although night encroached from the east, the buildings around them were all graced with warm, golden highlights.

VictoryGreymon led the way down the dimly lit street, with only the soft, receding rays of light as a guide. In his left hand was the massive Dramon Breaker, which he let rest on his left shoulder. In his right hand was an extra large kebab of spiced meat on a skewer, with yoghurt and spicy chili sauces drizzled over the top of it. He ate his dinner hungrily and happily. "Mmm! Who would have thought you could get Mesozoic Kingdom cuisine up here!?" he exclaimed with a broad smile, his taste buds and stomach satisfied. "I love trying exotic foods!"

GrandisKuwagamon picked his teeth with a wooden skewer as he walked behind VictoryGreymon, at a casual pace with Paildramon and Dorbickmon. "We're having an Adult-level conversation here, V," he sarcastically said.

"Oh, sorry," VictoryGreymon responded, innocently looking over his shoulder at them as he took another bite of meat and nommed on it.

"So… who the hell is Bagramon?" Dorbickmon asked between chews of a large shank of barbequed meat in his hand. "I never heard of him."

"Neither have GrandisKuwagamon and I," Paildramon replied. She took a bite of her own meat kebab and looked forward at VictoryGreymon. "Have you, VictoryGreymon?" she asked, swallowing before questioning him.

"Yeah, as if the team meathead is going to know," GrandisKuwagamon sardonically proposed, grinning ahead at VictoryGreymon.

VictoryGreymon frowned and looked upwards, looking pensive. "Hmm… Actually…" he pondered aloud. "Bagramon… Oh, isn't he one of the fallen angel Digimon who rebelled against the Three Great Angels during the Heavenly War? Yeah, I'm pretty sure he helped the Seven Great Demon Lords… He was the Archangel of Death, I think," he offered up with innocent nonchalance. "…Right?"

The three Digimon behind him all stared at him with shock, a piece of meat even falling out of Dorbickmon's incredulously-open mouth. GrandisKuwagamon tilted his head and stared at VictoryGreymon with a disbelieving stare. "…Are you serious?" he deadpanned. "How the hell do you know that…?"

"Huh?" VictoryGreymon responded, still looking over his shoulder as he walked down the sidewalk. "Oh, I read all about the Heavenly War! It was the first conflict where the Royal Knights and the Warrior Ten teamed up together! I definitely read about it; it was such an important war since it ended with the Night of Falling Stars," he explained animatedly.

Paildramon smirked victoriously at GrandisKuwagamon and walked forwards. "Thank you, VictoryGreymon. You have a good head for Royal Knight-based history," she responded appreciatively.

"Haha! Wow, I do? Thanks!" VictoryGreymon exclaimed, his cheeks blushing and rubbing his right palm against the back of his head, inadvertently getting some dripping yoghurt sauce in his red hair. "Nobody ever told me that I had a good head for anything before. Oh, except for ramming stuff."

GrandisKuwagamon palmed his face. "I don't believe this…" he muttered, stunned that he was proved wrong despite all reasonable logic.

"Actually, I remember hearing something else about Bagramon too," VictoryGreymon mused, bringing his half-eaten kebab stick to his lip as if he was stroking his chin. "I heard that Bagramon is DarkKnightmon's brother…" VictoryGreymon's eyes suddenly widened and his face turned bright red. He looked at Dorbickmon with guilt and wondered if he made a huge faux-pas. "Oh, uh… Sorry, I…"

Dorbickmon grinned a bit at VictoryGreymon. "It's fine, Vic… We worked together, yeah, but we weren't exactly best buddies… In fact, we turned on each other in the end…" he remembered. His scaly brows dipped into a frown. "DarkKnightmon, huh? …Where did you hear that? He never mentioned a brother to me."

"I don't know for sure…" VictoryGreymon made sure to clarify, still looking over his shoulder as he walked down the sidewalk. He was approaching grotty bar where raucous yells and cheers could be heard all the way out on the street. "It was just a rumour I heard, so I don't—"

"Look out, VictoryGreymon!" Paildramon called out to him.

Not looking where he was going in the slightest, VictoryGreymon spun his head around too late. He crashed into a tall, lanky body of crimson bone. "Gah!" VictoryGreymon sputtered, stumbling clumsily further into the SkullSatamon who was leading a group out of the noisy bar and onto the sidewalk.

"And then—HEY!" the undead Digimon shouted as he was greeted by a mass of dragon muscle. He ended up stumbling back into the tavern wall and spilling his beer all over his body, soaking his loincloth and his leather pants. To add insult to injury, VictoryGreymon's half-finished kebab flew into the air and landed on the SkullSatamon's black, skull-like face.

VictoryGreymon managed to catch himself and stepped back. He looked up and saw the furious, murderous gleam in the SkullSatamon's hollow eyes, further accentuated by the yogurt and chili sauce dripping down his undead face.

"Oh, um… sorry!" VictoryGreymon nervously stammered, instinctively raising his hands up. "Really sorry! Here, I'll see if my friends have a napkin—" He turned abruptly to the left to face his three teammates, but as he did, he forgot that he was still holding his sword against his left shoulder. As he did a one eighty spin, the Dramon Breaker came wheeling around and the blunt end of the sword whammed into the side of the SkullSatamon's head.

After receiving a painful clonk from the giant piece of metal, the SkullSatamon stumbled into his group of demon friends, who were crowded in the bar's doorway upon trying to leave. The SkullSatamon made an unearthly hiss as he was caught by the NeoDevimon behind him. Wincing from the throbbing in his skull, the undead demon stood to his feet and glared bloody murder at VictoryGreymon.

"Oh, you are dead, lizard…" he promised him, his voice raspy and scathing. He rubbed his head and glanced behind him, into the bar. "Gang…?"

The SkullSatamon summoned his gnarled, wooden staff and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Following him outside were more than just the handful of Digimon that stood in the door. Twenty demon and undead Digimon came pouring out of bar, lining up imposingly on the whole street. They all glared daggers at not just VictoryGreymon, but Dorbickmon, Paildramon, and GrandisKuwagamon too, as if they were a rival gang who stepped onto their turf.

Among their ranks were numbers of Adult and Perfect level Demon and Undead Digimon. This included Devimon, Boogiemon, NeoDevimon, DeathMeramon, Mephismon, Phelesmon, Bakemon, Astamon, and LadyDevimon.

Upon hearing the countless footsteps behind him, VictoryGreymon tensed up and slowly looked over his shoulder with wide, green eyes. He started sweating profusely at the sight of all the demon and undead Digimon baying for his blood. The hapless Greymon offered the only reprieve that he could. "Uh… I'm really sorry…!" he offered, smiling sheepishly. Sensing their violent intent, he started creeping forwards, back towards his friends. "We'll just… get out of your way… and you can go back to enjoying your night…"

GrandisKuwagamon glared at VictoryGreymon and the demons behind him. "Idiot! They're the Dark Area demons… Nightmare Soldiers…" he hissed, taking a step backwards and clenching his fists.

"Heh… Looks like we're in for a fight…" Dorbickmon mused, cracking his knuckles and smirking as his adrenaline began to pump.

"There's too many of them…" Paildramon pointed out, narrowing her eyes and also retreating a step. She raised her guns towards the group. "We can't fight that many, Dorbickmon."

"Even if they're lower levels, I can't fight that many without my abilities," GrandisKuwagamon agreed, frustrated at the situation. "I told you this inhibitor virus was a bad idea. Damn it…"

VictoryGreymon made his way over to his three teammates and turned around nervously holding his sword in front of him and taking a defensive posture. "We really don't want to fight…" he beseeched in a desperate attempt to mediate with the demons.

"What do you want us to do to them, Viscount?" a NeoDevimon asked the SkullSatamon.

"Make them suffer a bit…" the SkullSatamon ordered, glowering and raising his staff towards the four. "Attack! Nail Bone!" He slammed the head of his staff into the ground and sent out a streak of blood red light that cut across the road, cutting between GrandisKuwagamon and Dorbickmon.

Paildramon glared as she watched the twenty demons surge towards them. "Run!" Paildramon ordered as energy surged down the barrels of her hip cannons. "Hurry! Desperado Blaster!"

With those words, she began firing from the two machine guns attached to her hips. Rapid fire beam bullets slammed into the ground in front of the demons, suppressing them with the ricochet blasts.

"Damn it!" Dorbickmon snarled fierily, not wanting to turn tail without at least a bit of a fight. He raised his reptilian arm and summoned the Tyrant Collbrande in a devastating burst of sweltering flames. "Burning the Dragon!"

He stabbed his sword into the middle of the street and sent powerful tremors down the length of the street, causing several of the demon Digimon to lose balance and topple over. Suddenly, the flames of his sword ignited and a giant block of rock suddenly pierced through the ranks of the demons, sending three of them flying ten feet into the air.

"Okay, go! Dragon Breath Tonic Fire!" Dorbickmon yelled. The flame symbols on his pectoral muscles burned with fiery energy before exploding in two, powerful streams of scorching flames.

The dual jets of fire slammed into the middle of the road where the demons were. A small, concentrated explosion erupted between the demons that shook the windows of the pub and lit up the dark street like a flare.

"Run!" Dorbickmon yelled, turning around and bolting up the road.

"I don't think so!" the SkullSatamon ordered, pointing with his staff. "Chase them down and break them! Nail Bone!" He fired another beam from his demonic staff towards the group.

VictoryGreymon grunted and stepped forwards. He raised the three-bladed Dramon Breaker horizontally in front of his body. Suddenly, the two outer blades snapped outwards at forty five degree angles, and the v-shaped crossguard bent backwards to ninety degree angles. He held the transformative sword in front of him with the blunt face of the blade outwards, towards the coming attack. "Victory Charge!" he shouted, suddenly creating a giant, three dimensional, hexagonal energy barrier from the three tips of the sword.

The fiery, crimson beam slammed into the barrier dead-center. VictoryGreymon dug his feet into the ground, bracing against the attack. The shield held firm, causing the attack to deflect off and end up shooting in front of the gathered demons, creating a powerful explosion that sent them staggering back.

"GrandisKuwagamon, VictoryGreymon, let's go!" Paildramon shouted, firing off another burst from her guns. She spun around and dashed after Dorbickmon.

"G-Got it!" VictoryGreymon shouted, making the blades of the Dramon Breaker snap back to their original, parallel position. He began running after them as fast as his brawny body would allow.

GrandisKuwagamon scowled and turned around too, feeling useless in this situation without his weapons. As much as he was itching to fight, he supposed the only thing he could do was retreat. "Damn it…" he hissed, sprinting up the street after the others. He quickly outpaced VictoryGreymon and began to beat his wings in preparation for flight.

VictoryGreymon grimaced and ran as fast as he could to catch up with the others. He was the slowest of the group, even without the fact that he wore heavy plate armour and a carried a massive claymore. He looked over his shoulder and saw the demons burst through the dust and smoke, swarming after him. He felt fear tug at his heart when he saw all of demon Digimon closing in on him. He looked forwards and saw his three companions outpacing him, and they were getting further away. He began to get desperate.

"Deep Sorrow!" a NeoDevimon shouted, flying high into the night sky. He flapped his crimson wings and unleashed black gale winds down around VictoryGreymon, sending small cracks into the street around him.

"Gah!" VictoryGreymon hollered, the winds against his back causing him to stumble and trip over his own legs. His toe claws caught one of the cracks in the street and he came crashing down on the ground. He slammed into the pavement with a loud clamour and his arms, chest and cheek stung from the impact. He lay on the ground, his body shaken up by the sudden fall. "Ugh…!" He turned around and saw the demon Digimon rushing towards him.

GrandisKuwagamon, the one furthest behind Dorbickmon, heard VictoryGreymon's shout and the clatter of armour. He turned around and saw VictoryGreymon lying flat on the ground, his sword lying a meter in front of him. The mercenary spotted the demon Digimon running towards him. They were closing in on him.

GrandisKuwagamon grimaced. He debated what he should do. He could go and help him, or he could leave VictoryGreymon there. He considered just leaving the hapless dragon. He was the idiot who got the demons angry in the first place, after all. He would just be getting what he deserved, and using VictoryGreymon as a scapegoat would get the demons off of the rest of their backs.

The insect thought about it. There was also the fact that if GrandisKuwagamon got too far away from Paildramon by trying to help VictoryGreymon, he would get electrocuted. His paralyzed body would be left at the demons' mercy to do what they pleased with. If he stayed, he would just be putting himself in the same situation as VictoryGreymon. Why would he grab someone who was drowning only to be pulled down as well? There was no real logical reason for him to help VictoryGreymon.

So, GrandisKuwagamon turned around and prepared to continue running after Paildramon and Dorbickmon, who hadn't noticed VictoryGreymon fall yet. They didn't need to know that he saw VictoryGreymon fall. He beat his wings and bent his legs, preparing to push off the ground…

…But he stalled.

Something was niggling at his insides…

GrandisKuwagamon turned his head and looked over his shoulder. He saw VictoryGreymon trying desperately to get up, but finding himself unable to do it quickly enough. He could see the swath of cackling demons descending on VictoryGreymon, only several meters away from him now. He could see the fear and desperation in VictoryGreymon's eyes…

What would he be if he left him to his torturous fate? He'd just be using VictoryGreymon as a scapegoat to save himself. He'd be no better than what Blitzmon and Bolgmon, and what they did to him. And then there was that other thing…

He clenched his fists and kept staring at VictoryGreymon. VictoryGreymon spotted GrandisKuwagamon, his wide, vulnerable eyes wordlessly asking him for help. GrandisKuwagamon's eye locked with his. He began to look away and pretend he hadn't seen him.

But…

"…Damn it!" GrandisKuwagamon shouted, spinning around and charging back towards VictoryGreymon. "Paildramon! Cover me and VictoryGreymon! He's down!"

At this, Paildramon came to sudden halt and spun around to see what he meant. To her horror, she saw that VictoryGreymon had fallen far behind, and was on his hands and knees, recovering from a fall. "VictoryGreymon!" she exclaimed. Thinking quickly, she looked at Dorbickmon. "Dorbickmon! Suppressing fire! Desperado Blaster!"

Dorbickmon stopped and pivoted, snarling as he realised the situation. "Shit! Dragon Breath Tonic Fire!" he roared, firing a pair of fiery torrents from his chest.

The beam bullets and swaths of flames tore down the dark street and slammed into the ground in between the VictoryGreymon and the charging demon gang. The pavement erupted with fire, beam bursts, and fragments of cement, providing GrandisKuwagamon with the sufficient cover that he needed to get in close.

GrandisKuwagamon sprinted over to VictoryGreymon and came to a sliding stop beside him. He felt the heat of the flames behind him, but he focused. He moved quickly, lugging VictoryGreymon's hefty arm over his shoulders and helping him stand to his feet.

VictoryGreymon pulled the Dramon Breaker up and stood on shaky feet. He looked at GrandisKuwagamon with a nervous but grateful smile. "Th-Thank you, Grandis…" he murmured with heartfelt appreciation.

"Forget it. Come on, we're flying," GrandisKuwagamon hurriedly told him. He started beating his x-shaped insect wings and began flying into the air. After the initial lodestone of VictoryGreymon's weight holding him down, he was relieved to feel VictoryGreymon fly on his own and carry his own weight.

The black mercenary began lugging VictoryGreymon through the air along with him to speed their escape. As he flew up the umbrous street, GrandisKuwagamon hazarded a glance over his shoulder. He saw Viscount SkullSatamon and the demons racing after them. A few attacks whizzed by them, just narrowly missing them and embedding themselves in the streets.

He grunted and looked ahead at Paildramon and Dorbickmon. "Hey, Dorbickmon! How about a wall or something! Just leave it to the Digmon to deal with!" he called out, flying as fast as he could.

"Coming right up!" Dorbickmon announced, swinging the infernal Tyrant Collbrande over his head before plunging it into the ground. "Burning the Dragon!"

A massive wall of rock suddenly burst out of the street and raised itself twenty feet into the air. The rock barrier came up behind GrandisKuwagamon and VictoryGreymon, but ahead of the pursuing demon Digimon. The stone wall took up the entire street from building to building. The only way past was over it or through it, slowing the demons down considerably.

GrandisKuwagamon took the reprieve to land beside Paildramon and Dorbickmon with VictoryGreymon at his side.

"We're leaving Dark Point now," Paildramon swiftly said, panting and watching the stone wall cautiously. "We've drawn too much attention to ourselves."

"I'm sorry…" VictoryGreymon apologised shame-facedly, rubbing the side of his neck.

"It's fine. We got what we came for anyways," Paildramon assured him. "But we should leave quickly before the authorities show up."

"Let's go. I know the quickest way out from here," Dorbickmon agreed, swiping his arm out and extinguishing the Tyrant Collbrande in a cascade of whimpering embers. "Come on!"

As Dorbickmon took off up the street, the other three ran after him. "Won't argue with that…" GrandisKuwagamon muttered, bringing up the rear.

The sun set in the western horizon and shadows of the night overtook the city. The investigation team of four shook off their pursuers and escaped down the curving, intertwining roads of the city. Like shadows in the night, they evaded notice and slipped out of the city under the cover of darkness.

The covert team left Dark Point behind them and melded back into the night.

---

The team of four, exhausted, emerged out of the eastern side of Analog Forest. They stumbled upon the place that they used as a campsite the night before. They recognised the log that they used as a bench and the fire pit full of charred pieces of wood and ashes. The darkness of the campsite was dimly illuminated by a TV that was embedded inside a tree trunk.

The group stopped around the campsite to catch their breath. Paildramon sighed and looked at her three teammates. "Let's take a quick break…" she suggested between heavy breaths. The other three obliged, leaning against the large trees around them. "What do you think? Should we stay here for the night?"

"They wouldn't chase us this far, right…?" VictoryGreymon asked, looking back into the forest.

"Nah…" GrandisKuwagamon responded. "Let's keep going. I don't really feel like waiting around."

"Yeah, let's stick it out," Dorbickmon agreed. "We can stay at an inn in Falconhead once we get there. It beats sleeping on the ground again."

Paildramon nodded. "Alright…" she concurred, standing up straight and stretching her stiff muscles.

GrandisKuwagamon caught his breath and remained leaning against the tree. He gazed over at Paildramon contemplatively. He glanced away, a slight frown on his face.

Finally, the dark insect man grunted and stood up from the trunk. He strode over to Paildramon and stopped in front of her. "Uh… Hey. Have a minute?" he asked, folding his arms.

Paildramon's ruby eyes shifted over to meet him. "Huh? Sure," she obliged him, walking a few steps over to the side of the campsite.

GrandisKuwagamon walked with her and raised his hand to rub his black fingers through his orange hair. "So… Uh…" he began, his voice uncharacteristically apprehensive. He lowered his arm and grunted, looking away from the dragon Digimon. "Thanks…" he managed to choke out.

Paildramon blinked and cocked her eyebrow. "Pardon? For what?" she asked, both unsure what he was referring to and surprised to actually hear him thank anybody.

"You know… for stopping me," he clarified sheepishly. "When I wanted to beat the shit out of Bolgmon and Blitzmon."

"Oh, that… You're welcome. It wouldn't exactly have been smart for me to let you do that," she responded.

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and folded his black arms across his carapace. "Still… I should've had more self-control," he explained bitterly. "That doesn't normally happen to me."

"We all have moments like that…" Paildramon assured him. She gazed at him studiously. "GrandisKuwagamon… About what Blitzmon said…"

GrandisKuwagamon's crimson, compound eye trailed down to the ground as he thought about it. "You mean about him wanting to reconcile?" he asked. He gazed into the dark of the forest. "…Part of me was tempted, I admit. It'd be easiest to go back to them after I'm free, even with Bolgmon there, hating my guts. We have a lot of history. We go way back and we know how each other works. …But… I don't think I can go back to them again. I can't trust them again. Dunno if I can even forgive them." He looked up at Paildramon and grinned informally. "So, you can relax. You don't have to worry about me trying anything shady…"

Paildramon stared at him and nodded. "Good…" she responded. "Although, on a personal level… I'm sorry that you can't reconcile with your friends."

GrandisKuwagamon exhaled before looking at her and putting on a smirk. "You have a 'personal level'? That's news to me," he teased her. "I thought you were in professional mode non-stop."

"Heh," Paildramon managed a chuckle, grinning. Her gaze drifted away from GrandisKuwagamon and she stared past him, at something behind him.

GrandisKuwagamon turned to see VictoryGreymon walking over to him. Plastered onto VictoryGreymon's snout was a big, gracious smile from ear to ear.

VictoryGreymon stopped in front of him. "Um, Grandis…" he began, his deep voice tender and a bit awkward. "I wanted to say… Thank you for rescuing me!" he exclaimed, rushing forwards and pulling GrandisKuwagamon into a big, warm, crushing hug.

GrandisKuwagamon's body tensed and his legs and wings twitched as he was lifted off of his feet. He felt a few cracks in his body. "Ugh… V… Let me… go!" he wheezed, arching his back and squirming in his grip.

"Oh… sorry," VictoryGreymon said, softening his hug before letting him go a few moments later.

GrandisKuwagamon dropped to the ground, brushing his carapace off. "You are so lucky I can't use my pincers…" he warned him.

"Seriously, thanks though…" VictoryGreymon said to him, smiling sweetly. "You really went out of your way for me…"

Dorbickmon wandered over, gazing at GrandisKuwagamon with a broad, shit-eating grin. "Yeah, look at you. Mister Hero…" he teased. "Who would've thought that the bug was capable of helping somebody other than himself? I'm actually impressed."

GrandisKuwagamon glared at them, his cheeks burning slightly. He folded his arms and turned his back to VictoryGreymon indignantly. "Tch… Don't get used to it, lizard. I'm not bailing your ass out every time you do something stupid like piss off violent demons or trip over wind. You're on your own next time," he explained to him standoffishly.

"I know. I won't," VictoryGreymon assured him with a smile. "You're definitely the hero of the day, though. Maybe you could even join the Order at this rate! Haha."

Dorbickmon and Paildramon both chuckled. GrandisKuwagamon turned and shot them both a glare. "And you two are free to shut up…" he told them, although with a trace of a self-aware grin on his lips.

After a moment, GrandisKuwagamon sighed and scratched the back of his head. "So, can we get going already?" he asked them, trying to temper his smirk. "There's no point hanging around."

"Sure," Paildramon agreed, starting to walk. "The sooner we get to Falconhead, the sooner we can rest. We deserve one, after all the hard work that we did."

"I'm gonna need a huge breakfast tomorrow morning," Dorbickmon mused as he began walking alongside Paildramon.

VictoryGreymon smiled at GrandisKuwagamon before shouldering the Dramon Breaker and following them as well.

GrandisKuwagamon didn't immediately follow them. His grin faded and he looked over his shoulder, back towards Dark Point. He turned his gaze down to his bare, ebony hand, which he closed into a tight fist.

Rather than contemplating, the insect mercenary followed after his team. They weren't Black Pincer Company, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that... His crimson eye frowned softly and he followed the three Digimon. He tried to put aside his feelings of uncertainty. There wasn't much else he could do about it anyways.

With that, the four Digimon continued their long journey back to Castle Albion…