Digimon

GODFALL

By. Sonfaro

Chapter 22

We're not going down without a fight.

But it'll be a tough one; that much is certain. The thing is huge – a monster in the truest sense. Formed of black wires and broken steel and the arrogance of people who thought they could control this world. Its body is angular, like the pyramid it sprouted from. Ovular pods stand propped up from cables and struts on its back. Connected at the top are two giant structures one can only call its 'arms', with three 'fingers' built of metal and wire hanging on each. At the very top, a single angular 'head' swivels in search of us – smaller than the rest of it, but no less prominent.

"What do you think it is?" Tai asks through gritted teeth.

I shake my head. "Don't know. An advanced AI? A defense system?"

"Bah!" Agumon snorts. "It's just one more big dumb computer we need to break."

"Regardless of what it is, it will be a difficult fight." Gabumon turns to me. "What should we do?"

I frown. "If nothing else we have to buy time for the survivors to at least make it back to their camp. That's priority one."

"Agreed. So," Tai gives a defiant smirk, "let's give this thing something to shoot at!"

I take a deep breath. I don't know what this thing is. I don't care. All I know is that this thing wants to destroy me… destroy us. I'm not letting that happen.

I take my digivice in hand, and I pray Gabumon has the strength for what comes next.

I feel the instant kick come through again as my strength pours into the device I was granted by the guardians of this world. It flows into my partner, encasing him in a glowing egg that surrounds him. Within the egg I see I know Agumon is going through the same process.

"Agumon!"

"Gabumon!"

"Digivolve to…."

Within the egg of light I can see Gabumon shifting and changing. Growing in shape and size. Beside him, I can already make out a horned skull rising through the egg. The eggs shatter simultaneously, excess data bursting apart around us, revealing their champion forms.

"Greymon!"

"Garurumon!"

They barely have time to announce themselves before a tendril of blackness whips down towards them from the monsters 'fingertip'. Both dragon and wolf split in an instant, and the wire does little more than kick up more dust and debris into the air. I grab Tai by the shirt and we hustle farther back, trying to stay out of the way of our partners attempt to distract this thing from the rest of the digiworld.

My hope is that, if they weren't aware before, that our friends have begun noticing that this isn't an ordinary attack. That something serious is happening in our home away from home. Even if they do however I know it will take some time to reach us. I can only pray we can hold out till then.

We settle in at the top of a hill a few meters out. Our partners are giving this thing all they have. Greymon lobs balls of flame towards the creatures' midsection, while Garurumon tries to lock the wires on ice. As they do this, the monster is swiping at them with its massive arms, sending tendrils out like spears and raising clouds of dust into the morning air upon impact. Our partners are lucky they haven't already been hit.

"Stupid little… fight like a 'mon!" I can hear Greymon roar after another of his Nova Blast shots is deflected.

"He's blocking everything we're giving him." Garurumon calls over his massive shoulder, narrowly escaping the metallic fist of this strange mechanized demon.

"They're getting hammered!" I tell Tai through clenched teeth.

"No use holding back our punches then." Tai frowns. "Greymon, full power!"

The dinosaur bats away a wire with a paw and nods his armored head in agreement. "You got it!"

"You think he has the strength?" I ask

Tai nods sternly. "He'll have to."

That isn't reassuring. Nervously I call to my partner. "Garurumon?"

He howls against the morning air, ducking under a wire swinging for his life. "I understand!"

Energy tugs from inside me and charges into my digivice, and once again I feel it rumble against my waist. The taint of blue crosses my eyes as both our partners begin to change further.

"Greymon!"

"Garurumon!"

As they are encased in eggs I force my eyes skywards, towards the monstrous amalgamation of death. It moans from the stress of its weight, cackling sounds from wires snapping and reforming bouncing around the desert. Despite the blue tint that has altered my sight for the moment I can tell that this monster recognizes what's happening to my partner. That has me worried.

"Guys!" I shout a warning. But I don't know if they can even hear me under the data surging around them anymore.

"Digivolve to…"

The monster brings a fist crashing towards them at dangerous speeds. But it's too late. Their eggs hatch at the same time, bright lights dissipating as their excess data evaporates into nothingness. The force from their evolution sends a shockwave up towards the monsters fist, forcing it away from them. That was a close call.

"Metal Greymon!"

"WereGarurumon!"

They stand there in the desert morning like ancient heroes of legend, and without thinking I let myself hope that we'll make it out of this alive.

WereGarurumon hasn't changed since yesterday, my bipedal wolf still itching for a fight. It's been a while since I've seen Tai's partner like this though. MetalGreymon is similar in look to his previous form, though he's now heavily armored in a near indestructible alloy called digi-chrome. His left arm has been replaced by a massive robotic prosthetic, shinning in the morning sun. From his back sprouts a pair of tattered leathery wings, large enough to give the great monster flight in time of need. He takes his place before us, ready for battle.

"Target locked." I hear him say.

MetalGreymon lowers his arms, and two panels hidden beneath his chest armor open to reveal a pair of silos. With a snarl, MetalGreymon adjusts his angle, before screaming out a war cry at the top of his digital lungs.

"Giga Blaster!"

From within him, a set of shark shaped semi-organic missiles shoot forth, barreling at the monster in front of us at break neck speeds. But they don't even come close. Faster than you might expect, the monster fires out wires with pinpoint accuracy at our attempts at attacks. MetalGreymon's Giga Blasters are knocked away, exploding harmlessly just abouve the monsters giant hand.

"Darn wires are everywhere. I can't get a clean shot!" MetalGreymon roars back.

Before Tai can shout out instructions, the giant robot launches his fist at the ground MetalGreymon stands on. The dragon sees it coming, and launches himself backwards, flapping his tattered wings to increase his speed. But it's no use. The fist collides against the ground with such force that it knocks MetalGreymon out of the air before he even truly got anywhere.

"MetalGreymon!" Tai shouts.

The Dragon groans rolling across the sand. The mech's second arm shoots out spear-like-wires at blinding speed before he can even regain his clawed feet beneath him.

"Wolf Claw!"

Six lines of sizzling energy cross up through the air in a flash, slicing through the oncoming wire storm like a knife through butter. WereGarurumon hops in front of the rising MetalGreymon, his dark eyes focused on the enemy, but his mouth already running.

"I knew you were putting on weight you big dumb lizard, but getting hit by a giant fist?!"

"You're just… mad it… doesn't consider you a threat furball!" MetalGreymon snarls back.

"Less taunting, more fighting," I shout to them both.

WereGarurumon gives me a grunt and focuses back onto the battle. He preps quickly before launching himself into the air, the claws on his feet shimmering with a dark force. "Crescent Moon Kick!"

An arch of blue electricity races up to meet the metal wires bearing down on them. The attack does its job in neutralizing the enemies attack for the most part. A few stragglers manage to sneak past though, racing through the air towards our friends.

"Wolf Claw!"

"Try not to be such a slob next time at the dinner table huh!?"

Smoke pours from MetalGreymon's nostrils. "Come over here and say that."

"Guys!?"

"Sorry!" WereGarurumon grunts.

Tai shakes his head and shouts out orders. "MetalGreymon, back up a bit. Get room between you and the target."

"Any idea what I should be aiming for?"

"Target the head. I'm guessing that's where all its processing power is coming from!"

"You got it."

"WereGarurumon, our best shot is with MetalGreymons missiles," I supply. "Protect him at all cost."

"Roger. Hurry it up fat-ass!"

MetalGreymon snarls but complies. Rising from his haunches, he unfurls tattered wings and launches himself several meters backwards, extending the distance between he and our enemy. I lead Tai across the sand to a better vantage of the battle, the twinge of blue making the ruined desert a beautiful shade of sapphire as the digital sun rises. Ahead, WereGarurumon continues to fight off several wires on his own, his claws tearing through the remnant of the dark network like nobody's business.

But still they come. The creature above us is persistent if nothing else. WereGarurumon would be overwhelmed if we needed more time. Thankfully we don't.

"Target acquired!"

Tai grits his teeth. "Fire!"

"Giga Blaster!"

Twin shark faced missiles burst from out of MetalGreymons armored chest, their high pitched screech whistling over the desert sands as they make a beeline for the remnant of Datamon. The explosion that follows shifts the sands of the desert, and blinds us for a moment. The roar is almost deafening, but I can still hear Tai's elated cheer.

"Direct hit!"

I frown, not so sure. The dust settles after a moment and confirms my worst fears. The monster remains, its posture undaunted by our feeble attempts to flatten it. Through the smoke shoot more wires, and our digimon partners have to leap quickly out of the way to avoid the attack.

"Nothing!" I growl.

Tai shakes his head. "What's wrong MetalGreymon?"

"That armors chrome-digizoid," MetalGreymon grunts in between fireballs. "I'd need multiple hits to even dent it!"

Tai nods dourly. "Then we'll have to break through it somehow. MetalGreymon, can you find a target?"

"Not underneath that armor."

"WereGarurmon…"

He lands on all fours, dark eyes twinkling in the heat of battle. "Hnn…No problem!"

He quickly positions himself in front of Tai's dragon, ruby red claws starting to shine as the sun keeps rising. As if it knows our plan, the thing before us shoots out line after line of wires towards them. WereGarurumon however, sees them coming. We're ready this time.

"Wolfclaw!"

The air around WereGarurumon's nails simmers with intense energy that spreads between he and the oncoming cables. The lines of raw power slice through the giant mechs attack with ease. WereGarurumon's head snaps back at MetalGreymon. "Give me a lift!"

The dragon nods and aims. "Giga Blaster!"

MetalGreymons chest rockets launch at full speed for their target. WereGarurumon takes a running leap and hurtles himself through the air, his blood red claws piercing through the organic missile. It spins a little with his weight, bearing it off its targeted course, but WereGarurumon is looking for speed, not aim.

Tentacles again sweep out to meet the attack head on, knocking the first missile harmlessly away from the monster. Just before the tentacle reaches him however, WereGarurumon leaps off the doomed missile, arms extended, sailing through the air towards our foe. He lands hard against the makeshift chest, his claws the only thing keeping him from dropping to the ground. Before a pair of tentacles shoot out towards him they are forced to veer off from another barrage from MetalGreymon's war-chest. At least we know our foe can't multi-task.

With a snarl I see WereGarurumon hike his way up the giant monster towards the target – the angular helmet that may hold the key to victory. It's out best hope right now. Upon reaching his destination, WereGarurumon lifts both paws, his eyes dark and dangerous.

"Shadow Claw!"

Both fists find themselves tearing viciously through digi-chrome, stone, and steel ripping through the face of the last vestige of Datamon. It howls as shards of its body are flung towards the desert floor. It brings a metal fist to beat at its skull, but WereGarurumon is so small and so fast in comparison that it strikes only itself. And then he returns, working quickly to expose a glint of red, until the armor is peeled away and all that is left is a multitude of squiggling black wires and a central glowing red eye set in the center for all to see.

And not a second too soon!

The thing sends a second fist to end my partner but he is already gone, racing down the mech's midsection and screaming down to us.

"C'mon! Do it now!" WereGarurumon screams when he lands on all fours.

Tai nods with clenched teeth. "MetalGreymon! Scorch earth!"

He doesn't even get an acknowledgment.

"Giga Destroyer!"

It's the most powerful attack in MetalGreymon's arsenal. An upgrade to his Giga Blasters that I've only ever seen him use once. MetalGreymon opens his jaw wide as his tattered wings spread towards the rising sun. I have to shield my eyes as the pixels around his mouth and chest begin to burst and fluctuate with the heat he's bringing. And then he lets loose with full force, and three lines of pure destruction race upwards from his mouth and chest.

They connect with the force of a nuclear blast.

The force of the blast is blinding, and so I have to shield my eyes from its sheer intensity. I can hear the distant screams of the monster, a high electric whine that almost sounds pitiful under the force of the Giga Destroyer. And then in the midst of the blast there is no sound from the monster at all. No sound, save the burning sound of MetalGreymon's rage.

I cough, and instantly regret it; the pain spreading across my lungs like fireworks inside my chest. The dust MetalGreymon has kicked up from his attack has left visibility close to nil. I bring a hand up to my mouth and squint my eyes in search of my leader. He's only a few meters away, shaking the dust from his hair and twisting in the sand looking for me.

"Tai," I call to him. At my voice he turns and nods. I don't think he can really see me, but at least we're together.

"Did we get it?" I hear him whisper into my chest.

That's the question worth a million digi-dollars.

I peer through the clouds of sand, which has only now begun clearing. What I see chills me to the bone.

"N-no way…"

It's still standing.

There's some definite damage, but in the scheme of things it doesn't matter. I stare bewildered as the gaping hole in the side of this monstrous overlord – the one I watched MetalGreymon roast with his most powerful attack – slowly begin to rebuild itself. Little by little, tiny black wires begin squirming about, reaching for each other across the expanse of damages space. The giant robot seems to hum as parts are shifted around to accomidate the 'wound', while the wires continue to expand around it.

"W-what is that thing?"

We don't even have time to figure it out.

"Titan Laser."

I hear it… in the back of my minds like… like a Digimon's attack echoing despite its mouth never moving. And then it's too late to stop it. Its right hand – and I'm convinced now that that's what this really is – reaches out and fires a blast of energy from within the glass orb in the center. It eats across the sand, sending more dust into the air and leaving behind a trail of glass across the desert floor. WereGarrurumon dodges it, but MetalGreymon is struck with full force. Data spills across the air as MetalGreymon roars in pain.

I hear Tai shout his name, but my focus stays with my partner. The far more agile WereGarurumon manages to dodge the laser fire, flipping through the air before landing with a snarl.

"Crescent Moon Kick!" WereGarurumon howls, the sound of battle on raging through him.

A sizzling wave of energy from his foot crosses towards the being. A last ditch attack that proves useless against the onslaught of wires. The explosion is small against the robot, and before WereGarurumon can take to the air again the being has lifted its finger again.

"Titan Laser."

I hear it again, a voice both familiar and distant. Like the automated voice of a computer. Unfeeling. Uncaring. Un-living… I stand with mouth agape as the red laser strikes my partner, throwing him in the air. WereGarurumon lands next to MetalGreymon, who's body is bruised and burned. Both can only look up as the red-eyed giant lifts both arms into the air.

"Fantasmic Bomb"

Both WereGarurumon and MetalGreymon attempt to rise, but both are caught in the wall of energy that spreads across the desert. I watch in horror as their data fluctuates in and out of their frames before both lose their ultimate forms altogether. And then I can see nothing, as the sand covers us in darkness.

…

I don't know how long I'm out for. A few seconds? A minute? There's no way to know. I feel a terrible ache in my body and the need to breathe. Weight rests on my body, pressing into my damaged data. It takes me a moment to realize just what's happened to me, the realization nearly sending me into hysterics. I'm buried underneath the sand.

In a panic I press my arms downwards, hoping I can lift my way through. I'm in luck; thankfully there wasn't much sand covering me, and It only takes another moment to completely rise to the surface. I cough, pain still racing through me. But I've managed to survive.

The wind hasn't died down from the blast, and it's still hard to see. I shield my eyes and attempt to look around hoping against hope that I'm not the only survivor. A cold chill races through me at the thought. But then I see it; a body lying face first not three meters beside me. Brown hair just slightly above the sands surface. Not moving.

"Tai!"

I reach for him, scared out of my mind. And then his body adjusts and his face makes its way to the surface. He's worse off than me I think… though he looks the way I feel. His face is cut up from the sand and it looks like he may have a busted nose. But he moves. Thank god he moves. "Nnnn…."

I pull myself from the sand and stumble in his direction, nearly falling again and again from disorientation. But I reach him. "Tai…"

"T-the Digimon?"

I frown, shielding my eyes once again and looking into the abyss for our partners. Ahead I see the golden horn of my partner Gabumon, and a little farther on Agumon's tail buried beneath the sand. It would be comical if we didn't just get our asses kicked.

I lend Tai my shoulder and together we stumble to our friends. Neither is moving, their data not quite settled from… whatever it was that just hit us. For a second I worry that they may slip down to their In-training levels; something that would doom us all for sure. But then Gabumon groans and the little pixels that make up his scales and fur begin to settle. He's hurt bad. But he's still functional.

I look up to the towering colossus who took us out. It's still there, looming in the morning sky like a cruel joke. The pods on its back have spread out now, almost like wings. The angular object that was once the head has been replaced by a hodgepodge of wiring and electronics, including what appears to be the screen from inside the lab. The whole ensemble bundled together horrifies me; for it could not look more like the face of a terrifying metallic baby if it tried.

"What are we going to do?"

I don't answer. I can't. There are no more strategies, no more plans. There's nothing. We… I've lost. The monster before us whines with glee, the sound of moving parts clanking together echoing across the desert. I lower my gaze.

And that's when I see it. Gods above why didn't I see it before?

"T-Tai. Look."

"What?"

I point at the bottom of the monstrosity. There, pulsing beneath the angular base that floats, the wires within the earth throb with energy. Digital energy that appears to be drawn from deep within the planet.

"That thing. It's drawing its strength directly from the Digiworld. That's how it keeps reforming itself. It's literally plugged itself in to the Digiworld!"

"S-so what do we do?" He asks.

"We… ungh… need to uproot it."

"W-with what? Our partners are b-barely hanging in as it is."

There's a groan at our feet, and an exhausted little dinosaur tries to stand. "I can… I can still fight."

"Agumon."

Beside him, my partner rises as well. "It will… t-take more than that to… to…"

"Gabumon."

"T-to beat us!" Gabumon finishes, clutching his fur closer to his skin.

Agumons emerald eyes glare up at us. "We're… We're Digidestined. R-right?"

"Agumon…"

"Right!?" He pleads with us.

I bow my head, and close my eyes. Theres no way we can –

"Right."

I blink and turn to the source of the voice. "Tai?"

He's tense, his eyes glaring ahead. "I'm not going anywhere. No more running."

I shake my head. "Tai, I don't know how much Gabumon has left. I don't think it'll be enough!"

He wheels my way, his eyes a blaze of rage and pain. And something more… "We have each other!" He tells me. "That's enough."

I freeze in his grip. His eyes are steady, even if his body is beaten and his legs quake. I turn to face our digimon. They're both as banged up as we are now. No doubt about it. But there's a fire in their eyes that I couldn't put out if I tried. I find myself grinning, in spite of everything.

There's one last chance we have. A desperate one. A chance that will use up every bit of strength our partners have left. A chance we've never had to use within the digital world. Our last chance.

See, a long time ago we met a white knight…

I take a deep breath. "Are you sure?"

He spits. "C'mon Ishida. You wanna live forever?"

"Well yeah." I tell him. "But not if you aren't with me."

He looks at me, like I'm a whole new person. I'm not. I'm the same guy who'll tell an idiot to his face that he's being an idiot, but still willingly follow him into the depths of hell. And then he nods, his look a mix of grim determination and understanding. And I think there's a smile on his lips. "C'mon," he says.

And with that he offers his hand.

I look at him. His face is filled with pain and sorrow. But it's the same face I promised to follow come hell or high water. The face of my friend, my rival. My leader.

"Alright Tai Kamiya." I nod when I reach for his hand. "Let's do it."

Our fingers touch, and something happens. I'm not sure I can describe the feeling really. It's like… getting a charge from static electricity across each and every finger. But instead of pain it's a feeling of reinvigoration. Strength. That's what I feel when I take Tai's hand in mine. His courage is flowing into me. I hazard a glance at his bronze face. He looks ahead of him, but I know what he's feeling – my friendship flowing into him. My blue tinted world seeps with orange for just a moment. And then I look ahead with him.

I barely hear our partners over the whine of my digivice.

"Agumon…"

"Gabumon…"

Ahead, the pyramid monster reaches for us, metallic hands preparing to crush us in one final blind act of revenge. But by then I think it's too late. All I see at first is blue and orange…

"Warp DNA Digivolve to…"

And then, suddenly, our whole world goes white.

"OMNIMON!"

GODFALL

22

Digimon