"SO…What exactly IS this thing?" Mel wondered, studying the strange cube from all angles.
It was in the middle of nowhere, with cables and wires connecting to it that were once hidden in the sand.
A sleek black, it shimmered in the desert sun as Lizzy inspected the different ports and outlets.
"It must be one of Etemon's access terminals…He's using it to hardwire the entire desert…"
"That must be how he always knew where we were." Steph informed.
"I say we mess this thing up good, then! Anybody got a rock?"
"I'm sure there are better ways of going about it than using a ROCK, Jenny."
"Says YOU."
"Lizzy can do it! Right Lizzy?"
The blonde smiled shyly when TJ's hopeful eyes looked up at her, and she nodded.
"I'll try…"
Pulling a cable free of its socket, she found a compatible port in her laptop, and connected the two.
"It seems we have compatible systems…This is definitely how he's able to find our location…"
"Does he know we're here?" Steph worried.
"I don't think so…It seems a bit messed up somehow…"
"Is someone messing with it already?" Meg wondered.
"Yeah…"
"Hey, you've got mail." Tonya noticed.
"Huh?"
Lizzy looked confused, seeing the blinking reminder at the bottom of her screen.
"How would someone know I'd logged on…?"
"Maybe it's spam." Jenny suggested, shrugging.
"That stuff always comes when you don't want it."
"Why would she get spam in the Digital World NOW?" Mel wondered.
Lizzy clicked it, and a screen came up showing what looked like an audio file.
A static-filled voice came from the speakers…
"Help us!"
"SOS!"
"Mayday!"
"We're being held prisoner!"
"Help us escape and we will guide you to the crest you seek!"
"How does he know we're looking for a crest?" Meg questioned, suspicious.
"If there's a chance we can find a crest, we don't have much choice." Tonya reasoned.
"But what if it's a trap? He could be lying!" Mel fretted.
"There are directions here…"
Lizzy read them carefully, comparing the directions to the map of Server Gennai had given them what seemed so long ago.
"It leads to some kind of canyon…It's not too far…"
"I guess we're going, then." Mel noted.
Jenny shrugged, Gomamon on her head smiling.
"Hey, as long as we're not gonna run into crazy danger, I'll go anywhere."
Detaching her laptop from the access terminal, Lizzy memorized the directions and put it away.
She ended up leading the way, sometimes second-guessing herself in fear that she'd lead them astray.
"Don't worry, Lizzy."
Tonya smiled reassuringly.
"We'll find our way there."
"I'm sure we're going the right way." Tentomon agreed.
Steph and TJ were holding their tags, hoping for a reaction as Meg kept an eye out for danger.
She did not trust some mysterious pair not to spring a trap, and was on guard for anything.
Mel and Jenny even seemed a bit jumpy, though from nerves or excitement no one could possibly tell.
Tonya was more intent on improving Lizzy's self-confidence with 'public speaking', or the closest thing they had to it.
If Lizzy was their only link to understanding this world, she needed the ability to speak her mind.
Tentomon was a gentle, steady rock for her to find support from, and made the task easier for the blonde.
Even Steph, the one with best memory of the group, could hardly remember that the violet-eyed girl was only two years TJ's senior.
Still young, younger than Mel, but much more knowledgeable.
Rock formations rose from the sand, and TJ looked up at it in wonder.
"Is this it?"
"The canyon has many paths…" Lizzy voiced.
"It's like a maze?" Mel worried.
"No…It's fairly simple."
Meg studied the wall of rock, seeing the opening into a path, and led the way towards it as Tonya took up the rear.
The redhead didn't want them to be attacked from behind, and was willing to take the brunt of it.
As the walls towered over them, uneven rock ideal for climbing, they felt far more secure.
If the enemy didn't attack from above, they were safer here than out in the open desert.
"What if this really is a trap?" TJ wondered.
"Well, he might not. He could be a good guy, like Gennai." Steph replied.
"If he isn't, we'll deal with him." Meg assured, Gabumon leaning on her hip.
"We should be there soon…" Lizzy informed.
Tonya was searching the rock for a symbol, any symbol, because maybe they'd find a crest on their own…
TJ stopped in surprise when her tag began to glow, a steady blink that signaled a nearby crest.
"I found something!"
Tokomon looked around from his perch on her head, and jumped down to the firm rock.
"Look over here!"
The In-Training Digimon raced towards a certain wall, and turned to gaze back at the group.
"Here it is!"
Gold eyes lit up, and the youngest of the group smiled.
"My crest!"
Following her partner at a run, she soon had the others on her heels, and the blinking rapidly increased, like a fast-paced tempo.
She reached it first, heart starting to beat faster as she panted, looking up at the large symbol.
Carefully, her fingers brushed it, and the glow surprised her most of all.
It was warm, almost brushing against her like silk, and TJ closed her eyes as the crest shrunk slowly.
The shine died, and it clicked into her tag, a cheery gold.
"Congratulations!"
Tokomon jumped into her arms, smiling and nuzzling her neck.
"Congratulations." Meg agreed, ruffling her sister's hair, smiling as the young teen giggled.
"Whoa…" Tonya voiced, eyes widening.
There was a large, long room before them, past where the crest had once been.
The walls, the ceiling, were covered in the strange hieroglyphs Lizzy recognized, and the far wall seemed as blank as the floor.
"Might as well go in. It's hot out here!" Jenny reasoned.
"Maybe those guys know where to find Steph's crest." Mel mused.
"These are familiar…"
Lizzy pulled out her laptop once more, searching through the symbols she'd already saved within.
"They were in Andromon's factory and Centarumon's ruins…"
"What do they mean?" Meg questioned.
"…"
Lavender eyes flicked across the wall, taking in everything, before a new one caught her attention.
"I've never seen this one…"
Carefully wiping it away with her palm, the walls gave off their own glow, and everyone looked around in surprise.
"What just did that?" Jenny asked, alarmed.
"Relax. Lizzy's done this plenty of times! …Right?"
Mel turned to her younger friend, looking curious.
"…I think I know what these are now…"
Lizzy turned to face the entire group, almost bursting with the knowledge that had suddenly come to her.
She'd heard that good ideas often took time, but great ones always sprung upon you when you least expected it.
"These aren't hieroglyphs. They're code."
"Code?" TJ wondered.
"Like a secret code?"
"No. Computer code."
She turned slightly back to the wall, brushing some hair behind her ear as Tentomon gripped her hand.
"If you change part of the code…"
Pressing some keys, a hologram of what seemed like the Digital World appeared in the air nearer the end of the room.
"You change the program. Data is energy, and energy is life."
Meg studied her friend intently, wondering where she was going…
"Everything here, this whole world, is a place where data and programs have taken a physical form."
"Are we in a computer or something?" Tonya voiced.
"We could be."
"Does that mean we're data?" Steph wondered.
"The parts of us that are in here, anyway."
"…Huh?"
Jenny blinked in confusion, not seeming to process that statement.
"We exist here as only data, without any real substance."
"But we feel alive." Meg informed.
"Wouldn't we feel like data or whatever?" Mel agreed.
"We're not flesh and blood?" Tonya wondered.
"Exactly."
"Well, where are our REAL selves?" Steph voiced.
"Are they still at the cabin?" TJ questioned.
"I believe so. The Digimon are 'Digital Monsters' in the truest sense. They really are made of digital data. And so are we, as long as we're here."
"Is this like a video game, then? I mean, it seems the same…" Tonya stated.
"It's not as simple as that…"
"Is the person who sent the e-mail made of data?" Meg wondered.
"I'm not sure, but…"
Lizzy paused, seeing something on her screen as another great idea came to her…
"Lizzy?" Steph called.
"O-One sec! I just…"
Her fingers flew over the keys, and even Tentomon watched her dexterity in amazement.
The holographic screen morphed into a sphere, showing the entire planet they were upon, and the others stared in amazement.
"Anything look familiar?"
"Well…The continents look similar to the ones on Earth…" Jenny noted.
"There are many parallels with our world." Lizzy agreed.
"They're almost exactly the same, actually. You see this e-mail address?"
Everyone glanced at the screen, seeing the highlighted address.
"It's located…here."
A red dot began to blink on the sphere hovering in the air, showing a place on the continent they guessed to be Server.
"I believe they exist in both our worlds."
"How is that possible?" Mel wondered.
"It's the same place as a homepage I always visited at home on the Internet."
"But is it from our world or the Digital World?" Jenny questioned.
"That's just it. I believe it comes from both."
As the group paused to absorb this new information, Lizzy clicked away at her laptop, bringing up another globe.
"This is our world, Earth. If we put our computer network systems on top of each other…"
White lines appeared across both, and they merged, the lines becoming one.
"They fit perfectly." Meg mused.
"What does it mean exactly?" Mel voiced.
"Those lines are what connects every computer in the world to every other computer. The Digital World is a physical manifestation of the data passing through them."
"So we ARE in a computer." TJ realized.
"It's the same as something you'd find in a video game or computer, but that's not all."
Lizzy took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to explain what she'd discovered…
"It's not far from Earth. They're physically linked. It's a shadow world connected to our own. IN our computer network."
"So…We're in the same place as our world?" Tonya questioned, head starting to spin.
"Exactly. We're in something like Earth's shadow. If something happens to one world, it happens to the other."
"If we lose here…It's like losing there?"
Steph's brow furrowed in concern at the thought…
"Doesn't that mean we can get home easier?" TJ piped up.
"It's not that simple." Meg admitted.
"We're close, but we're not on Earth itself."
"Does that mean our friendship isn't real, Steph?" Biyomon wondered.
"Of course not. Just because this world isn't physically real doesn't mean our friendship isn't."
The brunette smiled, putting a hand on her partner's head.
"Even when we have to go back, it won't change anything, Biyo."
"So, how are we supposed to find the guys that sent the e-mail?" Tonya wondered.
"If I just do this…"
The hologram disappeared, and the far wall faded away to reveal sunlight and desert on the other end.
"Our e-mail friend should be on the other side…" Lizzy informed, starting to return to her shy demeanor now that the rush of knowledge was dying down.
Meg headed to the other opening, and looked around at the area beyond.
The others stopped beside her, studying the desert beyond the sphinx mouth they found themselves in.
There was an upside-down pyramid quite a ways to their left, and Etemon's trailer, pulled by a Monochromon, racing towards it.
"I don't think Etemon's here to say hello to the SOS sender." Jenny joked.
"He's lucky we were so close." Steph noted.
"He wasn't…" Lizzy admitted.
"The program I used to send us here serves to warp and connect airspace…I suppose…"
Tonya glared after Etemon and Babyface as they entered the pyramid…
'You're going down…I promise…'
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tonya stared out at the canyon walls, the firelight flickering at her side as Agumon yawned, leaning on her shoulder.
'We're in a computer, so nothing here is real unless we believe it does? So, if I don't believe I can die…'
The idea was slowly forming in her head, taking shape and weight, slowly morphing into something…
"Tonya?"
Her head snapped up, and the redhead noticed Steph watching her from the 'cave'.
"It's time to switch shifts."
"Yeah…"
Smiling, Tonya stood up, lifting Agumon onto her back as he slipped into sleep…
"Enjoy yourselves. The scenery gets pretty in the firelight."
"…Tonya?"
"Hm?"
Stopping, she turned slightly to study Steph's concerned expression, Biyomon nuzzling her partner's waist comfortingly.
"…You guys don't have to do this…Not for my crest…"
"But we want to."
A smile crossed Tonya's face.
"If it was anyone else's crest, you wouldn't hesitate. We know that."
"Yeah, but…"
Steph sighed…
"This feels different…"
"Why? Because we're just little bits of data in the great motherboard of life?" Tonya joked lightly.
"It's like nothing we do matters…"
"But it does. We can't take the chance that it doesn't, right?"
"Right…"
Steph looked towards Biyomon as the Digimon settled beside the fire, shaking out her feathers…
"Do you think we'll remember them when we get home? Will they really come with us?"
"I don't know…Whatever happens happens."
Tonya smiled wider.
"So let's not worry about it and think of tomorrow. We have work to do."
Steph nodded.
"Yeah…We do…"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You want to know more about our shadow selves here?"
"Yeah…I don't think I quite get it, Lizzy."
Lizzy studied her older friend, nodding.
"Well, in a way, we're connected to our bodies on Earth. Just like how anything that happens to the Digital World happens to EARTH…"
"If something happens to us HERE, it'll happen to us THERE."
"Exactly…We still feel pain or can die…"
"We're not invincible here."
Lizzy nodded, looking up at the sky to think through her explanation…
"We're large, complex groups of data. Minds are complex, and that doesn't change when it comes to data. We're so large, we'd be able to bring the pain back with us."
Steph nodded slightly, brain whirring as it processed this…
"We should still be careful, then."
"Right."
"Hey, are you guys done?" Tonya shouted.
"Y-Yeah!"
"We're coming!"
The group headed through the room again to the sphinx's mouth, looking towards the pyramid once more.
Lizzy held her laptop, searching through maps she'd stored away.
"There's a passageway that leads to the center of the pyramid…It's usually hidden, but I can find it…"
"Well, that should be easy! We just get in there, save the senders, and get the butterscotch out of there with Steph's crest!"
"That's the plan!" Mel agreed.
"Meg, you stay behind with TJ and Mel while we go in." Tonya decided.
"Why us?" The black-haired girl wondered, looking curious.
"If there's any trouble, we'll need you guys out here."
The redhead smiled.
"I doubt it, though. Just wait here for us."
Steph nodded, Biyomon flying into her arms.
"Don't worry about us. I'll keep them out of trouble."
Jenny jumped down to the sand first, and caught Lizzy so she didn't slip.
Tonya jumped after Steph, Agumon on her back, and once all four of them were ready, they headed for the pyramid.
Hiding behind dunes so they weren't spot before reaching their destination, Tonya led them to the shadowed side.
"Where's the entrance? Are we supposed to tunnel our way in?" Jenny whispered.
"There should be a weak point around here…" Lizzy muttered, looking intently at her screen.
Tonya went to keep watch, peeking around the corner with Agumon at her back…
The sight of Etemon coming out of the pyramid, Babyface following him with a bored yawn, she instinctively tensed and hid against the stone.
"What is it?"
"Etemon and Babyface."
Agumon almost yelped, though she covered his mouth, and it caught their enemy's attention.
"What's wrong?" Jenny wondered.
"Etemon and Babyface are coming!" Tonya hissed lowly.
Silver eyes widened, meeting the green irises of her partner…
"FUDGENUTTERS." She grumbled, panicking under her breath.
Steph pulled them further into the cool darkness of the shadows, dark eyes catching Lizzy's.
"Please tell me the door is here."
"I-I don't-."
Jenny almost cried out when the stones she was trying to press against ended up being fake.
Seeing the entrance was hidden by a hologram, the others followed her without hesitation, barely hiding from Etemon and Babyface.
Tonya was trying to quiet her panting, Agumon almost collapsing against her side, and she stared out of the now see-through 'doorway'.
Steph stood up, shaking out her hair as she lifted Biyomon into her arms, Jenny assisting the youngest of their little group.
"Now that we're in here, where do we go?" Tonya wondered.
"This way…"
Lizzy searched through her directions, leading them down the hallway.
"There are weak points in the security…We can use them to get to the center of the pyramid…"
Going down stairs and around turns, the group looked around at the walls, only stopping when Tonya pointed something out.
"Those stones are see-through. Another weak point?"
"I think so…No one can see us from the other side, however…"
"Gazimon and Motley." Tentomon warned.
As the two pairs of foes walked past the doorway, Tonya paused to think of a way to get revenge.
After all, she figured getting thrown in a river didn't add up to what they'd done to Agumon…
Jumping out into the hall behind them, she smacked one Motley upside the head and tripped up the other's Gazimon.
Once she was safely back in the hidden hallway, she smiled at the sounds of fighting outside…
"Tonya!" Steph scolded in a hiss, clearly unhappy with the sudden development.
"What?"
Jenny, not wanting them to fight somewhere they could get caught, pulled the two after Lizzy.
"I can't believe you'd be so irresponsible! You could have gotten us killed!"
"But I didn't." Tonya replied easily.
"There's no reason for what you did! We could have been captured!"
"Jeez, take a chill pill. We're just data, remember?"
"Tonya-!"
Steph cut herself off when they entered a new room, the main design being a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling electric fence.
The energy was almost visible within the metal wires, and it caused everyone to pause for a moment.
"We have to go through the fence of death?" Jenny voiced.
"It's the system's last line of defense…The weak point for the firewall is…"
Lizzy's quick mind immediately connected the map's distance to the true distance in the room.
"Here."
"Alrighty then!"
When Tonya slid through like it was a mist, Steph was speechless at the rash move.
'She didn't even check to see if it was safe?'
"You guys coming or what?"
After a hesitant moment, the rest of them followed her through, stunned at the massive steel room they found themselves in.
"WHOA…"
The room WAS rather large, technology clogging every space on the wall, and a gold, pyramid-like prism in the center.
It held a small machine-like Digimon, and an energy chain held his partner, a broad-shouldered, horned ox Spirit Evolution.
There was a door on the other side of the room, and what seemed like control panels and a lever on the left-hand wall.
"That's Datamon and Yoke." Tentomon informed.
"They disappeared a while ago. No one ever knew what happened to them." Gomamon explained.
"He sent the e-mail?" Tonya wondered.
"Of course it was me! Who else?"
Lizzy almost jumped as the audio file appeared on her laptop.
"H-He's communicating with us through the infrared port on my laptop…" She explained.
"Oh, a hardware woman. Well, listen. We haven't much time."
"Long, long ago, we fought Etemon and Babyface, and lost."
"One of my…RARE…miscalculations…Anyway, we was badly damaged, and he imprisoned us here to make me act as his webmaster, administering his network."
"Without Etemon knowing, however, he was able to slowly repair himself."
"Restoring my capabilities bit by bit over the years."
"Eventually, he gained control over Etemon's network, not total control, but enough to bring some misery to that blubbering baboon."
"At last, we're ready to free ourselves, but we need your help to break the cyber-lock."
"Uh huh…And what about the crest?" Jenny demanded.
"You said you knew where my crest was." Steph agreed.
"Yes, whatever you want! Just get me-us out of here!"
"How can we trust this guy?" Jenny wondered.
"He could give us techno-rabies!"
"Etemon and Babyface are your enemies as well as ours!"
"That makes us allies! Please!"
"You're our only hope!"
"Well…He's got a point…" Lizzy admitted.
"I'm sending instructions to disengage the cyber-lock."
Quickly reading through the instructions and instinctively storing them in her memory, the blonde headed for the control panel on the wall.
"Tonya? Could you push down the lever?"
"Sure."
Rushing to do just that, the redhead watched her friend move surely, moving the dial and pressing the red button.
"Pushing the lever back up should be it."
"Alright-."
"Hey, you!"
Tonya paused, and all eyes turned to the far door, where Etemon, his partner, and the two Gazimon and their own Spirit Evolution, glared at her.
"Oh, hey guys…Have a nice fall?"
"You little troublemaker!"
"We'll get you for this!"
"I can't wait to get my hands on you!"
She smiled confidently.
"Aw, you guys are so SENSITIVE. Did your boyfriends dump you?"
"OOOOOOOOOOOOH…" Jenny voiced, grinning.
"Third DEGREE burn!"
"And all this time, I thought-."
"WE thought."
"It was those kids who were making my network-."
"OUR network."
"To go on the fritz, but it was YOU, wasn't it Datamon?"
"Well, in a word…yes."
"You rat!"
Etemon charged towards the two girls near the control panel, and all four charms shone…
"Tiger!"
"Ferret!"
"Eagle!"
"Dolphin!"
The light blinded the Digimon, and Babyface leapt in, intent on fighting alongside his partner...
He may get annoyed by his Digimon, get frustrated with his selfish ways, but they were still linked…
Chaos would be nowhere without order, noise would mean nothing without silence…
"Tonya, Spirit Evolve into…TAWNY!"
"Agumon, Digivolve to…GREYMON!!"
"Elizabeth, Spirit Evolve into…TECHIE!"
"Tentomon, Digivolve to…KABUTERIMON!!"
"Stephanie, Spirit Evolve into…TALON!"
"Biyomon, Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!"
"Jennifer, Spirit Evolve into…TRICKSTER!"
"Gomamon, Digivolve to…IKKAKUMON!!"
Jenny tried to swing her tail to land a powerful hit to Babyface, but he grabbed said appendage and threw her into a wall.
Techie brought her feet up to hit his side, but she was punched in the gut and knocked back.
Tawny kicked up the lever before turning to see how the Digimon were faring…
Not too well…
Talon tried to dive-bomb at their opponent, but she was expertly caught, arms pinned and wings flailing uselessly.
"Let me go!"
"Now, why would I do that?"
She stopped in surprise, feeling her enemy pull her against his chest.
Now she knew what MEL felt like…
Datamon's glass prison opened, and his partner was freed of his special restraints.
"Now let's see how you like it!"
The glass flew towards Etemon, the Gazimon, and their partners, and Steph was released suddenly.
Stumbling backwards in surprise, she heard Birdramon flying down to try and shield her…
A large pane of glass hit Birdramon with its broad side, and both cried out as a smaller one spun Talon with the force of its strike.
As Birdramon Dedigivolved before hitting the floor, unconscious, the transformation fell away like stardust as Steph fell to her knees.
Shaking, the brunette lowered her head as glass continued to fly, reaching out for her fallen partner.
The pain still made her chest ache, and she really wanted to soothe Biyomon's pain.
"You BASTARD!" Tawny snarled, rushing towards Datamon and getting head-butted by his partner instead.
Wincing, she glared at him from the floor, side already bruising.
"We FREED you, you ungrateful-!"
"And I DO appreciate that, you chumps!"
"You lying little barf-bag anchovy FUDGENUTTER!" Jenny swore, tail smashing the Motley in her rage.
"Nano Spores!"
"Dark Network!"
The two attacks clashed harshly, causing dust to clog the air, and Steph coughed, shielding her partner.
Fire even destroyed some of the ceiling, the explosion rocking her violently, and the crimson-banged teen looked up when footsteps approached her.
"Tawny?"
Dark eyes widened to see Yoke instead, and she cried out as a burly arm caught her, pinning her arms.
As he picked up Biyomon, she screamed in the hopes of someone coming to her rescue…
"TECHIE! TRICKSTER!"
He was starting to run…
"TAWNY!!!"
The dust cleared to show Datamon and Yoke at the door, the latter holding Steph and Biyomon, startling everyone in the room.
"STEPH!" Tawny shouted, Greymon roaring as her surprise and anger filled their bond.
"With their power harnessed to ours, we will be more than a match for you two!"
"You wouldn't do that." Babyface threatened.
"The only reason you chose her is to try and get to us. It's not going to work, Datamon!"
"On the contrary, I believe it already has."
As the pair escaped, Etemon and Babyface tried to follow.
The Digimon blocked their path, and their partners raced after the fleeing targets.
"Damn it-!"
The three skidded to a halt at another firewall, electricity flying through the wires like wicked demons.
"TAWNY!!!"
"Steph!" Tawny shouted, breathless.
"The weak point was here, right?"
"Wait! I should check!" Techie retorted, too worried and excited to stutter.
"I'll be fine! We need to get Steph-!"
"Being fried to a crisp still HURTS, Tawny!" Trickster interrupted, grabbing her younger friend and pulling the tiger-girl from the danger.
"Tawny, don't do anything ridiculous!"
Techie's shout surprised both girls, and they turned to face her exasperated expression.
"This isn't some video game where you can't really die! We're still connected to our real selves back home! If you die here, you die there!"
Tawny froze, the information sinking in almost painfully…
"You mean…?"
'I risked my life? I could've DIED? Steph could die because of me?'
Fear flashed through her eyes, paralyzed her, and her eyes wouldn't leave the firewall she'd nearly walked into…
Pain flashed through all of them, and the transformations fell away as a wall was busted in, dust settling over their Dedigivolved partners.
"Now to finish you kids and put an end to your annoying interference!"
The ceiling was busted open, and Garurumon and Togemon came down, blocking off Etemon and Babyface from the group.
A blur picked up the three Digimon, and Lucky Feet jumped onto Garurumon's back.
"Come on!"
Fang had to physically lift Tonya onto her partner's back, and Togemon lifted the rest.
"Needle Spray!"
"Howling Blaster!"
As the evil Digimon was distracted, they managed to escape, and were soon back in the sphinx's mouth before Tonya was free of shock.
She was numb as Lizzy and Jenny explained what happened, deaf when Agumon tried to comfort her, unresponsive when Meg tried to get information…
There was one thought flashing through her mind, and it wouldn't leave…
'Your fear stopped you. You let Datamon and Yoke take Steph. It's your fault. Your fear hurt your loved ones again.'
"Tonya?"
The voice pulled her from the dark recesses of her mind, and she looked up at TJ's hopeful, worried eyes…
"What are we gonna do?"
Despite all the thoughts rushing through her head that she wasn't a worthy leader, they should just leave her there…
Determination steeled her heart, stopped the words, and her spirit blazed a bright as the sun.
"We're going to go back in there and save Steph."
Standing, the redhead turned to face the group.
"No matter what. No Digidestined left behind."
They all nodded, relieved to see she was back, and she looked out of the room into the sunset…
'Don't worry, Steph…I'm going to get you…Just hold on…'