16. The First Digimon

Shinyu looked around as he and the others followed Allomon through the gates and into Saurus Fortress.
They were crossing a spacious stony yard surrounded by the towering wall. Several tall figures watched them from the top of the fortification; their eyes seeming to glow in the dark.
To their right, up against the wall, was a large wide stone building with a row of metal doors built into it like the entrance gate.
To their left was a roped off sandy area where some smaller figures, that Shinyu guessed were Rookies, were huddled together in sleep.
Up ahead of them was a massive structure made of what looked like bone. It was shaped like a T-Rex skull, similar to the one on the armbands worn by Allomon and GeoGreymon. It's 'mouth' was gaping open, revealing a path lit by stone torches stuck into the ground. It led to a set of blood-red curtains that must've covered the entrance into the main building.
"Welcome to Jurassic Park." Charlie quipped.
Shinyu nudged her with his elbow and nodded towards GeoGreymon, who was staring menacingly at them with smoke rising from the corners of his mouth. This was not the time for jokes.
Allomon looked back at the group.
"Wait here. I'll inform MetalTyrannomon of your arrival."
He nodded to GeoGreymon and walked down the torch-lit path, disappearing behind the curtains.
GeoGreymon muttered something under his breath and slumped down against the side of the skull's entrance. There were some crates stacked beside him. He took one and ripped the top off with his claws. Reaching in, he took out a bone with a hunk of golden brown meat on it.
Tigremon's pupils expanded and a line of saliva escaped her mouth as she laid eyes on the drumstick in his hand.
"Hey, could we get a few of those? It's been ages since we last had a proper meal."
GeoGreymon turned his head and snarled at her.
"Who said you could speak to me, Rookie?!"
Tigremon's fur bristled and her tail lashed in anger. She took a step towards GeoGreymon and extended her claws, but BlackGreymon stepped between them facing his fellow dinosaur.
"I'm sorry. She doesn't know any better. I'll be sure to explain the rules to them all."
Tigremon curled her lip at being spoken over, but a warning look from Tarumon kept her from responding.
BlackGreymon lowered his head and kept his eyes down as he continued.
"We could really use some food though. We've travelled a long way and are very hungry."
GeoGreymon looked from BlackGreymon to the group with narrowed eyes before shrugging with a grunt.
"Fine."
He took the open crate and dragged it over to the group. He locked eyes with Tigremon who bared her fangs at him. His mouth curled up in a smirk.
"At least this one's got a spine. Some of the Rookies around here could learn a few things from her."
Leaving the crate, he returned to his previous spot and tore open another box for himself.
BlackGreymon gave a meaty bone to each of his companions before sitting down with two for himself.
Tigremon wasted no time in tearing into the brown meat; digging her teeth in and ripping out chunks which she swallowed whole before immediately going back for more.
"Slow down! You're gonna make yourself sick." Tarumon chided her. "And chew your food."
"Yes, Mom!" Tigremon grinned at Tarumon and her tone was teasing. She seemed to be in a much better mood now that she had something to eat.
Tarumon tore some small strips from his own meat and lay them on the ground where Relemon began to gobble them up.
"That goes for you too." He gently told her and scratched the top of her head.
Looking up, he saw that Kartik hadn't touched his food. His stomach was growling and he stared at the drumstick with temptation in his eyes, but his hands clutched his trouser legs tightly.
"Are you okay, Kartik?" Tarumon asked in concern. "Do you feel sick?"
Kartik started at hearing his name. He turned to face Tarumon.
"Oh! Er, no. It's just..." He looked down at the meat in his lap again. "I can't eat this."
"D-Digimeat isn't my favourite food e-either, but you really need s-something in your stomach." Kumomon said as she swallowed her own bite.
"It's not that." Kartik replied. "It's where it came from."
"What? The ground?" Tigremon stared at him incredulously. "I'm pretty sure they wash them off after harvest."
"Excuse me?"
Shinyu and Charlie both stopped mid-bite, sharing Kartik's look of confusion.
Tarumon's eyes widened with sudden understanding.
"Oh. Don't worry, Kartik. Digimeat is grown in gardens. I promise, nothing died to make it."
"W-Why would something have to d-die?" Kumomon eyed her food suspiciously.
"I'll explain later." Tarumon told her in a whisper.
Kartik picked up the drumstick and looked it over.
"So, this isn't even real meat; just a meat-shaped vegetable?"
"Don't let anyone around here hear you say that." BlackGreymon had moved on to his second drumstick. "It's an all-digimeat diet around here. No veggies."
"I'm fine with that." Tigremon licked the last bits of meat off of the bone she was holding and flashed a requesting look at BlackGreymon. He reached into the crate and gave her another drumstick.
"So, that guy." Charlie nodded towards GeoGreymon who seemed to be deliberately ignoring them. "He kinda looks like you, and you've both got 'Greymon' in your name. Are you two, like, the same species?"
"Pretty much." BlackGreymon replied. "We're both variations of the original Greymon program. Although his is more recent. An evolved version, as he calls it."
"Yeah, he does seem pretty full of himself." Tigremon's ears flattened as she glared at GeoGreymon. "What's his problem with Rookies?"
"That's just how things are here." BlackGreymon shrugged. "Your status is based on your strength. Rookies aren't allowed to speak to higher level digimon unless they're directly addressed."
"Well, maybe I should introduce him to Smilomon. We'd have a nice long conversation." Tigremon smiled as she imagined how that would go.
"Can you at least wait until we've spoken to MetalTyrannomon before beating up one of his digimon?" Tarumon said in exasperation.
"That might actually help your case." BlackGreymon pointed out. "MetalTyrannomon rules by the old 'Survival of the Fittest' principle. If he sees how strong your humans have made you, he may be more inclined to help File City."
Tigremon flashed a triumphant grin at Tarumon. She didn't notice Shinyu looking at her with wariness in his eyes.
"What about you?" Charlie addressed BlackGreymon. "If strength is so important here, GeoGreymon might treat you with more respect if you stand up to him."
BlackGreymon quickly shook his head.
"Oh, no! I could never challenge GeoGreymon. He's been a Champion much longer than I have. Plus, he's a Vaccine-type."
"A what-type?"
Shinyu straightened up.
"You used that term back in File City." He said to Tigremon. "What does it mean?"
"It's to do with the type of data his body is made of."
Everyone looked to Kartik as he put down his half-eaten drumstick and took out his handbook. "I read about it the other day. I was going to tell you guys, but then that whole Birdramon thing happened and I had other stuff to think about."
He flipped through a few pages before finding what he was looking for, and turned the book around so that the others could see.
Beside the text was a diagram depicting three symbols; a slanted drop of liquid, an eight-sided star and a cube. They were arranged in a triangle with arrows between them.
"According to this, most digimon are made of one of three types of data. Vaccine, virus and... well, data." Kartik pointed to the drop, star and cube in succession as he spoke. "They have, like, a rock, paper, scissors sort of relationship with each other. Vaccine beats virus, virus beats data and data beats vaccine."
"So, if GeoGreymon is a Vaccine-type and you can't beat him;" Shinyu pointed at BlackGreymon. "That makes you a Virus-type."
The blue dinosaur nodded.
"Mm-hm my attacks are less affective against him, while his would really hurt me."
"I've been trying so hard not to make another Pokemon comparison, but you guys are not making it easy." Charlie shook her head with a smile.
"You can leave GeoGreymon to me." Tigremon was laying on the ground with her arms behind her head. "I'm a Data-type so it won't be a problem."
"Type matches aren't everything, Tigremon." Said Tarumon. "Birdramon's a Vaccine-type and she managed to beat you."
"She got a lucky shot in!" Tigremon answered. "Besides, I had just been zapped by Blitzmon. Electricity doesn't sit well with me."
"See? You also have to consider elemental affinities too."
"What's your type, Tarumon?" Kartik was genuinely interested in learning more about digimon... biology?
"I'm a Virus-type, like BlackGreymon. My affinity is earth."
"What about you, Kumomon?" Charlie looked to her partner.
"V-Vaccine-type. Electric a-affinity." Kumomon wiggled her legs anxiously. "I-Is it really a good idea t-to be discussing our weaknesses where a-anyone could hear us?"
She raised her head and nodded towards the top of the fortress wall. Some eyes were gleaming out of the darkness, seemingly focused on them.
"M-Maybe we should revisit this t-topic later."
Tarumon's eyes were drawn to movement from the skull-shaped building.
"Guys, he's coming back."
Everyone, including GeoGreymon, got to their feet as Allomon appeared through the curtains and exited the building's jaws.
"MetalTyrannomon will meet with you." He said.
Exchanging excited looks, the group started to move towards the bone structure. Allomon barred their way with his tail.
"Not now. He's retiring for the night. You can talk to him in the morning."
Shinyu couldn't help but feel relieved. It felt like days had passed since he'd last gotten some proper sleep and, now that his stomach was full, he could feel tiredness creeping through his body. He was sure he wasn't the only one. It would be better to plead their case when their heads weren't foggy with fatigue.
"Find them a room in the barracks." Allomon told GeoGreymon. "Then join me back on guard duty."
GeoGreymon nodded his assent, but there was no mistaking the resentment in his eyes as he looked down at the group after Allomon left.
"Come." He jerked his head over his shoulder and started walking towards the wide stone building with the multiple doors.
The group followed him with BlackGreymon bringing up the rear.
"Not you." GeoGreymon pointed a claw at BlackGreymon. "Champion or not, you're still a cadet. Your place is with the Rookies."
"No way!" Charlie stepped up next to BlackGreymon, ignoring the frantic waving of Kumomon's arms. "The big guy's with us!"
GeoGreymon lowered his head and growled menacingly at Charlie. BlackGreymon gently placed a claw on her shoulder.
"It's okay. I don't mind. It'll be nice to catch up with my friends."
"Don't bet on it." GeoGreymon had another gleeful smirk on his face. "Most of your fellow try-hards gave up after you disappeared. I think a few of them are still around the fortress; sweeping the floors, cleaning the toilets. Hey, maybe you could join the cleaning crew. You're big enough to reach all the high corners. I can just picture you with a feather duster!"
He threw his head back and laughed loudly. BlackGreymon gave a half-hearted chuckle while everyone else just glared at GeoGreymon. Relemon gave an angry squeak from her place on Tarumon's head.
"Well, I guess I'll see you guys in the morning." BlackGreymon turned around and strode to the sandy area, stepping carefully over the rope cordon and settling down beside the sleeping Rookies. As the group followed GeoGreymon to the barracks, Charlie looked over her shoulder to see him curl his tail around the smaller digimon.
GeoGreymon led them past several doors, most of which were about three times the humans' size. Finally, he stopped by a smaller door that still reached several feet above their heads.
"This is the smallest room we got." GeoGreymon pushed the door open to reveal three low beds covered by brown blankets. "Serves as a guest room for when we got company; which isn't often."
He slammed his tail down on the ground, causing a cloud of dust to fly up and envelop the group. Chuckling at their coughing and spluttering, he stepped back out through the door.
"Nighty-night." He said before pulling the door shut behind him.
Charlie took her hat off and shook it vigorously. Dust rained down and formed a small pile at her feet.
"Ce type est vraiment un connard!" She growled. "Just who does he think he is?"
"Cl-Clearly, he's able to g-get away with it." Kumomon pointed out as she shook her legs out, one by one. "M-Manners don't seem to be a pr-priority here."
"Okay, this isn't the reception we were hoping for." Tarumon fluffed up Relemon's tail, as she sneezed several times in succession; transforming into a different object with each sniffle. "But if we can secure MetalTyrannomon's support, it'll be worth it."
"I'm just happy to sleep on an actual bed for once." Kartik slipped off his shoes and stood with his back facing one of the beds. "This is going to feel so good."
He threw himself backwards to land on the mattress.
"Gah!"
At the exact same time, Tigremon pulled the blanket back on another bed.
"The mattresses are made of rock." She poked the sheet covered pillow with a claw. "The pillows too."
A pained whine escaped Kartik's clenched teeth.
The others crowded around him.
"You okay, Kartik?" Charlie held her hand out. Kartik took it and sat up with a groan.
"I'm fine. Ugh! My spine has been permanently reshaped, but I'll be okay."
"Bet you wish you had one of these doohickies to fix you." Tigremon pointed to Shinyu's device. "Tarumon, try bonding with him now."
"Tigremon! Enough already!" Shinyu scolded her.
Tigremon's ears flattened against her head. She opened her mouth to respond, but Tarumon quickly cut in.
"Y'know, we really should come up with a name for these things." He motioned for Kartik to lay face down on the floor. "We can't just keep calling them devices or doodads."
"What about digiwatches?" Charlie pointed to her machine strapped to her wrist.
"Does it tell the time?" Shinyu asked.
"Well... no."
"Then it's not a watch." Shinyu had to raise his voice to be heard over the anguished noises coming from Kartik as Tarumon dug his hoof fingers into the boy's back.
"Okay, then what about digitools? They've got all these useful functions after all."
"W-Why does it have to be d-digi-something?" Kumomon asked.
Tarumon directed Tigremon to take a hold of Kartik's ankles, while he grabbed his friend's wrists.
"Are you kidding?" Charlie replied. She held up her hands and started counting off on her fingers. "Digimon, digivolve, digicode, digiegg, digicore, digimeat; you see a pattern?"
"Okay. P-Point taken."
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Kartik cried out as Tarumon and Tigremon pulled on his limbs, stretching him out between them.
"I just heard something click." Said Tigremon.
"That's good... I think." Answered Tarumon.
"Put me down!" Kartik shouted. "I feel like I'm trapped in a pair of vices!"
As the digimon simultaneously dropped him onto the floor, Shinyu held up his device.
"How about digivices?" He suggested. "We've been calling them devices more than anything else."
"Hmm." Charlie held her chin in thought. "Digivice. I like it. Really rolls off the tongue. What do you think, Kartik?"
Kartik weakly raised his head off of the floor.
"I think I'm ready to go to bed."

-

Shinyu was the first to wake up. He watched the blackness above him turn white through a rectangular hole in the ceiling.
A cold feeling ran through his body; and not just because Tigremon kept stealing the blanket.
Today, they were finally going to meet MetalTyrannomon; and try to convince him to help them retake File City. Shinyu couldn't help but feel that it wouldn't be a simple task.
The way GeoGreymon had reacted with aggression upon learning that they were humans, coupled with the numerous eyes glaring at them out of the darkness, made him feel that they weren't exactly welcome here.
It reminded him of Birdramon's angry glare as she'd pinned him down.
"This is not your world."
Did she have a point?
If so many digimon didn't want them here, did they really have the right to stay and keep interfering?
The main reason he'd come to the Digital World was because Tigremon had told him that the Physical World was going to be changed; but now he wondered if she had been exaggerating in order to get him to come. She hadn't even given him any details.
Babamon had seemed sincere in her concern for the Digital World, but even she didn't seem to know everything about what was going on.
The only change to the Physical World that Shinyu had seen was the appearance of Baboongamon; and that had been because of Tigremon.
What if their world wasn't in any real danger, and them being here was just making things worse?
His attention was drawn to Tigremon as she mumbled something in her sleep. She stretched her limbs out, extending her claws, then curled up and lay still again.
Shinyu held up his digivice. He thought back to what BlackGreymon had said about impressing MetalTyrannomon. Once again, it seemed to come down to digimon using humans to digivolve. Was Tigremon planning to show off Smilomon while he stood quietly off to the side? This partnership was looking more and more one-sided.
He started looking through the digivice's functions. There had to be something here he could present to MetalTyrannomon himself.
-Click- A full energy bar indicating digivolution was possible.
-Click- Gate detected. Status: Dormant - Must be referring to the gate MetalTyrannomon was guarding.
-Click- No damage detected - Well, good to know he was physically sound at least.
-Click- The radar screen showed a small dot next to him, that must've been Tigremon, and a white oval shape representing Charlie's digivice which was buried with her within the blanket nest she had made.
-Click- What was this? A digimon database?
A list of familiar names appeared on the screen; Tigremon being the first. Shinyu selected her name and sat up in surprise as a holographic screen was projected from the digivice.
It showed a rotating picture of Tigremon with a box of text beside her.
Tigremon
Rookie Level
Beast Species
Data Type
Wind Attribute
Attacks:
Paw Force (Wind) - Shoots a compressed ball of air from paws.
General Info:
Wild and combative. This digimon will fearlessly fight any foe to protect it's home and friends. Favourite foods are fish and digimeat.
Shinyu turned off the database.
He sat staring into space, his head filling with images.
Tigremon leaping onto Baboongamon's face, clawing the much larger digimon while shouting at Shinyu to run.
Her frightened face looking down at a wounded Babamon, only to tear herself away and focus on getting Shinyu to safety.
Her laying on his chest to warm him up after their fall in the river.
Her, hungry and exhausted, standing before Birdramon, ready to fight to defend the group.
He looked at Tigremon's sleeping form. For all her screw-ups, she had only ever tried to protect him.
Maybe he had been too hard on her. He was just so frustrated that he hadn't been able to do anything useful on this journey.
Kartik could patch up wounds. Charlie's optimisation helped keep spirits up. Shinyu felt like he was just along for the ride.
Perhaps he had been projecting his feelings onto Tigremon and the other digimon. They could still want an equal partnership with humans.
His train of thought was shattered by the door being thrown open with a slam. GeoGreymon stuck his head in and roared directly into the room.
Tigremon jumped up, swiping her claws around. Shinyu just narrowly managed to avoid them as they swung by his face.
"Wha-? What's happening? Who's attacking us now?"
"Watch it with those claws! You almost took my eye out!"
"Well, good morning to you too!"
Tarumon groggily sat up holding Relemon, currently disguised as a baby bottle, in Charlie's hat.
"What's with all the noise?"
"It's time for your meeting with MetalTyrannomon." Said GeoGreymon.
"Now?" Next to Tarumon, Kartik reached down to his bag by the side of the bed. He winced as pain shot through his back, but managed to retrieve his phone. "It's five past six!"
"Yeah, since you're guests, we let you sleep in. Now it's time to move your tails!"
"D-Do we at least get br-breakfast first?" Kumomon crawled out of the pillow cover she had used as a sleeping bag.
"I already fed you last night!" GeoGreymon sounded offended at the very notion. "Besides, if MetalTyrannomon decides to turn you down; the only thing you'll be eating is sand when I toss you out of here!"
He backed out of the doorway and turned to leave, before stopping and sticking his head back through the door.
"Those humans of yours had better be housebroken, or you'll have to leave them outside. I'm not cleaning up any messes they make."
Kartik's mouth dropped open, while Shinyu sighed through his nose. Maybe he hadn't been off base about the digimon's attitude toward humans.
Charlie's head emerged from her blanket pile, her eyes half-lidded and her hair messed up.
"Did you guys hear something?"

-

GeoGreymon led the group from the barracks. Now that it was no longer dark, they could clearly see the digimon patrolling the sandy-coloured stone walls. They all bared at least a passing resemblance to a dinosaur of some kind. Some towered on two legs, while others stomped heavily on four. The familiar black armband was worn on their limbs.
Whether or not they were the same digimon that had been glaring at them out of the dark last night, they gave off the same unwelcoming feeling.
Kartik desperately tried to smooth down the wrinkles in his shirt. They were going to meet the leader of Saurus Fortress, and he looked like he'd been run over by a herd of goats; and dirty ones at that. He shuddered to think how his mother would react if she saw him in this state.
"Don't worry, Kartik." Tarumon patted his hip. "I don't think MetalTyrannomon is going to care about your clothes."
"Or your hair." Charlie added as they followed GeoGreymon towards the skull-shaped building.
"What's wrong with my hair?" Kartik put his hand to his head. To his shock, he found that his usually neat hair was sticking up in messy clumps. "Gah! When did this happen?! Why didn't anyone tell me?!"
Shinyu looked back from his place at the front of the group.
"It's looked like that since our flight with Birdramon. I thought you knew."
"Of course I didn't! I was a little preoccupied at the time!" Kartik took a comb out of his bag and started trying to tame the tangled mass.
"Do humans always yap this much?" GeoGreymon didn't seem to be asking anyone in particular.
"Oh, like he's been Mister Tight-lipped." Charlie said quietly to Kumomon who was riding in her hood.
They passed by the sandy area where the Rookies had been sleeping the previous night. It was completely empty now.
"Say, where's BlackGreymon?" Charlie asked GeoGreymon.
He cast an annoyed look over his shoulder at her before giving a resigned snort.
"He'll be training with the other cadets. Now that he's digivolved, maybe he won't give such a pathetic performance."
"What's your problem?" Kumomon shuffled lower into Charlie's hood as she continued to question the large dinosaur. "Why are you such a jerk to him?"
GeoGreymon spun around and thrust his jaws up close to Charlie's face, baring his long sharp fangs.
"My problem is that he's an embarrassment to our species!
We dinosaur digimon were the first to walk the Digital World! We fought and struggled every day to survive in a world that had nothing! It's what made us strong; and we paved the way for all other digimon to come!
Now everyone looks down on us for being primitive, while still begging us to fight their battles for them! That's why you're here, isn't it? It's the only reason anyone ever comes here!"
The group could only look back at him in shamed silence.
"I thought so." He snorted and turned his back on them. "Don't speak to me again."
They quietly followed him up to the skull building, walking into it's gaping mouth and passing through the red curtains.
Inside, they were surprised at how spacious it was.
They were walking on a wide paved path decorated with images of different dinosaur digimon. There were no interior walls; only stone pillars holding up the high ceiling which had openings at regular intervals, lighting up the area.
Around them, digimon were engaged in various activities.
Some were sitting at a group of tables and benches, talking and drinking cactus soda.
Others were tending to what appeared to be a large garden only, instead of plants, bones were sticking out of the ground. Shinyu figured that must be where the digimeat came from.
They passed by a wide well where a gray quadrupedal digimon covered in black armoured scales was using it's large nose horn to turn a wheel handle built into the side.
From the water rose a platform upon which sat several digieggs. One of them was shaking vigorously.
Tarumon stopped to watch eagerly as the eggshell cracked apart and a small fuzzy black blob with tiny ears rolled out. Relemon squeaked with amazement from her place on Tarumon's head.
"Hey, keep up!" GeoGreymon called back to them.
Tarumon hurried back to the others, but glanced over his shoulder to see the Botamon open it's yellow eyes and hop up onto the Monochromon's snout.
Shouts and growls sounded out from ahead. The group soon came across an area full of Rookies interacting with some makeshift training equipment.
Some were shooting attacks at painted targets. Others were bracing themselves to take hits from spring-loaded boxing gloves. A few were running on treadmills, ducking and jumping to avoid hard-looking balls being thrown at them by their peers.
As they continued to walk by, the group saw several digimon sat in a circle watching two Rookies fighting. One of them resembled a yellow armadillo, while the other looked like a red penguin.
"Rolling Stone!"
The armadillo curled up into a ball and rolled speedily at it's opponent. The penguin stood it's ground and swung it's clawed flipper at the approaching digimon.
"Super Slap!"
The armadillo digimon spun in place for a second before losing it's momentum and being flung back by the penguin's strike. It collided with a pillar and uncurled, falling down to the ground in a dazed heap.
The surrounding digimon cheered and roared, as the penguin held it's flippers up in victory. It's pale green eyes caught sight of the group passing by and followed them until they were out of sight.
Further on, Charlie caught sight of a familiar figure.
"BlackGreymon!"
The blue and black digimon turned his head at the sound of his name, and was instantly knocked to the ground by a fierce punch from the green low-standing digimon stood before him.
"Keep your guard up! How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Sorry, Tuskmon." BlackGreymon rubbed his arm as he sat up.
GeoGreymon let out a low growl at the scene before him, but then his eyes widened as an idea popped into his head.
"Cadet!"
BlackGreymon scrambled to his feet and stood to attention as his superior approached him.
"Yes, sir?"
"The guests and their humans need an escort to MetalTyrannomon. Seeing as you brought them here; I figure they should be your responsibility." GeoGreymon looked to Tuskmon. "Don't you have duties to be tending to?"
"On my way now, sir." Tuskmon's stance was more relaxed than BlackGreymon's and he spoke with a more casual tone. "Just stopped to give the cadet a few pointers before his exam."
"Don't waste your time." GeoGreymon gave BlackGreymon a scathing look before turning and walking back towards the entrance. He didn't even spare a glance at the group as he stomped past them.
"He seemed more angry than usual." BlackGreymon fiddled nervously with his claws.
"That may be my fault." Charlie looked at the ground with her hands in her pockets. "I think I upset him."
Kumomon placed a leg on her partner's head and gently patted it.
Tuskmon shrugged, shifting the massive black and red tusks on his shoulders.
"I wouldn't worry too much. It doesn't take a lot to set that one off."
BlackGreymon gestured to the horned digimon while addressing the group.
"This is my friend Tuskmon. We trained together as Rookies."
Tuskmon stepped up to the group and held out a claw.
"So these are the legendary humans. Gotta say, I always pictured you taller."
His tone was friendly and his purple eyes didn't hold the same suspicion Shinyu had seen from the other digimon since they'd arrived. He held the tip of Tuskmon's claw and bowed his head in greeting.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Shinyu."
After getting the names of everyone else, Tuskmon turned back to BlackGreymon.
"Wish I could stay, but I got patrolling to do. Good luck with your exam. Hopefully, after today, we'll both be wearing this band."
He tapped his armband and, with a nod to Shinyu and the others, set off down the pathway.
"Well, I guess we're going to see MetalTyrannomon." BlackGreymon tried to sound confident but there were noticeable beads of sweat running down the side of his helmet.
"Is he really that scary?" A part of Shinyu wanted to suggest leaving before it was too late; but he knew they couldn't turn back now after coming so far.
"Oh, no. He's not scary. He's... commanding." BlackGreymon started leading them further into the fortress. "You just need to remember a few things."
As they moved on, the light grew dimmer. There were no more openings in the ceiling and the pillars were stood closer together, holding burning torches.
"When you first go in; keep your heads low - but not too low; he hates grovelling - and don't talk until he addresses you. When you do speak; face him straight on, but don't make eye contact. He may take it as a challenge."
Finally, the path ended before a set of doors bearing the familiar insignia of a roaring T-Rex skull.
"The guy certainly has an aesthetic." Said Charlie.
Shinyu and Kartik whipped her heads around to glare at her. She held her hands up.
"That's my last comment, I promise."
"Okay." BlackGreymon took a breath. "Here goes."
He raised his fist and banged on the doors.