"I mentioned earlier how much often we are scared of the unknown. That remains an undeniable fact. Of course, the unknown isn't the only thing mortals may be afraid of. There are things that they know or are aware deep in their selves that truly scare them.
Things they would prefer not to reveal to others…"

Chapter 11 : Nightmares of a phantom

"Yes, there clearly is little doubt in my mind concerning this. Undoubtedly an unknown force is attempting to cause the demise of the two Digidestined."

Krasus was once again within his underground hideout, sitting on the stone throne. In his right hand, held in front of himself, he was holding a blue sphere which was glowing of a faint light.

"There are some forces we know that would be much desiring to destroy these two human children, yet as far as it would seem, none of them might truly be aware of their presence here…" the gentle female voice he had heard before replied from within the sphere.

"I agree on this. I had already considered many possibilities of who might be the responsible, but as for now, I have found nothing tangible." Krasus said his cloaked gaze fixed on the sphere.

"You mustn't let your guard down. Whoever is behind this could target them at any moment. We have seen how it is capable of striking by reaching out to other dimensions. This means it has a large reach we must be wary of." the woman's voice spoke from the glowing orb, concern audible in her tone.

"Oh course…I shall be careful…For them…

And for you…" Krasus answered, his tone sounding a bit deeper than usual.

The ball slowly faded from his hand before he brought his hands together, resting his chin on his hands as he considered the information and events he had garnered about…

---

"Honestly, that's really all weird. I wonder what the hell it's all about. What are those creatures and are they really after us?"
"Apparently…that's what Krasus is thinking…"

The two Digidestined, Kari and Regan had remained at their 'home' for the day, pondering and talking about the situation, along with their digimon. Krasus had just recently informed them of his thoughts on the subject, clearly informing them about 'something' or 'someone' that might be after them, but who or what it was, he hadn't found out yet. And apparently, according to the cloaked man, the creatures made of 'darkness' were part of that 'person''s work.

"Still, it doesn't make a sense. Most possible enemies we might have would be digimon, so why using those strange creatures?" Regan said.
"There was some digimon that attacked us. And other things related to digimon. Remember that Digmon and those Control Spires." Kari said.
"I know, I know…" Regan replied tiredly. "Still, it doesn't make any sense."
"Do you think…it could be something…from the Dark Ocean?" Kari asked a tone of fear in her voice.
Regan's eyes hardened and he rose strait to stare at Kari in her eyes. "Of course not. It surely can't be anything from there! We managed to beat out whatever dragged us there, and if we just try to despair again, then we'll probably be dragged in it again, so don't lose hope Kari!" Regan said a bit angrily.

A slight beeping came out from the room where the computer was, slightly startling the two Digidestined.

"Is Gatomon or Lizomon doing something on the computer?" Kari asked.
"Last I checked Lizomon was taking in the wind outside and Gatomon was taking a nap." Regan replied.

Curious yet wary, the two Digidestined came up(a bit carefully) to the computer room to see that the computer had turned on itself on its own.
The screen then flared to life before a cloaked form appeared in the screen.

"Regan, Kari, do you hear me?" the voice of Krasus came out of the speakers.

"Ah…it's only you Krasus…" Regan said, a bit more relieved. He came up to the computer before sitting on a chair and looking closer at the computer. Kari also came up closer, standing aside Regan.

"Is there something wrong you wanted to tell us Krasus?" Kari asked.

Pulling back his hood to reveal his slightly scarred face, the silver haired wizard looked straight toward the two kids.

"Yes, I am still pondering upon the many hypothesises I have about who could be the one after you…although I think we might all know one possible Digimon capable of interdimensional assaults." Krasus spoke on the computer.

"Yeah…we know the guy too…" Regan answered, his eyes narrowing, and Kari's expression becoming a bit more worried.
"But…as far as I know…could he send out other digimon into other dimension to attack us?" Kari asked.

Krasus rose a hand, slightly rubbing his chin before his fingers slightly went to the three parallel scars 'decorating' his right cheek.
"That is why I find this curious. As far as I know concerning this digimon's habits, he attacks directly, never by using other digimon or other kind of forces. It truly makes this suspicious…" Krasus answered, his gaze becoming harder.

Some sort of beeping then came out from a side of Krasus, from something the two Digidestined couldn't see in the screen. And at the same time, a slight beeping was coming out of the two's digivices.

"Huh?" Regan was a bit caught off-guard by the sudden beeping as he looked at his digivice.
At the same time, Kari looked at her own, as much confused as Regan. "Krasus, what's happening on your side? What was that beep of yours?" she asked.

They saw Krasus create out a stone throne out of thin air before sitting on it, and looked at that 'something' on his side.

"I believe we have another dimensional incursion." Krasus answered.
"What? Is that why our digivices are reacting?" Regan asked.
"Yes. I took the liberty to send out a small program to your digivices so they would be able to signal out the presence of a dimensional anomaly or incursion. And as I hoped, the digivices integrated the programs I sent."
"And you didn't told us about that…" Regan spoke a bit grimly, his eyes narrowing more as he eyed Krasus on the screen with a more distrustful look.

"Regan…Sometimes, you know Krasus has to do things without telling us anything…It's his way…" Kari said with concern, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Regan calmed slightly, closing his eyes. "I know…I really know that…But I really can't help it knowing he still do that…As if he was going to use us as pawns or tools or something…" Regan said a bit angrily.

Kari's worried look only remained. She too didn't like the mage when they had some encounters with him, but ultimately, he planned only to help them out and the Digital World.

But the day when it all happened…So many horrors just seemed to happen…

Terrible revelations were unleashed that day…
Along with heart-wrenching battles…and some really hard deaths to take on…

Along with a really hard betrayal…
In a way, that said betrayal truly hurt…until they intervened…And everything was made clear to everyone…

But in all of this…Kari knew it was Regan who had taken it all of it the hardest…
Small wonders when you knew that some of the terrible truths that had been discovered actually directly concerned him…
Along that some of the deaths truly struck Regan deep…
A scar of some sort remained in Regan's heart and soul…
A scar, as much like Lizomon has his owns within himself…

A scar that might never fade…much like the three scars visible on the face of the 'Elder'…

Thinking of the man's scars brought Kari's attention back to the man on the computer screen. "So Krasus…what is that 'dimensional incursion'?" she asked.

Krasus' brow furrowed on the screen. "I have located it in the city…but I am unable to get a true location…something is not right about that…" a buzzing spread in the screen, interrupting most of Krasus' last words. "-nal."

"Hey Krasus, we're getting some interferences. Is there something wrong?" Regan asked, approaching his face to the screen.

More interruptions spread out in the screen before they saw Krasus who was still frowning…then they saw him gasp.

Looking straight at the Digidestined before more interferences hid him again, although he returned once more, shouting : "-tined! Pull ba-" Interferences again. "-ow!!!"

Just as the Digidestined started stepping back in confusion, the screen completely filled with static…

And an explosion of light surged out of the computer screen, startling the two Digidestined.
Screams were barely heard before the light ceased and no sounds came out from the computer room…

"Kari!" Gatomon shouted, running out of the bedroom to hurry to the computer room. At the same time, Lizomon burst through the open window of the dining room. "Regan! Are you okay?" he yelled.

But as the two digimon neared the computer room's entrance…
They found no traces of their partner, only the computer screen which was filled with static.

"Damnit!" Lizomon cursed. "What the hell just happened?"
"We should warn out someone!" Gatomon said.

Just as the two digimon started running out of the apartment, Krasus appeared in the doorway, his expression dark.

"Going out to warn for help won't truly aid you. We will need to specifically ask for Riza and Kylee's aid, along with their digimon…" Krasus said.

"But what happened to our partners?" Gatomon asked.
"They have been kidnapped we could say…" Krasus answered darkly.
"By who? And how?" Lizomon asked.
"I will explain everything once Riza, Kylee and their digimon will be with us. They will no doubt have the very same questions than you have…" Krasus replied before turning away, starting to leave through the door.

On what he just said, Lizomon couldn't argue on it…

---

It didn't took long for the two Tamers and their digimon to come over at the apartment (considering they were in a nearby park and Krasus teleported to them to warn out he needed their help).

"What happened with Kari and Regan?" Kylee asked worryingly as she busted in the apartment.
"Hey Kylee, you know you aren't the only one who's worried, right?" Riza said right behind her.

"Hey! What about us?!?" Lizomon yelled rather offended. "It's our partners that are in trouble!"
"Sorry…" Kylee replied. "Uhm anyway Elder, what's wrong with Regan and Kari? What happened to them?"

"A digimon has captured them. For what purpose exactly, I cannot say..." Krasus answered.
"But we saw no one around when we got to the computer room where they were, so did that digimon took them in the Digital World?" Gatomon asked.

"The Digital World?" Riza repeated. It sparked an unexpected interest in both he and Kylee. In a way, they did wanted to be able to go there once...so, would it be the case now?

"No, they are not there. That is what the digimon want us to believe instead." Krasus answered.
"The Digimon is in the Internet." He added.

"W-What? He's in the Web?" Impmon asked, looking confused.
"Indeed." The Elder answered. "I can help you enter the Internet to go after that digimon, but you should be extremely wary once there. That is why I will also give you this." The cloaked man added as he pulled out two cards from his cloak. Two blue cards.

"Matrix Digivolution cards!!!" Riza said, recognizing the cards. "How did you get them?!?"
"That is not needed for you to know." The Elder answered, handing the cards to Kylee and Riza who accepted them a bit reluctantly.
"So...will do you accept to go save Regan and Kari?" the Elder then asked as the two Tamers stared at their new cards.
"Of course! We can't let them in the hands of that digimon who took them!" Riza said.
"Good. It is settled then, I guess." The cloaked elder replied.
"One thing I wonder Elder...Will these cards work?" Kylee asked.
"I am quite certain of it." The Elder answered.
"Hey! We're coming too okay?" Lizomon suddenly yelled as he and Gatomon barged in closer.
"I have no objections to that." The Elder answered once more. "In fact, I think it would be better you go of course."
Kylee remained silent while she stared at the blue card in her hand, multiple questions flowing in her mind...but decided not to tell about them, considering there was some more urgent matters right now.
"Alright...how do we go?" Kylee asked once more.
"Hold your digivices to the computer screen while I will deal with opening the way in. Of course your digimon will need to stand besides you."
The Tamers nodded while they took positions as instructed, the digimon coming to their sides while the Elder worked something on the computer.

When he was done, he rose before looking at the Tamers.
"Good luck, and be careful." He said.
With that he pressed the 'Enter' button on the keyboard and moved away from the screen.

A blast of light erupted from the screen, engulfing the two Tamers and the digimon, completely blinding them. Krasus also slightly shielded his face from the light before it was over...and the Tamers and the digimon were gone...

"Good luck again..." Krasus repeated before he sat once more at the computer screen and started typing on it...

---

Once again Kylee felt a strange feeling of displacement right after the light had overwhelmed them...and it was followed by a strange feeling of weightlessness.

Opening her eyes, Kylee then saw that she was floating in a large pipe-like hall which was very colorful and filled with very strange details…which was reminding of the Digimon movie 'Our War Game'…

"So…that's the Internet…Needs new wallpaper…" Kylee heard Lizomon commenting on her side. She looked to see Gatomon and Lizomon floating nearby. On her other side she noticed Impmon, Veemon and Riza.

"Whoa…this is so weird…" Riza said, looking around themselves.
"You said it." Veemon replied.
"Anyway, we go forward?" Impmon said.
"Yeah, let's hurry up to find Kari and Regan." Gatomon said.

"Indeed…" a voice came up from above. All of them noticed a screen above them on which the cloaked face of Krasus was visible "Time is of the essence. I will try to guide you to the digimon's location, but be extremly wary, this digimon will undoubtedly be dangerous."

"We'll be ready for it!" Lizomon replied. "Let's go!"

With that said, he rushed forward ahead of the others.
"Come on, let's hurry!" Impmon said. With that said, all the others quickly went up after Lizomon, keeping up close with the dragon digimon.

---

They continued 'flying' in the 'pipe halls', changing sections and going into different directions at some times, as they continued to see screens of the Elder showing them the direction, or other hints of direction the Elder was showing.

"Remember, we do not know what kind of digimon has capture them, so be extremely careful, there is no telling what that digimon could do." The Elder's voice warned out again as the Tamers and the digmon neared the end of a pipe which was going to lead them out into a huge room…

No doubt that the room, sphere-shaped, was of a truly gigantic size, although unlike all the other places they had went through in the Internet, this one was dark, filled with many clouds, some of them rumbling.

"Is…Is that normal all those clouds?" Kylee asked.
Lizomon growled, as Gatomon's eyes narrowed. "The digimon that captured Regan and Kari is surely here…" the cat digimon spoke.
"Regan! Kari!" Lizomon shouted.
In all the emptiness of the large room…no answer came…

"Hehehe…so you've come…Trying to help your human friends, don't you?" a dark chilling voice spoke out from deep in the room.

"Who are you?!? Show yourself!" Riza said.
"Oh…you even brought more humans with you…how pleasant…" the voice spoke.
"Come on big bully! Don't think you can scare us easily with some big voice!" Kylee shouted.

"Oh, so you say that you're not scared eh?" the voice asked. "Very well then..."

The biggest mass of clouds in front of them suddenly parted away, as a large figure floated out of them, revealing itself...

To be a large metal skeleton, although instead of legs, the spine was resting on a large electrical orb of red energy. A smaller solid orb was etched in the ribs of the metal skeleton while a large cloak, black on the outside and red on the inside, rested upon the shoulders of the metallic skeletal figure, a large hood covering, yet not hiding the metallic skull. Along with that, it had no arms, however his hands were connected to his body with red electrical streams of energy, and the digimon held a large scythe with red electricity as the blades.

Upon seeing the digimon, both Riza and Kylee looked less confident than they previously were.
"Uhhh....I think he is scary..." Riza said.
The digimon moved in front of the humans, Lizomon and Gatomon frowning heavily while the other two digimon were not quite as angry, but a bit rather worried.

"What's that digimon?" Kylee asked.

"It's MetalPhantomon." Lizomon answered grimly. "An Ultimate level digimon that loves to feed upon the others' despairs and nightmares."

"Where are Kari and Regan?" Gatomon yelled at MetalPhantomon.
"Oh, you must mean these two?" MetalPhantomon replied, waving a hand at another cloud nearby before it dissipated, revealing both Regan and Kari looking unconscious, tied up in red energy, along with a red aura visible around the two of them.

However, Lizomon peered strait at their partners, attempting to pick up more details about them, and noticed that they did not seemed truly unconscious...but looked pained, as if they were having nightmares...
Which were probably induced by MetalPhantomon...

"Let go of them now you creep!" Impmon said.
"Yeah! You got no right to take them!" Veemon added.

"Well...if you want them...Come and get them of you can!!!" MetalPhantomon yelled.

And suddenly, from the other clouds around, multiple other forms appeared. They looked like small ghosts, or rather old white cloths with fanged mouths...and witch hats on their heads.

"Are these...Bakemon?" Kylee asked.

"No...they're Soulmon." Riza replied, having taken out his digivice and pointed it toward one of the ghost digimon. "Virus attribute and Ghost types, just like Bakemon."

MetalPhantomon started floating a bit backward while the Soulmon started to move in front of him, obviously acting under his control. The metallic skeletal digimon chuckled darkly as he eyed the Tamers and the digimon with them.

"Looks like if we want to get to MetalPhantomon, we'll have to bust through the Soulmon. Ready Riza?" Kylee said.
"Right." Riza replied as he took out his Digivolution card, imitated by Kylee.
"Digi-Modify! Digivolution, activate!" both Tamers shouted as they swiped their cards in their D-Arcs.

"Veemon, digivolve to...ExVeemon!!!
"Impmon, digivolve to…Ignatismon!!!"

"Alright! Let's show these ghost wannabes who's the real boss here!" Ignatismon replied, tightening a fist.
The other digimon nodded.
The Soulmon charged toward them, as ExVeemon, Ignatismon, Gatomon and Lizomon all moved away.

"X-Laser!" ExVeemon shouted as he stopped himself and crossed his arms on his chest before unleashing an X-shaped beam at one Soulmon, striking it dead before it burst in data.

"Ignatis Flare!" Ignatismon yelled, throwing back one punch before sending it forward, opening it as it burst into flames, sending out one fiery ball at a pack of Soulmon.
The fire ball struck out one of the Soulmon before it triggered out a powerful explosion, which took out the whole pack of Soulmon.

"Hehehe..." MetalPhantomon still seemed to remain confident, despite that his minions were getting a hard beat, as even Gatomon and Lizomon were giving out a really hard time to the Soulmons, clawing and shooting at any of them they neared to.

Just as Ignatismon and Exveemon had started to charge toward him, MetalPhantomon raised his scythe...

"Grave Scream!" MetalPhantomon then shouted before unleashing a terrible screaming sound.

And upon hearing the terrible screeching sound, both Kylee and Riza held up their hands to their ears, so terrible the sound was terrible. Even then, their hands to their ears did nothing to truly lessen the horrible sound. They both screamed in pain from the sound.

"Kylee!!!"
"Riza!!!"

Both Tamers' digimon quickly hurried back to their partners.

"Kylee! What's wrong?!?" Ignatismon asked as he came up to his Tamer.
"Riza! Get a hold of yourself!" ExVeemon said.

But both Tamers didn't seemed to react to them, even if their digimon were trying to shake them a bit.

MetalPhantomon laughed, having stopped screaming, but still the two Tamers seemed to be in pain.

"What have you done to them?!?" Ignatismon yelled angrily toward the reaper digimon.

"They are now trapped in nightmares I created with my Grave Scream. Their own feelings and memories are serving to create the terrible nightmares in which they are now, and you're powerless to save them!" MetalPhantomon replied with another laugh.

"Grr…you're not gonna get with this!!!" Ignatismon yelled as he charged toward MetalPhantomon, closely followed by ExVeemon.

"Fools…" MetalPhantomon chuckled, then raised his scythe as the two digimon neared, and with one large swipe from it, he pushed back the two digimon away.

"You're nothing to me now! Your Tamers' nightmares are giving me more power! And like I said, there is nothing you can do for them!" MetalPhantomon replied with another laugh.

Yet…in all of this…

Where were Lizomon and Gatomon?

---

"Regan! Kari! Come on, get to your senses!"

They were floating right in front of their partners, the moment the Grave Scream had been unleashed, Lizomon had hurried to Gatomon to tell her to go to their partners. The distraction made by MetalPhantomon, Ignatismon and ExVeemon might just be what they could need to try to reach out to their partners.

"Kari…come on…" Gatomon said, looking very worried.

But both Digidestined still remained unmoving, still bound in the red energy and looking as unconscious as ever.

"Come on..." Lizomon muttered. He neared the face of his own partner. "Regan, I know you can hear me. You surely can! Please, you got to help us. Riza, Kylee, Impmon and Veemon...Along with Gatomon and me...We need you and Kari! So come on! You can surely get free of whatever MetalPhantomon did to you!"
"Kari...I know you're strong, so you can get free. Don't think you're weak, even if darkness might look strong...because in all of this, it's darkness that fears you the most, so you can get free, and fight it!" Gatomon said, her own face close to her partner's.

Then a large wave of crimson energy struck both digimon, sending them flying away from their partners. MetalPhantomon laughed.

"Don't think you have any chances of freeing them! They are completely under my control now, there's nothing you can do for them!" the reaper digimon said.

---

"Regan Astrasz...
Kari Kamiya...

I know you can hear me..."

"Y...You?"
"K-Krasus?"

---

Ignatismon and ExVeemon struggled to 'stand' once more. Looking at their partners who still looked in pain.
"No! We surely can get them! You won't win!" ExVeemon said.

---

"Children...
Even in this pain, in those nightmares, I am still there...
I am the only thing real...while everything else he can bring at you is illusion...
Thus...MetalPhantomon cannot truly harm you...Only your heart can, if you keep letting fear strike at you..."

"Y...

Ysera?"

---

"You won't get our partners that easily. They're still fighting and are still strong, I know it!" Lizomon replied harshly toward MetalPhantomon.
MetalPhantomon only laughed more. "Oh real-"

A bright crimson and pink light suddenly interrupted him before the light burst out in every directions, blinding everyone for a while.
And when it faded, all the digimon looked toward where the light came out from...And Lizomon and Gatomon smiled while MetalPhantomon had a clearly suprised expression.

Both Regan and Kari were glowing bright with an aura of their respective color as they glared straight at MetalPhantomon.

"You've been daring to use our memories against us..." Kari started.
"And we're going to give you a real lesson about them!" Regan finished.

Both Digidestined looked toward their partners who were rushing at them before the children's auras faded from them, but not before focusing in their right hands, where their crest marks were hidden. With a nod to each other, they brought up their right hands on their digivices, which answered with a strong beeping which made Gatomon and Lizomon glow...

"Lizomon, digivolve to...Ryumon!!!"
"Ryumon, digivolve to...MetalRyumon!!!"
"Gatomon, digivolve to...Angewomon!!!"

Out of where the two digimon were, an angel and a large metal dragon rushed straight at MetalPhantomon, ramming into him with all their might.

"Kari...let's help them...They've been fighting to help us, so we'll fight with them against MetalPhantomon." Regan said to Kari.
"Okay." Kari replied with a nod.

With a new beep, the Digidestined's digivices unleashed a massive amount of data which surrounded their owners before they burst out of it, changed, Regan completely encased in a cybernetic body all added up with metallic horns coming from the sides of his head, large metallic dragon wings coming out of his back with jet ports in his back as well, while Kari was now dressed like Angewomon, clothes and all, along with her hair which were now of a greater length.

With a cry, the 'MetalRyumon' Regan rushed strait passed his digimon and Kari's, going straight for MetalPhantomon, who raised his scythe to block out Regan's claws as he struck the scythe.
However, as MetalPhantomon struggled to keep Regan away from him, the 'Angewomon' Kari flew behind and above Regan before pointing one finger at MetalPhantomon, and shot a bright pink beam from it, straight at the digimon's chest, which made the reaper digimon grunt in pain.

"Ugh…how did you managed to free yourselves?" MetalPhantomon asked.
"It's fairly obvious…Thanks to our friends that are with us." Regan replied, his blue eyes glowing, MetalRyumon hovering behind him in a menacing pose, his own eyes glowing akin to Regan's.
"Just as they would help us, we will help them." Kari replied, looking as stoic as Angewomon herself, just as her own digimon had the same look, standing aside her transformed partner.

Suddenly, a bright flash of green distracted everyone as they looked toward where it came…

The Tamers.

Ignatismon and ExVeemon looked with some surprise at a pale green human form which was floating right in front of them, and their partners, which now looked tired…but clearly freed from MetalPhantomon's influence.

"Remember your dreams, young ones…" a dreamy woman's voice spoke from the green form before it faded away…

"Thanks…" Kylee muttered with some slight awe, then glared straight toward MetalPhantomon. "You're really gonna get it hard for what you tried to do to us, and to Regan and Kari!"

"Grr…" MetalPhantomon growled. "You're not gonna get away with this! I still have more than enough power to destroy all of you! Soul Predator!" he shouted before pulling back from Regan and swung out his scythe really hard, sending out a barrage of energy waves, breifly suprising MetalRyumon, Angewomon, Regan and Kari who were all struck by at least one of the waves, which propelled them backward as they crashed into the Tamers and their digimon.

"Ow…darn it…" Regan muttered before he pushed himself from the others, just as everyone started to regain their bearings. "Is everyone okay?" Regan asked.

"Fine here." MetalRyumon rumbled as he flew a bit ahead, then blasted in a charge toward MetalPhantomon, yelling "Strato Cannons!" before unleashing a barrage of multi-colored energy blasts at the reaper digimon, which was now forced on the defensive.

"Angewomon and me are okay." Kari said, though slightly looking at one of her arms were she had gotten a small gash due to MetalPhantomon's attack.
In fact, Regan did noticed that not one of them, human(Bio-Modified or not) and digimon had been slightly struck by MetalPhantomon's attack as he notice that Kylee and Riza had also gotten som extremly minimal wounds.

"Riza, Kylee, think you guys can get back in the fight with your digimon?" Regan asked, beating a bit on his wings.

"Of course we're ready!" Ignatismon quickly replied, interrupting his Tamer from answering, although it was obvious Kylee was agreeing to this, so did Riza.

"Let's use those new cards the Elder gave us." Riza said, looking at Kylee.
"Alright, here goes…" Kylee said as they both took out their blue Matrix Digivolution cards.

"Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution, activate!" both Tamer shouted as they swiped their cards in their digivices, which caused ExVeemon and Ignatismon to glow…

"ExVeemon, Matrix Digivolve to…Paildramon!!!"
"Ignatismon, Matrix Digivolve to…Itzalmon!!!"

As the two new digimon, Riza was quite pleased to see once again the Ultimate form of his digimon, Paildramon, bearing his guns and ready to fight.

For Kylee though, it was only being even more impressed as she saw her digimon digivolve once more to a new level…which meant one step closer to Mega…

Itzalmon looked rather similar Ignatismon however his body was covered in black clothings and the lower half of his face was covered in a black cloth mask while most of the upper half of his face was covered in a dark purple mask a bit similar to Beelzemon's (although it only had two holes since Itzalmon had only two eyes) , as now his skin's color had turned gray although his eyes remained green. He also had shoulder length white hair which was tied in a ponytail. He was also bearing some small brown shoulder plates along with wearing a long red scarf and dark purple bandages were wrapped around his torso, upper halves of his arms and bottom halves of his legs. Although the bottom halves of his arms weren't covered in clothings, he was weilding a katar-like weapon in each of his hands. His appearance clearly made him look either like some sort of ninja or assassin…

"Alright…it's time to put out some light for some reaper wannabe here!" the new Ultimate spoke. "Who's with me?" Itzalmon asked loudly.

"We are!" Regan, Kari, Angewomon and Paildramon all replied loudly.

"And I'm ahead of all of ya!" MetalRyumon shouted from ahead, still bombarding MetalPhantomon with his Strato Cannons, as the reaper digimon was flying around to evade the cannon blasts, he replied with some energy waves of his own.

"Alright, let's finish this show now!" Paildramon shouted.
"Go get him now!" Riza shouted.

And the three digimon, along with the 'Ultimate' Bio-Modified Regan and Kari all ruished toward MetalPhantomon and MetalRyumon, obviously intending to give out a good hand to their metal dragon friend…

"Desperado Blasters!" Paildramon shouted, shooting out blue blasts of energy toward MetalPhantomon, who started having even more trouble to evade the attacks, considering that now Paildramon added up to the attacks MetalRyumon was already launching.
"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon shouted as she prepated an arrow of light and shot it straight toward MetalPhantomon, who quickly threw in front of him all he could of his cloak to protect himself as best as possible, but the arrow send him flying backward with heavy force.

"Don't think you'll go away that easily!" Itzalmon yelled. "Shadow Knife Dance!" he shouted before vanishing and reappearing near Phantomon and slashed at him once before vanishing and reappearing over him, slashing once more, and repeated his maneuver several times.

"He's yours now guys!" Itzalmon then yelled before pulling himself away from the battered MetalPhantomon. The reaper digimon only noticed his latest attacker going away…to notice two other figures rushing at him : The Bio-Modified Regan and Kari.

Regan extended out long claws from his right hand before he rushed forward to strike MetalPhantomon in the chest while Kari floated a bit above, her right hand pointed toward MetalPhantomon as her Angewomon's bow formed on her long glove.

Battered and damaged as he had been, MetalPhantomon was unable to evade Regan as he struck him hard, and soon after, Kari released her light arrow she had formed, shooting it strait at MetalPhantomon.

Regan pulled himself away just as the arrow neared, but not before pointing his own cannons and opened fire just as Kari's arrow was inches from MetalPhantomon.
The arrow struck deep, followed by Regan's Strato Cannons.

MetalPhantomon screamed…before he finally exploded in data…

"Whew…It's over…" Regan said.
"Thanks guys for having come up to help us." Kari said, looking at Kylee and Riza, even despite the Angewomon helmet on her head.

---

"No! I don't want to!"
"Come on kids! He said it was necessary!"

The Digidestined, Tamers and their digimon had finally returned from their 'adventure' in the Internet, only to find Krasus waiting for them…with syringes.

Needkess to say, most of the kids weren't exactly pleased with Krasus' current request : some sample of each of the kids' blood.

"Uhm, Elder…Just why you'd need to do that?" Regan asked a bit uncertainly, keeping a look on Lizomon who had pinned down Riza because he had tried to sneak away.

"All of you have been struck by one of MetalPhantomon's attacks, his Soul Predator. At first glance, all of you only received extremly minor wounds, even for you Tamers who weren't in a Bio-Modified state, but I would want to verify if it wasn't a desperate attempt to poison all of you. MetalPhantomon could have been capable of doing so…" Krasus answered.

"And along with that, it will allow me to verify the current status of the data extraction…" Both Kari and Regan heard those words into their minds.

With a sigh, Regan nodded. "Alright, you can do it for all of us…" Regan said. Just like rather any kid…he didn't liked syringes…

"Do not worry. I can use my magic so you will not feel anything from the syringes." Krasus said with a very faint smile.

That made the two Tamers a bit less hesitant.
"Alright, what are you waiting for then Elder?" Kari asked.

---

Footsteps echoed in the vast rocky cavern that Krasus used as his hideout, which formerly was part of the Black Spear criminal gang's hideout. As the gray cloaked man returned into the area which was the arena, he summoned once again a stone throne, but this time, he also summoned a large table, with multiple strange instruments on it, some looking like some medical equipement, although with some changes, like small crystals in them, or strange markings etched in them…

Krasus pulled out from his cloak four small vials each filled with blood and each of them labeled with a few strange symbols, clearly an unknown dialect in which Krasus was skilled in.

Krasus put two of the vials upon two receptacles, with two small crystals lying near them. As Krasus pressed one switch on the devices, the crystals rose and started spinning slowly around the vials, while emitting a small light.
For a while, Krasus waited…until the crystal stopped glowing. He started putting two other vials in two other devices before turning them on and then took a look at the first two.

A light projected out of nowhere above the two devices showed the vials' contents, magnified, as now anyone could have seen that the content of the vials was blood.

As Krasus was peering at the images, he started looking slightly toward his back. "…Of any of those who could have come here…I am surprised you came here, Darius Duke…" Krasus spoke.

"Well…you could say…a heart ache…" the teen's voice answered from the entrance of the cavern. The former gang leader stood a bit uncertain at the entrance, looking curious as why was this man here, and a bit scared that he shouldn't have interrupted.
"Well…you can come in if you want…" Krasus then spoke before returning his attention to his devices.
"I never thought you'd use our old hideout for you." Darius said as he approached Krasus.
"Considering I made sure no one would know of this place, it was quite appropriate for me." Krasus simply answered.
"What that? Is that blood?" Darius asked as he looked aside Krasus and at what the cloaked man was looking at, but then stepped back a bit, unsure if he should look. It could be something very secret after all…
"Yes, it is blood…but there is more to it…take a look yourself…" Krasus said, slightly stepping sideway. Uncertain, Darius approached and looked at the illusions projecting the content of the first two vials.
"Wait a minute…what's that?" Darius said, looking at something he had never seen before. It wasn't red blood or white blood cells, and neither platelets…but something else…
"It is Digimon 'DNA' data." Krasus answered.
Darius gasped and stepped away from the images. "Inside human blood?!? How's that possible?"

Krasus started walking toward his stone throne before sitting on it. "The tale is quite complicated in fact…Please, take a seat." The cloaked man then said, waving behind Darius, and the teen could see a seat having appeared out of nowhere being there. Uncertain, he sat.
"Those blood samples you saw belongs to none other than Regan Astrasz and Kari Kamiya." Krasus said, which made Darius' eyes widen. "True, you may wonder why they have digimon data within their bodies…
I will not explain the details of the story, considering they would not want to, however some time ago in the Digital World, an accident happened to the two of them, in which their bodies received a heavy injection of digimon data belonging to their partners. They were plunged into a deep coma, and seemed to be quickly dying.
I hurried to bring them to my hideout so to study the problem and make a cure, however I soon discovered that the digimon data was starting to change their bodies, trying to reconfigure it…
It a sense, it was destroying them as the humans they are, to change them into something else…more Digimon-like." Krasus explained.
"W-What did you do then?!?" Darius asked, completely hanging out to Krasus' words.
"I first attempted to extract the digimon data from their bodies, but I realized it was quickly intertwined with their own selves, in a sense. I would have killed them if I would have done so.
I considered many options…until one dawned on me.
And in the end, that option was a sucess…and their lives were spared as I cured them…in a sense…
For in fact, I had been unable to remove the digimon data from their bodies…
However I instead made a change in their bodies so they would isolate and store their digimon data 'elsewhere'. Of course, containig the data would not be a good option, since it could be able to break out on day. So, with the use of their digivices, they are capable to release the data themselves into their bodies, but in a controlled fashion so that they rather change in some sorts of…half-digimon, based from their own partners.
A process I have named 'Bio-Modify'." Krasus explained.
"Bio-Modify…" Darius repeated, then gasped. "Wait a minute! That explains why Kari had those Gatomon ears, gloves and tail back when-" but he stopped, looking uncertain.
"Indeed, she had used her Bio-Modification at that time. However, we are disgressing.
Keeping the data controlled in that manner isn't the only thing my plan did. Since when they stop using their Bio-Modification, their bodies are subjected to extreme pain due to the massive activities induced to it. However, the more they use Bio-Modify, the less painful it becomes…because more digimon data starts to actually be a part of their bodies." Krasus said, continuing his explanations.
"So that means if they use it too much, they might get changed into those half-digimon forms permanently…or worse…" Darius concluded.
"Indeed…" Krasus answered. "Fortunately, thanks to another special process, Regan and Kari are capable of extracting that surplus data from their bodies and give it back to their digimon partners, thus cleansing their bodies from the digimon data. They simply have to continue repeating the process over and over until they will have no more digimon data within themselves : Use Bio-Modify to amass a suitable amount of digimon data in their bodies, and then use the other process to return the data to their partners. As simple as that, and yet quite complicated. I doubt anyone else would have been able to come up with such plan…"
"You really seem like you're an expert about things in the Digit-" Darius started, but suddenly, some of the devices' crystals which were functionning turned of a bright red color, catching up the attention of Krasus and Darius.
To Darius' suprise, Krasus raised out of his throne and hurried to the table with greater speed than he would anticipated…
"No…How is this possible? Unless…
It would explains much…" Krasus muttered.
"What's wrong?!?" Darius asked, hurrying to see what was the problem.

He saw two other devices which were projecting images of their scanning results…and saw the normal contents there is in blood…but he also noticed very very faint traces…
"Is…is that Digimon data in that blood?!?" Darius asked.
"Indeed…" Krasus answered very darkly… "And those blood samples do not belong to either Regan or Kari…
"Then…to who?" Darius asked, uncertain if he wanted the answer.

"Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki." Krasus answered.
Darius gasped. "W-What did you do to them?!?"
Krasus suddenly whirled over, facing Darius with a glare that made the teen shiver. "Do not think that I am the one who caused this to them…However I think I might know the cause of it…"
"And what is it?" Darius asked.
"I recently sent Kylee and Riza in the Internet with their digimon partners along with Regan and Kari's, to go save the two Digidestined that had been captured by a Digimon named MetalPhantomon.
However in the battle, MetalPhantomon managed to use an attack which managed to deal out minor wounds to each and everyone of them, humans and digimon alike.
I believe…that during that moment when they were all pushed back together, the opened wounds allowed some digimon data belonging to Kari and Regan to infect the bodies of Kylee and Riza. That…along with data from Impmon and Veemon." Krasus explained darkly as he eyed the results, which now showed information in a strange dialect about the digimon data itself.
"But then you got to use that cure you spoke about! It's working with Regan and Kari, that thing that extracts the digimon data they have and give it back to their digimon! Surely it'll work, right?!?" Darius asked, looking panicked.

"If only it was that easy…" Krasus spoke darkly.
"Huh…what do you mean?" Darius asked, looking worried.
Krasus looked at him with another dark look. "The cure which I spoke of…I have no doubt that if Kylee and Riza could use it, it would permanently cure them of this infection. However…

They are unable to use it."
"What?!? How?!?" Darius asked.
"The cure is in fact a powerful ability that Regan and Kari are able to use with their digimon partner. An ability that requires a truly powerful bond between the digimon and the human. Both Regan and Kari has shown themselves capable of doing so with their partners. This ability partly inspired me concerning my original curing plan.

However, neither Kylee nor Riza have such truly powerful bonds. True, they have excellent relations with their digimon…but the true bond which I am talking of is not there…yet…" Krasus spoke, slowly considering something.
"Perhaps something could be done…so to make them being able to use that ability too…
But I do not know if those two Tamers will have enough time to use it…" Krasus said.
"What do you mean? Wait a minute…You mean…how much time do Kylee and Riza have before…it's too late?" Darius asked, still clearly worried.
"I would say…

That they only have two days before they will cease to be as Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki…" Krasus answered darkly, thinking of the two Tamers and the two Digidestined which surely right now were spending their time having fun with each other and their digimon partner…

…Completely unaware of the terrible fate that was nearing two of them…

And if Krasus was unable to make things come possible…

Then…

It would be over…

For Kylee and Riza…

Possibly forever…