A/N: Hey, welcome back! It's been a while. First, thank you all so much for the kind reviews for the last chapter, it means a lot to hear you're enjoying it. Second, I am profusely sorry for the unbelievable wait—there is a good reason it has taken so long to update. Back in February, my wife and I welcomed our own little gogglehead into the world: I have a son! But as you can imagine, this had the unfortunate side-effect of rendering me unable to even look at DA:CE for about two and a half months, and even after I was in a position to focus on it again, my ability to make progress on it has been drastically reduced. But that's parenthood, right? Anyway, I've chipped away at this chapter little by little and now it's finally finished. Technically, the next two chapters are finished, as this ended up so stinking long I eventually recognized the need to split it, though I am loathe to do so. But the alternative was a 20,000 word chapter, lol. So here it is, and I should have the second half up sometime next week and we can finally be done with Part 1!

Chapter 11 – Eyes of a Devil

Noriaki's Cafe, Odaiba, Japan; August 27, 2010 – 1:32 pm

DemiVeemon hopped into the booth and bounced to the end to make room for Davis, who slid in beside him.

"All right, V, you ready to chow down on some amazing food?" asked Davis, licking his lips and rubbing his hands gleefully.

The little blue digimon was practically vibrating with excitement. "Are you kidding? I was born ready! That ramen won't know what hit it!" he squeaked, throwing a couple of tiny punches forward for emphasis.

"Easy there, Champ," Davis laughed, "I only have enough money for so much food, so don't get too crazy or I'll end up broke!"

That seemed to deflate DemiVeemon a little. "Okay, Davish…"

The spiky-haired boy thought for a second. "Try to keep it down to...how about three bowls apiece. That sound good?"

DemiVeemon nodded. "Deal!"

"Man, I'm starved. I can't wait to see what kinds of ramen they have here." Davis picked up a menu lying on the table and started to thumb through it.

"Probably the same as the other eighteen ramen places we've been to in the last few weeks," DemiVeemon giggled.

"They're not the same at all!" Davis argued passionately. "They might look like it to the casual observer, but each place has their own spin on it that make each one unique. And I want to try them all! I want to learn from as many restaurants as I can so I can come up with the ultimate ramen experience!"

"You should thank Kari for recommending this place to us," DemiVeemon said, ignoring Davis's rant and changing subjects entirely.

"Yeah," Davis agreed. "Hey, I wonder if we'll meet that 'old friend' she was talking about."

"Ooh, I hope so! I love meeting new old friends! Who do you think she was talking about?"

"I have no idea," Davis mused, looking around the place. "Kari wouldn't say. Who do we know that might show up here…?"

Just then the waitress appeared, flashing them both a bright smile as she began her greeting. "Good afternoon! My name is—Davis!" Noriko practically screamed, dropping her notepad and pen in surprise.

"You've gotta be kidding," replied Davis incredulously. "That's my name!"

Noriko resisted the urge to slap her forehead. "No, no. I mean, my name is Noriko." She hurriedly squat down and retrieved her fallen items. "Noriko Kawada. Do you remember me, Davis?"

Davis squinted his eyes at her, but as the name rang in his head, they widened in recognition, and his mouth fell open. "Wait. Y-you're Noriko?"

The girl nodded. "Mm-hmm!"

Davis couldn't contain his amazement. "But—But you're so hot n—I mean, uhhh, you look...different."

Noriko smiled shyly and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Not the same scrawny beanpole that you remember, huh?"

Davis shook his head vigorously. "Not at all!"

"Well, what do you think?" She held her arms out and twirled in a slow graceful circle for his benefit before striking a pose. "Is it an improvement?" She winked playfully.

Davis drank in her voluptuous figure, and it was all he could do to not drool onto the table. "Yeah, definitely!"

"Hey, Davish," DemiVeemon crowed, pulling at his elbow, "She must be the old friend that Kari was talking about!"

"Huh? Kari?" Noriko's head cocked sideways quizzically.

"Yeah," Davis added. "She recommended this place to us and said that we should come at this time today for great food, and that we might meet an old friend."

Her face flushed. "Oh," she said. "Yeah, I guess that's me!" Noriko laughed to cover her embarrassment, but internally she was fuming. Kari! She knows! I'll get her for this! She thinks she's so sneaky...but was I really that obvious? Ugh!

"Wow, I can't believe it's you, after all this time!" Davis went on. "How have you been?"

"Nevermind that," DemiVeemon cried impatiently, "let's get some food! I'm hungry!"

DemiVeemon!" Davis scolded harshly. "That was very rude!"

"No, no it's okay. I should be doing my job. I'm sorry, DemiVeemon." Noriko bowed slightly in his direction and readied her pen and notepad, resuming an air of professionalism. "Now, what would you two gentlemen like to order?"

"What would you recommend? Is there some sort of 'House Special'?" asked Davis.

Noriko leaned down next to Davis to peer at the menu with him. She was close enough that he could smell her perfume: spiced vanilla and blackberries. "Well, we're famous for our kurume-style tonkotsu ramen," she said, pointing to the corresponding spot on the menu, "However, my personal favorite has to be the Okinawa soba." She straightened. "But they're both really good, and you can't go wrong with either of them so it just depends on what you're in the mood for."

"That sounds great," said Davis, looking up at her. "I'll take them both!"

Noriko blinked in mild surprise, then scribbled on her notepad. "Yes, sir. I'll get the cooks on it right away. And you, DemiVeemon?"

"Spicy ramen!" DemiVeemon squealed.

"Okay," Noriko laughed, "one bowl of spicy ramen coming right up." She turned to go, but Davis stopped her. "Hey wait, would you like to join—oh, wait, you can't. You're working, duh. Well, is there some other time we could get together and catch up?"

Noriko considered the question. "Actually, my shift ends in about twenty minutes. You were going to be my last table, in fact. Tell you what: let me go put your orders in, and when I get off, maybe I could come join you. I haven't eaten yet either."

"Awesome!"

"I'll be back soon," she promised, lightly touching Davis's forearm before heading toward the kitchen.

When Noriko returned with their food, she also brought a bowl for herself, and sat down across from Davis and DemiVeemon. As they ate, they laughed and talked about their lives and the changes that have taken place in them since their victory over MaloMyotismon eight years prior. Though it had every reason to be, Noriko found that reconnecting with Davis after so long wasn't awkward at all. Something about his open and welcoming personality and his eagerness to learn more about her immediately put her at ease. Mostly.

Don't overdo it. A little light flirting is fine, but don't get carried away, she told herself. Then again, this is Davis, not Kari, and guys don't pick up on subtlety too well. I don't want him to completely miss the hints. But how strong is too strong?

As for Davis, he barely tasted the ramen that he had come here for. How could he focus on that when there was this charming, funny, and absolutely stunning young woman here in front of him? He was fascinated by her, and she seemed to be just as taken with him. He wasn't used to getting this much positive attention from women; most of the time he had to try his hardest just to get someone to notice him, which usually involved making a fool of himself one way or another and rarely worked in his favor. But talking with Noriko was effortless and natural, and she seemed to be genuinely interested in what he had to say. It was refreshing. Play it cool, Davis. And no matter what, don't do anything stupid like you normally do.

"I see you're really going after your dream of becoming a ramen chef after all," Noriko was saying. "I think that's really great."

"Yeah," Davis confirmed. "I'm trying to learn all I can about the different styles right now, and then hopefully I'll get to intern somewhere as an assistant ramen chef. What about you? Are you still gonna become a kindergarten teacher?"

Noriko smiled. He remembered. "Yeah. I start school in the winter. Kari's already volunteered to help me with the basics."
"Wow, that's so cool!"

"Where's your digimon?" DemiVeemon mumbled past a mouth full of noodles.

"She's at home right now," said Noriko, "though I hope we can get together so she can meet the rest of you sometime soon."

The conversation faltered a moment, and Noriko poked idly at her noodles with her chopsticks. "How are the others? Tai, Matt, Sora?"

The mood shifted from lighthearted to solemn in the few heartbeats it took for Davis to answer. "So you've heard the news, then," he guessed, his face souring.

"Yeah…I saw the video your team put out. It's almost too much to believe."

Davis bobbed his head up and down in agreement. "I've been trying not to think about it, to be honest." He glanced over at DemiVeemon, who was looking sorrowfully into his empty ramen bowl with his cheeks bulging. "It doesn't make any sense why we should be separated from our partners. I mean, we're doing good work, right? Helping keep the balance between worlds? Why would this happen now, after everything we've done for the Digital World, everything we've been through?" Davis's voice shook with suppressed anger, and his lips were turned down in a dark grimace. "It—It's not...It's not fair!" He made a fist as though he were about to beat the table, but then rethinking it, brought it down gently, though his hand remained clenched tightly as ever.

DemiVeemon swallowed his mouthful and turned to his partner with big eyes. "Davish…" he squeaked sadly.

"Maybe—maybe it's not about that," Noriko spoke hesitantly. "Maybe there's a reason why this is happening, and we just don't know what it is yet."

"Nothing could be worth losing Veemon," Davis growled. "Nothing."

Noriko dipped her head sympathetically. "I agree. I feel the same about Salamon. I just—" She paused, looking down to gather her thoughts. "From all the stories I've heard from Kari over the years, I know the Digital World never does anything without a reason. Nothing is ever random. Even this." She touched the back of her neck, grimacing a little.

"When those other kids and I were kidnapped and Oikawa put that spore in my neck, it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I'd said I wanted it, that it was my own choice, but Oikawa tricked me. He sold me promises of being 'the next Ken Ichijouji', the great boy genius, of having talent and power and the adoration of others, and I fell for it. But the moment I felt it take over, I realized what a horrible mistake I'd made. I became so angry all the time, everything and everyone seemed so beneath me. It was like the real me was shoved into some back corner of my mind, and it took total control. I didn't want to say those horrible things to you and the other Digidestined or treat my mom and dad that way, but I had become a prisoner in my own body. It was awful. But...then you saved us, reminded us of the hopes and dreams that we had forgotten or abandoned, and enabled us to meet our partners. If all that bad stuff hadn't happened, I never would have met Salamon and become a Digidestined myself. So...maybe there's a purpose for this too, some good thing that will come from it that we just can't see yet. I want to believe that. I want to believe in a positive future for all of us."

"You're starting to sound like T.K.," Davis observed dryly.

Noriko grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment. He's a good person to sound like."

Davis rubbed his scalp. "Yeah," he admitted grudgingly, adding, "Even though his constant optimism can be insufferable at times."

Noriko giggled. "Davis, when did you become such a grouch?" She punched his arm playfully.

"I'm not, I just—" Davis was interrupted by his phone buzzing. Retrieving it from his pocket, his eyebrows shot up when he read the notification. "All right! There's a digimon sighted in Ariake! You ready, DemiVeemon?"

The tiny blue digimon nodded aggressively. "Do you even have to ask?"

Davis touched his ramen bowl to his lips, threw his head back, and downed its remaining contents in one mighty gulp. "Let's go!" he cried, standing.

"D-Davis, wait—!" Noriko began.

"Oh, right, I've still gotta pay you." He dug a couple thousand yen out of his pocket and placed the bills in her hand. "Is this enough?"

"Yes. Let me get your change." She hurried toward the register, and Davis whirled around suddenly. "Hey Noriko, you're off work now, right? D'you wanna come too?"

Noriko paused with her hand over the cash drawer and glanced back at him, her eyes lit up in excitement. "Can I?"

"Of course you can! You're a Digidestined, aren't you?"

Noriko nodded. "Yeah!"

"All right then! Come on, we gotta go!" He beckoned her with a wave.

In a moment she was by his side and thrust a few coins in his hand. "Thanks. Come on!" He took her hand and they raced out of the cafe together, DemiVeemon spontaneously changing into Veemon as they went.

"If it's not too much trouble, could we go by my apartment on the way there?" Noriko asked as they ran. "I want to help, but I can't really do anything without Salamon, and we'll pass right by it on the way to Ariake." Noriko picked at the edge of her server vest. "Plus, I'd like to change out of my uniform if we're going into battle."

Davis thought quickly. "Yeah, fine. Just be snappy about it, there's no time to waste. All right Veemon, here looks good." He skidded to a stop in an open area and pulled out his D4. He opened the digivice app, selected a digiegg, and raised the device high. "D—"

Suddenly, Davis stalled. This would be the first time Veemon digivolved since hearing about the breaking of bonds. What if he's next? What if I make him digivolve and he can't maintain it during the battle, and I get a ring of light counting down the time we have left together? The thought petrified him.

Noriko noticed his hesitation. "Davis?" He was staring blankly at the phone in his hand.

"What's wrong?" Veemon asked, pulling at his pantleg.

Davis closed his eyes and shook his head. No. I can't think like that. I can't let fear defeat me so easily. This could be our last fight, or not. But there's no way to know until it's here. There never was. Nothing is guaranteed in life. But one thing I do know is as long as I have a digivice, I've got a duty to use it for the good of both worlds, and I'm not about to stop now!"

"Ah, screw it," he muttered, and thrust his digiphone into the air once more. "Digi-armour energize!"

Davis put his arm in front of Noriko and they backed up as Veemon was surrounded by blue light. "Veemon armour-digivolve to...Raidramon: the Storm of Friendship!"

A flash of recognition passed over Noriko. "I remember you. You chased down the van that we were being held in."

Raidramon lowered his head until it was level with hers and gave a long slow blink. "You've a good memory. That was a long time ago."

She gave a half-smile in response. "Moments like that tend to stand out."

Davis vaulted onto Raidramon's back and held out a hand to Noriko. She took it, and he pulled her up behind him. "Hold on tight!" he called back to her. He felt her arms wrap comfortably around his middle, and he tapped his partner's shoulder. "Raidramon, go!"

Raidramon sprang forward like a rocket, leaving nothing behind but the echo of Noriko's surprised yelp.

Sora stood by her display at the flower arrangement exhibit, trying her best not to fidget. She wore a traditional Japanese kimono that was sky-blue in color and tied by a light yellow obi around her middle. Her mother, who was similarly garbed in lavender, chatted amiably with some guests nearby. As Grand Master of the Takenouchi School of Ikebana, Toshiko lived for events like these, and it was clear that she was at home in her element. She flitted among the patrons, laughing and eagerly discussing the merits of all the beautiful flora around them. Sora knew that she should be excited to be displaying her first exhibit, but as she scanned the room and assessed the other arrangements for perhaps the thousandth time, she just felt sick. She was so nervous. All the pieces looked perfect, not a leaf or twig sticking out of place. Her own bouquet suddenly seemed shoddy and haphazard in comparison. She worried that it appeared rushed despite having agonized over every detail for the past two days. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. I should have played it safe and stuck to something more traditional.

Her fretting was interrupted as she spotted a familiar disastrous mass of hair emerge from the back of the crowd. Sora's face lit up in delighted relief. "You made it!" she called as Tai maneuvered through the scattered guests by the entrance. He was sporting a red polo, brown cargo shorts, sandals, and a pair of polarized sunglasses that rested on top of his forehead in lieu of his trademark goggles.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late," Tai said as he hugged her hello, "I had a little trouble finding this place."

"That's okay. You're here now, that's what matters. How are you?"

Tai paused, considering his answer. "I'm...I'm okay today. You?"

Sora scoffed. "I'm so scared I'm shaking."

Tai's face flashed with concern. "Hey, what is it?" he asked, touching her arm.

"It's stupid. It's just, this is really important to me. This is my first exhibit, and I'm the Grand Master's daughter. If my piece isn't perfect, I'll be a huge embarrassment."

Tai was shaking his head. "Listen, you're not going to embarrass your mom. It's going to be fine. Which one is yours, is this it?" He looked around, then pointed to the one by their side. Sora nodded. "Wow! That looks great, Sora," Tai exclaimed, "I don't know what you're so worried about."

The arrangement in question was in a wide low bowl, where Sora had placed several assorted flowers of various colors. Each bloom was different from its companions, and most ikebana practitioners would have been hesitant to put so many distinct species together for fear of evoking a feeling of randomness and a lack of care, but rather than clashing, the overall impression of the vivid hues was one of complementarian balance and harmony. Each flower was beautiful by itself, but their beauty was only magnified in unity with the others.

Sora chuckled softly. "Thanks, Tai, but you don't know what differentiates a good arrangement from a bad one in the ikebana world. I could have brought the worst one here and you would probably still say that."

Tai rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I guess you're right about that," he admitted.

She smiled and patted his back affectionately. "But I'm glad you like it. Thank you."

Tai glanced at the name plate and saw that it was titled, 'Friends.' "Whoa," he breathed, and the bouquet suddenly had new significance for him. They're us, he realized. Every flower represented one of them—Matt, Izzy, Mimi, himself—and studying it a little more carefully, he could easily match each bloom to its corresponding Digidestined. This wasn't merely a jumble of plants; it was a visual representation of the most important people in Sora's life, and the love that she held for them all. Tai was strangely moved by it.

Sora could tell he had caught the deeper meaning. "It was Matt's idea. I was struggling to decide on a theme, and he helped me come up with this."

Tai's lips formed a crooked smile. "Heh," he chuckled. "Of course he did."

The two turned as Toshiko Takenouchi clapped her hands for everyone's attention. "Hello and welcome, everyone, to this year's flower arrangement exhibit. I would like to personally thank all of you for coming to support all the amazing and talented individuals whose hard work is on display. I am very pleased at all the submissions we've received this year; there are so many beautiful arrangements here today. And now it is time for the competition to be underway, where the winner of the title for 'Best in Show' will be chosen. During the past hour our judges have gone around the room to view all of these fine displays. They have had time to confer with one another and vote on the best ones, and shortly we will hear their verdict. Many of you know that I typically preside over the contest, but as my daughter Sora is entering her own piece for the very first time, I have removed myself as a judge to avoid a biased decision. Now, let me introduce you to the judges!"

Two men—one tall and lanky, the other squat and rosy-cheeked, and both of them balding—and a gaunt silver-haired woman, entered from a side room with clipboards tucked into their arms. The men wore crisp navy business suits, the lady a silk green kimono encircled by a pink sash, and they all had merry faces. The guests applauded politely as they took their positions at the front, and Toshiko began to introduce them one by one. From the corner of his eye, Tai saw Sora start to bounce on the balls of her feet beside him. "Hey, there's nothing to worry about. I'm sure you'll at least come in third place, easy," he said.

Sora's reply was soft enough that her words didn't carry beyond the two of them: "I sort of promised Biyomon that I would get first place, before she left," she confessed. "She was really concerned about me having a good life after she was gone, and if I don't win I'll feel like I failed her." Sora turned her attention from the proceedings back to her friend. "But I suppose that's silly, isn't it?"

Tai smiled sadly. "No. But I'm sure she doesn't care what place you get as long as you're having a good time. What matters to Biyomon is that you take joy in what you're doing, whether that's flowers or whatever. She wants you to be happy, and the only way you can fail her is by being sad all the time. Even if you came in first, it wouldn't mean anything if you didn't enjoy it."

Sora smiled gratefully. "You're right. Thanks, Tai. That really helps."

But Tai barely heard her, staring blankly into space. For though his words had been meant to comfort Sora, they had struck a chord within himself as well. Unconsciously, he'd been feeling a load of pressure to not waste any more time, to "make it count," now that Agumon wasn't here. But now he realized he hadn't cared whether or not Tai did great deeds without him. Agumon had not loved him because he was brave, or because he was the leader of the Digidestined, but simply because he was Tai. That by itself was enough. Tai thought back to the other day when he'd thought he heard Agumon's voice say that he was always proud of him. That's what he had meant: if Tai had answered his question of how he would spend tomorrow with "Probably just lie on the couch and eat ice cream all day," Agumon would have considered that a day well-spent.

"Hey, Tai?" Sora beckoned, waving a hand in front of his face. "Did you hear me?"

Tai jolted from his trance with a sharp sniff. "Yeah, sorry. I was just—"

"Oh wait, they're announcing the winners!" Sora shushed.

The lady in the green kimono stepped forward and proclaimed the third place winner. It wasn't Sora, but a freckled girl with dark pigtails and large glasses that reminded Tai of Yolei. She came up to the front and accepted her award, bowed politely to the judges, and retreated to her table.

The tall male judge stepped forward and proclaimed the second place winner. It wasn't Sora either. A teenage boy with the patchy beginnings of a beard approached the judge and also gave a slight bow after claiming his prize.

Lastly, the short man stepped forward. "Now it is my pleasure to name the first place winner of this competition," he began, a jovial grin stretching his fat red cheeks.

Eyes locked to the front, Sora grabbed hold of Tai's hand and squeezed it tightly. "The piece this last contestant has created is certainly unique…" He glanced to his companions on either side of him, who nodded in agreement, "...but we have unanimously decided, it is also without doubt our favorite. In our combined thirty years of judging, we have rarely encountered such a thoughtfully crafted work of art. The winner of this year's Ikebana competition and title of 'Best in Show' goes to none other than...Sora Takenouchi!"

The breath which Sora had been holding rushed out all at once as the room burst into applause. "Me? Really?" she asked in disbelief.

Tai turned to her, caught up in the excitement. "Sora, you did it! You won!" he laughed.

She moved carefully through the crowd until she was before the judge. He was beaming at her as he handed her a certificate with her name on it mounted in a Hinoki wood frame. "Congratulations, my dear," he said.

"Thank you," she replied, bowing gracefully. Toshiko stood off to the side clapping ecstatically while she watched with pride as her daughter took her prize.

Sora returned to her spot beside Tai almost overwhelmed. "Look, Tai," she half-whispered, eyes shining. "I wish Biyomon could see this."

He patted her shoulder gently in response and looked about the room as if he might spot the pink bird digimon floating in the air somewhere. "I'm sure she can, Sora. I'm sure she can."

"Over there!" Noriko yelled, pointing to a series of tall apartment buildings arranged into a rough square. Raidramon banked in the direction she indicated without slowing, startling a dozen or so people as he weaved past them and leaving a brief but intense gust of wind in his wake. They rode into the plaza and approached the front entrance to Noriko's apartment building. "This is fine here. Thanks, Raidramon!"

She leaped from Raidramon's back and sprinted toward the stairwell, undoing the knot on her necktie while she ran. Davis was on her heels. He called back to Raidramon, "Stay in that form and wait for us here. We'll be right back!"

"Roger!" he replied in a terse growl.

Davis's steps faltered as he looked up and saw just how tall the complex was. "Um, are you sure we shouldn't just use the eleva—?"

"Third floor!" she interrupted before disappearing into the stairwell. "It's faster this way!"

"Okay!"

Davis jogged up the stairs two at a time, and when he made it to the third floor Noriko was already in front of her door fishing her keys out of her purse. He noticed that she had also removed her suit vest. Noriko turned the key into the lock and they burst inside.

It was dark in the apartment as all the lights were off, the only illumination coming from a half-shaded window toward the back. It took Davis a moment for his eyes to adjust as they moved past a small kitchen area into the living room. A square kotatsu sat between a modest t.v. and a couch of undetermined color, Davis could just tell that it was dark. Motion at the edge of his vision caught his attention, and Davis discovered to his alarm that Noriko was unbuttoning her shirt.

"Ack! What are you—?" he began.

"Salamon, where are you?" Noriko called. She stripped out of her uniform shirt, only to reveal a white V-neck t-shirt underneath. Davis sighed with relief.

"Sorry, Davis, did you say something?" Noriko asked as she faced him again, unaware of the consternation she had caused.

"Ah, I uhm—don't worry about it!" Davis was glad it was dark, as he was sure his face was red.

A small puppy-like digimon with a holy ring around its neck like a collar emerged from the bedroom. "I'm here. Who's this?" she asked, noticing Davis.

"This is Davis. He was there all those years ago when we first met. Do you remember?"

"Wait, is this the guy that you keep talking about all the time?"

Noriko started panicking. "W-what are you talking about, Salamon?" she laughed nervously. "We're going to help him with a digimon problem, so be nice while I get changed." She whipped her head back to Davis, saying, "Excuse me Davis, I promise I'll just be a second." Noriko disappeared into her bedroom and shut the door.

Davis and Salamon regarded each other in silence as they waited. The Rookie had an uncomfortably intense stare, as if performing some sort of critical evaluation of him and concluding that he was found wanting somehow. The situation was becoming increasingly awkward.

"Sooo, ahhm...you're...Noriko's partner."

Salamon said nothing.

"I-I have a partner too. He's outside."

More silence.

"Well, anyway, it's nice to meet you!" Davis bent down and extended his hand. Salamon glanced at it skeptically, then squinted one eye at him. "Does it look like I can shake hands?"

Davis drew his hand back self-consciously and stood. "Well—I mean, I was just thinking—you know, that since you're kind of like a dog, maybe…"

He was saved from further humiliation by Noriko's return. She had changed out of her grey skirt and into a pair of denim shorts. She nodded to Davis. "I'm ready now."

"Great!"

"Come on, Salamon!"

Salamon yipped and followed them outside. The trio flew back down the stairs to where Raidramon was waiting.

"Hurry up, let's get a move on!", the armour-digimon barked impatiently.

Davis remounted Raidramon and helped Noriko back up, who then handed Salamon to him. "Here, let her ride up front with you, she'll be more secure there!"

"All right!" He placed Salamon in the hollow of Raidramon's neck and tried to ignore her unnerving glare as Noriko placed her arms around him again. At Davis's command, Raidramon shot forward out of the plaza.

They traveled along the side of the highway at a speed that astonished Noriko as they passed behind the Venus Fort shopping centers. Then tearing around the corner past the Sky Wheel, Raidramon bounded alongside the shoreline toward the Yume no Ohashi bridge. Raidramon glanced over the water to their right and announced, "Davis, I think I'm gonna try for a shortcut. Ready?"

"Yeah! Hang on tight, Noriko!"

"Huh? What are you—wait, no DON'T!" she shouted, hugging Davis in a death-grip as Raidramon leaped high into the air and soared over the water. Davis whooped with his hands in the air, and Noriko felt her stomach lurch in her throat as they descended and Raidramon alighted on a passing ferry in the center of the channel. Another bounce and they were in the air again, closing the rest of the distance until they landed on the farther shore of Ariake. Davis patted his partner's flank. "Nice one, Raidramon! You okay back there, Noriko?"

Her only reply was something between a whimper and a groan.

"Sorry about that. I forget sometimes how rough your first time riding a digimon can be, but you get used to it!"

They turned northward, passing under the freeway and skirting around several tennis courts as Davis tracked the digimon's signal on his phone. Before long they could hear faint rumbling and crashing sounds in the distance, and a cloud of dust was rising behind the buildings nearby. "That way!" Davis pointed.

They rounded a corner going northeast, but as they were passing two skyscrapers on their left Raidramon abruptly skidded to a halt to avoid getting clobbered by a large blue blur that shot out from between the buildings directly overhead. This was quickly followed by a familiar buzzing sound as Ken and Stingmon swooped in from behind them, who were giving chase to a Pteramon speeding upward into the sky.

Ken waved in greeting "Hey, Davis! Glad you could make it!"

"Grand Horn!" Suddenly Aquilamon appeared from the side and rammed Pteramon as it was turning around for another pass.

"Sure took you long enough! I came from Spain and I still beat you here!" Yolei teased from Aquilamon's back. She immediately had to duck, and Aquilamon dived out of the way as Pteramon flipped over in an attempt to bash them with its metallic wing.

"Sorry I'm late, I was bringing some backup!" Davis shouted.

Pteramon aimed downward where Aquilamon was now in a vulnerable position. "Missile Storm!" it cried as it launched several rockets from beneath its wings. Aquilamon leveled out just a few feet from the ground, expertly weaving and dodging through the rain of explosions around them. Yolei crossed her arms over her head to shield herself from small chunks of asphalt as the pavement beneath them was ripped apart.

"Yolei, hang on!" Davis yelled, preparing to come to her aid. But Stingmon was already moving.

"We've got things covered here!" Ken yelled. "Go help Cody deal with Monochromon!"

Stingmon surged forward to distract Pteramon from Aquilamon so they could recover. "Spiking Strike!"

"Monochromon?" Davis wondered aloud. As if on cue, a deep boom came from the direction they had come, where another dust cloud rose in the distance and a roar that he recognized as Ankylomon's reverberated through the air. "Raidramon, go!"

Raidramon reversed course and sped off down the street. Davis didn't need to check his phone anymore, as the signs of the ongoing carnage were easy to follow: chunks of cracked pavement here, a half-charred tree still smoking slightly, a few uninjured but shaken-up pedestrians huddled together by a convenience store entrance, a broken fire hydrant gushing fifteen feet into the air. Three blocks later, they spotted two large quadrupedal dinosaurs engaged in battle up ahead. One resembled a black-and-white triceratops, the other was covered with bronze armour plating and spikes, brandished a barbed mace-like tail, and carried a high-school boy perched on the base of its neck.

"Hey, Cody, would you like some help?" Davis called.

The boy atop the armoured digimon looked up and saw him and Noriko on Raidramon. Ankylomon sidestepped a fireball from Monochromon and whipped his tail around at the horned plate on its head. But despite the overwhelming force behind the blow, Ankylomon's tail hammer bounced harmlessly away. "I—uhhf—suppose I could—unngh—use a hand!" the boy answered, his body undulating with Ankylomon's movements as the digimon traded blows back and forth.

"I've just been trying to keep him occupied with me until help arrived so that his focus wouldn't be on civilians", Ankylomon added, "but I can't seem to hurt this guy!"

Davis hopped off of Raidramon and motioned for Noriko to follow. "Don't worry, Ankylomon, I've dealt with Monochromon before. We've got it covered." Turning to Raidramon, he said, "You know what to do!"

Raidramon nodded and was surrounded by a blue light as he de-digivolved back into Veemon. Then selecting the other digi-egg on his phone screen, Davis pointed it at Veemon and yelled, "Digi-armour energize!" This time the light that enveloped Veemon was orange, glowing brightly as the shape grew tall. "Veemon armour-digivolve to…" When the light faded, a lithe draconic digimon with flame armour, claws, and a large bladed horn on its forehead was in its place. "Flamedramon: the fire of courage!" it cried.

"Go get him, Flamedramon!" ordered Davis.

"Let's see what happens when I turn up the heat," Flamedramon quipped. "Fire Rocket!" He flung several fireballs at Monochromon, barraging its side. It didn't do a great deal of damage, but it was enough to make Monochromon abandon its onslaught on Ankylomon. It roared in pain and anger and turned away from Flamedramon, retreating under the shelter of a nearby parking garage.

"Don't let him get away, Ankylomon!" Cody shouted. Ankylomon gave chase and Flamedramon followed suit, with Davis and Noriko running after them with Salamon in Noriko's arms.

Meanwhile, the Pteramon situation was not going well. Even working together, Aquilamon and Stingmon were having difficulty keeping up with the mechanical monster. It was extremely fast and agile, zig-zagging through the sky in such a way that made it nearly impossible to target.

"Blast Rings!" Aquilamon fired at Pteramon, but it suddenly reversed direction and the attack blew out the corner of a concrete building instead.

"Watch it, Aquilam—whoa!" Ken admonished, then lurched as Stingmon swerved to avoid Pteramon, who had lunged at them.

"Beak Pierce!" it cried, but only stabbed the air as Stingmon narrowly avoided it. As it passed by, Stingmon stuck out a leg and kicked it hard, sending it spiraling upward.

"Hey Ken, keep it busy. I've got an idea!" Yolei called to him, then she and Aquilamon fled the battlefield, disappearing around a building while their opponent was disoriented. "Wait, Yolei what are you doing?" asked Ken, but she was already gone.

Pteramon stabilized after a few revolutions, turned back to loose an angry cry at Stingmon, and sped off in the opposite direction.

"Don't let it escape!" Ken ordered.

"I won't, Ken," Stingmon promised.

Stingmon took off after it, wings buzzing furiously. They flew down a long straight stretch following the road, and soon it was clear that they were slowly gaining on it, but then Pteramon changed course without warning, banking left and tearing upward in a steep ascent alongside a tall office building, the backdraft from its jet turbines shattering windows all the way up. Stingmon moved out from the raining shards of glass, but otherwise stayed in pursuit. "Can't you open a gate and suck this thing back to where it belongs, Izzy?" Ken spoke into his earpiece. He was beginning to get irritated. If they couldn't put a stop to this soon, innocent people were going to get hurt.

"Negative," the red-haired genius answered back. "It's moving too quickly for me to get a lock on it. You need to get it to stay in the same spot long enough for me to pinpoint its location."

"And how do you suggest we do that? We can't even catch it!"

Suddenly Aquilamon tackled it from the side as it crested the roof. "Thanks for luring it into position for me, Ken! "Yolei said, grinning. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Ken scowled. Oh, is that what I was doing? Would've been nice if she'd told me that, he thought.

Just then, disaster nearly struck. As Aquilamon grappled with his foe, Pteramon twisted its head around Aquilamon's back to where it could see Yolei clearly and opened its mouth wide. A yellowish glow materialized as it prepared to fire at Yolei from point-blank range.

"Yolei!" Aquilamon warned.

Yolei did the only thing she could: she slipped off Aquilamon's other side and dropped toward the ground. An instant later Pteramon loosed his blast, which whizzed harmlessly past the eagle digimon's back. Aquilamon watched his partner's departure in alarm, then turned his attention back to his opponent and roared "Blast Rings!" They both disappeared in an explosion of smoke.

The wind whipped at Yolei's clothes as she plummeted down and the feeling of weightlessness took over. This might have been a bad idea, she thought, but I guess it's too late to worry about it now. I really hope Ken catches me before I reach the ground...

Luckily for her, he did. Stingmon saw her drop from the sky and buzzed his wings desperately so that they might reach her in time. He held Ken out with his hands as they swooped into position under her and Ken scooped her gently into his arms.

Though she had been expecting it, her sudden surroundings still caught Yolei off-guard. "Are you all right?" Ken asked, evident concern in his violet eyes.

"Yeah," she whispered back. She and Ken stared at each other briefly. "So…" Yolei began, more to fill the silence than anything, "...do you come here often?" Ken blushed and turned away.

Aquilamon and Pteramon emerged from the cloud of smoke, falling fast and still locked together. "I'm not gonna let you get away again!" he growled as they tumbled toward the rapidly approaching earth. "Aquilamon, let go!" Yolei screamed. But Aquilamon refused. Twisting around one more time at the last second, Aquilamon flipped over on top of Pteramon just before impact. Asphalt cracked as they landed in the street, making a crater around them in a ten foot radius and luckily missing the handful of cars parallel parked in the vicinity.

Pteramon screeched in protest as Aquilamon held it down, its metallic body now covered in heavy scuffs. Stingmon touched down next to the hole and set Ken and Yolei on their feet. "Way to go, Aquilamon!" she exclaimed. "Hold him down while—" But Pteramon's thrashing had caught Aquilamon by surprise and his grip slackened enough for Pteramon to fire a single missile that whizzed by mere inches from Yolei and Ken. An unattended motorcycle burst into flames behind them.

Pteramon used the distraction to break free from Aquilamon's grasp and vaulted into the air once more, screaming up and away as fast as it could manage.

"Aw, come on!" Yolei groaned. Hurriedly, she and Ken remounted their partners and gave chase. "We need to stop fighting on two fronts," Ken advised. "If we can drive Pteramon over to where Davis and Cody are we can work together to stop these digimon, and minimize the collateral damage to a single area."

Yolei nodded. "I agree. I hope they're having better luck than we are."

Monochromon was on an uncontrollable rampage as they chased it into the parking garage. Davis realized they were in a precarious situation. "Don't let it knock out any of the support columns!" he warned. "He could bring the whole garage down on top of us!"

Cody reined Ankylomon in with a pat to the shoulder. "He's right. You can't go smashing things around either, Ankylomon, it's too dangerous!"

"Then what can we do?" the bronze-colored digimon asked.

"What if we could lure it up the ramp somehow?" Noriko suggested.

"Perfect!" Davis replied. "If we can lead it up to the top, it'll be cornered with nowhere to go! Let's wrangle this overgrown rhinoceros!"

"You got it," Flamedramon replied, and began steering it in the direction of the ramp via a string of fireballs from the opposite side. Monochromon roared and turned away, charging toward one of the columns.

"Oh, no you don't!" cried Ankylomon, who lunged in between it and the column. He took the force of Monochromon's charge and held it at bay. Barely. "Flamedramon, I could use some help!"

"Right." Flamedramon retaliated with a few fiery jabs to Monochromon's belly. The black-and-white dinosaur roared, which echoed thunderously off the cement walls, and grudgingly moved onto the start of the ramp, whipping his tail at Flamedramon as it did so.

Flamedramon drove it forward while Ankylomon kept it from veering off course and falling over the side, and working in tandem they coaxed it to the top. It was slow going, as this Monochromon was incredibly dumb and stubborn, but at last they managed to get it up the five levels until they came out on the top deck and back into the sun. Davis saw they were next to the waterfront to the right, and were nearly level with the eastern end of Rainbow Bridge.

Monochromon raced out into the open and thundered down the length of the deck, skidding to a halt when it realized that a precipice lay directly ahead. Then it swung ninety degrees and continued its flight...only to find another short barrier before an open abyss. Getting increasingly frustrated, it turned around and charged up to the opposite ledge.

"All right, we've got it surrounded! There's nowhere left for it to go!" Davis crowed.

"Be careful," advised Cody. "They say a cornered animal is—get down!"

Having come to the conclusion that the only way out was through the Digidestined, Monochromon became enraged. It spun in a circle while launching fireballs in all directions. "Volcanic Strike!" The Digidestined and their partners dived out of the way as the parking deck erupted into a warzone; Cody took refuge behind Ankylomon while Davis and Flamedramon ducked behind a nearby truck. Noriko was running for cover, but slipped on a loose rock that was sent flying in the barrage. She fell down with a cry, clutching her leg.

"Noriko!" Davis yelled.

Salamon jumped out and faced Monochromon. "Puppy Howling!" Salamon let out a shrill cry that stopped Monochromon in its tracks. Davis took the opportunity to jump out from his hiding place and sprinted to Noriko's side.

"Noriko! Are you hurt?"

She grimaced in pain. "I think I twisted my knee. I can't get up!"

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here!" Davis reached down and pulled her into his arms.

"Incoming!" Flamedramon yelled as Monochromon readied another attack. He got between them and Monochromon just before it fired again. Captivated, Noriko watched in awe as Flamedramon shielded them from the blast and Davis stood upright, his face back-lit by the fiery explosion behind them. A gust of heated air blew across her cheeks, and she held tightly to Davis as he carried her to safety behind Ankylomon, Salamon trailing along behind them.

"What happened?" Cody asked, concern scrawled across his face.

Davis sat her down, resting her back upon Ankylomon's flank. "She hurt her knee. Keep her safe, Cody."

Cody caught the tone in Davis's voice and raised his head. "What are you going to do?"

Davis peeked around Ankylomon's armoured shell to search for an opening before he answered. "I'm gonna finish this."

The boy looked as if he were about to protest for a moment but then thought better of it, and set his mouth in a grim line of determination and nodded. "Be careful."

Davis pulled his goggles over his eyes and gave his signature grin. "Aren't I always?" he replied, and ran back out into the fight. Flamedramon was doing a good job drawing all of Monochromon's fire, which was ineffective against the armour-digimon. He was slowly advancing toward his foe, and Davis stood by cheering him on.

A high-pitched screech came from his right, and Davis looked to see Pteramon coming out of a steep dive straight for him. "Whoaa!" He tried to dodge out of the way, but still got clipped by the edge of Pteramon's wing as it soared past, the force of the blow causing Davis to stumble backward…

...and his calf caught the barrier wall at the edge of the parking deck. He knew instantly what was happening and just how grave his mistake had been. He thrust his arms out, pinwheeling in an attempt to keep balance. But it could not overcome his inertia, and his body tilted over the side.

"Davis!" Noriko screamed.

Yolei was just flying over the street next to the parking garage in her pursuit of Pteramon, and she saw Davis fall. "Aquilamon!" she yelled, giving an unspoken command.

"Right!" her partner answered back, and tucked his wings into a dive.

The earth spun in Davis's vision as he toppled over backward at the beginning of the sixty foot drop to the ground. He saw the hard concrete above his head rushing up to meet him, and below his feet was only empty blue sky. Oh man, this is really gonna hurt, was his only conscious thought as he waited for the end.

Suddenly a shadow passed over him and Yolei and Aquilamon were there, inverted in mid barrel roll with Yolei extending a hand between his sneakers. "Grab on!" she yelled.

He took it, and Aquilamon completed the maneuver, righting himself and leveling off a mere ten feet from the ground. Tethered by Yolei's raised arm, Davis's body had swung outward with the force of the roll, and so Davis remained upside-down even as Aquilamon turned upright. Letting go of her hand, Davis flipped back over and landed behind Yolei. He hooked one arm around her waist for support and raised the other high into the air. "Whoo!" he crowed, and Yolei joined in, letting out her own exuberant cry.

Back on the parking deck, Flamedramon had at last marched through a steady stream of fire right up to Monochromon. "Enough!" he snarled, and delivered a powerful uppercut underneath the dinosaur's jaw that lifted it off its front feet.

"Nice shot!" said Stingmon as he landed next to Flamedramon. Then without another word between them, they each grabbed a leg on one side of the beast. "Yaaaaaarrrggh!" they yelled, and flipped Monochromon onto its back, where it could only flail its legs uselessly in protest.

By now, Pteramon had circled around for another attack.

"Missile Storm!" It strafed the parking deck with rockets, and several cars (some of which had already been set ablaze by Monochromon) were reduced to giant clumps of twisted metal and broken glass. Stingmon had taken flight, but Flamedramon stood unhurt in the midst of the carnage. "Come on then!" he challenged. The mechanical Pterosaur came in straight and low, intending to ram Flamedramon.

But it never reached him. It hadn't seen Ankylomon sidle up to the edge of the parking deck, and when the moment was right the armoured behemoth spun in a circle and slammed his tail hammer into Pteramon's chest with absolutely devastating force. Pteramon was flung backward by the crushing blow and collapsed in a heap down on the ground level.

"Way to go, Ankylomon!" Cody cheered, coming out from behind a large transit bus.

Ankylomon looked uncertainly down at the beaten digimon. "D'ya think maybe I overdid it?"

"Don't sweat it, Ankylomon," said Ken, who was supporting Noriko as the three of them made their way to the armoured digimon. "You did what you had to, there wasn't time to be more gentle. Pteramon is certainly hurt, but alive, and it'll recover soon enough when it's back in the Digital World." He touched the button on his earpiece. "Izzy, we need transport for—"

"Already on it," Izzy replied. "I've got a lock on both of them and the portals should appear momentarily. If anyone is standing next to the digimon, you'll want to back away now. Transmission in five...four...three...two…"

Sure enough, circles of bright light approximately fifteen feet in diameter materialized beneath Pteramon and Monochromon, and they gradually sank through the barrier until they were gone, and the circles shrank into nothing.

"Whew, I'm glad that's over," Cody said, relieved.

"Let's hurry and get off this parking garage," suggested Ken. "It's taken quite a beating up here, and I don't know how much longer we can stay here safely." It was true. Cody surveyed their surroundings as Ankylomon reverted to his Rookie form; the floor was cracked and chipped in several places, and even beginning to sag in one corner. Small fires littered the wreckage of smoldering vehicles.

"What a mess," said Cody, shaking his head.

Ken helped Noriko and Salamon into Flamedramon's arms, then Stingmon gathered up Ken, Cody, and Armadillomon. Stingmon took off, gliding smoothly to the ground as Flamedramon approached the edge of the deck. "Hold tight," he advised, "this might be a little rough."

Noriko squeezed Salamon tighter and shut her eyes. "Just tell me when it's over." She felt Flamedramon spring forward, then a few tense moments of weightlessness and rushing wind, and suddenly they were back on solid ground. The landing had been a little jarring, but it was far more gentle than she would have expected from such a height. He set her down carefully and she made sure not to put any weight on her injured leg.

Aquilamon was circling back around now and began a steady descent toward the rest of the group, Davis still whooping from the adrenaline of his near-death experience. Wings tilted to brake their speed, and they came to a graceful landing near where Pteramon had lain only moments ago. Davis vaulted off of Aquilamon as Flamedramon de-digivolved back into Veemon and bounded up to greet his partner. "Davis, you're all right!" the little blue Rookie exclaimed. Davis caught Veemon in his arms and laughed. "It was a close call though. For a second there, I thought I was a goner!"

Noriko frowned as Yolei approached, Aquilamon becoming Hawkmon behind them. She couldn't quash a sudden and perhaps irrational feeling of jealousy towards the purple-haired girl, and she secretly thought that Davis had looked far too comfortable holding onto her. "Yeah, it's a good thing your girlfriend was there to save you," she said.

This remark had a profound affect on everyone. Yolei shook her head spasmodically as if she'd misheard. "Wha—?"

"Girlfriend?", Davis repeated in confusion, recoiling as if he found the notion unexpected and repugnant.

Then they simultaneously erupted into fits of hysterical laughter. Even Cody, who was historically more reserved and too respectful to openly laugh at others, was holding his sides and shaking with mirth at the absurdity of the idea. Ken alone remained silent; he looked away to conceal his reddening cheeks and clenched his hand into a fist.

"Me, date him?" Yolei cackled. "No way!"

Davis tried to regain control of his breathing. "No, no, no, no, you've got it all wrong. She's like my sister. Well—my sister that I actually like hanging out with," he amended.

Yolei plopped her arm over Davis's shoulders and squeezed him from the side in the kind of affectionate but platonic gesture that she might have given Cody or T.K. "Yeah, he's like the annoying little brother that I never had, that's all. Besides, I have way better standards in men than that."

Davis turned on her with sudden fury. "Hey, what do you mean, 'better standards'?!"

Yolei quickly retreated, raising her palms and chuckling nervously. "Oh, nothing really. Don't worry about it."

Davis scowled at her, unconvinced. But he let it go and faced Noriko again with a shrug and added, "Anyway, Yolei only has eyes for Ken; she's too smitten with him to notice anyone else."

Cody's head snapped up. That had been the wrong thing to say.

It was now Yolei's turn to get angry. "SHUT UP, DAVIS! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

Ken stood a short distance away from the others, and his face had been hidden in shadow as it was turned toward the ground. But now he lifted his gaze, and his eyes flashed darkly at Davis. "Perhaps you should spend less time speaking of matters about which you know little," he stated in a carefully measured tone. The words sounded slightly off coming from him as they did, almost threatening in nature. An acquaintance would have likely missed the hint of anger concealed therein, restrained as it was, but Davis caught in his voice a ghostly remnant of the cold, sadistic madness he had once personified in his old alter-ego: the Digimon Emperor. Davis resisted the urge to shiver. It had been many years since he'd heard that voice come from his friend; he had almost forgotten what it sounded like. Even Yolei seemed taken aback.

"Uhh...yeah. F-forget I said anything," Davis muttered.

Ken's eyes softened, his mouth slightly agape in the realization that he'd scared his friend by allowing the darkness to surface, even for just a moment, and frowned sadly.

"Ah!" Cody blurted suddenly, approaching Noriko. "I just realized we haven't been formally introduced!"

Yolei smiled to herself, seeing through Cody's tactful way of subtly switching subjects by doing something very typical of his character.

My name's Cody Hida," the boy said, bowing, "and this is Yolei Inoue, Ken Ichijouji, and I assume you already know Davis. And you are…?"

Noriko smiled in amusement. "I know who you are, Cody. I remember you all quite well."

Cody straightened uncertainly. "Do I know you?"

"She nodded. "I'm Noriko Kawada, and this is my digimon partner, Salamon."

Surprised exclamations came from the group. "Oh, wow! It's been so long!" Cody replied.

"Noriko? Is that really you?" Ken asked in astonishment.

Yolei blinked, absorbing the information. "Wow, puberty has been really good to you," she observed out loud.

"Yolei!", Cody scolded, horrified by the inappropriateness of the comment.

"Oops, I'm sorry," Yolei apologized. "Sometimes I just say whatever pops into my head without thinking. It's a problem of mine, but I'm working on getting better about it."

"N-no, it's okay," said Noriko, blushing slightly. "I, um...suppose it was."

Ken noticed Noriko was favoring her left leg. "Oh, I forgot! You're hurt. Sit down and let's have a look at your leg."

Noriko waved him away. "I'm fine, it's just a mild sprain. It'll heal right up in a few days. Don't worry about me."

Ken furrowed his brows. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I wasn't more helpful in the battle. I feel like I just ended up in the way."

Davis shook his head. "Nonsense! You did great for your first digimon battle. You can't be expected to be a badass on your very first fight."

"Right," Yolei added, "especially if your digimon still hasn't digivolved yet. There's not much a Rookie can do against a couple of Champions."

"Not to mention this battle was more chaotic than most," Cody said thoughtfully. "They're normally not like this. Our forces were split between two digimon, which hampered our ability to work as a team."

"Yeah," agreed Ken. "The next one will likely go a lot smoother than this one did."

Just then a deep rumble came from the earth. Everyone froze where they stood. "What was that?" Yolei wondered.

"Was it an earthquake?" Cody theorized.

Izzy's voice came from their earpieces. "Sit tight, everyone. I'm getting seismic activity coming from your area, but the shockwave patterns are strange. They're too locally concentrated to be an earthquake, and it almost look as if they're…" Izzy trailed off.

Another rumble, stronger than before. They could feel the pavement shift underneath them, triggering a few scattered car alarms in the process.

Noriko's gaze swept over the other Digidestined, who were poised listening to their earpieces. "What is it?"

Ken silenced her with a wave as he swiveled his head around for threats and touched the button on his earpiece. "Talk to me, Izzy. What's happening?"

"I'm scanning the area again to see if I can determine...wait, this can't be right. Oh, no! There's another digimon emergence! I didn't catch it before because it must have materialized in the subway system! Guys, get out of there, it's right below you!"

"Move!" Ken ordered, and the group scattered. Davis ran to Noriko's side to help her get away from the area quickly.

And then the ground beneath them exploded.

Time seemed to slow down for Davis as the pavement crumbled apart into chunks, and a gaping hole appeared. They began to fall, and out of the inky blackness emerged three gigantic, ravenous mouths: one was nothing more than a skull stripped of its flesh, another reptilian and blue in color, and the last more elongated than the rest and crowned with a plate of metallic armour. But Davis knew they all belonged to a single body. Deltamon. This is bad.

Veemon was too far away from him, falling toward the metallic head on the left, while he was directly over the central head, which was rapidly approaching to meet him. Noriko and Salamon were headed straight for the skeletal mouth. Davis struggled to think of something he could do in the microseconds that remained to him before they were eaten.

Noriko screamed in abject terror. It wasn't until then that she truly believed she was going to die. She had not been intimidated by the Monochromon or Pteramon from before; she had always maintained complete faith in Davis and trusted him to keep her safe during the battle. But in the space of a heartbeat they would be consumed, and there was nothing anyone could do now. In that moment, she lost all hope and was overtaken by fear as she descended to the waiting jaws below.

Light sprang forth. Davis recognized it instantly, having witnessed it thousands of times: it was the light of digivolution. Salamon became engulfed in it, and the radiance grew in both size and brilliance as she changed form.

But then something happened. The light shifted hues, going from an intense yellow-white to a viscous dark shade of purple, and Davis knew something had gone terribly wrong. He watched in dreadful fascination as something emerged from the corrupted miasma: black high-heeled boots with bat motifs; a form that was humanoid in shape, feminine, and covered in skin-tight leather; assorted chains encircled its body; a red-taloned claw gleamed cruelly from its disproportionately long left arm; tattered wings sprouted from its back, and an evil spirit seemed conjoined to a rip in the fabric of its shoulder; last to appear was its cloaked face, from which leered red eyes that glowed with malevolence.

Davis's heart sank. Oh no…

A/N: Sheesh, what's with all the dialogue scenes taking place in restaurants? It's the third one so far, lol. And just so everybody knows, I actually love Davis's character, I really do (even if he was borderline insufferable for the first half of 02. His character growth is subtle, but unmistakable by the end). It's just really hard to not make fun of him sometimes! Plus, it's consistent with the show, even the original Japanese. I tried to balance it out by showing his more mature side and (as you'll hopefully see more of in the next chapter) that he's become a more strategic leader over the years. And I decided to give him a potential love interest in Noriko, who's smoking hot now. More on that after the next chapter. And though it might not have been strictly necessary, I wanted to provide a nice bookend on Sora's flower exhibit and conclude that tiny subplot. Plus that gave me an excuse for some more Taiora friendship, so that's nice. Also, hooray for the first action sequence of this story! Special thanks to Google Earth for providing location reference to the Odaiba and Ariake areas, and all of the landmarks mentioned are real (with the exception of Noriake's cafe) so you could theoretically trace the route of the fight from the descriptions in this chapter if anyone is bored enough to do so, lol. I just hope the modern day views are accurate to what they were like circa 2010. Anyway, I'll leave you with this cliffhanger for now, at the halfway point of what was intended to be a single chunk of story, and finish it off next time!

Digimon episodes referenced: More Dark Spore arc references from s2 ep. 43, "Invasion of the Daemon Corps" to s2 ep. 50, "A Million Points of Light", several nods to s2 ep. 1, "Enter Flamedramon", and s2 ep. 8, "Ken's Secret".

Next time on Digimon Adventure: Continuing Evolution—Chapter 12. No More Oikawas.