Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. I do not own Heroes of Olympus. But it's only 99 cents!

Author's Note: Written for the Novel with Prompts Challenge found on the Digimon Fanfiction Challenges forum. The prompt for this chapter is "offend".

Also written for April's Camp Nano. This chapter brings me to 22,059/25,000. As you may realize, April is already over! And I did complete April's Camp Nano! I succeeded in reaching my goal. I finished in the very early morning hours of April 30 with about 18 hours to go. I was pretty proud of myself. For those of you who don't know my writing habits - for this story, I usually complete the subsequent chapter before I post the previous chapter. In other words, I completed Chapter 33 yesterday, which led me to posting Chapter 32 today. So you won't see Chapter 33 until I finish Chapter 34. That's how I finished Camp Nano while being supposedly behind here during my posting! But I wasn't. Which you'll see when I post Chapter 33. But enough about Chapter 33! You're here for Chapter 32, and I hope you...

Enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Two

A birdman digimon charged into the room. Takato figured that this must be Karatenmon. Unlike every other digimon he had seen around this complex so far, this digimon didn't appear machine-like at all. Instead, his samurai-like appearance better matched the mansion's exterior than the high-tech interior. He wore a purple plague mask that extended out into a purple beak. Red eyes peered out from behind the mask, and black feathers covered the bottom half of his face, shoulders, and the wings extending out behind him. His hindquarters were decorated with a bouquet black tail feathers as well. He wore purple chest armor, wrist guards, and shin guards, and he had on a pair of baggy white pants with a gray sash around his waist, secured there by a black belt. In his hands, he held two golden swords, which were probably supposed to rest in the red sheathes hanging from his waist.

Karatenmon brandished both of his swords, and his eyes swept across the room. He immediately zeroed in on Guilmon like he was the biggest threat and started to charge toward him. Guilmon barely dodged the attack, and when he regained his footing, his eyes were wild with that feral look in them, a look that Takato recognized immediately as Guilmon being ready for a fight with a challenge.

"Pyro Sphere!"

A ball of flame shot through the room toward Karatenmon, and the digimon spun immediately, slicing through the ball of flame with his swords, making the embers fly harmlessly in different directions. Karatenmon shot in the air, his glare singled in on Guilmon.

"Feather—!"

"Stop!" Kari stepped in front of Guilmon with her arms thrown out to protect him. Gatomon cried out, "Kari!" but the stubborn girl didn't move. Her sudden presence made Karatenmon pause in his attack, but he still looked wary. "Please! This is just a misunderstanding!"

"Guilmon," Takato commanded, his heart pounding his chest, "stand down. They may be friendly. Besides, we're trespassing in their house."

"Well, I must say," said the small machine-like digimon, "at least you lot have some manners about your inconsiderate arrival. Now, who are you, and why are you here?"

Takato's hand itched to reach for his D-Power to figure out who this strangely familiar digimon was, but he didn't want to give off the impression that he was moving to attack. He had been hit with so much familiar yet unreachable information the past few days that he was starting to get a headache from it all. He could no longer piece together what was important and what was simply something he'd heard in passing before he lost his memory.

"Maybe your friend over there could simmer down first?" Yolei squeaked, pointing out Karatenmon who still looked ready to attack at any moment.

Karatenmon huffed and sheathed both of his swords. "If I must. However, make a wrong move, and I'll run all of you through."

"Appreciate it," Davis said. "I try not to get run through before lunchtime."

"Jeesh," Elecmon muttered. "Somebody's got a temper."

The machine digimon gave a mechanical sigh and gestured to the sofas and armchairs in the middle of the room. "Well, since you're here, we might as well all sit down." He skittered across the floor toward them and took his place on the coffee table instead of choosing any of the actual seating furniture for his perch. "Welcome to my humble home. I am Datamon."

A ripple shot through the group. Takato could tell that name meant something to the rest of them, and honestly, it meant something to him too. He just wasn't sure what.

"W-what?" Kari gasped.

"This is bad news," Elecmon muttered.

"You were destroyed!" Gatomon said. "By Etemon's Dark Network!"

Datamon recoiled at the name. "Do not remind me of that fiend! But yes… I do remember being pulled into the vortex and being unaware of much at all for a while… Yes, it's quite strange…" He trailed off thoughtfully.

Takato glanced toward the others, trying to decide if he should give Guilmon the okay to keep attacking or not. The others looked just as uncertain as him. While Datamon's security system had nearly destroyed Veemon and his buddy Karatenmon had seemed intent on decapitating Guilmon, Datamon himself seemed oddly calm and almost… friendly. Takato had been burned before (the most recent memory of Sirenmon was still fresh on his mind), but it still didn't feel right to just attack digimon willy-nilly based on a hunch.

"But no matter!" Datamon continued. "That is all behind me now. I am a new digimon with a second chance. Please, sit down."

"Uh… thanks…" Davis said uncertainly.

They all moved to the sofas and slowly took their seats. They didn't want to offend their new host, though none of them looked very comfortable or relaxed. Karatenmon stood in front of the fireplace, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Takato for his part was staring at Datamon so intensely, he was surprised that the digimon wasn't bursting into flames. Something about this guy was eerily familiar, something about what Gatomon had said about Etemon and the Dark Network… He knew about this digimon; he knew his story. He just couldn't remember it.

"So… you're back!" Armadillmon started off uncertainly. "Congratulations! You were gone for an awful long time."

"Was I?" Datamon said thoughtfully. "It didn't really feel like so long… but, yes, I believe I have heard that the Digital World and the Real World are now in sync, so to you, I suppose it would be quite a long time. To me, it wasn't so long. Was it, Karatenmon?"

"No."

"But I will admit that I much prefer being back. There are no networks in the Dark World, no entertainment at all. It really is quite a dreadful place."

"How is it possible?" Hawkmon asked.

"What Hawkmon means is… who helped you come back?" Yolei asked, suspicion in her voice.

"And what's with your crazy security drones out there?" Davis interrupted. "It nearly killed us! It nearly killed Chibomon!" He held up Chibomon in his hands. The little blue digimon was awake and looked a lot more alert than the night before, but he still looked pretty sleepy and practically grouchy at having been awoken at all.

"Ah, yes," Datamon said. "I deeply apologize. One can never be too careful in these troubled times. I added them for some extra protection. Karatenmon is a wonderful bodyguard, but he is only one digimon, after all."

"But they're digimon!" Takato said before he could stop himself. Something about the idea of having a bunch of Guardromon act as nothing more than turrets seemed disturbing to him. "They're living beings! Not just weapons to protect you!"

"Trust me, they are perfectly content right where they are," Datamon said. "After all, I programmed them myself. But if it bothers you so much…" He pulled a remote out of nowhere and hit a few buttons in a complicated sequence. He nodded and put the remote away. "There, they are disarmed."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better," Elecmon said.

Takato agreed, but he thought continuing to argue the point wouldn't end well. He forced himself to bite his tongue.

Next to him, Guilmon's ears flattened against his head and he let out a small whine. "Guardramon wouldn't like this one bit."

Takato wasn't sure exactly what he was talking about, but he found himself agreeing silently anyway.

Kari gave an uncertain smile. "So… you don't know how you got here?"

"Oh, well, why yes!" Datamon said. "It was for the cold. After that blasted time in the desert as Etemon's personal slave, I vowed I would never return to that retched climate ever again. Especially since the heat just fries my circuits. Me and my machines run so much better in the cold than we ever do in the heat. And…" He sent Karatenmon a curious look behind him. "What was the other reason?"

"The network," Karatenmon said.

"Yes! The Digital World's basic network all runs north. I have access to all of the power and data that I could ever want to keep myself occupied. And Karatenmon has plenty of space to practice his sword play without getting in my way. All of this…" Datamon gestured to the dozens of television screens that lined the room. "This is my work."

"It's quite nice," Yolei said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Karatenmon's expression barely even changed, but there was something decidedly sinister about it. Takato was now one hundred percent sure he didn't like that guy. His fingers itched for his D-Power more now than ever. He regretted asking Guilmon to stand down.

"So…" Cody started slowly, "all of these TV screens…?"

"They're to help me keep track of all of the information flow through the Digital World's networks," Datamon explained. "I am able to keep track of everything that happens on top of or near one of the Digitals World's ley lines. I guess you could say that I am the observer and watcher of the entire Digital World."

"I thought the Digital World's ley lines were just a myth," Elecmon said.

"Not a myth at all," Datamon said. "The Digital World's as connected as the World Wide Web, and information is as permanent here as it is on there."

"But…" Gatomon shook her head in confusion. "That's what Etemon forced you to do, isn't it? If you're trying so hard to get away from what he did to you, why go back to your same old job?"

"Etemon's Dark Network was but a cheap imitation!" Datamon said. "The Digital World's natural ley lines are so much more complex, hold so much more data. I had no idea they could be tapped into at all, but the resources and information is unlimited. This job is challenging, while Etemon's work was nothing more than grueling. Data in the Digital World has no limits!"

"I… I don't understand…" Kari sounded nervous, and Takato couldn't blame her. He was starting to get on that page as well.

"Anything can be turned into pure data in the Digital World!" Datamon answered, misunderstanding Kari's confusion. "You can take any digimon, plant, location, thought, idea – and turn it into data. With all of the information that I've gathered and the knowledge I already had at my disposal, I've been able to invent some of the most remarkable devices using the basic programming of the Digital World. Oh, yes, I think you'd be rather impressed. Reprogramming those machine digimon was novice compared to the work I've been experimenting on with other digimon."

"What sort of experiments?" Elecmon asked slowly.

Datamon climbed off of the coffee table and walked over to one of the TV screens. He hit a button and it came to life, revealing a Tyrannomon on the picture. He hit another button and the screen went dark and a small disc was ejected. He held up the disc. "This is a data disc, and I have been able to capture the data of a Tyrannomon and save it to this disc. I can download it, upload it, and alter it anyway that I want."

"You don't mean a… real Tyrannomon, do you?" Wormmon asked.

"He wandered onto my property, lost," Datamon said. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to test my theory."

"You destroyed him!" Gatomon accused.

"He's not destroyed," Datamon corrected. "He's still very much alive. I've just secured his data so that I can use it as I please."

"What happened to you being a new digimon?" Ken asked.

"Yeah, didn't you just say you were sorry for what you did?" Yolei squeaked.

"Sorry? Certainly!" Takato couldn't decide if Datamon sounded chipper or menacing; he was leaning toward menacing. Datamon put the data disc back into the television and retook his position back on top of the coffee table as if it were no big deal. "Sorry that my plan failed, sorry that Etemon was not destroyed by my invention after all, and sorry that I sacrificed myself and my creation all for nothing. Of course I'm sorry. I will never make that mistake again."

"This is bad," Cody muttered.

Datamon seemed lost in his own story. "When I was sucked into the portal created by the destruction of the Dark Network, I was destroyed, though my data was not recycled as most data is in this world. It became stuck in another world, a Dark World, and there I remained for a while. When my data was pulled back together, I woke to find Karatenmon at my side. Isn't that right, Karatenmon?"

"Yes," Karatenmon said.

"He had been sent to fetch my data and protect me, so that no rogue digimon like Etemon could ever take advantage of my uses ever again," Datamon said. "My knowledge and expertise are irreplaceable. I would expect that is why I was brought back. To act as an information center for our patron."

"He knew your skill would be invaluable," Karatnemon said. "That is why he sent me, apprentice of Barbamon, the Demon Lord of Greed, to protect you. He knew none would be able to get past me."

Takato glanced at his friends. Suddenly the air in the room seemed much colder.

"So you do have a patron," Davis said, his voice hard. "You work with Huang."

"And the Demon Lords," Kari added.

Datamon waved his mechanical arm dismissively. "I don't care much for Demon Lords. That is Karatenmon's kin, not mine. But our patron… I owe him a great debt. Both for bringing me back and for sending me such a fine bodyguard. It was quite a good thing too. The last group of digidestined that came through here would have gladly destroyed me if given the chance."

Kari gasped. "The last group?"

Takato slipped his hand into his pocket and grasped his D-Power tightly between his fingers.

"Biyomon, Sora, and their friends," Datamon explained. "Such a nuisance. In fact, I'm sure it was that kid with the Tentomon who probably disabled my security system. I would have known you were here as soon as you walked through the door had it not been for him."

Takato eyes widened. The others had been here?

"When?" Davis demanded. "What happened?!"

Datamon seemed unconcerned with sharing this information. "A day or two ago? I didn't get to extract my revenge, unfortunately. They were looking for a friend of theirs… Tai and his partner Agumon. Said they'd gotten separated. Before Karatenmon could take care of them, they left, heading east."

So Tai really is missing, Takato thought. If there had been any doubt left in the group's mind before, there definitely wasn't any now. While Datamon was turning out to be probably not the most reliable sources of information, Takato figured he had no reason to lie. He'd told them everything else so far, which probably wasn't a good thing. They weren't going to be allowed to leave.

"Just as stubborn as I remember, that Sora," Datamon recalled. "She refused to be part of my experiment regarding whether or not humans could be turned into pure data as well. I had to enslave these machine digimon specifically because of them, to keep unwanted visitors out and to keep experiment participants in."

Takato turned slowly to stare at his friends with wide eyes. They got the message.

"Well," Hawkmon said, managing to sound almost cheerful. "It's been great chatting. Welcome back from being destroyed. We'll just be on our way then."

"I'm amused that you all think you will be leaving," Datamon said, and the smile on his face sent a chill straight down Takato's spine. It was the smile of the insane who knew they were insane and enjoyed every second of it. "But you don't have to join in on my experiment. I will give you a choice – become data or be destroyed at the hands of Karatenmon. Either way works for me."

Ken reached for his digivice. Quicker than Takato thought the broken-looking robotic digimon should have been able to move, Datamon whipped out a remote control and hit a button.

"No!" Wormmon yelled.

He threw himself in front of Ken just as a blue digital light shot out of the remote, freezing them both in their tracks. In a single heartbeat, their images pixelated before being sucked into the remote. A random television above the fireplace behind Karatenmon came to life, revealing Ken and Wormmon's images within.

"Marvelous," Datamon said.

"KEN!" Yolei and Davis screamed.

Datamon turned his remote onto Yolei next, and in a flash, she and Hawkmon were gone. Davis reached for his D-3 and yelled, "Veemon, let's go!" but he'd forgotten that Chibomon was still just a baby digimon and wasn't about to digivolve. Datamon turned the remote onto them, and Davis's D-3 clattered to the floor as they disappeared and reappeared on a separate TV screen. Two seconds later, Kari, Gatomon, Cody, and Armadillmon joined them, each pair having a screen all their own.

"Takato, run! I'll cover you!" Elecmon cried.

But Takato was so horrified, he couldn't move. His friends – just gone. And he hadn't been able to stop it. He and Guilmon were next.

Datamon smiled almost apologetically. "I have specifically designed this room to stop all forms of digivolution. They didn't stand a chance. Which leaves me with only you three to collect."

"Guilmon!" Takato cried desperately, though he had no idea what Guilmon could do against a remote that could digitize him in seconds.

"Don't worry, Takato! I'll protect you!" Guilmon threw himself in front of his tamer, and Takato squeezed his eyes shut, waiting to be digitally downloaded.

Datamon chuckled. "So naïve. But don't worry, you two. It's not painful. At least from what I've heard."

But then Takato was suddenly struck with an idea. "WAIT! I choose combat! You said we could either choose to be turned to data or fight Karatenmon. Well, we choose to fight!"

Datamon looked mildly disappointed, but he shrugged. "I said you could be destroyed fighting Karatenmon. But of course, as you wish." Datamon moved out of the way as Karatenmon stepped forward. "Karatenmon is an ultimate-level digimon with uncanny speed and the ability to read his opponent's moves before they even take a step, and you are in a room that restricts digivolution. This will be quick."