Get comfy. It's another long one.

Chapter Seven

Kari and The Paladin (Part Two)

"I'm sorry, had I known the Paladin himself would show up, I never would've left you all alone."

Davis' brow quirked when an apologetic voice rang through the darkness of his fading unconsciousness.

"That was the Paladin? He looked like he just walked out of a Ren faire!"

His jaw clenched. His stomach felt like it had encountered a run in with a train.

"Regardless of how he looked, he clearly isn't one to underestimate. Just look at what he did to the Digimon."

Davis shook his head, brushing his cheek against the ruffled warmth he found himself settled on. The Paladin? Hadn't he fought the Paladin? When had that happened?

"Davis?" He recognized Kari's voice by his side, and the familiarity of her gentle tone aided in his consciousness reforming back together completely.

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, and that's when he saw her, standing besides whatever he was laying on. They were back in the Wire Forest, so there was actually more light in the area proper, though rapidly fading thanks to the last remnants of the day fading away to night. Even so, in what little light was left, Davis swore Kari was outlined in a soft glow, and her maroon eyes, though dulled with worry, still sparkled ever so slightly when their gazes met.

"Kari!" Davis sat up with a violent jolt, an action he greatly regretted a second later when he felt a lightning strike of acute pain rip through his stomach.

"Davis!" Kari held her arms out, stopping him from falling off his perch when his arms and legs curled into his torso.

Davis hissed and slowly let his legs relax, keeping his arms wrapped around himself. "Augh! What happened?" He asked, looking down at the spot where the pain was most densely clustered.

Kari shushed Davis. "You just had the wind knocked out of you," She whispered, setting a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. You're okay."

"I'm afraid I wouldn't exactly call what he did 'okay'."

The hiss Davis gave to that was less of pain and more of annoyance, "Well, why don't you fill me in on what happened then, Kenneth?"

Ken scowled and set a hand on his hip as he glared at Davis. In his arms, he held a still unconscious Wormmon. "From what I heard, you antagonized the Paladin and tried to take him on in a fight. And if I were betting man, I'd say that's why you were out cold when we showed up." He stepped up to Davis, "I knew you were dumb, but challenging the person I took so much effort into conveying was dangerous was downright moronic! Have you no sense of the situation we're dealing with here? What were you thinking?!"

Davis was immediately seeing red. Against his stomach, his palm was curling into a fist, his knuckles whitening dramatically and actually eliciting a barely audible cracking sound in preparation of shutting Ken up.

"He was trying to protect me!" But before Davis could throw the punch, Kari stepped between him and Ken. Her tone had shifted from soft to sharp, biting back at Ken's question with all the vindictive protectiveness of a person leaping to the aid of a loved one.

"The Paladin was trying to get me to go with him," Kari explained in a snarl. "Davis was just trying to look out for me. I admit that he shouldn't have escalated the situation by challenging him, but he was only standing up to him." Her eyes narrowed and she stepped closer to Ken, "Something I'm sure you would've done had Yolei or Cody been in danger."

Ken bit his lip and looked towards his two friends.

"You did face off against that Digimon while we met our partners, Ken," Cody pointed out.

"Yeah, Ken," Yolei agreed with a shrug. She couldn't say she much liked Davis, but she'd be lying if she said she couldn't see the similarities in the actions the two vastly different boys employed to protect their friends. "Maybe you should cut Davis some slack, huh? He's not that familiar with this stuff either."

The gentle words of his friends not only soothed Ken's anger towards Davis, but all the stress and fear that had built up over the course of the day that had transferred itself into that self-same anger. With those feelings quieting, his eyes fell upon his partner, now really more snoozing in his arms than straight up unconscious.

"Just take a deep breath, Ken," He imagined him saying. "Everything's okay. We're all alright."

Ken listened to his mental imitation of Wormmon and took the breath he needed, letting his lungs fill with cool, tingly air. The heat in his ears faded and he felt his back relax.

He couldn't say all was right in the world, but it certainly felt a little more manageable. Go figure, even in his imagination, Wormmon was his rock.

"Okay," He said, opening his eyes, now sporting a gentle glimmer of calm. He regarded Davis, fighting any urge to scowl that still wanted to crop up. "Let's just get back to base and leave this behind us, alright? Can you please promise me that you won't be so foolhardy in the future?"

Davis averted his eyes from Ken, "I'll do my best. I can't really say I'd be cool with that guy getting near Kari again."

Kari clicked her tongue and looked away as well. Leave it to Davis to be the only person on two worlds that was able to simultaneously frustrate her and endear her.

Ken let out a huff through his nose and just walked past Davis and Kari, "I suppose I can't really argue against that. Just try to get some more experience under your belt first, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever," Davis said, still somewhat tersely.

"Hey, now that he's awake, can he walk the rest of the way?" A gruff voice caught Davis' attention from behind. In response, his ears perked up and he turned to face where it had come from.

Halsemon had his head tilted back, glaring at Davis as he jostled his shoulders against where Davis was sitting upon him.

"Gah!" Davis actually fell off of Halsemon thanks to the intensity of the surprise that came over him. He groaned when he fell on his side, right where the Paladin had slugged him.

"Davis! You okay!?" Kari asked in alarm once again. She was seriously gonna be sprouting gray hairs by nightfall if this kept up.

"Jeez!" Davis hissed, sitting up with his hand to his side. "Can't anyone warn a guy that he's sitting on top of a Digimon he doesn't know?"

"Well, you can't blame me for that," Halsemon said, his form glowing white. He shrank and shifted in the light, returning to Hawkmon a second later. "You were unconscious when we arrived on the scene, my dear boy."

"Sounds like I missed out on a bit," Davis admitted. "You Cody's partner?"

"Yolei's, actually," Hawkmon replied with a flourish towards the girl in question.

A faint reverberation beneath the ground Davis sat on preceded the next words spoken.

"Cody's partner happens to be me!" Davis felt something stop behind him, and the shadow that stretched over him bade him to look up.

"Gah!" Davis repeated the cry of shock he had given when he'd seen Halsemon, scooting away by the heels of his hands.

"Hey! I ain't that scary now, am I?" Digmon raised his drills up placatingly, really making himself look more intimidating rather than calming.

From behind Digmon's back, Guilmon and Impmon clambered up.

"I think you just caught him by surprise, Digmon," Guilmon suggested.

"Either that or he's a huge wimp," Impmon snarked.

Davis scowled and finally brought himself onto his feet, brushing dirt and dust off his cloak. "I'm guessing you're the ones we came to get?"

"That's right!" Guilmon cheerily affirmed. He brought his claws together, "Thank you so much for doing that, Davismon! I'll make you some fresh bread as a thank you when I get the chance."

"Umm, do you not remember that he got knocked out, Red?" Impmon said. "In terms of actual fighting, he went down in round one."

"Impmon, that's not nice!" Guilmon protested.

Davis would have shot an insult back at Impmon, but it was then that he remembered the person, or rather, the Digimon he had yet to see.

"Veemon…" He span to face Kari, his eyes wide with the onslaught of fear that came upon him. "Where's Veemon?!"

"Over here, Davis; over here."

Thankfully for Davis, the panic wouldn't last long, as the voice of the other Digimon he had yet to see called out to him.

Looking over, he saw Nefertimon trailing from the back of the group. In her grasp, Veemon was curled up, looking like a younger sibling safe within the arms of the elder.

"Veemon!" Davis sprinted up to Nefertimon. "Is he okay?"

"He's perfectly fine," Nefertimon assured, crouching down to let Davis take him into his own arms. "Just like you he was more sleeping than unconscious after a while."

Davis really didn't take in anything else Nefertimon said. He just held his partner close. "Veemon…" He whispered, hugging him close. He'd only known the little Digimon for a day, and yet already, he felt like seeing him in the state he was in was tantamount to having a hole punched straight through his heart. "Oh, Veemon, I'm sorry. I should've been there. If only I hadn't let that Paladin jerk sucker punch me…"

Any self-deprecation that Davis could've lobbed at himself further was thankfully put to rest by Kari placing a hand on Davis' shoulder, garnering his attention onto her.

"We should keep moving, Davis," She said softly. "The day's almost over and we all need to get home. Veemon will be alright, trust me."

Davis nodded. He couldn't disagree with the rapid purpleness that was coloring the sky. "Right," He affirmed turning back with the group.

Nothing much more was said between the group after that. They just continued their way back towards the hidden entrance of the base.

"Don't worry, Veemon," Davis said, holding him close. "I'll make sure to be better in the future. I won't let that guy hurt you again."

Veemon didn't reply. He just slumbered on within the arms of his partner, his mind conjuring up dreams of faraway places—

And even farer off times.

The dark miasma that coiled along the ground wisped upwards with each step made by the Digimon traversing the spiraling hill towards the mountaintop.

"Veemon, slow down!"

Veemon turned towards the voices of his comrades in arms, appearing to him as a pair of shadows; one avian with a feathered belt around his head, the other hunched over on all fours beneath his shell.

"We can't wait!" He objected. "If we give him too much time, he's gonna unlock the seal!"

"But we're still down one member!" The shelled shadow said. "All four of us need to be together if we wanna stand a chance!"

KRROOOOM! KER-KRACK!

The mountain shook, and from above, the darkened sky was marred by a bolt of red lightning.

"We can't wait for him!" Veemon said insistently. "We can't have much more time! We can't let the seal be broken!"

The avian shadow looked skyward, gulping when the ground trembled some more and the rocky wall beside them began to splinter and crack.

"I'm afraid Veemon's right," It agreed. "We haven't a moment more to lose. If we allow the seal to be broken, then it'll be the end of the world itself!"

"Then let's get moving!" Veemon said, turning back to continue running before anything else could be said.

The trio sprinted up the rest of the spiraling pathway, the miasma thickening further the higher up they got. By the time they reached the summit, the fog had submerged them completely, allowing them to see nothing more than the ground immediately in front of them—

And the ominous mishmash of strange symbols arranged in a ring on the ground, all glowing ghastly shades of acid-washed colors; sort of like a noxious rainbow.

"Ah, curse it all!" From beyond the tainted sun-shaped crest of Courage, another being appeared, a looming shadow that towered over Veemon and his teammates, bearing horns upon its head and a pair of twig-like arms somehow so long that their leather wrapped fingers practically touched the ground. "You've managed to eke your way past my forces!"

The figure lifted up its lengthy arms, baring its clawed nails towards the trio. "No matter," It snarled. "I will do away with you myself. Then my master will return once more!"

Veemon bared his teeth and stepped forward, "That'll be easier said than done, hornhead!"

"That's right!" The shelled shadow agreed. "When it comes to dealing with bad guys, we're the A-team!"

"And despite whatever power you may possess," The avian shadow said. "Know that we'll defeat you, together!"

The other being cackled, "Together? Forgive me for being blunt, but aren't you missing a comrade? Were my forces too much for him to bear?"

KRACK!

The horned being recoiled in a cry of pain when a bolt of electric energy clashed into him from behind the trio, and in their surprise, they couldn't help but whirl around.

"You have my apologies regarding that," The newcomer said, stepping onto the summit with the trio. "I'm only arriving late because I was a little too lax in fending off your so called 'forces'."

Veemon grinned at the arrival of the newcomer, a taller being with a pointed hat and a sun-shaped staff in its hand. "You're here!" He exclaimed.

The newcomer tipped his hat before joining the other three, "Hey, we can't be the fearsome foursome if we're not all together now, can we?"

"Most certainly not," The avian shadow agreed.

The horned being snarled and began bearing down on them again, "Three, four, one hundred, it matters not!" Its eyes glowed read and a pair of tattered black wings folded out from his back. "I will dispose of all of you, and my master will breach the wall of fire at long last! Just you wait!"

The four Digimon showed no fear; because when they stood side by side, they could face anything.

"These are some nice caves, but I'm pretty sure I can improve them if you let me at 'em as Digmon."

"Let's not risk that, shall we, dear chum? Proficient as you are as Digmon, I'd rather not risk being buried in rubble."

Veemon stirred, his cheek rubbing against cold metal. Those voices. Hadn't he just heard them in his dream?

"Um, I'ma go ahead and second that," Another voice he didn't recognize chimed in. "I was already stuck in one underground place today; can we not make it two?"

"But Impmon, we already live underground," A more childish voice chirped.

"That's different though, Red. We at least have lanterns and plumbing down here."

"Haha, yeah, thank goodness for that."

Veemon stirred again, and the one holding him gasped.

"Guys! I think Veemon's waking up!"

Veemon groaned, and with a little bit of effort, opened his eyes. "Davish…" He mumbled, lifting his head from the cold chainmail he had been resting against.

"Veemon!" Davis bounced his Digimon in his arms. "You okay? You were out for a while."

Veemon brought a hand to his head, curling it into a fist so she could rub at his eyes. "I sorta feel like I had a boulder fall on me, what happened?"

That's when he felt the faint stinging sensation on his stomach. He looked down and saw the slash mark across his white belly, now shrunken into something more akin to a simple scratch. Thank goodness Digimon healed rather quickly.

"Ah, right," He grumbled with a frown.

"Veemon, I am so sorry about what happened!" Davis profusely said.

Veemon jolted in response, "You're sorry? I'm the one that should've acted sooner!"

"No way, you were great!" Davis objected. "I was the one who let him get that free punch in."

"But I should've stepped in to block his attack!" Veemon insisted.

"But I should've blocked the attack myself!"

"But I should've intercepted him before he got to you!"

"But I—"

"Goodness, we get it!" Hawkmon interjected. "There's plenty more both of you could have done!"

Veemon jolted at the posh voice. "Wait…" He turned his head away from Davis.

Hawkmon and Armadillomon smiled up at Veemon.

"No way…" Veemon gasped.

Armadillomon beamed at Veemon, tilting his head endearingly, "Howdy there, stranger."

Veemon's eyes sparkled and he leapt from Davis' arms, joining the newcomers with a cry of delight.

"It's you guys!" He exclaimed.

"It's you!" Hawkmon and Armadillomon proclaimed in kind.

The entire group watched the three Digimon jump together in a circle, excitedly chattering about how excited they were to see each other.

"I'm guessing you three know each other then?" Gatomon snarked lightly.

Veemon turned back to Gatomon, grinning from ear to ear, "Not at all!"

The rest of the group jolted in surprise at that.

"Excuse me?" Kari deigned to ask first.

"I don't really know these guys," Veemon explained, releasing Hawkmon and Armadillomon and stepping back. "Well, not in a conventional way I suppose."

"You're not really making much sense, Veemon," Davis remarked.

"Lemme try and clear it up then," Armadillomon jovially said. He swept his claws between himself and the other two Digimon. "We know each other, we just don't really remember how." He tapped the top of his head, "Our memories are mighty fuzzy, 'specially so after just waking up, so we don't remember much to begin with; but when I heard Hawkmon in that temple and when I saw Veemon, those little bits of fuzziness were swept right away." He closed his eyes and nodded, "That's the best way I suppose I can explain it."

"I'd stand by it," Hawkmon agreed. He faced the others, "We can't remember much prior to being awoken; just the smallest fragmentations. For myself, I can only recall a mountainous area, as well as of course, Veemon and Armadillomon."

Veemon's eyes lit up further, "That's sorta like the lake I remember, that and…" He bit his lip, trying to recall the dream he just had. "That and…"

He tried with all his mental might to recall the dream, but other than the avian shadow and the shelled shadow being replaced with Hawkmon and Armadillomon respectively, everything else just swirled away, like water down the drain. "That and…" He shook his head. "Aww, now I can't remember."

"Well, luckily you have us!" Armadillomon chimed. "I for one can't remember anything but a beach and a little straw hut." He set a claw against his cheek, "Now that I think of it, that might've been my house."

"Nonetheless," Hawkmon gently interjected. "I'm sure with the three of us pooling our collective memories together, we should be able to form some sort of recollection regarding our pasts"

Veemon brought his fists up excitedly, "That'd be great! Anything to remember where I came from!"

"Then I suppose we'll have to set some time aside for you discuss your pasts then." Ken interrupted the little pow-wow by crouching between the three of them, "But for now, I'm afraid we really do need to get back to base."

"That's right!" Cody agreed. "With it being nighttime, we need to get back before our families wonder where we are."

Armadillomon tilted his head again, "What's a family?"

"I think it has something to do with something called parents," Veemon explained. "Davis said they're the people who are there when your digiegg hatches over in their world." He pointed at Davis and Kari, "Davis and Kari are my parents."

Davis and Kari's respective faces went crimson when the rest of the group turned to them, the humans each raising an eyebrow, Gatomon smirking impishly.

"It's—Uh, funnier in context," Kari explained in a mumble.

"The two of them agreed that Davis would do the cooking," Gatomon said with a devilish grin.

"Gatomon!" Kari rebuked.

"Regardless," Ken sighed with closed eyes. "Cody's right, time is of the essence, so please…" He turned back and continued walking down the path into the darkness. "Let's be on our way, alright?"

Everyone could hear the stale resolve in Ken's voice, and while Yolei and Cody wanted to reach out to him, the simply massive scale of all that had happened that day left them, along with everyone else in the group, just too tired to really say much of anything.

"Kari!"

"Tai!"

The two Kamiya siblings ran to each other, with Tai catching Kari in his arms and swinging her around as he laughed with relief.

"You're okay!" Tai exclaimed, setting her back down. "And you were gone for so long. What the heck took you guys?"

Gatomon stepped up to the two of them. "She was doing the Digidestined thing," She said proudly.

"And what were we doing?" Yolei walked into the room with Hawkmon in tow, her hands going to her hips impetuously. "We were helping, too!"

Gatomon tilted her chin up haughtily, "Kari actually fought the Paladin one on one though."

Tai's hair stood up, making him look even more like a porcupine on a bad hair day. "Wait, the Paladin!? That guy Ken told us about? That Paladin!?"

"The very same one," Ken replied, walking past Tai. On his shoulder, the now awake Wormmon was perched, looking a little bit like a green and purple scarf.

"Kari even managed to get a hit on him!" Gatomon gushed.

Tai gawked at Kari bewilderingly, "You hit him? Seriously, what did I miss?"

Kari's shoulders fell with a sigh and she gazed up at her brother, a sudden exhaustion dimming her usually exuberant maroon eyes. "It's a long story, Tai. Best get comfy."

As Kari recounted the tale to Tai, Ken sauntered up to the main computer, finding Izzy talking with a red, beetle-like Digimon.

"So whatever happened to that yellow lap top you used to have?" The Digimon asked.

"Eh, it stopped working shortly after that whole mess with Diaboromon," Izzy explained, glancing between several files as well as his partner.

"Sorry to interrupt," Ken said, stopping in front of the computer, just barely avoiding banging his knee on the console. He really was working on fumes at that point.

"Oh, Ken! Good to see you!" The Digimon on the screen greeted. "You as well, Wormmon."

"Thank you, Tentomon," Wormmon replied on their collective behalf.

Izzy bit his lip when he saw Ken, "Oof, you look beat. A lot happen out there I'm guessing?"

"You don't know the half of it," Ken huffed, using the console as something to lean on. He glanced up at the various files Izzy had pulled up. "I see you've familiarized yourself with our database?"

"I've scoured a fair bit," Izzy answered, looking up at the screen with Ken. "You've made quite a comprehensive source of info here. So far I've looked up information on the Paladin, these so called D3's, very clever name by the way, the Digivolution suppressant qualities of the Paladin's own D3, and honestly most intriguingly, these 'crest weapons' you've detailed." He glanced back at Ken, "You say you and this Paladin have one?"

"Kari now as well," Ken reported, turning with Izzy towards the others just as Kari surprised Tai by summoning her newly acquired rapier from the screen of her D3. "Thus confirming my hypothesis that other D3 holders are capable of producing them."

"Wow, that is…very sparkly," Izzy mumbled.

"Yeah, crest weapons tend to be quite flashy," Ken agreed. "But that particular one…wow…" He shook off the strange trance he found himself falling into when staring at the pink glimmery weapon Kari was swishing around and turned back to Izzy. "It's good to see you've gotten informed. It'll make relaying the information to the others that much easier. Something we need to do ASAP."

"Judging by what I've read, I can sympathize," Izzy agreed. "Tai and I have already contacted the others. How soon would you like to meet up?"

"How about toni—toni—" Ken was stopped by a great yawn coming over him, forcing the full brunt of his fatigue down upon him and leaving him hunched over the computer's keyboard.

"Ken, please take it easy," Wormmon pleaded from his fallen shoulder. "Can't we wait a day or two? You need your rest."

Ken shook his head, "Absolutely not, Wormmon. We need to—"

"'Absolutely not'?" Yolei marched over to Ken, grabbing him by the arm. Her face had hardened when she heard Ken say those words, "No, absolutely not to you, Ken Ichijouji! You are literally wobbling on your feet!"

Ken's eyes widened, "But, Yolei—"

"But nothing!" Yolei interjected again, "Ken, you are doing nothing more than going straight home and getting some rest. Understand?"

Ken was left gobsmacked, completely stricken silent in the face of Yolei's caring fury.

"I think you should listen to her, Ken," Wormmon whispered fearfully.

"How about this?" Izzy suggested, clapping his hands together. "You guys go and get the rest you need. I'll compile all the information I've gathered here and send it out for all us older Digidestined to review. Then we'll have Kari act as our go-between in the interim."

"That sounds pretty reasonable to me, Ken," Wormmon encouraged. "This way the other Digidestined find out about what's going on. Just like you wanted."

Ken's lips quirked into a frown, clearly intending to disagree.

"I don't wanna come off as overbearing," Yolei said before Ken could object. "But that's the best you're gonna get, Ken. Now that we're here, we're not gonna continue letting you run yourself into the ground."

Ken sighed and his shoulders fell further, adding more tired weight to his limbs. "Okay, okay. You win, Yolei."

Yolei smiled and looped an arm around Ken, giving him a little boost in support. "Good," She said. She glanced back up at the computer screen, "So how do we get back then? Can we use this computer, too?"

Ken weakly lifted his hand towards the keyboard, "Just a second, I'll bring up the portal…"

As Ken brought up the strange little application, Wormmon beamed at Yolei, eyes aglow with appreciation for the girl who was looking out for his partner.

I like her, He thought with a smirk.

The journey back to the real world felt like the end of a forty-day journey considering the day the Digidestined had experienced, especially so for the ones who hadn't even heard of Digimon prior to the actions of the overzealous Demiveemon.

That was the case for Cody, who honestly felt like he was in a dream as he walked down the hall to his apartment with a little yellow ball of a Digimon in his arms, beaming at him with shiny black eyes and wriggling little flap ears.

"This place sure is weird, Cody," The Digimon remarked, one of his eyes wincing when they walked under one of the fluorescent lights. "You say this is your world? Sure seems bright."

Cody gave an awkward little smile in response, "This is just the hallway to my apartment. There's a whole outside world out of here." His smile became a little bit more sheepish. "Though you didn't see much of it in my backpack I suppose. Sorry about that, Armad—Wait, what were you going by again?"

"Upamon," The Digimon informed. "And don't worry about it, Cody! I found some tasty stuff in your backpack! You gotta get me some more of whatever stuff that was!"

Cody chuckled, "Yeah, my mom makes really good brownies."

Cody had been left alone with his partner while Yolei escorted Ken back up to his apartment. By the time they had arrived at the complex, Ken had literally been wobbling on his feet, half asleep with only the directions of Yolei and Wormmon keeping him from walking into the walls.

Yolei said she'd find a way to explain that to Ken's parents. Cody personally found it hard to imagine how she would do so, but he decided to leave it up to her while he went home. His mother and grandfather were probably starting to wonder where he was and he hated to make them worry.

"Okay, Upamon," Cody said when they were approaching his front door. "I'm gonna need you to stay quiet for me, okay? Mom and Grandpa can't know that you're a—well that you're an actual living thing."

"Don't worry, Cody, I'll be quiet as leaf on the wind!" Upamon said, louder than Cody wished he'd been.

"Please do," He whispered back. He went for the door handle, finding the door unlocked as he usually did for him.

"I'm home," He announced when he walked in.

"Cody!" Mrs. Hida greeted her son in the opening walkway. "You're home. Where have you been? You were supposed to be back a half hour ago."

Cody frowned and lowered his gaze, "Sorry, mom. We—uh, lost track of time down at the arcade."

"Cody, you should know better than that," Mrs. Hida lightly scolded. "We were worried about you out there."

"Sorry, mama," Cody said, his tone softening with genuine remorse (and a tiny bit in a bid for leniency).

Mrs. Hida sighed and dropped her hands from her hips, "It's alright. The important thing is that you're home now." She gestured for Cody to walk into the apartment proper. "Come in and have some dinner with us. We have a guest with us tonight."

Cody quirked and eyebrow and followed after his mother, "A guest? What kind of guest?"

"Hey! Look who's home!"

A shining grin came across Cody's face and his remorse at making his mother worry completely disappeared with the burst of energy that carried him to the aforementioned guest sitting at the table.

"Mister Oikawa!"

Yukio Oikawa; a tall, rather pale man with shining black hair tied into a ponytail, raised an arm to wrap around the boy in a hug when he got to him, "There's my favorite Godson! Where've you been?"

Cody stepped back, still grinning ear to ear, "Oh, I was at the—at the arcade! Yeah, I was at the arcade with my friends."

"And I'm guessing that's where you acquired that little souvenir you have?" Cody's grandfather asked from his side of the table.

Cody jolted and looked down at Upamon, realizing that he most definitely would have been squished during the hug Cody just shared with Oikawa.

Upamon just continued to stare off into the distance, doing, quite frankly, an exemplary job at acting the part of a lifeless toy.

"Y-Yeah," Cody said, making a mental note to make it up to the little Digimon later. "I got this out of a claw machine. That's why I was so late. I was really determined to get him."

"Well it's very cute, Cody," Mrs. Hida said, pulling out a seat for him at the table. "Now why don't you take a seat with us? I'll serve you a plate."

Dinner was a pleasant experience from then on, with the Hida family and their guest talking about whatever came to their minds, and with Cody feeding bits of his dinner to Upamon in his lap whenever he found a moment to sneak a morsel to him.

"Can I have some more please?" Cody asked, holding his empty bowl out to his mother.

"Cody, that has to be your fourth serving!" Mrs. Hida exclaimed, taking the empty bowl from him.

"He's a growing boy!" Cody's Grandpa laughed heartily. "He should be eating plenty!"

"Give it another couple months and he'll start shooting up, mark my words," Oikawa chuckled. "Just like his dad at that age."

Cody would be lying if he didn't find that good to hear; especially so considering the warmth that bloomed within him when he looked to the picture of his father on the memorial shrine a few feet away.

Not long after that, the family were soon seeing Oikawa off.

"Thanks for visiting, Mr. Oikawa!" Cody chirped. "Be sure to visit again real soon!"

Oikawa beamed at Cody, "I'll try not to be a stranger." He playfully tapped a finger upon Upamon's head, "For you or your new friend here."

"But remember that Tamachi's a bit of a time away, Cody," Mrs. Hida gently reminded. "And he's very busy with his work."

"But I'll be sure to make time for you if you need it," Oikawa assured, bringing a hand to ruffle Cody's hair. He pulled his hand back and nodded towards Cody's guardians. "Until then, take care, everyone."

"You as well, Oikawa," Mr. Hida replied.

The family watched him go, Cody standing on his tiptoes until he eventually disappeared around the corner.

"Alright, Cody," Mrs. Hida spoke up once Cody was back on the flats of his feet. "It's time for you to get ready for bed. Off you go."

Cody let out a breath through his nose and turned back into his home. "Yes, Mom," He said, trotting back in with Upamon in his arms and back into his room.

A little while later, Cody was garbed in his pajamas, quietly speaking with Upamon in hushed tones.

"Did I do a good job staying quiet, Cody?" Upamon whispered.

Cody buttoned the last button of his pajama shirt. "You did great," He softly praised. "It was almost like you really were a toy."

"And that food your mom made was super tasty!" Upamon exclaimed a little louder.

Cody smiled and went to join Upamon at his desk, "Yeah, it's the best."

"And that guy who was visiting was really nice!" Upamon went on. "You especially seemed pretty happy he was here!"

Cody nodded in sheepish agreement, bringing his hand to scratch his shoulder as he did so, "Yeah, I don't get to see Mr. Oikawa that often. He works a lot, but whenever he comes over, he tells me stories about my dad, so I'm always pretty excited when he does show up."

Upamon tilted his head, an act that pretty much tilted his entire being considering he was mostly just a ball, "What's a dad?"

Cody blinked. "That's…" He bit his cheek. "That's kind of a hard question to answer. Can I get back to you on that?"

"You can if you get me another snack!" Upamon chimed.

Cody couldn't help but laugh at that, "I'll try and grab you a cookie before Mom makes me brush my teeth."

"Yummy!"

"Goodness me," Mrs. Ichijouji shut Ken's door behind her, returning to Yolei in the hallway. "You weren't kidding, he really was tuckered out. I could swear he was out before his head even hit the pillow"

Yolei laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, he really gave it his all on the dance machine back at the arcade."

"Ken dances?" Mrs. Ichijouji remarked. "I'd have never imagined that!"

Yolei inwardly cursed herself for saying what she'd just said. "Uhh…Yeah! He really knows how to—cut a rug." Cut a rug, seriously?

"How fun!" Mrs. Ichijouji exclaimed. "I'll have to ask him to show me a few moves sometime."

Oh, I am going to hear about this from Ken, Yolei thought anxiously. "Y-Yeah, I'm sure he'd love to!" She said instead. Yolei, get out before you make this situation worse.

Intent on listening to that little voice in her head, Yolei took a single step back, "Well, I should get going, Mrs. Ichijouji. My folks are probably starting to wonder where I am by now."

"Oh, of course!" Mrs. Ichijouji jovially agreed, going for the door to open it for Yolei. "Feel free to drop by again whenever you want though, dear. I just love to see Ken spending time with his friends."

Yolei smiled at Mrs. Ichijouji as she stepped out, "And we love spending time with him. See you again, Mrs. Ichijouji!"

As soon as the door closed behind her, Yolei's backpack began to wriggle incessantly.

"Yolei?" A high-pitched little voice called out for her. "Would you kindly let me out now? There's really not a lot of room in here with these books and these pencils are pointy!"

Yolei quickly brought her backpack in front of her and unzipped the top hem, "Oh, I forgot I'd gotten a new pack today!" She reached in and pulled the little pink puffball with a single red feather atop its head out from its place between her math homework and her science book. "I'm sorry, Poromon!"

Poromon shook a few bits of paper out of his fluff, "Just promise me you're going to clean that out before you shove me back in there again. I almost got an eraser in my beak!"

Yolei smiled crookedly in response, "I'll be sure to, sorry again about that, Poromon." She zipped her backpack closed and continued her journey to the elevator with Poromon now nestled in her folded arms.

"Strange world you have here," Poromon remarked, turning in Yolei's arms to stare at the many lit up buildings lining the cityscape just outside the window. "What are all those lights?"

"Most likely people just going about their days," Yolei explained, gazing out the window alongside her partner. "People driving cars out on the roads, people getting settled into their houses for the night after work, there are even some people who are starting their workday right now."

Poromon tilted his body to peer up at Yolei, "So, it's like a village?"

"A really big village," Yolei replied with a chuckle.

"And what's a car?" Poromon inquired further.

"I'll have to get back to you on that," Yolei laughed some more, stepping onto the elevator with Poromon. "I get the feeling that we don't have enough time for me to explain everything about modern engineering."

"Sounds complicated," Poromon agreed.

The soft buzz of the elevator's fluorescent lights followed afterward, paired with the distinct hum of the elevator moving down several floors.

"So that Ken person," Poromon said when the elevator doors opened. "You're sweet on him, aren't you, Yolei?"

Yolei almost threw Poromon into the air given how hard she jolted. "Wha?" She gasped, luckily securing her grip before Poromon went flying. "No, of course not! What would make you think that?"

Poromon blinked several times, refocusing his spinning vision before he answered. "I mean, you were paying a lot of attention to him after we got out of that pyramid. Doubly so when we got to this world."

"I was making sure he was okay!" Yolei objected. "He got tossed around quite a bit in that pyramid. And you saw how tired he was when we got back. He was practically sleep walking!"

Poromon narrowed his eyes skeptically, "Be that as it may, you were fawning quite a bit over him regardless. The only one more obvious about their feelings was that kid partnered with Veemon with that girl with the Gatomon. Though judging by how spacy that girl is, I wouldn't be surprised if she still didn't know."

"Well regardless of what you think you see; I was just making sure Ken was okay!" Yolei protested.

"Surrrree you were," Poromon said, rolling his eyes.

Yolei fought the flare of irritation that welled up within her and took a deep breath, "You know, you are one opinionated little puffball, you know that?"

"I'll have you know I was the life of the party back in my day," Poromon said in a huff.

Yolei clicked her tongue, biting back her retort and simply continued down the hallway, thankfully nearing her door. "Well, luckily for the both of us, I'm pretty opinionated too."

"I got that impression when I first saw you," Poromon said. "Luckily for us, I like strong willed people. And you definitely strike me as strong willed, Yolei."

Yolei beamed at Poromon, a chuckle escaping her throat, "Thanks, Poromon, I try." She turned her sights up onto her door, "Now be sure to keep quiet when we get in, 'kay? My folks aren't used to talking bird balls."

"Just be sure to grab me a bite to eat, please," Poromon requested. "I literally haven't eaten in couple thousand years."

"I'll be sure to snag you something," Yolei promised in a hush. She went to grab the door handle, "Brace yourself, Poromon."

Oh please, Poromon thought as Yolei twisted the door handle. How bad can it—

"HEEEEYY! THERE SHE IS!"

"MOOOMM! DAAAAD! YOLEI'S HOME!"

"AND FIFTEEN MINUTES PAST CURFEW, NO LESS!"

Poromon would forever recall that first encounter with the Inoue family as arguably more chaotic than some battlefields he had been on.

When Davis had woken up that morning, he had greeted the day with great excitement, his youthful zeal filling him with a sense of urgency in pursuing the possibility of adventure that awaited him and his new Digimon partner in the strange and wondrous new world that had opened up to him yesterday.

Now, whilst he nursed a sizeable fist-shaped bruise on his stomach, cradling a slumbering Demiveemon in his arms, he just wanted more than anything to go to sleep; an act his body actively sought on autopilot given the way his feet marched him outward from the elevator once he and the Kamiya siblings arrived on his floor.

"See you guys later," Davis mumbled, trudging out into the hallway with every intention of just getting home and getting to bed.

"Davis, wait!" Unfortunately for him, Kari chased after him, leaving Tai bewildered in the closing elevator behind her. "Lemme walk you to your door."

Davis normally would've loved that additional bit of extra company with his dearest friend, reveling in the chance to make her smile with a final joke for the day, but in that rare moment of melancholy, all he wanted to do was let his head hang low and drown the shame of his failures in the biggest bowl of ramen he could make.

But he couldn't let Kari know that, so he just turned to face her, plastering a false smile across his face as he walked backwards through the hallway. "What for?" He asked with a lilt of false cheer noticeably injected into his tone. "Afraid I'll conk out before I get there?"

"Well quite frankly yes," Gatomon answered from her own place in Kari's arms.

"Gatomon!" Kari lightly scolded.

"Well look at him!" Gatomon whispered back. "It's no secret he kinda took a beating today."

As if to prove that point, Davis' stomach chose that moment to send a particularly painful twinge through his abdomen.

Stupid friggin' Paladin… Davis thought sourly. He ignored the pain and came to a stop in front of his door. "Aw, don't worry about me," He chirped, bringing a thumb to his chest. "I've gotten outta worse scrapes out on the soccer field. That Paladin creep wasn't throwing anything I couldn't handle."

"Still…" Kari glumly licked the inside of her cheek. "Can you promise me something?"

"As long as it's not eating your mom's cooking, I think I can do that," Davis joked.

Kari didn't seem assured like Davis had wanted. She just continued to look concerned as she searched for what to say next.

"Don't—Try not to be so gung-ho about charging into danger in the future, okay?" Kari's voice matched the withdrawn nature in how she stood before Davis as she voiced her request. She forced herself to look at Davis, "It's not that I don't appreciate you trying to look out for me when the Paladin showed up, far from it, and trust me, I do think you were really brave in doing so, it's just…"

Kari bit her lip, "When you got hurt, I got really scared. Really angry too, but mostly scared." She shook her head, "And do you remember the stories I told you about the last time I went to the Digital world? All those Digimon that got hurt then?"

A fledgling chill crept up in Davis' chest when he recalled some of the grislier details of those stories. A whale Digimon with a hole punched straight through his head by a beam of energy, a pixie Digimon that had sacrificed itself while Kari and the rest of the Digidestined were rushed away from danger, to perhaps Kari's least favorite recollection, the deaths of a whole group of Digimon called Numemon.

Had Davis made Kari worry over a similar fate befalling him? Had he dredged up those memories in the aforementioned sadness and anger that Kari had told him she experienced when he was indisposed?

"Kari, I—"

"Just tell her you'll be more careful from now on, genius." Gatomon spoke up before the conversation could somehow get any tenser. "She knows that danger's part of the whole Digidestined job description, but she's still worried about a friend getting hurt, mainly you." She lifted a gloved paw towards Davis, "So just do her a solid and tell her you'll watch your step while you're in the Digital world, okay?"

Davis suddenly felt like he was being lectured by his mother in the face of the digital feline, and responded just as quickly when that happened with a flubbed up, "O-Okay!"

"Don't tell me, tell her!" Gatomon groaned when Davis addressed her instead Kari.

Davis jolted and looked up to Kari as directed, his cheeks going pink when he locked eyes with her again. Despite that, he persevered and repeated the sentiment.

"Kari, I promise I'll be more careful," He swore with a nod. "I don't wanna make you worry, so I'll try and be less—well, less me while I'm over there."

To his surprise, Kari actually giggled at that.

"Well don't do too much of that," She laughed. "I get the feeling we're gonna need some of that 'Davis-factor' you bring into things. Besides—" Her own cheeks tinged pink and she looked away, "I could always use a joke or two from you to make me feel better when things get tough."

Davis brought his thumb to his chest again, "Well that you can definitely count on me for!"

And to his delight, Kari smiled the very smile he always secretly strove to bring onto her face. "Thanks, Davis," She said.

Then, to his even greater delight, Kari stepped forward and grabbed him in a one-armed embrace.

"And Davis," She said whilst their hug went on. "I'm glad you're on the team."

Davis' mind went completely blank in that moment, with only instinct bidding him to take one arm from underneath Demiveemon to wrap it around Kari in turn.

"I'm glad to be a part of the team, too," He managed to croak out.

Their embrace lasted only a moment longer, necessitating brevity due to their partners being squished between them, and Kari stepped away from Davis with another beaming grin.

"Now," She said, gesturing to Davis' door, "Go inside and get some rest. We're gonna need you in top form tomorrow if we wanna stop that Paladin."

Just like that, all the tension and discomfort of the previous conversation was gone, replaced by the familiar warmth of Davis and Kari's friendship.

"Right," Davis said, nodding with a grin of his own. "I'll see you then, Kari."

Even when Davis was inside his home, laid upon his bed besides Demiveemon, he continued to think about the conversation he had with Kari, as well as the oath he promised to her.

Before he had seen the Digital world itself, he had long since imagined Kari's tales about it as little more than fantasy; something she thought up in order to fill the spaces of time she had to remain inside during her sicklier years. Now that he had seen it with his own two eyes, he found himself wanting to protect that world; for himself, for Demiveemon, and for Kari, who he now understood on a whole new level.

Don't worry, Kari, He thought as slumber overtook him, I'll be careful, but I'll also be there for you, I promise.

"There you are." Tai greeted Kari when the elevator opened up to reveal him once more. "You surprised me there, running off like that."

Kari stepped onto the elevator with him, "Sorry about that. I just wanted to talk to Davis about something."

"What about?" Tai asked, going to press the down button on the elevator.

Kari blushed and lifted her chin haughtily, "I believe that's between me and Davis, thank you very much."

Tai rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall, "Cool, that's just what every big brother wants to hear."

The hum of the elevator moving downward brought a moment of silence to the two siblings; broken only when the doors opened to reveal the outside plaza that stood in front of the apartment complex.

"Tai?" Kari spoke up as they ventured out into the balmy spring night. "Are you sure we should be meeting up without the others?"

"You saw how tired they were, Kari," Tai explained as they made their way across the street and towards the park. "That Ken kid could barely stand up. And Davis needs to rest to let his injury patch itself up." He sped up his pace when he saw a playground not too far from them, surrounded by a set of familiar silhouettes. "Besides, after everything that happened today, I think it'd be best if the old group got a chance to talk it out."

Kari bit her cheek, but matched her brother's pace as they neared the group of others that awaited them.

"We're here!" Tai announced when he and Kari were within shouting distance.

Izzy looked up from his laptop, "Oh, welcome back, you two, we were just about to start."

"You guys were gonna start without me?" Tai balked.

A boy with a head of blond hair stepped up, sizing up Tai with hard blue eyes. "We can only wait for so long, Tai," He said coolly. "And we all have our own things we need to do. I've gotta make dinner for me and my old man for one thing."

A girl with a bob of bright red hair hopped up from a bench, "Be nice, Matt. I'm sure Tai and Kari got here as soon as they could."

"I'm personally with Matt on this one, Sora," A boy who had been waiting off to the side while tapping his foot anxiously said. "I'm worried about Gomamon, but I've also got tests to study for!"

Izzy clicked his tongue, "I'll try to keep it brief, Joe." He returned his attention to his laptop, "Now to begin—"

"Wait!" Kari interjected. She looked at the five others standing in a circle around her. "We're still missing someone."

"Don't worry! I'm here! I'm here!"

Another voice spoke out from the darkness, and Kari's heart leapt up when she saw the final missing member of the original Digidestined appear (aside from Mimi, of course).

"TK!" The group cried.

Takeru Takaishi, better known amongst his friends as TK, stepped into the circle with a jovial smile on his face. Like his elder brother, Matt, he sported a pair of bright blue eyes (noticeably friendlier looking than Matt's) and a head of golden blond hair partially hidden beneath a white fisherman's cap. He was garbed in a school uniform, light gray all the way through with a crisped collar pleated around his neck.

TK beamed at the group, raising a hand to greet them, "Hey, guys! Long time no see!"

Kari went up to TK in a millisecond, any fatigue of the day clinging to her forgotten just as quickly. "You're telling me!" She practically sang. She forced herself to maintain some sense of calm and spoke on with, "How've you been?"

TK smirked and waved a hand through the air, "Eh, you know, school stuff mostly. What about you?"

"About the same," Kari replied. She suddenly remembered why they were there, thanks to Gatomon poking her arm with a claw. "Oh, that and this whole thing with the Digital world."

"Oh, yeah, that's how I'd describe it," Gatomon said sardonically.

TK's expression darkened, "Yeah, I heard there's been quite a stir going on over there." He looked out over to the rest of the group. "What have you guys heard?"

Izzy quickly explained everything they had learned during their trip to the Digital World that day.

"The Digital Paladin?" Matt queried. "Just what's a Paladin?"

"Some sort of name for a knight I think," Tai replied with a shrug.

"So this guy thinks of himself as some sort of protector or something?" Sora asked.

"That was certainly what he seemed to be going for," Kari said, staring down at her legs, swinging from the top of the monkey bars she was currently perched on. "Everything he talked about gave me the impression that he really thought everything he was doing was the right thing to do."

"And just what has he been doing?" TK asked, suddenly garnering the attention of all those upon him. "We've only seen this guy once, right? Do we really know what he's up to?"

"It sounds like he's slapping a bunch of control mechanisms onto the Digimon," Joe supplied. "A lot like those black gears Devimon used back in the day now that I think about it."

"I suppose I can see that," TK brought his hand to his chin in thought, a subtle frown marring his visage. "But it doesn't sound like he's using them just to make Digimon attack." He glanced up at Kari, "Kari, didn't you say you saw some Gotsumon with these haloes on them? They weren't attacking anybody, were they?"

"Well, no…" Kari agreed, frowning as well as she recalled her first encounter with the haloed Digimon, "But they definitely weren't in what I'd call a good state of mind. It was like they were robots."

"And regardless of what we theorize his intentions are, we can't ignore his actual actions," Izzy interjected. "I understand that Dokugumon are ornery at the best of times, but we can all agree that slaughtering a whole forest of them is a bridge too far, right?"

"I've never liked them either, but I'm with you," Joe agreed. "That just seems…I don't know—vindictive?"

"I don't know what vindictive means, but I can tell you that this guy really seems to have it out for virus type Digimon," Tai pointed out.

"Maybe there's a reason for that," Sora suggested. "Maybe if we could find a way to reach out to him, we could find out why. Then we might be able to talk him down."

"Talk him down?" Matt scoffed. "From what we've heard, this kid's already caused a ton of havoc in the Digital world and isn't afraid to take the fighting into his own hands while doing it, considering these 'crest weapons' that are apparently a thing now." He shook his head, "Hate to say it, but I'm pretty sure we're gonna have to get our hands dirty ourselves if we wanna take him down."

Joe sighed and his shoulders fell, "I get the feeling you're right. Just once I'd like pacifism to be the answer, you know?"

"So what's the plan then?" Sora asked. "Should we get to the Digital world to start the fight?"

Izzy shook his head, "Yes and no. According to Ken's files…" He typed a few keystrokes in and brought up a picture of Ken's D3 with a chunk of text next to it. "These 'D3s' are the only digivices that can open a portal wherever and whenever a user wishes to open one. On top of that, the Paladin's D3 apparently has the ability to suppress Digivolution, necessitating this strange new armor evolution we've seen."

"Wait, our Digimon can't digivolve?" Joe seized up. "How are we supposed to do anything if our Digimon can't digivolve? We're not supposed to just start pelting him with rocks, are we?"

"Luckily it's only in the vicinity of the Paladin's D3," Izzy explained. "So as long as we avoid getting too close to him, we should be able to digivolve."

"Cool, if there's anything we've learned about fighting, it's that it doesn't involve getting close," Tai huffed. "Any chance we can get one of these crest weapons for ourselves?"

"I'm afraid that requires a D3 as well," Izzy replied. "Which means only Kari is able to summon one."

"I don't suppose anyone's secretly upgraded, have they?" Matt asked.

TK reached into his pocket, pulling out the same little white Digivice they all received on that fateful day of summer camp, "Sorry. Still working with the old model I'm afraid."

"So what you're telling me is that without one of these D3s, we're just up the river from useless," Joe bemoaned.

"That's not true!" Kari jumped down from the top of the monkey bars. "Come on, guys, you can't lose confidence right when we're called to action! The Digimon need us! All of us!"

"Kari's right!" Tai stood up with his sister. "I'm not letting a measly little disadvantage like this one hold me back! Digivolve or no digivolve, we're not letting the Paladin have his way with the world our friends call home, right?"

"Right!" The other Digidestined agreed.

Save for one.

"R-Right!" TK hastily agreed, seemingly snapping out of a moment of thought.

"That still leaves one more question for me though," Fortunately for TK, Joe steered the conversation away from his momentary lapse of attention. "Gatomon, I have to ask, are our partners okay?"

Gatomon, who had been quietly listening to the various exchanges of the Digidestined, sunk within Kari's arms.

"Gatomon?" Kari sensed the dour aura that overtook her partner instantly. "What's wrong?"

"Everyone's fine," Gatomon murmured. "They're either manning their own section of the resistance, or providing some overlook on an endangered sector. Everyone's present and accounted for. Everyone except…"

A shimmer of sorrow gleamed within Gatomon's eyes as she forced herself to look up at TK, "TK, I'm sorry to say this, but nobody's seen Patamon since before the Paladin showed up. We've looked high and low for him, but we just can't find him."

TK's eyes widened, practically bulging from his eye sockets with the intake of what he'd been told. "Patamon?" He croaked. "Patamon's missing? Nobody's seen him?"

Gatomon shook her head, shedding a few tears before she spoke again, "We've asked everyone we know. No one's seen him."

"I—I—" TK's shoulders bunched up. "We have to find him!" He took a single step forward, "We have to find him! Right now! He could be in trouble! He needs me! We ne—"

"TK! TK!" Matt went to his brother's side, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him into his side in what he hoped was a comforting embrace. "Calm down! It's gonna be okay!"

"But Patamon's missing!" TK cried. "He needs me! We have to—"

"We'll find him, TK!" Kari spoke up for her friend, shocking his attention onto her. When their eyes met, Kari continued with a noticeable vibrato warbling her voice.

"We'll find him, TK," She assured, the maroon in her eyes gleaming with determination. "I promise, we'll do everything in our power to find Patamon." Her shoulders rose and she let out a huff through her nose, "And if that Paladin's done anything to him, you have my word that I'll make him pay a hundred times over."

In the fury of her declaration, the group fell silent, in awe of the passion exhibited by their once sickliest member. Standing there with her shoulders hunched and her knees bent as if ready to leap into battle, the group suddenly felt like the goggles upon her head felt much more fitting; like she was the person destined to wear them.

"She's right," As if to prove that point, the previous wearer of said goggles agreed with his sister. "This guy may have had his fun without us in the mix, but now that we're here, we're gonna show him just what happens when you mess with the Digital world, am I right?"

"RIGHT!" The rest of the group agreed once more.

"Then it's settled," Izzy said, closing his laptop. "We'll periodically check in on matters with the rest of the new kids to see how we can help. We may be at a disadvantage, but that doesn't mean we can't pitch in where we can."

"Agreed," Sora confirmed. "I'll be sure to get there as soon as I can. For Biyomon."

"I'll be there," Matt assured. "No way I'm letting Gabumon handle this alone."

Joe adjusted his glasses, "And knowing Gomamon, he'll need me to avoid cracking a joke at the wrong Digimon."

Their vows made, the group said their goodbyes soon after, parting ways for their homes to seek respite for the night.

"You want me to walk you home, TK?" Matt asked, pulling up a guitar case over his shoulders.

"Nah, I'm okay, Matt, it's not as long as you think," TK dourly mumbled, turning away to begin his walk down his own way.

"TK, wait!" But before he could disappear into the darkness of the night, Kari jogged up to him.

TK turned to Kari, catching a smirk from Matt as the elder walked away to give him and her some space. "Hey, Kari," He said dully.

Kari stopped before TK, averting her eyes down to Gatomon who herself was avoiding looking at TK as well.

"I—I just wanted to say…That I meant what I said." She peered up at TK, squaring her shoulders and tightening her jaw. "I'm gonna do everything in my power to both find Patamon and bring the Paladin to justice. He won't get away with this, any of this."

TK offered Kari a shadow of a smirk, "Thanks, Kari. And hey, maybe I'll tag along with you some time. I wouldn't mind the chance to work with you again; y'know, like old times?"

Kari felt a flush of warmth creep through her cheeks, leaving her with no other response to give other than a shy little laugh that really only left her more embarrassed afterward.

"Um—yeah, I'd like that, too," She said, suddenly finding a crack in the ground very interesting in lieu of her timidity.

"Besides," TK chuckled, turning away from Kari again, "It give me an opportunity to see what you're up to, and I certainly wouldn't wanna miss that." He raised a hand to give her a single wave before walking off, "See ya around, Kari."

"See ya around, TK," Kari replied, watching him disappear into the shadows of the park, her bashful smile remaining a few good moments after he was gone.

"Geez, Kari," Gatomon remarked once they were alone. "You've grown up quite a bit since the last time I've seen you, haven't you?"

Kari jolted and looked down at Gatomon, "Whaddya mean?"

Gatomon giggled and leaned her head against Kari's forearm, "Eh, I'll let you figure it out yourself. In the meantime, do me a favor and carry me to a bed please."

Kari clicked her tongue and began walking back towards Tai, "All the Digimon in the Digital world, and I get the bossy one."

"You know you love me," Gatomon yawned.

"Yeah, regrettably I do," Kari admitted.

As she neared her brother, Kari glanced back the way TK had gone, seeing only the empty darkness in which he'd disappeared into.

She knew the fear TK must have been feeling; she'd felt it herself with Gatomon back when Myotismon had kidnapped her during his invasion of the human world. The thought that her partner, the other side of her heart was in unknowable danger had been like an icicle stuck in her very soul, excruciating in every moment that passed without her in her arms.

And Kari couldn't stand knowing TK was going through that same pain. She had to assuage that fear, at any cost.

I promise you, TK, She internally vowed. I'll find that Paladin, and I'll make him pay for everything he's done to the ones we love.

And at Kari's side, her D3 glowed with gentle pink light.

The sounds of crickets chirping grated against TK's nerves as he sauntered through the thick fog that had cropped up around him. That, paired with the pulsing of his head thanks to the streetlights above and the burning sensation in his nostrils thanks to the acrid allergies plaguing him only added to the simmering fury that burned in his heart.

That couldn't have gone worse! He thought, bringing a palm to press against his forehead. They've already all been turned against what I'm trying to do! None of them understand! Not one!

He jammed his hand into his pocket, yanking his digivice out so he could hold it up to his face.

No matter… He thought, pressing one of the gray buttons on the little white trinket. In his palm, the device glowed white and began to change shape. The digivice made a faint whistling sound as it morphed, and when the light faded, a D3 made of smooth white and gold metal appeared. They just haven't seen how the Digital world has changed; how my methods are necessary…

He grit his teeth and squeezed the D3. And I can still make this work. I only need to keep an eye on them while keeping up this act. That should be simple enough.

At that moment, the mental image of the girl who had unknowingly just sworn to come after him lanced through his mind, and a rush of anger flashed through him like searing metal across flesh.

I'll need to keep a specifically close eye on Kari, He thought, bringing his other hand to his chest; a hand he'd had to hide from the group lest they see the bandaging across his palm. She's the one who needs to be made to understand the most…

He lifted his sights from his D3 screen, his blue eyes ablaze with a violent determination that belied all his distorted desires.

Apologies, Kari Kamiya, He spitefully thought. But you're on the wrong side of this conflict, and I intend to make you understand that, by any means necessary.

And thus, with a D3 glowing with harsh white light, TK faded into the choking miasma of the fog; vows of control clashing with that of Kari Kamiya's and the rest of the Digidestined.

He knew he stood alone, but he wasn't going to waver, because he was intent to change the Digital world for his perceived better.

As its savior, the Digital Paladin.

AN: And at long last, the stage has been set! To borrow a phrase from a friend of mine, we just got out of Midgar, folks! Time for the story to start in full swing! The Digidestined have met their Digimon, their armor evolutions have been acquired, and the first of the crest weapons have materialized! What's gonna happen next? Will another crest weapon materialize soon? Will the Digidestined discover the true identity of the Paladin? What secrets lie in the pasts of Veemon, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon? You'll have to stay tuned, dear readers, because the floodgates have opened on the tale of the Digital Paladin!

And as always, reviews and feedback are always greatly appreciated! Doubly so for the more in-depth ones!

PS: Keyseeker, I really hope you've been enjoying this AU. It's been a ton of fun to write and your feedback is always so great to get! From the bottom of my heart, thanks for that and I hope you find yourself looking forward to more of this story as much as I do.

Manegie, Staying Digital!