--Tokyo

Janyu Wong looked a bit worriedly at the group of adults and children starting to advance on him. Well, except for one child, who was looking confused.

"What," Kazu asked. "I just wanted to know how they were getting back, that's all. What, you forgot to think of it or something?"

"..."

--

Digicross Tamers

-'Burst Shot'

--

--Digital World

Jeri cradled Takato's head. The boy, still unconcious after being pulled out of the insane Beelzemon, had only managed a few groans, and the ocassional, feeble, call for his partner, Guilmon.

Lost, for all the other Tamers there knew.

"Henry," Terriermon whispered. "Couldn't Takato, you know..." Terriermon, somewhat uncharacteristically, was a bit hesitant. "You know, couldn't he just re-create Guilmon when we get back?"

Henry looked at Terriermon, who flinched a bit. He wasn't upset, though. Henry had been thinking the same thing himself. "I don't think so, Terriermon. And even if he could, it wouldn't be the same Guilmon." He clamped his mouth shut as Jeri looked up, then looked back down at Takato.

What a mess, he thought to himself.

--

Outside, Ryo and Yamaki stared at two girls further down the way. "Dad, will...?"

"Yes," Yamaki replied. "we'll get home." He glanced at Cyberdramon a short distance away. Mentally, he recalled why he had wanted to destroy the digimon world. And, with a stab of guilt, had he succeeded, he would have killed his son, as well. "How have you been? It's been two years."

Ryo blinked at the sudden change. "Uh...well, dad. Cyberdramon and I...we survived." Yamaki arched an eyebrow, expression inviting Ryo to elaborate. "Well...Cyberdramon wasn't well when we came here. I had to stay with him so he wouldn't hurt anyone else. And then the whole business with the sovereign came up."

"So I heard." Yamaki frowned slightly. He knew he should be saying something more...fatherly.

Ryo didn't notice. "Most of the digimon here are really nice. Weird, but nice, as long as you leave them alone. It's mostly the higher-powered ones that start trouble. Cyberdramon...well, I think he's seeking them out. He's been looking for fights, and he's been getting more violent lately, especially as the Devas started running around. I've...I've had to do things..."

"So have I," Yamaki replied.

"Dad? Is this something to do with why everyone's calling you Yamaki?"

"Yeah. I thought you were dead, and I wanted revenge. I hunted digimon and experimented on them. And when I found out about the digital world, I..."

"Dad..."

Suddenly, Yamaki grabbed Ryo, squeezing him tightly. "Ryo," he half-sobbed. "I swear, I though you were dead. I didn't know."

Stunned, Ryo hugged his father back, not sure how to respond. After a minute he managed "Dad? For a start, could you lose those stupid sunglasses? You look like a bad impersonation of a government agent."

Yamaki released Ryo, looked stunned, then threw his head back and laughed.

--

"Well, that's new," Rika muttered, hearing their former nemesis laughing. Beside her, Hitomi nodded but said nothing. "Maybe next Kazu'll get a scholarship."

"Mmm."

Rika sighed, then stood up. "Alright, that's enough. Hitomi, stand up." Instantly, she did, looking a bit startled and terrified. Rika took her bu the shoulders, and looked her right in the eyes. "You did good," she said slowly. "You saved Calumon, Unown, Gogglehead, Jeri, and Gabumon."

"But I lost-"

"It wasn't your fault," Rika interrupted. "Hey, I thought that it was impossible to get digimon out once their data's been loaded. I thought it was impossible for a digimon to reach the Mega level. And I thought it was impossible for me to get even more ticked off at you than I was before, but you're succeeding wildly at that, too!" At Hitomi's stricken look, Rika mentally cursed. That hadn't come out the way she had intended. "I mean you keep beating yourself up over stuff that's not your fault. What, you think everyone's going to hate you unless you're always making yourself suffer? If you take the blame for everything that happens? Trust me, that's a lousy way to live."

"I-"

"Not. A. Word." Rika's glare froze Hitomi. "You were amazing out there. So quit selling yourself short. Or is that the sort of girl that Hiroki guy goes for?" Hitomi's face reddened. "Because that's pretty pathetic if-" Rika's arm shot up, catching Hitomi's clumsy, rage-fuelled swing. She glanced at the open palm, then at Hitomi, whose face was now bright, bright red, starting to stammer an apology.

"Good," was all that Rika said. "At least you have one button. And you didn't connect, so I'll let it pass. This time."

--

A short distance away, Eevee watched the two girls. "Wow. Didn't know she had it in her. No, wait, I did. I just never knew she'd be able to tap into it."

Beside him, Renamon nodded, watching Rika with well-hidden pride. "Rika can have that effect on people."

--Tokyo

A screen snapped on, and Izzy looked through the connection to see Janyu slowly being borne down upon by a large group of people. "Umm...the program and upgrades are finished loading, Janyu?"

Kazu looked up. "Huh, you look familiar," he said.

"Izzy, thank God," Janyu breathed, missing Kenta's frantic 'no, DON'T' motions.

"'Izzy'," Kazu said. "Wow, and people think I'm a digimon nut."

"You," Kenta deadpanned.

"Well, I did teach Takato everything he knows."

"Bet that took five minutes," Metal Agumon snickered. Zero joined him in a small laugh, stopping as Kazu's glare settled on him.

From where she sat, Reilly groaned. "This will not end well," Rukario sighed.

"For who," Reilly asked rhetorically.

"You can get my baby back," Takato's mother half-shrieked.

"Yeah, we can..." Izzy glanced at Janyu. "Should I call back later?"

"NO," several people chorused.

Satoshi Kato glared at Izzy. "Sir, my daughter and several of her friends are currently in a place called the digital world, and we have no way of contacting them. I would appreciate some answers. Now. And..." Satoshi stared at Izzy. "You look familiar...have we met?"

"Ahh..." Izzy replied. "Well, you see.."

"Hey, Izzy," Davis called. "Kari wants to know how long it'll take to finish repairs to the gate!"

"Davis, NOT NOW," Izzy thundered.

Everyone in Tokyo blinked, confused. Then, a miracle happened.

A neuron clicked. A microscopic current of electricity hopped between brain cells. Memories replayed themselves, made connections, and came up with the only inevitable answer.

In other words, Kazu suddenly clued in. He cackled, then fainted.

"Will you STOP DOING THAT!" Kenta knelt down and tried to revive Kazu.

"I think he figured it out," Kotemon whispered to Janyu, who was himself relieved to not be the centre of attention.

--Digital World

Gabumon frowned up at the sky, searching. "Lose something?" Lillymon asked, hovering over. "Because I'm more than wiling to help." No response. "These cute eyes aren't just for show you know. You could try looking into them once in a while." Still nothing. "Gabumon!"

Gabumon whirled around. "Lillymon! I...I was distracted."

"I'm the only distraction here, pal!"

"Yes, I..." Gabumon stopped. "You shouldn't be here," he whispered.

"WHAT? If this is some macho garbage, then you're in for a world of hurt-"

"There's one Sovereign left!" Gabumon's eyes burned into Lillymon, filling her with a bit of dread. "And Azulongmon might be the mightiest of them all. And the only ones who can oppose them..." His gaze drifted over to where Hitomi was, then to the cave where Jeri still tended to Takato.

Lillymon calmed down. "Hey," she said quietly. Then, switching moods abruptly, she threw her arms around Gabumon. "You beat the tar out of Orochimon, and, well, I suppose that girl is kinda useful. So I know you'll do fine against that overgrown cloud lizard."

Gabumon, mentally, gave up. "'That girl', as you call her, is the one who saved my life and, by extension, yours. So I expect you to treat Jeri with some more respect."

"All right," Lillymon pouted. "But I'm still cuter!"

--

Guardromon trudged back into the cavern. "Nothing so far," he whispered to Henry, who nodded. He then went over to Jeri. "Is there anything I can do? I've treated some digimon in the past, so maybe-"

"No," Jeri said quietly.

"I see," Guardromon said, a bit sadly. "I'll...hmm?"

Something in Guardromon's tone cut through the girl's misery. "What is it?"

"Odd. There is an odd energy in Takato's arm. I don't recognize it." Curious, Jeri leaned over, finger barely brushing the arm Guardromon indicated.

--Tokyo

"So...Hitomi came from a television?"

Kenta sighed, and tried rephrasing his answer. "No. Look, Metal Agumon, you know how you came from the digital world, right?"

"Oh, so she's realy a digimon!"

"No, no...rrr..."

Kenta's parents, all too aware of Kenta's crush on Hitomi, leaned closer, also curious. "So, she's an alien," his father asked.

"No...look, just listen, alright? You know how I watch that show, Digimon, on TV? Well, there's a world in an alternate dimension that's almost identical to the digimon world on TV."

"Kenta..." His mother looked a bit concerned. "I'm sorry but, even with everything that's happened, that is a bit hard to believe."

"It's true," Reilly stated, walking over. "I can't really go into the details of how it occurred, but Hitomi was really brought over from an alternate world that, until recently, had no connection with this reality."

"This is sounding like a bad saturday morning cartoon," Kenta's dad sighed. "All we need is a giant robot."

"I'm metal," Metal Agumon said. "And WAY badder than any dumb robot."

"Not badder than me," Zero called.

"You're not a robot," Metal Agumon replied. "But I'm still baddest of the bunch!"

"You're certainly a bad influence on my son."

"I'm just trying to toughen him up!"

On the screen, a digital bird watched the knot of physical beings argue over proper parenting techniques. "Porygon?"

--Digital World

The scream of pain brought everyone running. Gabumon and Lillymon, the last ones in, saw Takato wincing, left arm tucked against the side of his body. "What happened?"

Jeri, tears streaming down her face, looked around. "I don't know," she half shrieked. "I just touched his arm and...and he screamed..."

Yamaki strode over, checking Takato for any sign of injury. "I don't see any sign of a break in the arm. How hard did you press down?"

"I barely touched it, I swear!"

Yamaki glanced at Henry, who nodded. "It's..."

"What," Rika asked.

"It's the same arm Megidramon bit off of Beelzemon." Henry looked grim. "I wish I knew what it meant."

"Can we move him," Ryo asked. "I mean, if there's still Azulongmon left-" Jeri gasped, having completely forgotten about Azulongmon.

"What's happening?" Calumon got up, blinking his large eyes a few times. "I...oh, Unown," he looked at his friend, resting on the ground beside him. "I haven't seen you in a while.

"Umm...where's Guilmon?"

--Tokyo

"We're sending a duck," Kazu, finally recovered, asked flatly.

"Yes."

"A digital duck. And not a very convincing one."

"Porygon!" The image on the screen managed to look somewhat offended.

"He's got a point, doc," Metal Agumon added.

Janyu sighed. "Porygon is a computer generated...pokemon, I think it's called." Nami nodded, willing him to continue. "Anyway, it's able to convert itself to different environments, and it should be able to make it to the digital world and transport everyone back safely."

"It's a bit small, doc," Metal Agumon argued.

"It can be expanded by increasing the memory parameter." The room shook. "Now what," Janyu grumbled.

Talli looked up from the console she was sitting at. "There's a group of digimon that just appeared...no, the scan matches that red substance we've encountered before!"

"Where," Reilly demanded.

"Two blocks from here, and closing!"

Kenta was out the door before anyone knew. Kazu followed seconds later.

--Digital World

Guilmon's death was carefully related to Calumon by Henry. Everyone else watched, wondering how the little digimon would react to the news. "But...he's not coming back?"

"No," Henry said grimly.

"But...how come I can still hear him? Right over there?"

Henry glanced in the direction Calumon pointed. "That's just Takato. You'd better leave him alone, he was hurt during the last battle."

"But..."

"Drop it," Rika suddenly snapped. Calumon looked terrified, making Rika feel even worse. "Just forget it," she mumbled, stepping outside.

"Don't worry," Ryo said, a bit awkwardly. "She's not mad. We all..."

"Just miss Guilmon," Hitomi completed. Sadly, Calumon nodded. "We should go home. Alright?" Calumon nodded, a bit of his cheer restored.

Yamaki beckoned Henry and Ryo over, while Hitomi continued to talk with Calumon, and Jeri tended to Takato. "There's still one Sovereign to deal with. And there's someone else here, too."

"What," Henry gasped.

"Shibumi, alias Goro Mizuno, is here as well. I think. His presence here isn't as solid as ours is."

"He was one of the people my dad worked with," Henry confirmed.

"Wait," Ryo cut in. "Your dad helped create digimon?" Henry shrugged. "Does he give autographs?"

"Ryo," Yamaki admonished, then shook his head. "It's been almost three years since I've said that. Anyway, I...wait, weren't there four sovereigns?"

"No, Ebonwumon stayed clear, I think. At the very least, no one's heard of him, and the Devas that didn't go over all swore loyalty to him," Ryo explained.

Gabumon glanced at Yamaki. "He is. No one knows why the other three went evil, or how Ebonwumon escaped it. Or even if he did, and is just biding his time."

Yamaki nodded. "I say we make a break for it, then, and come back later. Takato's out, and I don't think Jeri will be able to fight again for a while. And..." He trailed off. After all the things I did to her, Yamaki thought, why should Hitomi Motomiya offer to help me. I certainly don't have the right to ask her.

The ground shook, and they all heard a call outside. "That was one of Taomon's attacks," Eevee snarled. "Come on, we have to help them!"

--

Rika glared daggers at the massive blue dragon flew lazy circles around Taomon's attacks. "Digi-modify! War Greymon's Terra Force activate!"

"TERRA FORCE!" Taomon shouted, hurling a massive sphere of energy at Azulongmon, which was dismised with a flick of his tail. Taomon felt more than a little frustration, and could sense Rika's similar emotion. There was a roar off to her left; Cyberdramon shot by her, making a crazed dive at Azulongmon, managing to evade his defenses and rake his claws along the massive faceplate covering the eyes and nose of the draconic guardian. Snarling, Azulongmon's chains whipped out and caught Cyberdramon, slamming him against Azulongmon's body and hurling him to the ground.

Rapidmon flew up beside Taomon. "So, the big snake himself showed up, huh? I thought he'd be bigger."

Taomon grunted as she dodged a lance of energy. "You would be wise to-" she paused as she hurled a Thousand Spell attack, which impacted uselessly against the clouds following the massive dragon. "-talk less and attack more!" She felt the energy from another card flow into her, as did Rapidmon. She produced Zanbamon's blades and charged. Rapidmon called up Metal Garurumon's Metal Wolf Claw and started shooting.

On the ground, Yamaki watched the two Ultimate digimon battling Azulongmon. "He's toying with them," he whispered. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hitomi help Jeri get Takato clear of the cave and behind some rocks; it was less cover, but the cave was too obvious a target. Then he heard Hitomi get up and say 'Matrix Evolution'...

Eyes wide, he turned to stop her, and watched as an energy blast vaporized the ground just in front of the cover. Hitomi, Jeri, and Takato were sent flying, all knocked out.

"Hitomi," Rika yelled.

Up in the sky, Azulongmon rumbled pleasure. "Yess...with your two strongest teams taken out, destroying you should be easy."

"You won't find us that easy to take out," Rapidmon challenged him. "Tri-Beam!"

"Useless." Azulongmon snorted as he allowed the beam to strike his face-mask.

"What about this? TALISMAN OF LIGHT!" Taomon's strongest attack shot out, slamming full force into Azulongmon's helm, backed by Rika's Offense Plug-in card. There was a cracking noise, and a large fissure appeared on the metallic mask, which split apart and fell to the ground, disintegrating as it landed.

"Still think we're useless?"

"No, Rapidmon. I think you're FINISHED!" Azulongmon's true face, resembling a chinese dragon's, turned blood red, crackling with unleashed energy. With a howl, he unleashed a torrent of red disintegrating force at Rika and Henry. Hitomi recovered just in time to see her friends vanish in a haze of red and white.

--Tokyo

Kazu and Kenta saw them. Digimon, mostly champion level. "Not a problem," Metal Agumon said.

"There's 20 of them," Kenta reminded him. "We should probably have waited for-"

"HEY, APEMON! THAT A BOOMERANG OR A BANANA?"

"Never mind," Kenta sighed as the small army of digimon turned, saw Metal Agumon jumping up and down, and charged.

"Yeah, come on, ya oversized bloodhound, I'll fix you good!" Metal Agumon spit a ball of electricity straight up, followed it up, and spiked it down at the leading Apemon. It staggered him, just enough for the rest of the group to catch up. "Okay, do it."

"What," Kenta asked.

"Do that digivolve thing you're always talking about. I wanna lay some smack down on these punks."

"Oh, right! Card, card, card…" Frantically, Kenta searched his pockets for an evolution card.

"Kenta." Metal Agumon looked at Kenta, then Kazu, then the oncoming horde of angry digimon. "What if I asked really nicely? I thought this was at least partly you."

"I'm LOOKING!" He screamed as his arm twitched, sending several cards flying out onto the street.

Kazu snorted. " Come on, Zero, let's do this! Digi-Modify! Digivolution, Activate!"

Zero nodded eagerly, watching as Kazu did the card swipe. "Veemon, digivolve to...VEEDRAMON!"

"Way to go, Zero!"

"WOO-HOO! V-Breath Arrow! V-Magnum Punch!" The newly evolved Champion went gleefully into the fray, sending Apemon flying.

The two humans watched, while Metal Agumon glowered at Zero. "Umm...wasn't there something about red glop?"

The building beside them collapsed.

--Digital World

Mask now removed, Azulongmon's attacks only increased in intensity. The first shot managed to knock Rapidmon out, hurling him to the ground; Henry picked up and carried an unconcious Terriermon clear of the crater, leaving Taomon and a barely-recovered Cyberdramon to fend off Azulongmon. Cyberdramon hurled a pair of lances, created from Ryo's Knight Device card. Taomon swung a Paladin Sword, trying desperately to keep the monster's attentioon on her and not the humans so far below.

Abruptly, Azulongmon pulled back, serpentine form twisting around. Taomon, horrified, recognized what was coming. "Rika!"

Somehow, Rika knew what Taomon wanted, and drew the right card. "Digi-modify! Brave Shield, activate!" Some distance away, she heard Ryo using the same card.

Above, Taomon tensed as the shield formed in her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cyberdramon's shield form, only to have it thrown at Azulongmon, then semi-berserk digimon floowing it. "Cyberdramon, no, he's-"

"AURORA THUNDER!"

--Tokyo

Zero, still in his champion form of Veedramon, muscled his way out of the rubble. "You guys alright?"

"Yeah," Kazu moaned. "Kenta?" He looked to his left; Metal Agumon had managed to protect Kenta from the rubble, his own armoured hide deflecting the worst of the rubble. Both were knocked out, though. "Zero, let's take this oversized pile of warm jello out."

"Yeah," Zero agreed, hefting up a piece of fallen masonry. "Catch, ugly!" The piece of debris flew at the red mass, was absorbed, and vanished. "Huh, good catch. V-Breath Arrow!"

Kazu groaned as that attack had little apparent effect. "Wait, the grownups said that it didn't work on organic matter. We just need something living to throw at it, that ought to work!"

"Like you?"

Kazu glared at Zero. "Not. Funny." He flinched as two more creatures shot by. Dino Humon and Rukario waded in, their attacks apparently having some effect on the monster, forcing it back. "Great."

"Are you two alright," Reilly asked. "Because you won't be when your parents get here. Now stay back-" She was cut off as two more red blobs appeared and grabbed both of the adults, allowing the main blob to push back against the now-distracted attackers. There was a howl; instinctively, Zero had reached for Janyu, the closer of the two adults, and had been burned on coming into contact with the red mass. The larger mass was now focussed on the two attacking creatures, making sure that they couldn't move back to assist the humans.

"Let them go." Metal Agumon levered himself up, shaking off bits of concrete and roofing material. Beside him, Kenta groaned quetly, coming to. "I said let them go, slimebag. Or do you have to hide behind someone else to fight? Huh, wuss? What about it?" He didn't flinch as parts of the mass hilding the two humans broke off, forming a third blob, which advanced on Metal Agumon.

"Metal Agumon? What are you...?"

"Just stay back, kid," the digimon said to Kenta. "I'm gonna lay some smack down on that walking dessert disaster."

"Don't forget about me," V-Dramon added, cracking his knuckles. "You'll need some backup, rookie."

"Bite me."

"That an invitation?" Kenta groaned slightly as Zero and Metal Agumon started bickering, apparently having forgotten about the attacking blob. It suddenly shifted into a more aggressive form, deploying what looked like some sort of cannon, firing crimson bullets.

"KAZU!" V-Dramon roared, covering his Tamer and grunting as several of the shots struck him, burning as if they were acid. Nearby, Metal Agumon yelped as Kenta bowled him over, a trail of red shooting just above him.

"Get out of here!" Janyu managed to free himself, and was now trying to help Reilly get clear of the crimson goo. "That material can degrade digital material! It'll destroy the digimon!"

"No..." Metal Agumon struggled to stand up, Kenta still a bit woozy from having struck his head. "I don't back down when my pal's in danger. Especially when he just saved my hide."

"Metal Agumon...?" Kenta wondered if he was hearing his partner correctly.

"Hey, let's show these geezers who's in charge! Yahhh!" Metal Agumon charged at one of the blobs, already readying an electric spitball.

"No!" Kenta tried to follow, but stumbled. He'll be killed...he...he...

No. Metal Agumon won't back down, and neither will I. "Well, it worked on TV," Kenta muttered. "And we need more power than a champion level can manage."

Kazu blinked. "Kenta?"

"DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"Metal Agumon, Matrix digivolve to...Lasermon! Yeah, LET'S ROCK!"

--Digital World

Rika's last memory was of a giant ball of bluish-white energy swallowing up Taomon, then shooting straight at her. She couldn't see, then she realized that her eyes were closed, eyelids pressed together to keep out the blinding light. She opened them.

Renamon, barely awake, lay across her, only just now moving an arm, trying to push herself up. A short distance away, Terriermon and Lillymon were trying to help Henry sit up. And there was a small sun in front of her. With someone in white standing in front of it..."Hitomi!"

Valkyirimon strained to hold off the massive bolt of energy. "Rika..." Hitomi's voice said. "Get out of here..." With a loud cry, she managed to shatter the attack, draw her sword, and fly up, right at Azulongmon. She looked around; Jeri, Gabumon, and Takato were a short distance away, both knocked out and slightly beaten up. Guardromon was half-buried in the side of the small hill where the cave had been. And Hitomi...

Valkyriemon was almost invisible, a small white speck flying madly around the massive dragon. Every now and then, a small golden arrow shot out, striking Azulongmon. She was doing well, until...

Rika gasped as one of the clouds suddenly flew out and smothered Valkyriemon. Disoriented, she wasn't able to dodge the long, whiplike tail that shot out and wrapped around Valkyrimon's body.

Crushing Hitomi.

"No..."

"Rika, we have to help her!" Henry clutched his D-Arc.

"Yeah! I'm not gonna let some oversized garden snake smack me and my friends around!" Terriermon, for all the damage he had taken, still looked ready to get up and keep fighting. "Okay, just get me back to Rapidmon and I'll go save Hitomi!"

"No, our Ultimate forms will not be enough." Renamon looked at Rika. "We have to try."

Rika swallowed her objections, remembering her own words to Hitomi only minutes before this had all started. Her trademark confidence returned. "Let's show them how it's really done. Come on, Renamon."

"Yeah, let's walk all over them!" Terriermon grinned as the other three stared at him. "Sorry. What, you're the only one that can say it?"

"Yes," Renamon said quietly. "She is."

Rika nodded. "Matrix Evolution." she and Henry both said.

"Renamon, evolve...Sakuyamon!"

"Terriermon, evolve...Saint Gargomon!"

As Sakuyamon shot past the massive green digimon only just now starting to move, Rika, her mind inside Sakuyamon, could only think one thing.

"Gee, Henry. Overcompensating for something?"

"Well, I...HEY!"

Inside Saint Gargomon, Henry just shrugged. "Let it go. We've got a dragon to slay."

And, back on the ground, as he finally made his way over to where Jeri and Takato were, Ryo Akiyama looked up at the two digimon going to help the girl he'd fallen in love with.

He glanced back at his father, who was looking over a still unconcious Cyberdramon, then at the receding figures.

"What about me?"

---

To be continued!