Digimon Story: Cyber Tamer

by Gettan49

In the near future, society has become more connected than ever, thanks to Cyberspace EDEN. However, one youth's life is changed forever when an old trading card summons a Digimon to his world. This chance encounter leads them on an adventure through cyberspace as evil forces vie for control over both worlds. This is the story of the Cyber Tamers.

3. Digimon Sanctuary

Chapter 3: Digimon Sanctuary

As news of the concert raid spreads all over the world, dawn arrives in Tokyo. It is now Wednesday, two days after the school year began and in a three-story penthouse, on the middle floor of a tall skyscraper in Nakano ward, a black-haired girl is still sound asleep in her comfy bed. The room has plenty of space, which is filled by three bookshelves filled with manga and a large computer sits on the desk opposite the bed. As the girl rolls around in her covers, the bracelet shaped Digivice on her nightstand springs to life. "Wake up Tsukio! It's morning!"

"Mhhm…"

"Tsukio!" the feminine voice shouts, causing the Digivice to shake on the nightstand.

"Hmm…uh…mo…morning…" Tsukio Sora replies and rubs her eyes. Then, as she lets out a loud yawn, she picks up her Digivice, inside which, is a Digimon. "Sorry Lunamon, I slept through the alarm again…"

"You stayed up all night, silly." the white and purple, big-eared rabbit-like Digimon replies.

"I was…*yawn*…thinking about the concert…"

"And it kept you awake, Tsukio. It's not good for your sleeping schedule."

"I know, I know…" Tsukio nods and crawls out of her bed before picking up her dark green school uniform. Then, after a quick shower, she heads to the penthouse's first floor, where a black-haired woman wearing a business outfit is drinking tea in the large, open-concept kitchen.

"Ah, good morning, Tsukio. Did you sleep well?"

"Ye…yes, Mayu…" joining the woman at the table, Tsukio starts eating the breakfast prepared for her. "Is it about the Moon Light concert?" she asks the woman while pointing at the large screen mounted to the wall next to the windows.

"Yes, it's been nothing but the concert. I'm so glad you didn't go there, otherwise you might've lost your account."

"Me too, Mayu…" Tsukio replies and lowers her head slightly as they listen to the news report.

"…following yesterday's brazen attack on Moon Light's concert, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police has issued a joint statement with Interpol about the event. This is in part due to multinational audience and because only 22 attendees out of 400 managed to retain their accounts. According to the statement, both TMP and Interpol have begun a cooperative investigation on the matter and will begin interviewing witnesses within this week. As the creators and owners of the cyberspace, Kamishiro Enterprises is also heavily involved with the investigation, as the attack has slightly affected Kamishiro's stock value. Now, we turn to special reporter Kagawa, who interviewed the TMP's Cyber Crime Division's Chief Investigator, Makiko Date…"

"Date…" finding the surname familiar, Tsukio listens to the interview with intent and notices that the woman, Makiko Date, has a similar hair color to Kyoji but then turns her attention to Mayu, who has just finished her tea.

"Takaya already left; said he was going to do his morning jog on the way to school. I really admire his dedication to the Boxing Club."

"*chuckle* That's so like him."

"He seemed a bit on the edge before he headed out though. Do you know why?"

"I…I think it's…because he heard I quit the Tea Ceremony Club and joined another club."

"Oh yes, you moved to that uhm…what was it again…?"

"The Broadcasting Club…I…I want to get better at talking with others…so I joined…" Tsukio smiles cautiously under her bangs, prompting Mayu to pat her head.

"I'm glad you want to get over your condition, Tsukio, and your parents would be too. It's a shame your father is so busy with work as police commissioner he had to move closer to the police station."

"Yeah…" Tsukio mutters and finishes her breakfast as Mayu stands up.

"Oh, look at the time. We should go as well. You don't want to be late."

"Okay, I'll get my things first."

As she goes back to her room, Tsukio grabs her school bag and puts the Digivice around her left wrist. "Is everything okay, Tsukio? Are you still worried about yesterday?"

"Maybe a little…"

"Oh by the way, you've been getting calls and messages non-stop from someone called Maeda. I didn't know who they were, so I muted them."

"Ehhh?! Ma…Maeda?! Oh no, I forgot to tell her I wasn't at the concert!" Tsukio exclaims and starts going through the messages.

"Tsukio, are you ready?"

"Co…coming!" she replies and dashes out of her room before leaving the penthouse with Mayu, who has tied her black hair into a ponytail, is wearing glasses and now carries a leather briefcase. They board an elevator together which takes them down to the underground car park, where a black sedan is waiting for them. "I'll have to apologize to Senpai when I get to school…"

Driven by Mayu, the black sedan takes Tsukio to North Nakano High School, but she gets out of the car a bit earlier and walks the rest of the way. However, she does her best to avoid any large groups of students and the closer she gets to the school, the stronger her anxiety gets. "You can do it, Tsukio." Lunamon whispers to her as they walk through the front gate, where Tsukio notices a cloud of dust coming from the main entrance.

"TSUKKII!" it is none other than Hana, who is rushing towards her, pushing other students out of her way.

"Se…senpai…" Tsukio stutters as Hana sweeps her into a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay! I tried to call you and message you, but you didn't answer so I thought the hackers got you!" the pink-haired Broadcasting Club President yells and hugs the timid Tsukio even tighter.

"So…sorry, I had to…to cancel…I should've…told you."

"Really? Thank goodness!"

"Wha…what about…y…you?" Tsukio asks as Hana lets go, her smile fading away.

"I had an Escape Gate with me…but the others weren't so lucky. Oh yeah, Date was with me too!"

"Da…Date…?!" Tsukio's voice cracks at the mention of Kyoji's surname as Hana goes on.

"Yeah, oh you should've seen him, he was so coolheaded! He called me later and said he escaped too." Hana then shows a picture she took from the raid, which shows XV-mon grappling with DarkTyrannomon. "But this was like straight out of the movies! That blue…Digimon, I think, showed up and defeated that black one like it was nothing!" However, before Hana can continue, the bell rings. "Ack, stupid bell! Okay, let's meet at the clubroom after school and I'll tell you more!"

"Uh…I…I can't come today…I've got…other things to do…"

"Aw…oh yeah, let's meet up during lunch instead! Unless you don't wanna hang out with a weird Senpai like me." Hana's suggestion surprises Tsukio, who turns slightly red before nodding frantically.

"Su…sure, I'd love…to!"

"Yay! See ya then!" Hana smiles cheerfully before dashing back to the entrance while Tsukio is left stunned.

"She…she wanted…to hang out with me…"

"That's so sweet, Tsukio! I think you just made a new friend!" Lunamon also smiles from the Digivice, while Tsukio feels an odd warmth in her chest.

And then, lunch break arrives and Tsukio leaves swiftly from her classroom, feeling excited at the prospect of spending lunch with a friend. However, as she is about turn around a left corner, she bumps into another student and both stumble to the floor. "Gah…ow…"

"Ow…Eeeeh?! So…sorry…I d…didn't se…see you…I'm so…" however, her frantic apologizing stops the moment she realizes who she bumped into, it is Kyoji and to her shock and horror, his right cheek is covered by a white bandage. "Da…Date…"

"Sora…? Sorry, I was…looking elsewhere." Kyoji replies and stands up before offering his hand to Tsukio. "You okay?"

"I…I…I'm f…fine…" she refuses his hand and gets up by herself. "Sorry!" she shrieks and runs away quickly.

"I thought I was used to people running away from me…" Kyoji thinks and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his dark green school uniform and heads down to the hallway towards the stairs that lead to the roof. However, he does not get far before an angry voice calls out to him.

"Hey you!" At first, Kyoji ignores it but then, the person yells at him again. "What, too cool to answer?!"

"Hmm?" Kyoji looks over his shoulder and sees a furious 3rd year student wearing a red scarf around his head, standing behind him. Kyoji can tell immediately he is a member of sports team and is not there to make friends. "What is it?"

"You bumped into that girl back there."

"Yeah? I apologized." Kyoji replies but the boy walks up to him and glares at him.

"Well next time, watch where you're going."

"What, is she your girlfriend or something? Don't worry, I'll keep my distance."

"Ghh…!" angered by Kyoji's comment, the boy grabs his collar and brings his face really close to Kyoji's. "She's my little sister and if anyone hurts her, they answer to me. Got it?!"

"Yeah, I got it, now can you let go?" then, the boy notices Kyoji's bandaged cheek and instantly let's go.

"You better." he hisses and marches away, while Kyoji lets out a loud sigh.

"Yeesh, talk about a major sister complex." he mutters and heads for the roof.

"Grrr, what a jerk!" Chibimon grumbles inside the Digivice as Kyoji sits down and starts eating his lunch. He was barely able to get any sleep, having made the shocking realization that he had fully gone to EDEN, not just mentally. His injured cheek and the bruises in his arms are proof of that.

"I…could've really died back there…"

"But you didn't, Kyoji! And from now, I'm gonna make sure you won't!"

"Thanks Chibimon…" Kyoji tries to smile to his partner Digimon, when suddenly, he receives a message.

"Ahh! It's from that same guy!"

"Hello again, Kyoji Date.

Yesterday did not go to plan and I am very sorry you ended up in that mess. However, it is now more important than ever that we meet face to face. Me and my associates may be able to answer the many questions you have right now. Please, use this URL. I will be waiting for you in EDEN."

Regards,

Knight.

"What do you think, Chibimon? Should we go?"

"Hmm…I dunno…this still feels fishy…"

"I agree…but…maybe we ought to go. And if something happens, we've got a plan B."

"And a Plan E as well!" Chibimon proclaims proudly, amusing Kyoji.

"Plan E?"

"E for Evolution! Or did you forget?!"

"Hah-hah, of course not. But we can't rely on that alone."

"Yeah, but it's our Ace in the Hole!"

"You learned that from the internet, didn't you?"

…

As the final bell rings, Tsukio leaves the school grounds but at the gate, she runs into the 3rd year boy who accosted Kyoji earlier. "Tsukio! Mind if I hop in the car too?" he asks as they start walking along the sidewalk together.

"Sure…" Tsukio replies silently.

"I uh…heard you changed clubs."

"I did."

"Are you sure that was a good idea? I mean, the Tea Ceremony Club only had girls."

"So what? I didn't like that club."

"But…"

"It's not your business which club I join, Takaya." Tsukio's cold attitude startles the boy, but he keeps his composure.

"I'm your big brother, it is my business. What if someone tries to…"

"It won't happen there!" Tsukio snaps at her brother and increases her walking pace.

"Tsukio! I'm just worried about you, that's all!"

"Well don't. I can take care of myself." she replies bluntly as they approach Mayu's car and get in. However, Tsukio refuses to say a word to her brother. Then, he takes out his goggles shaped Digivice from his pocket and gestures to Tsukio with it.

"I got a message from Knight. Said he wants to meet up again."

"Me too."

"Wonder what's it about…maybe we're gonna go hunt down that hacker who attacked the concert." however, Takaya does not get an answer from Tsukio, who looks away and stares out of the window. Then, the trio returns home and Tsukio makes a beeline for her room.

"Mayu, I'm logging in to EDEN for a bit."

"Okay, just be careful out there."

"I will." Tsukio says before closing the door behind her. Then, she takes a deep breath and falls face first onto her bead. "*exhale* Argh, why is Takaya always like that…"

"He said it himself, he's just worried about you." Lunamon replies as she reads the day's horoscope.

"But he keeps scaring others away from me…why do you think I don't have any friends at school…I…I can't even hold a conversation with anyone and on top of that, he shows up and drives everyone away…"

"He's silly, I agree with that…ooh! Tsukio, today's horoscope says you'll have good luck with your relationships."

"Lunamon, I told you to stop reading those…they never come true…" Tsukio says, her face buried into her blanket.

"But maybe this time it will!"

"I wish I was as optimistic as you, Lunamon…" then, Tsukio rolls on her back and reads through her messages, including the one from Knight. "He still wants to recruit…him…" "Lunamon, let's log on and go see Knight."

"Okidoki!" Lunamon replies cheerfully as Tsukio lays down on her bed and presses a button on her Digivice, which displays her avatar. However, it also displays a second avatar that looks eerily similar to the one Moon Light had. She then clicks the first one before closing her eyes. While her physical body lies in the bed, her mind is connected to EDEN and her avatar logs in, arriving at the EDEN Entrance. The avatar is wearing a purple crop top, a purple mask over her face, a white mini skirt, white gloves, tall black and white boots with a half moon symbol on the left one and a moon sickle on the right boot. Her hair is black and purple striped but tied up in a pony tail with a scrunchie with bunny ears on it.

"Took you long enough, sis." a male voice speaks to her, and it is the cap and leather jacket wearing male avatar from yesterday, Burner or rather, Tsukio's older brother Takaya.

"Whatever, let's go already, big brother." Tsukio says and they leave via the warp pad, before arriving at Kowloon, where their Digimon jump out of their Digivices.

"Ahh, it's so nice step out once in a while." Lunamon says and stretches her arms as the other Digimon, that resembles a bipedal lion cub, looks up at his partner.

"Are we going to fight someone today?" he asks cautiously.

"Not sure yet, Coronamon. But I wouldn't mind kicking some hacker butt." Then, the armor wearing avatar, Knight appears before them. "Gah! When are you going to stop doing that?!"

"It's good that you came here. I've prepared a private area for us. Let's go." Knight says, ignoring Burner's comment and sends a URL to the sibling's Digivices.

"So what's this about?"

"You will see." Knight replies over his shoulder and leaves via the warp pad, prompting Tsukio and a confused Takaya to follow. The trio arrives at a large, round terrace, located in the area between Kowloon and the upper levels of EDEN. "We'll wait here."

"Wait? For what? Hold up, are you still trying to recruit that guy?" Takaya asks and Tsukio can tell he is getting agitated, but Knight does not reply and simply remains silent. "Dammit, why is he acting so mysterious again?" Takaya mutters while Tsukio does not react either.

Then, a white rift appears before them and out of it, steps out Kyoji and his partner Digimon, V-mon. "Where the heck are we…huh?!" he notices the three avatars standing before him, prompting V-mon to jump in-front of Kyoji.

"Hey, that's the jerkface who attacked you yesterday! You were right, this was a trap!"

"Who are you calling jerkface you little…!" but before Takaya can take a step forward, Knight gestures to him with his left hand and approaches Kyoji.

"This is not a trap, Kyoji Date. I simply wanted to meet you face-to-face." Knight says and bows politely to Kyoji, who remains cautious. "My name is Knight. I am the leader of Team Vanguard, and these are my teammates: Burner and Usagi. I want you to join our team."

"Sorry, I'm not joining any hacker team, especially after yesterday." Kyoji replies coldly and this angers Takaya, but he refrains from speaking as Knight continues.

"What happened yesterday at the concert was something I didn't anticipate. I was hoping to meet you there because you are a special case."

"Special case? What do you…" then, Kyoji's eyes slowly turns to V-mon, prompting Knight to nod.

"Yes, it should be impossible for Digimon to exist outside cyberspace yet somehow you managed to bring that V-mon to the human world. Are you starting to understand why I sought you out?"

"Knight, come on, do we really need this guy? He's a delinquent and didn't even have an account until Monday!" Takaya interrupts and stares intensely at Kyoji. "I don't care how or why you've got those rumors but to me, you're a punk and there's no way I'm working with the likes of you."

"Grrr, watch your mouth, gogglehead!" V-mon shouts, surprising the three hackers and their Digimon. "You don't know a thing about Kyoji! He's my best friend and without him, I'd have been deleted a long time ago! You've got no right to badmouth him like that!" his defiant defense makes Kyoji grateful while Takaya starts clenching his fists.

"Ooh, he's got spunk! Totally my type." Tsukio's partner, Lunamon on the other hand is very impressed by V-mon standing up for his partner and looks on excitedly while Takaya's partner, Coronamon is genuinely intimidated.

"That's enough, Burner. How many times have I told you to keep your temper in check?"

"But Knight! This guy's a delinquent! He can't be tru…!" then, Coronamon tucks his trouser leg and pulls him away slightly.

"Boss, you're losing it again, calm down."

"You partner has a point, Burner. And if I recall right, you were no saint when I met you for the first time." Knight's comment forces Takaya to back off and he hangs back as Knight turns his attention to Kyoji, who, while hurt by Takaya's ranting, has remained calm. "Please understand, he's simply very passionate about the team and its mission."

"I'm used to it." Kyoji replies silently, but Tsukio can sense faint sadness in his tone and gives Takaya a very disappointed glare. "If this is all, I'll go now. You're wasting your time on someone like me." but before Kyoji can leave using an Escape Gate, Knight crosses his arms.

"You are correct, we are hackers, that is a hard fact. However, we are not the same as the ones who attacked the concert."

"That's what they all say." Kyoji says over his shoulder and prepares to activate the Escape Gate.

"How are your injuries, by the way?" Knight's question stops Kyoji from leaving as Knight walks to his side. "I know someone who can explain why your injuries carried over from EDEN. I'm sure you're dying to know the reason, right?"

"…and you'll give them to me only if I join your hacker team?" Kyoji says to Knight, but him referring to the trio as hackers irks Takaya.

"Don't group us with those bastards!" he shouts but keeps his distance as Knight chuckles and puts his hand on Kyoji's left shoulder.

"We prefer the term 'Tamer'."

"Tamer?"

"Yes. Now, follow me." suddenly, a white, rectangular door appears from thin air and Knight gestures for Kyoji to enter it. "Go in and everything will become clear to you."

Kyoji squint at the door before making eye contact with V-mon, who does not say anything but somehow, he can tell that his partner is not convinced at all. "…we'll use Plan E if something happens." he says to V-mon, who nods repeatedly before they walk in together, followed by Knight. Tsukio meanwhile shoots another disapproving look at her brother before entering with Lunamon, leaving just Takaya and his partner Coronamon, who remains by his side, only for both to realize that the door is starting to close.

"Argh! Wait up!" they both run inside just before the door vanishes and the pair rejoins Knight, Tsukio and Lunamon, who are standing on a white balcony with Kyoji and V-mon, both utterly shocked by what they are seeing. Before them is a thin, needle-like tower rising from seemingly nowhere. It is surrounded by countless floating islands, each with their own terrain and housing Digimon of various kinds.

"Welcome to the Digimon Sanctuary." Knight says as V-mon's jaw drops.

"So…so many Digimon…"

"You said it…" Kyoji replies as Knight joins him on the balcony's railing.

"Did I finally catch your attention?"

"…what the heck is this place?"

"It is the reason Team Vanguard exists. The Sanctuary is where injured and freed Digimon come to recuperate before they are sent back to the Digital World. And Team Vanguard's mission is to help Digimon and people alike. That's why we call ourselves Tamers, because we treat Digimon as equals." Knight explains as a batch of eggs fly overhead and land on an island.

"Whoa! Were those DigiEggs?" V-mon points at the said island, prompting Knight to nod.

"Yes. The Sanctuary also serves as a safe haven for reborn Digimon, since it is very difficult to travel directly between the Real World and the Digital World. Now follow me. There's someone you need to meet." Knight creates another door from thin air and leads Kyoji and V-mon through it, followed by Tsukio and Takaya. They arrive into a white room with a pillar in its center and sitting on a small yellow chair in-front of said pillar is a young, purple-haired woman wearing glasses with hexagonal lenses. She is accompanied by a white and black cat and her eyes are glued to the purple laptop held in her left hand but then, she notices the new arrivals and a gentle, yet somehow mischievous smile appears on her face.

"Oh, you're finally here." she says calmly and stands up. "Welcome to the DigiLab. I've been waiting for you, Kyoji Date."

"Waiting? What do you mean? Is someone going to explain what's going on here?"

"*chuckle* I see Knight was vague, as always." the woman replies and closes the laptop before bowing slightly to Kyoji. "My name is Mirei Mikagura, the overseer of the DigiLab and by extension, the Digimon Sanctuary. Though, more accurately, I created both. And you, are Kyoji Date. I foresaw you coming here a long time ago."

"Wait what? You knew I'd be coming here?"

"Exactly. All those who come to this place were destined to do so. It was the same with them as well." Mirei says and gestures towards Takaya and Tsukio. "The only requirement is to form a bond with Digimon, which is precisely what you have done." Then, Mirei walks over to V-mon and pats his head. "It's only been two days and you already managed to raise him from In-Training to Rookie level. Not only that, but this little Digimon has also gained the ability to evolve to Champion, which is a remarkable feat. You've clearly taken good care of him."

"Aw chucks…" an embarrassed V-mon mutters as his cheeks turn red but Kyoji remains confused.

"I don't even know how he came to me in the first place…"

"You summoned him through your Digivice with a Blue Card." Mirei says and points at the deck of Digimon cards in Kyoji's pocket. "That same Blue Card is the reason you are able to physically enter EDEN."

"And just what the heck is the Blue Card?"

"It is the physical manifestation of you bond with V-mon. Even I don't know exactly where it came from, unfortunately. Think of it as proof that you two are partners."

"Proof…" Kyoji eyes the deck before Mirei's expression becomes stern and she uses her laptop to scan V-mon.

"However, your partner is a very curious case. His memory seems to be completely wiped."

"Wi…Wiped?! So is my memory gone forever?!" V-mon panics but Mirei again pats his head.

"Unfortunately, I can't say for sure, but perhaps you'll recover it eventually. Now, since the Blue Card has allowed both of you to cross into each other's worlds, it means you are bound by the real world's rules here, Kyoji Date." Mirei looks at Kyoji sharply as she points at his cheek. "If you were simply an avatar, you wouldn't feel any pain or get injured in EDEN but now, your entire physical body is here. I'm sure you understand what that means, right?"

"…If I die here, I'll die for real." Kyoji's tense reply alarms V-mon, who nudges his leg.

"Not as long as I'm here!" he declares confidently, prompting Kyoji to nod in gratitude and this amuses Mirei.

"I'm glad you two have a good rapport with each other. Now, I'm sure Knight already asked you to join his team, am I right?"

"Yeah…"

"But you still have reservations about it. Well, I don't blame you. Considering what you have gone through in the past 4 years, it's no surprise you would be distrustful of others."

"H…how do you know about my…"

"I know lots of things, about everyone here." Mirei replies and eyes Takaya and Tsukio, who twitch while Knight remains motionless. "However, this is a unique chance for you, Kyoji Date. You were attacked by hackers, not once, but twice. And both times, you barely managed to survive those encounters. Should you continue by yourself, you might run into a situation where the only outcome is…" Mirei stops herself on purpose to see how Kyoji reacts and to her satisfaction, he has tensed up once more. "You are standing at the crossroads of destiny. Though in my opinion, you'll have a lot more to gain by joining Knight's team."

"Exactly. Your abilities would be very useful." Knight adds but his comment makes Takaya scoff.

"What's so damn special about that guy?" he thinks as Knight walks over to Kyoji, who squints slightly at the masked avatar.

"And what are you gonna me make do if I join?"

"Like I told you, Team Vanguard's job is to help Digimon and people. Have you thought about why Digimon are in Kowloon, to the point that even the news talks about it?" Knight asks, Kyoji, who remembers the news broadcast from Monday.

"The news said that hackers made them…but that's not true, is it?" his reply makes Mirei smile again as she brings up a hologram of two spheres, with a vertical line between them.

"You are correct, the Digimon that roam the many floors of Kowloon were not simply created by hackers. No, they were dragged there, from the Digital World." she explains and creates a third holographic sphere, placing it between the two bigger ones, with the line running through it. "The blue sphere is the Real World, and the green one is the Digital World. Normally, they are separated by a Dimensional Barrier and a security system known as the Great Wall of Fire. The Wall stops anyone from crossing between the worlds while the barrier keeps the two worlds in balance."

"But then, something appeared that caused both the barrier and the wall to weaken." Knight says and points at the small gray sphere. "Kamishiro created Cyberspace EDEN, which blurs the boundary between real and digital. And this very same cyberspace causes the barrier and the wall to leak."

"No way…" a shocked Kyoji remarks as Mirei takes over.

"Because of EDEN, Digimon are periodically sucked from their own world to EDEN's lowest, original area, Kowloon, which was buried by the newest levels and is now only occupied by hackers. This has led to hackers capturing Digimon and using them for malicious deeds, like you saw yesterday." Mirei says before gesturing to Knight and his teammates. "And that is where Knight's team comes in. They protect Kowloon's Digimon from being used by the evil hackers. Granted, not all hackers are evil and many have actually formed bonds with their Digimon, but they are exceptions, not the norm in Kowloon. Take for example the Digimon you fought yesterday: neither DarkTyrannomon nor Saberdramon possessed free will and were blindly following the orders of the hacker who sent them there."

Mirei's explanation makes Kyoji's mind race as he tries to wrap his head around what he just heard. He then looks at V-mon, then Knight before finally turning his eyes towards Mirei, who looks back with her mischievous eyes. "…that's a lot to take in at once…"

"Well, of course. You did after all, until last Monday, live in almost complete social isolation for four years." Mirei remarks and Kyoji reacts by twitching before shaking his head.

"…can I…think about it first…?" he asks cautiously, prompting Knight to nod.

"Of course. Why don't we visit the DigiFarms, maybe that will help you come to a decision." he says and creates a door behind him before gesturing Kyoji to enter. Then, as Knight leads Kyoji and V-mon out, Mirei turns her attention to Tsukio and Takaya who have remained silent the whole time.

"I can tell you both have reservations about him." her remark makes Tsukio hesitate while Takaya nods sternly.

"That guy can't be trusted, he's a delinquent."

"You're basing your opinion about him solely on the rumors you've heard, Takaya Sora."

"Agh, it's Burner!" Takaya snaps at Mirei, who ignores his angry tone and continues.

"Judging people based on such flimsy parameters will only make life harder for you. Remember that." she says coldly as Takaya clenches his fists and stares at the floor.

"Ghh…I knew you'd defend that guy…"

"I am not defending anyone. I am merely implying that humans are not so black and white as you think they are." Mirei replies as her two cats come to her side and nudge her legs. "Or perhaps, you are jealous?"

"Je…JEALOUS?! No way! Why would I be jealous of some delinquent?!" Takaya shouts and marches out of the lab via another door while Tsukio looks on.

"Your brother has such a narrow world view it's quite amusing sometimes."

"…it's not…" Tsukio mutters as Mirei adjust her glasses and looks sharply back at Tsukio

"What about you, Tsukio Sora? Do you object to him joining?"

"I don't know…" Tsukio replies and eyes her partner Lunamon, who had ogled at V-mon the whole time. "He's not a bad person…but…"

"Then perhaps you should try getting to know him." Mirei's comment prompts Lunamon to tuck Tsukio's leg and point at the door Knight and Kyoji used.

"She's right! You said you wanted to get over your fear of speaking, so this is your chance! He doesn't know you either, remember? I'm sure you'll be great friends!" Lunamon says enthusiastically, prompting Mirei to chuckle.

"Your partner has a point." Then, Tsukio lets out a loud sigh before walking through the door with a smiling Lunamon in tow while Mirei brings up her laptop and views a file on Tsukio.

"Hmm…you might not realize it, but perhaps your encounters with Kyoji Date will finally heal that deep wound in your heart."

…

Meanwhile, Knight has taken Kyoji to one of the islands, which has a wide, windy plain on it. But the moment they arrive, a group of rookie level Digimon approach them, having recognized Knight immediately. "Hi Knight!" a Gotsumon shouts as it, along with a FanBeemon, a Biyomon, three Kokuwamon and an Otamamon surround Knight and a startled Kyoji.

"Hello, friends. This is Kyoji Date and his partner, V-mon. I'm giving them a tour of the farm islands."

"Another human, and he has a partner!" Biyomon gestures with his left-hand talons while Otamomon walks closer to V-mon.

"I want to have a good human partner too…how did you two meet?"

"Us? Well, it's a long and an awesome story!" V-mon replies as the other Digimon drag him away slightly before he starts telling a very exaggerated version of his meeting with Kyoji, who looks on silently.

"These little ones used to belong to malicious hackers that were reverted to DigiEggs not too long ago. They dispose of any Digimon they deem useless and will even let them be defeated on purpose, just to get rid of dead weight. Usually, they sick their stronger Digimon on them to increase their own strength." Knight explains, which makes Kyoji's skin crawl.

"Are you serious?"

"Deadly serious." Knight replies and sits down on the green grass and Kyoji does the same. "I was a hacker myself at one point too, but I saw how horribly hackers treat their Digimon, especially if they are Vaccine or Data types. You see, unlike Virus types, which are naturally aggressive and more willing to follow evil humans, Vaccines and Data types are not. Thus, they are more frequently targeted and more easily abandoned by hackers than Virus types."

"And that's why you formed your team?"

"Not just because of Digimon. Evil hackers don't treat EDEN users any better. You saw it first-hand yesterday. Not only do they steal things from them, but there is also a flourishing black market for stolen EDEN accounts and avatars. The hacker that attacked the concert most likely belonged to a hacker team called 'Neo Demons'."

"'Neo Demons'…hmph, that's a pretty accurate name."

"Indeed. They are a rather new group but have become notorious for how efficiently they use Digimon and how brazen their attacks are. They also have connections to the deepest parts of EDEN's criminal underworld and no doubt sell on the accounts they steal to fund their operations. Of course, there are numerous hacker groups around the world who operate similarly but none of them are as notorious as 'Neo Demons'."

"You seem to know a lot about them."

"Our team has had plenty of run-ins with them and about 60% of Digimon that come here, used to belong to 'Neo Demons'. You could say they are our primary adversary…" then, for the first time, Knight appears to show some emotion as Kyoji notices his left fist clenching slightly. "Sorry, I rambled on a bit too much. Anyway, it's thanks to Mirei that I decided to turn my back on hacker life and formed Vanguard. I agree with her vision that Digimon and humans can coexist. Though at first it was just me before Burner and Usagi joined."

"…"

"Now do you see why I want you to join us? You have the ability to make a difference after all."

"'Make a difference'? Sure…" Kyoji mutters and leans his elbows against his knees as he watches V-mon tell his tall tale to the other Digimon, who all listen enthusiastically.

"Do you want to know my dream? It's pretty simple, I want a world where humans can understand both each other and Digimon without any preconceived misconceptions. And I believe EDEN can make it possible, we just need to change it for the better."

"Easier said than done…people don't change just like that…nor do they care."

"Then make them care. You have that ability now. Think about that." Knight says and starts walking away. "You might have given up on yourself, but I believe you have plenty of potential, that you keep denying." he remarks before heading to another island, leaving Kyoji behind.

"I had no choice but to give up…" he mutters and looks up at the blue, digital sky stretching beyond the horizon. Then, he notices that V-mon has started a headbutting match with Gotsumon while the other Digimon cheer loudly. "At least you're having fun." Kyoji smiles slightly before hearing gentle footsteps from behind but when he peeks over hos shoulder, he is greeted by a pair of red eyes. "GAH!" he screams and almost rolls over as Tsukio's partner, Lunamon stands before him, smiling.

"Hi! I'm Lunamon." she greets Kyoji, who gathers himself and adjusts his blue glasses.

"…hi…"

"What are you doing here by yourself?"

"…I honestly don't know." Kyoji replies and stares up at the sky once more. "So much stuff has happened in the past three days I'm…kinda overwhelmed…"

"Lunamon! Why'd you run off?! Eh?" Then, Tsukio approaches them and notices Kyoji sitting on the grass.

"You're so slow. Ah, that's my partner…Usagi. She's a bit shy, eh-he." Lunamon says and points at her partner, who shakes her head.

"And you are way too nosy. So…sorry about Lunamon, she likes to stick her ears into everyone's business."

"But I love meeting new people. And making new friends too. Can we be friends?" Lunamon asks Kyoji, who is unsure how to reply to the rabbit-Digimon.

"Uhm…I guess we can…"

"Yay! I've got a new friend. Okay, I'm going to be friends with him too!" brimming with excitement, Lunamon then dashes over to the other Digimon while Tsukio apologizes again.

"I'm sorry, Lunamon is really quirky…"

"It's fine." Kyoji replies and continues looking at the sky while Tsukio cannot find anything to say.

"Uhm…uh…"

"That was your partner, right?"

"Ye…yeah! We've known each other for a year now. I…I'm Usagi by the way…" Tsukio replies, managing to introduce herself, much to her relief.

"How did you two meet?" Kyoji asks bluntly, catching Tsukio off guard.

"Me…meet? Uh…it was in Kowloon…well, she found me actually…" she explains vaguely and looks away while Kyoji turns his gaze upon her.

"Were you a hacker before joining this team?"

"N…no. I joined after I met Lunamon…I'm here for her sake…she was being hunted by hackers."

"I see…" Kyoji stands up and looks out into the distance, still trying to come to terms with everything. "Would it really be okay if I joined you guys? Because Knight said I have potential…but I'm not sure I can live up to those expectations…"

"Well…I'm not against it at least…" Tsukio replies and blushes slightly under her mask while Kyoji puts his hands into his blue jacket's pockets and sighs.

"That goggle-wearing guy didn't seem to like me."

"He…he'll get around. Burner's not a…bad person…"

"Right…" Kyoji scoffs slightly before Tsukio takes a deep breath and turns to face him.

"Uhm…you don't have to answer this but…are those rumors about you true? I…I heard about it from Knight." she asks cautiously while Kyoji lowers his head, reluctance clearly visible on his face.

"…I made a mistake four years ago and have been paying for it ever since. It got me kicked out of the football team and thanks to that, I can't play anymore." he replies while pointing at his left leg and Tsukio can tell he does not want to discuss the matter further.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked…"

"It's fine. I gave up on proving the rumors wrong a long time ago and I honestly don't care anymore. They can believe what they want." his reply saddens Tsukio, who finds his apathy relatable.

"He's not a delinquent…just lonely…kinda like me…" but then, their attention is drawn to the group of Digimon, which Lunamon has joined to introduce herself to V-mon.

"Ooh, it's Big Sis Luna!" the Otamamon greets Lunamon as she waves at the other Digimon cheerfully.

"Hi everyone!"

"'Big Sis'?" V-mon whispers to Gotsumon, who nods.

"Oh yeah, Lunamon's always keeping us company and she also helps out with the baby Digimon. That's why we call her big sis." then, Lunamon pokes her head between the two Digimon, startling V-mon.

"Hi! I'm Lunamon!" she says to V-mon and the other Digimon notice that Lunamon seems more enthusiastic than normal.

"Uh…hi, I'm V-mon." the dinosaur-Digimon replies, feeling slightly put off by Lunamon's odd eagerness.

"Can I call you V-V? Or how about Vee?!" she asks and moves closer to V-mon, who backs off.

"Ju…just V-mon is fine…" but then, Lunamon grabs his arm and starts dragging him away. "Huh? Hey what are you doing?!"

"I'll show you around, V-V! This way!"

"Gah, I can walk by myself! Let go!" however, Lunamon ignores his pleas and pulls him towards a small pond nearby while the other Digimon chuckle before following the pair.

"Your Lunamon's a real extrovert." Kyoji remarks while Tsukio shakes her head.

"She's spent too much time watching drama shows on the internet…Mirei said Lunamon are normally really shy but she's an exception."

"I can tell." Kyoji replies as a very faint smile appears on his face and it does not go unnoticed by Tsukio.

"Is he…smiling?"

"Kyoji!" suddenly, a panicking V-mon runs back to Kyoji and climbs on his back.

"Ack, what are you doing? Get off me!" Kyoji shouts as V-mon grabs on his shoulders.

"Tha…that weird Lunamon won't leave me alone!" he replies and points at Lunamon, who arrives immediately, with the other Digimon in tow.

"V-V, why did you run off like that?" she asks innocently but V-mon gives her an angry glare.

"My name is V-mon! And stay away from me, you…weirdo!"

"Oh don't be so shy! Now get down from there! Let's play!" then, Lunamon starts hopping around Kyoji while V-mon tries to climb on Kyoji's head.

"Get away!"

"Gah, stop doing that! V-mon!" Kyoji shouts and grabs his partner as Tsukio also picks her partner, separating them.

"Lunamon, time out!" Tsukio snaps, but the rabbit-Digimon keeps trying to reach for V-mon.

"But I want to be his friend!"

"I don't wanna be friends with a weirdo like you!" V-mon yells back, shocking Lunamon to the point that her eyes widen and tears begin to form in them. "Huh?"

"Uuuuu…WAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Whu…what did I do?" V-mon asks as Lunamon starts crying loudly, surprising the other Digimon.

"Big Sis is crying!"

"Hey, you didn't have be to so mean to her!" as the other Rookie berate V-mon, he receives a small knock on his head.

"Ow!"

"You went too far." Kyoji says as Tsukio tries to console her partner.

"Lunamon…calm down…Sorry, she always does this…"

"WAAAAAAAAH! I *hick* just wanted to be your friend! WAAAAAAHH!"

Then, V-mon jumps out of Kyoji's arms and lets out a loud sigh. "Fiiiine! I'm sorry okay? I'll be your friend…"

"Re…*hick* really?"

"Yes, really! Just, keep your hands to yourself, got it?"

"*sniff* Can I still call you V-V?"

"…yes…"

"YAY!" Lunamon shrieks and leaps from Tsukio's arms onto V-mon and gives him a big hug. "Thank you! We're gonna bestest best friends ever!"

"Gah! Let go! What did I just say?! HELP!" V-mon screams and struggles to free himself from Lunamon's grip but the rabbit-Digimon refuses to let go, causing everyone else, including Kyoji to break into laughter.

"*snicker* You're a lucky Digimon."

"Hey, stop laughing and help me, Kyoji!" but not even V-mon's shaking fist stops Kyoji from laughing even lauder, much to Tsukio's surprise.

"I didn't realize he could laugh so much…" However, unknown to Tsukio and the others, Takaya had been watching them the whole time from behind a tree, along with his partner, Coronamon.

"They seem to fun…" Coronamon notes, clearly wanting to the join the other Digimon, but Takaya remains stoic.

"…Hmph…" he huffs and starts walking away, alarming Coronamon.

"Boss, wait up!" he yells as Takaya steps through a door that takes him to another farm island, where Knight is standing on small cliff, overlooking a rugged valley.

"I was wondering when you would show up." he says as Takaya comes to his side. "You really don't want him to join the team, don't you?"

"…I don't trust him…he's a nobody. And people like him always say they've changed but always turn out to be liars."

"Is this you speaking, or your father?" Knight remarks, causing Takaya to twitch.

"Ack…"

"Once someone has done something bad in their life, you automatically believe they are irredeemable. And that is how you view hackers, people in your school and Kyoji Date too. All because of…"

"Don't say it!" Takaya shouts and clenches his fists. "You keep going on and on how that guy will make us better…when all he's done is pull a Digimon out of his Digivice by some fluke and suddenly you want to recruit him!"

"I see potential in him, Burner. Just like I saw potential in you when recruited you. In fact, you two are more similar than you think." Knight says and puts his hands behind his back while Takaya remembers what Kyoji said to Tsukio just a moment ago:

"…I made a mistake four years ago and have been paying for it ever since."

"We all carry a burden, some heavier than others. I'm sure you understand what I mean?" Knight pats Takaya on the shoulder before pressing a button on his wristwatch-Digivice. "We should go back to the lab. Perhaps Date has come to a decision."

"…gimme a moment…" Takaya mutters as Knight nods before walking through the door Takaya came from. Then, Takaya turns to look at his partner, who is watching him expectantly. "Can we really trust that guy?"

"He didn't seem like a bad guy to me, Boss."

"Right…"

…

Soon, everyone gathers at the DigiLab again, where Mirei is waiting with her two cats. "Well, how do you like the DigiFarms? Quite impressive, aren't they?"

"You can say that again…" Kyoji replies to Mirei, who nods and gets up from her chair.

"Then, have you made your choice?" she asks Kyoji, who looks around the white-walled room.

"I'm not sure…Knight told a ton of stuff I never knew about…like what the hackers do to Digimon…and to people's accounts. It made me understand what you guys are fighting for at least. But…I…am I really gonna be of any use to your team?" he asks and looks over his shoulder towards Knight, who nods without saying a word, startling Kyoji.

"Only you can know for certain if you'll be useful or not." Mirei adjusts her glasses as a memory flashes by Kyoji's eyes.

"Hey, you're pretty good, wanna join our team? We're not that great but if we keep working together and improve, we can reach even the Nationals. I'm sure of it."

The memory causes Kyoji to shiver, prompting a concerned V-mon to tug his right sleeve. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Kyoji replies to his partner and looks Mirei directly in the eyes. "If I walk away…after everything that's happened, I'll regret it. So…we can join…if everyone's okay with it." he says and looks cautiously at Knight, Tsukio and Takaya.

"I…I don't mind…and I don't think Lunamon does either." a fidgeting Tsukio replies while Lunamon's face lights up.

"Yay! I get to spend more time with V-V! We'll have so much fun!" she cheers, embarrassing V-mon before everyone's attention turns to Takaya.

"If Knight wants you to join, then I won't object…but you'll have to prove yourself to me." he replies and gives Kyoji a glare. "If you betray us, you'll regret it."

"Uh, I'm fine with it too." Coronamon says politely before Knight walks up to Kyoji and shakes his hand.

"Then that's settled. Welcome to Team Vanguard, Kyoji Date."

"I'll do my best." an overwhelmed Kyoji replies as Mirei starts smiling, satisfied at the outcome.

"We expect only the best from you."

"Le…let's get along…" Tsukio says cautiously as Lunamon celebrates by hugging V-mon again, much to his discomfort.

"YAY! Welcome to the team, V-V!"

"Gah! Let go you crazy Digimon! LET GO!"

As everyone laughs at the helpless V-mon, Kyoji thinks back to his life before meeting V-mon and realizes that after years of isolation, he may have finally found a place to belong.

---

Afterword: A big exposition chapter this time, but it was necessary after two action packed chapters.

Many new characters were introduced here, like our official goggle boy, Takaya. He is the Masaru to Kyoji's Toma in a sense, but they were not specifically based on the said characters. Tsukio was also properly introduced, along with her partner Lunamon. I'm a huge fan of Digimon World Dawn & Dusk and it's what got me back to Digimon, so I just had include both Lunamon and Coronamon into the main cast. Mirei is also a supporting character here and Makiko as well (she may or may not have some relation to Kyoji).

I'm very thankful that so many people have already found and read this fic, even though this is just a side project that I started because I couldn't make any progress on my long fic. More chapters will arrive as I write them, so stay tuned.