Chapter Nine

Divermon's Lake (Part two)

Impmon let out a pleasant hum as his teeth sunk into the crunchy exterior of the fruit he was noshing on. Beneath its purple surface, the creamy white inside bade its sweet taste upon his tongue, imploring him to just sit back and relax. Why shouldn't he? His duties were done for the day, there was nothing more to do than kick back.

"Impmon?" At least, that's what he would've been able to do had his fellow chef not been so insistent on ruining his fun.

"What is it, Red?" He griped.

Guilmon stopped besides Impmon, still continuing to wipe the counter the little purple Digimon was leaning against with a dish rag. "Shouldn't Davismon and Veemon be back by now? It's been kind of a while, hasn't it?"

Impmon sneered and took another sizeable chomp. "What am I, their secretary or something? They're probably just lounging about the lake. You saw how desperate they were to get out."

Guilmon hummed in half-hearted agreement and left the rag to saunter towards the pantry; the place where they kept all their bread and where Guilmon liked to go whenever he was stressed. "Still, I'm worried. Even if they don't get into any trouble, what if Kenmon finds out?"

Impmon clicked his tongue, "How is Ken gonna find out?"

"Oh, quit being such a sour puss about it?" The very second Impmon said that, the voice of Gatomon floated in from beyond the window separating the kitchen and the Mess Hall.

"I am not being a sourpuss about anything," And to make matters worse, Ken's voice followed right after. "When I am training with Kari, I would appreciate if you keep your own little sneak attacks to a minimum!"

A chiming giggle, obviously Kari's came next, "But aren't sneak attacks something we should be prepared for as well, Ken?"

"Not when it involves Gatomon jumping on my head!"

"I don't know, Ken," Wormmon was the last voice to join in. "I think Gatomon may have a point."

"And where were you when she was pushing me to the ground?" Ken asked, still a little irate sounding, but softening in tone when he addressed his partner.

"I was watching, it was funny," Wormmon replied.

During the exchange, Impmon prayed to whatever Digital deity may have been watching that they would just pass by, maybe go into the computer room where they would transport themselves back to their world. Didn't they have that homework stuff to worry about?

"Hey, where are Davis and Veemon?" Despite his prayers, Kari's voiced curiosity made it abundantly clear that the group had indeed stepped into the Mess Hall.

"Perhaps Impmon or Guilmon will know." And to make matters worse, Ken's voice became clearer with his footsteps growing closer.

Impmon quickly leapt from his seat, leaving his snack rolling away from him and grabbing the rag Guilmon had left behind.

"Impmon?" Ken poked his head through the kitchen window.

"Oh, hey boss!" Impmon jovially greeted, his hand pushing the rag in little circles along the countertop. "What brings you here?"

"We've just finished our training session," Ken replied, his eyes showing his surveyance of the kitchen. "We were hoping to get something to eat."

"Sure!" Impmon said, standing straight. "Just name it and I'll get it for you!"

Ken's lips quirked, "Where's Guilmon?"

Impmon gulped, his sights drifting to the pantry. If he could just get them on their way before Guilmon came back, he could avoid the trouble that may have been coming his way. "Red? He's—out! Yeah! He's out taking that grub we made to Divermon!"

Ken's eyes narrowed, "Weren't you supposed to go with him?"

Impmon sneered and crossed his arms over his chest, "It's a fifteen-minute walk, Ken. Red'll be fine." Davis and Veemon will be fine, He mentally amended.

Ken didn't look very pleased with Impmon's response, but before he could scold him, he was pushed out of the way by Kari, her gentle and curious expression a grateful reprieve to Impmon.

"Impmon, have you seen Davis and Veemon?" She asked.

It was harder for Impmon to lie to Kari, but considering the fact that Ken tended to reward negligence of duty with some of the more grueling tasks that the base had to offer, he really had little choice.

"Can't say I have," He said, turning back to the counter so he didn't have to look into Kari's eyes. "Maybe he went back to your place?"

Kari frowned and her face fell, "He went back home? Why would he do that? We usually go home together…"

The squeezing hand of guilt clenched tight around Impmon's conscious, "M-Maybe he was just tired. It makes sense, don't it? He did look pretty tired."

He only noticed his mistake when Gatomon poked her head beneath Kari's.

"I thought you said you didn't see him," She accused.

Impmon's blood went cold, the rag going still in his hand, "Um…"
"Hey, Impmon…" Then, as if to nail his coffin shut, Guilmon chose to walk out of the pantry, a basket of bread in his arms. "I can't shake this worry. I really think we should tell Kenmon where Davismon and Veemon went."

Impmon gasped and looked up just as Ken stepped through the door.

"Impmon…" He simmered, his eyes hardening. "Explain."

And with that, Impmon knew he had a week of scrubbing toilets to look forward to.

"Three in a row, I win."

Davis groaned and threw himself back on the grass, the tic-tac-toe game in between Veemon and him left bearing his twelfth loss in a row. "Augh! How do I keep losing here!?"

Veemon grinned and leaned back on the grass as well, "Yer too impatient, Davis. If you just stop putting your 'X's all willy-nilly, you might have a chance at beating me."

Davis sat up with a huff, using his hand to sweep the dusty game away before drawing a new one. "I'll show you willy-nilly! Last one! Winner take all!"

Veemon sat up as well, "Okay, but if I win, you have to get me a candy bar when we get back to your world. One of those really nice ones!"

"You're on!" Davis agreed, his concern for his pocket change forgotten at the possibility of victory.

They sat in a little grassy clearing at the edge of Divermon's bridge, waiting for the refugees they had been told of with whatever games they could possibly come up with considering all they had was dirt, sticks, and leaves to use.

Davis had thus far lost all of them, leaving him to wish he had a soccer ball on hand so he could show Veemon what real skill was.

"YAY!" Veemon threw his hands into the air. "I get a candy bar now!"

As for Davis, he could only cross his arms over his chest, his little circles, no more than two in a row, glaring up at him. Great, there went the after Digi-world ramen he'd been looking forward to.

"Whatever," Was all he could say.

"Aw, don't be a sourpuss about it," Veemon chided. "I just have years of strategy experience on my side." His lips quirked and he placed a finger on his cheek. "At least I think I do…"

Davis couldn't stay mad at Veemon with that thoughtful expression on his face. Still, I'm really starting to hope for a win at something by this point, He thought, leaning back on his palms and lifting his closed eyes skyward.

RSTLE-RSTLE!

His moment of reflection was cut by the sound of rustling plant life, and with a spike of adrenaline prompting him to do so, his eyes sprang open and he leapt to his feet alongside Veemon, his hand going for his D3.

"Who's there!?" Veemon asked, taking a protective step in front of Davis.

The leaves in the trees shook, and from out of the speckled shadows came two Digimon.

"Hey there," The first Digimon spoke, a short bear-like creature with gray fur and a blue baseball cap. "Are you the ones with the resistance?"

Davis and Veemon allowed themselves to relax.

"Y-Yeah," Davis said, not sure if it was wise to just freely admit that, but not knowing what else to do given the situation. "Are you the ones we're supposed to take across the bridge?"

The other Digimon, a fragile little thing with red flower petals draped over its head stepped forward. "Oh yes! Please take us somewhere safe! We cannot stay here anymore! Please!"

Davis was taken aback by the desperate pleas of the Digimon. "Okay! Don't worry!" He said, trying to calm the Digimon with held up hands. "That's exactly what we're here to do. Honest!" When the Digimon seemed to calm down, Davis kneeled down to it. "We'll get you somewhere safe, I promise," He gently swore. He then offered a smile and extended his hand, "But before that, why don't we knock some introductions outta the way? My name's Davis."

"And I'm Veemon!"

The plant Digimon responded first. "I—I'm Floramon," She said with a graceful little bow of her head.

"And you can call me Kumamon!" The bear Digimon said, bringing a thumb to their chest.

Davis stood back up, "It's good to meet you, Floramon and Kumamon." He gestured them to follow him onto the first few planks of the bridge. He couldn't explain it, but the need to help the two Digimon that sought their aid filled him with an eager determination. "Let's get going then, alright?"

Kumamon was quick to follow, "Don't have to tell me twice!"

Floramon jolted and followed as well, "Of course. Thank you ever so much, Mr. Davis!"

"Ah, just Davis is fine," Davis cheerily corrected, leading them onward.

Veemon stayed back for a moment, simply watching Davis assuage Floramon and Kumamon's previous fear.

I told ya, Davis, He thought with a beaming smile. You don't need a crest weapon to be great. You already are great.

KRCKLE-krckle!

Suddenly, from out of the corner of his eye, in the direction that Floramon and Kumamon had come, Veemon thought he saw something. A tiny little flash of white, accompanied with a sound similar to that of a small electric discharge.

When he looked directly, he saw nothing—at least…He thought he saw nothing. Was it just him or was the air rippling? He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes before looking again.

Everything was just as still as it was a second ago. Not even the leaves on the trees were moving.

Must be seeing things, He told himself. He rubbed his arm, trying to smooth out the goosebumps that had risen up. Yeah that's right, I'm just seein' things, He reiterated to himself. Heh, maybe I should pass on that Geckomon water.

Despite his attempt at alleviating the tension that overtook him, Veemon couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss away from him. That something that shouldn't be anywhere near that general area had been brought into it.

What exactly was going on in Seiryu city?

"Hey, Veemon! Come on!" The heavy tension that plagued his shoulders was cast away by the voice of his partner, and Veemon shook off the unexplainable dread in favor of Davis, waving at him from a dozen or so feet away.

"C-Coming, Davis!" Veemon said, dashing from off the grass and onto the wooden planks of the bridge. He was glad to feel the tension fade the closer he got to Davis, but Veemon still couldn't help but wonder what had caused it in the first place.

Perhaps the two Digimon they were escorting could clue him in.

Seiryu city; known to most Digimon in the region as the clinging city, thanks largely in part to the state that it existed. The entire city, from its iconic scarlet windmills, to its domed shaped buildings, to even its markets were suspended high above the canyon from which its walls it had been carved into, with some buildings even hanging out on individual platforms, tethered to the rest of the city by only a collection of enormous chins, swaying ever so slightly in the canyon winds.

To many, not even a fear of heights could deter them from seeing the spectacle that was the city.

But few dared venture into it had they the knowledge of who was currently gracing its streets.

The Paladin's fingers drummed across his D3 at his hip. His lips were a thin, expressionless line, wordlessly surveying progress on the structure he was having constructed in the very center of the plaza he stood in, right at the very center of the city.

The structure matched that of the one he had seen on the computer screen back in his castle; an ashen-white tower of spiraling striations, already twelve feet in height at half construction with a small slot at its base awaiting something to be inserted in. As alabaster stone by alabaster stone was added and incorporated into it, the air occasionally rippled with a rare spark every so often.

He was glad to see construction coming along swimmingly, though he did wish his workers could stop collapsing. It seemed even the haloes had their limits.

At least he had the townsfolk to lend a hand; though he did wish he didn't have to use haloes for the majority of them. Didn't they see that he was trying to help them?

"My lord!" A booming slam of a landing reverberated the ground beneath the Paladin's feet. Undeterred, the Paladin kept his sights on the tower as he addressed the new arrival.

"Rapidmon," He said tonelessly. "I trust you have a report on the escapees?"

"Yes, my lord!" Rapidmon descended onto his knee, bowing his green armored head in deference to the one who had gifted him his power. "The escapees to the west and south have been captured and haloed, as per your orders."

The Paladin's lower lip quirked in a subtle scowl. "And the east? I believe we received reports of Digimon absconding that way as well, did we not?"

Rapidmon bowed his head lower, "That is correct, my lord. We have yet to apprehend them, but rest assured that I have one of my best reconnaissance units patrolling the area in the east as we speak."

The Paladin let out a hum of displeasure. "Well, I certainly hope that they are fit for the task. You know as well as I do how I feel about disappointment."

Rapidmon nodded, "I do, my lord. Do not worry, they will succeed."

"Hmph," The Paladin grunted. "In the meantime…" He raised his D3 into the air, it's circular screen now aglow with harsh white light. From above the two of them, several glowing haloes materialized. "Go and gather some more volunteers. The sooner we finish construction, the sooner we can begin mass production."

Rapidmon nodded again, "Yes, my lord." And then flew off with the haloes in tow.

Leaving the Paladin alone with his disgruntled thoughts.

Digimon unwilling to help. Digimon running away. His teeth clenched. Do they not see the better world I am trying to create for them? Do they wish for chaos to rear its head again? He shook his head, "No…" He gazed up at the half-completed tower, "I won't let indolence stop either us or them. We will bring about order."

"So you coming all the way back to base with us, or do you have somewhere else you plan to head to?" Davis turned around to face Floramon and Kumamon, continuing to walk backwards as he spoke.

"There's not much more place for us to go," Kumamon replied. "Even if we went so far as another sector, the Digital Paladin's influence would just spread there as well."

Veemon frowned, "Is it really that bad?"

"Worse," Floramon confirmed, her eyes dulling with residual sadness. "Even in comparison to a few weeks ago. Back then, there was still some influence; such as the occasional haloed Digimon walking the streets, but overall, it wasn't nearly as bad as it is now."

"What's it like now?" Veemon pressed.

Kumamon scoffed, "Well, he initially brought some workers with him to build some new pet project of his, probably some monument to himself, and while that was it at first, things started to change when his workers started to collapse from exhaustion."

Davis slowed his backwards stroll. The Paladin had worked his workers to the point of collapse?

"That's when the Paladin started taking…'volunteers'," Floramon went on with a shake.

"Yeah, volunteers only by name," Kumamon said with a snort. "If you were asked to help, it was either do it, or get haloed and do it anyway."

Davis came to a stop, the hands behind his head dropping at his sides, "So you were basically being taken prisoner…That's why you had to run away."

"That's correct," Floramon affirmed, eyes misting over with tears.

"And because of that," Kumamon said, putting an arm around Floramon, "We're gonna have to live underground."

Davis already detested the Paladin, but hearing how these poor Digimon were being forced from their homes under the threat of slavery filled him with a desire to bash his fist into his face until well past the shattering of that pretentious helmet of his.

"Listen…" He gulped, going to kneel by Kumamon and Floramon. When he had their attention, he set his hands on their shoulders. "I'm really sorry to hear that happened. All I can say is that really, really sucks." He pulled his hands back to curl them in front of his chest, "But I promise you, more than anything I've ever promised before that I—Me and the guys back in the base will get you back to your homes."

Floramon looked up at Davis, "Truly?"

"Absolutely!" Veemon leapt to their side. "Davis is a Digidestined! Which means that he'll definitely get you back home; no two ways about it!"

Davis smiled, his heart warmed by Veemon's vote of confidence. "That's right!" He agreed, jumping up to his feet. "And as a Digidestined, you also have my word that that loser Paladin won't be getting anywhere near you. No way, no how!"

And that's when the planks behind them burst in an explosion of water and mist.

"Damn it, Daisuke, damn it, Daisuke, damn it Daisuke!" Ken's legs carried him fervently through the Wire Forest, desperately trying to mitigate the distance between the spot where he and Kari had emerged from that of Divermon's lake as fast as humanly possible. On his shoulder, Wormmon clung to his black leather pauldron, trying to not get bounced off with the leaps and bounds his partner took.

"Ken, not so fast!" From a few paces behind, an equally distressed Kari tried to keep up with Ken, unfortunately stumbling over one of the many wires that traveled across the forest floor as reward for attempting so.

Had it not been for Gatomon stopping besides Kari and then yelling at Ken to stop in her own haughty way, Ken would have disappeared altogether into the trees.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have time to waste!" Ken informed after returning to Kari, still jogging in place as he helped her up.

Kari shook the daze she felt away and quickly followed after Ken again, being sure to keep an eye out for any more wiring that littered her path. "You still haven't told me what Davis has gotten himself into! Is Divermon's Lake a dangerous place?"

"Not particularly," Ken answered with a grunt, leaping over a gargantuan tree root like a deer. "It's one of the safer places around here. That's why I wasn't concerned with sending Impmon and Guilmon."

A sizeable drop of relief fell into Kari's heart at that news. Good, She thought, clambering over the same tree root Ken had bounded over. Davis is probably safe then. That's a load off my mind.

But then another thought came to her.

"Wait," She said, coming to a stop in a little sunlit glade. "If Davis isn't in any likely danger, why are you so worried about him going?"

Ken groaned when he saw Kari had stopped. "I'm worried about him actually meeting Divermon," He said, turning to her. "If he does something to offend him, then we lose a valuable ally!"

Kari felt her face flush with the surge of irritation that came over her. "What? You think Davis is gonna offend Divermon? That's why you're so worked up?"

Ken scowled, sensing Kari's indignation, "Please don't get defensive of him again. I'm trying to run a resistance network here!"

Kari sneered in return before stomping towards Ken, "What is your deal? Ever since we've met you, you've been nothing but a jerk to Davis!"

Ken fumed like an angry warthog in response and stomped towards Kari. "I told you when I met the two of you, I wasn't looking for novices."

"Novices?" Kari spat back, stomping up to Ken as well, "Excuse me, but Yolei and Cody aren't exactly expert Digidestined themselves, and you treat them way better than Davis!"

"Yeah, I'm aware!" Ken shouted, his voice suddenly sporting a crack. "And lemme tell you, the knowledge didn't really make managing this whole resistance any easier. Which in turn, grinds my patience for Daisuke's antics to a pretty thin goddamn margin!"

Kari heard the strain that was creeping into his throat, a thin fissure in his veneer as the calm leader of the forces against the Digital Paladin. She noticed it, and softened her voice, being gentle, but firm in what she said next.

"So you've been stressed," She said calmly. "Does that give you any right to take it out on Davis." She was pleased to see Ken's scowl all but drop from his face in the truth of what she said. "He is a goofball, with as much sense for his safety as a dog against a snapping turtle, and he does tend to stick his foot in his mouth, but—" She smiled as she thought of her friend, "He's a good person, and he would never do anything to harm what we're doing here. I promise."

Ken bit his lip, averting Kari's gaze. What was it about the gentle shimmer of her eyes that made it seem like she could see into the very soul of whoever she was looking at?

"Ken?" Wormmon prodded him back into reengaging in the conversation, and Ken looked at him. "Isn't there something you'd like to say?"

Not particularly, Ken thought. He really never was one for apologizing.

"If you don't say it on your own, I won't be afraid to claw it out of you," Gatomon said a little more tartly after.

Ken bit his lip a little harder and then looked down. "I'm sorry for being so hard on your friend," He croaked, pressing a hand to his chest and bowing his head slightly. "I'll be sure to be better in the future."

Kari smiled, "I'm glad to hear that." She stepped past Ken, starting their trek towards Divermon's lake once more. "Then let's get going," She hummed. "I'm glad to hear that Davis is most likely safe, but I need to make sure he gets a lecture for running off without telling me."

"A double lecture!" Gatomon laughed.

Ken meanwhile was left trailing behind her, his face pensive.

"Are you okay, Ken?" Wormmon asked.

Ken glanced over at his partner, "Yeah…I'm just—" He looked forward, to where Kari and Gatomon were giggling about how they would lay into Davis and Veemon for their wrongdoings.

"I'm just glad to have an experienced ally," Ken mumbled.

Davis shouted every curse word he knew when the planks of wood splintered and shattered behind them. As the water drenched him, his feet instinctively lunged him towards Floramon and Kumamon, pulling them close in an attempt to protect them from whatever force had burst onto the scene.

"Veemon!" He cried, fear for his partner's well being lancing through his shout.

"I'm okay, Davis!" Veemon reported, his arms shielding his eyes from the spray. When it dissipated, he lowered his arms, baring his teeth at the Digimon that had appeared.

The first thing to be seen emerging from the mist was a bright glare, one that coalesced into a luminous ring; a halo. The halo then illuminated the scarlet head of the one it adorned, its yellow eyes zeroing in on Veemon and then rearing itself from out of the mist completely.

"What is that?" Davis gasped, pulling Floramon and Kumamon behind him.

"An Ebidramon," Veemon replied.

Ebidramon; a champion level Digimon that looked like a mix of several crustaceans and a dragon, with a scarlet carapace over the top half of its body and a scowling draconic head adorning it. From below its carapace, from its tan colored undershell, two pincers, one razor sharp like a curved blade, the other serrated with tooth like dactyls presented themselves in challenge.

"DESERTERS!" Ebidramon roared. "YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF NEGLECTING THE CALL OF THE PALADIN! COME ALONG WILLINGLY, OR BE BROUGHT BY FORCE!"

Davis felt Kumamon and Floramon cower against his back, bringing his promise to the forefront of his mind. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to say no on their behalf!" He called out with a fist raised towards the crawfish dragon. "So why don't you just buzz off and tell that Paladin jerk his days are numbered!"

Ebidramon's eyes flared and it lurched forward a space, "YOU ARE NOT MY TARGET!" It shouted. "THEREFORE, I AM AT FULL LIBERTY TO DESTROY YOU TO GET TO THEM!"

Veemon sneered and stepped to Ebidramon himself, "Just go ahead and try!" He turned back to Davis, "Davis! You know what to do!"

Davis nodded and pulled his D3 from its slot, "Without a doubt, Veemon! Digi-Armor Energize!"

"VEEMON, ARMOR-DIGIVOLVE TO—" Veemon ran towards Ebidramon as the flames overtook his body, changing his form.

Ebidramon grunted when the flames tackled against him, sending him a space back just as they disappeared to reveal the new Digimon emerging to challenge him.

"Flamedramon," Flamedramon hissed, giving Ebidramon the stink eye up close and personal, "The Fire of Courage."

Flamedramon leapt back to avoid a swipe from one of Ebidramon's claws, easily as big as him and raised a clawed fist of his own. "Oh, no you don't, fire rocket!"

"Brine shot!" Ebidramon reared his back, and from his maw came a powerful stream of frothy white water. In the torrent, the sphere of flame launched by Flamedramon was completely swallowed, leaving Flamedramon no defense against it.

"Gah!" Flamedramon slid back several planks, falling to his knee under the force of the bitter water. It stung against his skin and eyes, making it so he had to squint at his opponent.

"Flamedramon! You okay?" Davis called out to him.

Flamedramon forced himself to stand back up, "Still frosty, don't worry!" He said. He raised both his claws, and both burst into stronger flames than before. "Now, how d'ya like your Ebidramon? Flame broiled? Or grilled?"

Despite Flamedramon's bravado, Davis knew that single attack levied against him had hurt, quite a bit judging by the slight wince Flamedramon gave every few steps.

If only he could help.

Dammit! Davis glared at his D3, now dimmed again following its brief luminescence during Veemon's digivolution. Come on! If there was ever a time to make with the crest weapon, it would be now!

The D3 stayed as blank as ever, as if it was actively ignoring Davis.

And it half tempted Davis to just chuck it into the lake.

"Oh no, Flamedramon!" Floramon jolted him back into the fight.

What he saw made it clear that he couldn't just stand by.

Flamedramon tumbled back from a vicious swing from Ebidramon's razor claw, falling flat on his back with a noticeable slash mark across his flame patterned breast plate.

"Flamedramon!" Davis charged for Flamedramon, sliding in front of his partner as he struggled to stand back up.

"BACK OFF!" Davis glared daggers at Ebidramon, his arms spread out defensively in front of his partner, his D3 unknowingly still clasped in his hand.

"Davis…" Flamedramon grunted, shakily sitting up. "Davis, get back. This guy's stronger than he looks."

"All the more reason for us to work together on this!" Davis retorted, bringing his arms back into fists. His eyes drifted to the halo above Ebidramon's head. "I've got a plan, just focus on catching your breath, pal."

"Davis, don't—"

"Here I go!" Flamedramon's objection was cut off by Davis sprinting at Ebidramon.

Ebidramon wasted no time in moving for another attack. "Razor slash!" He cried, sweeping a horizontal slash at Davis.

Years of soccer paid off for Davis in that moment. He fell to his knees and slid beneath the glinted claw on the wet surface of the bridge, losing a single hair to it, but coming out unscathed beneath it.

"Too slow!" Davis crowed, effortlessly getting back onto his feet. He sidestepped another swipe from the serrated claw, then using its dull edge as a foothold to climb onto Ebidramon's body right after.

"AWAY WITH YOU!" Ebidramon cried, trying to wriggle Davis off with a great swing.

Davis held tight, waiting for Ebidramon to still himself before leaping onto Ebidramon's head, thankfully clearing his mouth and avoiding becoming a snack.

Davis clambered towards the halo whilst Ebidramon roared in annoyance. "Alright, get over here you overblown nightlight!" He cried, stashing his D3 and then grabbing the halo with both hands.

Davis was pretty sure he learned what it would have felt like to grab scorching metal in that moment. The second his hands clenched around the halo, a wretched heat tore through his palms, not just stopping there, but actually coursing past them and through the rest of his body like the most potent and fast acting of venoms, leaving him feeling like every inch of him was being electrocuted.

The screech that came from Davis made Flamedramon's blood go cold. He watched with horror-stricken eyes, not even a semblance of fire gracing his claws as he saw bright white static arc over his partner's agony-stricken form.

And to make matters worse, Ebidramon could still move himself.

"I SAID—" He raised his claw once more. "AWAY WITH YOU!"

The serrated claw bashed against Davis' side. Upon him, the little scrawls of Digicode glowed, and a thin as paper sheen overtook the spot he was stricken. The force of the attack wrenched Davis' grip from the halo, thankfully separating him from the malevolent ring.

Unfortunately, it also sent him careening through the air, straight off the side of the bridge.

"DAVIS!" Flamedramon cried.

Davis couldn't reply. He could only fall into the water, disappearing in a great splash and into the depths below.

It took the hammering force of the water slamming against his back to snap Davis out of the daze grabbing the halo had put him into. That, paired with the frigid cold he was being submerged in only made him all the more aware of just how much pain he was in.

His hands stung, his ribs, now with both sides sporting bruises ached with dull pulses, and his back was currently confirming the saying that falling into water from a high place was like slamming into a brick wall.

But he didn't care about any of that, not even about the lack of air he was coming across the further he sank.

Flamedramon… Through the rippling of the waves above him, he could see little offshoots of flame puff out from the sides of the bridge. Kumamon, Floramon…

He'd promised he'd protect them. He had come out for the express purpose of proving he could be of use to the resistance, to Veemon, to Kari…

To himself. What kind of Digidestined lasted only a week? He hadn't even gotten his stupid crest weapon to show up. He really was a failure.

"Again with the crest weapon?" In his mind, he heard the words Veemon had said to him. "Didn't I tell you not to doubt yourself…"

Davis shook his head, I wasn't doubting myself, Veemon. It's just the truth.

"You're already great, Davis!" Veemon's voice told him.

If I was so great, shouldn't I have been able to do more?

"Not just anyone could've freed me from the Digimental, y'know," The recollection reminded him. "It had to be you, Davis."

It had to be him. Those last six words rang through his mind over and over again. Did it really? Was he really some destined partner to the little dragon Digimon? It had certainly felt that way; like Veemon was some other part of his soul he hadn't known was missing.

Maybe that was the issue. Maybe he just needed to focus on something other than summoning his crest weapon. Maybe he should've just focused on—

Veemon… His eyes sprung open. VEEMON!

There was no way he was going to die there, no way in hell.

He curled into a ball and gave a strong kick. With his first upward propulsion, he began swimming towards the surface, his stinging hands shoveling the water like a desperate flower trying to break through the soil.

I'm coming, Flamedramon! He screamed within his mind. I don't care if I'm next to useless, I'm sticking with you! Even if I have to throw my shoes at that overgrown lobster!

But unbeknownst to Davis, at his side, his D3 was growing bright with blinding vermillion light, and somehow, someway, he didn't notice the orange glow coming over his hands.

And when he broke the surface, flames followed.

Flamedramon grit his teeth in the face of the beam of saltwater slammed against him. The sting of the salted brine washed away the tears trailing down his face, but the despair and rage remained etched upon his features.

"SURRENDER NOW!" Ebidramon roared. With a swing of his claw, Flamedramon was trapped within its teeth, the spiked dactyls pressing into his flesh painfully.

"Flamedramon!" Floramon and Kumamon cried.

Flamedramon scowled at Ebidramon. "Don't worry!" He shouted back to the two Digimon. He pressed his claws against the teeth, forcefully pushing the spikes back slightly. "I'm not letting this scum get away with what he's done!" His claws glowed red hot and his horn burst into a blue flame. "I'm getting him back, for Davis!"

For all his ire, Flamedramon's hands were swiftly folded against his torso. Following that, the flames cloaking his horn were extinguished by another crushing plume of water, leaving his head lopsided against the top of the claw.

"YOU OVERESTIMATE YOURSELF!" Ebidramon bellowed, squeezing Flamedramon tighter.

Flamedramon coughed, his lungs tight with the sudden inability to draw breath.

"And now you will join your partner…" Ebidramon said in a deathly hush.

Flamedramon wanted to shove his claws right into Ebidramon's eyes in response. But in addition to the lack of air in his lungs and the mental image of Davis sinking into the water's depths below, he could only feel himself grow weaker.

"Forgive…me…" His body slumped within the claw as his vision blackened. "Davis…"

FWOOOOOSH!

Just before the blackness took over, a fiery blaze whisked it away, and in the force of it, Ebidramon actually teetered, his grip loosening and allowing breath to grace Flamedramon's lungs once more.

That first gasp of air felt less than pleasant to Flamedramon, but thanks to it, his vision cleared, allowing him to see the one that leapt to the bridge from the plume of flames that had erupted from the lake's surface.

"Flamedramon!" Davis cried, extending his hand towards his partner—

Both Digidestined and Digimon's eyes widened when they saw the new accoutrements adorning Davis' hands.

A pair of fingerless leather gloves, deep burgundy in color with metallic orange studs in the knuckles. On the center of the backs and palms of the gloves, the shining symbol of the crest of courage gleamed bright orange to Davis.

"Davis…" Flamedramon gasped.

"Are these…?" Davis rotated his hands to inspect the gloves closer. "My crest weapons?"

"Davis, look out!"

Some sort of instinct took over Davis, and just before Ebidramon's razor claw lopped him in half, Davis blocked it with a lunge of his fist.

FWOOSH! SHINK!

The metal studs extended, bursting into flame when they collided with the claw in a brilliant flush of shimmering heat.

Davis' eyes widened. The flames, they didn't hurt. They were perfectly warm; like a sunbeam. In fact, no part of his body hurt whatsoever anymore.

Better yet, holding back Ebidramon's claw was easy, stupid easy.

And that meant he could help Flamedramon.

Davis threw the claw aside and leapt up at Ebidramon, "CLAWS OFF MY FRIEND, LOSER!"

With a vicious 'X' shaped swipe from Davis, Ebidramon released Flamedramon with a roar of pain, dropping him back onto the bridge in a heap.

Davis slashed Ebidramon again, pushing him back a space before returning to Flamedramon.

"Flamedramon, you okay!?" Davis asked, reaching out take his hand.

Flamedramon didn't take Davis' hand. Instead, he lunged forward to take his partner in an iron embrace.

"Augh! Flamedramon, my ribs!" Davis squawked.

"Screw your ribs, do you know how much you scared me there!?" Flamedramon pulled back from Davis to give him a vigorous shake. "I thought you were sleeping with the fishes, Davis!"

Davis' head lolled back in a daze after his shaking, needing a moment to gather his senses before he could answer Flamedramon. "S-Sorry," He wobbled. He looked at Flamedramon, a cocky grin crawling over his face. "But check these out!" He showed Flamedramon his hand, aglow with the heated metal and shimmering leather of his clawed gloves.

Flamedramon wanted to say that the appearance of his crest weapon didn't matter, that what Davis had done had been reckless.

But seeing the proud and boastful grin on Davis' face left him only with a sigh.

"Those are badass," He relented, smirking at Davis with a glint in his eye.

"BRINE SHOT!"

Davis and Flamedramon turned towards Ebidramon's attack, and just before they were pelted by water, their hands rose up against it.

FSHHHH! In the combined flares of their energies, the brine was cast away from them in a great billow of steam, ebbing above and past the two without inflicting a mote of harm on them.

Davis and Flamedramon looked at each other, mouths agape for just a moment before they smiled.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Davis smarmed.

"Oh completely," Flamedramon replied.

Davis gazed forward, his smile curling further in wicked delight, "Then let's friggin' GOOOOOO!"

They both swept their hands upward, shooting the steam upward in a plume of coverage, and then charged forward.

Ebidramon roared in displeasure and swept out at them with both claws.

"Uh uh!" Flamedramon batted one back with a well-timed fire rocket.

"Gonna have to be faster than that!" Davis crowed, catching the razor of the claw in between his own. Then, with his other hand, Davis slashed Ebidramon away, actually putting a sizeable divot in the carapace.

"ACCURSED INTERLOPERS!" Ebidramon bellowed, his mouth beginning to bubble. "Brine sh—"

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Flamedramon leapt up and bashed a flaming fist straight into Ebidramon's maw, squelching the moisture in a hiss. "Now, Davis! The halo!"

"Got it!" Davis agreed, leaping off of one of Ebidramon's claws into an impressive lunge. He soared above Ebidramon, pulling his arm back and then, with a roar of passion, slashed the halo with the vermillion metal protruding from his gloves.

The halo fizzled with static after being cut through. Then, with a sound like thunder, burst into a thousand particles.

"Got it!" Davis repeated with triumphant zeal, his arms and legs pumping out as he fell.

"And I've got you!" Flamedramon said, jumping up to catch Davis.

"HOORAY!" The cheers of Kumamon and Floramon was music to their ears, but their victory celebration was short lived as Ebidramon glowed and shrank behind them, and they heard his first words out of his trance.

"What—What have I been doing?"

When Davis and Flamedramon turned around, Ebidramon had changed. In his place was a crab-like Digimon, easily an eighth of Ebidramon's size, with a grayish-blue coloration to his body with red highlights streaking across it.

"It's a Crabmon," Flamedramon breathed.

Crabmon didn't appear to hear them. His body just shook as he curled in upon himself.

"What—Have I done?" He quailed.

All the adrenaline that had led him through battle fizzled out within Davis. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, chill out, dude!" He kneeled down to Crabmon, holding his hands out towards him. "It's okay."

Crabmon just shrank further back, his fears exacerbated by the flame cloaked claws Davis had failed to remember were out.

Davis jolted, "Oh—crap!" He clenched his fists and the claws shrank away, leaving the gloves for a moment longer before they fizzled out in an array of orange sparkles.

Davis didn't really know how he knew how to do that, but he thought it better to focus on his former adversary in that moment.

"Hey, weapons are gone, see?" Davis said, performing a little jazz hand gesture for Crabmon to see he was unarmed. "It's totally cool with us."

Crabmon shook again, "No…I've hurt—I've hurt so many other Digimon."

Davis frowned, understanding cropping up in his senses. "You didn't do anything, dude," He said. "It was that halo, the halo the Digital Paladin slapped onto you."

Crabmon didn't seem to take much of what Davis said. He just continued to shake, mumbling a constant repeat of some variation of, "What have I done?" and "Who have I hurt?"

"Davis…" Flamedramon pulled his partner's attention back to him. Flamedramon gestured back to Kumamon and Floramon, both watching the scene unfold in anxious trepidation. "We need to keep moving," He reported. "We don't know if someone else could be waiting to attack."

Davis knew he was right, but…

"Hey? Crabmon?" Davis said, a little louder for Crabmon to hear past whatever he was thinking. When Crabmon's eyes appeared to glint in attention, Davis extended a hand out to him.

"Why don't you come with us?" Davis offered with a gentle smile. "We won't let that Paladin jerk anywhere near you, I promise."

Crabmon's eyes gleamed with unshed tears, "But I—"

"Forget about that," Davis said, swishing his free hand as if to brush the worries aside. "You're with us now."

And Crabmon, to Davis' relief, placed a claw in his palm.

The trek across the rest of the bridge was thankfully calm and without incident, something that was much appreciated by Davis, Flamedramon, and their now three compatriots.

"DAAAVIS!"

Though they did all jump when they heard the indignant cry of another reach them just as they arrived outside Divermon's cabin.

Davis felt his hair stand up when his friend charged up to him, stopping before him with her hands on her hips. "K-Kari, you're here!" He squeaked.

Kari's cheeks puffed out displeasingly in her pout. "Yeah I'm here!" She huffed, pairing her pout with a glare, somehow landing her expression somewhere between actually intimidating and flutteringly endearing to Davis. "Mostly because you are here? You wanna explain to me why that is?"

"I—"

"Yeah, Davis!" Gatomon stopped by Kari's side, placing her paws against her own sides. "Why don't you tell us?"

"Um—"

"What happened to Divermon's bridge?!" As if being in trouble with Kari wasn't bad enough, Ken appeared in the next moment, eyes bulging in panic. "Did—How did—Explain!"

"Calm down, Ken, I'm sure they have an explanation for blowing up the bridge," Wormmon tried to soothe from his place on Ken's shoulder.

"We didn't—"

"TARNATION!" Fate seemed intent on not allowing Davis to get a word in edgewise, this time in the form of Divermon's front door opening with a great kick from the aforementioned Digimon. "MORE GUESTS!? WHOOO! TIME TO PARTY!"

Divermon span his spear above his head, his other hand shaking the half-empty bottle of Geckomon water in the other. His red cheeks made it very clear just what kind of state he was in.

"I HOPE YOU LIKE BOARD GAMES!" He crowed through a slur of words. "I'VE GOT ALL THE B—" His words came to a halt when he saw the splintered state of the bridge in the distance. "What happened to my bridge?"

"Yes, Davis!" Ken said pointedly. "What exactly did happen to the bridge?"

"We—"

"He saved us!" The last interruption came from Floramon, who stepped up to Davis' defense. "We were attacked while traveling across the bridge, and Davis and Flamedramon saved us!"

Next to Floramon, Crabmon frowned, "It was—"

"Yeah!" Kumamon agreed, casting a smiling glance at Crabmon. "The bridge got messed up during the attack. They didn't do it. They were just protecting us!"

All the suspicious eyes upon Davis widened in surprise.

"Is this true, Davis?" Ken deigned to ask.

Davis took a moment to make sure he wasn't going to be interrupted again. When he found he had the floor, he smirked and held up a fist. "Sure did!" He proclaimed. "Wanna know how?" He used his other hand to tap his D3, and with a small flash, his hands were adorned in the burnt orange leather of his crest weapon once more.

Kari's face lit up when she saw the crest of courage, "Your crest weapon?! You got it!"

"Yup!" Davis answered. "And it's got some pretty cool features, too." The blades sprung out from the metal studs in the knuckles, alighting with dancing flame as they sprouted. "See what I mean?"

"And he saved us from the Paladin with those things!" Kumamon exclaimed. "Both he and Flamedramon! They were awesome!"

Crabmon nodded, "Yes, they saved…all of us…"

Ken blinked, taking in the testimonies of the three Digimon before turning to Davis, who gave him a smarmy grin in return.

"Ken, is there something you'd like to say?" Wormmon gently prodded.

"Yeah, Ken," Kari pressed, going to throw an arm around Davis' side. "Anything you'd like to tell Davis here?"

Ken's cheeks flushed, and he averted his gaze as he admitted the truth to Davis.

"Good work…Daisuke," He said.

Davis smile faltered just a smidge. "Again with the Daisuke thing?" He groused, shaking his head.

Ken looked back at him, crossing his arms over his chest imperiously, "That is your name, isn't it? Why wouldn't I use it when congratulating you?" He turned towards Divermon. "But there will be time for celebrations later. Divermon, I assume you know what an attack on your lake means?"

Divermon rolled his eyes, as if the encroaching of his territory by the Paladin was no more inconvenient than having a moth get into your home. "'Fraid so, boyo. Looks like I'm gonna have to hightail it outta here."

Davis jolted, "Wait, what?" He went up to Divermon, "Whaddya mean you gotta leave?"

"A halo was shattered here," Wormmon replied. "And when a halo is shattered, it sends out a signal telling the Paladin just where it was shattered."

Kari's eyes widened in understanding, "So that means…"

"They know a fight broke out on my turf," Divermon finished with an irritated nod. He pulled the butt of his spear from the ground and turned back towards his cabin. "And I don't need to tell you that the Paladin ain't gonna believe this was just a coincidence. No sirree, it's better I just hightail it outta here before he comes knocking."

Davis' expression fell, "No…Divermon, I'm so sorry."

"Think nothing of it, boyo," Divermon said, hobbling his way up the steps. "I got no regrets on the matter. I did some good, got some good grub out of it, and got plenty sloshed to boot!"

"You're more than welcome to come back to base if you want, Divermon," Ken offered.

Divermon laughed, a deep and full belly-laugh, "'Fraid I'm gonna have to pass, Ken. Not that I don't love the whole kumbaya thing you got going on down there, but I prefer life underwater rather than underground. Plus, I can't imagine I'll get the same kind of grub as before."

He ascended the top step before turning back to face them, "Nah, I'm better off just finishing my food and then skedaddling."

"I would advise against staying here for too long, Divermon," Ken gently warned.

"Ha!" Divermon curled his arms to show off his biceps. "I'd like to see 'em try and cage me should they get here!" He lowered his arms and set them on his hips. "You pipsqueaks though should head on back to your little hidey-hole ASAP, know what I mean?"

Ken nodded and faced the rest of the group, "He's very right. We should get going." He gestured for the other Digimon to follow after him, and as they went, Ken offered a final glance at Divermon, "Thank you, for everything you've done, Divermon."

Divermon grinned and clapped his spear on the boards of his porch, "Anytime, Kenny-boy!"

The others bade Divermon goodbye shortly after, until it was only Davis and Flamedramon left.

"Divermon, I…" Davis gripped his arm, "I don't know what to say…"

Flamedramon kept his gaze low, "If we had known this could've happened—"

"Then what?" Divermon guffawed. "Then I would've had to fight the fight you two got into, broken the halo myself, and then be in this exact same position!" He smiled wryly and kneeled down, still a fair bit higher than Davis and Flamedramon, but somehow looking rather regal in his final moments over his domain. "And had that happened, I doubt that you would've gotten those fancy little doodads of yours."

Davis lifted his hand to look at the sun emblazoned glove shining upon it.

"Ya got quite a few fights ahead of you two," Divermon said, pulling their attention back onto him. "That Paladin's not playing around in what he's doing. Can I trust you two to give it your all to put him in his place?"

Davis and Flamedramon straightened up, "Yes, sir!"

Divermon smiled and stood up, "Then I know I'll get my lake back sooner or later." He lifted his spear and pointed it skyward. "Go Digidestined and Digimon! Bring back peace to our distorted world!"

Davis and Flamedramon nodded, curling their fists against themselves, "YES, SIR!"

"HAHA!" Divermon cackled, "AND WHEN I DO COME BACK, LET'S HAVE SOME GECKOMON WATER TOGETHER!"

"Most definitely!" Flamedramon agreed.

"Uhh…" Davis found himself deflating, "Any chance we can postpone that a couple of years?"

"And then, somehow, I just burst out of the water, all covered in flames and back onto the bridge without even knowing it!" Davis waved his arms around as he recounted his tale to Kari. "I'm telling you, Kari, I must've flown like sixty feet!"

A few paces in front of them, Ken scoffed.

"What, got something to say, Kenneth?" Davis poked; his tone still jovial in the excitement of simply remembering the day.

Ken glanced back at them, a smirk on his face, "The bridge is only twelve feet above the water, Daisuke. I think you're exaggerating.

"Aw, whatever," Davis huffed, waving him off. He held up a glove, summoning the vermillion blades to show Kari, "Point is, I got these out of it. Pretty cool, right, Kari?"

Kari smiled and gently lowered Davis' hand by his wrist, "The coolest, Davis. But please watch where you're waving those."

Davis chuckled and dispelled the gloves, "Sorry."

"I'm proud of you, Davis," Kari went on, her eyes summoning a couple dozen butterflies into his stomach when they glittered at him. "You've really done a lot of good today." She released his wrist and smirked at him, "That being said…"

Davis yelped when her hand struck out and pinched a small bit of the right side of his stomach.

"Next time you go on an adventure, I would appreciate you telling me beforehand," She chided.

"Ah! Okay, okay, I understand!" Davis squeaked, leaping out of her grasp. He glowered at her, "I was just trying to get a feel for this whole Digidestined thing!"

"Oh yeah, that was totally worth the heart attack I got when I heard you were gone!" Kari countered. "Jeez, Davis, I swear I'm gonna have a full head of gray hair by the time I'm twenty thanks to you!"

"I thought you said you were proud of me!"

"I am, that doesn't mean I can't be mad at you at the same time!"

"Well can't you tone down the mad and dial up the proud?"

"I will when you stop scaring me like this!"

As the two bickered back and forth behind him, Ken just rolled his eyes and continued leading the group back towards their base.

"Wow, I can't believe that's the same guy who saved us," Kumamon remarked from next to Ken.

Ken shook his head, "You're telling me…" He turned back to look at Davis and Kari, finding Davis doing his absolute best to dance away from Kari's next pinch, looking rather ridiculous as he did so.

And I can't believe I'm actually impressed with what he's done today, Ken thought with a sigh and the smallest of smirks crossing his face.

AN: Now that Davis has summoned his crest weapon and thus firmly added himself to the resistance, who will be next? Perhaps more importantly, what is TK constructing in Seiryu city? Will the Digidestined be able to stop it before it causes any further harm to the Digimon residing there? Find out next time, dear readers, because more adventure await in the next chapter of The Digital Paladin!

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

Manegie, Staying Digital!