Making their way along the winding path was a challenge. Not just because of the fact that the ground was rather rough, but also because they could not afford to raise their voices. The smallest of noises seemed to echo between the mountains. The massive rock walls that the sound bounced off of made the smallest cough sound like a thunderclap. Even their footsteps were loud, making it hard to stay quiet. No one wanted to alert their enemies that they were coming. As Leomon had explained shortly before they left, the element of surprise would be their friend during this escapade. So long as they could strike first, they had the upper hand.

Of course, that was if they could get through the path and to the plateau. Luckily the path was rather straightforward, else the group would have gotten lost. With the height of the mountains, and the overall size of the area, trying to navigate any twisted paths would have been near impossible. The progress they were making was slow enough as it was without having to deal with the possibility of getting lost.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Mikami fixed her gaze forward. At that moment they needed to focus on their current mission. Saving the citizens of File City was their top priority. Deleting the Digimon behind all it could wait until they were sure the citizens were out of harm's way.

And after that we're going to make that DemiDevimon squeal, she thought.

"It is over the hill," Renamon said, reappearing in front of the group. "There are guards standing by the main entrance."

"Any others?" Tadashi asked.

Renamon nodded. "There appears to be a side entrance left unguarded. However, we cannot make our way to it without the guards at the front seeing."

"Great," Shizuka muttered.

"Then we take them out quietly," Impmon said. "What kind of Digimon are they?"

"Two Champions. One is a Virus Type. The other is a Data Digimon. A Waspmon and Kuwagamon."

The imp nodded, walking forward. The others followed. At the top of the hill Impmon stopped and dropped down onto his stomach to glare at the two guards. As his friends gathered around him with their bodies lowered to the ground, Renamon leaned over to whisper in his ear. He nodded and shifted to face the fox.

"So, you and Salamon take the Virus?"

"That would be correct."

"Alright. Me and Biyomon can take care of the Data one."

Twisting around, he looked to Yoko and Shizuka for approval. "That okay with you?"

"Yes," Yoko said.

Shizuka pulled out her Digivice, a wicked grin on her face. "Oh, you bet. This time, we're not gonna be beaten."

"Alright. So, I could probably find a way to sneak around and catch him off guard," Impmon muttered.

"I'll drop down on him from below after," Biyomon said. "Finish him off as quietly as I can."

"Yeah, that sounds good…"

"Is Impmon making a plan?" Daiki whispered to Mikami, causing her to chuckle. "Seriously, what's gotten into him?"

"I can hear you," Impmon hissed as he glanced over his shoulder. "Anyways…Renamon, Salamon, you know what you gotta do?"

"Affirmative," Renamon grunted.

"Yep," Salamon said.

"What about you guys?" Impmon asked, looking to the humans.

"We're ready, Impmon," Mikami said. "Just tell us when you think we should start."

"Let's do it now. The quicker we save those Digimon and get rid of those guys, the better."

Shizuka snorted and folded her arms. "Well, isn't he a fearless leader," she muttered under her breath. She gripped her Digivice.

"Alright, let's do this," Impmon said, looking forward.

"Good luck," Gabumon said, followed by Dorumon saying, "Be careful."

The others pulled out their Digivices and held them up. Light engulfed the four Digimon, transforming their shapes. Soon enough their Champion forms stood before the humans. Dobermon nodded to Kyubimon and Gatomon. The small cat jumped onto Kyubimon's back just as the fox leaped down the hill. She landed behind a large boulder only seconds before the guards glanced up to see what the noise had been. As the two Digimon dismissed it, Dobermon jumped down and made his away to a rock column, where he hid himself. Birdramon, careful not to be seen, headed off in the other direction to circle around while using the mountains to hide her bulky form.

"I hope this works," Shizuka said.

"We should trust our partners," Yoko told her with a smile. "Let's hide and watch."

Mikami chortled. "Yeah, and if they need our help we can rush out."

"Oh, yeah, that's a smart idea," Daiki muttered.

Judai looked at Tadashi with an uncertain look on his face. "Do you…?"

"No idea," Tadashi answered before Judai finished. "Come on. There's a fair sized rock to wait behind down the path."

"Wait for us," Dorumon whined.

He dashed after the two with Gabumon right behind him.

Dobermon peered out from the rock column to see the guards turned around, whispering to one another. He nodded to Kyubimon and slowly crawled out from his hiding place. Quiet, he began to close the distance between him and the guards. Once he was close enough, he released a ball of dark energy towards the rock wall. It exploded, causing a relatively loud boom and drawing the attention of the guards.

"You hear that?" Waspmon asked.

"Yep," Kuwagamon said. "Wait here. I'm gonna check it out."

"Eh? But the boss said—"

"Screw the boss. If it's someone lookin' for a fight, I'm gonna give them one." The giant beetle stalked away, pausing long enough to say, "Keep an eye out."

"A-alright."

Once the beetle disappeared, Waspmon fidgeted and glanced around. From his vantage point, Dobermon could see Kuwagamon looking down at the shattered rocks. Birdramon was perched on top of one of the smaller mountains, staring down. She noticed Waspmon and shot off a fireball. The wasp jumped and looked to see where the fireball had burst on the opposite side. He looked unsure for a moment before heading off to investigate.

Dobermon dashed forward, running silently. By the time Kuwagamon noticed something was wrong, Dobermon was right on top of him. The dog slammed into the beetle, driving him to the ground, and dug his teeth into the other Digimon's neck. Kuwagamon threw Dobermon off just as Birdramon came swooping down. One of her claws grabbed him by the head and the other by his body. She ripped his head off, causing him to disappear.

"That was too easy," she whispered, landing and tucking herself in to better hide.

"Yeah, it was," Dobermon said. "Must mean they kept all the actual strong guards inside…"

They slid out to the front in time to see Gatomon slice through Waspmon. The cat looked up as the wasp disappeared, nodding to Dobermon. Kyubimon and Gatomon trotted up to him and Birdramon.

"Perhaps they knew we were coming," Kyubimon said with a tone of suspicion. "That would explain the guards."

"I'd say that they didn't want to waste their best guards by having them stay outside," Birdramon stated. "After all, I doubt they'd guess someone would come along who could beat them."

"I guess that makes sense," Gatomon sighed.

They turned when the DigiDestined came running towards them. As they came to stop, Mikami looked at the front door.

"Well, let's get to that side door," she said. "It's hard telling how many Digimon are inside, so let's be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, let's do that," Judai mumbled, following the brunette as she walked away. "And let's try not to get hurt."

"Seconded," Daiki said.

"Scaredy-cats," Dobermon rumbled. "Afraid to get a little scratch."

"I object that comment!" Gatomon stated, dashing after him. "Don't say 'scaredy-cats' anymore!"

"I think I liked it more when you were a small dog…"

They made their way around the compound, carefully avoiding the few windows scattered around despite the fact that they were located several feet above the ground. Once they reached the side door, Mikami grabbed the handle and looked back at the others. Her gaze landed on Tadashi, Judai, and their partners. The look she gave them caused the two boys to frown while Dorumon and Gabumon shifted.

"You four should stay here," she said. "We don't know for sure what's inside—"

"I am afraid that I cannot," Tadashi replied. Judging from the way he was speaking, Mikami assumed he was somewhat annoyed. "And I most certainly will not stand idly by as my friends and my sister put themselves in harm's way."

Shizuka rolled her eyes. "Here we go…"

"Y'know, he is right," Judai said. "We've had the backseat for a while. I mean, how many times has it been that we haven't been able to help already? We may not be able to fight but…the least we could do is help with the prisoners."

Chuckling, Daiki folded his arms. "Never imagined short-stack saying something like that, but…he does have a good point, Mikami. Let them tag along."

"What if they—"

"Alright, enough!" Shizuka hissed, pushing Mikami away from the door. "Let's just go already. There are innocent Digimon relying on us whether or not they know it, so move it or lose it. We need to find them ASAP, remember? Birdramon, de-Digivolve for now! You're too big."

She flung the door open, receiving an annoyed look from Mikami. Birdramon shrank at that moment, becoming Biyomon. The brunette sighed and ushered the Digimon inside first before she and the others entered. Once everyone was inside, Shizuka propped the door open just enough for an easy escape. Tadashi wasn't sure they would go back to that particular door, but if they did, Shizuka made sure that they would be able to get out easily.

"Let's try to stick together," Yoko said.

"And if we do get split up again," Mikami added, "we don't do anything stupid. Agreed?"

A few mumbles of agreement followed and soon enough they were heading down the hall. Judai hung back at the rear with Dorumon, standing beside Tadashi and Gabumon. The blue-haired boy looked at the blonde with a raised eyebrow, watching Judai glance around.

"Is something the matter?" Tadashi asked quietly.

"Just, you know—um…keeping an eye for anyone?" Judai offered, somewhat unsure.

Tadashi folded his arms. "You are certainly a terrible liar."

"I—it's not a complete lie."

"It's perfectly fine if you're worried. However, we must focus on the task on hand."

The group silently made their way down the hallway, trying not to attract the attention of whoever was inside the compound. The last thing they wanted was to be caught and jailed. After all, being inside the cells with the Digimon they were supposed to be rescuing wouldn't be helpful in the least bit. Still, they would end up aimlessly roaming the compound as they attempted to avoid any enemies because they had no clue as to where the cells were located. The facility was rather large, so the chances of them just stumbling upon the cells while they were all together were slim. Then again, they may not be in cells…

Dobermon paused, standing at the front, and raised his head. He sniffed the air for a moment before looking at Mikami. They whispered to each other, and then turned to Kyubimon. After a moment of conversation, Mikami motioned down one of the hallways. Dobermon glanced to Kyubimon, who nodded. The brunette changed her course, heading down a hallway to the left.

If the building was similar to ones where they came from, Tadashi mused, then the cells would probably be near the rear. Then again, it was the Digital World, and things seemed very different when compared to the television show. It was possible that they could find it much more quickly if they split up, but then they'd be put in even further danger.

What a predicament…

Without any warning whatsoever, Kyubimon, Dobermon, and Gatomon stopped. All three of them had their fur sticking upwards, as if they were frightened by something. They whipped around, eyes narrowed. That's when Tadashi realized that something was standing behind him and Judai. He turned to find himself looked up at a tall, flaming humanoid. Beady, blue eyes gazed down at him, accompanied by a twisted smirk. Frozen, Tadashi stared, not fully registering what was happening.

"What do we have here?" the Digimon rumbled, chuckling. "A frightened human and his friends? So, you must be those DigiDestined everyone has been going on about. Well, it was nice meeting you!"

His hand flared brightly when a giant fireball formed above his palm. Just as he released it, Kyubimon leaped over the group and slammed into him. Gabumon, aiming for the fireball, let out a stream of blue fire. While it successfully diverted the fireball, it instead hit the ceiling and exploded. A split second later, it began to cave in. Three different bodies tackled Tadashi, sending him sliding across the floor. He blinked and watched as the others scattered, with Daiki running to where his partner was fighting Meramon just before the ceiling came down.

Judai sat up, rubbing his head. Dorumon checked him over while Gabumon helped Tadashi to pull himself up to a sitting position. His mouth dropped open when he saw that the end of the hallway where they had just come from was completely blocked. He pushed himself to his feet and walked over to it, hoping to find some crack or hole in it. Unfortunately, there were none.

So, somewhat hopeful, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Shizuka!"

"Tadashi?" his sister asked. "Are you and Judai okay?"

"We're alive!" he stated. "What about you?"

"Everyone is fine, Tadashi!" Mikami's voice answered. "Listen, you and Judai need to sit tight! We'll come find you! But run if you have to!"

Tadashi was preparing a retort when Judai appeared beside him, yelling, "Alright, we will! Thanks! Just be careful!"

There was no response after that. Tadashi turned to give Judai a disappointed look, but the blonde turned away and looked down the hallway. Even if he didn't want to admit it, Tadashi was annoyed with the younger boy. They couldn't afford to sit there and wait. Not to mention running away—Tadashi was a coward, he had to admit to himself, but he wouldn't abandon his friends for his own sake! He opened his mouth to reprimand Judai, only for the blond to turn and look at him.

"So," he said, "which way do you think the prisoners are?"

Tadashi lowered his hand. "Huh?"

His reaction earned a slight eye-roll. "Come on, we aren't really going to sit here all day waiting for the others, are we?"

"Is that such a good idea?" Dorumon mumbled, shuffling his feet. "We can't Digivolve. If one of the Digimon who works here finds us—"

"Then we'll protect our partners no matter what," Gabumon declared.

Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes, well, I suppose you are right, Judai. They're most likely…near the rear of the compound."

"Then let's figure out which way that is and go," Judai said. "The sooner we rescue everyone from File City, the sooner we can get out of here. Right?"

"Right…Let's just hope Shizuka, Daiki, or Mikami don't kill us after all this is done."

Tadashi took the lead. Recalling the direction they had originally been going, he turned to his left. Hopefully they wouldn't run into anymore unwanted interruptions, but with the luck they were having lately, they probably would. The best thing they could do would be to avoid any Digimon who stumbled upon them and run if it was necessary. Of course, he hated the idea of having to run, but since their partners couldn't Digivolve yet, they couldn't afford to fight.

~0~

Dobermon was rushing down the hallway, Mikami riding on his back. While she wanted to go find Judai and Tadashi, they needed to find File City's residents and save them. It wasn't an easy choice, but she knew they'd understand. Besides, she, Yoko, and Shizuka had agreed that the brunette would go find the prisoners while Shizuka and Yoko tried to find the two boys. She was sure Daiki was okay, as Kyubimon was quite capable of protecting her partner.

Looking up, Mikami noticed Dobermon slow as they reached a four way. The dog turned and began to run again.

"Are we any closer?"

"Gettin' there," Dobermon grunted. "I can smell a large group of Digimon together, so they must be the prisoners."

Mikami grunted. "Let's hope they're not having a meeting or anything."

Shaking his head, Dobermon sped up, bounding down the hallway. When they came to yet another turn, Dobermon skidded around the corner and abruptly stopped. Mikami jumped off upon seeing the Digimon standing in their way. It bore resemblance to a boar, with a body that was orange and a fiery mane. Two large tusks protruded from its mouth. Mikami pulled out her Digivice, looking at the information that appeared on the screen.

"Boarmon. Champion Level," she mumbled. "Of course it's a Champion."

"Just stay back," Dobermon told her, crouching. "Leave it to me."

"Don't let that ego of yours make you lose."

"Tch. I knew I heard something," Boarmon complained. "Now I have to get my hooves dirty. You're going to regret this!"

Dobermon snorted. "Try me."

"Nose Blaster!" Boarmon exclaimed.

Flames flew out of the boar's nostrils, heading straight for Dobermon. The dog avoided the attack by dodging to the side. Several more followed, and each time Dobermon was able to dart away the fire. Dobermon moved forward a bit with every attack that missed him. Eventually he was close enough to lunge at the boar.

"Onyx Claw!"

His claws dug into Boarmon's side, earning a shout of pain. Dobermon spun around as he landed, steadying himself. Boarmon turned and snorted, fireballs flying out of his mane. While he was able to dodge most of them, one hit him square in the face. He howled, pawing at his face. Boarmon ran forward, slamming into Dobermon's side. The attack sent the dog sliding across the floor. Growling, Dobermon attempted to shove himself to his feet. Boarmon was on top of him within moments, tusks sliding under him. A few moments later, the boar tossed him into the air.

"Not so tough now!" Boarmon snapped.

Snarling, Dobermon righted himself mid-air and opened his maw.

"Hellfire!" he shouted, releasing a black fireball.

The attack surprised Boarmon, but he moved out of the way at the last second. Dobermon landed, digging his claws into the floor.

"Schwartz Strahl!"

A black beam shot out of Dobermon's mouth so quickly that Boarmon had no time to dodge. It pierced the boar's chest, causing him to explode into data particles. Shaking his body, Dobermon absorbed the data. Mikami rushed up to him with a frown and hopped onto his back.

The black dog looked annoyed. "What, no time for a rest?"

"What do you think?" Mikami replied. "You can rest after we get everyone back to the city."

~0~

Finally having beaten Meramon, Kyubimon and Daiki made their way down the corridor. Unfortunately, the collapsed ceiling blocked their off from their friends, and from the way they had been shouting, Daiki came to the conclusion they had been separated. This place, though, seemed more like a maze than anything. Luckily Kyubimon could sniff out the Digimon they were looking for.

They walked along as quickly as they could, since Kyubimon was somewhat tired after the fight. According to the fox, the prisoners were farther inside. While the building itself wasn't extraordinarily large, it was big enough to be a pain in Daiki's rear end.

So long as he found everyone, got the prisoners out, and shut this little operation down, he'd be happy. He'd even celebrate afterwards. They just had to get out of there as soon as they could.

"Daiki."

He raised his head. "Hmm?"

"My apologies, but you seemed to have drifted off in thought."

"I kinda did," he admitted.

She nodded and then sniffed the air, a thoughtful look on her face. "Odd. There is a Digimon here who smells radically different from the others."

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at her.

"It is strange," she answered, shaking her head. "Almost as if it is…tainted."

"Tainted…Huh. You think it might be whoever runs the show here?"

"That is a strong possibility."

Golden eyes narrowed, Daiki folded his arms as he mulled the information over. Whoever it was, he or she could be much stronger than the others working in the building. If he and Kyubimon could beat them, however slim the chance was, it might throw this portion of the Master's army into chaos. It might even disrupt the entirety of the forces, even if it was for a short time. That might have been wishful thinking on his part though. Still, defeating whoever it was would add to the assurance that the citizens of File City weren't harassed and used as leverage ever again.

"I say we pay them a visit," he suggested, glancing at Kyubimon for a response. "Throw a wrench in their operations."

"I agree."

~0~

"First thing to do is find my annoying brother, Judai, and their partners," Shizuka said as they walked along. "Then we help Mikami with the prisoners if she needs it."

"What about Daiki?" Yoko asked.

"He and Kyubimon can take care of themselves," Biyomon pointed out.

"Not to mention Kyubimon will protect him," Gatomon added.

Shizuka nodded to the two Digimon. "Right. So, Yoko, there's nothing to worry about. There's a bunch of Digimon counting on us!"

"Right," Yoko mumbled. "The boys first, prisoners and Mikami second. How do we plan on escaping, though?"

The older teenager placed her hands on her hips as she thought the question over. How were they going to get out of this place? As far as she knew, there was no easy way back to the side entrance that she had propped open since the ceiling had collapsed. That would mean the front door. None of them really knew how to get to the front door from the inside, though. The building was designed to be as confusing as possible to outsiders, it seemed, so they were going to have to guess which way was which. Or…

"Maybe we could just have everyone blast a hole in the side of this place," Shizuka stated. "Seems like that'd be the fastest. And, on the plus side, it would do some real damage to the building."

Yoko blinked, a thoughtful look on her face. "Huh. I hadn't even thought about that. Yeah, that sounds good!"

"It does sound like it might be fun," Biyomon remarked.

"As long as everyone else is okay with it," Gatomon pointed out. "Then again, after all this is done, I think everyone will want to blow up some of this place."

The cat's statement made Yoko giggle, but the redhead stopped suddenly and wrinkled her nose. Gatomon did the same, a disgusted look on her face. Both of them pinched their noses.

"Do you smell that?" Yoko questioned.

"Smell what—Oh, jeez! What is that?!" Shizuka exclaimed, covering her nose. "The hell! It smells like a dump!"

A voice shouted, "That's insulting!"

The group turned around to find the owner of the voice. They were greeted by a Digimon that looked similar to a slug. It was mainly a sick yellow with brown spots on its back. Its two beady, red eyes stood on stalks, which looked back and forth between the four friends. Yoko struggled to pull out her Digivice, the smell rather overpowering, and clicked one of the buttons.

"Geremon. A Champion Level Virus," the redhead reported.

"That's right," Geremon said. "I found it very insulting that you said I smell like a dump."

"Well," Biyomon muttered, "you do."

The slimy Digimon frowned. "If you think you can make fun of me, you're wrong! Poop Throw!"

A pinkish pile of feces was hurled through the air at the group. Yoko barely jumped out of the way, but the pink goop hit Biyomon in the face. The bird squawked and attempting to wipe it off with her wings. Grimacing, Shizuka looked at Geremon. Yoko looked at Gatomon and then Shizuka, who nodded. Grabbing her partner, Shizuka shot off down the hallway. Yoko and Gatomon followed after her quickly, running full force.

"Hey, where are you going?" Geremon demanded, chasing them and throwing more feces. "You're supposed to fight me!"

Unfortunately for the yellow Digimon, the humans and their partners were too fast, though some of his throws landed hits on their backs. They turned down one hallway and then another before he had even reached the end of the first.

Shizuka slid to a stop just as Biyomon got the last of the feces off her face. Bent over, Yoko looked up at the older girl. Gatomon let out a sigh of relief. Setting down her partner, Shizuka looked the bird over.

"That was disgusting!" Biyomon hissed. "I can't believe that jerk threw poop at us!"

"I'm taking a bath after we get back to File City," Yoko said, looking at the back of her shirt by twisting it slightly.

"Oh, believe me, I am too," Biyomon grunted.

"Let's go," Shizuka said, "before he shows back up."

They took off running again.

~0~

When they began to hear soft voices, Dobermon gradually slowed his gait. The duo walked into a spacious, circular room. All along the right "side" were jail cells. Inside them were various Digimon, most of who appeared to be Rookies. Mikami slid off her partner's back and ran up to the closest cell, grabbing the bars. The Digimon inside looked surprised to see the human, and some even looked scared.

"We're here to help," she whispered.

Dobermon trotted over, examining the locks. "I may be able to break them."

"Then do it! We need to get them out of here."

"Are you certain of that?"

The two turned to the source of the voice while the prisoners backed away from the bars. A Digimon strode into the room from the opposite side, holding a sword in his hand. He wore samurai armor resembling that of feudal Japan. Most of his face couldn't been seen from under the helmet he wore, but his golden eyes stood out clearly. The Digimon stopped halfway across the room, looking at Mikami and Dobermon with mild interest. Slowly, as if he found it necessary, he turned his gaze to the prisoners.

"You must be one of the DigiDestined," the samurai mused. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to elaborate your interest in these captives."

Mikami slid closer to Dobermon. "Who are you to ask?"

He chuckled. "I am Musyamon, child. One of the greatest swordsmen within the Master's ranks."

"I'll believe that when I see it," the brunette replied.

"Hmph. I have heard reports from fellow soldiers about the strength of your group. You and your partner are the ones who defeated Angela and Devimon, no?"

Snorting, Dobermon glared. "Maybe we are. What's it to you?"

Musyamon slid his sword back into his sheath with a laugh. "Perhaps, one day soon, we will battle. For now…" He looked at the cells. "Set them free."

Mikami's eyes widened. "What? But why would you let us free them without a fight?"

The samurai pondered the question. "I do have my reasons, I assure you. I simply cannot tell you. I must ask, though, that you not tell anyone of our conversation." He reached down and pulled the keys off of the belt he wore. "Here. It will be quieter and quicker to use these."

He tossed them at Mikami, who barely caught them. When she looked up, he had walked up to the door. He stopped, glancing back at the two.

"I am afraid I did not catch your name."

Hesitantly, the brunette said, "Mikami."

Musyamon smirked, turning so his back was to them. "Until we meet again." With that, he walked out.

Dobermon relaxed slightly, but was still on the alert. Mikami walked up to one of the cells and was about to insert a key when someone shouted her name. Looking to the door, she watched as Tadashi, Gabumon, Judai, and Dorumon ran into the room. She let out a sigh of relief at seeing them and pulled off some of the keys. She threw them at the humans and their partners.

"Unlock the cells. Hurry!" she ordered.

"Alright," Judai said, running to the far end with Dorumon.

Tadashi and Gabumon headed towards the middle shortly after. Working as quickly as they could, they unlocked the cells. Tadashi looked at Mikami once all the prisoners were free, a serious expression on his face.

"Mikami, you and Dobermon should get them out of here. Judai and I will find the others," he said.

"But Tadashi—" She cut herself off, frowning.

"He's right," Dobermon whispered. "I can make an exit through the wall, and we need to leave now. We'll be putting these Digimon in danger if we don't. Besides, I can protect them."

Gripping her fist, Mikami looked at Judai and Tadashi. "You two be careful, alright? Let's go, Dobermon!"

The dog turned, releasing several blasts of black energy from his mouth. After the last one hit, the wall exploded outwards, leaving a fairly large hole. Mikami ushered the prisoners out, letting Dobermon follow after them. She briefly looked at her two friends before she ran after the Digimon.

Judai looked at Tadashi with a hint of concern. "Was that such a good idea…?"

"It's for the best," Tadashi replied, not bothering to explain. "Come on. We need to find everyone else."

As he walked away, Gabumon followed. Dorumon glanced at Judai with a confused look, but Judai wasn't sure either. The blonde didn't see how sending off their leader and one of the stronger fighters of their group was "for the best" like Tadashi said. Wasn't something like that a bad thing, because of the fact that they were, technically, two people short? What exactly was going through Tadashi's head?

Several minutes passed when the sound of an explosion echoed in the hallway.

Dorumon yelped, surprised, and clung to his partner's leg. "What was that?"

"I think it came from the center of the building," Tadashi muttered, rushing to the door. "We should hurry. It could be one of our friends."

"But where's the center even at?!" Judai shouted, running after the older boy.

"Just follow me!"

Only a few, long hallways away, Shizuka, Yoko, and their partners were still navigating the building.

When the explosion caused the building to shake, the girls nearly lost their footing. Steadying herself, Shizuka looked at Yoko, who was visibly alarmed. Biyomon flapped frantically, hovering by her partner's head. Gatomon grabbed Yoko's hand with her paw, trying to calm the surprised girl. Turning, Shizuka looked at Yoko, making sure her friend was okay. The redhead recovered quickly, causing Gatomon to let go. The cat raised her head, sniffing the air.

"Do you smell anything?" Biyomon asked, approaching the Champion.

"I think," she said. "It almost smells like…Kyubimon? My nose isn't as good as hers or Dobermon's, so I'm not sure. Hmm, what…I think I can smell someone else."

Shizuka waited for the cat to inform them as to who it was. She was still smelling, though. "Well, don't leave us hanging."

"Gabumon and Dorumon, that's for sure. I'm pretty sure Judai and Tadashi are with them," Gatomon reported.

Yoko's face brightened. "Really? Where?"

"Not too far from here. Same direction we were going. I think," she added, not entirely sure. Her nose was pretty strong at this level, but she wasn't able to pick out individual scents very well. The only reason she recognized Dorumon and Gabumon so easily was because of the fact that she had known them for so long.

"Let's go, then! And after we get their sorry butts, we can find Daiki," Shizuka stated.

Biyomon grinned at her partner. "Onward!"

Taking the lead once more, Shizuka sprang forward, running. She wanted to find the two boys before anything else happened. Despite the fact that she didn't want to admit it to herself, she was worried about them. One of the bad things about having friends and a brother.

You always worry about them one way or another, she thought.

At least it gave her something to do, in a strange sort of way.

Gatomon shouted directions when she thought they should turn. While she usually didn't take well to being "bossed around" by anyone, she accepted the cat's suggestions. It was better to find their targets as soon as they could. When they did, Shizuka was going to give Tadashi a lecture. None of this would have happened if he hadn't suddenly froze at the sight of Meramon.

I know he gets easily startled sometimes, but jeez! Even Yoko is manlier than he is at times, and that is the statement of the century! I need to—

Her thoughts were cut off when she slammed into someone. Momentarily losing her footing, she stumbled backwards. Her fall was stopped by Yoko, who barely grabbed ahold of her. The redhead pushed Shizuka to her feet and slowly let go. Thoughts ran through her head as Shizuka prepared a speech, but when she saw who it was that had run into her, she stopped.

"Shizuka!" Judai exclaimed. "Yoko!"

"Judai, Tadashi!" Yoko yelled back, running past Shizuka to hug the boys. "Oh! I was so worried about you!"

Tadashi's face turned red. "C-can't breathe."

As she giggled at Tadashi, Yoko released the two boys and then looked at their partners. "Thanks for bringing them back," she said jokingly.

"You—!" Shizuka stopped to keep herself from yelling at her brother. "Next time, would you just listen to Mikami?"

Tadashi folded his arms. "I'll have you know we ran into her and helped her to unlock the cells the citizens of File City were locked in."

"Wait a minute, Mikami was with you?" Shizuka hissed. "Where is she now?"

"Taking the Digimon back to File City?" Judai muttered with an uncertain chuckle.

"Why didn't you go with her?" Shizuka demanded, annoyed with them. "What are you, stupid?"

"We reassured her that we would find everyone first," Tadashi replied. "Can we not argue right now? She's going to need your help, and Yoko's, to get everyone back safely to the city."

"What, and leave you and Judai here? Oh, no, I don't think so, bud."

"There are hardly any guards here, Shizuka, and Daiki is most likely still here. At any rate, you're not going to make Mikami protect those Digimon alone, are you? Many of them were injured."

"I can't just leave you two here when your partners can't Digivolve! What kind of—"

"Stop arguing!" Yoko unexpectedly snapped. "Guys, we really don't have time for this! Shizuka, Tadashi has a point. Mikami and Dobermon can't protect all those Digimon by themselves! We need to go! Besides, if they get in trouble, I'm sure their partners will Digivolve, just like Biyomon and Salamon."

Huffing, Shizuka glared at her twin. He stared back. That strange, little twin-link they had with each other begun to buzz, and she knew he was planning something. Getting in the way would probably be a bad idea. Besides, he knew what he was doing. She had trusted him before, and even though they were in a more serious situation, she would trust him again.

"Fine," she grumbled.

"If you go the way we came from, you'll find the room with the cells. There's a hole in the wall you can get out of," Judai told her, "Dobermon made it."

"Alright, alright…Come on, you three."

She briefly glanced at the four boys before disappearing around the corner, Yoko, Biyomon, and Gatomon right behind her. Tadashi rubbed his temples and sighed.

"You keep sending everyone off," Gabumon noted. "Is there a particular reason?"

"You'll just have to trust me on this," Tadashi replied.

"Not that I don't trust you and all," Dorumon mumbled, "but an explanation would be nice."

"Too bad I don't have an actual explanation."

Judai's eyes widened. "Huh? You don't—wait!"

He hurried after the boy, Gabumon and Dorumon by his side. Tadashi wished he could explain why he had made the three girls leave, but even he wasn't entirely sure. It was just a feeling he had, the kind that pushed its way to the front of your mind and wouldn't leave you alone until you did what it wanted. Said feeling was also what led him to coming this way in the first place, and they had ended up finding his sister and Yoko. It had to be a good thing. Well, he hoped it was a good thing.

And he hoped it led them to Daiki. Mikami would kill him if they didn't find the oldest of the group.

Another explosion nearly made Tadashi fall flat on his face. Regaining his balance, he frowned. That had been much closer than before. Was someone battling, or was it something else? There was only one way to find out, and that was to investigate. Still, they needed to find the last of their friends. It would be one or the other.

Or not, he thought to himself when he heard footsteps ahead of them.

"What's that?" Gabumon asked.

"I don't know," Tadashi said. "But it's heading this way."

"Should we run?" Judai wondered.

"No point in it."

"But you know we can't Digivolve yet," Dorumon pointed out. "What if we're attacked and we don't?"

"I have complete faith in you."

The two Digimon glanced at each other, unsure of what to think about the statement and yet relieved that he did believe in them. Judai thought of something to say, but Tadashi had a point. They needed to believe in their partners.

"So do I!" Judai said.

They continued forward. As they came around the corner of the hallway, they saw a Digimon picking his way out of rubble. It was a samurai, of all things. He noticed them, but continued making his way out of the broken mess around him. Judai looked at the information on his Digivice as it appeared.

"Musyamon. He's a Champion level Digimon," the blonde said. "Maybe we should…"

Judai didn't finish, but Tadashi knew what he was going to say. He waved off the boy.

"Judai, you and Dorumon keep going."

"What?! But, Tadashi…"

"Go."

"Ugh," Judai groaned, motioning to Dorumon as he dashed past Musyamon. "I am so having the others yell at you when we get out of here!"

Tadashi snorted. "Whatever you say."

Gabumon looked up at his partner. "Um, are you sure…?"

He dismissed his partner's question and looked at Musyamon. "You don't seem to care about the rather obvious damage here. That means one of two things: You don't particularly care about this place even though they are your allies…or you don't work here at all."

"Your observation skills are certainly sharp," Musyamon replied.

"So, which one is it?"

"I suppose you could say that both are correct," the samurai said. "Hmm, I am surprised that your friend was not able to deduce the information you were able to."

"Friend?"

"Mikami, I do believe. I did not fight her, might I add. I simply gave her the keys."

"Then you're a spy," Tadashi stated.

Musyamon chuckled. "I prefer the term 'covert operator' when describing myself."

"Huh?" Gabumon grunted, looking between the two. He was lost.

"At any rate, I do request you not leak information concerning myself to any others. You should go. Your companions, the one with the silver hair and the fox, are currently battling with the leader of this fortress."

So, it's a fortress? It certainly doesn't look like one, Tadashi wondered as he nodded. "What are you going to do?"

"I will finish my job. Now hurry and go help your friend. He is in a room not far from here. Oh, before it slips my mind: There is not one here, but spread throughout the Digital World are Dark Crystals that supply the Master's army with power beyond that of their normal limits."

Tadashi nodded to the samurai. "Thank you." With that, he ran off.

"How do we know that we can really trust you?" Gabumon asked.

"Do you truly ever know?" Musyamon replied. "You have my word. A samurai never goes back on a promise."

The reptile was skeptical, but if the samurai really was an ally… "I'll trust you, for now."

He rushed after Tadashi.

~0~

A harsh kick to her ribs sent Kyubimon skidding backwards. Daiki ran in front of her, staring at the Digimon that was marching towards them. He crouched and placed a hand on her as she let out heavy breaths.

Trying to fight alone had been a mistake. Once again, Daiki let it get to his head. He had thought he could take on the Digimon that ran this place with just him and his partner. How stupid that was. He watched as Kyubimon tried to push herself to her feet. She did, but she was shaking with the effort.

"Daiki, Kyubimon!"

He turned his head to look, and was rather surprised to see Judai, Tadashi, and their partners running towards him. Judai and Dorumon stopped beside him, but Tadashi paused in front of Daiki. The oldest of the three looked at them, confused.

"What're you doing here? Where are the others?"

"They're safe," Judai told him. "And they're taking the prisoners back to File City."

"They got them out? That's good. But why didn't you go with them?"

Tadashi glanced back at him. "We figured you'd still be here."

"You guys are idiots," Daiki declared. "But thanks."

"Never thought to hear that."

"Are you done with your lovely little reunion?" the Digimon standing opposite of them asked. "If you are, I want to get back to killing you."

The Digimon was tall, towering over Kyubimon. He looked like a robot or a cyborg that was made of wood. Beady yellow eyes and sharp, pointy teeth made him somewhat intimidating. Tadashi grabbed his Digivice from his pocket and looked to Gabumon. The small reptile looked uncertain, but Tadashi knew that they could do this. It was that feeling again, practically taking center stage in his head.

"Don't you dare," Kyubimon growled, eyeing the wooden Digimon, "come near them, Arbormon."

"Or what?" Arbormon wondered with a laugh. "You're barely standing! And these little Rookies aren't going to be much against me."

"We'll still fight!" Gabumon said.

"And we'll protect our partners!" Dorumon added, baring his teeth.

Light filtered out of Tadashi's Digivice, and Judai's soon followed. As the two watched, their partners were bathed in a white light.

"Gabumon Digivolve to…"

"Dorumon Digivolve to…"

Their shapes shifted and grew as they changed. When the light faded, a massive blue and white wolf stood there, snarling. Beside him was a large, dark purple animal with lighter tinted stripes. Wings sprouted from his back that flapped, and both his front and rear paws had three, wicked sharp red claws.

"Garurumon!"

"Dorugamon!"

"T-they Digivolved!" Judai exclaimed, a look of wonder on his face.

Tadashi nodded. "I knew they would. Now, let's teach Arbormon a lesson he won't forget."

Arbormon burst out laughing, placing a hand against his head. "Oh, that's rich! Look at the babies, thinking they're all tough and mighty! How stupid are you?"

Tadashi's eye twitched in irritation. "Garurumon, if you would."

The wolf grinned. "It would be my pleasure."

"Wait," Kyubimon muttered, but lost her footing and collapsed, reverting to Renamon.

"Don't worry about us," Dorugamon reassured her. "We can take of this."

"Leave it to them," Daiki whispered, kneeling beside her. He never thought he'd have to say that!

Annoyed, Arbormon ran at Garurumon. Lowering himself, Garurumon tightened his muscles and waited. Once the cyborg reached him, the wolf jumped. His hind feet slammed into Arbormon's head. He landed and turned to watch Arbormon spin around with a glare. The cyborg made to chase the wolf, but Dorugamon rushed him, tackling him. Arbormon attempted to grab him, but Dorugamon slipped out of his grasp and hovered around him, wings flapping.

"Grr…you little brats!" Arbormon snapped. "That's it, no more going easy!"

"You were going easy on us?" Judai asked, genuinely curious.

"Blockade Seed!" Arbormon shouted.

A giant seed flew out of his mouth straight at Dorugamon. The winged beast dodged but was caught off guard when it exploded against the wall. He flipped through the air, righting himself just before he hit the floor. More came at him, and Dorugamon flew off, doing his best to avoid the attacks. By flying around the room, he was able to get to Arbormon to turn his back to Garurumon. Blue flames built up in the wolf's mouth.

"Howling Blaster!"

The flames spewed out of Garurumon's mouth and washed over Arbormon. The attack stopped the cyborg from firing the bombs at Dorugamon, who paused to land on the floor. Arbormon jumped out of the flames, black spots scattered on his body. He stumbled, glaring at the two Champions in anger. Gripping his fist, he opened his mouth again.

"Blockade Seed!"

"Again?" Garurumon grunted.

As the bombs flew out of Arbormon's mouth at the two, they dodged. Weaving in between the bombs and sliding out of the way, the two beast Digimon avoided being hit. Eventually the two split up, further frustrating the angry cyborg. He focused his attention on Garurumon, dismissing Dorugamon. The giant wolf was easily able to evade the bombs. Dorugamon dropped to the ground, raising his head as he accumulated power.

"Power Metal!"

An iron sphere shot out of Dorugamon's mouth. Arbormon turned to look at him, but the ball hit him squarely in the chest. Caught off guard, the cyborg lost his balance. Garurumon lunged and dug his teeth into Arbormon's arm. Ice began to spread from the canine's fangs, encasing the arm he was biting. Arbormon frantically shook his arm until he was able to fling the wolf off. Looking down at his arm, the wooden cyborg saw that most of the bitten area was frozen.

"T-this can't be possible—!"

He was cut off as Dorugamon once again shouted, "Power Metal!"

As the iron ball headed for him, Arbormon shot out a seed bomb. It exploded against the metal, sending up a cloud of smoke between the fighters. Garurumon rushed forward with fire bursting from his mouth.

"Howling…Blaster!"

Just as the wolf came through the smoke, the blue fire erupted from his maw. It completely engulfed Arbormon, burning until it lit the wooden cyborg on fire. Arbormon let out a scream, but Garurumon kept the stream steady as Dorugamon shot iron spheres are the opposing Champion. After a while, he burst into data.

Half of the data was absorbed by Garurumon, while Dorugamon took the other half. They trotted up to the humans, both turning their attention to Renamon.

"We should leave," Garurumon rumbled.

"Think you could offer me a ride?" Daiki asked, half-heartedly joking.

Tadashi helped him to get Renamon onto Garurumon's back before jumping on himself. Dorugamon lowered himself to the ground, waiting for Judai to get on. The blonde looked at him skeptically.

"Can you carry me?" he asked.

"To be fair," Dorugamon replied, "you're not that big."

Judai glared. "I don't appreciate that."

He climbed onto Dorugamon's back, and the group headed off.

~0~

"I thought they'd be here by now," Yoko said, worry in her voice.

Of course, all three of them had assumed the boys would have joined them by the time they were out of sight of the fortress. Mikami stopped, looking back the way they came with an apprehensive look. Shizuka couldn't blame her, because even she was worried. The group of Digimon they were escorting stopped with them, realizing that the DigiDestined needed a moment.

Thoughts were running through Mikami's mind that she didn't like: What if something happened? What if they got in a fight? What if they're hurt? Or worse?

Dobermon sniffed.

Caught off guard by the sound, Mikami looked at her partner. "Huh?"

"Incoming," he warned, but the tone of his voice indicating that he was joking.

Well, that had to be a good thing. Two shapes were materializing in the distance. As they came closer, Mikami could make out what appeared to be a giant wolf and some sort of flying Digimon. Only a couple of minutes later, Garurumon slid to a stop, and Dorugamon landed. Judai remained on his partner, looking at Mikami with a grin.

"You're all okay!" Mikami said, followed by a sigh of relief.

"For the most part," Tadashi grunted.

Dobermon noticed immediately that Renamon was injured and hurried up to where she sat on Garurumon's back. He said nothing at first, choosing instead to nuzzle her. It was an unexpected sight, though no one commented on it. Renamon whispered in his ear to comfort him, and he shook his head.

"Will you be okay?" he asked.

She chuckled quietly. "I will be fine. For now, we should focus on getting these Digimon home."