Hey everyone! Okay, so I have already posted this on AO3 but I am cross-posting this here as well, because I know there's a good community of writers here as well. However, obviously the chapters here will be a lot more censored due to site regulations but either way, this is a Voltron: Legendary Defender and Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters crossover. It is my first time writing a crossover so hopefully, it's halfway decent. If not, it's a learning process! I would like to thank 'Gheloured' and 'coolgamer' both for helping me out with this chapter and this story.
1. Best Served Cold
Revenge, anger, bitterness, hate were things that only grew thicker in time for Mio Oozora. Seven years had passed since Leviathan had been defeated. Even after this time, the thought of those children made her blood boil. Her hands itched to just wrap her hands around their neck. There was only one thing that kept her from going on a blind revenge spree. The image of Yuujin, no, of her weapon, of YJ-14, rising once more to assist her in ruling a world which now shunned her. He had failed her. He had ruined everything at the last moment. There was no way Haru Shinkai would have been able to truly make the choice to sacrifice his best friend. If her disobedient pet had not intervened, she would be Leviathan's right hand and humanity would be under their control. Because of his failure – because of his mistakes, she had been forced to go on the run. She was just doing humanity a favour, after all.
With all the drama and pointless conflict, they wasted their time on, it was a small miracle that they got anywhere. Sometimes, she would move from country to country, using her inventions to hide her signal while other times, she would hide in AR Fields until it was night. The AR fields provided her a place to stay that was somewhere between the Human World and the Deep Web. Only certain people had access to it, such as the Applidrivers or Leviathan's most trusted workers. Whenever she was in the AR Field, she would use this time to find a place she could hide out without moving. She couldn't stay in the AR Field for long because it was a sure way to be discovered. Revenge on her pet – and his friends – would have to wait until the right time. Mio had never been known for her patience, even by Leviathan, but these seven years had taught her a lot. One day, as she searched in the AR Field, she managed to track a ship, one she had never seen before. Having been on the run consecutively for a couple of days now, the woman had felt her strength begin to falter, so she decided to rest in this AR Field. She had pushed her brown hair into a ponytail as it had grown to below her waist and got in the way of her work. This ship had a different frequency, a different energy to any she had ever seen. What was it? Something from another world? Cloud had been up to space but the energy from his jet was nowhere near as powerful as this one.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard of her mini-computer. This was her chance! She could do this, finally, find a place through that ship to land safely. No more running. This was…so much bigger than any invention she had ever created. With a few more brushes past the keyboard, a portal opened. It swallowed her in, causing her surroundings to disappear from around her. As she came to a landing, her back felt cold as she came to settle on the ground, sending a shiver through her. This caused her to get to her feet, her movements were so quick as if she were flying to hide behind one of the machines. This way, they wouldn't detect her. Amazing. Even their machines were much more advanced. The bustling sounds of footsteps could be heard clearly, and her nose twisted in distaste as what smelt like wasted petrol hit her. No, she didn't have the time to sit and marvel at how amazing the ship was. She needed information on where she was. Using her technology, she hid her visibility so the mechanical robots walking around did not see her. Thinking of the term 'robot' made her see red once more and her fists clenched as she gritted her teeth. Those robot guards worked on command – on the command of whoever their master was, without questioning the command. Without even attempting to think of the reason why they were acting under those instructions. That was how Yuujin Oozora – no, YJ-21 now should have been. Everything was going to perfection if it weren't for the human emotions he had begun to feel. He's not supposed to feel emotions! He was just made for destruction – that was supposed to be his only task, the only thought that he was programmed to think. He was programmed to be the ideal best friend to Shinkai Haru, Denemon's grandson, and a crucial link to Minerva, from which Leviathan was born. Leviathan had been the most powerful Super A.I. to ever exist. How…how had that Haru brat managed to brainwash him otherwise? It is a question I still don't have the answer to. The authorities after Leviathan's defeat never let me get close enough to my pet to find out what could have changed his programming. But maybe, now that might change.
Continuing to move on zero visibility in the ship, she managed to find the emergency exit. There was a small pentagonal trapdoor. She knew that she couldn't breathe in open space, so she tampered with her machines. A flick input sketchpad appeared in front of her and soon enough, a red shield surrounded her. Believing she was finally prepared, she finally jumped right on the sign marked 'EXIT' being released into open space. She looked around, heart leaping as she realised where she had ended up. Being in space was a new experience. Wow, this was amazing but still, there could be people here and it took her a moment to realise that she was no longer on zero visibility. It had disappeared the moment she had exited the ship, so she began moving. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a quiet place here. At least I'm not being hunted down here, so that's always a good start.
After what felt like an eternity of searching, she finally came across a deserted wasteland. It was an open area of space, with broken asteroids and waste scattered on the ground, but she was floating in mid-air. She supposed that was due to the gravity of space-time. She looked for a place she could land. There didn't look to be many people here – this place was perfect to set up her headquarters. She pulled down her bag, setting it around her shoulders like a handbag before catching sight of a strange creature that seemed to have a whole island on its back. Interesting – was this some sort of alien species of a whale? It had the body of a whale but on top of it was an island filled with lush green trees and small patches of grass. Her eyes lit up as she ran forward like an eager child at Christmas and once the whale-alien creature was close enough, she jumped onto his back. This island was the perfect hide-out and it took at most 20 minutes to get everything set up for her, beginning to analyse the creature she was currently on. The more information she had, the better.
Four decaphoebes. Four Earth years. It didn't matter how it was spun but it had been made certain that the mighty heroic robot Voltron would never return. The hope of the universe no longer existed. Space – the universe – everything would soon belong to her and Earth would be the last to be conquered. The leaders of many planets stood behind her and as with the witch's eyes yellow eyes bore into the sight of the universe from her Chambers, everything looked simply perfect. Everything was going according to plan.
"Mistress Haggar?" A voice said and Haggar did not look up from her position, peering into her globe.
"What do you need, Ilrus?" Haggar said, voice calm and cold, but a small trace of irritation could be heard in her voice. "Be quick."
"There is a foreign creature that has entered into space," Ilrus reported. "An Earthling, but there is something different about her. She is currently residing in the wastelands. Should we dispose of her?"
Haggar paused for a moment. An Earthling – it should have been impossible for anyone to cross over from Earth, given the magical barriers that had been put in place. "Is it someone from Team Voltron?"
"No," Ilrus said firmly. "That is a definite negative, Mistress. It is not someone familiar nor someone who has entered here before."
"I see," Haggar returned calmly. If it was fresh blood, maybe they could prove useful. She gathered her energy around the globe, to move to the location of the wastelands and the person's image came through clearly in her globe. It was a young Earthling woman with shoulder-length wavy brown hair and round-rimmed glasses. She was surrounded by various tools and seemed to be analysing everything around her. Haggar narrowed her focus on the tools, eyes widening only slightly. For a human, the tools she had were impressive. All her tools used for experimentation were powered by her magic but this woman had managed to make tools simply with her brain.
Who knew an Earthling could have this much potential? Maybe she would forgive this woman for crossing over into her territory because she seemed to have some interesting potential in her. She might be the key to getting the Champion back and destroying Voltron for good. If she's useful, she'll be allowed to live. Just like Shiro.
It may have been four years, but her wounds were still fresh as if it all happened yesterday. Losing the clone of the Champion and Lotor being killed were scars that she would not forget so easily. Not now when she knew that Lotor was her son – Voltron would pay dearly for killing him so mercilessly. After all, was it not a human saying that was infamous for claimed the punishment for murder to be being an eye for an eye? Not to mention, thievery. The Champion belonged to her – just as Lotor had and she would make sure to do whatever she could to gain one of them back at least. After all, turning the cards in the deck towards me has always been my specialty. Taking back all the planets that Voltron had freed was only the beginning of everything.
She had been watching as Voltron simply left Lotor and just vanished. How easily the Black Paladin had seemed to forgive his brother, despite almost dying at his hand was still strange to her, even if she understood it after regaining her memories. It was foolish of me to underestimate their bond – I won't make that mistake again.
"You can go now, Ilrus," Haggar said calmly. "This person is of no threat to us. Do not attack or send Galra fleets to her unless I instruct you to do so."
"Yes, Mistress," Ilrus said and left her to go back to her thoughts. Once he left, the door closed behind him and her eyes drifted to the photograph on the side. It was of herself as Honerva with Zarkon with a much younger Lotor, her hand on her little boy's shoulder. He was smiling, eyes eager, and full of spirit, something he had been since the day he was left to die by Team Voltron. Don't worry, Lotor. I won't let anything be in vain. Her eyes, cold as ice, her magic begins to circle her hands as her globe's image changed, bringing the Voltron Paladins into focus, her gaze stopping at Shiro, as a memory resurfaced inside her mind as if it had happened only yesterday.
Shiro looked pale, his eyes dilated as he sat back up. Despite his panting of breath and the way his hands shook, Haggar could tell he still had the strength to go to the arena. Most of her subjects, other than Sendak, and a few others would collapse after four hours of experimentation, not willing to go to the arena. He truly was the Champion, the most exceptional of all her experiments. Sendak was powerful but he had been trained as a Galra from a young age before he even knew the meaning of war. Shiro, on the other hand, was a mere human – but when it came to power, a strong will, and his desire to protect, he was as strong as any Galra – possibly even stronger. Maybe this would be more fun if she raised the stakes a little.
"Champion," Haggar spoke, voice cold as her gaze hovered over him sharply. "Your opponents will be making for the kill this time, not just for defeating but using the Galra methods. Victory or Death. Kill or be killed." She knew somehow that he was going to win. She had seen his strength – the way he had endured the agonising pain from her serum and nobility went out the window when self-preservation became involved.
"So now you want me to murder my opponents too?" Shiro said, eyes blank as he stared ahead.
"I'm not asking you to do anything, Champion," Haggar said simply. "What you do is your opinion. The Galra methods will lead you to survival whilst your morals may be the end of you. Victory or Death. That is the policy your opponents will be abiding by."
Shiro hadn't replied to her back then but he had battled in the Arena. Humans could be impressive when it came to self-preservation, especially this one. Even with extreme exhaustion, he had been able to pass every single test she had put him through. That was why even till today, he would always remain her Champion.