Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.
freedom89justice: Thanks mate, for the review. Maki and Kari will definitely exchange some words.
"Cody… Cody!" His eyes opened, his head hurt. A blur was over him, shaking him. His vision focused and the gray blur turned into his partner, looking at him with a worried expression. "Thank goodness, pal! You almost gave me a heart attack…"
"Armadillomon…" Cody mumbled. His mouth felt dry. He sat up, even though his body ached. "What… happened?"
He looked around. They were in a cavern; dark humid walls enclosed them and as he looked up, he couldn't see any point of entrance or exit. And like with everything else in this world, the color was completely gone.
He gripped his head and shook it as he recalled what happened, noticing how some black liquid fell from his forehead as he shook it. He shuddered; he didn't want to know what that was...
He turned to Armadillomon with worry in his eyes. "And the others?"
"Your guess's as good as mine. When I woke up, I just saw you laying there," He looked around the cave, rubbing his arms together. "But this place just gives me the creeps. Even more than from where we were before!"
Cody agreed with the sentiment. He sat up and dusted his clothes, he took off his backpack and rummaged through it. There was still some of the canned food packed there so if hunger attacked, they would have something to eat. Thought in this circumstance, hunger was the last thing on his mind.
Growwwwl…
But not in his partner's apparently.
"Sorry pal, but after turning into Pteramon we just flew high speed and then the whole thing with Hisoka…" Armadillomon tried to justify himself, badly in Cody's opinion. But he never had the heart to deny food for his partner.
"Here," Cody said, handing him one of the cans and putting his backpack back into place. He took out his Digivice and turned it on, breathing a sigh of relief as he saw different dots of various colors.
As he analyzed them, he saw the black and red dot that represented Ken and Yolei respectively were close to each other, while the pink and blue one that belonged to Kari and Davis were in close proximity to the other. Cody focused on his own yellow dot and noticed that the closest to him was the green one.
"T.K's closest to us…" He looked at the walls again and gulped. "However, finding him in this place might be like walking in a labyrinth… Not to mention that we don't know where Killua might have fallen to, or that woman accompanying Hisoka."
Armadillomon finished his small snack and looked at Cody's Digivice, to check what his partner was talking about. However as he looked at the screen he noticed something else in it, something that made him tap on it. "Cody. What is that?"
He looked down at the screen to know what he was talking about. The Digivice showing the dots representing his friends, however at the corner of the screen, far away from all of them he noticed it.
Another dot. One that was a plain white.
Cody looked at it and blinked. "That kind of signal… it's the one the Digivice from the older kids give off." That didn't make sense, the others were waiting for them back in the Digital World for them to come back and the other Digivice that could give that sign…
Cody took a sharp inhale as the implications settled in. "Oh no…"
"What?" Armadillomon asked, worried about his partner's reaction.
"The only other person who has a Digivice with that signal and connected to this place…" He looked at his partner as a pit formed in his stomach. "The Mastermind: Yukio Oikawa."
Armadillomon flinched when he heard the name. However, his expression turned serious as he gave Cody a nod. "Then we gotta meet up with the rest. This might be our shot at the baddie once and for all!"
Cody considered his words and nodded. This might not be the most preferable place to finally confront the one responsible for the tragedies in the Digital World, but the sooner the better before the madman can do anything else to damage both worlds. "Right!"
The two dashed along the cave, using Cody's Digivice as a guide to get towards the friend closest to them, T.K. Not noticing how the liquid Cody shook off slithered away in his direction.
As they ran with their destination in mind, a feeling of apprehension started to gnaw in Cody's gut. It had to do with the presence of the Mastermind in this world and how the confrontation with him might go down. He was a Nen user like them, but with who knows how much experience. Could he be like Hisoka? Or like Killua? He very much doubted an adult that has such a head-start will be at their level.
And then comes another question what happens if they beat him right there and then? How could they stop him from doing more damage?
He bit his lips as he looked down. There was one way, one that was discussed many times over. A line he was forced to cross to protect the city when the Daemon Corps attacked, but it didn't meant it was one he was willing to cross again.
First mindless Deadmon, then living, thinking Deadmon. But now? Now it could be very well possible that the only way necessary to stop anymore madness from Oikawa would be to… to end his life. To take the life of another person, vile as they might be, he wasn't sure if it was something he could stomach.
'Would it really be worthy? To cross that line if it means to protect my family? Our worlds?' He thought in great conflict. Duty and ideals clashing against one another in his mind. 'Father. As a police officer… what would you have done?'
"Iori."
Cody gasped and stopped in his tracks as a voice resonated across the cave.
Armadillomon stopped as well, looking around, confused. "What in tarnation?" His gaze went to his partner as if expecting him to have the answer.
But Cody's eyes didn't meet the Digimon's. Instead, he scanned the walls of the cavern, trying to discern where the voice came from.
And then came the rumble. Starting out of nowhere, the cavern started shaking. Both partners shook with it and tried to keep themselves steady but the ceiling started cracking and falling on their heads.
"Cody —!" Armadillomon tried to reach his partner but pieces of the ceiling fell in between them, separating them.
Cody covered his head as the rocks fell down and a cloud of dust was lifted around the area. He coughed and hacked as a bit of it entered his mouth and when he opened his eyes he saw the big wall of rocks between him and his partner. "Armadillomon!"
"Cody! You okay?!" Armadillomon's voice was muffled from behind the rocks.
"I'm fine…" He observed the rocks, a worried frown on his face. "But…"
"I'll dig my way to you!" Armadillomon assured him and Cody could hear how the rubble was being moved by him. "Sit tight buddy! I'm coming."
Smiling at his partner's determination, Cody thought of doing the same. Maybe using Ko or his Nen would make it faster than just his partner using his claws. "I'll handle it!" He assured him, focusing Nen on his fist.
"Iori."
But then that voice interrupted him. Sending chills down his spine. And worst, it came from his side of the wall.
He summoned his Shinai and let his Nen explode, ready to fight against the Deadmon that might appear. He just hoped that the wall's division allowed him to make Armadillomon evolve in case the same happened on his side.
Yet nothing could prepare him for what stood in front of him.
A man in his early thirties looked at him with a neutral expression, pale as a ghost. Dressed in a military uniform that has seen better days, brown hair of a similar shade to Cody's.
Cody has seen the man's face before, not in person. Never in person, because the chance has been robbed from him in a time where he wasn't able to remember faces. But he did saw it in a picture, a picture he pays his respects every day along with his grandfather.
Cody's jaw trembled as he looked at the figure, trying to articulate the words until finally he breathed out:
"Father…?"
T.K groaned as he continued to rub his head. The fall was quite nasty, and it was quite miraculous they survived. Even though he woke up with some disgusting goop on his face, they didn't suffer any real damage.
He looked at the screen of his Digivice, frowning as he looked at the single white dot in it. 'It must be him. Oikawa. What is he doing here?' He understood Hisoka, and on some level that woman, but what would Oikawa want here.
That also meant they left his brother and the others behind for nothing if the main reason to stay behind was right here with them. The added forces would have been nice, specially to avoid this trap they found themselves in.
Patamon shivered as he floated at his side. "I don't like this place. The surface was already bad enough, but here… it just feels worse!"
"I hear you, pal," T.K nodded in agreement, pocketing his Digivice and looking at the ceiling. There were no traces of the hole where they fell from, but that didn't mean it wasn't a way out. 'Probably blasting a hole in the ceiling would cause a cave in, and that would just make things worse. The best thing we can do is reunite with the others and then discuss forms of getting out. Heck, we could contact Gennai and make him pull us out immediately.'
"Once we meet with Cody we can find the others together," T.K said, after seeing the screen he knew his younger friend was the closest. "Let's just hope it's easy to find them."
While the Digivice worked great as a compass that directs them to one another, they didn't do well as maps. They might be separated by walls and hinder their reunion.
"Mwahahaha… I'm afraid its not going to be so easy, boy."
T.K's blood ran cold as he heard a cruel laughter ringing across the cavern. Patamon's eyes shrank and he floated close to him, with T.K quickly wrapping an arm around him and pressing him close.
From the shadows, a large figure emerged. With pitch black skin and bat-like wings. Long arms that ended in claws and a human-like face covered by a cowl that resembled a devil's face.
"I-It can't be…" T.K said with gritted teeth. A glare full of hate in his eyes.
Patamon gulped as he spoke. "D-Devimon…!"
The first real enemy the Digidestined from five years ago faced, and the one responsible for his partner's death, laughed in the same cruel way he did all that time ago. "That's right boy!" He sneered at them with a twisted expression. "I breath once again! Ready to tear you apart once and for all!"
T.K's grip on Patamon increased. Glaring at the devil that almost destroyed him and his friends in File Island, the one who instilled a deep disgust for anything involving the forces of darkness.
But then, something clicked in his mind, he released Patamon who looked at him with worry. "T.K?"
The blonde took a deep breath as he raised his head to look ahead in the face of his enemy. His aura flowed through him and he extended his arms and legs in a fighting stance while fishing his Digivice out. "Alright then, come and try it!"
Devimon seemed taken back by his sudden bravery. "Huh?"
"T.K?" Patamon looked at him with wide eyes.
He gave the Digimon a smile and then back at Devimon. "Etemon, Myotismon, the Dark Masters. Heck, even Ken and Oikawa. Those are bigger threats than you ever were!" He declared. "And I've grown stronger since then, we both did!"
His glare hardened as he looked at the devil in front of him. "Besides… I know you are not the Devimon I know from back then," he sent a smile to his partner. "Because Patamon did everything to protect us from him."
Patamon smiled as he was contracted his partner's bravery. "Yeah, that's right!"
"Deadmon take on the shape on Digimon so you must be one…" T.K growled as he focused his aura, his sleeves dissolving into strings as he prepared. "And if you're only posing as Devimon then you must be at the least as strong as a Champion."
'Devimon' growled, his red eyes glaring at the boy in the darkness of the cavern. Clearly, he was angry that his whole façade has been completely torn apart by T.K.
Then he started chuckling. "Clever boy… I was created by Lord Dagomon to push your will to the limit. Yet it seems I failed."
His body turned back into that muddy form the most common Deadmon were known as. His shape grew and twisted, his horn growing larger as well as his wings.
"I might not be as strong as the Daemon Corps were," The Deadmon growled. "But I will hold you off! Child of Hope!"
When the transformation was over, a towering devil with a golden mask and six eyes stood above them. "I am NeoDevimon!"
T.K's eyes narrowed as he grabbed his Digivice. 'Better to save strength so Seraphimon won't go out to play right now. But we won't need it!' He decided. "Patamon!"
"Right!"
A green light illuminated the cavern.
"Patamon Digivolves to… Angemon! Angemon Ultra Digivolves to… Magnaangemon!"
The two chosen of Hope dashed towards this shadow of their most hated enemy. NeoDevimon summoned two balls of the infamous black fire from the Deadmon and launched each at the two which were easily dodged.
Magnaangemon dashed forward with a thrust from Excalibur on his wrist, NeoDevimon leaned to the side to dodged it but the angel sent a kick to his face that was blocked by the devil's forearm. Said forearm was grabbed by a bundle of strings and pulled back, courtesy of T.K
NeoDevimon growled and his hands crackled with electricity. "We might not be Digimon, but I gained my individuality by feeding off your bad memories of Devimon! And improved his techniques!" He boasted. "Stun Claw!"
A course of electricity was freed from his hands and ran down his forearm. T.K was forced to let him go to prevent getting zapped, while Magnaangemon flew back and avoided the lightning.
NeoDevimon extended his wings and flew. The cavern ample enough to give him free reign in his flight. He looked down at them and a crimson color embedded the appendages on his back. "Deep Sorrow!"
Blood red needles rained down on them. Magnaangemon used the shield on his right shoulder to block the needles, while T.K ran and hid behind a rock that got impaled by the piercing attack.
The blonde looked at the devil with narrowed eyes, as best as he could from behind the safe spot behind the rock. Such a big scale attack wasn't something they could just charge through blindly. He looked around and above of them he saw stalactites forming in the ceiling of the cavern. His eyes narrowed a plan forming on his mind.
Forming Ko around his fist he slammed it at the base of the rock protecting him, separating him from the ground. He grabbed the rock and with little effort he lifted it thanks to the enhance strength Nen granted to his body and the rigorous training Killua gave him and the team.
"Take this!" He said, launching the rock at NeoDevimon.
The Devil scoffed and momentarily halted his attack just to swat at the rock, smashing it to pieces with one strike. "Pathetic."
"You think?!" Magnaangemon charged at him, ramming his shield into the chest of the devil and ramming him against the wall. His six eyes bulging in pain.
"Magnaangemon, keep him there!" T.K told his partner as he climbed a nearby, tall stalagmite that emerged from the ground, getting him closer to the ceiling.
He extended one hand upwards now that he was close enough and the strings of his shirt shut towards the stalactites in the ceiling, wrapping firmly against one of them.
"Grrr… Stun Claw!" Trying to get himself free from Magnaangemon's pressure over his body, the devil grasped his hands firmly in the angel's arms and started releasing a discharge of electricity into his body.
Magnaangemon gritted his teeth and his wings began to glow with different colors. "Heaven's Heal…!" As fast as NeoDevimon hurt Magnaangemon he healed himself with his technique.
T.K let go of the stalagmite and made his technique rescind, the strings pulling him upwards to the ceiling where he now clung to the stalactite, just above his friend and their enemy. "Magnaangemon! Look out below!" He yelled, focusing Ko on his fist as the strings unwrapped and smashing it against the stalactite, causing it to crumble and fall down. He let go of it as he broke it, jumping towards the same wall were NeoDevimon was being pinned and repeating the process; hitting the wall with Ko and causing it to crack all the way to the ceiling and making more stalactites fall.
Magnaangemon gave NeoDevimon one last push to keep him in place before flying back and extending a hand to catch T.K in the process. NeoDevimon for his part wasn't fast enough, he looked up to see the rocks falling on him with no time to defend himself. "AAARGGH!"
The rocks fell down, burying him underneath their weight, while the two chosen of hope observe in solemn silence. The angel broke it with looking down at his partner with a smile. "Well thought on using the cavern, T.K."
The blonde took his hat off to wipe of the sweat and ruffle his hair a bit. "I just didn't you be worn off by this fight," he told him with a smile. He took out his Digivice to get a good idea of where the yellow dot—Cody—was located. "Let's go. The sooner we reunite with the rest the better."
Magnaangemon nodded in agreement, floating off in the pointed direction. And as they flew away, T.K's head started pondering about their encounter with that Deadmon.
'They are not as strong as the Daemon Corps, not even as Mephismon who was the weakest link, yet they still fought. It knew about our history with Devimon and tried to throw us off balance with that…' He gulped and worried for his friends increased. "The others might have to face Deadmon that will take on the form of things that unsettle them…" He muttered out loud. "I hope they don't fall for it or the Deadmon would take advantage of that…"
Unbeknown to them, from beneath the rocks a liquid goop slithered out of the cracks. Crawling at fast speed in the same direction where they were flying, to reunite with one of its own brethren to fulfill their purpose together.
The silence was deafening. Cody gripped his shinai as tight as he could, his face white as a sheet. His sweaty hands threatening to make the weapon slip and disappear.
The man took a step forward. "Iori…"
Cody flinched and took a step back. "W-What… who…?" He trembled, his hands sweaty and his mouth dry as a sandpaper. "You can't be—!"
"It's me, son…" The man said with a smile. "Hiroki, your father."
"NO!" The shout echoed across the cavern, resonating for a few moments. "You are not!" Cody declared, shaking his head fervently. "My father died protecting an overseas government VIP ambassador when I was four!" He gritted his teeth, tears threatening to fall from his face as he held his shinai high ready to strike. "Don't you dare, wretched Deadmon, to taint my father's image!"
From the other side, Armadillomon's voice came through. "Cody?! Pal, what is it?!" His worry was evident, yet Cody didn't answer. Too focused on the apparition in front of him.
The man looked at the boy with a sad smile, Cody had to lower his gaze as he saw the emotions swimming under the man's eyes. He refused to see anything real about them.
Then, to his surprise, the man sank to his knees with a compressive smile. "Iori… the last thing I remember is the sound of a gunshot as I shoved my charge to the side… Then I woke up here." His face turned into a grimace. "Those creatures have chased me relentlessly talking about… assimilating me… I've hidden in this cave, yearning to see you and your mother again."
His eyes shone and Cody gasped as he saw the tears escaping his eyes, and a sob coming out of his lips. "You've grown so much since the last time I saw you… how much time has passed?"
Seen him so vulnerable, so human. Cody's resolve shook, his hands could barely keep the grip of his shinai. This couldn't be real, it was too good to be real. The man in front of him couldn't really be his father, it couldn't. It just couldn't!
No matter how much he years it… No matter how much he wants to run into his now open arms. No matter how much he wants to get to know this man personally and not just listen to the stories his mother and grandfather told him about. No matter how much he wants him to know about what he's done as a Digidestined and ask for his opinion, to listen to his advice, to see if he could give some advice as a former police officer on how to approach this kind of scenarios. None of that matter, none of that. None of that!
Because I was already running happily towards his arms!
"Father!" Every logical thought was casted aside from his mind as he ran towards him with tears streaming down his face. Colliding with the man's chest as he wrapped his arms around him and kept him in a tight grasp.
Cody for his part couldn't must the strength to pull away from his father. He sobbed into his chest, just enjoying the feeling of being in his arm for the first time in his memory. Even when a small part of his mind kept yelling at him to step back and keep his guard up, that nothing in this world was worth of trust. Yet that part of his mind was so silent compared to the rest begging for the moment to last for as long as he could.
The man pushed him away slightly and dried away the tears streaming down his face. Smiling brightly at him. "You've really grown…" He said with a sigh. "How long…?"
Cody gulped. Since in this world time didn't seem to pass in the same way as the Digital World or the Human World it must have been an eternity for him, or maybe just a moment or a couple of hours.
Gulping down to try to rehydrate his now parched throat, Cody answered, "Six years…" he didn't look at the devastated expression on his face. "Grandfather moved in with us afterwards…"
"I…" His voice shook as he took a hand off his shoulders and wiped his face. "That's a long time…" He said hoarsely.
They stood in silence, none of them really knowing how to continue the conversation. Cody looked back at the wall; he could hear Armadillomon digging. Maybe when his partner came through, he could help in the talk.
The boy looked back at his father, who looked more composed and even giving him a small smile. "Tell me… how has your life this past six years been?" He asked with a wobbly smile. His hands still firmly planted on the boy's shoulders.
Cody sniffed and wiped away the tears and smiled. "Well… nothing really of notice. Mother misses you a lot and so does grandfather. He trains me in kendo at the station were you used to work…"
"I see…" Then his expression soured and he gripped the boy's shoulders tightly. "But how did you get here. Even though I am thankful for this reunion, I would prefer it if you never stepped a foot in this place…"
His words stung a little, but just like when his mother had screamed at him and Upamon he understood where they came from. "… For the past year, something incredible has happened to me…" He started and once he did, he couldn't stop.
He told him about the Digidestined, his friends, his duty and the enemies he now faces; the inhabitants of this world, Arukenimon and Mummymon plus Oikawa. He told as much as he could and as hurriedly as he was able to, knowing that this wasn't the time and place for this.
His father stayed quiet, keeping him in his embrace as he spoke and retold those events. Cody noticed how his grip grew tighter. Worry, maybe? Cody grimaced if that was the case, he already disliked burdening his mother and grandfather with worry and now that he just met his… father…
A new wave of skepticism invaded him. Doubting if this man holding him was really his father. In between the Nen Users and the creatures from the Dark Ocean, could he really trust this…
Of course, he could. What am I thinking? This is my dad!
'Right…' He thought, burying himself deeper into the man's chest. 'This is my father…'
"Cody…" His voice carried onto him as he tightened the grip—His dad just loved him so much; he was holding him tight—Yes. yes, he did "After everything you told me you did… I can only say that…"
That he's so proud of me! That I'm the best son in the world and that together we can beat the bad guys.
Cody smiled at his own thoughts. They were completely right… his father was one of the good guys after all. An agent that fought for others, despite his worries he would definitely.
"… I am so disappointed in you."
Cody froze. "W-What?"
Oh no. Dad's mad at me! Did I do something wrong…?
Cody looked up and saw that the once warm semblant on his father's face had turned into a frown of disappointment. "You killed those Deadmon. All of them…" He said, his frown turning into a scowl. "Not those members of the Daemon Corps, but also the ones before them! Deadmon who were trying to fulfill their mission and that you just robbed them of their life."
"No!" Cody protested, wanting to wrestle his way out of this—out of dad's—grip. "They were harming innocent people and they —!"
"They just wanted to improve their lives!" Hiroki growled, digging his fingers into the boy's shoulders to the point it was starting to pierce his skin. "And you killed them! You are nothing but a murdered!"
Dad's right.
"No!" Cody said, struggling and flaring his Nen up to try and get away. Yet somehow the man's—he's not just a man, he is dad! "I was defending the city a-and our family!"
Nope. Dad's right. He is always right. We are a murderer. If the Deadmon can have lives then who's to say that the fake Digimon Arukenimon created didn't. BlackWargreymon did, and yet we killed all the others.
"But… But…" Those thoughts kept ramming on his head. He was a murdered, he was a killer. He was supposed to be the Child of Justice and yet he had taken lives. Something his grandfather wouldn't condone, something his father was not condoning, and something his mother would horrify to find out.
I am a killer who embarrasses the family!
He was a killer who embarrasses the family…
He shouldn't be here saving people when he had to pay the price for taking other lives. He deserved to… to
To drown!
To drown… To be swallowed by the ocean.
He felt cold, but that was okay. It was just the waters of the ocean and that way… that way…
We'll be with dad forever.
He'll be with dad forever…
Armadillomon grunted and growled as he put the rocks away. He had to be careful, the rocks weren't stable enough. One bad spot carved away and with how close he was to it he could cause it to come toppling down on him and cause him several shell pains.
But finally, he was getting somewhere, there was a hole big enough for him to climb into without causing a disaster. He fit his head first and took a peek on what was on the other side.
His skin no doubt took a pale shade and his jaw dropped before picking it up and yelling out: "CODY!"
His partner was being wrapped in the black gooey body of a Deadmon who looked strikingly similar to a human in uniform in the parts that weren't dissolving and trying to eat his friend. Armadillomon wiggled his way, damming if the bloody wall came down on him he had to help his friend.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" He yelled falling face first into the floor but quickly rolling into a ball and spinning at top speed towards the Deadmon. "DIAMOND SHELL!"
However, his efforts were useless. The Deadmon's head snapped up and its jaws opened at an unnatural length and its tongue shot towards the Digimon canon-ball.
With more strength that one would guess coming from that limb, the tongue stroke the Digimon with the force of a bat to a baseball and knocked Armadillomon to the side before the tongue wrapped around his body keeping him pinned.
"Grrr… C-Cody!" Armadillomon called, trying to reach his partner. "Do something! Use your Nen! Cody! CODY!"
Yet the boy didn't move. He was completely still in the Deadmon's hold…
"Hand of Fate!"
Until a yellow beam impacted with the head of the Deadmon, making it release a screech of pain and forcing him to let go of both of its preys to skitter away from where the beam came from.
Cody remained kneeling in the same position as he was when the creature was devouring him, while Armadillomon now free ran towards him and put his paws on his knees. "Cody! Pal, snap out of it!"
The boy didn't respond, his eyes were glassed and he had a trail of drool coming out from his mouth as he continued to mumble: "I'll be with my dad when I drown… I'll be with dad when I drown…"
"The heck you're saying?!" Armadillomon's eyes shook as he stared at his partner, unnerved. "C'mon, Cody…!"
"Armadillomon!" He turned to see T.K and Angemon running towards them. "Are you okay, guys?!"
"Something's wrong with Cody!" Armadillomon said as the blonde and his partner came to his side. "And it's all that blasted Deadmon's fault!"
Speaking of the Deadmon its form started to change after Angemon's attack. Twisting and reforming, its liquid body changing from the appearance of a human in uniform to then change back to is black liquid form and start to expand. Growing until it was as tall as Angemon and turning into the appearance of one of the members of the Deadmon Corps, the one T.K and Cody faced:
"MarineDevimon!" Angemon said, eyes narrowing behind his helmet.
"Not the one you know…" The new MarineDevimon said, with a familiar voice. "Just a vessel of my power."
"Dagomon!" T.K said in realization, this Deadmon was possessed by its leader.
"Indeed," It rose one of its tentacled as if proving its mobility. "Maybe not with the power my fallen creation once had, but enough to take on you before you unleash your power Child of Hope!"
With that he lashed out one of its tentacles towards Angemon who batted it away with his staff and retaliate by raising his fist and launching his attack: "Hand of Fate!"
The new MarineDevimon moved out of the way and its chest puffed to launched poisonous bullets of ink towards him, the angel moving swiftly out of the way and where the ink splattered it melted. Just like with the previous Deadmon to take on that appearance.
T.K checked on Cody along with Armadillomon, taking the shoulders of the younger boy and giving them a shake. "Cody? What's wrong?"
"That Deadmon was about to eat him or something!" Armadillomon said, glaring at the Deadmon fighting Angemon. "I gotta get there and help but I can't do much if Cody doesn't wake up!"
T.K frowned as he observed the fight. Patamon eat before coming here and the moment they saw the Deadmon upon Cody he evolved; however, the blonde wasn't sure if now was the right time to get Magnaangemon out again so soon. For now, that'll have to wait until Cody can respond again.
"Cody please," T.K said, gripping his shoulders and looking at him almost pleadingly. "If you can hear me just… tell me what's wrong."
Cody continued to stare at nothing in specific with those glassed eyes, but his mouth started moving and a small mumble came out. Barely audible, but it was progress from his catatonic state.
T.K leaned in, trying to understand. "What was that… please, repeat it!"
Armadillomon looked at him with worry, keeping a paw on top of his partner's leg. "Cody…"
"I… Killed him…" Finally, the words came out clearly, and his head moved towards the site of the fight where MarineDevimon spat a full torrent of ink towards Angemon, spraying it everywhere. "I killed him… And dad hates me for it…"
T.K blinked. 'Dad…?' He wondered what that had to do with anything, so for now he focused on what he knew. He was referring to the MarineDevimon that invaded the city, they worked together in eliminating it. Had it really been weighing on Cody's mind since then? "Cody, remember our reasons for fighting back then. We do it not because we like it, but because doing it saves many innocents."
"Dad would have found a better way…" Cody mumbled, eyes still glassed and staring into nothingness. "He is disappointed in me. So are mom and so is my grandfather…"
"That's right, son." The voice of a man echoed through the chambers. T.K and Armadillomon took their eyes off the boy to look at the source of it: the fight.
Angemon struck the ground as a tentacle slammed against his back, then wrapping around his waist and hitting him against the walls over and over much to the horror of his allies. "Ugh! Ack!"
"ANGEMON!" T.K called out, his Nen exploding around him and sleeves unraveling as he gripped his Digivice ready to help him evolve.
"Stun Claw!"
"AAAAAAGH!" However, the blonde received a discharge of electricity from behind that sent him crashing towards a wall.
From behind them, a familiar visage for the pair of Hope appeared. NeoDevimon cackled, his form smaller than before but as vile as they remembered it. "You should have been more through with your plan, boy."
"T…T.K!" Angemon struggled to break free but all he received was a spit of acid in his face. "AGGGH!"
NeoDevimon walked past Cody and Armadillomon and towards T.K. All the while Armadillomon tried to shake his partner out of his current state, to no avail. "Cody! C'mon! They need us!"
"… They're killers too…" Cody said, staring coldly at T.K and Angemon. "We all must pay for what we did to the Deadmon…"
As Angemon was ruthlessly slammed against the floor of the cavern and T.K was picked up by the neck of his shirt by NeoDevimon, MarineDevimon chuckled and spoke in that voice that had resonated in the cave. One that sounded so kind and normal that didn't fit the aquatic creature's demonic body. "Good boy, Iori," He crooned. "Now you've learned your lesson and started to repent. Make your father proud and sit still while we finish the invaders of our world!" His declaration ended with his voice going back to the way it was, yet Cody didn't moved or even flinched from the sudden change.
Armadillomon growled at MarineDevimon. "I've had enough outta you!" He declared, curling up and starting to spin in place. "I'm gonna set things straight once and for all, for you, partner!" He dedicated those last words to Cody as he launched himself at the Deadmon. "Diamond Shell!"
"A-Armadillomon…!" T.K gasped, watching as the Rookie Digimon charged at the shape-shifters.
MarineDevimon smiled cockily as he rose the tentacle that held Angemon captive. Fully intending on using the angel as a meat shield against the incoming Digimon. 'Fools. The lot of them…!'
However, to his surprise, Armadillomon zoomed past him and hit the wall behind instead. Bouncing of it and redirecting the trajectory of his attack straight to the least possible target the Deadmon could think of: The dazed and confused Cody Hida.
"Oof!" The air escaped the boy as he landed on his back. Armdillomon using his weight to pin him down. The boy's glassed eyes regaining some emotion as he glared at his partner. "What are you —!?"
"Give me. My partner. Back!" Armadillomon said, pressing his face against the boy's with an angry snarl. "'Cause I ain't seeing him! The Cody I know did what he thought was right at every turn and did everything in his power to help his friends. He can be a bit rigid from time to time, but if it comes down to it he flexes and allows things to be different!" He looked back at the Deadmon with a defying glare. "I don't know what you put in his brain, but it ain't gonna fly! If you think we hafta pay for killing those darn Daemon Corp guys then you guys gotta do the same for ruining so many lives!"
The two Deadmon just scoffed at his words. Not finding any reason to be threatened while having in their hands hostages and the boy being basically useless in that moment.
"Armadillomon…" Cody got out as he struggled to sit up despite his partner's weight on him. "My father wants this… he wants us to repent, that way we'll be together."
"To this day I ain't sure what a 'father' is!" Armadillomon said fiercely. "But if its anything like that 'grandfather' then he wouldn't want this!" He looked down at him. "Remember what he said?! You promised him to go home and alive! And if father is something like grandfather, then he'd want the same too, right?!"
Cody stayed speechless after his partner's rant. His grandfather… his mother… they were waiting for him and he was thinking about… about drowning?! What was he—!
"They would have preferred that than to have a killer for a son," The words were whispered in his mind. Urging him, almost moving his tongue to say them out loud. Yet he stopped himself, he didn't want to say that because… because that's not what they wanted.
'I… I don't want to fail them…'
"We have to repent."
'The Deadmon attacked and took innocent lives who had nothing to do with this, why aren't they repenting?'
"They seek a better life!"
'And they sook it by destroying others!'
"We have to—"
'No!' His fist moved gripping the back of his neck. Under the confused look of his enemies and the looks of concern from his friends. 'Stop! I don't want this! I won't listen to whatever you are…!'
"Iori! Stop it this instant!" Father's voice resonated —
"NO!" He declared gripping his neck and his Nen flaring around as he extended one of his hands and his shinai appeared. "I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO USE MY FATHER'S MEMORY AGAINST ME!"
He rose the shinai and to everyone's shock, he slammed it against his head. Armadillomon let him go and instead moved to his side to check and fuss over him. "CODY! What the heck?!"
The boy blinked. The blow left him dizzy, he could see stars… Maybe he gave himself a concussion. But he felt something slithering under his shirt. He shuddered and shook himself, sitting up and wriggling his tunic until something fell to the ground.
Something resembling a leech wriggled in the floor, black liquid oozing from his mouth as it tried to bite into something. "Father… repent… killer… father!"
Cody blinked, then glared at it before stomping on it, leaving a black stain in the grey floor. He took a deep breath and released a sigh. "That's the end of it…"
"Cody…?" Armadillomon called with apprehension.
He turned and gave him a smile. "Thank you, Armadillomon."
The armadillo grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "Aww shucks, what are partners for?"
T.K grinned as he saw that Cody has come back to his senses. "Cody…" He glared at his captor and noticing it was distracted by the turn of events regarding the younger boy he took his chance. His sleeved untangled and wrapped around the arm holding his shirt's neck. He tensed them and then tugged them in opposite directions.
"AAAAARGHHH!" NeoDevimon roared in pain as his arm snapped. Dropping T.K and cradling his now useless limb.
T.K ducked and dashed towards the boy, letting his Nen out and letting his tendrils of strings float around him ready to attack.
"This is problematic…" MarineDevimon groaned as he held Angemon down. "So, it seems we'll have to do things the hard way…"
As he said this, he hoisted Angemon in the air and tossed him in direction to the group. The angel's greater size making them dodge to avoid getting squished, but leaving nothing to cushion his fall. He crashed against the ground with a grunt.
"Angemon!" T.K was at his partner's side in the blink of an eye.
"I'm okay…" The angel said, sitting back up and glaring at the two devils.
MarineDevimon's tentacle lashed towards NeoDevimon, wrapping around his throat and pulling him closer. The golden devil didn't put any resistance as he was dragged towards his ally. Both of their bodies turning into murky waters and then merging into a single black mass.
It twisted and shifted, just like MarineDevimon had done before adopting its appearance, but now it also grew in size. Being almost as large as MetalGreymon, its features started to reappear showing the new appearance they had acquired through the assimilation:
It stood on all fours, with red skin and blue scales along its back. A giant maw that could and would snap anything that came into contact with it in half. Two tails lashed out, breaking the rocks around it. Red eyes lit up as its eyelids parted and black flames licked from the corner of its mouth.
"Leviamon…!" It growled raising its front paws and stomping them on the floor causing a small tremor.
Armadillomon stood in front of his partner, while T.K helped Angemon sit up. "Say the word man!"
Cody raised his Digivice, ready to make him evolve when a chuckle coming from Leviamon froze the two in the spot. Its red eyes looking at him mockingly. "Why don't you step to the side, boy? And let the Child of Hope do the heavy lifting." His tails lashed around him like whips, ready to strike. "You were almost within our grasp if it wasn't for your partner. And we won't stop until the purpose of our God is fulfilled." His fangs were revealed in an awful, mocking smile as he sneered at the boy. "You don't have the will to go through with stopping us!"
The boy remained quiet, looking down as his friends took offense to the monster's words. All glaring at it, and Armadillomon taking a step forward to attack. "Why you little—"
"You are right."
The three stopped and whirled back to see Cody, who raised his head and looked at Leviamon with a steady look. "I didn't condone killing. Even to beings like you. Taking a life was something awful that was taught to me since I was little… But…"
He took a deep breath and focused on the image of his family. His mother and grandfather waiting for him, and his father—may his soul look over him in this endeavor. He glared at the Deadmon and gripped his Digivice, pressing it against his chest.
"But if it means protecting my friends, my home and my family then so be it!" He declared. "I will not take any joy in it, but to keep the innocents safe then I will do it!"
Armadillomon beamed with pride at his partner's words, "Cody!" He pumped his fists, looking eager and revitalized. "Yes! Together, let's do it partner!"
A bright yellow glow emanated from the two. So bright and so invigorating that forced T.K to cover his eyes and Leviamon to shrink away from it. "T-This is…!" The blonde gasped, noticing the similarity.
Leviamon's eyes lit up as he stared at the boy and a subtle smirk appeared on his face. 'Just like Lord Dagomon thought…'
Angemon gripped his fist and sat up, feeling like new. "T.K!" He called, raising his staff. "I'm ready!"
T.K nodded at his partner with a smile as he rose his Digivice. "Right!" He said, while giving a look towards Cody and Armadillomon. "It seems they are too…" His voice carrying a worried edge on it.
"Armadillomon…" Cody said, the yellow energy shrouding the two beating in unison.
"Let's do this!" Armadillomon cheered, grinning like mad.
"MATRIX EVOLUTION!"
Cody rose his Digivice and pressed it to his chest, becoming one to his body. His body floated in the air and arcs of energy connected him to Armadillomon.
"Armadillomon Digivolves to…" Armadillomon felt at ease as his connection to Cody strengthened. He felt himself growing bigger and bigger than he ever was. He had the defensive capabilities of Ankylomon and the reflective qualities of Gogmamon. Yet with something he didn't felt he had before; a sense of agility and movement. In the end he had two big strong arms and legs, his entire upper body was covered in diamonds and his head was in the middle of it. Punching his fists together he let out a war cry. "BLASTMON!"
Cody opened his eyes, he felt himself floating. Looking around he noticed he was in some sort of yellow space, without his clothes, yet he didn't give importance to that. "So this is…"
"… This must be what T.K and Patamon go through as Seraphimon," Armadillomon's voice echoed across the space. "I've never felt closer to you, pal!"
Cody stared at his hands and gripped them. "This is incredible…" He smiled and looked ahead. "… However, we must be cautious. This form took a lot of T.K and Kari against Daemon. Strike fast and hard."
"I like the sound of that!" Armadillomon nodded in agreement, or so it felt like he was doing.
Blastmon grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "Heck yeah! Get ready to get your jaws broken, ya overgrown lizard!"
T.K smiled at the new evolution. "They seem eager to start." He inwardly frowned with worry. 'If the two of us use Matrix we'll both get tired out, so the better chance are…' He made a decision and look at Angemon who gave him a nod, before looking at the Mega. "You lead the attack, Blastmon!"
"Of course, my friend!" Blastmon grinned, giving him a thumbs up.
"Angemon Ultra Digivolves to… Magnaangemon!"
With the Ultra now in the battlefield, things seemed to be in the favor of the Digidestined. Yet Leviamon didn't seemed scared, nor deterred in the slightest. "So, this is the power by which the Daemon Corps fell to," He grinned. "Heh, impressive to be sure. But if I have to lay down my life for the greater purpose in taking you down then so be it!"
"Big talk for an overgrown lizard!" Blastmon grinned as he smashed his fist into his palm. "Let's see then what you got!"
Inside of Blastmon's core, Cody frowned and put a hand to his chin. "Weird. I didn't meant to say that… yet it feels oddly fitting to say…"
"Heck yeah it does!" Armadillomon's voice echoed in a positive response. "Let's show this guy what we can do together!"
"Biting Crush!" In response to the taunting, Leviamon opened his mouths and launched a stream of murky water towards the two. The drops that fell in its trajectory melting the cavern's floor in the spots were they've fell.
Blastmon clenched his fists and the crystals around his body shined and with a growl they were released. "Diamond Gattling!" Like the bullets of a machine gun, the diamonds were released. Endless projectiles coming from the massive body of the Mega colliding with the water and keeping it at bay.
T.K and Magnaangemon flanked Leviamon's sides. The boy jumped and aimed an axe kick on its back, while his partner dived with his sword to stab right through it. The result of it was then suddenly getting swat away like flies by his two tails.
They recovered swiftly, T.K flipping in the air and landing in a crouch while Magnaangemon broke his trajectory by expanding his wings.
Leviamon grinned and his tails stabbed the earth, breaking into it and worming their way underground until they emerged at Blastmon's feet. They wrapped around his ankles and gave a tug.
"Woah!" The Mega fell face first into the floor, leaving a sizeable crack in it due to its weight. Yet that weight wasn't an impediment for the tails to suddenly drag him and then lift him in the air where Leviamon started to spin him around. "Wo-ah, wo-ah, wo-ah!"
Cody grimaced as he felt his world spinning. "He's really strong to lift us like this…"
"We ain't no ragdolls!" Armadillomon complained. "Let's show him to not mess with us!"
Blastmon gritted his teeth and punched his fists and he could feel his crystals hitting up that reminded him—them? The Matrix was confusing—his time as Blastmon when he absorbed high temperature attacks, but this time it felt nice, empowering! "Crystal Pressure!" His entire body glows and he hears a sizzing sound before Leviamon yelps in pain.
"ARGH!" The Deadmon slams him against a wall to hardly any effect, his two tails smoking after the attack. Its mouth bulges and its clear its trying to use the same water from early.
However, before he can spit them out, wires of string wrap around its muzzle. The water leeks from the side of its clenched mandibles and its corrosiveness doesn't seem to bother him as it drips down the edges of its mouth. His glare shift towards T.K, who is holding the threads with as much aura and strength as he can muster.
It doesn't last though. Leviamon opens his jaws, snapping the wires and whirling on T.K. Opening its mouth, this time flames licking the edge of its lips and fires the black flames at him.
T.K stares and then grins, because Magnaangemon put himself in between him and the attack and tracing a circle in the air. "Gate of Destiny!" The golden door opens. Too small maybe to absorb Leviamon, and too risky for it could also pull them in, but perfect to swallow the attack, "release!" and to launch it right back at its owner.
Leviamon can do nothing as the attack engulfs him. For a moment he's out of sight, but when the flames part, he charges at the two. Tongue out and jaws wide open to snap them in half like a steak.
"Diamond Hedgehog!" He doesn't make it as a sphere made of crystals smashes against his side and sends him towards the other end of the caver. Blastmon uncoils himself while grinning. "How about we wrap this up?" He asked his two friends.
"I'm ready!" Magnaangemon says, lifting his sword and dashing towards the downed lizard.
With a roar, Leviamon composes himself and when he sees the angel, he launches his tails at him. Big mistake. Magnangemon swung Excalibur and cut through the tails like a hot knife through butter. It wasn't just one cut either, he severed several sections of the tails leaving what once were a pair of natural lethal weapons nothing more than useless stomps.
"Y-YOU…!" Leviamon seethed in anger and pain at the loss of his tails. His mouth gathered flames as he aimed them at the angel, his attention solely on him.
"Prism Blast!"
A white-hot laser was shot from Blastmon's mouth as all of his crystals glowed with energy. Leviamon didn't had the change to change the course of his attack as the beam impacted against him engulfing him entirely and burning his body away.
However, unbeknown to the Digidestined, as his body was being turned to dust. Leviamon smiled. 'My purpose was fulfilled. Everything shall go as our master desires… Soon these kids will… fall… Child of Light… will be ours…' His thoughts vanished along with his body, leaving the Digidestined as the winners.
"YES!" Blastmon pumped his arms as he smiled. "YEE-HAW! I love this!"
T.K exhaled in relief as Magnaangemon floated next to him before reverting to Patamon and laying on his head, "It's over…" the blonde said. But he frowned as he looked at the state of his sleeves, they've been thorned when Leviamon broke free. 'Now I can't use much of my ability… I'll have to use the other Nen techniques and rely on Patamon and Blastmon…'
Speaking of…
"Woo… Okay… Adrenaline coming down…" Blastmon said as he put his hands on his hips. "I'm gonna De-evolve soon so…"
"Don't!" T.K hurriedly said, taking his backpack and running towards him. "Eat as much as you need, but do NOT go back to normal!"
"But… T.K…" Blastmon blinked, baffled at the blonde's response.
"When Kari and I returned to normal we were completely drained," T.K explained. "It wasn't just our fight with Daemon, with Mephismon too. We were out cold for the rest of the day. If you return to normal, the same could happen and we can't take on that risk in this world."
He offered the backpack with most of the supplies. "Seeing that Cody's backpack is no longer an option, its best you hold on to this one," he told him with a smile.
From the core, Cody just stared at the backpack with a small frown. "T.K…"
"Damn, guess all this power does come up with a downside…" Armadillomon's voice resonated, heavy with worry.
Blastmon nodded and grabbed the backpack. "Got it. I'll hold it until we meet with the others…" He rummaged and picked up some of the canned items. And much to his own surprise, as well as his friends he felt compelled towards its shiny exterior and did swallow it whole without a problem. "Hmmm. That hit the spot…"
T.K and Patamon sweatdropped.
So did Cody in the core, who blinked. "I… Don't know what possessed us to do that…"
"It tasted good though!" Armadillomon replied.
"R-Right…" T.K said, with an awkward chuckle.
"Try to save some for me!" Patamon whined from a top of the boy's head.
Blastmon looked around, trying to find a way out. "So where to next?"
T.K looked down at his Digivice. He noticed that, the yellow dot that represented Cody was still next to him, so during the Matrix evolution the signal was still detected. Aside from that, he started to see that most of his friends were gathering in groups of two:
The pink and blue dot, Kari and Davis were together and so were the black and red one, Yolei and Ken. The only one left was… the white one.
T.K frowned. "We follow the white one…" He decided. "That's Killua's Digivice, the one Oikawa has. Its our chance to at the least put an end to what he's doing." He took out his D-Terminal and quickly typed the plan, hoping that the others received the message.
Blastmon nodded. A determined look on his face. "I'm ready for it."
"No more doubts." Cody declared inwardly. Ready for anything that might happen.
The three took off in the direction of the white dot. Whatever comes next, they felt was going to be decisive to end the battle they've been battling since the start of the year.
From within his throne room, Dagomon's tentacles parted and a smile made itself known in its maw. "Foolish Children… It went just as I planned…" One of them had unlocked its power. The preference would have been for them to be destroyed, but if his plans works out then it won't be long for that. "Your sacrifice won't be forgotten, my children. Our world will turn for the best! Child of Light… Your foolish resistance will cease when the dead bodies of your friends are in front of your eyes!"
He cackled with mad glee. His laughter echoing through the chamber, sounding like two of himself sharing his joy. The ideal world, the new evolution for the Deadmon, and the end of this rotten era was coming. And its foundation will start with the dead of the Anomaly and the Digidestined!
*Pokes head from behind a shield* Hi…
It's been over two months… the longer I've been without updating I think… Sorry.
I think I finally reached my first burn out with the story. I really do want to finish it, but the execution of original chapters is hard when I don't have another one to base myself off.
On that note, I publish the first chapter of a new story on my P atreon, here's the link:
www . p atreon user /membership? u = 86905404
Eliminate the spaces.
Please leave a review, it pushes me forward into working harder in finishing this story. If my calculations are right… five chapters to go for this Arc.
And who knows how long for the rest.
Love u. Bye!