Arc 2 ch 16

Location: the training room next to Faust's Laboratory.

Faust drinks her coffee and sighs, "Of course my boss wants a summary of all the events…" She sits down and starts to type in her report in a casual format.

So, I had Milo and Frankie train their Digimon for a good long time. Then I got everyone together for the S.L.A.P test. Milo turns out Milo is immune to the Ereaper influence, so he instantly passed. Milo's partner is naturally immune to x-antibody as well as exposure to any digital ailments. Do what you will with this information. Frankie however, well he was left in a catatonic state. Gatormon left with him after he had some sort of panic attack. Yvette and Donniemon shared such a strong bond that they too were immune seeing they could use the Digi-egg of Faith. Ria passed with flying colors as well, with Froggiemon. As for myself, I told Botmon to infiltrate and protect Ria as well. If things got bad he can wormhole out with her.

From Botmon's Report and long story short Cain is giving them the drill. Commandramon is doing his thing forcing the Digimon to eat, drink and bulk up stats using the hyper trainer. It's like Digimon getting overclocked and DDOS'd at the same time. Pretty sure it's not good for their health. Anyway, they have successfully moved out into Hexocliff. Last ping happened several moments ago…"

An emergency red envelope appears flashing on the screen. Faust almost chokes on her drink when she opens it. "Ah, shi…" She sighs and rubs her face. She then starts to type hurriedly as if rushing against the clock…

Location: Hexocliff, Boss room. Below the main room.

Siegegarurumon roars up his wolf cannons letting out a screeching howl, like a wolf burning with seething pain and rage.

Kayden asks, "What do you mean?"

Chaosdukemon gets between Kayden and the powerful monster, "Behind me."

Siegegarurumon faces them, "The virus changes us all, we are either strong or will perish. Are you strong?"

Siegegarurumon faces them and opens his mouth shooting a laser right at them. Chaosdukemon blocks it with his shield, afterwards Siegegarurumon in blinding speed appears behind them nearly grabbing the egg out of Kayden's hands. This causes him to trip backwards, dropping the box and slapping Siegegarurumon with his axe. The box cracks; Siegegarurumon's metallic face yelps against the tamer's axe. Kayden then grabs his friend's box, holding it in one hand with his axe in the other facing Siegegarurumon. Chaosdukemon takes the opportunity to Duke Charge into it. Chaosdukemon makes contact but Siegegarurumon was ready for him. Using his flexible wolf cannons, he bit onto him with both heads and Wolf Blasted him.

Chaosdukemon, "GAH!"

"No!" Kayden placed the box down and ran at Siegegarurumon but Chaosdukemon yelled, "Stop!"

Kayden froze and threw his axe like a tomahawk at Siegegarurumon. Chaosdukemon twisted himself so that the axe embedded itself into a wolf head causing it to let him go.

"Aroo!" the head whines. Kayden returns to the box and Chaosdukemon backs off somewhat distancing himself. "Judecca Prison!"

Boom. It hits contact with Siegegarurumon leaving a cloud of black smoldering smoke. Kayden's axe returns to him and they wait a moment for the smoke to clear. In an instant, Chaosdukemon was slammed heavily on the ground by the insanely fast flaming metal wolf.

"You fight out of responsibility, I remember. He can not replace what you have lost. Give it up."

The air started to smog around them causing it to become hard to see. Siegegarurumon kept running, slapping, jumping and running around them. Slowly and painfully beating them down with his heated metal paws. Each time he hit them it left a sear mark. Chaosdukemon would try hard to run for Kayden but Siege would pull him back and hit him down. Chaosdukemon kept getting up and being put down, while Siegegarurumon would simultaneously aim for the box. Eventually he knocks Kayden down, causing the box to shatter and the egg to crack open. Kayden is bruised, burned and trembling.

Siegegarurumon takes his claw to the egg, Kayden hears cracking sounds as his presses his weight into it. Kayden scrambles up ignoring the pain with adrenaline pumping through him. He runs at Siegegarurumon who opens his mouth about to snap him in half, but Chaosdukemon gets in between them; Siegegarurumon bites onto Chaosdukemon's arm which Chaosdukemon holds on barely keeping him from being tossed around. Chaosdukemon roars at Kayden, "Grab! Him and go! I'll… Hold him… off!"

Kayden grabs the broken egg in tears holding it tightly, "Furrmon…!"

Kayden puts the broken egg down with anger and tears he rushes at Siegegarurumon with his axe held high who throws Chaosdukemon off to the side like a ragdoll and charges at Kayden.

"You bastard! We came to you for help! You killed him! He was the only one there! He was the only…" Kayden is choking down tears. Siegegarurumon knocks him down with his paw over him, slowly crushing the air out of him.

"You are so quick to die. Throwing your life away for something not even human. Did you know…" Siegegarurumon lifts his paw slightly, "If the human partner dies, the Digimon dies as well? But if the Digimon dies… well. That's the mystery. Humans have one life and you gave it away for just a chance to save that mystery. Why didn't you let go human?"

Kayden coughs and wheezes, "It ain't the same without him you sadistic-"

"Shh." Siegegarurumon is about to smush him until all of a sudden Chaosdukemon grabs Siegegarurumon from behind and uses his lance to hang on trying to choke him out. They both struggled hard, Siegegarurumon continuously headbuts and smashes him down. Kayden gets up and crawls over to Furrmon's egg shell. Kayden with tears whispers to him, "I… I love you like my brother! I want you to know that" Kayden sees a glowing object from the eggshell and picks it up. "is this the crest of friendship?"

Kayden, the crest and the eggshells glow. The eggshells reform into: MUSKMON!

Kayden looks at Muskmon in disbelief, "Whuh?"

Muskmon in a grizzly but husky voice, "What took you so long?" He looks over to Siegegarurumon, "I'll teach you to beat up my hooman!"

Siegegarurumon angrily roars up the flames within him combusting into a glowing rage state, "ROAR!" Like an engine, it charged forward loudly. Muskmon threw his chained weights at his legs causing him to trip. Muskmon again threw his chained weights but this time busting up his face and body stunning him for a moment. Muskmon charged up at him wrapping his face up with his special tight hand muscle chains he uses to exercise. Siegegarurumon grabs him with the wolf heads like he did Chaosdukemon but Muskmon smiles, "Oh yea?"

Muskmon lifts his arms up flexing the greasy hair under his armpits, "MUSK PITT!"

A horrendous stench had stopped the flames entirely. Muskmon's musk is incredibly dense, so dense it snuffs out fire and warm energy sources. Siegegarurumon releases Muskmon attempting to rub away the musky oils and fur still on it. Muskmon proceeds to finish off Siegegarurumon by using 'Stinky Feet'. Slamming his Musk powered foot into Siegegarurumon's face, which makes him fly right back at the sword he came from. The sword that was embedded within the giant war horse Digimon flies off with him. Siegegarurumon lays defeated and motionless.

Muskmon says, "Oops… uh we can replace that right?"

Kayden staggers over to Muskmon hugging him. Muskmon hugs him back, "Heh, it's good to be back Kayden!" Kayden looks over to where Chaosdukemon was and Gigimon is knocked out completely. Muskmon picks both Kayden and Gigimon up, "I'm assuming that's the exi-"

"Kayden!" Tomoki walks through the Boss Room gateway.

Location: Hexocliff, Main Room.

Meanwhile,

Gaiomon (Pagui) and the rest of the Reikyu alliance guarded the bottom floor awaiting the rangers and their team to enter. Beezlemon X remained hidden among the resting E-Reapermon in a sniper position. Lopmon sat ready and connected to Gaiomon through a tiny speaker in Granddracmon's communications room where buttons for different mechanisms for Hexocliff were operational. Chaosdramon X sat patiently waiting for his prey in the center of the room furthest from the E-reapermon to avoid waking them up.

Soon, the gateway from the forth floor opens up and a fight ensues. The tamer union team charges forth at Chaosdramon X who gains their attention with his constant barrages. The fighting awakens a few near by Ereapermon nearby causing a small swarm of them in their purgatory mode. Beezlemon X shoots from the distance preventing Chaosdramon X from being overwhelmed by the Tamers and Ereapermon. Cain goes straight for Beezlemon X with his partner Darkdramon X.

Author's Note: Cain's suit: Camo light blue and dark blue colored with a military grade helmet. Tomoki's Suit: half Red and White jacket with gray pants and a dragon themed helmet.

Beezlemon speaks to lopmon, "Lopmon! We got a rat!"

Lopmon pushes down a button, "Roger!"

A spot near Cain holding resting Ereapermon begins to glow and seemingly agitate them awake. Cain shouts, "I got the ugly dude! Keep them off me!" Cain uses his morph gun to swap between a gunblade and a mallet fighting both the Ereapermon and trying to get close to Beezlemon X.

Beezlemon X, "U- Ugly?! I won the popularity contest several years in a row!"

Cain laughs like a madman, "HAHAHA! So what? You still ugly."

Beezlemon X unloads his ammo upon Cain, "You mad bro."

Beezlemon X, "You are my least favorite of all the Rangers I swear!"

Cain, "Aw, does that mean you like me?"

Beezlemon X and Cain both banter and fight each other while Gaiomon gets in Tomoki's way. Tomoki makes a break for the boss room but Gaiomon stops him.

Gaiomon stares Tomoki down, "…"

Tomoki pulls out his watch and summons three of his dragons: Jazardmon, Volvomon and Bulucomon. He then fuses them together to form Tridramon. Gaiomon whispers to Lopmon, "Open the rapture Lopmon."

Lopmon presses another button, "Aye, aye!"

This time many more Ereapermon are forced awake and start to swarm the Tamers and Tridramon. Cain turns his morph weapon into a mobile .50 caliber and starts shooting at them covering Tomoki and Tridramon. Beezlemon X retreats further keeping the Ereapermon off Chaosdramon X as well. This leaves Tomoki and Gaiomon facing off.

Tomoki summons his retractable knife and fights Gaiomon with duo static daggers that send shock waves each time they make contact. They both fight like a rouge vs a samurai. Unfortunately for Gaiomon Tomoki's daggers keep shifting from fighting daggers to painful throwing daggers. Tomoki makes quick work of Gaiomon stunning him by throwing daggers through his feet and planting him on the floor. Then he runs pass the stunned Digimon and towards the boss room. However, Gaiomon stops him in the nick of time tossing his blade at him.

Tomoki looks back at him, "Stubborn, aren't you?"

Gaiomon frees himself and chases Tomoki away from the Boss Room gateway.

Tomoki says, "I'll ask you once to move."

Gaiomon chuckles, "Heh, heh…" He takes a defensive stance facing Tomoki. "Make me."

Tomoki throws a dagger at Gaiomon who deflects it but the dagger turns into a Salandamon and explodes right in his face. Tomoki takes advantage of the moment, whistles at tridramon who shakes off any Ereapermon on him and barrels down towards Gaiomon. Gaiomon catches the dragon holding him back, Tomoki slips on by and Gaiomon forces himself against the dragon and into the gateway as well.

Location: Hexocliff Boss Room

The boss room was separated by a gateway portal between locations. Since it is directly below the main room. Muskmon glares at Tomoki attempting to intimidate him.

Tomoki, "Kayden, you've gone too far now. This is my last time doing this peacefully… "

Kayden weakly snarls, "Peacefully?! You almost killed Muskmon!"

Tomoki, "Yes, because self defense"

Kayden, "Self Defense my arse! Why can't you just leave me alone!"

Tomoki, "Because your mother would want me to bring you home."

Kayden yells at him, "Ha! Really? When did you care about mom? When she died you just left… Honestly I don't even think you are my real dad. Leokumon is the only father I want. So just F*** off!"

Tomoki sighs, "Really, it's not even a real leomon…" Tomoki tries to speak, "I admit, that wasn't a great-"

Kayden, "Nope, you didn't listen to me. So why should I listen to you. Go back to work and leave me alone."

Tomoki seeming dejected, "Kayden, you forced my hand. Last time to come home willingly or-"

Kayden yells, "NEVER!"

Muskmon yells even louder, "NEVAH!" Muskmon vibrates his body causing his muscles and biceps to ripple and his fur to puff out. "You gotta go through me!"

Muskmon prepares for a fight flexing his rippling biceps and lifting his insanely heavy weights. Gaiomon enters the room, "Guys!"

Siegegarurumon gets up with the sword in his mouth; The sword is cracked and breaking apart. Gaiomon looks into Siegegarurumon's eyes, "Tsunu!"

Siegegarurumon closes his eyes as the sword completely shatters along with Siegegarurumon leaving only the hilt and tiny pieces of the sword everywhere. Gaiomon runs over to where he was picking up the hilt, "Tsunu… Reikyu…"

The room rumble violently, the giant war horse starts to glow and move. A manly robot voice echos: "RESTARTING…. BELLUM LOADING… "

Tomoki, "Kayden! Out Now!"

Location: Hexocliff, Main Room.

Everyone runs out of the room that is starting to crack apart, they exit the gateway. As they run out of the room Tomoki shoots a flare signaling a retreat. The main room also starts to warp and crack from the bottom, it starts to split into different levels separated by stairs and fractured ground floating in digital dimensional space.

Muskmon is carrying Kayden and Gigimon around, they notice Milo and Yvette at a small healing camp with a barrier holding the injured. Milo shouts, "Kayden!"

Yvette, "Oh, so he actually did come here."

Olefalkmon, "Ha, you owe me 5 bytes."

A strange looking girl shyly calls out, "K- Kayden! It's me!"

Kayden looks at her confused, "Who are you?"

Ria takes off her disguise, "Ria… your little sister."

Kayden is shocked, "RIA?! How'd you get dad to let you come somewhere dangerous!?"

Ria, "…. I didn't" she says in a low voice.

The main room starts to rumble and the floor splits apart, revealing the boss room below and digital zombies pour out from it as well. Zombies pool the bottom floor like a pool of arms, faces and groaning reaching up for them all. Below them a large red horse appears with heavy armor, standing on the cracked and warped parts of the room. Cain commands the Tamer Union, "Form the Sparta shield here! Gateways are forced closed, Bellum is awake. As soon as Anakai opens the gateway… run. Keep the zombies and Ereapermon out if you are caught by either… it's game over. We are going to hold him off as long as we can."

Everyone starts to gather forming a Sparta shield around the small heal camp. Beezlemon X and Chaosdramon X already left right before the gateways shut down and locked. Gaiomon holds the hilt of his friends tightly, also meeting up at the heal camp.

Gaiomon, "… I will defend you all as well." He looks down at the hilt, "Tsunu… I still feel your presence. If you can hear me… I need you, my friend."

The giant warhorse's eyes glow red; Its mighty feet make a loud and powerful stomp. This creature has full control of the room, the zombies, and ereapermon. It finally has finished loading and activating letting out a loud steam whistle.

The large war horse says, "War never ends!"

Dexter finds an old book in the desert dump town and starts writing. "Hey, it's me again. It's been a long time since that day and I have grown up a lot since then. I learned I have a digital soul. Let me explain, it all started when Pagui and I escaped Hexocliff. I didn't process everything at the time. I couldn't understand what happened and where things would go next. Facing Pagui as the monster I was, I was mad. Angry to be alive and resentful for the lives gone to keep me going. The best things that ever happened to me, were just gone. The last connection to that, I blew it. So I ran out and no one stopped me. No one came after me, eventually I just wandered the digital lands for many years as a fugitive in some places, a drifter in others."

He flips the pages, after taking a break and looks up at the digital stars above. A memory of when his mother was around they would make pictures in the stars along with the other digimon. He learned wizardmon had no imagination outside of everything being Yaa or nah. He continues writing,

"One day I ended up in a desert town next to a snowy mountain, one would have sandstorm the other blizzards. This place was an unregistered town of outlaws run by outlaws lost within the Boomie Desert and the Kalt Mountains code, it needed a sheriff. I took the job up without a second thought. Just so you know, my mother and I loved westerns, it always meant a sign of redemption when a good country song is strumming along with you. And the fact 60% of western dudes messed up and became a keeper of the law to stop it from happening again. Ah sidetracked! Well, when I took this job, I had a king of the hill process to go through. I got challenged left and right from every outlaw in this stretch. Eventually things ran real stable like, I even built a team for myself to run the place real smooth. I also made friends with a Donniemon who came down quite often to shoot the breeze and trade certain collectibles. It was only a matter of time before my past caught up with me; not even the code could hide me from my brother. "

He flips the page and licks the pen; he recalls the exact events of that day:

"In the bar during happy hour, it went dead silent.

Alphamon walked in, 'Thought you could run forever monster?'

Me, sitting down with a cold glass of Digi milk: 'I stopped running years ago, it's you who took too long to find me. Brother.'

Alphamon raises his weapon at him, 'You are made from my data but, you are no kin of mine. You have contributed to the murder, destruction, and entire downfall of the digital world! But everyone refused to see from the things you had kept doing and what you became. Damn woman refused to give up on you. She couldn't see you for the rotted and sickened creature you are. I am here to put you down, today you will run no more. And this time it'll be contained.'

Me, staring at him, 'Let's take this outside at least, I don't wanna be billed for destroying town property again. Come on, let's get out. Truce.'

Alphamon sighs, 'Fine, try anything and this town is gone.'

I paid my bill, waved to the guys and we both went out to the desert. As we walked, I told him, "You know, years ago I woulda agreed with you. But as I kept on running away and as I treaded through the muck. I realized the day I became a sheriff; I affected other Digimon intentional or not."

Alphamon sighs, 'Ugh those cringey westerns, really. You found peace being a cowboy after slaughtering literal millions! You are the cause of that woman's death along to contributing to many others! Your actions are unforgivable, and you are a threat.'

I respond, "So why are you here alone then? I learned to forgive myself and move on. Nothing can be changed in the past." We stopped walking in the middle of the desert.

Alphamon looks at him, 'I came here alone because you are my fault alone. It's insulting, you of all things have learned forgiveness. I can't say the same, but this is my duty!'

Alphamon swung his axe at me, but I dodged it. I let him go offensive while dodging his slow movements. In response, he ends up destroying the terrain making it more difficult to dodge. Alphamon shouts, 'If you want to die, hold still.'

Suddenly chains fly out from the desert and constrict him to the ground below. The ground is revealed to be a large chaining contraption once used to restrict celestial Digimon. Alphamon angrily yells at him, "I should have known!"

I tell him, 'Alone in a place where one destroys all, with nothing left by deafening silence with nowhere to go. I was a child, a very naughty one. Mother told me how to find my way; I didn't understand until it was too late. Out here, in the desert, I learned how to be happy. I finally understood what mother told me allt hose years ago. Maybe you should try to understand too' I smiled and walked away with my posse. I knew the day Alphamon finally came for me, I had to go back and face Pagui. "