Heh, thanks guys, for all the reviews! xD Here's a piece of good news: Patamon ain't dying so easy. Now the bad news. The next two weeks will be update-less, since I've got exams. Sorry 'bout that. Still though, the next chapter will be put up three days from now. After that, I won't be updating for a week. Blame school.
"Gaia Force ZERO!" WarGreymon X shouted, massive threads of lava rising from cracks that appeared in the ground and circling him, then pooling into a huge ball of flame that made him seem like an ant next to a trash can. His back thrusters alternated between each other to keep him steady as his powerful arm muscles drove the ball of living flame at the rogue X Digimon.
TK broke free of his brother's grip, running to the body of MagnaAngemon, who although lay quite far from the Kimeramon X, was still in the blast zone of WarGreymon X's attack. The teens already knew the power of WarGreymon's normal form without the X Antibody, and the big radius of the Terra Force attack, and TK wasn't going to take any chances. Five years ago he wouldn't have been able to lift MagnaAngemon's body, now he lifted it easily and ran back under the cover of the rock. His only consolation was that unlike before and when a Digimon is usually deleted, he hadn't dissolved into data strands yet. Maybe... maybe there was still hope. After all, TK was the Digidestined of Hope.
"WarGreymon!" gasped Tai. The explosion had been so powerful that his bushy hair was now almost completely swept back, leaving a rather windswept Tai gazing at his Destined Partner.
The only reason TK managed to escape the grip of his brother was because the shock of the explosion had startled Matt, loosening his powerful grip. He was now staring; mouth agape, at the incredible power of the X Mega Digimon.
Kari, looking up, again saw her vision: chilling winds blowing around Matt and his robotized right arm, a tornado of flames whirling around Tai and the brilliant red sword he was holding. His hands, although in reality had nothing in them, seemed to unconsciously form a grip, and in Kari's vision he was holding the sword as though he had always been holding it. But again it was TK's transformation that caught her eye. It was the same as before, and she wondered at the meaning.
"Argh!" roared WarGreymon X, throwing the ball with all his might at the Kimeramon X.
The Kimeramon X roared back in return, spreading all four wings as he prepared to take flight, but even the humans could detect the fear that laced his roar. It was more a roar of fear than of defiance, and WarGreymon X knew it.
Even as the Kimeramon X lifted off, the Gaia Force ZERO attack came crashing down, slamming the X Digimon back into the ground. Then, the explosion came.
It was unlike any other explosion that the Digidestined felt. Compared to it, the Heat Viper attack seemed like a water pistol compared to a sniper rifle or a machine gun, maybe even a rocket launcher. Even the Terra Force attack was literally blown away by the power of the Gaia Force ZERO attack. Bits of rubble flew through the air as the Kimeramon X dissolved into data particles with a rending screech within the blossoming orange flower that was the heart of the explosion. Then came the sound. A huge booming crash that echoed round the street, maybe even the whole city. The Digidestined and their Digimon grabbed onto their ears for dear life as the blast slammed through to their very eardrums. If a place could be called the Apocalypse, this would be it.
When the last of the explosion had faded away, WarGreymon X landed on the ground before them. For a moment, Tai looked into those green orbs that formed his eyes and was startled, and a little frightened by what he saw. Anger... no... rage, rage and fury filled those green eyes that was normally open and wise. In that moment, Tai could almost see a hint of red in WarGreymon X's eyes, but when he looked more closely, it was gone.
"War...Greymon?" Kari whispered tentatively.
The Mega dragon shook his head, and his eyes cleared.
"I'm sorry I was late guys," he said. "Ran into a bit of trouble on the way back from Jijimon."
"Jijimon?" asked Kari.
"He's an old friend of mine, back before I met Tai," replied WarGreymon X. "When I came back, I saw that... freak."
A shadow passed over his eyes again. The teens understood. Kimeramon was made up of a lot of Agumon's Digivolutions. The body was Greymon, Agumon's Champion stage, and the hair was MetalGreymon, his Ultimate stage. Also, the skeleton arm that the Kimeramon X sported belonged to SkullGreymon, a Dark Digivolution of Agumon. It was almost as though the Digimon Kaiser had been mocking him when he had created the first Kimeramon, laughing at the former Chosen of the first adventure, and challenging the Davis, Yolei, Cody, TK, and Kari. Tai, Matt, Mimi, Joe, Izzy, and young TK and Kari were the Chosen for the first adventure, and TK and Kari had grown to become the members of the second team.
But one of the saddest things about the Kimeramon that the Digimon Kaiser had created was that it was destined to be undone by the very same line that he had been created to defy. BlackWarGreymon and WarGreymon had combined to overpower him, and the power of the Digimental of Miracles that had Armor Digivolved Veemon, Davis' Partner, into Magnamon. Their power combined had taken down Kimeramon, but WarGreymon had fostered a hate for all Digimon that were composed of the parts of others, although he was able to constrain that anger if he needed to. It was another symbol of the power of his will, that he was able to control what would normally have made another Digimon red with rage.
The force of WarGreymon X's anger at the Kimeramon X, as well as seeing his friend's body on the ground, enraged him so much that the Gaia Force ZERO attack, already very much enhanced by the X Antibody, was enough to totally blow the Kimeramon X to bits.
But then the shadow passed.
"Anyway, I've arranged safe lodgings in the Digital World for you guys. Has anyone else turned up?"
Matt shook his head.
"Nope. We've heard nothing from MetalGarurumon since he left."
WarGreymon nodded and turned to TK, who was still crouched over MagnaAngemon's body.
"TK, MagnaAngemon will be... more or less alright," he said. "That Kimeramon X's attack missed his Digi-Core completely, and the damage he took wasn't enough to cause it to go berserk either. He'll live, for now."
TK looked up, a light of fierce hope shining in his eyes. "Really...?"
WarGreymon shrugged. "I am a warrior, not a healer. But since I get wounded a lot myself, I have some knowledge on differencing fatal wounds from non-fatal ones."
TK's mouth set into a grim line. As long as there was hope, he would believe in it.
Angewomon flew down from the top of the ruined roof, where she had clearly been eavesdropping on their conversation. She raised her arms, and called upon her Heaven's Charm technique again to power her next skill.
"Healing Wave!"
A wave of white energy cascaded onto the prostrate body of MagnaAngemon, seeping around his body and sneaking into all his wounds. The healing energies of the technique started to work, elongating MagnaAngemon's time, for now.
The sound of turbo engines shattered the silence, and MetalGarurumon X and Lillymon landed on the ground before them.
"Hey guys, what happened?!" burst out MetalGarurumon X. "I could hear the explosion across the city!"
WarGreymon X indicated MagnaAngemon.
"A Kimeramon X attacked," he said. "It took out MagnaAngemon before I could arrive."
Vritramon stepped forward.
"WarGreymon... I'm sorry... I didn't managed to protect them..." he muttered, blue eyes downcast.
WarGreymon X shook his head. "Now is not the time for regrets. What has passed has passed. We need to focus on the present. Lillymon, where're the others?"
Lillymon looked around her.
"You were right after all..." she muttered. She then turned to WarGreymon X. "I didn't trust MetalGarurumon at first, seeing as he had absorbed the X Virus."
"It's the X Antibody now..." cut in MetalGarurumon X.
"Whatever. Anyway, Zudomon's back at Mimi's place. Mimi and Joe are hiding inside, and Izzy's somewhere in the apartment too, trying to contact Gennai," continued Lillymon. "He hasn't had much success so far..."
WarGreymon X nodded.
"But where's Sora?" interrupted Matt.
Lillymon shook her head. "Sorry Matt, I have no idea..."
Matt clenched his fist. "If anything happens to her..." he muttered.
Vritramon spread his flaming wings.
"I'll look for her. You coming, KendoGarurumon?"
KendoGarurumon did the closet thing to a shrug he could do, being a quadruple robotic lupine. With a click, his wheels clicked down behind his legs, and his stabilizing fins, which also served as a pretty useful pair of scythes, clicked out of his shoulders.
With a flap of his wings, Vritramon flew up into the sky, closely followed by KendoGarurumon on the ground.
WarGreymon X lifted a hand wearily to his head. "Right... Now that that's been taken care of..."
He turned to the kids, TK now holding the devolved Patamon's body in his hands. The injured Rookie was barely breathing, but breathing he was, and TK would do anything to save him. His eyes were like steel, hardened beyond tears, and his mouth was a grim line.
"We've got to get you to Mimi's place. Kari, send out a message on your D-Terminal. Tell everyone to get to Mimi's place. TK, once we get into the Digital World, my friend has an infirmary that Patamon can stay in. "
WarGreymon turned serious eyes onto Tai and Matt.
"Tai, Matt, this is where things get serious. This is a war where not only will Digimon fight, but humans as well."
"What?!" exclaimed the two.
WarGreymon X's eyes twinkled as he gazed at Tai.
"I seem to recall Agunimon telling me something about you beating the living daylights out of a Cannonbeemon a while back."
Tai blushed crimson.
"Um... that was... ah..."
Matt thumped Tai on the shoulder.
"Wake up," he said, although not unkindly, the hint of a smile on his lips. "Don't you go denying it! You bloody helped Agunimon back there. My rocks helped too though, so don't go claiming all the credit for yourself."
MetalGarurumon X suddenly held up a hand. Angewomon, Lillymon and WarGreymon X turned their heads sharply, followed by the human teens. Without saying a word, MetalGarurumon X indicated the ground.
"WarGreymon, the ground shakes. Someone, or something is coming." MetalGarurumon X sent to WarGreymon X over his internal radio.
WarGreymon X nodded. Now that his attention had been drawn to it, he too was aware of the tremors that now shook the floor. He gathered the teens around him.
"Guys, get ready. We move now."
His voice brooked no argument. Wordlessly, the teens packed up their gear... or what was left of it. Quickly, they followed WarGreymon X's lead out into the streets… and straight into an ambush.
There we go! Happy 'bout that? He's a tough one this Patamon. He ain't going down so easily. xD Please review, although I'll still upadte without them...