DarkFoxKit: This is it, the final chapter of this book. Now don't worry, that just means this is the end of the season. But, instead of jumping straight into season 2, there's going to be a new series that bridges in-between seasons 1 and 2 of Danny Phantom. But I should warn you guys, it's going to be hard to find if you just look on ZAFT's account. I'll be uploading the story on the Digimon fanfic site instead of Danny Phantom due to the fact it'll be set mainly in the Digital World. We will upload one more 'chapter' to let you guys know the name of the book, and when it's been uploaded, because I just know many people will not read this and completely miss out on it. So if you guys have any questions, now is the best time to ask, because the last 'chapter' will be us answering the last of the reviews on this chapter.
ZAFT: We hope you will follow this in-between series as well. It will explain some stuff that will happen in season 2 to a degree as well. :3
DarkFoxKit: We will try our best to recap what happens in the in-between series when we get to season 2 just in case people really don't want to read a mostly Digimon fanfic to continue the story, but the best experience is to read everything.
ZAFT: Now, onto the chapter! :3
Chapter 80: A Ghost Hunter's Morality
Agunimon was heading away from the alleyway, carrying his uncle all the while. It didn't help that Jack Fenton was a big man, but the enhanced strength Agunimon had as a Digimon made it bearable to say the least. He could feel his body aching from the fight, but getting Jack away from Plasmius was the main priority.
Of course, Jack's squirming around wasn't making it easier.
"Would you at least stop moving?" Agunimon retorted to Jack. "It's making my job of getting you to safety much more difficult!"
"We have to go back! I can't just leave my son back there with that dangerous ghost!" Jack shouted, worried for Andy's safety.
"Andy knows what he's doing! Don't you trust him?" Agunimon shot back. "Or have any faith in him?"
"It's not about trust or faith, it's about me abandoning my son when he needed my help!" Jack cried out before frowning. "My dad always left us on our own…"
Agunimon frowned as he heard that before looking down. "I get it… I really do… but it's not abandoning him when he suggested I get you to safety. Andy… was worried about your safety…"
"But why? I know he has Lopmon with him, but still… he shouldn't have to shoulder this all on his own…" Jack said before he remembered something. "I remembered him being adamant about saving you and Phantom from that Freakshow's mind control. But was it true? Were you two really being mind controlled by that clown?"
Agunimon grimaced at that memory. "Unfortunately, yes… It is true…" He admitted at last. "I barely remember any of it, just that I was driven by a desire to obey him…"
Jack frowned as well. "What's your… relationship with the ghost boy, and my son?"
"It's… complicated with Phantom, but with Andy… he was the one who helped me when I first found out what I could do." Agunimon explained. "I… was new to being a Legendary Warrior, and had no idea what I was. So, Andy helped me out, even when he didn't have to."
Agunimon sighed. "And as for Phantom… he was just a new ghost at the time, and Andy thought it would be a good idea to have the two of us work together to figure out what I was, and help Phantom learn more about being a ghost."
"Andy did all of that?" Jack asked, surprised. "Why… didn't he tell anyone?"
Agunimon grunted. "Would you have let him hang out with the 'vile ghost boy?' Or help an unknown stranger?" He retorted. "No offense, but you and your wife don't have a good track record with ghosts."
Jack winced at that statement. He wanted to argue with Agunimon's words, but he stopped. Jack realized he and Maddie would've instantly jumped on Andy, maybe even force him to wear something like a Specter Deflector, or ground him in an attempt to keep him from seeing the ghost boy and this 'strange man', who, since he didn't know he was a Digimon at the time, may or may not be a ghost as well. And seeing how Andy had been in genuine distress when he saw both the ghost boy and Agunimon were being used to steal and commit arson, it was clear he really cared about them. He and Maddie may have been thinking about Andy's safety, but they would've also made him miserable… they'd be no better than Pamela and Jeremy Manson, two people which both he and Maddie couldn't stand, and how they treated their daughter, and their attitude of how 'right' they are about everything.
Jack wasn't sure about where he stood on ghosts, or with the ghost boy. But the ghost boy had helped him, he couldn't deny that. Even if it may be for his own benefits, humans weren't that different either. After all, it wasn't unheard of for criminals to band together with an innocent person in order to get out of a sticky situation they were both in. But even so, the ghost boy never turned on Jack, Agunimon, or Andy. And the ghost boy had a Digimon with him. The Digimon definitely resembled a ghost, but Jack knew a Digimon when he saw one. And Jack also knew Digimon were intelligent beings with their own society and powers, they wouldn't just trust a ghost so easily without a good reason.
"So… that time with the mayor, and when the ghost boy overshadowed Andy…" Jack began.
"That was not the ghost boy overshadowing Andy." Agunimon growled. "That was that white mafia-looking warden ghost who was behind that. The whole thing was that ghost's doing." It was clear the Digimon held a grudge against the one behind that. "It was all a set up to make the ghost boy, and me, look like the bad guys to everyone in Amity Park. Just like humans, and Digimon, there are no pure good or pure evil ghosts, there are some ghosts who are good, and some who are bad."
Jack rubbed his head. "If that's true, then… Maddie and I have been making a huge mistake about ghosts…"
"Where did you even get the idea that all ghosts were evil or mindless?" Agunimon asked.
"Maddie, Vlad, and I studied everything that had to do with ghosts when we were college students. We were interested in the supernatural," Jack explained. "Maddie told us that one day, she lost her friend to a ghost when she was a child. And everything we've seen, or read, about ghosts, indicates that they were just evil spirits of people who couldn't move on from life after death. And they were all vengeful spirits that only wanted to hurt or manipulate humanity. Some become mindless and wild, unable to be reasoned with. So we made sure to arm ourselves if we had to face ghosts while we were researching them."
Agunimon frowned a bit. "So that's where it all started, huh?" He noted. He hissed as his leg that had been grabbed by Plasmius twinged in pain before the searing pain came and he wound up feeling his leg give out, causing Agunimon to fall to the ground. "Ow!"
Jack looked at Agunimon in concern. "You're hurt."
"Yeah, that's why Andy had us retreat…" Agunimon grumbled. "Ghost energy packs quite the wallop on Digimon…"
Jack frowned, he was worried about Andy, but he couldn't leave Agunimon out here with an injury, could he?
Suddenly, something large jumped over them in the sky. Looking up, Agunimon and Jack saw what looked like a giant, humanoid rabbit hopping from building to building, with a person on its head. It had the Wisconsin Ghost flying after it too.
"... What… was that?" Jack questioned in shock.
Agunimon however, felt a grin crossing his face. "Lopmon… He's reached a new evolution." He said, sensing the familiar digital energy. "It must be his Ultimate form."
"That was Lopmon?" Jack asked in shock. "He… sure got big! What happened?"
"I think Andy and Lopmon will be able to handle themselves now," Agunimon said with confidence.
Jack blinked as he looked at Agunimon. "... Right then… I guess I haven't been much of a father if I didn't notice what my kids were going through…"
"You are only human, and that means mistakes." Agunimon reassured Jack. "Even I've made a few mistakes. Although those mistakes may have had severe consequences…"
Jack gave a sigh before he gave a determined look at Agunimon. "Come on. Let's get you back to Fenton Works. We may not be the best doctors, but we should be able to patch you up."
Agunimon blinked. "Wait… really?" He had not expected this. "I… I mean… I'm not objecting but…" Aw man… this is going to be awkward…
"Yeah. You're one of Andy's friends, as well as our future guild's Legendary Warrior. We can't have you being too injured and stuck out here," Jack said before he hauled Agunimon up to his shoulders. "Let's get going."
It was weird to Agunimon to be helped by Jack, but he wasn't complaining. It certainly made it easier to walk, since he could put less weight on his injured leg. "Thanks…" Agunimon said gratefully. "Adrenaline can certainly numb an injury, but when it wears off… then it hurts like heck."
"Yeah, I know that feeling," Jack chuckled.
Jack and Agunimon made it to Fenton Works. They were surprised to see Andy, Jazz, and Maddie outside of the house. Andy was holding a Fenton Thermos, and Lopmon was back to being his smaller Rookie self.
"What did we miss?" Jack chuckled.
"Jack! Our son just caught a ghost!" Maddie called out, sounding shocked herself.
Jack blinked before beaming. "That's my boy!" He said proudly.
Agunimon grinned at Andy. "Nice work." He praised.
Andy blushed. "Come on, guys, it's not the first time I caught a ghost…"
"But it's your first time catching that particular ghost." Jazz grinned. "I don't think even Danny can say he's ever done that before~"
"And the irony of it was, it was in a Fenton Thermos!" Lopmon grinned.
"I feel like we're missing an inside joke here," Maddie huffed before she looked at Agunimon. "Jack? Why is Agunimon at our doorstep?"
"Andy told me to get Jack away from the fight with the Wisconsin Ghost." Agunimon explained. "But… I didn't exactly get him far before I fell… I can't exactly stand on my own…"
"Why don't you just change ba-" Lopmon began to say when Andy quickly picked him up and covered his mouth.
"Back to his Rookie form?" Andy quickly finished. "I think he'd rather stay as Agunimon. But I'm sure we can give him some antiseptic to numb the pain until he heals up."
Agunimon smiled tiredly. "Yeah… that sounds like a good idea…" He admitted before grimacing at the pain. "Ow… Electrocution by a ghost is never fun…"
"Maddie? Will you help me get him to the lab so we can patch him up? He is a Legendary Warrior, and… we'll need him for the guild in the future if we want to protect the Digital World, don't we?" Jack asked.
Maddie nodded. "Yeah, okay. Let's bring him in."
"And Maddie? We… might need to talk about our viewpoints on ghosts too," Jack sighed.
Maddie frowned, but she didn't argue as she helped Jack bring Agunimon into the house. Andy, Lopmon, and Jazz wondered what happened.
"Dad seemed pretty serious about the ghost thing," Jazz noted. "Do you think he's alright?"
"I don't know, I wasn't there when Dad had his moment of epiphany," Andy said. "But… I like to think this is a good thing. It means there's a chance they'll finally see that not all ghosts are evil."
Jazz smiled a bit. "We can only hope." She agreed.
"On the plus side, this may help Danny too!" Lopmon pointed out. "Imagine, he won't be so scared of your parents anymore!"
"Let's not count our eggs before they hatch," Andy warned as he looked at the Fenton Thermos that contained Vlad. "After all… Vlad did, and look at what happened to him."
Jazz and Lopmon nodded. Lopmon grinned though. "I don't think Vlad will be too happy with this outcome~"
"Hey guys!"
The group looked up, but they didn't see anyone. Andy gave an annoyed look before he poked at something invisible. "Don't you dare go 'boo' on us, or I swear I will trap you in the Thermos too."
Danny emerged from invisibility. "Did I miss anything?"
"How long have you been there?" Jazz asked.
"Long enough to see Dad bringing Agunimon into the lab," Danny answered as he was holding the Fenton Weasel. "I figured I should bring this to the Portal… you know, to dump all the animal ghosts we caught."
"The animal ghosts weren't that hard to catch once we started getting the vacuum working. They all just lined up to get sucked into it," Patamon said.
"But it must be terribly cramped in there for them. I know I was cramped when I was in there," Danny shivered.
"You might want to wait until Mom and Dad are done with Agunimon before you send all those ghosts into the lab," Andy said before he held out the Fenton Thermos to Danny. "And here, make sure Vlad is released into the Ghost Zone too. I'm sure he'll find his way back to his castle through his own portal."
Danny stared at the Fenton Thermos. "You're kidding me… right?"
"Why would I joke about this?" Andy asked.
"You… caught Vlad in a Fenton Thermos?" Danny asked before busting out laughing. "Oh my gosh! That is definitely a fitting punishment for the fruitloop!"
"And it was by the human twin to boot!" Lopmon grinned.
Andy rolled his eyes. "Most of the work was because Lopmon digivolved into his Ultimate form. Do you really think I alone could've caught Vlad?"
"I wouldn't put it past you to come up with a way to catch that crazy halfa." Danny chuckled.
"And you know you would find a way if you had to," Jazz pointed out. "Look at all the crazy things you've done, and had us do too."
Andy blushed a little. "I'm sorry about that, but… that's what I do, if I want to keep the people I care about safe. I don't have any special powers or anything, so I find creative ways to help when I can. I know some of these things I do is crazy or reckless, but it's what kept our family together, right?"
"And we wouldn't have you any other way." Jazz said as she hugged Andy.
Andy blushed. "O-okay, enough with the sentimentalities. Speaking of crazy plans, I'm not quite done yet. There're still those ghost hunters who want their million dollar ghost bounty. I need to have them taken care of before they start doing crazy things themselves to flush out the 'infamous Spectre-Al'. So Danny, I'll be counting on you to take good care of 'uncle Vlad'."
Danny grinned. "I'll keep him nice and warm in my closet in the Thermos~" He said as he took the Fenton Thermos.
"What do you plan to do about the ghost hunters?" Jazz asked. "Are you going to have Tucker and Sam help you out?"
"Well, not just them," Andy chuckled. "Let's just say we're going to stage the capturing of the ghost boy."
"Wait… how are you going to do that without Danny?" Patamon asked.
"Shouldn't I… you know, help with that?" Danny sheepishly asked.
"Nah, if we used the genuine article, there's a good chance he could get hurt from the ghost hunter's weapons and traps," Andy explained. "Don't worry about it, I've got this handled."
"After all, these people chose to mess with my family, so they're going to pay for it, and I'll make sure they do~" Andy grinned mischievously.
Jazz, Lopmon, Danny, and Patamon all shivered at Andy's grin.
"I think I feel sorry for the ghost hunters now…" Danny gulped.
"Agreed," Jazz, Patamon, and Lopmon all said in unison.
Maddie and Jack helped Agunimon onto a table.
"Sorry about the rough table, these were meant to examine ghost specimens," Maddie apologized sheepishly.
"It's fine." Agunimon said, waving it off. "At least it's better than being on the ground. That would really be uncomfortable."
"Where does it hurt the most right now?" Jack asked.
"My left leg." Agunimon replied. "That's where I was grabbed by that ghost before he started shocking me."
Maddie turned on a light that was over the table onto Agunimon's left leg. She and Jack began examining the Legendary Warrior's leg, using a scanner of some kind.
"Since we got our own Digimon partners, we started coming up with ways to detect Digimon's fractal code, and how to scan their unique body," Maddie explained. "Just in case they got injured and we had to take them into the real world."
"We just didn't think we'd have to use these so soon," Jack admitted. "It looks like some of your leg's code got disrupted by the ghostly electricity. That's what's causing the pain right now."
"And I thought it was more than just the code being disrupted." Agunimon mused. "It certainly feels like it."
"That's a surprising way of looking at it. For Digimon, if something is disrupting their fractal code, which is what makes up their physical bodies, it's essentially what makes them feel pain. It's about the same as when a human feels pain from their neuroreceptors," Maddie explained. "But if you didn't know that, or saw it as strange, then it sounds like you didn't think about it like that before."
"Agunimon… didn't always know he was a Digimon," Jack explained a little hesitantly. "We're just going to refigure your leg's fractal code, it should ease the pain until it reboots itself."
"Do you… think that's a good idea?" Agunimon asked nervously. "I… I mean… Do you know how to do that?"
"We tested it on Veemon earlier. The computer allows us to tamper with our partner's fractal code if they allow us," Jack explained. "Veemon was all for it, saying how he trusted me. He became quite energetic after that. So don't worry, it's nothing too serious, at worst, your leg might go numb for an hour or two."
Agunimon nodded nervously, but anything was better than feeling like his leg was on fire due to the pain. "O-Okay…"
Jack hooked up some wires to Agunimon's leg to a computer. Maddie started to type away, sending some kind of codes into the screen that Agunimon didn't have a chance in heck of understanding. Agunimon felt a cold tingling feeling going through his leg, but no pain.
"This might take a few minutes," Maddie said. "While we wait… Jack, what… did you need to talk to me about regarding our viewpoints on ghosts?"
Jack nodded. "Yeah… About that…" He began. "It… seems that we were wrong on several counts about ghosts…"
Maddie frowned. "How so?"
Jack sighed. "Ghosts… it seems are just as complex as Digimon and humans, at least as far as being able to be bad and good."
"What?" Maddie frowned. "Did you get tricked by the ghost boy and his youthful appearance again, Jack?"
"No… I don't think it's that, Maddie," Jack sighed. "We… have to stop thinking like that."
"Like what?" Maddie asked.
"Like the only thing a ghost could ever do is something malicious. If they try to talk to us, we think they're manipulating us. If they try to help us, we think it's so they can stab us in the back," Jack explained before sighing. "What if we had that kind of attitude towards anyone we didn't know? We wouldn't be able to trust anyone, not even each other… it would drive us mad. And… I don't want to keep believing every single ghost is out to get us."
Maddie frowned a bit. "But Jack… You know what the research says. Nowhere does it say ghosts can feel anything other than negative emotions."
Agunimon, watching this, gave a grunt. "That's like saying all humans are pure and innocent. You shouldn't lump an entire species into one, the world just doesn't work like that. You've seen how Digimon come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities, don't you? What if you had that mentality towards Wormmon or Veemon when you met them?"
Maddie winced at the idea of thinking someone as sweet and innocent as Wormmon being manipulative and evil.
"The ghost boy…" Jack began softly. "He talked to me before you caught him in the Fenton Weasel. He sounded… worried, like… he wanted to do something to help. I don't know how well one could fake such a thing, even if it is a ghost. And… not only that, he helped me when the bounty turned out to be a trap set up by the Wisconsin Ghost… I think he's called 'Plasmius' though. The ghost boy has a Digimon partner too, Maddie. That's what that 'bat' was, it wasn't a ghost bat, it was a Digimon with ghost traits."
Maddie blinked. "Really? Digimon can have ghostly traits?"
Agunimon chuckled. "You'd be surprised. I'm sure there are such Digimon out there."
Maddie frowned. "Have we… really been in the wrong?"
"Think about it, Maddie… where did all that research on ghosts come from?" Jack chuckled. "From humans who had limited exposures to ghosts, and most likely to ghosts that meant to hurt them or prank them. Ghosts that want to be left alone probably didn't want people to see them."
Agunimon blinked as he listened to Jack talk. Jack may not always be the sharpest tool in the shed, but when it came to talking about questioning his views on ghosts, he almost sounded like Andy. Maybe… some of Andy's logic had finally started rubbing off on Jack.
"Remember how Andy reacted, Maddie? When the ghost boy and Agunimon were being mind controlled by that Freakshow guy? The same guy who used a ghost to try to hurt us?" Jack pointed out. "It wasn't the ghost that was hurting us, but a human using a ghost… and Andy was very upset about it, to the point he gathered up his friends, their Digimon, and went to fight in a war without us to save them. And… he may do it again if we continue to be stubborn about ghosts."
Maddie frowned. She knew her boys were stubborn, but to do something like that? "Would… Would Andy really do that?"
"The thing is… he's done it already, Maddie… probably more times than we know." Jack solemnly said. "He's helped Agunimon, and the ghost kid for almost half a year now since the portal was activated."
Maddie gave a worried look. "He has? … What about our other children? And their friends?"
"Agunimon probably knows more than we do," Jack pointed out. "After all, I learned about what Andy did from him."
Agunimon sighed. "What Jack said is true." He admitted. "Andy has been helping me for that long. And… I really didn't know what I was when I first met Andy."
Maddie looked down. "I don't know… how long it'll take us, but… Jack…"
"Yes… I agree, Maddie…" Jack said, seeming to know what she was saying without her saying it. "We'll try… to hold back our opinions on ghosts until we know more."
"Until we know for sure that not all ghosts are evil," Maddie said. "We'll keep fighting the ghosts that are actively causing trouble, of course. But… if that ghost boy doesn't attack us, or hurt anyone, then we won't be the first to shoot at him anymore."
Agunimon blinked before he smiled a bit. "That's good. You don't know how happy that will make Andy."
Jack chuckled. "Well, Andy sure is stubborn. He gets that from me."
Agunimon chuckled a bit as well. "I could tell. But it's never fun when the Fenton genes for stubbornness kicks in at the worst times." He then sighed. "I know it did for me on more than one occasion…" He muttered to himself.
"What was that?" Maddie asked.
"Uh…" Agunimon hesitated. "Um… I've experienced something similar on more than one occasion." He said quickly. Crud… I didn't think Aunt Maddie would hear that!
"You know, I've been wondering… how did you not know you were a Digimon?" Jack asked. "All the Digimon we've met seem to inherently know what they are."
"Even Wormmon knew at least he was different from the Dokunemon that raised him," Maddie noted. "Yet you didn't? And what are, and were, you doing in this world?"
Agunimon felt his Digi-Core racing. "I… am not exactly like most Digimon…" He said carefully. "I'm… a bit different than most Digimon you've met before."
"Because you're a Legendary Warrior?" Jack asked. "I couldn't help but notice that there seems to be something special about you Legendary Warriors. Like that kid needed to use a special slave collar to take over the one with the lightsaber and the wolf head, and even then he lost control when it turned into a beast."
"Yeah…" Agunimon admitted. "Remember that story, about the Legendary Warriors, and what happened to them after the fight with Lucemon?"
"Sort of, the story was fascinating, but hard to follow," Maddie said. "I mean the story mentioned how the 10 Legendary Warriors sent out their spirits across the Digital World so others can inherit their power when it's needed. But… you're here right now, not a spirit, or a ghost. And you're not even in the Digital World."
"That's… because I'm using Agunimon's spirit." Agunimon revealed. "I'm… not exactly… a regular Digimon… using a Spirit either…" Aw man… Way to probe me for information… I gotta find a way to direct the conversation away before I reveal myself fully! "B-but that shouldn't really matter, right? I mean, I'm still on your side."
"You're not… a regular Digimon? And you're using Agunimon's spirit?" Jack blinked. "... Correct me if I'm wrong, but… is it possible for humans to use a spirit from one of these Legendary Warriors?"
Upon hearing that, Agunimon's face went pale, enough to where his red facial markings stood out starkly against his cheeks.
Then something orange and familiar flew into the lab. Agunimon, Jack, and Maddie saw it was Patamon. He looked at them curiously, though he had heard what they were talking about. Due to his memories of being Seraphimon, Patamon knew when it was time to step in.
"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," Patamon said softly. "I hope you don't mind me coming in, but I believe it's important to know when it's time to share sensitive information to each other, and when to keep it to yourself. Whether or not it's best to know or remain ignorant to certain things, because some knowledge can change your perspective on everything."
Jack frowned. "Does this have to do with my question?"
"It does," Patamon answered. "I know a lot about our Digital World's history, that includes the Legendary Warriors. You two are asking a dangerous question to Agunimon. If he were to reveal the answers to you, there's a good chance your perspectives on everything you know will change. Are you prepared for that?"
Jack and Maddie frowned.
"Is it really that bad?" Maddie asked.
"Whether or not it's bad depends on you two," Patamon replied. "I'm just here to warn you that if you receive the information you wanted from Agunimon, things won't be the same for you anymore."
Jack and Maddie looked at each other. This seemed to be a big deal to Patamon, and if Agunimon's reaction was any indication, he certainly didn't feel comfortable with it either.
Jack didn't want to make the Legendary Warrior uncomfortable, but there were things he wanted to know too, things that could only explain more for him and Maddie.
"Whatever you decide… you should know…" Patamon began, looking back at Agunimon for a moment. "It's probably for the best if there weren't… too many secrets being kept from each other."
Agunimon frowned, but he knew it was pretty much impossible to keep a secret anymore, not since his uncle had just pretty much asked the one question he had hoped wouldn't be asked.
"I guess… we can't hide it anymore…" Agunimon sighed before he looked at Patamon. "Are you sure… this might be for the best?"
"This is your decision to make, Agunimon, not mine. But if you want my opinion, I think it's better to let them know by your terms, than having them find out on their own outside of your control later," Patamon explained. "They're beginning to open their minds about ghosts… but they already have a good opinion on Digimon. If anyone would be understanding to your unique situation, it would be them."
Agunimon nodded. "Okay…" He murmured softly. "You're right… Them finding out outside of my control would… not exactly be ideal."
Agunimon could almost hear Andy telling him to just do it, because it was the best logical decision. The only reason Danny had to hide his identity was because he was half ghost. Jack and Maddie would need more time before they would be ready to learn his identity. But for Agunimon himself… Jack and Maddie were already part of their Digimon team. It felt wrong to keep this from them.
Finally, Agunimon spoke up. "You pretty much nailed it on the head…" He admitted to Jack.
"What?" Jack blinked. "So… you're human after all?"
"That's right. I found Agunimon's Spirit in this world, and it transformed me," Agunimon answered, gesturing to himself. "Into this. I didn't know anything about Digimon at the time, so I was very confused. But Andy helped me figure out how to use my powers, and then we found out about Digimon from Ruler of the Digital World."
"... If you're human, and Andy knows you… then who are you?" Maddie asked.
Agunimon gave a bit of a nervous, yet goofy grin. "You should know since I've been here for a while, Aunt Maddie…" He admitted nervously.
"What?" Maddie blinked, her mind going blank for a moment. "'Aunt'...?"
"No way… it can't be…" Jack's eyes were wide as well.
Patamon watched them carefully.
Maddie and Jack looked at Agunimon with shocked eyes.
"... T… Takuya?" Maddie dared to question.
Agunimon nodded warily. "Y-yeah…" He then gave a nervous grin. "Quite the shock, huh?"
"... But how…?" Jack asked. "Wait…"
Jack removed the wires from Agunimon's leg. Agunimon just now noticed the pain was gone from his leg.
"Can you… show us? Are you… really Takuya?" Jack asked.
Agunimon nodded before he sighed and fractal code surrounded him. Then, when it dissipated… there was a familiar human boy. Takuya looked up, grinning nervously and sheepishly. "Hey…"
"Takuya!? You were really Agunimon this whole time!?" Maddie shouted, like she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact someone she knew was able to become a Digimon.
"Y-yeah…" Takuya answered awkwardly.
"That… explains so much…" Jack said quietly. "Why you don't have a Digimon partner, and why Agunimon always seem to show up around us when there's trouble."
"Yeah…" Takuya admitted. "B-But I couldn't just let ghosts hurt you guys, or even Digimon! I couldn't sit back and do nothing when I have this power, this ability, to help others!"
"Why didn't you tell us when… you first turned into Agunimon?" Maddie asked softly, still trying to wrap her head around the fact her nephew was a Legendary Warrior.
"Would you have believed I wasn't possessed by a ghost?" Takuya answered sheepishly. "I mean, if I showed you Agunimon's Spirit, you'd have probably tried to pick it apart or something…"
Maddie and Jack winced. Once again, their stubbornness and closed mindedness when it came to ghosts had really bit them in the butt. Not just with Andy, but for Takuya too. Both parents wondered,worriedly, if maybe… Jazz and Danny may have hidden some secrets of their own in fear of how they would react to it.
"The Legendary Warriors choose who their next wielders will be," Patamon spoke up, which helped distract the storm that was going through the older Fentons' minds. "Even if Takuya had managed to find Agunimon's Spirit by luck, he wouldn't have been able to access Agunimon's power if the spirit didn't choose him to do so. Takuya is stubborn and hardheaded, but he's also brave, outgoing, kindhearted, and determined. Of course he couldn't tell you when none of you knew anything about Digimon or Legendary Warriors. But now… when you see a Digimon before you, when you've been to the Digital World yourselves, and even bonded with Digimon partners… and you realize there's more to ghosts than what you knew… this is probably the best time for you to finally know… who Agunimon really was."
Jack and Maddie stared.
"Now the question is… what are you two going to do about it?" Patamon asked.
For a long moment, neither Jack nor Maddie said anything, making Takuya a bit tense and nervous.
Takuya swallowed nervously. He really hoped it wouldn't be anything bad. I hate feeling this nervous…
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Jack walked over to Takuya, and grabbed him into a hug. Maddie soon joined in on the hug.
"I don't know what to say, other than… we're proud of you for helping us when we needed it, as well as the Digimon in the Digital World…" Jack said quietly.
"And we're sorry that we didn't see that sooner, Takuya, and if we hurt you in our ignorance," Maddie apologized. "Will you forgive your hasty aunt and uncle?"
Takuya smiled. "I can't stay mad at you guys." He said as he hugged them back.
Patamon gave a small smile as he watched them, then he looked up at the ceiling, like he was seeing something nobody else could see. Who knows… maybe that'll be you in their arms one day when you decide to reveal yourself, Danny.
Valerie was wearing her red huntress suit. She had Salamon riding on her hoverboard like usual. She soon landed in the central park. She was surprised when she saw she wasn't the only one here. She saw Sam, Biyomon, Tucker, Kokuwamon, Dash, and Labramon here as well.
"Looks like almost the whole gang is here," Valerie noted.
"Andy called for us to come here," Sam said. "I don't suppose you know why."
"Apparently it's to capture Phantom." Valerie replied with a shrug. "Or at least staging his capture."
"He wanted to get rid of the ghost hunters, but I'm not sure how he plans to do that," Salamon said.
"I wonder why he would need us here though," Kokuwamon questioned. "I hope he doesn't plan to use us to fight these ghost hunters."
"I doubt it, knowing Andy, he has something else in mind," Biyomon said.
"Okay, but why bring Dash?" Tucker asked. "No offense, but I'm not sure why Andy would need you here to stage a capture or whatever it is he's planning to do."
"I couldn't say I understand what he's thinking either," Dash said. "But he pulled off that dragon prank, so I'm sure he has something in mind."
"Do you think they'll be arriving soon?" Labramon questioned.
"I hope so." Valerie replied. "We kinda need to act fast to remove those ghost hunters from town."
"Hey everyone!" Andy's voice called.
The group saw Andy on his moped, and stopped so fast that he and Lopmon, who was currently on Andy's head, nearly fell off of the moped. He rushed over to the group. "Good, I see everyone's here."
"What took you so long?" Tucker asked.
"I had some ghost trouble, but we're here now," Andy said. "Which is good, because it's going to take all of us to make this convincing and have the ghost hunters leave."
"So, what's the plan?" Dash asked.
"We're going to stage the ghost boy being captured by the red huntress herself, and she'll collect the 'bounty'," Andy explained.
"Uh… not that I'm doubting the idea, but how are we going to even do that?" Biyomon asked.
"And how would we do it without… you know, the ghost boy himself?" Sam asked, knowing Andy could've easily asked Danny to come if they needed him to be caught by Valerie.
"We don't need the real thing for this to work. Besides, there's a good chance that the ghost boy could get seriously hurt if our plan was a bust, or they try to shoot at the ghost boy anyways despite being caught. We're dealing with eccentric and strange people after all, you gotta take what they may or may not do into account," Andy explained. "We just need to make them think the red huntress caught the ghost boy and turned him in for the bounty. No bounty means no reason for them to stick around looking for the big jackpot prize."
Valerie grinned. "I like that idea. It makes things far easier for us too, since we don't have to actually turn in the ghost boy."
"But still, how would we be able to pull that off?" Labramon asked. "Aren't these guys professionals?"
"Other than maybe the Guys in White, it's difficult to say these guys are professionals in any sense of the word…" Lopmon grumbled. "The Scaredy Cat's claws look like they hurt worse than BlackGatomon's claws, and the Extreme Ghost Breakers really hurt my ears whenever they speak."
"This is why each of us will have a role for this," Andy explained. "Valerie will be the red huntress, of course, being the one to capture the ghost boy. Tucker, you and Kokuwamon will be in charge of the special effects, to make it look like the fake ghost boy is flying around and firing out his ghost rays, or going through stuff. Sam, you'll have to handle the make-up and money part. You don't need to give Valerie a million dollars, but make give her a heavy looking suitcase of cash to make it seem like they're a million dollars. It has to look as authentic as possible if we want the ghost hunters to believe the cash prize is already taken. And while this is going on, you and Birdramon keep an eye on everything in the sky, just make sure nobody sees you."
Andy turned to Dash and Labramon. "And finally, you two. Since Labramon, as Dobermon, can move quickly through the shadows, and Dash can ride on you, you'll have to be responsible for throwing out some of Tucker's special effects in places he and Kokuwamon can't reach. And, you'll have to be the 'mysterious benefactor' Valerie talks to, and the one she receives the money from. Your bulky stature, and Dobermon's intimidating look, as well as the fact she looks like a normal doberman, just… much bigger, fits into the whole 'billionaire benefactor' air. What better bodyguard to have than a giant guard dog?"
Dash grinned. "I think I like that idea. And Labramon would be awesome as a guard dog!"
Labramon blushed. "Come on now, you're embarrassing me."
"Okay, so I get the whole idea, and it sounds like fun, but…" Tucker began as he looked at Andy. "What would you and Lopmon be doing?"
"Well… they're looking for the ghost boy and his little 'pet', right?" Andy grinned. "Lopmon, would you mind showing them?"
Lopmon hopped down from Andy's head, and landed onto his bag. He dug something out, and showed the group white hair dye, and a black and white hazmat suit that looked identical to Danny Phantom's hazmat suit.
"That's my suit, I just spray painted it," Andy explained. "But it's easy to wash off, so it's not permanent."
"Wait… are you saying you're going to be the ghost boy for this plan?" Valerie deadpanned.
"Yup," Andy answered.
Tucker frowned. "Not that I'm saying it's a bad idea, but… are you sure that's safe to do?"
"You are talking to the same boy who asked me to throw him, and fire missiles beside him, to break Agunimon's plasma sphere around Freakshow, Tucker," Kokuwamon reminded.
"I'm not that reckless!" Andy huffed. "It's a simple plan. Ghost weapons aren't meant to harm humans, if they did, they would've been sued or thrown in jail a long time ago. This is why I'm using myself as a substitute as opposed to the real thing. Besides, I already kinda look like the ghost boy, so after some color changes, you wouldn't be able to tell me apart from the real deal."
"This might be interesting," Sam said. "I'll have to see if I can… get enough fake money to fill the suitcase you requested, but I can make sure they look really real. And I'm definitely interested to see how you pull off being the ghost boy."
"Are you sure about this, Sam? He could get hurt," Biyomon asked in concern.
"I trust Andy and Lopmon will be able to handle themselves, we can't always hesitate because we're worried about getting hurt," Sam pointed out.
Biyomon nodded. "That's true."
Tucker grinned. "Besides, Andy can be quite intimidating when he wants to be, especially if those close to him are harmed in any way."
Dash knew that for a fact. He almost couldn't believe he used to bully Andy and his brother on a daily basis. Especially with the plan he came up with. He was just glad he was a part of it this time, and not the victim of it.
"Alright… Sam, can you help me set up the hair dye?" Andy requested. "I brought some black for Lopmon too. After all, the news said it was a black bat, though it doesn't have to be a bat. I mean the 'bat' was small, anyone could be mistaken."
Sam grinned. "You got it, Andy!" She said with a mischievous grin.
Valerie chuckled. "I think Andy's infected us with his mischievousness."
Sam began helping Andy put the white hair dye on his hair, and Lopmon was scrubbing himself with the black dye. Valerie and Salamon were watching while Tucker and Kokuwamon were tweaking Tucker's PDA.
"I hope this plan works… I don't want Andy to get hurt…" Valerie said.
"He must have a lot of faith in you, Valerie," Salamon said.
"W-what? Where did that come from?" Valerie sheepishly asked.
"Well, he's putting his fate into your hands," Salamon pointed out. "That requires a lot of trust after all."
"I-I know that!" Valerie exclaimed. "I just hope Andy doesn't get hurt, that's all!" She was trying hard to hide her blush.
Salamon chuckled. "No need to get embarrassed, I was just making a statement is all."
Valerie huffed.
"And done!" Sam spoke up.
Valerie blinked when she saw Andy. Andy's hair wasn't quite as brightly white as the ghost boy's hair, but it was white enough that it could be easily mistaken for the ghost boy's hair. Andy had put the black and white hazmat suit over his clothes. Andy made quite a convincing double to the ghost kid, however…
"Well, how do I look?" Andy asked.
Lopmon himself was now black, with white on his pink parts, looking black and white himself. "Do I look cool myself?"
"You both look pretty cool and all, but… uh… you are missing the ghostly glow, and your eyes look a little too normal to be ghostly," Valerie pointed out.
"Yeah… well, I don't have the make-up to make us glow," Andy chuckled. "That's what Tucker's special effects are for."
Sam grinned. "This should be fun to see."
Tucker chuckled. "Time to get to work. I hope you're all ready to take part in one of the most epic schemes we've ever pulled~"
"Oh, and Dash, I have this black coat and hat for you to wear," Andy said, holding out the coat and hat. "This will keep your identity hidden, so they don't know you're only 14 years old. After all, the benefactor has to be an adult."
"Right… uh… how did you fit that in your bag?" Dash asked.
"It's bigger on the inside," Andy replied.
"Was… was that a Doctor Who reference?" Tucker blinked.
Andy grinned. "Who knows? Anyways, make sure you wear that, Dash."
Dash nodded. "I will." He then grinned. "This should work nicely with Dobermon's black colors as well."
"Now… how does the red huntress catch 'you'?" Valerie asked.
Andy smirked.
The van of the Groovy Gang, the bikes and ATVs of the Ghost Breakers, and the white van of the Guys in White agents pulled up at central park.
"Like… what are you guys doing here?" The lean man from the Groovy Gang asked.
"We got a call that the million dollar ghost was spotted here. What are you doing here?" One of the Guys in White agents questioned back.
"We came here because the ghost was spotted here as well." One of the Extreme Ghost Breakers replied. "We're hoping for an extreme chase to catch it!"
"Did… we all get a call that the million dollar ghost is here?" The Groovy Gang woman questioned. "Doesn't that seem a little suspicious?"
Before anyone could respond to that, they heard what sounded like a ghost bazooka being fired. The ghost hunters looked up, seeing the red huntress herself flying after the million dollar ghost. The ghost boy appeared to be holding a small black creature in his arms as he was flying away from the red huntress.
"Get back here, ghost kid! I swear I will not only take my vengeance on you, but I'll bring back the million dollars home that you cost me!" The red huntress shouted.
Tucker was using a hologram from his PDA to create the fake Danny Phantom flying around. Kokuwamon held up a small mic. Andy stood next to them, holding onto Lopmon. He spoke into the mic, which brought his voice over to the holographic version of Danny Phantom.
"I told you that it was an accident! Why don't you get over yourself? I already have dozens of other hunters on my tail!" 'Danny' shouted back.
"You're my target!" The red huntress shot back. "And you will pay for what you did to me!"
"Bark! Bark!" Salamon barked, trying to sound like a real dog.
"Then I'll stop you!" 'Danny' shouted before Tucker had the hologram fire a ghost ray at Valerie.
At the same time, Dash, who was riding on Dobermon, threw a balloon filled with green glowing goop. The balloon burst open upon hitting the building behind Valerie, making it look like the ghost kid fired a real ghost ray at her and missed.
"Like what's going on? Isn't that… like, the red huntress? The ghost hunter that has a big grudge against the ghost boy?" The Groovy lean man asked.
"That extreme hunter? She's after our prize! That's so not extreme!" The female Ghost Breaker groaned.
"Then we better hurry and get the million dollar ghost!" The GiW agent shouted.
The other ghost hunters powered up their weapons and started firing at the hologram. Tucker had the hologram go through the trees, and into the ground.
"He got away!" A ghost breaker shouted.
While everyone was focused on the ground the 'ghost boy' disappeared in, Andy walked up behind the shaking white tiger. He went up to its ear. "Boo."
The white tiger yowled as it jumped into the air and latched onto the Groovy woman again.
"Ow! Those are, like, my internal organs!" She cried in pain.
Who trained this tiger? Andy couldn't help but ask.
While the other ghost hunters were focused on getting the tiger off of the woman, Andy ran a little further away. "Okay, Lopmon, time to make this look convincing."
Lopmon nodded.
Andy fell to the ground. "Ow! I just got shot down!"
The red huntress hovered over him, pointing the bazooka at him like she had just been the one to shoot him down.
"Hey!" One of the Guys in White exclaimed. "The red huntress has our prize!"
"Don't interfere!" Valerie snapped at the other ghost hunters. "This ghost kid is mine! He ruined my life, and I'm struggling to survive because of him! If anyone has the right to capture him and take the million dollar reward, it's me."
"And why should we let you take the ghost boy away?" One of the Guys in White asked, more than eager to claim the ghost boy for themselves.
"Because I'm the one who captured him, and I know where the mysterious benefactor is," Valerie said before she threw out a net at the 'ghost boy' and his 'pet'. "This is an intangible proof net. He won't be escaping from this."
Valerie lowered the hoverboard and grabbed onto the net, hoisting it over her shoulders.
Dang, Val's a lot stronger than she looks. Andy noted.
"But feel free to try to take him before I turn him in~" Valerie challenged.
The other ghost hunters were hesitant to follow her or to even attempt to stop her. She was quite skilled, and not many had a record like her when it came to ghost hunting.
"Going after the red huntress? I don't think it's worth the risk." The first Guys in White agent muttered.
"We should still try, shouldn't we? That's our million dollar ghost!" One of the Ghost Breakers shouted.
Valerie began moving the hoverboard and the other ghost hunters started to run after them. Andy and Lopmon pretended to struggle.
"You won't take me away! I'll have my partner ice this net and escape!" Andy shouted.
Lopmon took a deep breath and let out his Blazing Ice attack. The icy wind froze the road under the ghost hunters, making their feet slip and slide all over the place.
"Awesome!" One of the Ghost Breakers exclaimed in glee. "This is so extreme!"
Some of these ghost hunters are crazy… Lopmon sweatdropped.
"Try all you like, ghost kid! But you and your pet are never getting out!" Valerie shouted.
Andy saw Dobermon moving in the shadows, quickly heading to the meeting place. The plan was coming together.
Some of the Guys in White attempted to throw something at Andy. Some kind of white thing managed to attach itself to Andy's chest. There was a small spark of electricity, but the worst it did was give him a static shock. Otherwise, it seemed to not have done anything. Andy quickly detached the white thing from his chest.
I'm guessing this was meant to shock a ghost's core or their physical form. Andy wondered.
Valerie continued to fly to the meeting place, leading the ghost hunters on.
"That's odd. Why didn't the device shock the ghost boy more?" One of the Guys in White agents wondered.
"Maybe it has some electric properties." The other agent noted.
"An electric ghost?" The male Ghost Breaker grinned. "That is so extreme!"
Andy threw the white object down through the net. "Even if that worked, all you'd be doing is making it easier for the red huntress to carry me back."
The ghost hunters ignored him and continued to chase after them. Valerie spotted the meeting place. She quickly landed the hoverboard, still carrying Andy and Lopmon. Salamon hopped down from the hoverboard just as Valerie pulled it into her shoes. She hurried forward.
Dash stood there, looking all cool and mysterious in the black jacket and hat, while Dobermon stood next to him.
"Are you the mysterious benefactor?" Valerie asked just as the other ghost hunters caught up to them.
Dash gave a nod. "I am." He said, making his voice sound deeper than it actually was. "You have the ghost boy?"
"I have the ghost boy right here." Valerie said as she held up Andy in the net.
"You won't get me!" Andy hissed defiantly.
"Even if you got out of that net, my specialized doberman would make sure to keep you in line. She was bred specifically to handle ghosts, and to protect me," Dash stated calmly as he stroked Dobermon's chin. "She's the best kind of breed money can buy~"
Dobermon gave a small smile of pride, but was careful not to speak.
"Like… that's a big dog… Even bigger than Scaredy Cat…" The Groovey man gulped in intimidation.
"Yes, she is my pride and joy." Dash chuckled. "Now, about that ghost boy and its pet…"
Valerie slid the net that had Andy and Lopmon in it to Dash. Dash pretended to analyze and study the 'ghost boy' and his 'pet'. Looking satisfied, he grinned before holding out a fancy looking suitcase, provided by Sam. He opened it up, revealing what looked like real wads of cash. Andy wondered if Sam actually put real cash in there, considering her family were pretty rich, and just said they were fake to the others.
"I think this will be enough for the bounty," Dash said.
"S-shouldn't we do something?" The Groovy woman asked.
"No way, I may be all about extreme, but even I know to stay away from a dog that big, with a spiked collar that huge," One of the Ghost Breakers replied.
"It's a negative on our side as well, the training we've had didn't cover giant dogs," One of the GiW agents grumbled.
Valerie grinned as she closed the suitcase and took it. "Thank you. I will leave the ghost boy and its pet to you."
"I'll have my dog carry them to ensure they can't escape," Dash said before snapping his fingers.
Like a well trained dog, Dobermon grabbed the top of the net with her teeth, and easily lifted Andy and Lopmon up.
Valerie turned to the other ghost hunters. "Welp, first come, first serve. Looks like I got the million dollar bounty. But you're welcome to try to take it back, but I don't think our benefactor would be happy about that."
Dobermon growled to intimidate the other ghost hunters, as if to challenge them to try.
The other ghost hunters backed off, not wanting to mess with the large black dog beside the benefactor.
From hiding, Tucker was grinning like a canary that caught the cat. I can't believe it worked!
"Well… this was a bust… let's get out of this town," The Groovy woman grumbled.
"Maybe we can stop by the Nasty Burger first, they actually got some good burgers," The Groovy man said.
The white tiger nodded, just happy to be leaving, and not have to deal with ghosts or that dog.
"Totally bummer, man… but I guess we'll do the next gig, right, dude?" The Ghost Breaker guy said to his partner.
"Yeah, I guess so. But I'm a girl, stop calling me a 'dude'," The Ghost Breaker girl grumbled.
The Guys in White looked suspicious at the 'ghost boy' that was in the net, but they decided to leave it at that. After all, their white suits would stain easily with dirt and blood if they got into a fight with the unnaturally giant doberman.
Everyone waited until all of the ghost hunters were out of sight, getting into their vehicles to leave. Sam was watching from the sky on Birdramon's back, using her binoculars to watch them leave. She then spoke on her cell phone.
Andy picked up the phone and put it on speaker.
"They're gone."
Andy grinned. "The plan worked~"
Tucker emerged from hiding with Kokuwamon. "Excellent! We pulled it off without any hiccups!"
Valerie grinned as well. "I can't believe it! We managed to make the ghost hunters leave!"
Dobermon bite through the net, releasing Andy and Lopmon from it.
"You were all great, you did your parts well." Andy smiled.
"I knew we could count on you~" Lopmon smiled at Dobermon.
Dobermon began blushing at Lopmon's praise. "Oh, you know… just wanted to look convincing."
Kinda funny how this big, intimidating looking dog is blushing from a small rabbit's praise. Andy grinned to himself.
Birdramon degenerated back into Biyomon as she and Sam were coming down for a landing, not wanting to alert the citizens of Amity Park of a giant flaming bird. Biyomon held onto Sam's arms with her talons as she gently hovered them to the ground.
"That went pretty well, I've gotta say," Sam chuckled.
Valerie gave Sam back the suitcase of money. "Here, you should give this back to your parents. I'm pretty sure these are real dollar bills."
Sam blinked, surprised, but she took the suitcase, opened it, and took out a wad of cash before handing it to Valerie. "Here… you can keep this… It might help with your situation, and… I owe you that much for helping Andy out with this…"
Valerie blinked. "A-Are you sure, Sam? I mean, I'm not ungrateful, but…"
"Shh, don't say anything. Just shut up and take it. Besides, it's only 300 dollars, it's not like you can buy that much with it. Just be sure to not spend it all in one place," Sam huffed.
Biyomon smiled. "Aww, that was nice of you Sam."
Sam blushed. "I'm not intending on making it a habit…"
Valerie grinned. "Well, thanks anyway. I'll be sure to spend it wisely."
Tucker was surprised at this, but he wisely decided not to ruin the moment with his jokes for once.
Andy smiled. "Thanks, Sam."
"W-whatever, just don't mention it," Sam huffed.
Salamon smiled. "Good things come to those who do good. I believe that is what you would call 'karma'."
"That felt good though." Dash smiled. "My heart was beating so fast I was worried they'd hear it. But it looks like we saved the ghost boy from those annoying ghost hunters, huh?"
"Yeah, and Dash, I have to say, I'm glad you're on our side," Andy chuckled. "Maybe someday you can show that to the school as well."
Dash blushed at the praise. "Yeah, I hope so too…"
"I think we need to get back to our respective homes." Tucker suggested. "After this whole thing, I think we all need a rest. I know I do; I was half expecting the plan to have something go wrong, so my heart was racing."
"Oh yeah… for once, things actually went according to plan… I'm surprised honestly," Sam realized.
"Hey! Maybe that's a good sign! Maybe now that means we've gotten better at planning and we can have things go more according to plan," Lopmon said cheerfully.
Salamon frowned for a moment. I wish I could share in that sentiment… but I'm getting an ominous feeling that something's about to happen… but I don't want to worry the others, I don't have any proof that something is amiss. Let's… enjoy this happy moment.
Vlad had been captured, as well as his ghost animals, and were dumped into the Ghost Zone. Maddie and Jack found out about Takuya's secret of being Agunimon, and accepted him. Andy managed to get the ghost hunters to leave and get off of Danny's back. All in all, it had been a pretty darn good day.
"You seriously told them?" Andy asked Takuya, surprised as he, Lopmon, and Takuya were sitting on the couch together.
Danny was sitting by them as well, with Patamon on his lap. Lopmon was eating some peanut butter cookies that Maddie brought in for them.
"Yeah. I kinda had no choice when Uncle Jack asked if I was a human." Takuya admitted. "I was nervous for sure, but in the end… I think it was best."
"Patamon and I were watching while invisible. Though Patamon decided to change back and help nudge you in that direction, you were getting stubborn again," Danny chuckled.
"... So you approved of this idea?" Takuya asked. "Despite you being the one who still has yet to reveal himself to his parents?"
"Hey, I have a valid reason," Danny huffed, holding a peanut butter cookie himself before taking a bite out of it. "Unlike with Digimon, Mom and Dad don't like ghosts. And it's going to take time for them to get used to the idea that not all ghosts are evil."
"Yeah, and I think hearing it from me may have helped spur their ideas to change." Takuya admitted. "But I think talking to your dad as Phantom helped too."
"But what brought Dad on to even talk to Phantom in the first place?" Danny asked. "That's what got me… and… he mentioned how he remembered how upset Andy had been during the Freakshow incident."
Danny and Takuya looked over at Andy.
"Oh yeah, you two weren't there when it happened," Andy realized as he finished chewing his peanut butter cookie. "I sort of got into a bit of a heated argument with our parents… they were talking about how you were showing your 'true colors' and all that. And I got upset… I was already upset when Freakshow was controlling you two, making you do bad things like stealing and committing arson… and Mom and Dad's hurtful comments about Danny's ghost half, and their growing distrust to Agunimon, didn't help. Not gonna lie, I was very tempted to tell them who you both were, not out of spite, but to let them know what was truly at stake here. I only… barely held back because I felt like there was still a chance I could bring you back with the help of our friends and their Digimon."
Takuya whistled. "Wow, Andy. I didn't think you'd reem into your parents like that."
"But… I don't blame you either… I'd probably do the same if the situation was reversed…" Danny said softly. "Keeping the secret wouldn't have been worth losing you."
"Just be glad it didn't come down to that," Andy said. "But… both of you should know that Lopmon and I will do everything in our power to try to save you when one or both of you are in danger."
"That's right, I'll follow Andy to the ends of all the worlds to help bring you both back," Lopmon agreed with the same conviction. "Because you're my family too."
Danny and Takuya both blushed.
Patamon smiled at the response from Lopmon. "Somehow, despite my own jadeness… I feel the same way. You kids wormed your way into my Digi-Core."
"You're younger than I am, Patamon," Danny huffed.
"You don't know that," Patamon huffed back.
"Takuya found you as an In-Training, practically a baby, I think I have a good idea." Danny rolled his eyes.
"You're only 14 years old, with only 14 years worth of life experience and memories, I have way more than that," Patamon replied.
"It's funny how much alike, yet different you two can be, you're almost like brothers yourselves," Takuya laughed.
"We are not!" Danny and Patamon snapped at the same time.
Takuya, Andy, and Lopmon laughed for a bit.
"So, Andy… you seemed pretty messed up before, and the next time I saw you, you and Lopmon were fighting against Vlad, and had Lopmon digivolve into his Ultimate form, what the heck happened?" Takuya asked.
"I've learned to accept my fears rather than try to bury them," Andy answered. "Lopmon and I went into the Digital World to clear our minds… and we ran into Tommy there, believe it or not."
"Was Tommy alright?" Takuya asked in concern. "I mean, I know he's a Legendary Warrior too, but… I still can't help but worry about him."
"It sounds like you see him as a little brother," Patamon chuckled.
"Well… I kinda do…" Takuya admitted with a small blush.
"Tommy had a slave collar on him," Lopmon answered.
Takuya felt his heart almost stop. "W-what?!"
"N-now, calm down! He wasn't under anyone's control," Andy quickly said. "At least not directly. He wasn't wearing the crimson collar that Lobomon had. It looked like a run of the mill slave collar. It doesn't seem to affect you guys the same way as normal Digimon, probably because you're human. But according to Tommy, he felt the need to do what his 'friend' wanted him to do. Both of us had some inner, and outer, demons to fight against. And… we seem to really understand what the other was going through. We had a talk, and… it ended up with both of us realizing something important."
"What would that be?" Danny curiously asked.
"As cheesy as this sounds, we remembered ourselves," Andy answered. "I remembered why I took the risks that I took, and Tommy remembered why he left this friend of his in the first place, especially when he discovered he had the slave collar around his neck. I didn't see what happened to Tommy after that, but both of us put our faith in each other. Tommy knew I would be able to handle whatever it was I needed to do, and I felt the same for him. I'm sure once you see Tommy again, you can ask him."
Takuya frowned. "I think I will. I'm concerned he even had a slave collar on him in the first place."
"But wow, it sounds like you and Tommy really get along pretty well, bro," Danny chuckled.
"Maybe… But you know, you and Takuya are a lot alike too," Andy pointed out. "Both of you are hardheaded, you hit hard in your… other forms, you tend to act first and think later, but you both have a big heart, you like to be heroic and help people without question, and you're always determined to do the right things. If Danny and I weren't twins, I'd almost mistake you two for brothers~"
Takuya and Danny both blushed.
"A-Andy!" Danny exclaimed. "It's…"
"Andy's just being complementary." Takuya admitted, but was still blushing.
"Hey, you know it's true," Lopmon said. "Right, Patamon?"
"They certainly have a chemistry between them, Even while mind controlled, they worked together like well oiled machines," Patamon remarked.
Takuya and Danny blushed even more.
"W-well… it… It may be true…" Danny admitted. "But we don't remember much about that time…"
"Hey, don't worry about it. It's in the past. We need to look towards the future," Andy said. "We've got a lot of work to do once we finally make our guild."
"When will we be officializing the guild?" Lopmon asked curiously.
"Hmm… I was thinking the easiest time would be during summer vacation," Andy said. "When we don't have to worry about school as much, and have a lot more free time. Right now we can only make quick trips between this world and the Digital World, especially with how time is in sync between the two worlds. Takuya, students in Japan also get summer break, right?"
Takuya nodded. "Yeah, they do." He replied.
"So that's perfect then. When summer vacation starts, we, and the rest of the Legendary Warriors, will meet up at Seraphimon's castle, and finally make it into our official guild," Andy stated. "No more worries about whether or not we're fit to work with the Legendary Warriors. The Legendary Warriors decided to help us, and vice versa, so it only makes sense we work with them from now on. Any objections to that?"
Danny and Takuya shook their heads. Patamon and Lopmon were also in agreement.
"I'm sure Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Mom, Dad, Valerie, and Dash will agree as well," Andy said. "I just hope we'll be able to get along with each other in the long term. We've barely interacted with the other Legendary Warriors after all. Heck, I don't even know what Koichi's Spirit Evolution looks like."
"You'll see it soon." Takuya chuckled. "It looks pretty cool if you ask me."
"Heh, awesome, can't wait to see it then," Andy chuckled.
"We should probably get ready for bed. It's been a long day, and we still have school tomorrow," Danny sighed.
"Yeah… we should," Andy sighed as well.
"I'll eat some more cookies before I join you in bed," Lopmon said.
"Me too," Patamon agreed, which surprised them a little. "What? Can't I just enjoy my cookies?"
Takuya laughed. "It seems we have two Digimon who love Aunt Maddie's cookies~"
"At least she didn't add ectoplasm to the cookies," Andy chuckled.
"Okay, we'll see you two in bed later then." Danny smiled, glad to see Patamon was enjoying himself.
The twins stood up from the couch and started walking upstairs. Leaving Takuya with Lopmon and Patamon.
"Maybe you should head to bed soon too," Patamon suggested.
Takuya nodded. "Yeah. I could use some sleep. That fight took a lot out of me." He then stood up to head to his own room. "I'll see you guys in the morning."
"See you tomorrow morning," Patamon waved back.
"Sleep well~" Lopmon smiled as Takuya left.
When everyone was gone, it was just the two Digimon. Lopmon dropped the cookie and frowned. He had been nibbling on the same cookie for a while, he was just glad Andy had been too mentally tired to have noticed, otherwise his partner was sure to have noticed something was wrong.
"You felt it too, huh?" Patamon said in a serious tone.
Lopmon frowned. "What is this… uneasy feeling? It's like a heavy weight in the pit of my stomach, it makes it hard to eat…"
"It could be an instinctual premonition," Patamon said.
"Premonition? But… I'm not like you, or Shamamon…" Lopmon frowned. "Or… Andy."
"Instinctual premonition isn't like having a vision of the future. It's more… the feeling that something is wrong," Patamon explained. "The fact we're both feeling it… is definitely a cause for concern though… something big is about to happen…"
"Shouldn't we… tell our partners? Or… do something about it?" Lopmon worriedly asked.
"We don't know what's causing our sense of unease. Telling them now would only worry them, and cause them to stress out, wasting energy," Patamon explained. "For now, let's keep this to ourselves and just wait and see."
"Are you sure?" Lopmon frowned.
"Yes." Patamon replied. "The more we worry our partners, the more they will worry about things that have not yet happened."
"I guess… I just hope it's nothing we can't handle at least," Lopmon said.
"We were able to come this far together, I'm sure whatever it is, we'll be able to stop it," Patamon reassured, though inwardly, he wasn't sure either. He hated this feeling, the last time he had it was when Cherubimon ended up dying to the hands of the players.
Later, that night… or rather it was early morning. Around 3:00 am sharp. Takuya was sleeping peacefully, not having a care in the world. He didn't notice a shadow looming over his bed.
But Takuya heard a gentle voice speaking to him. "Come young one, you have a destiny waiting for you. Come with me, young one, you won't be disappointed. The others are waiting for you~"
Takuya slowly sat up from his bed, his eyes opened, but they were glazed over, like he was still asleep. He gave a smile as he mumbled. "Destiny… my destiny…"
His body seeming to be on auto-pilot, the sleeping boy got out of bed. He kept giving that smile as he went to his clothes closet, changing out of his pajamas, and putting his usual clothes on, including his gloves, hat, and goggles. But his eyes were still glazed, and that smile never left his face.
"That's right, come on, everybody's waiting, Takuya Kanbara~" The gentle voice said.
Takuya left Fenton Works, his eyes still glazed over. He walked all the way to the subway station, that grin on his face the whole time. His D-Tector was in his pocket, silent and not even beeping. The boy entered the station, where a very unusual train sat.
"Looks like this is the end of the line…" A deep voice said from the train.
"Yes…" Takuya said.
The train opened the doors for the boy, and Takuya entered without hesitation. Inside the train, Takuya saw his friends, Koji, Koichi, JP, Zoe, and even Tommy were on board. They all had the same glazed eyes as Takuya did, as well as the same smile.
"Welcome, Takuya," The others greeted him.
"Your destiny awaits, Legendary Warriors," The gentle voice that had been guiding Takuya stated proudly.
Takuya sat down next to the other Legendary Warriors. "Our destiny awaits…"
The doors closed, and with a soft whistle, the train began to move down the tracks, leaving the station behind, heading off into the darkness.
When the morning sun rose into the sky… Maddie quickly knocked on the door.
"Danny! Andy! Wake up!" Maddie called.
"Wah?" Danny blinked sleepily.
"What'z goin' on?" Andy slurred sleepily.
"Patamon, Lopmon, you two wake up too!" Maddie frantically said.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Danny asked, sensing the distress in Maddie's voice.
"Have you seen Takuya? He's not in his room, or anywhere in the house," Maddie quickly said.
That woke up Andy quickly. "What? Did he go to the Digital World?"
"His monitor is cold, I don't think he used it recently at all," Maddie said. "I even asked Wormmon if Takuya arrived in the castle at all last tonight, but Wormmon said nobody had seen Takuya… or any of the other Legendary Warriors since yesterday."
"That can't be. There's always been at least one or two Legendary Warriors stationed at the castle to guard the Forest Terminal from players," Patamon quickly said, knowing something was wrong.
"But that's what's so worrisome." Jack frowned as he and Jazz came into the room as well. "If the Legendary Warriors are missing, then we need to check this out."
"Floramon also said she scoured the place, I even had her digivolve into Kiwimon to move around faster. She hasn't seen any Legendary Warriors either," Jazz explained. "What could've happened to them?"
Andy got out of bed. "Let's get dressed first, then we'll check out what's going on."
"Yeah, we'll see what happened to them," Danny agreed.
Lopmon frowned, starting to realize what that bad feeling was from last night. With Takuya, and the other Legendary Warriors missing… things were taking a turn for the worst. They needed the Legendary Warriors if they hoped to save the Digital World, and take down the Beast Slayer Guild.
"I'll call Tucker and Sam, they can help us with this too," Danny quickly said.
"I'll see if I can call Valerie, and have her call Dash since she likely has his number," Andy said.
"Okay, we'll do what we can to investigate this as well," Jack quickly said.
Andy and Lopmon ran out of the room after Andy was dressed. Danny and Patamon followed after them. The four of them went into Takuya's room. There wasn't a struggle, the only sign that Takuya had been here was the unkempt bed.
"This isn't like when Takuya went to the Digital World and didn't realize time was passing there faster…" Lopmon said softly. "Because at least we knew where he was then…"
"You're right… this is worse. We don't know where Takuya is, what happened to him, or the other Legendary Warriors…" Patamon agreed.
"Do you think a ghost could've taken Takuya away in his sleep?" Andy asked.
"No…" Danny said as he walked over to the bed and inspected it. "If that were the case, the ghost would've left some kind of residue behind that I could sense, even if they tried the overshadowing trick. But there's no sign of a ghost being here at all…"
"What could've caused Takuya to disappear? And the rest of the Legendary Warriors?" Andy frowned. And what would that mean for the rest of us if we can't find them?
"I don't know, but this sucks, this really, really sucks…" Danny muttered.
Despite having grown and learned from the trials, becoming stronger together, Takuya, Koji, Koichi, JP, Zoe, and Tommy have all disappeared. Who took them away? And for what purpose? Will Danny, Andy, and the rest of the crew be able to find Takuya and the other Legendary Warriors before it's too late? Or are they doomed to fail? Discover all of this and more in Digital Phantom: Frontier.
End of Season 1
Son Sandy: DarkFoxKit: I really appreciate this review. Especially since people rarely, if at all, even mention Tommy despite playing such a large role in the story. And yes, Andy and Tommy are two kindred spirits, both of them needed some kind of help that their closest friends and family couldn't provide for them. They have similar but different perspectives on things, and the talk was what gave them what they needed. Andy realizing it's okay to be who he is, whether that's human, halfa, ghost, or Digimon, and Tommy realizing he's stronger than he realized and to be who he is as well.
Heh, seems we did too good of a job with Andy as a human since you and another both want Andy to stay human. Although that does make things awkward because I've always had it in my head that Andy will one day gain power, but he has to go through hardships as a human first, and to experience what it's like to be the brother of a superhero. But I also wanted to make it clear that being human isn't a bad thing.
The bond between Andy and Lopmon is based on how Tamers handled their partner's evolution. When they become Ultimates, the Tamers start becoming more and more in sync with their Digimon to the point they feel pain when their Digimon get hurt, which leads into the biomerge later.
Heh, well we hope you'll enjoy the series that's in-between seasons 1 and 2. We'll try our best to make it easier for readers to find it due to the awkward way we're going to upload it.
ZAFT: Kit explained it all, so I don't have much to add other than thank you for continuing to read this and for saying it is a good story, if not the best one you read! XD
Titanic X: ZAFT: Thank you! I'm glad you loved it that much.
pokemon fan 1991: DarkFoxKit: Tommy and Andy have been parallels to each other since Tommy's introduction. So it made sense the both got their next forms around the same time after they helped each other. Also, the original Antylamon? Isn't that one evil, supposedly? And well, Lopmon isn't a Deva in this story, so of course he wouldn't be the Deva version. Though the Deva version was my first time seeing Lopmon since the movie never showed Lopmon's Rookie form.
ZAFT: Thanks for the review, and for the praise on the character development. We try to please with that~ :3