Disclaimer: If I owned Digimon, I would be rich and my ships would have been canon. Or my Digimon ships at least. God I have such horrible luck with ships. Like, 90% of my favorite ones sink like the Titanic.
Author's Notes: I may have aged some of the characters up a bit for this story, since having them in college would be a bit more convenient. Though this does kind of throw a bit of a wrench in the normal workings of Naota's relationship with Ham.
All hail the Moinker!
A robotic creature floated in the sky. He had a body made of white and gray metal. Arranged in a vaguely humanoid shape. It had long "arms" with no hands, a vague looking head resting at the top of the body, and a green stem in place of legs. It hovered before a gigantic tree with barren branches desperately clawing at the gray sky. "You appear troubled," he said with a metallic and hollow voice.
A young boy stood before him. He wore a black T-shirt clung to his slender body and silver hair framed his soft yet serious face. His eyes narrowed in contemplation. "I recently made a huge miscalculation. I'm not used to those. It cost me someone very dear to me."
"I've been monitoring all your companions and allies. They seem to be fine at the moment. One managed to fall off my radar somehow, but he has returned unharmed," the robot stated the facts with no emotion or empathy, but perhaps a bit of a quizzical tone. The boy had presented data that did not match up with the robot's own source of information. He desired clarification.
The boy pondered this for a moment, then brushed his silver hair aside. With a wicked smirk aimed at the robot, he narrowed his eyes like a snake and said, "sorry Drassy, I could tell you, but where's the fun in that?"
Chapter One
Lynxmon chased after the trio with his fangs bared.
Naota didn't know a thing about these monsters, but he knew two things. This Lynxmon was fast. He was not. Ergo, he was screwed.
Hikaru, being somewhat athletic, could have easily pulled ahead of him and made it to safety. But naturally she was staying as close to Naota as possible. If she died here, that would be more blood on his hands. Not that Naota would have much time to feel guilty.
Elecmon kept zapping at the Lynxmon, but it seemed to do little more than annoy the creature. He roared angrily as he spat flames at his prey. Thankfully he had horrible aim and the fireballs exploded loudly but inflicted no real harm. They didn't even set the dead leaves on fire, nor did the sparks leaping off his body.
Naota found that suspicious, but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth or question the rules of the magical monsters that were currently battling for his life. He'd sort all these things out later. If he was still alive of course.
"Wild Nail Claws!" The giant cat went into a frenzy as he swiped every which way. Naota stumbled on a bad spot of uneven ground and the cat's claws came close to his shoulder, nearly tearing him apart. Elecmon threw himself at the larger monster, tackling him with enough force to slow him down. Lynxmon's claws swiped harmlessly through the air.
They broke out of the forest and Naota received another shock. He didn't have time to enjoy the scenery and examine it closely, but this was definitely not the same playground he'd been at less than half an hour ago. There were also monsters. Lots of them. Though most seemed peaceful.
Lynxmon roared and people looked up in surprise. Parents rushed to their children and pulled them aside. Some ran to their cars to flee. Others dialed 911. Hikaru stood in front of Naota protectively. "Look, help is on the way. Why don't you run away now, before you get into trouble?"
Lynxmon simply laughed. "No, I want the boy."
Hikaru took a step closer to Lynxmon, staring him in the eyes. "Why?"
"There is something interesting about him. I can't quite put my claw on it, but I'd very much like a taste." He purred. Taking a step toward Hikaru, he raised his claw high above her head. Hikaru shot Elecmon a signal saying not to interfere.
"Hikaru, run!" Naota shouted.
Lynxmon's claws fell in a blur and cut into the ground, digging small trenches. Hikaru smiled safely, having easily dodged the attack. "Get over yourself. You're only a Champion. Even an unarmed human can at least evade your attacks."
"Howling Bust," began Lynxmon. He never got to finish his attack though. Hikaru smiled as her reinforcements arrived.
"Little Blizzard!"
"M16 Assassin!"
"Rock Fist!"
Ice, rocks, and gunfire rained upon the Lynxmon, pushing him back. He roared out in distress. "Bah, a few Rookies can't defeat me. It'll take more than that to scare me away." He reared up on his hind legs, preparing to strike.
"Sparkling Thunder!" cried Elecmon as he fired lightning into the air above Lynxmon. A new Digimon charged forward, jumping into the air after the sparkling bolts. He looked reptilian in nature with a blue tail and blue reptile feet. He wore red and black armor and a kendo mask with metal spiked on either side. He carried a wooden sword.
"Hothead!" He cried out as his sword burst into flames. It caught the current of lightning and began glowing white. Naota wasn't sure wood was supposed to conduct electricity that way, but it looked scary. A flash of light blinded Naota for a second as the new Digimon brought his weapon crashing down on Lynxmon's head.
Lynxmon roared in pain. "Fine. I know not to push my luck. Taking on five of you at once might be a hassle so I'll retreat for now. But mark my words boy, I will find you." He took off into the forest, leaving a stunned Naota to fall on his knees.
"Way to go Kotemon," said a human voice.
Without looking, Naota recognized it as Ham's. He took a deep breath and turned to see Ham running his way. He was wearing a red shirt and black basketball shorts and had a bit of scruff growing on his face. He looked like he hadn't shaved in at least a few days. "Oh my God, Naota, are you okay? What happened?" He threw his arms around the younger boy,
Naota froze, unsure of what to say. Clearly these Digimon were the norm here. If he admitted to not knowing what they were, his friends would be concerned for him. He didn't want to get dragged off to therapy or anything. Not that therapy was bad, he just preferred it to be under normal circumstances.
So he reviewed the situation. Either he'd slipped into an alternate dimension, fallen into a coma, or he had a chunk of his memory missing in which Digimon had come to the Earth and integrated into human society.
"It's okay you don't have to talk right now," said Ham. "We're just glad we found you. You've been missing for three days now. You must be hungry. Want to go get some food?"
Naota nodded. Then finally, for the first time, he looked up at his other rescuers. There was an icy blue lizard standing next to Yuki Miyashita, one of his brother's friends. Yuki had well combed black hair and wore a white dress shirt, beige slacks, and a red tie. There was no reason for his fancy apparel, he simply liked dressing that way. He was usually dressed formally unless at the beach, playing baseball, or exercising, though he'd been known to occasionally slip into a polo shirt on days where he felt like relaxing. He was skinny and pale skinned without much muscle to him, but he stood poised and dignified and truth be told he actually looked a lot more relaxed then what Naota was used to.
Naota's brother Daichi stood next to a small vaguely humanoid rock thing. Daichi looked different, his body looked a bit more muscular and his hair looked just a tiny bit shorter, though maybe Naota was imagining it. Still, if that were the case it would be far from the most.
Lastly there was a second lizard much like the ice blue one. His skin was a darker blue and it looked like a mosaic of sorts, or perhaps reminiscent of army fatigues. He certainly had a military theme going, dressed in combat armor and carrying an assault rifle. He seemed partnered with Ross Maulding, a young man with spiky black hair and light brown skin. He was skinny though a bit more muscular than his best friend Yuki. He wore a simple black shirt and camo shorts, though he'd been known to be fond of going shirtless. He had a mustache and some scruff on his chin that he rarely seemed to shave.
"Hey man, glad to see you're okay," said Ross. "We came as quick as we could."
Daichi looked torn, his face a contradictory mixture of relief and fear. "Are you okay? Did somebody hurt you?" He asked. He raced to Naota's side and hugged him tight. Naota could barely breathe, the hugs were starting to get to him.
"I, I'm fine. I think. I just," he thought out his options. Oh well, might as well admit something was wrong, lest they come to the worst case scenario conclusions, Though truth be told he wasn't sure they could concoct any worst case scenarios worse than the real deal. "I don't remember. What day is it?"
"Monday," said Daichi. "You've been missing since Friday. We've all been worried sick about you. Aunty Rin and Uncle Arthur are still searching, we should call them. Dan too." He pulled out his cellphone and began sending texts.
So in this world there was another Ham another Hikaru another Ross, Yuki, Dan, another Naota and so forth. Naota rubbed his head in great confusion. Great, if they called off the search now and the other Naota died because of him, he'd have another life weighing him down and making him guilty. He hoped they did find him, even if that meant that things would get very awkward. He'd have to explain that something weird had happened and he'd been transported here from another universe. Or something. He still wasn't quite sure.
"I need to sit down for a minute," Naota said as he walked to the bench. Hikaru and Elecmon followed, but the others stayed behind. Naota eavesdropped a little, learning the names of his Digimon rescuers. SnowAgumon the ice lizard, Commandramon the military lizard, Gotsumon the rock, and Kotemon the kendo champion.
Elecmon sniffed the air. "Is something wrong, Naota?" He asked. "You seem odd. Different somehow. Like you're not yourself."
Clearly these Digimon were super perceptive. Naota cringed.
"Awww, whatever it is don't worry. I'm sure you're just shocked because of your missing memory. You'll get better in no time," Elecmon said with a huge grin. "We should go get some milkshakes or something, that'd cheer you up in no time. Or how about parfaits instead?"
Naota hid his grimace. God, no. Not parfaits. Not right now at least. "A milkshake sounds great," Naota said with a strained smile. He turned to Hikaru who seemed to be studying him carefully.
"Whatever happened, don't worry about it," she said suddenly with a bright smile. "We'll figure it out eventually. You're safe now and that's what matters. She hugged him lightly. "Your brother and Ham were both so worried about you. They stayed up all night searching when you first went missing."
Naota nodded, unsure of how to thank them. They may have been looking for the other him, but the gesture still made him feel wanted.
They waited around a bit longer, waiting until the authorities showed up to ask questions. They told the cops everything they knew, that a Lynxmon attacked Naota, and they assured him the Lynxmon would be taken care of.
The group split up. Daichi, Ross, Ham, and Yuki all had their own cars that they'd rode to the park as fast as they could when they got the news. Yuki was sixteen and was quite proud to just have gotten his license and his first shiny car. He came from a fairly well off family, so they bought his something worth showing off. Ross was quite proud to also come from a decently wealthy family. He owned a car, truck, and motorcycle. Ham and Daichi weren't as lucky and had to settle for used cars that thankfully ran quite well. But when Naota got to the parking lot he was surprised to see that his brother's car looked like it was in much better condition than he was used to, though it still paled in comparison to what Yuki and Ross drove.
Naota, Hikaru, and Elecmon rode with Daichi and Gotsumon. Gotsumon rode shotgun while Elecmon sat in Hikaru's lap. Naota watched the sights as they drove by. The city was bigger. There were more buildings and they were taller too. They passed the mall which had three floors instead of two. Naota caught a glimpse of the bookstore as they drove away, it now took up two floors.
They arrived at their destination, the local Moink, at around the same time. Naota's stomach trembled. He had a love hate relationship with this place. On one hand they were the cheapest fast food chain around with the best food, owned and operated by the famous Akimoto family, on the other hand it brought up very strange memories for him. Anything having to do with the Akimoto family brought back strange memories for him. It was strange knowing he'd once been best friends with a boy who came from one of the richest and most famous families in the world. They had their hands in almost everything. Publishing, bookstores, fast food, video games, cell phones, super marts, cars, banks, credit cards, manga, non-lethal weapons manufacturing, and just about everything else under the sun. Heck, Naota wouldn't be surprised if the Akimotos of this world had their hands involved in Digimon somehow.
Naota looked at the menu. Things seemed much the same except for the names of several of the items. A Chibi Moinker was now an In Training Moinker, a regular Moinker was a Rookie Moinker, Double Moinkers were Champion Moinkers, Triples were Ultimates, and the infamous Quadruple Moinker was now known as a Mega Moinker. And the loveable cow pig mascot formerly known as Moink now appeared to go by the name of Moinkmon. Or so said a display of activity books for children.
Naota had no idea why Mega was higher than Ultimate but he assumed this had something to do with Digimon.
He ordered a regular Moinker, or rather, a Rookie Moinker; one patty was enough for him. He asked them to hold the bacon which customarily came with it. Moink offered many kinds of bacon, maple, smoked, turkey, tofu, and offered veggie and turkey burgers alongside their regular burgers, chicken sandwiches, and fish filets. Their options made them legendary in the fast food world, as did their low prices.
Examining the menu again, Naota noticed that some of the prices seemed even lower than before. Their value menu offered burgers for only 60 cents as opposed to the usual 70. The Rookie Moinker Meal cost only 4.29 as opposed to the Moinker Meal's usual price tag of 4.80. The price changes weren't much, but they still stood out.
Everybody ordered their food. Yuki got a Champion Moinker while the other guys got Ultimates. Hikaru ordered a Turkey Moinker with Maple Bacon and the Digimon all got various orders. Ross paid for everything with a credit card.
They made their drinks and sat down at the largest table they could find. Elecmon hopped onto Hikaru's lap and began sipping his soda. Naota watched and waited, there were Digimon everywhere. Some came in with humans, others came on their own, and some were even working behind the counter.
Bacon sizzled and the smell of meat filled the air. Naota turned his attention to the television in the corner of the room, blaring some news story about a tournament for Digimon battles. Naota glanced at it, wondering if he could learn anything about these mysterious creatures.
Ham followed his gaze to the TV screen. "Yeah, no word on him after that whole fiasco."
Naota stopped to think about the possibilities. Apparently the other Naota showed some interest in one of the competitors. And there had been some sort of fiasco? 'Okay Ham was kind of vague, it wouldn't be too suspicious if I probed further right?' He locked up and couldn't respond at all.
Hikaru rolled her eyes and sighed, coming to his rescue. "I get the concern, but I still don't see why the media made such a big deal about Yuu participating in a tournament. It wasn't even a big deal anyway."
Ah, that explained other Naota's interest. Yuu Akimoto was his former best friend from long ago, and somebody who still meant the world to him. The other Naota might have been a bit different from him, but he couldn't imagine any version of him that didn't still care about Yuu.
Elecmon nodded in agreement. "They were pretty ridiculous allegations too. Sure the Akimoto family helped with the creation of the Digital World, but it's ridiculous to think they would create a powerful Digimon just so Yuu could win some tournament.
Wait. Digital World? Helped create? Naota wished he had his smart phone. He could Google this and get some answers. Questions swam through his head and he nearly drowned in his own confusion. Naota turned toward the counter and saw a red lizard like Digimon putting a bunch of burgers on a tray. Okay questions could wait until after lunch. At least one thing was certain. The Akimotos had their hands involved with Digimon and he totally called it.
"Order 855," called out the Redlizardmon. Or whatever his name was. Naota couldn't see his name tag.
Ross checked his receipt. "That's ours."
Ross and Ham went to retrieve the food, leaving Naota with many questions to ponder, such as 'how does the order number system work anyway? They just called for 613 not too long ago.' Ignoring the trivial matter he turned back to Hikaru and Elecmon. "I hope they're not being too mean to him."
"The media?" Daichi asked. "Well, you know how they are. Can't keep from prying into famous people's business. He's just a kid for Yggdrasil's sake."
Naota did not bother questioning why his brother had chosen to pepper his speech with Norse Mythology. Maybe Norse Mythology was more popular in this world!
Daichi continued. "well, I suppose if anything it's better than prying into his dating life, who cares if he's dating some ki, oh sorry," he stopped when he saw the look on Naota's face. "Right, sensitive issue. My bad."
Assuming this hadn't changed when he switched worlds, Naota knew exactly what his brother was talking about. Of course, it could have changed. After all, he'd already lost track of the things that had. He'd ponder it after eating some food. He looked up to see Ham handing him his lunch. "Thank you. And thanks Ross, for getting us this."
"Hey. No problem man." Ross said with a grin. "Hey, you okay, what's wrong?"
Elecmon offered Naota a look of sympathy. "Hey man, forget about Yuu and Aron. They're just kids, they probably won't be together very long anyway. I mean, how often do you hear stories about twelve-year-old soul mates."
Naota knew perfectly well that children who fell in love often didn't end up together. It's why he was heartbroken in the first place. All over some silly childhood crush. "I'd really rather not talk about it," he said to the floor. He took a sip of his iced tea. The whole subject was a majorly sensitive issue for him. What in the world was the media doing anyway, prying into the love lives of two twelve-year-olds? So what if their parents were from rival companies and their relationship could mean a potential merger in the future? Naota stared at the floor as he chewed his burger. That's when he noticed Ham's leg. It was scar free.
Naota rubbed his aching head. He had so many questions and no idea where to start. Digimon, the Akimotos, Ham, the missing other Naota, and just exactly what he'd do about everything. His heart pounded and his breathing got faster. He rubbed his wrists, trying to calm down.
"Hey, you okay, Naota?" Hikaru asked. "You need some air?"
Naota shook his head. "No, just a bit freaked out about everything."
SnowAgumon dumped a carton of fries into his mouth and chewed quickly before swallowing. "Do you really have no memory about where you've been these past few days? Maybe we should try retracing your steps. Or maybe we better not. I've heard rumors that some Digimon can mess with your memories. If you ran into one there's no guarantee that won't happen again."
Okay, perfect. An excuse for his missing memories. Even if it was another lie to tell. He wasn't exactly fond of lying to his friends, but desperate times were calling. "Where exactly did I disappear from?"
"The park," Ham answered. "You said you wanted to get some fresh air so you walked to the park alone. We were all worried because the Digimon have been getting violent lately, but you said you'd stick close to the crowds so you'd be fine."
"I really think we shouldn't go back there," said Yuki, "not as long as Lynxmon is around." He took a bite and swallowed before resuming. "We wouldn't want to walk right back into his claws. Hopefully the authorities will take him down soon. So maybe we should go back tomorrow."
Wait, the other Naota had been at the park on Friday? Naota thought about it. He'd been at the park on Friday. Maybe it was just a coincidence but maybe the two worlds were a bit more in sync than he thought.
Naota finished off his drink and stood up to get a refill. His friends and family spoke animatedly as he left the table and he knew they were talking about him. They were worried, was he okay? What had happened to him over the past three days? He filled his cup and began taking a sip when an image of Lynxmon appeared on the television.
"Authorities caution to be on the lookout for a rogue Lynxmon who has been spotted wandering around Crossfield. He is said to be very dangerous and not to be approached. Lynxmon is a Champion level Digimon and authorities are offering a 500 dollar bounty for anyone who can bring him." Footage showed Lynxmon tearing up cars and shooting flames at anyone who got near him. "Authorities say the instances of Digimon going wild has been sky rocketing in the past month or so. Other than a few villainous Digimon, they've never had this much trouble until now. The bounty system has been put in place, encouraging civilians with their own Digimon partners to help with the battle. Critics of the bounty system complain that this system encourages reckless youth to put their lives in danger to make a quick dollar."
Naota gulped as he walked back to the table. "Hey, don't worry about it," Yuki told him. "If he's gone this bad, then that makes him an even bigger priority than before. He's only a Champion, the authorities will be able to take him down in no time."
Champion, like the burger. Come to think of it, weren't the other Digimon around him supposed to be Rookies? Naota surmised that there had to be some sort of level system, and that above these Champions were Ultimates and Megas. He shuddered. Champions scared him enough.
Commandramon looked up at Ross. "I think we should ask your folks to buy you a Digivice," he said sternly. "You too Yuki. If SnowAgumon and I could Digivolve to our Champion forms we'd be able to protect you all better."
"I've tried asking," Ross said, "but my dad says he won't get me a Digivice until I start doing better in school. He says I have enough playthings. Honestly, it's not like I'm asking for a toy, it's for self-defense."
"My mom and dad said they'd get me one for my next birthday," Yuki said with a sigh. "So that's a bit off for now. Hopefully I can get them to buy me a Digi-Egg too, just in case I have trouble helping SnowAgumon Digivolve." He adjusted his tie and frowned.
Naota really wished he had his cellphone so that he could Google this. He could ask to borrow Hikaru or Daichi's, but then he'd have to clear his search history and that might seem suspicious. He simply sipped his tea and munched on some fries, hoping to make some sense of this all.
Gotsumon ate more of his fries. "Well, the new line of Digivices are coming out soon anyway, so at least when you guys finally get yours, they'll be improved," he pointed out. "Which brand are you guys aiming for?"
"Well, Vector Corp is pretty good, but at this stage of the game, nothing beats Akimoto Industries," said Ross. He quickly glanced at Naota to see if he was doing okay, as if one little mention of the family could send him spiraling over the edge. Honestly if that were the case Naota would be breaking down every five minutes. The Akimotos were everywhere.
"My dad's pretty much a loyal Vector Corp shopper," Yuki said with a sigh. "I keep telling him that Akimoto Industries is better, but he never listens." He stood up. "Anyway, I need to go pee, be back in a minute."
Everybody finished their meals quickly after that. Naota watched Kotemon with a nervous apprehension. He hadn't eaten anything and hadn't said a word. He wanted to say something, but perhaps Kotemon and the other Naota didn't get along too well. Biting back his anxieties, Naota finally opened up to speak. "Hey, Kotemon, thanks for earlier. You and Elecmon really saved the day."
Kotemon glanced at Naota but didn't say anything. Ham let out a big sigh. "Oh come on, man, Naota's thanking you. You should be nicer to him."
"You are welcome, Naota." Kotemon said before returning to silence.
When Yuki finished up, the group decided to go their separate ways. Ham and Ross insisted on following Daichi's car closely in case Lynxmon attacked, but Naota insisted it would be fine. He just wanted to get home as quickly as possible. Daichi protested that the idea was a good one, there was safety in numbers, but Naota pointed out that people were looking for Lynxmon and he'd be caught sooner or later.
Daichi drove carefully with Gotsumon in the front seat and Hikaru, Elecmon, and Naota in the back. Naota rolled the window down and stared out at the passing sights. This city was so obviously Crossfield, yet things were obviously different. It was hard to draw a concrete line between "same" and "not the same." He thought of the young man driving him as his brother and the young girl at his side as his cousin, but were they really? Or were they just the relatives of some other Naota?
"Naota, I know a lot's been going on lately," said Hikaru, "but you can tell us what's going on. You know that right?" She put her hand on his shoulder. Elecmon climbed into his lap as if to comfort him. "You've been acting strange ever since we found you, like you're hiding something."
Naota wanted to put Elecmon, but wasn't sure if that crossed any boundaries of appropriateness. These Digimon seemed more like comrades than pets. "I'm just feeling a little confused. I wish I knew what was going on."
"Don't worry about it," said Daichi. "I'm sure it'll come back to you in time. You probably just hit your head. Actually, come to think of it, maybe we should take you to a doctor." His face twisted in concern. "Yeah, we really should," he said as he kept driving.
Naota wanted to protest but didn't bother. He simply stared out the window and breathed deeply. He kept watching the buildings passing by. They weren't that different from the buildings back home.
The car slowed down and Daichi sighed. "Man, I hate traffic," he moaned. Gazing up ahead he scrunched his face in confusion. "I wonder what's going on." He saw a cop directing everyone to take a detour. "Must have been some sort of accident," he mumbled. He put his hands behind his head and waited.
It didn't take long before the traffic speed picked up and cars began moving quickly again. Naota watched the traffic cop nervously touching a strange rectangular device at her side. She turned to a Digimon standing beside her, a small red insect of some sort. She flew into the air as if to keep a lookout.
Anxious to make up for lost time, most of the cars went over the speed limit, and Daichi hit the gas to join them. Naota stared out the back of the car, wondering what kind of accident had occurred. "Do you think this was because of Lynxmon?" He asked.
Elecmon shook his head. "Probably just an ordinary accident."
"Yeah, don't worry about it, Naota," said Gotsumon. And if Lynxmon is nearby, then that'll just make it easier for the authorities to catch him and lock him up." Naota wondered how you locked up a giant flaming cat, but didn't ask. He just prayed that everybody was right and it would happen soon. He sniffed the air. "Does anybody smell something burning?"
That's when he saw Lynxmon rounding the corner. "Hey Daichi, hit the gas!" Elecmon yelped.
Daichi turned to see what was wrong and he swore loudly. "Hey everybody, hold on tight." He hit the gas pedal, trying to outrun the monster. He came to a corner and turned down an empty back road while other cars went straight. Naota watched the other drivers speeding off in fear, they'd seen Lynxmon as well.
Hikaru quickly dialed 911 to inform the operator about the Lynxmon, who informed her that the authorities were on their way. Naota breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully the traffic cop would be able to help.
Lynxmon bounded over the car in a single leap and landed in front of them. "Shit!" Daichi swore as he tried to swerve, crashing his car into an empty building. Elecmon let out a yelp as the impact tossed him through the windshield, it shattered loudly but he rolled through the air and landed on the ground facing the flaming cat. Hikaru let out a yelp as her seatbelt dug into her body. Naota screamed as his arm slammed into the seat in front of him with a sickening crack.
"Looks like I've finally found you, oh tasty one." Lynxmon laughed.
Naota whimpered in pain. Daichi tried to get the car in reverse, but it wouldn't move. Smoke poured from the engine. "Okay, everybody get out, if that thing attacks us we're sitting ducks." Daichi turned to Hikaru and Naota. "I want you two to run. I can try to hold him off for a little bit, the cops should be here soon enough."
Naota whimpered as tears poured down his eyes. His arm hurt more than he cared to say. Hikaru noticed and helped him get his seatbelt off before removing her own. They all exited the car as a fireball soared through the broken windshield and set it ablaze. They retreated a safe distance before it blew up.
"You can't run now," Lynxmon taunted.
Daichi growled. "Leave my brother alone or I swear to Yggdrasil I'll delete you." Turning to his partner, he smiled. "Give him Hell, Gotsumon."
Gotsumon smirked. "Rock Fist!" He summoned a horde of rocks to hurl at Lynxmon, but the cat merely laughed as they pelted his hide ineffectively. It was like throwing ping pong balls at a lion. You weren't inflicting any damage, just annoying your target.
"Sparkling Thunder!" Elecmon cried out.
"Howling Buster!" Fire and lightning met in midair and exploded with enough force to push everyone back. Lynxmon charged forward and took a running leap toward Naota, landing mere inches from his face. Naota could smell his horrid breath. It reminded him of rotten meat.
"Get away from him!" Daichi growled as he charged toward Lynxmon.
Elecmon and Gotsumon both tackled Lynxmon, but he simply knocked the two Rookies away. Naota backed into a wall, whimpering in fear as Lynxmon stared into his eyes. "Yes, there's something special about you. I can sense it."
"Tentomon Digivolve to-" Naota turned to see the traffic cop racing toward him. She had dark brown skin and curly black hair. She held tightly to a rectangular device as it glowed with light. Her insect partner began glowing as well.
"Kabuterminon!" The tiny insect had grown to be just above a human in size. Her skin turned blue as she grew two long arms and four wings, and a head like a beetle's. Naota watched with awe. So that must have been a Digivice and this was the power of Digivolution. "Electro Shocker!" A ball of electricity sailed through the air and knocked Lynxmon back. He roared out in pain as electricity coursed through his body.
"Thank you," Naota said to the Kabuterminon.
"No problem kid."
Hikaru ran to the officer's side. "Thanks for getting here so fast, I was starting to worry we'd have to fight all by ourselves." She turned to Elecmon. "Hey, don't let up."
"Don't worry," said the Kabuterimon. "Elly and I have this. And backup is arriving soon. You kids can rest easy now." Electricity cackled through her horn. She stabbed Lynxmon causing him to howl out in pain.
"Wild Nail Claws!" Lynxmon tore into Kabuterimon's shoulder and slashed across her chest. "Howling Buster!" He followed with a large fireball that knocked Kabuterimon out of the sky. She landed with a thud and left a small crater in the ground, but she refused to stay down for long.
"You've been hurting innocent people and that won't be tolerated," Elly cried out. "Now hurry up and turn yourself in or we'll have to turn you into an egg!" She warned. It sounded like an odd threat to Naota, but he simply added it to the list of this world's oddities.
"Howling Buster!" A fiery wave of energy shot forward.
"Electro Shocker!" A cackling ball of electricity met it. This resulted in yet another explosion.
"Wild Nail Claws!" Lynxmon jumped through the smoke, his flames burning brighter than ever before. He sliced into Kabuterimon's side and pinned her down, sinking his fangs into her throat. Kabuterimon cried out in pain. She tried to resist, but Lynxmon overpowered her with brute force, pushing her down harder every time she tried to wriggle out of his grasp.
"STOP IT!" Screamed Naota, tears forming in his eyes. "If you're really so hungry can't you just go to a store and rob the meat department? What's so special about me anyway?"
"This isn't about sustenance or nourishment anymore, fool. It's about power." Lynxmon lifted his paw and brought it down, delivering one final blow to Kabuterimon's head. In a flash of light she reverted to her prior form.
"I'm sorry Elly," Tentomon cried.
Elly grabbed her Digivice and spoke into it. "Attention all units, this is Elly Springhart, requesting immediate backup. I repeat requesting immediate back up. My partner is down and there are injured civilians here, I can't hold off the rogue Digimon for long." She quickly drew her gun. "Now what do you say?"
Lynxmon roared as he charged toward Elly, but she fired quickly, firing a bullet through Lynxmon's chest and another through his head. He roared out in pain and stumbled backward, allowing Naota to get away.
"You'll pay for that." Lynxmon let out an angry roar as his fur stood on end and his flames grew brighter. He cackled as he took a step forward. "HOWLING BUSTER!" Burning hot flames raced toward the officer who could do nothing to protect herself.
Luckily, she didn't have to.
A wall of light materialized before the flames could reach her. It held off the attack as flames licked against it. Lynxmon raised a claw and swiped at the light, but could do nothing to get passed it.
"Sorry, but you'll have to try something harder than that," said a feminine voice.
Naota turned, wondering what kind of Digimon could have possibly blocked an attack like that. But it wasn't a Digimon. It was a human girl.