Digimon TCG: The Omnian War and the Dragon King's Ascent
[Manhattan, New York, the evening after the funeral…]
"I'm so glad you could come on short notice. Hope this isn't awkward for you?"
Those were the first few words Homura told Kaden as he entered the backroom of the Shinku no hi grill restaurant that evening. What was once a private party room for him and his friends has now become a meeting space. Sierra was already present, in mid-conversation, when one of the waitresses led Kaden back here.
"Riley and the others aren't with you?" Kaden asked Sierra.
"They don't need to be present for this," She replied as Homura pulled out a seat for him.
Whether they were here or not didn't make him feel any less anxious. Between walking out on them in the hospital and getting into that fight with Riley, Kaden felt like trash. Sierra and Homura were adults, so he hoped they understood his side of things, and that would explain why they invited him. And if not, he hoped that he could articulate himself. The truth of the matter was that he felt terrified, helpless at that moment. He thought his friends got hurt, which is why he ran off during his shift. And then, his Dad and Sierra came down on him, making it seem like he was in the wrong all of a sudden. And when the news broke that Principal Richardson passed, so did he. He couldn't take it anymore and tried to get away to catch his breath. But then Nico reminded him that that was wrong too. But the worse of it was Riley, who painted a picture for him of what kind of person he was, the kind of person he never dreamt he would become, the one he seemed to have always been. The one that Dexter said he was from the very beginning.
An egocentric narcissist.
"So," Kaden took a seat at the table. "How did I mess up this time?"
Homura was surprised by the question and turned to Sierra for inquiry. Sierra contemplated her next few words. "You're not in trouble or anything…"
"Really? Because it seems like everyone wants to give me an earful lately. So, what did I do to piss you off?"
The question was directed towards Homura, who blinked. "Actually, I called you here to apologize."
"…come again?"
"We found out who sabotaged your match," Sierra revealed.
"What?"
Homura raised his D-Streamer and pulled up a projection, after which he swiped it forward so it appeared on Kaden's wrist. Kaden read the projection, and his throat tightened. "How did…?"
"Lord Vermil is a powerful shareholder for STREAM Corp," Homura explained. "So naturally, as my sponsor, he wasn't too pleased with the events, and since we were to battle once more, he had his people do some digging on his behalf. As you can see, your submitted decklist did include those DNA Digivolution cards. However, it seems that someone has it out for you.
All the while, Kaden was scrolling through the report, finally pulling up an image of a cloaked figure. "So, my decklist was hacked…?"
"Before the match, I and everyone else were given faulty lists. I don't know who you upset, but whoever they were, they wanted you to ruin your reputation."
Kaden scrolled a bit more, only to find a clip of said hood figure moving within the shadows of an alleyway. Pulling off his hood, the cloaked figure revealed his face as Dexter Underwood, a classmate that's been inadvertently responsible for this mental spiral of his. "I know him! He hangs around the one who bullied Milo all the time!"
"Well, now, isn't that interesting?"
"He also warned me about Milo, claiming that he was using me for his own gain and a bunch of other crap." Trying to process this, Kaden groaned and ruffled his hair, "I don't understand; he had every opportunity to come after me, so why wait until the exhibition match between us?"
"Likely to also cause disruption amongst the Sovereign Four," Sierra replied. She took a second to soften her voice some, "Sidenote, I'm sorry for what happened to you, Kaden. If I had this information sooner, know that I would've—!"
"It's fine," Kaden said. "With what I know now, I realize you were doing your duty. And…I'm sorry for everything I've done. I think this time around…I've bitten off more than I can chew.
Sierra smiled. "Of course you have. But remember what I told you before?"
"I have you guys to back me up…" He said, trying to smile. The idea that he didn't have Riley, Nico, and Milo to lean on in this only made him regret his actions more. "That said, that's also weird. I left Omnia for, like, what, a few weeks? A month maybe? Did he start weaving his way into my space because of that? It's like he wanted me to stay out of Omnia for some reason.
"According to Salan, he was approached by this person and was lured by the power of the Nadir District," Homura explained. "While not confirmed, I believe that the Nadir district has something to do with this."
"The Nadir District?" Kaden repeated. He ran into Salan when he and Milo first went onto Omnia, and back then, there were purple cards in his deck. What do you mean by that?"
Homura hesitated to speak further. A confused Kaden turned to Sierra for insight, to which she sighed. "He's not 'officially' my vassal, so I haven't gotten around to disclosing Omnia's true nature.
"But you've disclosed that information to Riley?"
"Because she's a special case…."
"What are you two talking about…?" Kaden asked.
They both looked at him, and Sierra decided within herself to come clean. "Kaden…it's time you knew the truth about Omnia…
Chapter 1: Knights X Samurai
Why was he here...? What anchored him to this place? Was it guilt? Did he feel responsible for what happened to his friends? Milo's gone, and Riley's...
Kaden touched the window that separated him from the comatose girl on the other side. Though her injuries were no longer life-threatening, the doctors were unsuccessful in waking her up. Hooked up to IVs and Oxygen to keep her stable, Riley was forcing everyone to play the waiting game, making Kaden especially feel guilty. He should've been stronger. For all the talk of being a hero, he walked away when he was needed most. His friends were hurting, and instead of pushing aside his pain, he ran away from it like a coward.
And they were hurt because of it.
After learning about who framed him, what Omnia truly was, and STREAM Corp's ties to it, he, Sierra, and Homura devised a plan to use their exhibition match as a trap. At that point, Kaden was confident in his intentions and felt he could use this to solidify in his mind and heart that he was a true hero and that he wasn't doing this for selfish reasons. Little did he realize that the damage was already done, and the wheels of fate were set in motion.
"So that's what she looks like IRL..." a young voice underneath Kaden spoke up.
Kaden looked down and almost jumped, finding a petite Hispanic girl beside him. She had to have been eleven or twelve, studying Riley's comatose body with curiosity. The girl looked up at Kaden, causing him to shy away some.
"She's prettier than I imagined..." the young girl noted, turning to Kaden.
Kaden didn't respond. The girl continued to stare until he looked back at her. "I... guess."
"Hmm..." She began to study him, making him feel more awkward.
"Um...why are you staring at me like that?" Kaden didn't shy from asking.
"Sorry. You're pretty, too, I guess..."
Kaden was taken aback, unsure whether to accept the compliment or not. "Thanks...?"
The girl nodded and went back to staring through the window. "The match you two had...was fascinating."
"Oh. You watched the stream?"
The girl shook her head, "I was there, along with Dr. Woods and Lady Azurena."
Kaden blinked. "What?"
"Bianca! Where are you?" A new voice called out, followed by a young man stumbling toward the corner of the hall. Looking down, he caught a glimpse of the girl and Kaden and quickly ran over. "Bianca!"
The girl known as Bianca jolted and scurried behind Kaden like a frightened animal. Kaden found himself defensive as the young man slowed down.
"Bianca, leave him alone and come back to your room. The conference has already begun, and you need to finish getting ready."
"I don't want to!" She replied, sticking her tongue out. Seeing that made Kaden relax, helping him to understand that this wasn't a dire situation.
The young man pinched the bridge of his nose, "Bee, please don't make this difficult."
Bianca shook her head defiantly. Kaden was beginning to feel awkward for a different reason now. So he turned around to the girl, her looking up at him due to the several inches she lacked by comparison.
"Sorry, but please don't use me as a shield," he told her.
Bianca blinked in surprise but reluctantly nodded, releasing Kaden and making her way to the young man.
"Apologies for that; she can sometimes be a bit bratty."
"I have experience, trust me." Kaden chuckled. "I'm Kaden,"
"Justin," The young man shook Kaden's hand. "I take it you're an X-Streamer?"
Kaden paused, the invitation still lingering, even days later. "I haven't decided as of yet. Are you?"
Justin shook his head, "I'm actually serving as Lady Onyxa's Vassal," he patted Bianca's head as he stated his role.
Kaden looked down and made the connection in his head, "This is Lady Onyxa?"
Bianca shied away, this time taking refuge behind Justin. Kaden heart fluttered a little, noting how adorable she was, albeit socially awkward.
"Indeed, this is the Western Representative."
Kaden processed that, thinking to himself how a typical eleven-year-old girl would be into little girl things like make-up and ponies rather than be a full-on District Representative. "She must be incredibly strong."
"I take it you've never seen her battle before?" Justin asked, trying to gauge Kaden's interest.
"Since when is it that any of the Representatives demonstrate their full power?" Kaden asked, bringing up a valid point.
Justin smirked, "Well, so long as you stay here, maybe we can arrange some time to— oh, Nico!" Justin called out to the teen as he made his way down the other end of the hall.
Kaden tensed and turned, finding said teen coming down in their direction, walking with crutches and a bandaged leg. His scratches and bruises were mostly gone, but the injured leg was going to take some time.
"Yo Justin," Nico called out. "Hey, Kaden..."
"What's up...?" Kaden replied, the tension between them evident.
"Oh y'know, busted leg, but that's what I get for being reckless. You?"
"Bruised ego, but I deserve it..."
Justin looked towards both of them and wisely backed up. "Come, Bianca, before Dr. Woods has both of our heads."
Bianca agreed and followed Justin down the hallway from where they came, leaving Kaden and Nico alone. Like Kaden, Nico trekked over to the window and peered inside, seeing Riley sound asleep, with only the beeping devices surrounding her, giving some sense of solace and comfort.
"You're still blaming yourself, aren't you?" Nico asked.
Kaden didn't answer, turning away from the window. It was easier to watch her when he was alone. Nico then turned to him, "Is that why you agreed to be an X-Streamer?"
"I didn't agree to anything!" Kaden reacted.
"You didn't deny the offer either, did you?!" Nico snapped back.
Kaden couldn't argue that. Nico exhaled and apologized. "This whole thing is a mess..."
"How so?"
"It's a long and complicated story that I don't have the patience to explain."
"Then don't bring it up then," Kaden replied, looking back through the window. The two boys were silent for a whole minute before Kaden spoke up again, "What if I did become an X-Streamer?"
"I'd think you're stupid…but I wouldn't blame you either…" Nico admitted. "I know you want to find Milo and get to the bottom of what happened between him and Riley."
"Doesn't sound very heroic, does it?"
"Not that you ever were a hero to begin with."
They made eye contact with each other, and Kaden's voice held itself back. It was becoming easier to believe Dexter's words at this point. Now Nico was joining the others in the echoing.
"Take it from someone who's not a hero," Nico began, "Most do it for the attention, while few do it because it is the right thing to do."
"And you? Why did you keep tabs on Riley this whole time since it's clear your 'crush' was nothing but words?"
Before Nico could answer, Homura turned the corner and caught a glimpse of the pair. Kaden turned around and made eye contact with him as he came down the hall towards them.
"Homura, what are you doing here?" Kaden asked. "Isn't the conference still going on?"
"Dr. Whitaker is in the middle of her talk. We still have time until she's done. On that note, can I borrow you for a few minutes?"
"…yeah, I guess."
"I'll keep an eye on Riley," Nico stated. "It is my job, after all."
"'Your job?'" Kaden repeated. He then realized the implication and excused himself with Homura. So that's what it was.
Riley was just a "job" to him.
"The in-house codename of this test was 'Endless Summer,'" Melanie continued on with her talk, cycling through slides. Some of you may be wondering why it was called such. The answer is that Omnia itself is not just an expansion of Babylon, as is the notion. Omnia is an alternate dimension that runs alongside this one."
Gasps and murmurs erupted from the streamers in the audience, who tried to make sense of the new information. Melanie continued by unveiling early testing and the negative effects of it. "The origin of my nickname came from not only discovering Omnia, but also being the first human to set foot on that world. There, I discovered that time flows vastly different than it normally does. Case in point, my team and I periodically spent a week's worth in Omnia in Earth time. As a result, we've seen thirty years' worth of development in that world. With this breakthrough, SAIBA Enterprise first unveiled Omnia as the Babylon expansion we all know it to be at Riverbed Academy in January of this year. Students were invited to partake in the scheduled Beta Test, but that's where we first ran into our first major issue.
She switched the slide, briefly playing a clip of the breaking news story of that day. "What was reported as a cyberterrorism attack was actually our first contact with the Nadir District, as we know them now. Recognizing the unusual relationship between Humans and Digimon, a Digimon inhabiting a Saibatar form known as 'Sorin' attempted to kidnap those who showed potential to have a great influence on them, to harvest their bonds and convert it to power, in order to conquer Omnia and Earth by extension…." Melanie paused for a minute as memories began to flood her mind. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she tried to continue.
Those in the crowd noticed the sudden shakiness of their speaker and began to murmur some more. Melanie tried to continue, blocking out their words and the thoughts in her mind. "Sorry…I repeatedly practiced this part and promised I wouldn't get choked up…" She cleared her throat and sniffled.
Not having patience, Mason stepped forward and shoved Melanie aside, "The point is this," his voice boomed with a commanding tone, startling Melanie before she could snap at him. "The Nadir district has mobilized after many months and is beginning their attack once again. Having decades to prepare in terms of Omnian time, they are stronger and faster and won't rest until Omnia is under their control. STREAM Corp is contracted to work alongside AEGIS and SAIBA Enterprise to quell this threat and protect both worlds by any means."
Melanie was shocked by Mason's sudden interruption and was pulled away by Miranda before she could get a word in.
"Therefore, Project X-Stream has been approved to go into effect, and we're looking for candidates to help us fight. You all may be entertainers, but I would argue that you all bear a responsibility to your audiences to fight. So, what will it be? Will you leave and turn your back on the people who supported your goals all this time? Or will you fight for their safety? You all have until tomorrow morning to make a decision, so think hard about it…"
"What are we doing here?" Kaden asked as Homura led him into the training area.
"I was thinking about how we have yet to have our rematch," Homura replied, unlocking the door with his D-Streamer. As the entrance slid open, Kaden remained skeptical. Homura took a few steps in and turned, "You look as if you want to ask me something."
"Are you really going through with being an X-Streamer?"
"I am."
"Even though you have a duty as Lord Vermil's Vassal?"
"Lord Vermil was the one who recommended me."
"And you're still going through with it?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking me," Homura admitted. "Are you concerned that Sierra would be opposed to it?"
Kaden wasn't sure if that's what he thought, though that did cross his mind. Homura answered his question, "Despite my relationship with her, I have a duty as a STREAM Corp affiliate to do my part. Therefore, there was no question when approached."
"...just how bad was it?" Kaden asked.
"I couldn't do a single thing to save anyone. Sure, we were able to pull the users out, but the Digimon..."
The guilt on Kaden's shoulders grew heavier. Sierra explained to him how the districts have been sectioned off from the greater world around them all this time, and how the Digimon were truly living beings as opposed to highly developed AI.
As if he needed any other reminders of how weak he truly was.
"Miranda gave you her incentive, didn't she?" Homura said, taking a few steps backward.
Kaden looked up and revealed the card given to him. The hologram rotated about, depicting an illustration resembling Magnamon; however, its blue limbs were more pronounced and bulkier, while its golden armor was jagged and glowing. As Miranda put it, it was the other half of her gift from before.
The Miracle of X: Magnamon X-Antibody.
"As a heads up, the X-Antibody Digimon pack a punch," Homura stated, turning around and crossing further to his designated spot. You would be saving lives if you took her up on the offer."
Kaden studied the card a bit more as he reflected on Homura's words. He could only wonder what made it so if this thing was labeled as such. Besides, this wasn't the first time he'd seen an X-Antibody Digimon first-hand; Miranda used Angewomon X-Antibody in her battle against Brandon back then, and that was just a Level 5 Digimon. He could only imagine how powerful a Level 6 could be in that case...
"Fine, bring it on," Kaden accepted Homura's challenge. He got into position and stood across from Homura, ready to get started.
Homura said he had a duty to take this power. Was it the same for him? Was that the reason why he took this card from Miranda?
For now, he'd like to believe so...
"Allow me to set the scene for us," Homura said, pressing buttons on his device. Moments later, the blank white room shifted, and Kaden found himself in the Central District Coliseum. He was startled by the crowd's cheers, though he was able to remind himself that it was just a part of the augmented reality of it all. Homura crossed his arms as a red binary stream stirred around him, transforming himself into Gurenmaru before Kaden's eyes. He then motioned to a surprised Kaden to do the same, prompting the teen to search his own device for the option.
Blue binary encircled him and dressed him in the augmented cobalt armor he was familiar with. His dragon helmet hiding his facial expression, he couldn't help but feel a bit of discomfort, so he pulled it off and threw it aside. Homura raised his arm, prompting Kaden to do the same.
"DIGI-GATE: OPEN!"
"You can have the first move," Homura stated.
Kaden nodded. "I'll start by hatching DemiVeemon!"
The blue mini dragon Digimon appeared on Kaden's side, bouncing about cheerfully.
DemiVeemon (BT2-002)
Level: 2
Color: Blue
"DemiVeemon digivolves into Veemon, then I play a second Veemon from my hand to end my turn." Kaden proceeded, transforming his initial Digimon into a child-sized blue dragon Digimon with a yellow "V" on its forehead. An identical Digimon appeared in front within the battle area, both of which were eager to fight.
Veemon (EX1-013)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Veemon (ST9-02)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Homura)
"When Veemon enters play, I reveal the top 3 cards of my deck and add one card with 'Free' from among its traits to my hand." Kaden thrust his hand forward, resulting in Veemon glowing and summoning three cards above it. They revealed themselves as Lobomon, Flamedramon, and BT3 Veemon. Kaden picked Flamedramon and sent the others to the bottom.
Homura drew, "My move then. I hatch Koromon!"
A pink ball Digimon with red eyes bounced to live on Homura's side, equally full of life like Kaden's Digimon.
Koromon (BT9-001)
Color: Red
Level: 2
I digivolve Koromon into Agumon, then play a second Agumon directly into the Battle Area," he continued, digivolving the pink ball into an orange dinosaur the size of Veemon, armed with red grips on its hands. A second one appeared in the Battle Area, this one completely black and lacking the handgrips.
Agumon (ST7-02)
Color: Red
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Agumon (BT8-058)
Color: Black
Level; 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
3-0
"When Agumon enters play, I reveal the top 4 cards of my deck to add a Digimon with 'Greymon' in its name, as well as a Dragonkin-type Digimon to my hand," Homura explained as he mimicked Kaden's gesture, unveiling the four cards: Nokia Shiramine, Dark Gaia Force, BlackWarGreymon, and a Digimon known as Gaiomon. Homura retrieved the latter two and sent the others to the bottom of his deck. "I end by playing ToyAgumon."
Finally, a Lego-variant of Agumon appeared on Homura's side, the colorful block Digimon stiffly taking a stance in the Battle Area.
ToyAgumon (BT2-055)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 1000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Kaden)
"Nostalgic," Kaden stated, examining the trio of Agumon variants. "Looks like you haven't changed much."
Homura smirked, "I made sure I kept tabs on your battles since your reappearance. Your rush tactics are troublesome, yes, but are also manageable."
"So that means I have a shot then?" Kaden grinned
"Don't get ahead of yourself," he replied, surrendering the turn. "I have yet to see your new strength firsthand."
"Well, I won't keep you waiting then," Kaden drew and went into action. Veemon moves onto the battle area, then Armor Digivolves into Flamedramon!"
Veemon dashed out and flipped into the air as a red and blue binary stream surrounded it. It landed, growing taller and armed with flame-decaled armor covering its limbs and head.
Flamedramon (BT8-012)
Color: Red/Blue
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
3-1
"Flamedramon, show him what you're made of! Security Attack!" Kaden ordered, sending his Digimon flying off like a rocket. "When Flamedrmaon attacks, it gets +3000 DP for the turn.
Flamedramon pulled its gauntleted fist back and punched the Security sent to intercept it. From it emerged a lanky but muscular yellow dragonkin Digimon with an oversized-red-clawed right arm that it used to counter Flamedramon.
Flamedramon: 5000-8000 DP
Cyclomon: 5000 DP
Flamedramon punched Cyclomon's meaty arm back, landed beneath it, and countered with a rising uppercut that sent Cyclomon flying up towards the artificial sky, dispersing it.
Homura
Security: 5-4
"Not bad at all…" he commented.
"I never said I was done," Kaden said while taking another card from hand. "My other Veemon will digivolve into ExVeemon!"
The second Veemon embraced the mono-blue binary and transformed into a white-winged, bipedal blue dragon Digimon, somewhat resembling a more mature, un-armored variation of Flamedramon.
ExVeemon (BT3-025)
Color: Blue
Level: 4
DP: 4000
MEMORY
1-1(Turn Change: Homura)
"When my Digimon digivolves into ExVeemon, I can unsuspend any of my Level 4 or lower Digimon. I unsuspend Flamedramon, triggering the IE effects of DemiVeemon, giving it +1000 DP, but also Veemon, giving me a Memory and, thus, extending my turn."
Flamedramon: 8000-9000 DP
MEMORY
1-0
"Flamedramon, round 2! Security Attack!" Kaden ordered, sending Flamedramon to, this time, take a running start before launching into the air. After a flip, it lined itself up for a flaming landing kick, taking out Homura's security and unveiling the black Agumon beneath.
Flamedramon: 9000-12,000 DP
Agumon: 4000 DP
Homura
Security: 4-3
"ExVeemon, you're up! Security Attack!" Kaden ordered, sending ExVeemon to take to the sky. Crossing its arms, energy began to build on its torso, after which it fired a V-shaped laser that shot down toward Homura. From his Security, the cyborg dinosaur Digimon, known as MetalGreymon, reacted by opening its chest cavity and firing back a plasma beam that crashed into ExVeemon's laser.
ExVeemon: 4000 DP
MetalGreymon: 7000 DP
ExVeemon was overwhelmed by the blast, though the damage was done.
Homura
Security: 3-2
"Lastly, I'll play the Option Card: Awakening of the Golden Knight. Since I have a Digimon with Armor Form in its traits, I can use this card regardless of the color. That said, I can digivolve one of my Armor Digimon into a card with 'Magnamon' in its name, ignoring requirements and cost!
Homura was taken aback by the explanation, realizing that this card was new to his deck. He did have days, after all, to alter it around Magnamon X. It Seemed as though Miranda gave him tools to assist in that. He looked up; the darkening sky above did little to ease his excited nerves.
"Now, Flamedramon, ignite with the golden radiance of the Miracle of X!" Kaden exclaimed, causing Flamedramon to be struck by virtual lightning, being consumed by a golden pillar of light.
The room lit up, making the artificial arena feel lifelike. The pillar felt like sun rays against Homura's skin as he squinted his eyes, trying to focus on the morphing figure within. Kaden likewise held his ground, facing the transformation of his Digimon into his potential new ace. As the light died down, his Digimon stood as if like a golden giant, it's muscular limbs and tail tensing alive and sparks of electricity springing and cackling off the golden armor of its being.
This was Magnamon X.
Magnamon (X Antibody) (BT9-044)
Color: Yellow/Blue
Level: 6
DP: 11,000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Homura)
Homura took note of Kaden's expression and felt the need to speak up, "Looking nervous over there,"
Kaden snapped out of his trance and stared back, "Huh?"
"I said Agumon moves into the Battle Area," He stated, making his Digimon march forward in the face of the golden titan. "With Koromon's IE effect, Agumon gets +1000 DP."
Agumon: 2000-3000 DP
"I send my black Agumon to attack your Security!" Homura declared, sending his Digimon charging. Kaden's sudden smirk tipped him off that it was a bad move, and with that, his gaze shifted upward. Homura watched as Magnamon's tail suddenly whipped Agumon into the holographic stands, dispersing into a red binary.
"Mhmm..." Homura said, processing the quick turn of events.
"When Magnamon X has a card with Armor or X Antibody in its traits, any attacks you send at me get redirected to it. Also, if he were to be deleted, the top card would get sent onto my Security Stack."
"Mhmm..." Homura said again. "Figured as much."
"You figured as much? What's that mean?"
"Agumon digivolves into Greymon; its effect regains me a memory due to its source being Agumon, therefore making the cost for digivolution 1."
Kaden felt oddly tense as Homura's Digimon transformed into a larger blue-striped orange dinosaur with a horned helmet. Greymon roared upon finishing its evolution.
Greymon (BT5-010)
Color: Red
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
3-1
1-2
"I end by digivolving my Greymon into MetalGreymon, de-digivolving Magnamon X-Antibody through its effect."
"Are you kidding me?!" Kaden exclaimed as Greymon was doused in red and black binary, transforming into a blue variation of the cyborg dinosaur.
MetalGreymon (BT8-067)
Color: Black/Red
Level: 5
DP: 8000
MetalGreymon once more opened its chest cavity and fired off rockets this time around, causing Magnamon X to erect an energy shield to defend. However, it didn't do much as the explosion shrouded it and Kaden and caused the room to shake. When the smoke cleared, Kaden begrudgingly bore witness to the weakened Flamedramon.
MEMORY
2-2 (Turn Change: Kaden)
"Don't tell me that shook you?" Homura said, noticing the shift in Kaden's demeanor.
Kaden snickered, "What'd you expect? Of course, I would be annoyed by having my new Ace be trampled so easily."
Homura silently nodded, "Right then, it's your turn."
"Don't remind me…" Kaden drew. "I hatch another DemiVeemon, I digivolve it into another Veemon."
Veemon (BT3-021)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
"Flamedramon Security Attacks!"
Seeking revenge, Flamedramon dashed forward, shooting across the room like an aerodynamic meteor and crashing into Homura's security with blind fury. Homura stood unfazed despite the aggression.
Homura
Security: 2-1
"Security Trigger: Marcus Damon to the Battle Area."
A brown-haired teen with a black tank top, red and white vest, and cargo pants materialized on Homura's side, cracking his knuckles and sizing up the Digimon who broke him out.
Marcus Damon (BT4-092)
Color: Red
"I end by playing my own Tamer, Davis Motomiya," Kaden said, summoning a slightly younger Tamer compared to Homura's, also with brown hair. This Tamer wore goggles on his head, a jacket with flame decals on the sides, sleeves, and yellow gloves.
MEMORY
2-2 (Turn Change: Homura)
"When Davis enters play, I reveal the top 3 cards of my deck, and I can take one blue Digimon and a green Digimon from among them," Kaden explained as Davis held his Digivice into the air. The cards revealed were: Magnamon, Lobomon, and Hammer Spark. Kaden took Lobomon, intending on using Davis as a finisher if it came down to it, given the circumstances.
"Marcus sets my Memory to 3," Homura stated, drawing afterward.
MEMORY
2-3
"I hatch Koromon, then digivolve it into Agumon." He followed, summoning a black Agumon into his Raising Area. "What do you plan on doing if you manage to find Milo?"
Kaden blinked, "Huh?"
"I'm sure you're aware of this by now; He's the younger brother of the Project X-Stream leader, Mason Ward. If you do manage to find Milo, what will you do…?"
"Why are you asking me this now of all times?!" Kaden exclaimed.
"Because I finally had a chance," Homura replied simply. "Not all of us can lie in bed and feel sorry for ourselves, you know?"
Kaden's voice caught, and then he growled, "Screw off! You don't know anything about me!"
"It doesn't take much," Homura crossed his arms. "You're as opaque as air. It's almost a shame how you wear your thoughts on your face."
Homura's provoking further pushed Kaden's buttons. He didn't need this verbal abuse, not when his head is, and has been all over the place recently. "Hurry up and end your turn so I can shut you up!"
"Very well then," Homura unfurled his arms. "MetalGreymon, Security Attack. Marcus suspends to regain me a memory."
MEMORY
3-4
His Digimon roared and thrust its metal arm out, launching its claw forward to crash into Kaden's security. Lighdramon, an electric-based armored bestial variation of Veemon, appeared from the Security but was decimated by the retractable claw when it whipped down on it.
Kaden
Security: 4-3
"ToyAgumon, Security Attack."
The Lego Agumon hopped forward and shot out a Lego-like fireball block that crashed into Kaden's following Security. ExVeemon emerged and countered, coming down on ToyAgumon and smashing it with matching aggression.
Kaden
Security: 3-2
"Now then, come forth, Jet-Black Dragon Knight, and vanquish those who dare defy your might! MetalGreymon digivolves into BlackWarGreymon!" Homura exclaimed, playing the card on top of MetalGreymon. The streams of binary encircled it and caused an expanse of power to encapsulate it. Kaden shielded himself from the intensity of the transaction as MetalGreymon soon became a black, bipedal dragon warrior with obsidian-stained armor and a bright tuff of blonde hair to go along with its other highlights.
BlackWarGreymon (BT8-070)
Color: Black/Red
Level: 6
DP: 12,000
MEMORY
4-0
Kaden looked up at the Digimon and felt himself back in that stadium all that time before. He remembered being at the mercy of that fiend, with security break after break. And the events that followed. The spiral, the recovery, the endless hours of training, and the unexpected events at the end. He didn't think about it until now, but maybe it was good that Magnamon X was taken out so quickly.
Because doing so just gave him the opportunity to achieve his goal—to take down the monster that Homura commanded.
"Nostalgic?" Homura asked, taking note once more of Kaden's twisted grin.
"Very," he looked at Homura, "Fun fact, thanks to my Digimon's Armor Purge, you can't delete with its effect. You want it gone; you better ram into it.''
Homura tilted his head and scoffed a little, "That's right…you don't know the full effect of BlackWarGreymon, do you?"
Kaden froze, "What?"
"If I recall correctly, during our match way back when, I explained to you that I could delete any number of your Digimon with a total cost of 6 or less so long as I had a red Digivolution source…"
"Yeah? And?"
"You didn't have any tamers on the field during that time, so I never had the need to explain the second part."
Kaden's eyes widened. "But wait a second! All of your sources are—! MetalGreymon's…!"
"Black and Red, therefore fulfilling the requirements of the second part of the effect." Homura continued, "That Dexter guy I battled also had the same terrified expression on his face. In short, I can also target your Tamers when BlackWarGreymon possesses a black digivolution card, so naturally, my target isn't Flamedramon, but is Davis Motomiya, who has a cost of 4."
"NO!" Kaden cried.
"Dragon Crusher!" Homura exclaimed, having BlackWarGreymon raise its claw and stab the ground, sending waves of black flames toward Davis. The frantic Tamer reacted by shielding himself, but with no defense, Davis was blasted back to Kaden's disbelief and was dispersed into binary.
Kaden realized he was shaking by the time the smoke cleared. He stared at the charred spot where Davis once stood and turned slowly back to Homura.
"As for Flamedramon…" He took a card from his hand. "BlackWarGreymon, take hold of the X Antibody, becoming the Crimson Blade of X!"
Kaden felt the air leave his body, realizing that he was so lost in his head that the idea that Homura had an X Antibody Digimon slipped his mind. BlackWarGreymon roared as the X Antibody orb appeared before it. Slashing at it, the data dispersed and enraptured it, turning its obsidian armor bronze with black and red guards and highlights. Armed with two jagged blades, BlackWarGreymon resembled a futuristic samurai aesthetically.
"Meet my X Antibody Digimon: Gaiomon, the Crimson Blade of X." Homura introduced.
Gaiomon (BT9-068)
Color: Black/Red
Level: 6
DP: 13,000
MEMORY
0-2 (Turn Change: Kaden)
"Since I have a black source, Gaiomon de-digivolves one of your Digimon by 1 level," Homura stated, with Gaiomon swinging one of its blades, sending a black wave of energy that knocked Flamedramon on its back, breaking its armor, forcing it to revert into Veemon.
"What about its red source? That does something, too, doesn't it?!" Kaden shouted bitterly.
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does!" Kaden insisted. "Why won't you reveal it?!"
"Because, unlike you, I don't put my strategies on full display," Homura shot back, shaper than his previous replies. That shut Kaden up. Homura wasn't one to be pushed to annoyance, but Kaden definitely was finding a way to that end.
Kaden drew, finding another BT3 ExVeemon. Moving his Veemon in Raising outward, it had Jamming. With one Security left, even if Homura had an Option card to delete his other Digimon, the first Veemon could digivolve into ExVeemon, unsuspend itself, and go for the game.
This game was as good as his.
"Veemon, Final Security Attack!" Kaden ordered, sending his Digimon to strike. His Jamming Veemon charged through Homura's final Security…
And dispersed in an orange light, as did the other Veemon.
Homura
Security: 1-0
"Security Trigger: Giga Storm." Homura revealed, "Up to two of your Digimon with 8000 or less are deleted."
And just like that, Kaden was at Homura's mercy. With limited options, he bitterly played the ExVeemon directly; if the counter were gonna switch to 3 anyway due to Marcus, then he'd had nothing to lose by doing this.
MEMORY
2-3 (Turn Change: Homura)
Homura drew and moved Agumon into the Battle Area. "I don't say what I say to upset you."
"Then why say anything at all?"
"To help you figure out where your head is." He replied. "I don't blame you for feeling as you do, but if you intend to become an X-Streamer, you need to understand the responsibility tied with that power in your possession. Magnamon is a Royal Knight, a hero. And his X Antibody form only emphasizes those heroic traits. Now's good as any time to commit to being a hero.
"But I'm not!" Kaden exclaimed, his face contorting into a pained expression. "I never was a hero, I only pretend to be one!"
Homura paused, allowing Kaden to continue, the latter breaking eye contact and dipping his head, "I finally get it…heroes aren't reckless; they're not egocentric; they don't do things to make them feel better about themselves…and they don't seek revenge either…but I do all those things."
Homura felt unsure of how to respond, especially after seeing a slight glitch on the floor where Kaden's tear dropped. "Gaiomon, Double Security Attack."
Gaiomon nodded, crossing its blades and raising them into the air, causing a virtual bolt of lightning to crash into them. Gaiomon swung its charged blades, sending a wave of electricity careening towards Kaden's intercepting Security. Magnamon appeared and defended, only to be incinerated afterward, while Hammer Spark triggered and pulled the counter to 1, just barely out of reach for Kaden to steal the win.
MEMORY
3-1
Homura sighed, staring at Kaden. "It seems that Cobalius was all talk after all…"
Kaden didn't answer.
"Agumon, end his. Direct Attack!" Homura stated, causing Agumon to take a breath and fire off a fireball that knocked Kaden on his back. With the match over, the reality shifted back to normal, and Homura's Saibatar form peeled back to unveil the man beneath, as did Kaden's armor. He walked over to Kaden and knelt down to help him up, but Kaden looked at him and then back up at the ceiling. Homura took that as an answer and left Kaden to pick himself up when he was ready.
Eventually, he found the strength to get up and proceeded to drag himself back to his room…
"And there we go…" the nurse intern said after replacing the IV bag on the pole. She fiddled with the machine it was connected to with one hand and brushed her brown bang with the other, standing to ensure it was functioning properly. Afterward, she turned to Riley, who lay sleeping. She heard that this girl was someone that Dr. Woods was very fond of. She didn't have access to the details behind it, but if Dr. Woods approved of her, she would be a good kid.
It was a shame, though, that she was in this state, the nurse thought to herself; this girl was one of the victims of that crazy Digimon attack that briefly brought Staten Island into chaos. AEGIS, as usual, did a good job in covering the true events of what happened, though naturally, conspiracy theorists were all over it. Sooner or later, the world will know the truth about what the three organizations are hiding together. But until then, Eliza Romano would continue to be the naïve intern whose father's connections got her a step closer to her dream career.
"Hope you're having sweet dreams there," Eliza told Riley, matching her smile.
As she turned for the door, the slight ruffle of the covers made her pause in step. Turning slightly, Eliza looked over her shoulder and saw a slight squirming motion, pulling her back into the room. She gave it a moment to see if anything else would happen, and the slight flicker of Riley's eyelids did it for her.
Quickly, she raised her D-Streamer to her mouth and pressed a button on the side. "Dr. Woods, it's Riley Ocasio! She's waking up!"
"Ri…ley…" Riley's lips parted and uttered dryly.
"Don't move, I'm going to get the nurse, I'll be right back!" Eliza exclaimed, skipping out of the room.
Riley shuffled around some more as her eyes slowly creaked. "Ri…ley…?"
A soft exhale into her mask preceded her next words.
"Who…is…Ri…ley?"