Digital Phantom Frontier

by DarkFoxKit

Takuya Kanbara was just a normal 12 year old Japanese boy, when he suddenly got a call to the Digital World. There, he meets new friends who were also called to the Digital World. They meet with some Digimon who are willing to guide them. But these Digimon seem to be hiding something from them.

27. Chapter 27: The Mission

DarkFoxKit: It's now March. Time is certainly flying it seems.

ZAFT: Oh, it certainly is. XD And onto the update! Enjoy the next chapter! X3

---

Chapter 27: The Mission

The next day, Andy sent the footage they had on the Fenton Recorder to the others who had their Digimon partners. Tucker, Sam, Valerie, and even Dash got to watch what was happening in the dream world that was likely playing on loop right now. Everyone had time to memorize what the dream was about, and discuss their speculations on the whole thing. They even muttered how a lot of it was based on what actually happened too.

"I still can't believe this is all happening at Axion Labs, the same place my dad works!" Valerie grumbled. "It was practically happening under his nose, but he, and everyone else, didn't notice."

"Well, it seems Dr. Carbon is covering his tracks." Dash noted. "I may not be as smart as one of the nerds, but even I can tell if this was found out, it would be bad news."

"Valerie, of course no one would notice, not if Tapirmon is using that Nightmare Syndrome on the guards." Tucker pointed out.

"But what can we do? We can't just sit back and do nothing!" Sam grumbled.

"And what do you expect to do? Rush in there and get caught yourself?" Andy frowned at Sam's impatience. "The best thing for us to do right now is wait. Our parents are the scientists in this house, if anyone can figure out how Dr. Carbon's dream machine works, it's them."

"I'm surprised that you're willing to wait, considering what you did to get Takuya and Phantom back from Freakshow," Sam pointed out.

"We didn't really have a choice. Our parents didn't know how dire the situation was, and Freakshow was going to leave with them that night," Andy pointed out. "Dr. Carbon isn't going to just disappear with Takuya and the others now that he's found a 'safe' place to do his brainwashing project on them, and it looks like it's not going well anyways."

"I think I'm missing some context here. Freakshow almost took Takuya and who away? And… Freakshow? As in that Circus Gothica ringmaster who got arrested?" Dash asked.

"A lot of things happened before you… kinda joined us?" Danny replied.

"And Phantom is the ghost boy, you probably know him as Specter-Al," Andy clarified.

Dash chuckled. "Phantom sounds a lot better than 'Spectrc-Al'. More spooky. But dang, Freakshow sounds messed up in the head."

"You have no idea," Tucker shivered. "Definitely don't want to go through that again."

"I thought he was cool until he tried to take away my friends," Sam grumbled.

"I still can't believe Phantom was able to record that entire dream anime," Valerie commented. "Even for a ghost, that's gotta be quite the feat."

"Yeah, I'm sure it was," Danny agreed, still feeling slightly stiff.

"For now, we wait," Andy said. "We'll update you guys as soon as our parents find something out. But until then, and I need to stress that this is very important, nobody goes to try to face Dr. Carbon until we have a plan. If you do that, then you'll likely have to be someone we have to rescue as well, or you'll be used against us, or whatever else Dr. Carbon may try to do. We don't need someone trying to be a hero, we need to be patient. Have I made myself clear?"

Everyone gave a word of acknowledgement or a nod to confirm to Andy he had made himself clear.

"We won't do anything crazy." Tucker promised. "At least, as far I can promise you."

"Count me on." Dash agreed.

"I don't like it, but you have a point, Andy." Sam added.

"We'll keep our distance and be patient." Valerie finished.

"Alright then," Andy said.

Danny closed out the website and looked at Andy. "When did you become the leader?"

"The leader of what?" Andy asked. "I just wanted to make sure nobody did something stupid and make things harder than they already are."

"Yeah, but you basically got everyone to agree to your suggestion." Danny pointed out. "That's not something someone who isn't a leader does."

"Maybe it's because Andy could put everyone into one of his training sessions." Lopmon joked.

"And Andy is kinda scary…" Patamon added.

"I am not scary!" Andy huffed. "I'm just trying to look out for everyone."

"Yeah, but you are a bit scary." Danny admitted. "I'm the one with ghost powers, and yet you tend to be the one who scares me."

"How do I scare you?" Andy asked.

Lopmon grinned. "I'd say it's a compliment~"

---

After about 2 days, 2 days of Andy, Danny, and everyone else involved feeling anxious about how to save Takuya and the others, Maddie called everyone to the lab.

Eager to see what the adult Fentons had discovered, Danny, Andy, Patamon, Lopmon, and Jazz rushed down into the lab, nearly tripping on each other.

"What did you find?" They asked.

"This headband…" Maddie began. "Surprisingly it's not just technology. There's some shards of something embedded in the headband. They're small, but they seem to be releasing some kind of ghostly energy, but also something else."

"Shards?" Jazz frowned. "Shards from what?"

"We don't know exactly, Jazz," Jack said. "But it's likely it's from some kind of artifact."

"Um… what color are the shards?" Danny asked, getting an uneasy feeling. Oh man… Why am I feeling nervous? It's just shards, right…?

"They're… a crimson red color, I believe," Maddie answered.

Danny's face went pale. "Oh crap… That sounds like the jewel Freakshow used to mind-control Phantom and Agunimon…" That's definitely sounding like Freakshow's crystal ball!

"You think so?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Well… it's possible, but you don't really know if that is the same thing, is it?" Patamon frowned. "Didn't y- Phantom drop it into a ravine?"

"Well, that might explain the shards," Jazz noted. "If the crystal ball was broken into pieces, it would leave shards behind. I wouldn't put it past Dr. Carbon to have someone go and pick up all the pieces…"

"But would it even work anymore when it's in pieces?" Andy questioned. "How did Freakshow's crystal ball work?"

"Well, we know it affects the mind of non-partner Digimon and ghosts…" Lopmon remarked. "So using that could've also amplified the whole dream thing we got going on right now."

"It makes sense, even if we don't know how it really works." Jazz admitted. "But that aside, if this is what is being used in the headbands, then we have a problem. It means Dr. Carbon is attempting to use these headbands to… I don't know… 'reprogram' the memories of the Legendary Warriors somehow."

"How many of these headbands did he make?" Andy wondered.

"From what I counted, there were 10, 6 of them were being used," Patamon answered. "He may have made 10 in preparation for all 10 Legendary Warriors, but he probably realized later there were only 6 being used by humans."

"How many shards are in each headband?" Danny asked. "Maybe we can get a total number of shards if we have the number in each headband."

"Unfortunately, unless Phantom can go back and take the other 3 unused headbands, and get the other 6 headbands back to us, we don't know how many shards are in each headband. We can only tell you how many shards are in this particular headband," Maddie answered. "And there are about 12 pieces in this one."

"Then we should account for at least 120 shards, or 12 per headband." Jazz noted. "That's a rough number, assuming the same number is in each headband."

"But it would be foolish to assume all 10 headbands have the exact same number of shards. The crystal ball, assuming it's the same one Phantom dropped into the ravine, would've shattered in many pieces. There could be a random number of pieces in each headband, and I don't even know if Dr. Carbon has all the pieces, just the bigger ones that he, or whoever he sent to collect them, were able to find," Andy pointed out.

"We can at least say that they have shards of this artifact at least," Lopmon said.

"And we might be able to extract some of the pieces as well," Jack spoke up. "Maddie and I may be able to reverse engineer this headband. Though the shards are unique, so we'd have to put some pieces into the headband to see if it would work just as well with 12 pieces if it had less."

"Why would you want to reverse engineer the headband?" Patamon asked.

"Well… you see… trying to deactivate it without potentially harming the wearer's brain is… not exactly possible. It can only be taken off safely when the wearer wakes up," Maddie explained. "And considering Maxwell is keeping everyone who's wearing one of these headbands asleep, that won't be possible."

"So instead, we think that we could use the headbands ourselves to go into that dream world and see if we can get Takuya and the others out of there," Jack said.

That caused a lot of questions and concerns.

"How do you know the headband would take us into that dream world?" Jazz asked.

"Would Takuya and the others still remember anything if we got them out prematurely?" Danny asked.

"If we put that headband on someone else, would they be able to get out?" Andy questioned.

"Alright, kids, calm down!" Maddie spoke up. "In order… The headband seemed to be connected to that Dreamer machine. Anyone that has it on will connect to that dream world, even from a distance. It's possible the shards make it happen even from far away. As for if Takuya and the others would remember, that… we don't know for sure, but we think it's possible that if the process doesn't finish, then their minds could restore their actual memories after some time… hopefully not too long. As for the last question…"

Maddie seemed hesitant to answer.

"Whoever puts on the headband will not be able to get out on their own," Jack answered.

Danny looked horrified. "Then… We can't go in to help them out because we would be in a similar situation?"

"There has to be a way to get them out though." Patamon pointed out.

"We'll figure it out," Jack promised. "We've already come this far, we can't give up now."

"We can figure this out," Maddie assured. "We have enough shards to maybe make at least 2 more headbands."

Andy gave it some thought. "We might need all the help we can get. Maybe we can try asking Phantom to get the other 3 headbands that are being unused. Better to put them to use for us than for Dr. Carbon."

Danny smirked. "I don't think Phantom will have a problem with nicking those headbands."

"Well, if he can, all the better for us." Jack agreed.

---

Danny, as Phantom, along with Patamon, as Spectermon, went back to Axion Labs. They were lucky the place hadn't installed a Ghost Shield yet. They were able to go back into the room Maxwell was using for the Dreamer to get the other 3 headbands. It would seem neither Maxwell nor Tapirmon noticed their presence yet, which was a good sign.

Danny looked at Takuya's sleeping face for a moment. We'll save you, I promise.

Danny then flew off with Patamon, heading back to Fenton Works with the 3 headbands.

Now with the 3 headbands, Jack and Maddie checked how many shards were in there. It would seem Andy had a point, 2 of the headbands had more than 12 shards, while 1 had less. It seemed that the headband didn't need 12 exactly to work, just as long as it had a certain number of shards. Maddie and Jack were also able to reverse engineer 2 more headbands. The original headband they had, and the 2 they just made had 3 shards inside them.

"Okay… we have about 6 headbands now," Maddie noted.

"About as much as what Maxwell's using," Jack said.

"But…" Jazz frowned.

"The question remains," Danny added.

"Who's going to be using these headbands to pull them out?" Andy finished.

That was the question of the year.

Andy sighed. "How about I call up the others? They might be able to weigh in on this."

"By 'the others', do you mean Tucker and Sam? Or… more?" Maddie asked.

"I do mean them, but I also mean Valerie and Dash. They're just as involved in this as we are, and they're also part of the Digidestined Guild," Andy answered.

"And they have their Digimon partners, so… that's a bonus," Lopmon added.

"Well, the more help the better!" Jack beamed before his grin faded. "I just hate to have to involve two more of your friends, kids."

"It wouldn't be the first time we've had to deal with Legendary Warrior's problems," Danny nonchalantly said, which made Jack and Maddie frown. "I-I didn't mean anything bad, I just meant we have experience!"

"That's not helping," Patamon sweatdropped.

"While you dig yourself a deeper hole, bro, I'm going to call our friends," Andy said as he took out his cell phone.

Danny grumbled. "Me and my big mouth…"

"You kids have some serious explaining to do when this is over." Maddie said in a lightly scolding tone.

Jazz gave a nervous grin. "You know… in all retrospectives… we should've seen that coming."

---

"So that's the explanation…" Andy finished.

Andy was looking at this group of people and Digimon. His parents, sister, and brother were here, of course. So were Patamon and Lopmon. But there were more who had joined them. Sam, Biyomon, Tucker, Kokuwamon, Valerie, Gatomon, Dash, and Labramon. They were all currently sitting in the living room as it was one of the only places in the house big enough for everyone to meet up in.

Dash and Valerie had never been in Fenton Works before, so they were a little surprised at how ordinary the living room was. They only saw the house from the outside, mostly looking at the OP Center that was sticking on top of the roof like a giant sore thumb, and the neon sign pointing at the house that read 'Fenton Works'.

But now wasn't the time to mention their expectations for how the house would've looked like, they were here as part of a rescue team for their friends, not for pleasantries.

"So these headband thingies are supposed to help us rescue our friends from inside the dream they're in?" Valerie asked, looking at the headbands that were on the table in front of them.

"From what we understand, the headbands use some kind of magic and technology to transport the wearer into the same dream world created by the Dreamer machine," Jack tried to explain.

"These red shards embedded into the headbands seem to give the magical energy to transport the mind," Maddie explained, pointing at the shards in the headband. "The headbands have different numbers of shards, but it looks like, at minimum, they only need 3 to full function."

"But you haven't tested it yet, how do you know they work?" Tucker asked.

"And how do you know they're safe to use?" Dash added nervously, feeling out of his element.

"That's the problem, we can't test them safely, because whoever uses them will be locked into the dream world themselves," Maddie grimly pointed out.

"That's why we called you over here," Andy said. "We need more… opinions on the matter. If it's worth the risk."

"It shouldn't be." Sam frowned. "I mean don't get me wrong, I want to save Takuya and the others, but wouldn't it be better to just get them out of the room, knock out Tapirmon, and let the cops handle Dr. Crazy?"

"I agree, rescuing them in the real world sounds a lot more productive than in the dream world where he has a lot more control over everything," Biyomon added.

"That is a good point, but we don't know what removing Takuya and the others from the room could do to them if they are in this dream world." Valerie pointed out. "What if that does something to them, like trapping their minds in the dream world? Then our rescue attempt would have been for nothing."

"Couldn't we just remove the headbands?" Dash asked.

"Yeah, that should get them out of the dream world," Labramon said.

"Ideally, it would, but it's still risky, since we have no guarantees they'll wake up. And even if they did, well… there's still the matter of what the brainwashing will do to them if we half haphazardly just remove the headband," Lopmon pointed out.

"Removing the headbands would possibly also make the Legendary Warriors turn into those corrupted forms again if they are still brainwashed." Jazz agreed. "Then we'd be back to square one all over again."

"So you think it would be permanent even if we remove the headband before it gets to the point of Lucemon defeating them?" Kokuwamon asked.

"The mind is a delicate thing," Gatomon warned. "Who knows what their minds would do if they were suddenly removed from the Dreamer without warning or some kind of safety measure being used. It's very possible their minds will revert back to that brainwashed state they were in before Andy and Antylamon defeated them to keep themselves… well… 'sane' for the lack of a better word."

"So going into their dreams is the safest way of saving them and making sure they're not brainwashed?" Danny asked.

"I wouldn't say it's the safest way, but it may be our only way, realistically, if Dr. Carbon doesn't want to cooperate with us to fix this mess he caused." Patamon frowned.

"And we may have to, because the risks of removing the headbands, or removing Takuya and the others from that room in general are too great." Danny added.

"But…" Dash frowned. "If that's the case… who will be going into the Dreamer?"

"And how will the ones going in be able to save them from the brainwashing in the first place?" Labramon added. "I doubt you'll just be able to go in, grab the 6 children, then get out."

"True, once these headbands are used, the wearers will be transported into the world Dr. Carbon and Tapirmon created, there will be no easy way to escape…" Andy agreed grimly.

"So what's the plan then?" Labramon asked. "You can't just go in there without a plan! That's suicide! You might as well just become as brainwashed as the Legendary Warriors!"

"It seems no matter what we do, there's always a downside that is just as bad if not worse." Tucker groaned. "We go into that dream world, we get stuck. We don't go in and try another way of saving them, the risks to their minds are too many and too risky!"

"It's like we're at an impasse." Sam agreed.

"Well, we have to do something!" Biyomon pointed out, feeling a bit anxious now.

"But what can we do?" Kokuwamon asked. "We're just throwing ideas out and nothing seems to be possible."

"We can't give up now… surely there must be something we can do." Jack frowned.

"We can't keep arguing about this," Andy spoke up.

"Do you have a plan then, bro?" Danny asked.

"Mom and Dad created something we can use to at least communicate with our friends and cousin," Andy pointed out. "If they're aware of what's going on, then they may be able to fight against the brainwashing until they can wake themselves up, and hopefully with all of their original memories in tact."

"That's a lot of hope for something that isn't guaranteed," Jazz pointed out.

"I'm sorry to say, but nothing we have is going to be a guarantee," Andy stated bluntly. "If they had just simply been kidnapped, we can easily save them. But messing with their minds makes this a very… complicated problem. Even Dr. Carbon messed up severely with his project, but he's too stubborn to give up. If we want to save them, we'll have to take some risks, or do nothing at all and leave them trapped in that loop… or until Dr. Carbon somehow succeeds, and none of them will ever be the same again."

"But how can we save them? Any of our ideas are either too risky, or too dangerous for the rest of us." Valerie pointed out. "I get we're not guaranteed to save them, but we can't stand back and do nothing. We need to make a decision, and soon."

"There's something in the dream that's been making me think," Andy admitted. "There were three Celestial Digimon in the dream. Two of them were supposed to be guides, while the last one was the supposed final battle for them to face. Before Lucemon came in, along with Dynasmon and Crusadermnon, those three in particular were the most powerful Digimon in the dream world."

"So? What about that?" Sam asked.

"Tucker, you know that even the best of machines can get overwhelmed and crash, right?" Andy asked the youngest tech person of the group for confirmation.

"Yeah, that's true." Tucker confirmed. "It's very difficult to make something that can't crash under the right circumstances."

"Okay, so… this might be a long shot," Andy admitted. "But… if we can get those three Celestial Digimon to work with us, they might be able to help us overwhelm the Dreamer, to the point that it either crashes, or is out of Dr. Carbon's control, preferably before Lucemon shows up and hijacks control of the dream world himself."

This got everyone thinking.

"Mom… Dad… Tucker… do you guys think this plan is plausible? Could we pull this off if we were to go into the Dreamer ourselves?" Andy asked the 3 most tech savvy people in the house.

Tucker was the first to speak up. "Personally, it's our best shot. If we can make the Dreamer crash, it will release the Legendary Warriors, and us. I'm sure Dr. Carbon would have a failsafe if it crashed for some reason." He then hesitated. "But… If I'm wrong, and there is no failsafe, we could end up wiping both their, and our, memories, or trapping us all in the dream world forever."

"Dr. Carbon wants the Legendary Warriors to be able to wake up, so Tucker's assumption on having a failsafe is most likely correct." Maddie agreed. "So we should be able to use that to our advantage. The Dreamer being overloaded and crashing is indeed our best bet it seems."

Jack nodded in agreement. "Like everything else, it's a risk, but it has the least risk to us, and to Takuya and the other Legendary Warriors. It's the best chance we have."

"So we have to just overload the Dreamer? That doesn't sound too hard." Valerie mused.

"But it's like Mr. Fenton said; it's still risky because we don't know what will happen when we get into the dream world." Gatomon pointed out.

"Even if it's risky, it's still better than us just going in randomly with no plan." Dash replied. "At least we would have a plan to follow, and it would be better than the other plans we had."

"That's a pretty good plan, bro," Danny noted.

"Yeah, I'm impressed that a young child like you would think of something like that," Patamon admitted.

Andy frowned a little. "It's just an idea, there's no guarantee it'll work though."

"But it's still the best we've got," Lopmon added.

"And it looks like time moves a lot faster in the Dreamer," Maddie added. "So even if days or weeks pass for you, only a few hours will pass in real time. Meaning you should have a lot of time to do what you need to, though it would be wise not to squander too much time."

"So the 'sleepover' excuse will satisfy our parents for the time being," Valerie said. "At least I hope. Dad will be happy I'm 'making friends' again or whatever."

"My parents are used to me having sleepover parties with my posse, so it'll be easy to tell them that," Dash shrugged. "Though they… probably won't be as happy about it now due to the recent 'terrorist' attack."

"At least we can give a reasonable excuse." Tucker said with a small smile. "My parents won't mind me having a sleepover."

"Mine might." Sam grumbled. "But do you think I care? These are my friends in danger."

"Well, we can figure out something." Maddie reassured the kids. "But this is the best time to do this, since we may not get this chance again."

Suddenly, Jazz's cellphone began ringing. Wondering who could be calling at this time, Jazz took her cellphone out, and was surprised to see the caller ID. Her face went pale.

"What's wrong, Jazz?" Danny asked, noticing how pale his sister was.

"... It's Maxwell," Jazz informed.

"H-huh?!" Danny gulped. "That's… not a good sign…"

"Why is he calling now?" Valerie asked, concerned. "Have we been found out?"

"Don't answer it!" Tucker yelled.

"Won't he just keep calling then?" Kokuwamon asked.

"But he's the bad guy, right!? Why would he be calling Jazz?" Dash asked.

"Everyone calm down!" Andy raised his voice before he looked at Jazz. "Answer it."

"Are… you sure?" Jazz hesitantly asked.

"If he's calling you directly, knowing that you're aware of what he's done, then he likely knows. Answer it," Andy explained. "We need to find out what he wants from us. Put it on speaker phone so we can all hear him."

Jazz gulped, but nodded. "Okay, Andy." She said. If Andy was suggesting she answer it, there was most likely a reason why.

Jazz pressed the button to answer the call, and then put the call on speaker phone. "Hello?"

"Jasmine… I take it that you have me on speaker right now with your family nearby, yes?" Maxwell's voice asked from the phone.

Jazz grew pale in the face, but she remained resolute and spoke calmly. "I do." She confirmed. "Is there any reason why you have called me?"

Everyone waited for Dr. Carbon's response.

"I couldn't help but notice how all of my spare Dream Bands have mysteriously disappeared," Maxwell stated.

"Dream bands?" Jazz asked.

"The ones that look like headbands," Maxwell clarified. "Now why would that be? My only conclusion is that you had the help of a ghost or used some kind of invisible technology using ghostly specimens to get into my chamber and take the Dream Bands away to see if you can use those to get your friends out of the Dreamer."

Unfortunately, Maxwell's conclusion was pretty much on the money.

Danny was tense, as he was the one who had snuck in and taken the bands with the help of Patamon, both of them in their ghostly forms.

"Well…" Jazz began, unsure of how to respond. She took a deep breath and let it out. "If it was a ghost, why would we send the ghost in? Maybe the ghost was just looking to take the headbands you lost for some reason we don't know."

"Of course you can make up as many excuses as you want. The fact of the matter is that if you don't have the Dream Bands, and some random ghost stole them, then I don't have anything to worry about. But if you do… well, that's your only ticket to 'save' your cousin and friends. And sooner or later, you'll use it, and you'll end up in my world," Maxwell pointed out. "Either way, I'll be prepared for your little rescue party. Whether you show up at all or not."

Before Jazz could say anything, Andy took the phone and spoke into it. "You know, since you're so keen on turning our friends into the 'heroes they're meant to be', how about you turn this into a game?"

"A game?" Maxwell asked. "This isn't a game, this is delicate work, kid."

"I'm sure it is," Andy answered. "That's why if you don't allow us to challenge you to a game to give us a fair chance of saving them, then you risk us destroying your delicate work out of desperation. I'm sure nobody wants that."

"You wouldn't dare, you'd put your friends, your own cousin, in danger," Maxwell replied.

Andy gave a mischievous grin. "Oh, I'm sure we'll find a way to help them. I'd rather do that then just leave them in your hands where they'll constantly be forced into a loop until you can figure out how to delete the virus you let in in the first place."

Sam, Tucker, and Jazz recognized that grin. It was a grin that told of many crazy ideas, and a drive to save those he cared about.

Tucker gave a grin of his own. "Andy's right. Who are we to just leave our friends to your plans? We're in it as a team."

Danny wondered if this is what Andy looked like before he went to face down Freakshow. He suddenly felt sorry for Maxwell… just a little.

"Not only that… we have the support of the ghost boy himself, Amity Park's infamous ghost," Andy continued, dropping Danny's name, sort of. "And our own Digimon. If we wanted to, we could storm your room in Axion Labs, since we know where it is. You could try moving them again, but we'll keep finding you, and them. You'll never have a moment's rest as long as you have them in your clutches. So… I ask again… would you want to make this fair for all of us and make this into a game?"

The silence told the group that Maxwell knew he was backed into a corner, or at least considering their words. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Maxwell spoke up. "You have quite the way with words, young man."

Maddie and Jack were rather surprised by Andy's response to Maxwell, they knew the boy could be clever, but this was the first time either of them witnessed Andy using words to make the villain accept his terms of agreement.

"Very well, as you wish. Instead of kicking you out immediately of the Dreamer as soon as you enter, I'll allow you to come in," Maxwell stated.

"You were going to kick us out?" Jazz asked.

"So we wouldn't have been trapped?" Dash blinked.

"I'm not a heartless monster, despite what you think. The moment any of you had arrived, you would've been kicked out. The machine would memorize your data and make sure you'll never be able to enter again," Maxwell explained. "This dream world was created only for the Legendary Warriors."

"Then… I guess it's a good thing we got found out," Labramon remarked.

"Of course, since I don't want you to succeed, but I also have to be fair, the rules will be harsh… if not still fair," Maxwell stated.

"Then what are the rules?" Andy asked.

"Someone better write these down, because I won't be repeating myself," Maxwell warned. "Rule number 1: The world must be set to the beginning before you are allowed to enter. It would be confusing to have you all suddenly introduced to the world in the middle of everything that's going on. Rule number 2: you each will be given a role of guidance early on. As long as you have this role, you are allowed to interact with the Legendary Warriors. But once the Legendary Warriors grow past the point of needing guidance, you must leave or you'll be kicked out."

"What point would be considered past the point of needing a guidance?" Lopmon asked.

"When they gain their Beast Spirits. But to make it a little lenient, you don't have to leave until all of them gain their Beast Spirits, or at least the ones that are together," Maxwell answered. "Rule number 3: you must not, at any moment, tell them they are in a dream. You cannot speak about anything in the real world, or else you will be kicked out. It would be too easy if you were allowed to tell them everything. Rule Number 4: you will be unable to speak your true names in the dream world. For you do not exist in the dream world, therefore, your names are blacklisted."

"That sounds hardly fair," Sam grumbled.

"Technically it is," Tucker pointed out. "He did warn us the rules will be harsh."

"Rule number 5: once you leave, and are no longer guidance, you are not allowed to interact with the Legendary Warriors. If you do, you won't be kicked out immediately, but you'll have to fight against a swarm of endless enemies until you are kicked out. Think of it as punishment for trying to interact with them again when you know you shouldn't," Maxwell stated. "And finally, rule number 6: no humans, except for the Legendary Warriors, and those I create in the dream, are allowed in the dream world."

"What? That's not fair!" Sam quickly pointed out.

"How are we supposed to save them if we can't get in?!" Valerie snapped.

"He probably intends on you guys using us, the Digimon, to save them," Gatomon pointed out.

"That's right. After all, you have your Digimon partners, I'm sure they can save your friends for you," Maxwell stated. "Those are my 6 core rules. There may be more… smaller rules, but those you might find out later, and they won't cost you the game if you break them, just make things harder for you."

"If those are the rules, I guess we'll have to abide by them." Dash sighed. "But at least it gives us a chance to save the Legendary Warriors."

"Wait," Andy spoke up. "What happens if we reach the end of the dream?"

"You'll likely be kicked out or brainwashed yourselves… Lucemon is brutal. I'd rather you weren't in the dream if he should appear. But I'll keep my word of not kicking you out so long as you don't break the 6 core rules," Maxwell answered.

"So we don't get looped back to the beginning? We just get straight up kicked out?" Andy frowned.

"The game is to allow you a chance to save them, not endless chances," Maxwell answered. "You only get one shot. After that, I expect you to not bother me until I finish my work."

With those words said, there was a CLICK, signifying Maxwell had hung up.

"Well… that was something." Jack said as he folded his arms. "It's nice we have a chance to save the Legendary Warriors, but I will admit, I do have my doubts about this. And to be honest, I don't know if we should just leave this to you kids."

"But if you guys go, you'll be kicked out immediately," Sam pointed out.

"But you can't go either, no humans allowed at all," Biyomon reminded.

"So does that mean… it's up to us Digimon?" Labramon frowned.

"That might be… not the wisest call," Patamon said. "I know we are clever, and maybe we might be able to pull it off. But with how tough this 'game' is, it would be very bad to do this without our partners with us."

"True, we wouldn't be at full strength by ourselves, and our partners do a lot of the thinking," Kokuwamon agreed.

"Besides, Andy needs to be there," Lopmon pointed out. "He's like the best strategist we have!"

"But how are we going to go into the dream world?" Valerie asked. "It's not like we can just turn into Digimon, can we?"

"I mean… it's a dream, right?" Danny asked. "Couldn't anything happen in a dream?"

"And if not that, then it's a 'video game', if you know how to do it, you could potentially hack into the system or use a mod to change your character's avatar into something else entirely," Tucker added.

Andy frowned a little.

"But we don't know anything about this… 'dream or game world', how would we be able to turn ourselves into Digimon?" Sam frowned.

Andy looked down at Lopmon for a moment, he had been holding his partner in his arms for comfort. A thought occurred to him. "Well… I don't know if this will help, but… maybe our link with our partners might help?"

"What?" The others looked at the boy.

"I don't know how to explain it, but…" Andy hesitated. "When Lopmon became Antylamon… something felt different. I could see what Antlyamon saw, I felt the pain whenever Antylamon was hurt. I didn't feel like I was going to fall off when I was riding on Antlyamon's head when he was doing all sorts of crazy acrobatic things. It was like… I was Antlyamon, and Antylamon was me. We were like an extension of each other… that's the best I can describe it."

"So, it was like you were one, but physically in different bodies?" Tucker asked. "That's kinda cool."

"Either that, or it was like they were linked as one in a psychic manner." Sam mused.

"But I don't think it's just limited to me and Lopmon," Andy said. "I think it's possible with all humans and partner Digimon. How do we have our Digimon Digivolve in the first place? How do they feel the emotions we feel? There needs to be some kind of connection, right? I think the more the partners Digivolve, the more linked they are with us."

"That's actually kinda cool." Tucker whistled. "It's like our Digimon partners draw on some kind of energy from us to get stronger or something. Sort of like a power up in a video game, but for Digimon and not the player."

"I think Andy may be onto something." Valerie admitted. "It makes sense if we think about it."

"But even so… how does that help us get into the dream world?" Jazz asked. "Sure, maybe Andy and Lopmon may feel like one when Lopmon becomes Antlyamon, but the fact remains that he's still just as human as the rest of us."

Jazz looked at Danny for a moment, but he was still half human, so that had to count.

"That's true, but…" Maddie began as an idea began forming in her mind. "We may be able to use this connection between human and partner Digimon… to change your… well, 'avatars' in the dream world to be your partner Digimon. That way you're not technically breaking one of the core rules."

"Are you sure that will work, Mrs. Fenton?" Sam asked. "What would it do to our Digimon partners? There are so many unknowns about this."

"Yes, but we won't get anywhere by being cautious in this case." Maddie admitted.

"What about you guys? Are you okay with this?" Danny asked Patamon.

Patamon looked at everyone. "To be honest, no, I'm not truly okay with this, but based on what we know, it seems there is no choice. If this is what we must do to save the Legendary Warriors, then we will do it."

"But what if something happens to us?" Labramon asked. "I know we have to help Takuya and the others, but I don't like doing something that's risky to our own well being as well."

"It does seem a little too risky. How can we help the Legendary Warriors if we aren't able to help ourselves should something happen?" Kokuwamon asked.

Everyone was getting rather frustrated, because all the risks made it difficult for a decision to be made.

"The way I see it…" Gatomon spoke up, catching the other's attention. "Is that we either take the risk, or don't, and leave the Digital World vulnerable without the good Legendary Warriors protecting it."

"Yeah," Valerie agreed. "Life itself is already a risk, if we're too scared to take the plunge, then nothing will ever get done. You guys can stay out here and wait for something to happen, but I'm not going to let the fear that something might happen stop me from doing what I can to save our friends and the Digital World."

"I agree as well," Lopmon stated. "While it may not be ideal, this is our best option. Andy gave us a chance to save them, and it would be very selfish of us to throw it away because we were too scared to try."

Tucker gave a nod. "We can't sit back. Risks can't be avoided, even if we would want to avoid them. Otherwise nothing gets done."

Sam looked at Tucker. "And this is coming from the boy who tries to avoid doing things? Who are you and what did you do with Tucker?"

"Hey, when my friends are in danger, I won't sit back." Tucker grumbled. "I don't avoid that much…"

Danny smiled. "Then it's agreed then? We'll do it?"

"I may not like it, but yeah, I want to save the Legendary Warriors and my world." Biyomon nodded.

"And I can't prove that I've become a better Digimon if I choose to run away from this, not when I could do something about it," Labramon agreed.

"Same here." Dash nodded. "Takuya also helped me try to be a better person too, I can't just ignore that."

"Very well then, so… we just have to figure out how we can get the Digimon and the humans into the dream world without breaking one of the 6 core rules," Jack said.

"But the question is… how?" Patamon asked.

"If I may?" Kokuwamon suddenly said.

"Yes, Kokuwamon?" Maddie asked.

"Well, Digimon are made of data," Kokuwamon stated. "Tucker and I did a lot of research, we were mostly curious to how we Digimon can exist, and survive, in the real world. There are data all over the world made by human hands. Technology gives us what we need to continue to exist in the real world."

"That's right. Technology is almost synopsis to what the Digital World is made of," Tucker noted. "Electricity, metal, data, AI, running gears, anything that goes into making something technological, a Digimon could probably run off of it."

"That's cool and all, but how does this help us?" Danny questioned.

"Well… it's only a theory, since it's only really happened if a Digimon dies and becomes a Digi-Egg right after, but… during their death, as long as nothing happens to it, a Digimon becomes pure data," Kokuwamon explained. "That data could easily slip into any kind of technology. In other words, if it is possible for us Digimon to become pure data…"

"Then you guys will be able to slip yourselves into the headbands," Andy realized.

"Exactly. If that were to happen… well, we don't know what would happen for sure, but ideally, they would be able to make the wearer of the headband appear in the dream world as the Digimon that went into the headband," Tucker explained.

"So it's like a disguise, but we're sharing a body with our Digimon." Sam theorized. "Um… If that's accurate."

"Or to put it in a more video game term, you're changing your player character into something else. Like originally you're supposed to be playing as a human, but with this one change in the program, you're now playing as a cat," Tucker stated.

"That actually sounds like it'd be cute- uh, I mean… instead of a cat, let's make it a big, strong dog!" Dash quickly said.

"Cats are very strong too," Gatomon grumbled.

"That's not the point anyway," Sam spoke up. "The point is that we may have a chance here."

"Though we are still taking quite the risk," Jazz noted. "This is only a theory, isn't it?"

"Correct," Kokuwamon admitted. "We don't know what the actual outcome would be should we try going through with it. Turning a Digimon into pure data isn't easy, and it's dangerous. If things go wrong, we could accidentally trigger our biological response and turn into a Digi-Egg without actually dying."

"Then everything would be set back to square one." Danny noted with a frown. "But, as everyone has said, sitting back is not an option. We have to take that risk."

"Is this the best we can do then?" Valerie asked.

Andy took a moment to think. "If we had better technology, more time, maybe more people to help, we might be able to find a way to save them without having so many unknowns and risks involved. But as it stands now, we're probably the best people who can handle this. The police and government wouldn't know how to handle something like this, if they even believe it in the first place. The only people we know, outside of Amity Park, or in America in general, who could help us are all in Dr. Carbon's dream world. Our options are limited, so we'll have to make do with what we've got if we want to save them. Playing this game with our Digimon is the best chance we're going to get to save Takuya and the others without risking their brains going into meltdown or reverting back to the corrupted version of themselves."

"Then in that case, we'll work on something that'll help the Digimon go into their pure data form," Maddie said. "I'm going to need a volunteer to study and test things to make sure we get this right. But I don't blame any of you if you don't want to do this."

Patamon was about to volunteer when Lopmon spoke up. "I volunteer."

"Are you sure? I don't mind doing this." Patamon frowned.

"Yeah. Besides, with your… unique condition, Patamon, it's best I do this," Lopmon stated.

Patamon realized Lopmon had a point. If he volunteered, and something went wrong, he may be revealed to be Spectermon, which would also likely reveal Danny being Specter-Al.

"Are you okay with this, Andy?" Lopmon asked.

Andy looked down at Lopmon before nodding. "I trust my parents will keep you safe while they do this."

"We will, don't worry. We'll stop immediately if it looks like it's hurting Lopmon," Jack promised.

"And afterwards, we'll treat Lopmon to some chocolate as a reward." Maddie smiled.

Lopmon perked up at that. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get this done! The Digidestined Guild must save its members!"

"I can't believe that guild name stuck." Danny chuckled.

"Hey, it's a cool name!" Lopmon said proudly.

"Besides, coming up with names is hard, so I guess everyone just decided to go with it," Andy laughed.

---

Jack and Maddie spent the next couple hours studying Lopmon's being, trying to see how his fractal code and data make-up his body. They were fascinated to see how the data functioned like living organisms. The data copied and functioned like a real body so well that one could be forgiven to forget that Digimon were supposed to be made of data. However, what allowed them to crack the code was the Digi-Core, the heart of every digital being. The Digi-Core was what allowed the data to form into a solid body, and function like one too. If the Digi-Core were to suddenly stop, or was destroyed, the data would dissipate itself immediately, and try to form a brand new Digi-Core, which created a protective shell around it while the new Digi-Core creates a new, young form. At the same time, the Digi-Core would fly to the safest area it could find while it was forming a new body. Hence the rebirth of a Digimon.

But what Jack and Maddie needed to figure out was to have the Digimon's body turn into its natural data form without actually destroying the Digi-Core. That was the difficult part. Andy would stay near Lopmon to see if there was anything he could do to assist them, and to make sure Lopmon was comfortable.

When his parents mentioned their findings to Andy about the Digi-Core and how the rebirth cycle worked, that got Andy thinking.

"What if there was a way to make the Digi-Core stop temporarily? Enough to make the body think it has to dissipate into pure data?" Andy asked. "After all, I know there are types of poisons and medicine that make the human heart stop temporarily, or make it so the heart fakes death and makes the body pass out. But the person is fine in reality and will regain consciousness after some time."

"That sounds like it may work." Jack admitted. "But that is going to be a delicate process, and we have to figure out how we would do that in the first place."

"We want to make sure the Digi-Core is only temporarily stopped, and would function again before the Digimon turns into a Digi-Egg," Maddie added.

"I believe I can help with that," Tucker spoke up as he walked over. "The Digi-Core is definitely delicate, but it's also programming, something I excel at. It's the one thing that I can outsmart Mikey in school, and he's the smartest kid in our entire school."

"I don't know… if something goes wrong, the Digimon will likely die for real, are you sure about this?" Maddie asked the 14 year old tech-inclined boy.

"We have no choice." Tucker admitted. "I do have my doubts about this, but I feel confident in my skills, and I've been studying the fractal code of Digimon, so I have an idea of how it works, just in case we get into a situation involving those Slave Collars again."

"We do need all the help we can get, Mads," Jack admitted.

"Alright," Maddie sighed. "We'll trust you to help us with this."

Tucker nodded. "Kokuwamon will help too, he knows a lot more about this than any of us do."

"I will do the best I can to help," Kokuwamon stated.

---

Andy was looking out the window of his room. It was getting late, they had spent a good part of the day getting ready to save Takuya and the others. He was told to take a bit of a break, because of how tired he was. Though in truth, he figured his parents and Tucker were a lot more tired seeing how they were doing a lot of the work. He also felt too anxious to sleep. He kept wondering to himself.

Will this work? What will happen to Takuya and the other Legendary Warriors if we fail? Could we still save them if we lose the game? I only gave us a chance to rescue them, but that's it. Surely there was more I could've done… Andy frowned. We could be putting Lopmon and the other Digimon in danger by doing this…

"Bro…"

Andy flinched back at the sudden appearance of a familiar ghost boy floating in front of his window.

"Can you not just float in front of my face like that!?" Andy snapped.

"Sorry, but your anxiety is through the roof, it's giving me anxieties," Danny replied as he phased into the room before turning back to his human form. "Well, I figured out a couple of things. For one, when I'm at a certain distance, Patamon doesn't transform with me. And two, there is a surprising lack of ghosts lately."

"Were you on patrol?" Andy asked.

"Yes, I even told you that an hour ago," Danny deadpanned.

"Oh, sorry…" Andy sighed. "I… have a lot on my mind."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Are you thinking about the plan we have? Andy, just calm down. Mom, Dad, Tucker, and Kokuwamon have it under control."

"I mean I am worried about our partners potentially dying if something goes wrong, but I'm more worried about… well… things going wrong," Andy admitted. "I just… can't help but wonder if there was something else we could've done, something else that would've made this easier… or if we could've prevented this from happening in the first place."

"Andy, we can't keep thinking about 'what if' scenarios." Danny said calmly. "It will only make things worse. As it stands, this is our best chance. Everything else we thought of, or could think of, is either too risky or just is plain too dangerous. And besides, it's not like we could've predicted this would happen."

Andy sighed. "I don't know about that. I… I might've seen this coming a while back."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked before it hit him. "Did you… have a vision? Or… a dream about this before?"

"Something like that," Andy admitted. "The dream is difficult to remember in detail… but I remember Takuya chasing me down, and he was acting like he was when he was that messed up version of Agunimon. Amity Park was in much worse shape though, I remembered that much. Amity Park was pretty much destroyed at that point. I just thought… or hoped… it was only a nightmare, something that stupid Fright Knight sword caused. But what if it was some kind of premonition? Does that mean we're destined to fail?"

"No," Danny spoke up suddenly, surprising Andy. "Bro, maybe you do have some kind of weird premonition power, but that doesn't mean they always come true. You said it yourself, you don't believe in destiny, we make our own destiny. So why should this be any different? Perhaps what you saw was more of a warning if we don't do anything. If we just allow Dr. Carbon to keep doing what he's doing. Maybe eventually, the virus will overpower him and permanently turn Takuya and the others into city destroying psychopaths. But that's only the worst case scenario. You wouldn't let Freakshow take me and Takuya away, so I know you won't let Dr. Carbon brainwash them."

Andy looked at Danny before giving a small smile. "Heh… whenever I think too much, you always seem to know what to say. I guess that's why we balance each other out."

Danny blushed. "Well… It's true though… I mean… I know you better than you think, bro. And I have to be there to help you out when you start to doubt yourself so… I guess we do balance each other out…"

Danny then looked back at Andy. "But that aside, don't worry about those premonitions or whatever they are. We have a plan in place, and we have the best of the best with us, working on making this work. We're not just two kids here, we're the DigiDestined Guild, and we look out for each other."

Andy nodded. "Yeah… you know, we've always looked out for each other since we were kids. And even after the accident, Tucker and Sam had been looking out for you, and so have I, before I knew you and Phantom were the same person."

"Yeah. You know, you took me being half ghost a lot better than I expected," Danny noted.

"It helped that I already got to know your ghost half before then. I was more shocked you two were the same person than anything," Andy admitted. "Takuya was also to have your back more than we were able to once he learned how to use his Spirit. Having two people able to turn into something with superpowers definitely helps."

"Takuya was helpful, though both of us relied on you to help us train our powers," Danny pointed out.

"Heh, well it worked." Andy grinned. "And look at how far we've come since then. It isn't just us anymore. We have our sister, our parents, Valerie, heck, even Dash is helping us out. Dash, can you believe it? Our old bully since elementary school is a part of the unofficial Digidestined Guild."

Danny laughed. "Yeah, I almost think it's a dream, but I then realize it's not. But if you think about it, all that we have been through, with Dash involved, it's made him mature more, and he's definitely shown a better side."

"I think it started with me turning into a dragon on that night when he was beating us up," Andy noted. "He became too scared to pick on us much anymore. But I think what really caused him to change was when he met Labramon."

"Yeah. Who would've thought that meeting his Digimon partner would start to bring out his better side?" Danny agreed. "I guess those little guys have been very helpful to us in ways we've never expected before."

"Yeah, I can say the same for Valerie too. She started easing up on hating ghosts, and you in particular, since she met Salamon. And Salamon's dark Digivolution allowed her to see just how destructive her grudge and hatred was," Andy noted. "Lopmon helped me realize that it's okay to have fun while also trying to become stronger too. I was able to face a lot of my inner demons with his help… that's probably why he was able to reach his Ultimate form. I was able to learn a lot since we ended up in the Digital World. And… I also think we've helped them too. Patamon had been set to murder your ghost half, until he bonded with you, and decided on another way to stop this doom prophecy."

Danny shivered. "That was scary to imagine at first, but you do have a point. I mean, there's no way some prophecy is going to come true if it can be changed. Patamon opened up and decided to change, but I think that was more because he got used to me and saw me as less the 'evil ghost boy' and as just… me."

"We… owe a lot to the Digimon," Andy noted. "If it weren't for them, who knows where we would be? We're not just saving our friends and cousin, we're also helping the Digital World by doing this. The Digital World needs the Legendary Warriors as who they are, not who Dr. Carbon thinks they should be. That's why the Spirits chose them in the first place."
"I agree with you, one hundred percent." Danny nodded. "We'll save them, just as you saved me and Takuya from Freakshow."

"Yeah, we will." Andy nodded as well.

---

"Despite the fact this is risky, I'm surprised you're sticking around," Sam said to Dash.

Sam and Dash were currently in the kitchen, needing to eat. They were eating a box of crackers and some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

"What do you mean?" Dash asked.

"Well… no offense, but while you're big and tough, you tend to be one of the first people to run away screaming whenever a ghost appeared in school," Sam noted. "I just couldn't help but think you're not exactly… the bravest guy around."

Dash frowned. Normally, he would try to use intimidation, and raise his voice, at someone who dared to challenge his bravery. But Dash knew that wouldn't work on Sam, Sam wasn't the type of person to just let someone intimidate her without a challenge. While Dash never tried to hit a girl, he also didn't try to challenge Sam, he usually went for Danny, Andy, or Tucker back in the day.

"You're right, I'm not. If I was, I probably wouldn't have gone after those I considered weak and helpless," Dash admitted. "I'm scared of getting hurt, and I'm scared of strong beings like ghosts and Digimon."

"So why?" Sam asked.

Dash looked away. "I… want to be a better person… that also includes doing the right thing even if it's scary. I helped Labramon fight off against an insane Firamon, who was killing new players' accounts to rebuild his village, only to almost destroy it just to get to me. I could've left at any moment, but… I don't know, I decided not to in order to help Labramon. After that, I… I don't want to just leave our friends hanging. I promised to talk to Koji more after we met, he's a cool guy, you know? But I can't do that if he's too busy napping in that crazy doctor's machine."

Sam smiled. "Well, that's good to hear that you're willing to stand up and do the right thing even if you're scared." She then looked down. "To be honest, I've… felt the same at times. I just don't show it because, well… I'm the goth. But I'm still a human being, so I get scared like anyone else." Sam had never imagined she would be admitting she was scared, and to Dash of all people, but if he was making an effort to change, maybe being a little more open wouldn't hurt.

"Really? You never seem to be scared of anything," Dash noted.

"I definitely got scared when I saw Takuya and the others in their corrupted forms, acting like maniacs, laughing when they hurt a lot of people," Sam admitted. "It was just there wasn't any time to act scared, there was only time to fight and defend ourselves."

Dash chuckled. "I know that. The only thing I could think of to do was to lure Koji away from my house. And if I was being attacked, I figured the rest of you would be attacked as well, so meeting up with the rest of you seemed the best chance Labramon and I had."

"You'd be right about that," Sam agreed. "It seems danger follows us wherever we go."

"And that's why I can't afford to be afraid and avoid this," Dash said. "I not only want to be better, I owe it to Labramon to help her world, that includes saving the Legendary Warriors."

Sam noted how Labramon seemed to have helped Dash trying to change for the better. She wondered if it was the same for her and Biyomon. Biyomon had helped Sam know what it was like to fly freely in the sky, to see what Danny saw whenever he flew up into the sky as a ghost. Biyomon seemed to be the opposite of Sam, always burning brightest in the dark, and yet, Biyomon's personality was compatible to Sam's. Both of them were sour about a lot of things, yet they care deeply about their friends. Biyomon also helped Sam see not all bright colors have to be an eyesore.

"I suppose I owe it to Biyomon to help her save her world too." Sam conceded. "I mean, she's helped me see that not all bright things are happy and girly. She's a freaking pink color, and yet she is so compatible with me as a partner. Not only that, Biyomon has helped me see that I can go farther than I thought I could."

"How so?" Dash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've come to realize authority isn't as bad as I thought it was." Sam admitted. "I mean, yeah, I did have some desire to rebel against authority, but in the end, who are we turning to so we can save the Legendary Warriors? Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, as well as Tucker and Kokuwamon. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton are pretty much the greatest engineers to ever live, and with Tucker and Kokuwamon helping, given their own knowledge? They are the authority on these things."

"Heh… well, it's definitely better to have their help than not," Dash said. "They're the only adults that we know, other than Dr. Carbon, who seem to know anything about the Digital World and the Digimon themselves."

"And they seem to be the best people to go for this, considering their talents in inventing useful stuff," Sam noted. When not trying to go after Danny, of course.

---

Valerie hadn't expected to be alone in the living room with Danny and Andy's older sister. Valerie was sitting on the couch, trying not to worry about Gatomon, when Jazz walked over to sit down on an armchair. The two of them hadn't really spoken to the other before.

Valerie had planned to keep things quiet between her and Jazz, but Jazz didn't have the same idea.

"So you're Valerie, huh?" Jazz noted.

"Yeah?" Valerie replied, not sure why Jazz brought that up.

"One of my brothers talked about you a few times," Jazz remarked.

Valerie blushed a bit. "Gee… I wonder which one of them it is." She said, trying to keep her red face away from Jazz's eyesight.

"Oh, so you know which one it is?" Jazz asked.

"I have an idea." Valerie admitted. "It's probably Andy, since he's the only one I've really talked to most of the time."

"Okay," Jazz replied but didn't say anything else.

Valerie frowned as curiosity started getting the better of her. "... What did he say?"

"Nothing much, just that you're a headstrong girl who's determined to do what you believe is right," Jazz answered. "I've been wondering what kind of person you were. I don't know you well enough to say, but you do seem to be nice. You care about your Digimon, and you helped my brothers a few times in the Digital World."

"Yeah, I do." Valerie admitted. "I mean, she's been so helpful to me, and I owe her a lot. But I do feel like I don't deserve Gatomon's help or partnership at times, because I made her dark Digivolve once."

"What happened?" Jazz asked.

"Long story short, I was trapped in the Ghost Zone, and my rage and hatred of ghosts got the better of me." Valerie revealed. "I almost hurt Andy that time too, with my rage having overpowered my sense of reasoning. When Andy snapped me out of it, I realized just what had happened and felt… distressed, disturbed, disgusted at what my hatred of ghosts had caused Gatomon to become."

"That sounds pretty scary." Jazz frowned. "But I can't blame you too much. Being trapped in the Ghost Zone, not knowing if you'll be able to get out while being hunted by a ghost… it's no surprise you would come to hate ghosts more due to that. Our Digimon partners though… their connection to us really shows the best and worst in us too. I couldn't imagine what Floramon could've turned into had she dark Digivolved because I wasn't in a good mindset… but… she also helped me when I needed it."

Jazz looked at Valerie. "And it looks like you've learned from that incident. Gatomon looks like she's become a strong, dependable Digimon now."

"Yeah, she has." Valerie smiled. "And I've learned not all ghosts are bad either. I mean, I actually got to talk to Phantom, whom was the first ghost I ever saw. He hadn't ruined my life on purpose like I had originally assumed, as he was just a teenager trying to do the right thing, even after his death. It was just a series of unfortunate accidents involving a ghost dog and its toy."

"Oh yeah, my brothers mentioned that incident," Jazz winced. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Don't be," Valerie said. "I mean don't get me wrong, I don't like the position my dad and I are in due to it… but… it did allow me to see things from another perspective… I got to see people for who they were, and who my real friends were. Andy was willing to help me when nobody else was at the time… and I paid attention to things I never batted an eye to before. It allowed me to meet and befriend Salamon. I don't know if I would've been the right partner for Salamon had I kept the mindset that I did before the ghost dog incident."

"Sometimes life just works out in the strangest of ways," Jazz chuckled.

"Yeah…" Valerie agreed as she thought about that day in the rain, when Andy walked home with her, offering his umbrella. "... Do you think Andy… um…"

"Do I think Andy what?" Jazz asked.

Valerie was blushing. "N-nevermind, it's not important."

Jazz gave a smile, she knew that kind of blush. "Andy never talks about his type, but if it means anything, you're the only girl who's ever really caught his attention, other than his friend Sam, of course."

Valerie blushed even redder. "I… I just… I mean… R-Really?" She hated the fact she was getting tongue-tied when talking about Andy.

"Yeah. He, and Danny, are just… clueless when it comes to any girl who may have an eye out for them," Jazz grinned. "You might have to make the first move if you're interested."

Valerie groaned. "I'm just getting all tongue-tied when talking about Andy, and I want to ask him on a date, but my tongue won't work with my brain!"

"Ooh, sounds like you got it pretty bad," Jazz noted with a chuckle.

"... And you don't mind? Being his sister and all," Valerie asked.

"I think it would be good for my brothers to date others, especially at their age," Jazz answered. "It's important for young teenagers to get out there and find people they could fall in love with, and find out if they're right for each other. Besides, I trust their judgment. You're here, you're a part of our team, you're here to help us save Takuya and the other Legendary Warriors. It takes a lot of courage and kindness to do that."

Valerie blushed, she hadn't expected to hear compliments from Jazz, and her take on her brothers' romantic lives. Though it made sense, Jazz was the type of person who wanted her siblings to grow, whether it was with her help or not.

"Though I don't blame you. If the students at our school weren't so gung-ho on the popularity chain, I can guarantee you that a lot of the girls would fall for someone like Andy and Danny," Jazz grinned. "Especially considering all the accomplishments they've done."

Valerie frowned, but she realized Jazz wasn't wrong. Not many people knew what Danny and Andy did outside of school, but she had heard some of the crazy stuff they've done, and even seen it while at the Digital World with them. Although it was difficult to top the story she heard of how Andy saved the ghost boy and Agunimon from Freakshow, on top of a moving train. And so far, nobody had denied that that actually had happened.

"So, that story with the train… That's pretty much true?" Valerie asked with a curious tone.

"Pretty much." Jazz chuckled. "I wasn't there, but from what Sam and Tucker have said, it definitely can't be made up. Those two wouldn't lie about something like that. And trust me, I gave Andy quite the scolding when I heard about it."

Valerie nodded, though she really wished she had been there to see what that crazy boy did. She wondered what lengths Andy would go to save someone he cared about. Then again, she was witnessing that right now, seeing how his cousin was in danger once again. Andy managed to challenge the doctor, who was in control of the situation, to a game, giving them a chance to save the Legendary Warriors.

"Then… I guess after we finish with this, I'll try asking Andy if he's interested in… maybe going on a date with me…" Valerie said softly.

Jazz smiled. "Just make sure you don't get too tongue tied when you do."

Valerie blushed again. "I'd better work on that then…"

---

"Tucker, if I may ask you a question…" Maddie spoke up as they were letting some of their machines calculate some numbers, giving them a small break.

"Yes, Mrs. Fenton?" Tucker asked.

"What got you into programming?" Maddie asked.

"There were a lot of things," Tucker said. "I got into video games when I was really young, and I started getting curious about changing some things. When I got my own computer, I started to experiment with mods, and from there I began doing more and more different types of programs. I even got a PDA so I could keep going with it when I wasn't at home. Before I knew it, it was just something I did on a daily basis."

"So you got interested in programming because it was just in your interest, huh?" Maddie chuckled. "I'm not surprised. You've always been a smart boy. Then again, I guess I got into ghost hunting because I was interested in learning more about ghosts."

"Really? It's not because of some tragic backstory where a ghost kidnapped a friend of yours, or scared you when you were little?" Tucker asked.

"No, well, nothing that… direct anyway. I've always heard legends and stories about ghosts," Maddie admitted. "And it got me interested. Why do so little people see these ghosts? Why do ghosts do these things that hurt or scare people? What are ghosts exactly? Those things are what got me into ghost research in the first place at college, and that's where I met my husband and Vlad."

Tucker chuckled. "Well, it sure worked out for you guys. I mean, Mr. Fenton is definitely a match for you. He's just as passionate about ghosts as you are."

"You got that right, Tucker!" Jack smiled as he went over to them, handing Maddie some tools. "I got you the power drill, sweetie. Maddie and I shared our passion for learning more about ghosts, and trying to build a portal that would bust into their dimension. Imagine all the studying and research we could do! Although, ghosts turned out to be a lot more… numerous, and dangerous, than we thought. We never even considered the consequences of tearing open the dimensions into another world either. I suppose we were rash in that. We started that project when we were in our early 20s, it was a work we couldn't just give up on."

"I'd say follow your passion. Even if it might be dangerous, you'll never be able to fly if you stay in one place," Veemon remarked from the screen Jack was using to contact him.

"But it did put your world in danger too," Jack pointed out. "Causing those unnatural fogs to seep in."

"The fog hasn't been as big of an issue lately. And we got to meet with you two," Wormmon came on screen. "Your passion for researching ghosts is admirable, I don't think a lot of people would've been able to make their dreams come true like you did. I wish I could be brave enough to do the same."

"Don't say that, Wormmon." Maddie said gently. "You can do the same, just as Jack and I have."

Wormmon blushed. "You're just saying that…"

"No, I'm not. You got to meet an idol of yours, wasn't that one of your dreams?" Maddie grinned, remembering how Wormmon had reacted to meeting Beetlemon for the first time.

"Y-yeah, that's true," Wormmon admitted.

"And you're going to be a part of a great guild that Beetlemon, and the other Legendary Warriors, will be a part of as well to help the Digimon and humans co-exist together." Maddie smiled.

"Oh yeah! I'm excited for that! Oh… but… aren't the Legendary Warriors in trouble?" Wormmon frowned.

"Yeah, that's why our partners are making these awesome inventions so they can go save them. If we could be there, we'd join you guys in giving that Maxwell guy a punch in the gut for doing this," Veemon grumbled.

Jack chuckled. "I don't doubt it, but that would be just rushing in and wouldn't exactly help the Legendary Warriors." He pointed out. "We need to be strategic here, and thanks to Andy, we have a chance to save them now."

"But it is risky, the method we have to pull it off." Maddie admitted. "We don't know how well this will work."

"Well, if you need any help from the Digital World, we will help you faster than you can say fruit pie!" Veemon grinned.

"We promise we'll do everything we can to help," Wormmon said.

"I know you will, thank you very much." Maddie smiled. "You're helping us now by talking to us. It's relieving a lot of the stress, and stress would make us more prone to mistakes, which could have severe consequences."

Wormmon blushed again. "I… Um… you're welcome…"

"We definitely have our work cut out for us," Kokuwamon admitted. "But I'm confident we'll be able to pull through. Don't worry, we've got this, everything will be okay."

"You're right. We've managed to make it this far when there were just a few of us. Now we have more people, and everyone's pulling together to make sure we save our friends." Tucker nodded. "There's no room for doubt."

---

Maddie, Jack, Tucker, and Kokuwamon finished what they needed to do. They had done everything they could, now they just had to test it. They called everyone into the OP Center. The OP Center was bigger and had more room than the lab. They also didn't want everyone to be too close to the Ghost Portal without hazmat suits as it gave off radiation.

"We have studied thoroughly on the data and the Digi-Core inside a Digimon," Maddie announced. "We studied Lopmon first, then we studied the rest of the Digimon here, including Kokuwamon. Each Digimon's data and Digi-Core are unique, just like fingerprints. But they work fundamentally the same. Using what we know, we were able to create small chips that stick to a Digimon's body. On paper, these chips send a harmless signal to a Digimon's Digi-Core, making it believe the body has been fatally wounded, so it would unravel the physical form, turning it into pure data. As a failsafe, the chips will immediately shut down if the data starts forming into a Digi-Egg. Once the signal cuts off, the Digi-Core will realize it's not in any danger, and will reform back to what it originally was."

"You said 'on paper' though," Jazz pointed out.

"It hasn't been tested yet," Jack admitted. "That's why we called you here. We… need a willing volunteer to test the chip, or as I like to call it, the Data Scrambler."

"... So there's a good chance something could go wrong and the Digimon will revert to a full Digi-Egg?" Valerie frowned.

"Unfortunately, that is a very real risk." Maddie revealed. "But that's why we are going to test it first. We need to remember that none of this is without a risk."

"This is something new that no one has tried to do before, so there are many unknown with this kind of experiment too." Jack added.

"So I guess the question is… who's willing to be the guinea pig?" Sam frowned. "Not that I condon guinea pigs as test subjects."

"That's a tough call… if we revert to our Digi-Egg forms, that's as good as dying for us," Biyomon warned. "We'd lose our memories of our past lives… including memories of you guys."

"But…" Patamon spoke up. "... some Digimon are capable of retaining their memories."

"So…" Lopmon began as he looked at Patamon and Gatomon. "Maybe one of you…?"

"Why one of them?" Danny frowned.

"We… have a better chance of… not fully reverting back to Digi-Eggs," Gatomon answered, though she knew the real reason why.

Even if she and Patamon were to revert to Digi-Eggs, they were guaranteed to retain their memories. Though Lopmon was in a precarious situation, his memories hadn't fully come back, and him reverting back to an egg now may make things worse. So Gatomon and Patamon really were the best choices for this test. Should anything go wrong, they could always make their way back to their partners later.

"I guess it's between us then." Gatomon said to Patamon. "Who's gonna be the tester for this?"

"Gatomon… I don't know…" Valerie frowned, looking worried.

Danny looked at Patamon, he seemed pretty confident. "You sure about this, Patamon?"

Patamon nodded. "Even if I turned back to an egg, I don't think I could forget about you even if I wanted to."

Andy and Lopmon looked over at Patamon. They, Patamon, and Gatomon, were the only ones who knew about Patamon's true identity, though Danny didn't.

Despite Danny not knowing about his partner's true identity, however, he nodded his head. "Then… I trust you."

"Thank you, Danny." Patamon nodded.

"Besides, it wouldn't be fair to make Valerie give up her partner, she barely knows our parents," Danny chuckled.

"A-are you sure?" Valerie asked. "You might lose your partner."

"I trust Patamon will be okay," Danny said. "And I trust my parents' genius, as well as Tucker's and Kokuwamon's. They all made the Data Scramblers together, and we need someone to test them."

Patamon stepped toward Maddie. "Go ahead and put the chip on me. I'm ready."

Maddie nodded and placed the chip on Patamon's chest. "Now, when the chip activates, it might sting a bit at first, but that should go away within a few seconds of activation."

Patamon nodded.

"You alright with this, bro?" Andy asked.

Danny nodded. "I believe in Patamon."

Everyone watched with anticipation as Maddie held a small remote and pushed a button. The Data Scrambler beeped a little, and Patamon felt like a small needle stabbed his chest for a second. It didn't hurt too much, but it did sting, as Maddie had warned. Not long after the stinging sensation, Patamon saw his fractal code showing around his body. He resisted the instinct to fight against the thing that was causing his body to start turning into a data state. So far it appeared to be working as intended. Everyone waited as the ring of fractal code around Patamon grew thicker until Patamon's body started to fade, turning into strings of data.

After a few heart stopping moments, Maddie being tempted to turn off the chip, the Data Scrambler beeped again. Then after a few seconds, Patamon's data gathered around itself, recreating his original shape as his body took form once more. The ring of fractal code went back into Patamon's body as he was fully reformed.

"Well… It looks like it was a success." Maddie sighed in relief. "At least, for the chip's activation and the effects it has on a Digimon."

Everyone gave a sigh of relief.

"How do you feel, Patamon?" Danny asked as he picked up Patamon, checking him over if anything was out of place.

"It was a strange feeling," Patamon admitted. "Though it's also… familiar. You get the sense of dying in a way, but it's not painful. I felt at peace, my mind started thinking about things I normally wouldn't think about. Being pure data is different from being a Digimon. It's not something I can put into words."

Andy sighed in relief. Patamon is alright, and… strangely we didn't see any ectoplasm in his fractal code. Maybe it's hidden… and only shows up when he's in his ghostly mode.

"Here," Jack said, handing out more chips to the others. "Put these on your Digimon partners."

"All of us?" Dash asked as he picked up one of the Data Scramblers.

"Dr. Carbon made it clear, only Digimon are allowed to go into the dream world," Jazz explained.

"Which means only those who have our partners here can go into the dream world," Andy finished. "But…"

Andy looked at the group. "It wouldn't be good if you felt forced to come. This will be a dangerous mission, so if you feel you can't handle it, then don't come. You'd be better staying here, trying to help us from this side."

Valerie shook her head. "No way, I'm not standing back when those kids are in danger. Besides, it's not fair to Gatomon if I don't attempt to help them, because they are the protectors of her world. And Takuya has helped me a few times before in the Digital World, so I am helping him this time in return."

Dash nodded in agreement. "I want to help Labramon and be a better person. I want to help because it's the right thing to do. Besides, Koji is in danger, and I wouldn't feel right leaving him, or the other Legendary Warriors in this situation either."

"I would help if I could, but Floramon isn't here, and I think I'd be better off staying here and keeping an eye on things," Jazz sighed.

"I could get Floramon for you," Andy offered.

"Thanks, but there isn't much time, and we only have 6 headbands anyways, it looks like everyone who's here with a Digimon is going to go anyway," Jazz chuckled. "So there wouldn't be enough headbands to go around."

"Darn right, I'm not going to just sit by and watch while the rest of you go on this death defying adventure," Sam huffed.

"That's right, you can count us in too." Biyomon smiled.

"Do you think Kokuwamon and I would be of help in the dream world?" Tucker asked. "Wouldn't we be better off staying here?"

"Nah, we might need a tech boy like you in the dream world," Lopmon pointed out. "We'd be screwed if we didn't have someone who knows how to work a super computer when we get there."

"True, you guys aren't exactly tech savvy," Tucker agreed.

"Besides, it'd be a great growing experience for us if we were to join. I would like to be able to talk with JP more myself," Kokuwmon admitted.

"Tommy also helped me when I needed it the most," Andy said. "The poor kid's already been through a lot. The least I can do is help him back."

"And that hot head Takuya is just a magnet for trouble, he needs us to bail him out," Danny chuckled.

"Of course he does." Sam sighed with a grin. "Well, I guess we're all in agreement then; we're going to help the Legendary Warriors."

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Dash said before he pet Labramon's head. "But I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Labramon. This is the least I could do."

"I'm proud of you, Dash." Labramon smiled.

"Okay, then everyone, find a place to sit," Maddie announced. "Put the Data Scramblers on your Digimon. Then put your headbands on. We will… handle the rest."

"We'll try to get into contact with you in the dream world so we can communicate," Jack said. "But it might take us a while to hack into Maxwell's dream machine. So you'll be cut off from us for a while."

"Hey, I have confidence you can hack in." Tucker chuckled. "But we understand that we'll be on our own for a bit."

"Don't worry, Dad. We'll be fine until you can make contact with us." Danny promised.

"We'll also try to update on what's been going on once you are able to contact us," Andy added.

"Just stay safe, and don't get kicked out too quickly," Jazz said.

Everyone sat down, or laid down on some mattresses that Jack and Maddie brought in for the group. They each put on their headbands, and placed the chips on their Digimon partners' chests. They made sure to keep their partners close so their data would be able to find the headbands easily.

"I'll see you on the other side…" Andy smiled at his parents and Jazz, and then at Lopmon.

"We'll save them, together." Lopmon nodded.

"We're activating the headbands and the Data Scramblers now," Jack announced.

Andy felt very drowsy as the headbands activated. He couldn't remember a time where he felt this sleepy, not even after the toughest of ghost attacks. He saw Dash, Valerie, Tucker, and Sam quickly falling asleep. He looked beside him, seeing his brother closing his eyes, though he gave Andy one more smile before he allowed the headband to take him into the dream world. Andy looked at Lopmon before he closed his own eyes, seeing Lopmon turning into data just before everything went black.

---

Titanic X: DarkFoxKit: Thanks

ZAFT: Preparations are always fun! XD