Digimon: Symbiosis (Remastered)

by Dragon Champion Zero

Everything changed the night the sky lit up. Now, with everything in two worlds laying on the line, they'll have to join together to survive and overcome - in the most literal sense possible.

26. Chapter 26: Villains Old And New

Been a little bit scattered so far this year, but let's try to keep things going.

---

Chapter 26 - Villains Old And New

—

Plans. Plans upon plans upon plans. If there was one thing Havocravenmon was good at, it was plans. Or so he liked to think…a couple of recent issues had somewhat tempered his confidence. But then again, plans rarely survived first contact with the enemy, and it wasn't necessarily the plan's fault that it failed - no one could account for every contingency.

Like freak hybrid warriors.

"Are you certain this is the best approach?" asked Phantomon. "I'm concerned that we may suffer additional losses in the human world by continuing to send scouts."

It was a different stature that Havocravenmon was putting forth now - out of the darkness of his room, standing tall and seeming as self-assured as ever. Also armed and armored - an ornate chestplate with pauldrons, colored deep violent with golden trims, dark gray bracers with talon-like spikes on them, brown pants with a belt that held a number of trinkets and draughts, as well as what looked like a very short and useless rod, but in his hands would form into a powerful dark naginata. "I'm confident that we will, and yet also confident that it is. But we're not sending them to engage, we're sending them for intel. I want them coming back and reporting to us. We need to know what the humans have prepared, we need to know who's turned traitor against us, we need to find those humans that might side with us, and we need to be tracking the movement of those hybrids. We suffered one large batch of losses already from being underinformed…perhaps we should have sent observers out earlier, but I feared they would be too noticeable with so few of our kind in the picture. Which may have been true anyway, but it might have helped. And it probably wasn't to our advantage that those we sent were too…overeager."

"Do you trust that these will be any less so?"

"Some of them will be. And we will likely not get 100% return. But any information is good information, and anything that ensures that we can swiftly crush their resistance is exactly what I want. When we arrive over there in a weapon the likes of which they've never even imagined, the last thing I want to find out is that they have another kind of secret anti-digital weapon that renders us helpless. They already have those unusual bombs we need to try to figure out, I don't want to find out that there was something else hiding in the wings."

Phantomon nodded. "Once again, I remain impressed by your considerable wisdom, Commander. Craniummon would have simply assumed, rather than ensured."

"Hm. Yes, he would have." Which is why he's a death signature on the battlefield rather than here continuing to lead us…why he assumed he could talk that lizard into joining our side…maybe once I've gone through his notes, I'll understand something, but right now, I don't. "And so would some certain other parties who shall remain nameless."

"You need not name them, I already know who you're thinking, and yes, she absolutely would. Next order of business…the communications you mentioned. I presume, given how long you were in the communications room, that you have already taken care of them?"

Havocravenmon nodded. "I have. Given our current plans, I see no further need to hold it in reserve. I'm making a play for some Catalysts."

Phantomon was outwardly unresponsive to that. "I see. As we intend to establish ourselves in the human world, we will be beyond the reach of those who would try to punish us. But certainly, we could innovate empowerment items stronger than the Catalysts over there, could be not?"

"Eventually, yes. But who knows how long that will take? And if we do encounter resistance, any extra power that we can muster will only help secure our victory. Going in with the upper hand, I want that hand as high as it can be, because there always has to be room for the unexpected."

"Understandable. But no direct assault?"

"No. I learned a good lesson from the debacle at the Temple of Solano. The fortress holders are not good targets…the cost is too great, and they have mechanisms for securing the Catalysts from us if we gain the advantage. But I've managed to find a few successful threads that should give us what we're looking for, because there are more methods out there than direct brute force."

"A reality that Craniummon never did seem to understand," observed Phantomon. "Had he, perhaps we would have faced less resistance. What are we looking at?"

"At the moment, three should be in easy play, I have high hopes for a fourth, and a fifth is somewhat of a reach but maybe still viable. For the easy plays…I've bartered with Shinduramon for possession of the Oremeto Catalyst. It's been locked away for so long that I doubt anyone will miss it, and he's assured me that he can break through its containment. The trade-off is that we have to give him a prime position…I'm not convinced he's truly the right temperament or power level for such a responsibility, but…"

"But the easiest way to deal with that is give them what they want, and then set them to the test."

"Exactly. If they prove surprisingly adept, then we've given ourselves reason to trust them - and if not, well, the weak get what they deserve. Similarly, Valkyrimon has managed to procure the Catalyst from the Southeast Thunder Shrine, and has assured me that he's rigged the Gam Rona tournament to ensure the prize goes to a confederate who will bring it to us. It will be in our hands within days."

Phantomon cocked his head. "Why such a production?"

Havocravenmon rolled his eyes. "His excuse is that he wants to make people think he that he managed to create one himself, to make his tournament more popular. It seems unnecessary posturing to me, but I've seen egomaniacs like him before, we'll get what we want faster and less painfully by indulging him. Once we've gotten what we want, though, I intend to make sure he meets a rapid end - he's far too weak and I don't trust that his attitudes won't turn on us eventually. And on that note, we're going to be judicious about how much we use Zerodramon - the Frigid Souls are assembling for a siege on the Volcano Pit, and from what I can tell victory is almost a guarantee. But I've no interest in that obnoxious dragon's desires…ideally, we'll get his followers integrated with us before we can dispense with him."

"I trust your judgment on these matters, and will make sure the rest understand accordingly. The others?"

"Challenging. But worth trying. I'm hoping we can get the Catalyst from the Eclipse Shrine…but it can't be through me, I attempted to sneak in but the protections waylaid me. However, I've been assured by a good friend that a well-meaning individual trying to protect it could very likely make out with it…hopefully he'll be able to make sure that happens. Mechalopolis is the long shot…the situation there is so oppressive that the ones we've managed to get on board haven't been able to make much headway. But it's supposedly in the hands of a rebel faction, and one that might fall soon the way things are building up…if they do, it might just come down to a search. But I'm almost hoping for that one more for who WON'T get it than for us getting it…Raidenmon cannot be allowed to acquire it to fuel his 'perfect body,' or he might manage to create a force that will make even our weapon seem outclassed."

"We have enough enemies as it is, we scarcely need rivals on top of that," agreed Phantomon. "You've put a lot of thought into this…your plans sound very solid."

Havocravenmon let out a sigh. "Yes, they do, don't they? But after the last few weeks, I worry about any of their foundations…we just have to hope that there aren't any unexpected factors that could throw everything out of whack. But this isn't an unfamiliar world, this is OUR world…I can't imagine anything as unexpected as what happened over there could happen over here."

—

Some days…I wonder if the universe just has it out for me. The source of Shockavimon's ire was a large city off a short ways in the distance from the bluffs they'd appeared on. One that she was a little TOO familiar with…

She had other problems to think about at the moment, though. Down she flew, to where Iris was waiting for her. It had been a stressful arrival to say the least - ending up just the two of them alone, no sign of the others, and Iris taking an age to wake up. Not to mention not knowing what had happened to her outfit, which was now a yellow shirt with their seal glyph on the front in black and a pastel lavender skirt, the origins of which were a mystery to both of them and had them wondering if something had happened to them that they hadn't been aware of. Iris seemed to have settled down now, but she looked awfully tired…and there was one other noticeable issue. "Nothing?"

"Nothing. It was like a faint buzzing in my head, I couldn't make out anything."

"Rats. I hope that's not a persistent thing…that telepathy has come in handy a lot. Maybe it's related to why you were out cold when we arrived…"

"Maybe sleeping on it for a night will help. You think there's anywhere in that city that'll house us?"

Shockavimon looked away. "I'm not sure I want to find out…"

"Huh?" Iris was confused by that odd response; it took her several seconds to pick up on it. "Wait…that isn't…"

"Yep. Hagrande. And hell if it doesn't look dingier and darker than even I remember it."

"Jeez." Iris may not have known anything in this world, but that was how it struck her as well; apart from one rather large, grandiose feature in what looked like the center of the city, there were a lot of dingy buildings, run-down areas, and general squalor, not even well-masked. "Well, we don't HAVE to go there, right?"

"True, we don't HAVE to…our main goal should be the Thunder Catalyst in Laktros Keep. But, if you're not at the top of your game, I don't want to strike out there and hope for the best…I want you to be well-rested and ready to go. I doubt one night there would hurt…maybe…he might not even be there anymore. Maybe he's moved on to somewhere else to spread his poison."

Iris had a feeling Shockavimon was trying to convince herself more than the human. "Look, I'm deferring to you on the decisions here, you'd know better than I would. If you're not comfortable with it, we can do something else, I'm not going to argue."

"…No. Let's go there. I can't let myself be intimidated by this forever…if I ever want to move on I have to at least try to move past it. But, uh…if it's all right with you, I'd like us to be 'together' while we're out there. It wasn't exactly the friendliest place to begin with, but as disheveled as it looks…I'd rather we have a bit more oomph in case we need to defend ourselves."

"That's fine by me," Iris said with a nod. "We'd have to anyway to get down…I somehow don't think it would end well if I tried to flap down this cliff using MY arms."

"That sounds like something NOT to try," agreed Shockavimon with a giggle. It wasn't exactly a funny overall situation, but getting a bit of humor here and there could maybe help them weather it a bit better. Sal always wanted us to be upbeat, because even when things are grim, a little laughter can lighten the load…he always did appreciate how much Breezedramon helped out with that.

—

"Are you really sure it's okay for me to be walking around like this?" Derek's voice had a distinct fatigue to it; he still wasn't quite all the way over the long outage he had between the transfer and his actual rousing. Like the others (though he didn't know it yet), his garb had changed, though not in a way that was especially concerning to him relative to other things - black from top to bottom, with Blackcanismon's seal glyph in purple on the front of his shirt. "I feel like there's kind of a danger to me walking around here like a stranger…you know, like there was a danger for you when you first came to our world."

"Tranquilize thyself, Derek," Blackcanismon said reassuringly. "You capacity for self-defense is considerably superior to your perceptions. Particularly considering my tutelage on the versatility of your natural abilities."

"You have a bit more confidence in that than I do." Derek was definitely glad Blackcanismon had spent a good bit of time teaching him how to use the darkness powers he now had; unlike what the others had, his were a lot more nebulous. He had learned to emulate some of the things that Blackcanismon and their merged forms could do, as well as a few other tricks, but it was hard to know just how effective they were. "Particularly since I'm nursing a rather unpleasant headache from that transfer."

"Unfortunately, quite reminiscent of my personal unceremonious intrusion into your community. Although your misadventure thankfully was not complicated by altitude."

"Oof…I forgot about that. Yeah, I'm gonna count my blessings." Derek shielded his eyes from the sunlight as he looked over the towards the looming walled complex not far from them. It was in the middle of a pretty barren and rocky landscape, though they'd walked from a more woodsy area just on the cliffs above. A number of tall, modern-looking buildings were visible over the walls; it looked very much like a military installation, which he gathered was right in line with the truth. "So this is where you guys were stationed, huh…"

"Indeed. The marvelous complex of the Knights of Liberty. It should be considerable comfort to return once again…and yet…"

"Is something wrong?"

Blackcanismon frowned a bit. "My ocular and auditory senses may perhaps be delivering me deceptions. However, I fail to detect the typical liveliness I have grown accustomed to. Such is decidedly distressing…"

Derek didn't like the sound of that either. "Well, let's get inside and take a look around. Maybe it's just that they're hunkered down or something." At least, he was hoping that was the case…coming into a much less favorable atmosphere was not going to do much for either of their spirits.

As they neared the doors to the wall, his apprehension began building again. "Are you sure it's okay for us to just walk in like this?"

"I strenuously guarantee your safety, Derek. The Knights of Liberty have sworn oaths in defense of digimon and humans simultaneously, and adherence to an honorable conduct towards your species is a requirement of participation. Protection of your interests is equally imperative to themselves as to my own-"

"Runic Strike!" The shout came without warning, just as the small spheres of light shooting their way. Blackcanismon braced himself just in time, weathering the blow with a clenched jaw; Derek did not, and was flung a few feet back and landed hard on the ground. He pushed himself upright, wincing as his head was now twice as achy as it had been before.

"…Reaction time, it appears, will be our subsequent focus of amplification," remarked Blackcanismon ruefully.

"Maybe it should've been bumped up the itinerary a bit." Derek glowered towards the walls, trying to blink away the blur in his vision. "OY! What's the big idea?! You always shoot first and ask questions later?!"

"No one's allowed in!" barked back the attacker. "Intruders will face the consequences! The Knights of Liberty will not fall!"

"Such scurrilous labels you assign to us!" snarled Blackcanismon. "I am among the upper echelon of the Knights of Liberty! Cease your intransigence at once and allow us passage!"

"No way! I have my orders, I won't let anyone shake my resolve!"

"Well, this is off to a GREAT start…" Rubbing his eyes, Derek started to make out better what they were up against…and he wasn't quite ready for it. Standing tall was a bright-furred canine with stunning blue eyes and a spitz-like appearance, with silver bands around its legs near its paws. …Well, okay. It's a guard dog. Who can apparently shoot balls of light at us…wait. Balls of light? That sounds…familiar. "Hey, BC…is that…"

"…Hff. Of course it would have to be. My counterelemental counterpart." Blackcanismon stepped forward, and the other canid took a step back, but summoned another swarm of small balls of light. "I'm warning you to rethink your approach, Canismon," he growled, as he brought his own Starlight Strike orbs out to play against his light-aligned counterpart. "Regretful as damaging a comrade would be, yielding would be infinitely worse. Surely you've been briefed on my existence? Surely you can distinguish my compatriot is a human?"

"I don't know you, and I don't know him! I just know no one gets in!" The light balls blasted forth again, though this time Blackcanismon met them with his own, causing them to clash together and burst in little blasts of light and dark. "Don't think I can't just make more of those!"

"I daresay no individual here requires a reduction of thinking. A certain instance needs significant up-regulation of such."

"...Huh?"

"CANISMON! What are you DOING?!" Another voice thankfully intervened before either further combat or befuddlement. Canismon jumped and scrambled away as a GeoGreymon appeared from behind the gates, scowling down at him; she was distinctly smaller than Derek thought a GeoGreymon should be, but that clearly didn't reduce the intimidation factor. "Are you insane?! That's Blackcanismon! Zetta Unit's Blackcanismon!"

"But…but the commander said-"

"You KNOW there are exceptions for known KOL members, and they told you specifically to be on the lookout if any of Zetta Unit should appear! Use your brain, dimwit!" GeoGreymon turned to Derek and Blackcanismon, bowing deeply. "Sorry about him, new guy. He's eager but he needs some work on the, uh, mental aspect of the job. Blackcanismon, I thought we might never see you or any of the others of Zetta Unit again. It's a miracle that you're here! And with a human no less! Acting Commander Gallantmon will be overjoyed!"

"Miraculous may, unbelievably, be an understatement," replied Blackcanismon with relief. "It's wonderful to return… pardon, 'acting commander Gallantmon?' Did…misfortune befall Commander Dynasmon?"

GeoGreymon rubbed her head. "Oof, there's a LOT to unpack…it's probably best you talk to him about it, I think he knows more about it than I do. Who's your friend?"

"I'm a bit more than a friend at this point, I think," Derek replied with a touch of dry humor. "Nice to meet you…my name's Derek Katran. Blackcanismon and I have been working together to fight Emperius…very closely, in fact."

"Wait, humans have actually been fighting Emperius? Wow, I, uh, no offense, but a lot of us did NOT think you had much chance against digimon…humans must have a lot more tools at their disposal than we thought!"

"I daresay the complete explanation is considerably more lengthy and complicated," Blackcanismon said with a shake of his head. "And therefore must be deferred until we have rendezvoused with Gallantmon."

GeoGreymon nodded. "Fair enough. He's in the Command Center as you would expect. Hopefully we'll get more chance to catch up later…it's good to see one of you back. I hope more of you are on the way."

"You and I equally. But the existence of such hope is a fortune I shan't take for granted."

—

Boltfalkemon's arrival in Hagrande felt about as comfortable as she expected. That was to say, not even remotely.

No sooner had she landed than she was bombarded by ugly glares and leers, numerous passing digimon putting her immediately on the defensive. A few of them even gave her vaguely threatening lines that sounded halfway between hitting on her and promising bad news if she didn't accept the overture. It was like the worst parts of the one she remembered, except spread all over the place. About the only people she didn't meet any hostility from were the kids, of which she saw a rather oddly high number. Something else about the people she was passing by was bugging her, too, but she wasn't exactly sure what it was offhand, and wasn't sure it was worth caring about until she was safe.

But she was starting to wonder if safety COULD be found here. Goodness knew the idea of sleeping surrounded by hostile mons who might get ideas…

Something else was definitely off, though. If the city had been less than pleasant before, it was a downright slum now. There were plenty of buildings in obvious disrepair, some of them even clearly unlivable. Whoever was in charge here clearly wasn't doing their job, but that in itself was unusual, a neglectful administrator rarely found themselves in charge for long. That was one of the peculiarities of Tetraquaz - the most anyone was ever really in charge of was a city, and it was not often that city residents put up with slackers. And when you had residents who generally had at least two different potentially lethal abilities each, you tended to shape up in a hurry.

But there was definitely one part of the city that was NOT in disrepair, and that was the complex towards the center. A feature that she did NOT remember. And I'll bet that's where all the money is going…ugh. Wonder what's being held there? Maybe I can find out…hm, best maybe to keep questions to the kids, I'm not sure I want to approach any adult mon with the way they've been behaving lately.

She kept moving towards it, while watching out for someone she could ask. It wasn't terribly long, fortunately - there were a lot of kids running around. A cluster who were a bit too preoccupied to pay attention to her ran past, chattering excitedly amongst each other.

"C'mon, let's go!"

"Wait, hold on! We're never gonna get in!"

"They won't even notice us in the crowds!"

"There's so many cool fighters! It's gonna be awesome!"

Sounds like there's an event either starting or just about to…and did they say 'fighters'? Boltfalkemon scowled a little. Might be Arena Combat League…guh. Because that's what kids need, to have bloodsport thrust in their faces. That might have been going a bit far - ACL was more known for NOT having much in the way of blood, set up so that digimon could go all out against each other but without doing actual harm. But it was still pretty vicious, all things told…then again, she'd been spending quite a few of her years locked in actual bloody battle, doing a hell of a lot more damage than any of the fighters did. Maybe it was for a good cause, but perhaps it was a tad hypocritical to think that way.

A couple more kids, a Dracomon and a Ryudamon, were passing by at a slower pace, and Boltfalkemon saw her chance. "Excuse me…" the two slowed and stopped, staring at her. Well, she WAS a novelty in her own way. "Hi, I'm not from around here." That's only half a lie, it barely counts, right? Just round it down, it'll look like zero before you know it. "Do you know what that big building is, and what's going on that's got everyone excited?"

"You don't know?!" the Dracomon replied in shock. "It's the Hagrande Coliseum! Only the funnest place in the city! They do all sorts of cool stuff there! Way better than anywhere else!"

"Coliseum, huh? It certainly looks impressive. I've seen a bunch of people heading that direction, there's something happening there today, isn't there?"

"Kind of," replied the Ryudamon. "It's mostly just meeting the fighters for the Gam Rona Tournament. Dracomon wants to see a couple of them from out of town."

"Come ON!" The Dracomon pulled at his partner. "It's gonna be too crowded to see any of them!"

"Ow! Quit pulling, I'm coming!" The two kids ran off, leaving Boltfalkemon with answers, but not very complete ones. Okay, Coliseum, that's reasonable enough…but Gam Rona Tournament? I've never heard of that before.

"You seem a little lost." The yellow avian jumped a bit as a voice came from seemingly out of nowhere. "I could probably help you on your way…for the right price."

"…You're gonna have to show yourself, first, I don't do business with creepy voices."

"Rude. I might be one of the least creepy guys in the city. Also, I'm not even hiding, technically." The more he spoke, the better Boltfalkemon could triangulate…and she had to admit, technically he was right, he wasn't hiding. The fact that his scales matched the dingy side of the building he was hanging onto maybe made that technicality irrelevant.

"…You look…similar to someone I know." Very similar, in fact…under the wrong circumstances, she might have mistaken it for Burnreptimon. It was definitely a reptilian digimon, clinging to the side with fingers and toes just like her compatriot, although doing so like he was laying back against the building…which didn't seem terribly comfortable to her, but not her problem. This digimon was larger, had a short horn on his snout, and his head was shaped a bit longer, and he had no armor, just a bag slung over his shoulder and wraps around his hands. Well, I've heard nature looks for inspiration, so that's probably what's going on here. "And you are?"

"Heh, your eyes are pretty sharp…probably should have expected that from a birdy. Blackreptimon, at your service, and you're a stranger I haven't seen the likes of before."

"Call me Boltfalkemon." It hadn't been the cleanest start, but at the moment this Blackreptimon was the first adult digimon to speak to her with any sort of respect…if he knew things, this was probably her best bet. "You're talking about helping me on my way, so I'm guessing you know the lay of this place pretty well?"

"You could say that," came the somewhat cheeky reply. "I'd call it more 'I know everything from the shiny facade to the grimy secrets, from the glossy back to the seedy underbelly.' Knowing things, I've found, tends to be a useful talent to have."

"Among his many much less useful talents." Another voice, this one coming out onto a balcony next to Blackreptimon. Tall, yellow-furred, albeit somewhat dingy at the moment, the Renamon looked like she'd been through her share of roughness. "Beware what you hear from this malcontent. He knows the seedy underbelly so well because he's just another scale in it. Bribery, forgery, and other chicanery is his game."

"And a good day to you too, Renamon," replied Blackreptimon with an amused hiss. "Complimentary as always, just a ray of sunshine in this trash heap of a town."

"I take it you two are familiar with each other?" asked Boltfalkemon.

"Too familiar," replied the Renamon. "He presents a respectable figure, but then you find out he's as criminal as the rest of them."

"Hey, that's going too far," protested Blackreptimon. "Only about as criminal as half of them. Maybe two thirds. Besides, I'm nicer than most of them, and nicer than most of the ones that aren't criminal, even."

"The annoying part is that he's right about that," Renamon conceded. "Then again, the bar for that is so deep it would probably melt in the digital world's mantle."

"That was the impression I was getting," agreed Boltfalkemon. "Man, the people on the street were almost all creeps. What the hell is going on here? This place looks like a dump except for that eyesore in the middle, and I don't think I've ever been to a less friendly city. How did it get this bad?"

Blackreptimon shook his head. "Well, it's like I like to say: rot comes from the core. And this core is as rotten as they come…the governor of Hagrande is one of the most miserable, toxic assholes I've ever had the chance to know, and he's made life worse for just about everyone, except for the scum-suckers who think it's better just because they have it better than others."

"He is the worst," Renamon agreed, wincing. "The misery of Hagrande these days all comes from Valkyrimon."

Boltfalkemon barely managed to keep from staggering. Even though the straight text of the name was unfamiliar, the tenor of it was like a straight knife to her twisting gut. Him. Crap. Crap, crap, crap. He's not just here, he's in charge of this hellhole. Okay, we are NOT staying here, no way. "How…how bad is it?"

"Bad enough that I'm not sure it could get much worse. Since he rose to power, he's been ruling with a despicable hammer…and it comes down mostly on females. They've basically been turned mostly into home-slaves, rarely allowed out of the house on their own, forced to cater to the demands of males. When female children reach age, they're assigned a male to serve. Males are allowed to use any means to make them comply, violent or otherwise, and they're never punished for it."

"Bloody hell…" Now it was dawning on Boltfalkemon what was so off about what she'd been seeing before. She hadn't seen hardly any females, adult or child…it was virtually all males. "That sounds absolutely ghastly…"

"And that's not even the half of it," sighed Blackreptimon. "Males who don't like it and try not to comply have their partners forcibly taken from them if they're found out, and they're made to serve the dung-stains who buy into Valkyrimon's crap instead. Doesn't matter what kind of partnership they have, it's torn down because Valkyrimon won't even tolerate respect. One reason I'm staying on my own, I can't put any female through that."

"As if it was the only reason," remarked Renamon.

"I mean, it's the most important one! The fact that I might have my eyes on one in particular doesn't hurt, either. If it's someone I especially care about, I would be even more against putting them through that. I have honor."

"He fancies himself a charming rogue," the fox said with an eye roll. "He's only one of those."

"Any day I can muster even half a compliment from you is a good day," Blackreptimon stated humorously. Boltfalkemon was only not feeling the humor because of her inner anxiety, but still, she was starting to get an inkling of just who Blackreptimon had his eyes on. A pity it didn't seem to be reciprocal.

"Renamon…have you been caught up?"

"…I've been able to avoid it so far. It hasn't been easy." The way she spoke, Boltfalkemon wondered what she'd gone through to avoid it, there was a definite weight in her voice. "I have to hide away a lot. There are some who still hold out against Valkyrimon…they take a huge risk doing so, but they help keep some females away from him. It's…how I know this scoundrel."

"Hey, I'm already on the wrong side of the law anyway, it might as well be for the right reasons," asserted the lizard. "It's tough, though. Allies get driven out, and enemies are drawn in…Valkyrimon has all these asshole males mesmerized by the illusion that THEY'RE the oppressed ones, somehow, and that they're taking back their rightful place by trampling all over females and 'unworthy' males. It's disgusting beyond measure, I could hardly believe that attitudes like this existed in this world."

Boltfalkemon, unfortunately, had a little less trouble believing it…partly because she was painfully aware of how they existed on another world. "That's why no one's stopping him…he has too much support."

"Yep. A few people tried going to the Kaiser, wanting him to do something…but the Kaiser can't just do that. He's only supposed to send in troops if there's active warfare going on in a city, and status warfare doesn't count. If he were to try, it would basically upend the entire system of autonomy Tetraquaz's got going for it. Not to mention he's got pretty much everyone locked down in the South anyway, tensions are as bad down there as they've been since Gradwen, his forces are all desperately trying to maintain the borders…pulling them up now could mean it all goes to crap down there."

"But something has to be done here…things are getting worse and worse," said Renamon sadly. "You've seen all the kids running around, right? A couple years ago, Valkyrimon mandated that all females had a duty to bear for their males. Commanded child-rearing, because according to him, every proper male should have a male sire…which means if they have a daughter, they're forced to breed again. Most of the females here have had to give in…it's impossible for most of them to escape, the males use various means of imprisoning them, including the worst, ability seals. When Valkyrimon came to power, a lot of females took off as soon as they could…but that meant those that remained were even more coveted."

Boltfalkemon dearly hoped any old friends she had were among those who had already gone. "That's so heinous…and yet the ACL's still holding a tournament here? Even knowing everything that's going on?"

Blackreptimon shrugged. "Well, that's the thing, they don't…at least, not really. Valkyrimon's had his hand in the whole mess from the start, this Gam Rona Tournament is his baby. He wants to use it to put Hagrande on the map, and use THAT to catapult his views into the mainstream. But…as much as they advertise that it's the ACL, the ACL doesn't actually recognize it as one of their big tourneys. Because females are barred from competing, it goes against their protocols. But because Valkyrimon's gotten a few big names into the circuit and shows them off here, they allow it to be used for their scoring measures. It's kind of a lame compromise, but on the other hand, no one outside of Hagrande REALLY knows how bad it is in Hagrande - Valkyrimon desperately WANTS his way to be THE way, but he knows it's not, so he hides the worst of it while getting like-minded males in under the table."

"People still participate even though it's got crappy rules like that?"

"The locals have NO problem with those rules, and they make up a good portion of the participants," grumbled Renamon. "Most fighters who come in from outside are lured in by the prizes, Valkyrimon makes sure the prize pot is bigger than even the biggest official tourneys. To a lot of fighters, that kind of payout is pretty meaningful, and they seem to try to balance it by saying just because they participate doesn't mean they endorse the views. But it only helps Valkyrimon when they do, so it falls flat to me."

"Oh…if only money were the only thing on the line." Both females looked at Blackreptimon, who had that air of dangling a very juicy secret in front of them. "It seems, though, that there is no low our dear Valkyrimon won't stoop to…"

"…Okay, out with it, scales, you've heard something."

"Maybe I have. How badly do you want to know?"

"If you think now's the time to play games, you might need a shock to the system," warned Boltfalkemon.

"Ooh, sounds thrilling. All right, you've convinced me. You know the Southeast Thunder Shrine?"

"…Vaguely." She knew OF it, at least, though she'd never been there.

"It's one of those independent Catalyst safehouses that dot the continent here and there. It's got a Thunder Catalyst in it…or, at least, it's supposed to. But they locked down a week or so back, and word got out the Catalyst was stolen. Pretty rare for that to happen in a protected place like that, you know? Well…I've been in touch with some of my buddies regarding this tournament. And I don't know how they found out, but I was able to verify it through my own sneaky means…that damned Catalyst is the tournament's grand prize."

"WHAT?!" Boltfalkemon squawked in shock. "That's insane! No one's supposed to have those for themselves! It goes against all common decency everywhere! They're free to use specifically so no one can deny another the right to their own independence!"

"Yeah, well, I don't think Valkyrimon cares too much for those rights," replied the lizard darkly. "Nor do I think he cares about whether someone has personal possession of a Catalyst. The official claim, though, is that he made it himself - and that he'll make more for others who win. It's his big play to get Gam Rona to be too big to be ignored."

"It's vile," agreed Renamon tightly. "I've had half a mind to enter the tournament myself to try to get it back and bring it back where it belongs. But that would only expose me, and the last thing I want is that many eyes on me."

"A shame, you'd probably win most battles by forfeit anyway," snickered Blackreptimon. "Most guys are terrified of you as it is, you're a fearsome soul and a menace in battle."

"Tch…idiot…" Renamon looked away, but Boltfalkemon thought she picked up a hint of a blush. Hm. Maybe not entirely unreciprocated after all.

But for the moment, she had other things on her mind. Her feelings of getting out as soon as possible had done a total 180 - there was no way she could just dash off when a Catalyst was on the line, particularly one she had an affinity for. Those who align with the element need to be the fiercest to defend them, because they're the ones with the most to lose…that's what Sal always said. "Blackreptimon…when does this tournament start again?"

"Two days. They're doing the formal entries right now, first of two days. There's 64 slots, about 50 names have already been thrown in, but everyone knows Valkyrimon gets a few others on the final day of sign-ups just to fill seats." Blackreptimon raised an eye ridge. "Why, you're not thinking of going and signing up, are you?"

"You bet your scaly butt I am. That Catalyst needs to go back to the Thunder Shrine, and I can't do that if I don't win that tournament."

"The odds are rather long that you'll get anywhere," remarked Renamon. "These are fierce battlers, and there are many aspects that make it so that even level doesn't provide a decided edge. Those without experience rarely find success."

Boltfalkemon paused at that; that was certainly true, she was talking about taking on seasoned vets with all of her no experience. Except…that's not really true, is it? Four years on the KOL, around three years before that supporting Sal and the Kaiser. I don't have ACL experience, but that doesn't mean I don't have EXPERIENCE. And with the rules they have in place, I can go all out… "Well, I have to at least try. If I fail, then…well, then I have to figure things out from there. But I don't want to rely on confronting the winner and hoping that they listen to me. Especially if it's a goon from around here."

"I like the way you think," chuckled Blackreptimon. "But you're putting a target on yourself, remember. Valkyrimon WILL know you're there, and he won't be happy about it. Especially if you do somehow manage to win."

"…If Valkyrimon tries anything…I'll be ready for him." That might have been more to convince herself than anyone else. But she couldn't let him cow her like that, not without him even being there. "Blackreptimon…what do you know about the sign-ups?"

"What makes you think I know anything?" Blackreptimon replied with an air of false innocence.

"Are you really going to pretend you don't have an interest in the tournament? With your 'buddies' talking to you about it, as if they would do that right out of the blue? You've been doing your homework. I don't know why, but I don't care, so long as it gets me in."

"You know, sharp-minded people like you tend to be bad for my line of business. But if you can give that festering pus-wart a humiliation he'll never forget, I'm sure it'll be worth it. Valkyrimon bars females from competing, but officially, that's not allowed by ACL rules. And although the ACL doesn't list it as one of their biggies, it's run by their staff. The registrar in charge, Cherrymon, is a huge pushover, and you'll probably be able to push him into it. But, a little bit of extra help probably wouldn't hurt…a special dispensation by the Kaiser is something even Valkyrimon couldn't argue against." Blackreptimon reached into his bag, pulled out a paper scroll, and tossed it down to Boltfalkemon. "That'll only just get you in, mind, the rest will be up to you, but that's as good a start as any."

Boltfalkemon opened the scroll, looking it up and down. "…Special dispensation from the Kaiser, signed by the Kaiser himself, huh?"

Blackreptimon grinned. "Yep. A pity he's never actually seen it, but no one else needs to know that."

"What did I tell you?" Renamon said with an eye roll. "Scoundrel. You know you'll be skinned alive and worn as a pair of boots if Valkyrimon finds out about this. He's already targeting you for those schemes to smuggle females out of the city and the various bribes you've passed to get certain eyes looking away."

"What can I say? I live dangerously. Like providing my services free of charge, that's a risk that usually isn't worth the reward."

"Is that a hint?" asked Boltfalkemon as she rolled up the scroll.

"Not this time. Kick butt in that tournament, that's all that I'm asking for."

The avian gave a sharp nod. "I'll see if I can provide. Thanks…I guess I'd better not wait around." She took off down the road, hurrying towards the Coliseum. There were a hundred different ways this could go wrong, she was all too aware of that…but then again, how was that any different from the lives she'd been living the past several weeks? She just had to hope she could hold out against impossible odds yet again…

—

Derek was starting to feel what Blackcanismon had meant as they walked through the compound. This was too much complex to be this empty; barely any digimon were present, and must of the buildings were dark and lifeless. BC spoke like they had a big organization here…the fact that there's so few folks around make me think that something really bad happened here. He noticed Blackcanismon's disturbance getting worse as well, which only reinforced that notion…he wanted to say something, but it felt like there wasn't anything good TO say at the moment.

His canine compatriot led him to a building towards the center rear of the complex, the headstone of a large gathering plaza that felt especially eerie in its emptiness, enough that Derek gave a bit of a shudder as they walked through it. That was unfortunate for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was that they had been hoping pretty hard that the KOL could help them find the others and update them on Emperius's activities. Now it was starting to seem like their run of bad luck was continuing in the worst way possible.

The inside of the Command Center was just as barren and quiet, giving a very creepy vibe. Blackcanismon was almost running by this point, and while he wasn't saying anything or showing too much to Derek, the human got the feeling he was far more anxious than Derek had ever seen him. Please let there be something that can help settle him down…even a tiny bit of good news… He wasn't finding himself overly hopeful at this point, though, things seemed to be heading more and more downhill.

The door to the command desk was open, and Derek could see the knight looking up at the sound of their footsteps. He suddenly rose up, eyes widened. "Ah! This is…Blackcanismon! You've actually come back! And…a human?!"

"Gallantmon!" Blackcanismon's voice was tinged with relief, but still laden with a good deal of anxiety. "What tragedy has befallen this location? The complex is sufficiently barren to resemble the Leeched Wastes!"

"I suppose there's not much cause for celebration, no…" Gallantmon stepped around the desk, bowing to the two of them. "But, human, I welcome you to the complex of the Knights of Liberty. Even as bittersweet as it is…the fact that you are here, with one of our own, tells me that hope still exists between our worlds."

"We're clinging as tightly to it as we can. Derek Katran…I have a feeling we both have long stories to share, but for BC's sake, you first."

"Well, the story isn't truly mine to share, most of my knowledge is second-hand. Come with me." Gallantmon stepped past them, and they followed him briefly down the hallway before turning off at a bend. They stopped at a doorway which Gallantmon needed to spend a bit of time gaining entry to; Derek couldn't tell what exactly the security was, but it had to be pretty extensive given how long it took. Once the door was open, they stepped inside, to another sight that was less than promising…the normally tall, proud figure of Dynasmon was laying on his back, his head turned towards them. The rest of his body was crackling with what looked like an odd sort of electricity; he looked stiff enough to be petrified. "Commander…I have some unexpected visitors. Blackcanismon is here, with a human, Derek Katran."

"Commander Dynasmon!" Blackcanismon's cry was tinged with despair. "What disaster become you? What…what is this bizarre inhibitor?"

"Ahn…Blackcanismon…I wish I knew." Dynasmon's voice had also lost a good deal of its power; Derek only remembered him vaguely from his dreams, but even if he had never seen this one before, he had a sense that he knew it should have a lot more force to it. "It is a curse of the worst kind…forced to lay and watch as those who remain do their best to try to rebuild, unable to do anything…"

"We've tried everything we know to release him, but nothing's worked," Gallantmon explained dismally. "At this point, we're just trying to figure out a way to get him to Pomezly so they can try their hand at it. But no one else can touch him, either, or they get the same effect…it doesn't last long, thank goodness, but it keeps us from making the transfer."

"I was careless…" croaked Dynasmon. "When they came for us…I didn't think they would do anything except just attack. I didn't think about what they had done to you, or else I might have thought to prepare…they arrested me like this, and then I could do nothing but watch as they marched every warrior and supporter we had out of this place…no doubt to be locked up in Emperius's accursed clutches."

"Despicable atrocities!" spat Blackcanismon.

"If I hadn't been trying to make an earnest plea to the Kaiser, I probably would have suffered the same fate," muttered Gallantmon. "And if I had, the two of us would've been long dead before you got here. All that we have here now are the forces that came with me and the few we've managed to recruit since…though not many are willing to tie themselves to a devastated organization like ours."

"I'm getting that 'the universe is literally out to get us' vibe again," groaned Derek. "Just once, I'd like there to be a LITTLE fortune for the good guys."

"Our fortune is you, lad," Dynasmon said with a slight quaver. "…This is my first time ever laying eyes on a human. Your shape…looks very much like they always said it did…but there's a fierceness in you that I never thought I would see in a creature like they described. It's no wonder Blackcanismon found you…"

"Derek is without question or understatement the lynchpin of my continued survival and the capacity of the organic terrestria to maintain resolve against indescribable odds," declared Blackcanismon. "He and his compatriots shouldered an inexcusably monumental burden to empower us against their assaults. It seems the gravity of the situation has yet to abate in the slightest…"

"Zetta Unit all still lives?" Gallantmon's voice dared to have a hint of hope. "Praise all that is good and honorable. I wish we could offer more support to them…anything we can do, we will. We must keep fighting, even if what we can do is so much more limited than before. For the sake of you who have striven against such long odds yourselves, and those that need our help as much as ever."

"Unfortunately, I think part of that is going to require a search," sighed Derek. "We were all supposed to come through together, but…well, like I said, universe out to get us."

"Maybe they'll come here…if they think like you do, they might show up seeking support from us. I suppose that's probably our best hope, even with our full force, trying to track down anyone is a challenge."

"…First, determination of actual safety is paramount." Blackcanismon took in a breath. "Commanders…perchance, have you considered the possibility of internal sabotage? Salmandmon professed a certainty that minimally one amongst our multitudes may have had sympathies towards our antagonists."

Dynasmon and Gallantmon exchanged looks that did not make Derek feel comfortable. "It is…unfortunate…" Dynasmon said slowly. "The best I can say about them is that they departed with the forces that captured everyone…yes, it was a mole…I can't believe it happened. I never suspected…"

"Abhorrent, treacherous fiend…" The canine growled with a dark ferocity. "I must be enlightened as to their identity. My fury requires a direction."

"Is…that necessary?" asked Gallantmon.

"What is this recalcitrance?! A saboteur undermining the efforts of all decent and noble warriors demands the fiercest of retributive aggression!" Blackcanismon's outburst seemed to shake the two knights - Derek had a feeling this was part of the canine's slight personality shift. Which was apparently due to him. Jeez, was I that sharp with people? I hope I've at least mellowed out a bit then…

Another look shared between the two, with Gallantmon's expression becoming resigned. Dynasmon was looking at him pleadingly. "Gallantmon…"

"He'll find out at some point anyway. It's never not going to be ugly." Shaking his head, Gallantmon looked over towards Blackcanismon. "I'm sorry…you of all people, we didn't want to say it…"

"I don't understand…what reason for reluctance would…" Blackcanismon's voice trailed off, his eyes widening suddenly, and Derek had a nasty feeling. "…No…n-no, it can't…"

"…I'm sorry, Blackcanismon…it was him. It was Glademon. He…he had been feeding them information on us since…we defeated Craniummon. He secretly fed them all our PTM plans, without anyone catching on. He was the one who misled us about the forces that day, and made sure that he could orchestrate your sealing. He was the one who marched in and crippled Commander Dynasmon. The downfall of the KOL and the insurgence into the human world…Glademon is responsible for it all."

Blackcanismon was quaking like mad, more so with every damnation, his eyes welling up with tears. "No…it…it's not true, it's NOT TRUE!" Suddenly he tore off, shooting out of the room at a speed Derek hadn't seen since the night it come to a head with his father. He made to go after him, but a voice behind him held him.

"Do not go, please…" Derek turned to look towards the sorrowed eyes of Dynasmon. "Derek, was it? You mean well, I know. But I know that grief…nothing will get through to him until he has processed the shock. That is when he will need you."

Difficult though it was, Derek knew he was right - had he been in Blackcanismon's shoes, he wouldn't want anyone else around him for a bit. He slumped forward a bit, rubbing his head. "I can't even imagine what he's going through…he always thought so highly of Glademon, he'd talk about him a lot…"

"Glademon joined us through him…he always seemed like a fine person," agreed Gallantmon. "He was one of the last I ever would have expected to turn on us. When I heard that…I knew it would devastate him, but…better to hear it from us than to find out in a messier way. But seeing that look in his eyes will never NOT feel awful…"

"Hearing it from you is the least bad method, unfortunately," said Dynasmon. "You who likewise have known the pain of betrayal…would that it never needed to be said. Had I managed to end him, I…would likely have failed to be honest. I would have deemed him dead from the battle…maybe that isn't right, but that kind of treachery, inflicting that turmoil on someone…"

"…I'd want to know the truth. Even as much as it hurt…" Derek slowly shook his head. "If I never knew, I would go forward seeing an image of someone that everyone else knew didn't exist. That happiness would be its own lie…"

"That…is a courageous position to take, Derek. I have known more than a few who would very much prefer the lie." Dynasmon turned his head back to stare at the ceiling. "I'm sorry…for all that I barely move, even this exhausts me. Gallantmon…everything you can do for them, spare no effort. The hopes of our worlds still shine within them…"

"Without fail, commander." Gallantmon turned to Derek with a nod. "If it's all right, I'd like to try to catch up with you. I'm not sure if there's much I can offer, but maybe hearing about what you've been doing will give me some ideas."

"Yeah, okay." It seemed like he needed some time to let Blackcanismon work out his grief anyway…and maybe talking about the issues at hand would help keep him from dwelling on that.

—

In Boltfalkemon's eyes, it wouldn't have been a stretch to say that the Hagrande Coliseum looked like the nicest thing about the city. But her vision was sharper than that…and while the surface was 'nice,' the depth was anything but. It was over-the-top fancy, with very eye-catching decorations, including some large statues here and there, a number of which were of Valkyrimon himself. There were plenty of gleaming pearl pillars, gold and silver leaf in decorative patterns all over, and even diamond chandelier lights. It all spoke of incredible expense, and incredible waste - the funds put to this could easily have brought the entire rest of the city to at least a facade of respectability.

Valkyrimon probably considers it all as his own. A self-obsessed misogynist comforting himself with his bigotry and riches. It would be so satisfying to take down all the dreck he and his goons have tried to lay on everyone here…but even as we speak, Emperius may be plotting to run roughshod over the human world again, and if they get their way, the likes of Hagrande might be the best anyone could hope for. Gods forbid THAT ever happen.

It wasn't comfortable knowing that she couldn't stay and try to fix things with an iron fist, but the biggest threat needed to be the biggest priority. If Emperius was put down, she'd have a chance to come back and make more impact; if they weren't, anything she did here would be easily undone or worse. So her focus was simple: get that Catalyst and get out of there.

The interior of the stadium was certainly no less upscale than the outside, albeit less outrageously ostentatious. Probably by necessity, as it seemed much of the stadium space was meant to be reserved for the combat arenas - and in spite of everything, she had to be impressed, as it was a MASSIVE arena space, which clearly could be broken up into multiple smaller segments, allowing for many simultaneous battles. Even though she wasn't too familiar with the ACL, she could figure the logic - three days for 63 battles wasn't going to happen in serial, they'd probably only do singles on the last day, when there would only be a few left.

The really annoying this is, Sal or Breezy would be eating this the hell up. They LOVE the ACL. Why is it I'm the one who gets this task? Though she was starting to wish she'd paid at least a little attention to their babbling about it…usually when that started off she went with Blackcanismon, who had no appetite for such things just as she did, and Datacarnomon, who admitted he liked the idea but couldn't watch sporting events of any kind because the temptation to gamble on them was too strong. All great in the moment, but now she was sort of going in relatively blind, only knowing the most superficial of facts about it.

Welp. Guess it's time for the tried-and-true Sal strategy: fake it 'til ya make it.

The entrance to the registrations area was well-indicated, but not well-populated - she was glad for that, she didn't want to be asking around, given the culture of the city. And it's seeming emptiness was also good news, not only for being a break from the thick throngs of crowds she had to push through to get there but because it might mean that there were still open spaces. She could see some of what she presumed to be the fighters showing off around the lobby area, drawing a lot of attention and adulation. Not something she particularly desired, but being a literal unknown probably meant she wouldn't get so much of it, which was fine by her. Unless I start winning…but I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there.

She had to walk a bit of a ways through a hallway to get to the proper registrations area. And the first challenge was that THIS spot wasn't empty; there were quite a few digimon hanging around, enough that she actually did wonder if she missed the mark. But as her eyes traveled towards the rather large ent digimon, Cherrymon, she noticed that he himself was unoccupied…meaning that these ones either weren't there to register, or already were and were just around to scope out their competition. Which meant she wanted to make sure she put on her strongest impression…a quick shift to Ionfalkemon helped quell her nerves and showcase more of her real potential. Perhaps a little risky, they might be better prepared for her…well, she'd wouldn't have the element of surprise that long either way, so she took a deep breath and put on her most confident stride inside.

Of course, eyes were drawn to her. Of course, there were whispers, more than a few of them derisive. She expected all that, like it or not, and did her best to ignore it. But one thing was going her way, as a smirk graced her beak: Cherrymon was immediately nervous and uncomfortable towards her, shrinking away even with a table between them two of them. He really is as much of a pushover as Blackreptimon said. She reached the table and smacked her hand with the scroll down on it. "Oy, leafhead. I want a spot."

Cherrymon swallowed. "Ah…w-well, I mean…y-you're…m-my apologies, ma'am…I mean…I shouldn't, ah, I mean…you're, uh, I'm supposed to…"

"Jeez, you wanna spit it out already?" That's right, keep the pressure up. Don't let him get comfortable or he might grow a spine.

"…M-miss, uh…I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"You'll get my name when you put it down on the fighters list. Check it." She unrolled the scroll and showed Cherrymon. "A demand to adhere to the official rules of the ACL, regardless of what that twit birdbrain thinks he's gonna pull. And trust me, you DON'T want to cross the Kaiser's special dispensation." That was one she could say with confidence - when the Kaiser got involved in matters like that, he made sure they carried through. Of course, this wasn't actually one of them, but Cherrymon hopefully didn't know that.

"I…uh…erm. Th-that…that's a…w-well, I…I suppose that, ah, complicates matters…er, yes, I suppose that this, uh, is pretty…definitive, I guess…b-but there is a standing order-"

"A standing order that's nonsense, and against league regulations anyway. So what's the hold-up?"

"Hah! Listen to this dumb chick think she can hang with us!" guffawed an Apemon with a nasty huff. "Just go back to your male to where you belong! Ain't no place for a pretty face here."

"This 'pretty face' will turn you into mincemeat if you don't watch your tongue," Ionfalkemon fired back, glaring at the goon. "I'd tell you to talk to the other guys I've taken on, but there aren't many of them left alive to warn you."

"Oh, yeah, sure, I'm sure you're just icing people left and right," a Gawappamon quacked derisively from the other side of the room. "Wait'lla real guy comes and puts you in your place, on your knees groveling for mercy. All that bitchy bluster ain't gonna take you anywhere! Bet you've never even touched the inside of a tourney ring!"

"Why should that matter? Fighting is fighting. And you'd better believe I know how to fight."

"Ugh…you newbies," groaned a Mummymon from the corner. "Why can't you start at an appropriate level? They don't have unlimited slots for fighters here, you know. Fight in some locals, get an actual feel for things, rather than thinking you're some hotshot that can win it all against vets who've been doing this for years."

Ionfalkemon folded her arms, looking at Mummymon square; he at least wasn't talking down to her because of her gender, so perhaps he wasn't one of the problematic ones. "Please, I know they desperately try to grab locals to fill spots in this shindig. I'm not taking any spot that wouldn't be taken by some jerkass Hagrande yokel anyway."

"…I suppose that's a point I have to concede," replied Mummymon.

"Watch your mouth, bitch, or maybe we'll need to shut it for you!" snarled Apemon.

"You're nothing!" agreed the Gawappamon, also clearly taking it personally. "You need your precious Kaiser to give you permission even!"

Ionfalkemon just gave a sharp laugh to that. "Permission? Nah, you don't understand. This is a THREAT. To make sure you idiots stay in line and can't bar me from competing because you're too scared that a girl will humiliate you in front of everyone by showing you up in your silly little war games."

"Oy, don't talk down ACL like that!" protested a Kangarumon. "This is serious stuff, you gotta be at the top of your game! If you don't like it, you shouldn't get involved!"

"I have reasons to get involved, nothing you need to know about. But you want serious stuff? Try having to take on entire armies with just a handful of buddies. THAT'S serious stuff. Hard to call this more than that, don't you think?"

"Tch, what a big bird bitch with a big bird bitch beak," snarled a stance-modded LoaderLeomon with an unusual green color. "Bet she's never been in real combat in her life, just yapping about it like she knows everything! You won't last thirty seconds in match one, and then we'll make sure you have to apologize to ALL of us!"

"She's clearly not bluffing," countered a GrapLeomon near LoaderLiomon, who didn't seem particularly thrilled to be next to him. "I know a warrior when I see one, and that's a warrior all right."

"Feh, what do you know? You're probably one of those manlets who doesn't have the real ALPHA in him. Kick her out, she doesn't belong here!"

"Why don't you prove that in the ring?" Ionfalkemon challenged. "Or are you too scared to actually face a woman who'll actually fight back against you? Pretty pathetic if the only way you can 'get' a woman is if they can't attack you, don't you think?"

"WHAT?! You shut your beak, bitch!" LoaderLiomon tried to lunge towards her, making her grab her spear and ready a battle stance, but GrapLeomon nabbed him and pulled him back. "Let me go! She needs to be taught a lesson!"

"Lay a hand on her and you'll never fight in a tournament again," GrapLeomon snarled back, making LoaderLiomon flinch. Reluctantly the machine digimon backed down, but he was still glaring daggers at Ionfalkemon.

"Hm…interesting…" a Dinohumon leaning against the back wall spoke up. "Unflinching in the face of an obvious threat…there's more to this one than meets the eye. We could use some female representation here, I think…this tournament has a rather miserable reputation as it is, lacking all the regular female fighters and many of the usual stars because they don't want to be associated with it."

"She's still a newbie," countered an Andromon. "You can't really think she's Gam Rona level? There's still major players here!"

"Everyone has to start somewhere, right? Why not start with a splash if the opportunity arises?"

"She'll start with a crash and burn like she deserves!" yelled Gawappamon, still not willing to let anything go. "Just watch! Fight me, bitch, I'll prove you're nothing!"

Ionfalkemon wasn't normally one to humor juvenile goading like that, but she was getting a bit tired of this chatter, and of him in particular. She faced him down, folding her arms. "All right, fine. If you're going to be like that, then I'll give you a taste. I'll even let you throw the first punch."

"Huh?" Gawappamon clearly hadn't expected that, and seemed to have blue-screened.

"C'mon. I'm giving you permission." Unlike most of the women you've probably hit in your life…not that you'll be hitting me. "It's not rocket science, give me your best shot."

"Don't do it, it's a trap," warned a Yasyamon near Gawappamon.

Gawappamon, however, let his pride get the best of him, and shook off the indecision. "Big mistake, bitch! Taste my championship fist!" He rushed at her, a bit quicker than expected and the small room left very little time to react as he reared his fist back and slung it forward. He was in no way prepared for Ionfalkemon to catch his fist and stop it cold…nor for her to loose an electric shock that made him quack in agony, or the taloned kick between the legs that got him reeling, and certainly not for the roundhouse Lightning Talon that hurled him into the wall at top speed, his body making a satisfying against the hard wall before falling into a heap.

"Holy crap!" Apemon seemed to have suddenly lost his nerve, backing away quickly. Several others had also gotten the yips, though a fair number of the fighters seemed to take more interest…Ionfalkemon was starting to get a bit of a mental filter for who was from outside and inside. Too bad I'm probably priming them a bit…well, I'd probably only have the element of surprise for one battle anyway.

Gawappamon did eventually sit up, looking very woozy. "Oooiii…did someone get the name of that Trailmon? Turn off the room, I wanna get off…"

"Yeah, it was called the 'I absolutely deserved that and more' Express," replied Yasyamon unsympathetically.

Ionfalkemon turned back towards Cherrymon; the ent digimon was quivering quite a bit now, clearly fearing a repeat performance directed at him. "We done with the theatrics now? Shouldn't be this complicated, buddy. How many other fighters need to actually show something to prove themselves?"

"I…er…y-yes, I…I suppose…there's no real reason to refuse this…erm, the official rules do not…disallow such things…ah, still, I…I would ask you, uhm, not bring this to the, ah, attention of…V-Valkyrimon…"

"Wouldn't dream of it." He's going to find out anyway, you woody wuss. "The name's Ionfalkemon. Don't be surprised if it's near or at the top of the standings when this is all over."

"You are SO overrating yourself, newbie," Mummymon remarked.

"Let's let her performances decide that, shall we?" argued Dinohuman.

Cherrymon hastily scribbled that down, looking like he wanted to just get her out as fast as possible. "Y-yes, you are…all registered, ma'am. Uhm, I suppose I should review the rules…ah, G-gam Rona is structured in…or perhaps the basics would be…there are matches and…winning makes you advance, and, erm-"

"Oh, for the love of-grow a goddamn trunk, will you?" GrapLeomon burst out in frustration. He suddenly stormed up to Ionfalkemon, and started rattling off the rules like he was the one in charge instead. "It's a tournament of 64, single elimination, two battles per surviving challenger per day, which means three days total. The field will be cut to 16 the first day, 4 the second, and champion crowned the third. Battles are free-form, everything within your natural abilities is allowed. No battles will cause you any permanent damage, though you'll feel like it will while in the ring. Battles are won by knockout or concession, tap your fist three times to concede to your opponent. No leaving the ring until the battle is over and the bell rings. If you attack anyone seriously outside the ring you're immediately disqualified. During the tournament all fighters will be housed in designated fighter's quarters, and after all the matches of the day have ended you are to return to those quarters, and you're expected to stay near the stadium for promotional purposes on all three tournament days. Any equipment outside that naturally available to you is prohibited unless previously vetted and authorized by official ACL staff, and substances which would enhance performance of any kind are strictly banned. Did you get all that?"

Ionfalkemon nodded. "Loud and clear, thanks. I assume these quarters are connected to the stadium?"

GrapLeomon nodded. "They are. You'll be able to see pretty quickly once you're out, the walkway to them is just north of here. There'll be some guards who'll help get you there at the end of the day, it gets stupid chaotic after matches."

"I'll keep that in mind." Ionfalkemon nodded to him. "Good luck out there."

"You too. You'll need it, if this is your first time…you've clearly got something, but it's a whole different beast in that ring, you won't be ready for it until you're there."

"She won't be ready for it at ALL," huffed LoaderLiomon, still looking quite sore. "Don't cry when you lose right away, bitch, or do, look as pathetic as you ought to."

"It's pretty obvious who looks the most pathetic here," Ionfalkemon shot back as she headed for the exit. "You'd better count yourself lucky if you don't get to lose to me." She didn't wait for a response, the heckling was grating on her even if she was countering it. And she was putting herself through days of this…but she reminded herself what it was for. The security of the Catalyst…and even if she didn't win, she had to get a sense of who else might, in hopes she could get through to them if they were the more upstanding sort. There's definitely fighters here who aren't of the same mind as Valkyrimon and his devotees. If I can't win directly, maybe one of them can, and I can find a way to get them to turn the Catalyst over. But…if I'm here, the most reliable option is to win. And there may be some toughies there, but they don't know what it's like when it's REALLY all on the line…I'm gonna have to treat every one of these matches like it's life or death, even if it isn't, because that's what'll bring out the best in me.

—

"Incredible…absolutely incredible!" It was only one of many superlatives Derek had heard from Gallantmon over the course of his explanation of what had happened in the human world…hopefully the last as he'd finally finished his recap, as it was starting to get a bit awkward being so effusively praised by someone who had been fighting at least fifty times as long and probably far more effectively. "Had you given me a thousand years, I wouldn't have come up with a prediction even close to how things have gone over there…none of us ever considered for a second that such a thing would be possible as you and our Zetta Unit joining forces in the most literal sense."

"I guarantee you you aren't the only ones. I just hope they're going to hold out all right over there…at least we have forces ready, and some digimon leading them, but who knows what they're going to be up against?"

"Emperius has been frustratingly difficult to predict," sighed the knight. "Their behavior since Craniummon fell…it's been unlike anything we've gone up against with them."

Derek bowed his head. "Gallantmon…do you know the name Havocravenmon?"

"…I'm afraid not, no. Is that relevant to their change?"

"I have to imagine so. He's their new leader, after Craniummon…and everything we've heard about him suggests that he's a lot more of a schemer and manipulator, rather than a charge-ahead-without-thinking type. If you've heard any rumors about things going on that seem like they're brewing trouble, it might be his handiwork…we were hoping to try to disrupt his plans and organize against him more."

"I see…if only we'd known. But we never were able to get a better bead on Emperius after Craniummon fell…most likely because a certain someone was making it significantly harder to do so."

Derek was quiet for a moment. "Gallantmon…can I ask…what, uh, Dynasmon meant when he said you had known the pain of betrayal?"

Another sigh, this one deeper and more weighty. "It's a pain I feel to my core to this day. I have a brother, ChaosDukemon…he's…not exactly like me, unfortunately. He was chaos-touched…a darker variant than I am, and a rare sporadic occurrence. Sadly, they have an…unfortunate reputation, and even more unfortunately, it's hard to call it undeserved. In my experience, the vast majority of dark digimon are no more inclined to violence and evil than the vast majority of others…certainly including those of the light. But sporadic-born dark digimon, touched by the hand of chaos…they are. Their thoughts are wilder, their emotions are unsteady and lacking in empathy, and they tend to be very…self-oriented, and uncaring about who they hurt to do so."

That sounded familiar to Derek. "We have people like that on our side, too. Usually they're called 'psychopaths.'"

"Ah, I know that term. It fits them. That doesn't mean they can't be…directed the right way, but it tends to be harder to do so. But my brother…he'd been at least stable in the past. He didn't tend to be nasty or hostile for the most part, not nearly as bad as other chaos-touched I'd known. And he was quite strong…I thought, maybe the structure of the Knights of Liberty would help him, that being around people who were passionate about helping others would show him positive ways of thinking and behaving that he could use as anchors for himself…and, well, it's perhaps not the most, uh, correct way to think, but…I sort of hoped he could direct his more…unpleasant urges towards those that deserved it. I don't say that with any pride, but this is one of those 'horrors of war' that people don't like to talk about…"

"I'm not gonna judge. Honestly, it sounds like someone you'd rather have working for you than against you."

"That's putting it mildly. And I thought it was going well. He was with us for about a year, going out on missions with others, taking on Emperius and making them scramble to get away from him…I thought he was starting to see the upside of doing good in the world." Gallantmon shook his head. "I should have known better…I let my own emotions blind me when he started to act suspicious, a couple weeks before it happened. But I thought he was just coming around…he asked to be part of the scout force, saying he had a tip on some movements Emperius was making…I thought nothing of sending him out with Squadron Q, they were welcoming of working with him. You never know when a mission will go badly, but with him around, I thought they'd be in good shape even if trouble came around…"

"Only one person from Squadron Q came back - horribly injured, barely clinging to life. And she told a ghastly tale…they were about to reach the point of interest when ChaosDukemon suddenly turned on them. Ambushed them with a powerful paralyzing attack. And then…what he did to them…" Gallantmon's shudder let out a considerable rattle. "I…I won't poison you with the details, it…I can barely stand to think about them. But he didn't just kill them…he tortured them brutally, one by one, putting them through a hell that I cannot even begin to imagine. Did so with such callous cruelty…the one that returned couldn't get through describing it without having to stop several times. And the worst part of it, was that the only reason she lived…was because ChaosDukemon wanted her to go back and tell us what happened. Wanted to throw it into our faces…into MY face. To scar me with the knowledge that I was the one who sent them to their deaths." He turned his head down and away, sounding as forlorn and anguished as Derek had ever heard someone. "He had a chance to be part of a force for good in the world…and he violently rejected it, turning on it and firing without remorse. And their deaths are blood on my hands…I made it possible for it to happen. The chance I took…it was inexcusable. It wasn't my risk, it was the risk of anyone who I sent out with him…"

Derek was shaking a bit; even without details, it sounded horrific, and he was pretty sure he didn't want to know in any more depth than that. "…I'm sorry, Gallantmon. I didn't mean to open old wounds again…"

"You have no reason to apologize, Derek. This is a wound that will never close, and it just serves as a reminder that I can't afford to be loose in my judgment and blind in my trust. Glademon…his betrayal hurts even more, for how much longer he was with us and how much less reason there was to be concerned. He'd always been one of our most stalwart…I still can't believe he turned on us like that. Why? What would make him do such a thing?"

Derek certainly had no answers to that…he wondered if Blackcanismon would have any ideas, but something told him that was unlikely - not with the trust and esteem his partner had held Glademon in. "Maybe we'll find out at some point…if we keep up against Emperius, one of us is going to run into him at some point. And one thing I've noticed is that all of those assholes are too damn chatty…he might tell us without us even asking about it."

"There is a certain…bombast to many of them. But I'm afraid they're far from the only ones…being talkative tends to be a thing for digimon who consider themselves powerful, even the good ones can be like that sometimes. It's often a measure of disrespect for their foes, a belief that they can waste time talking rather than readying to protect themselves, because they don't think you can do anything to them. They don't tend to hide much, so you can find out what their schemes are…since they believe you can't do anything to stop them anyway."

"Hopefully we can prove them wrong." Derek stood up. "I think I should probably go check on Blackcanismon. I doubt he's feeling much better but maybe the shock's worn off enough…"

"I won't keep you. Derek…" Gallantmon rose up, giving the human a bow. "You're the first human I've ever had the chance to meet, and…I wish it was under better circumstances than this. But what you and your friends have been doing, for all of us, and especially for Zetta Unit…I don't think I have the words to properly express how much it means to us. You've endured an inexcusable burden for all our sakes, and I assure you, that will not go unrecognized. Anything I can do for you, you need only say the word."

Luckily, Derek wasn't the kind of person to abuse that kind of power. "Thanks, Gallantmon…I think…what we can use most is reuniting. If you can try to figure out where the others are…if you hear anything about unusual digimon showing up anywhere, that might help us get back in touch with them faster, so we can get into action faster. For now, I think that's the thing that matters most."

"Of course. I'll have people scouring the networks for information. We always used to say, whenever Zetta Unit was together, they could make miracles happen…it seems the same is true for the humans who are part of them now. The sooner you all are back together and able to keep that work going, the better for all of us."

But no pressure, thought Derek with a hint of tension.

—

The path to the fighter's quarters was, thankfully, as easy to find as advertised…which made up for the challenge of getting to it, with throngs of excited fans trying to get to some of their favorite fighters. None of them were paying much attention to Ionfalkemon, thankfully, but they were still massed around and making it plenty hard to push through. She contemplated just flying up and over them, but seeing some fans zooming around up there in a matter that could only charitably be described as 'reckless' put her off that, especially after seeing a mid-air collision that sent two straight down into the throngs.

Finally, though, she got through the entryway, and it was a lot quieter and calmer inside there, with guards and barriers kept out the rabid fans. She could actually hear herself think as she headed for one of the elevators, which was manned by a Sealsdramon. The cyborg warrior halted her as she approached. "Name."

"Ionfalkemon."

"…Right. Just got notice of your registration. Hold out your hand, please." Ionfalkemon did as instructed, and Sealsdramon held a device over it that gave a warbling beep for a few seconds, following ding. "All set. Your room is 317. It's data-string-locked, the encryption key has been passed to your data, only you'll be able to open the door except in the event of an emergency. Remember, you're required to remain on stadium grounds during the entirety of the tournament. Vendors will provide food and drink for no cost through a transfer module in your room. Doing promotion for fans is not required but is strongly encouraged. If you absolutely MUST leave, you must be accompanied by an ACL official, but there aren't many reasons this would be allowed."

Ionfalkemon nodded. "Right. Oh, question…the tournament starts day after tomorrow, right? Can I leave the grounds tomorrow?"

Sealsdramon nodded. "Yes, you can. You'll be barred from leaving after they've performed the abidance test, to ensure that you don't have anything illicit on or in you…that'll happen the morning of the opening matches. I'd recommend not leaving Hagrande, though, that would be liable to look suspicious."

"Got it. Thanks." Ionfalkemon went to the elevator, and up to the third floor. It was a touch of a walk to room 317, but it could have been worse, she saw doors even farther away. A wave of her hand, and the door opened, allowing her to walk in; once inside, it slid shut and locked behind her.

She had to admit, the accommodations did look pretty nice…then again, if this was where all the money in the city was going to, it certainly should have. A large, comfortable bed, a lot of room to move around, a vendor module on one side as promised, a terminal and a video monitor, and several other amenities, and, very thankfully, a private restroom. All good as far as Ionfalkemon could see…it was what she couldn't that gave her pause. She stepped to the center of the room and closed her eyes, trying to feel through the larger buzzes of the bigger machines. Fainter signals coming through…the upper corner above the vendor module. Under the bed. Near the ceiling above the video monitor. She visited each spot, and let loose an electric pulse, frying the bugs and cameras that had been set up. Only once she was reasonably sure the room was actually secure did she revert and separate into Iris and Shockavimon.

"You think they set those up for us specifically?" asked Iris as she stretched and rubbed her eyes.

"Doubtful. They've probably bugged every room in here." Shockavimon was still checking, but wasn't picking up on anything else, at least not within their walls. "This sort of thing is super common, to hear Sal and Breezy tell it…they're always trying to information broker to shady reporters. We're going to get enough attention for our public appearance, we don't need them to find out more about US."

"I guess. Though I wouldn't put it past creeps to want to peep on us."

"No, I wouldn't, either. But since they don't usually ALLOW female competitors, I doubt that's the main reason." The avian sighed and landed on the bed. "Sorry, Iris…this wasn't quite the adventure I was imagining when we got here. Kind of exactly the opposite, really. We're gonna be stuck here for a bit."

"I know…but it's going to be worth it," Iris asserted. "I could feel how you felt when you heard about that Catalyst being taken…with that and what you all have said about them, I'm convinced it's as important as anything to get it out of Valkyrimon's hands and back to safety."

"Yeah, we definitely can't let this go…still, it's going to mean it'll be a while before we reunite with the others. And who knows what Emperius plans to do in the meantime…I guess we have to hope they're gonna be reeling for a while." Shockavimon laid back, sounding unsure of herself…Iris was getting a feeling in her head.

"…You're not really worried about that right now, are you? You're worried about Valkyrimon."

A beat, then Shockavimon chuckled wryly. "I guess I deserve being on the other side of the 'too damn perceptive' thing here and there. Hearing that he's in charge here…knowing what he's like…half of me wants to confront him and the other half wants to run screaming away. He's going to know we're here…the only thing he DOESN'T know is who we are apart, and that's the only edge we have against him right now. Because if he learns it's me, there's no way he won't make a point of hunting us down. And if he's on the same level as Marsmon and Suijinmon, I'm not sure we're ready for that."

Not something Iris liked hearing…Shockavimon was who she relied on for her own confidence in the face of this mess. But she also had a better idea what they could match up against - better serious realism than ignorant confidence. "We'll deal with that if and when it happens. Just like we have everything else so far. But anything we can do to prepare ourselves would probably be a good idea."

"Mm-hm…and he's hardly the only one. We have to win six battles to get that Catalyst cleanly…anything short of that and we have to hope for a lucky break. And I'm REALLY not feeling like trusting luck these days."

"Do you think we can do it?"

"…I do. But we're definitely facing an uphill battle. These guys have all been doing this for a while, maybe years of some of them. No one here is going to be a pushover. But…they've probably not been fighting for their lives like I have, and like you have more recently. If we can beat those monsters…if we took down Ashinkaimon…we're capable of this."

There was the confidence Iris had hoped for. "Then let's do it. For the Catalyst, and to send a message."

Shockavimon nodded back. "Right. Whatever else happens, we can cut right to the heart of that asshole's pride. And I'll take any damage I can do, even if I don't get the chance for lethal damage." Though, there was certainly a part of her hoping that she would get the chance for that, even if wisdom dictated they didn't initiate.

—

Finding someone in the Knights of Liberty complex when one had never been there seemed like an impossible task to an observer. And had Derek been looking for anyone else, it most likely would have been…but he didn't need any help when it came to Blackcanismon. Their magnetism, preserved despite other interruptions, took care of that just fine.

It brought him to a barracks building, one of several on the compound, though this one seemed more upscale than the others. It was also dead silent, empty, desolate, and a multitude of other synonyms. Maybe this was the building for their elite unit that they said got totally routed by Emperius…I can't say that feels terribly comfortable to think about, but I think I have more pressing issues.

He walked the walls, letting his mind guide him, and then his ears as he started to pick up sounds. Sniffling, heavy breathing, tinged with an unveiled sadness…if that wasn't him, Derek didn't know what else it could be. And it was coming from a room nearby, where the door was hanging open, unlike most of the others which were shut tight. Gently he stepped inside, looking around…it reminded him of pictures of dorm rooms he'd seen, and was still a few years away from experiencing properly, but a bit larger. There were slight partitions on the floor, five in all…only one of which housed anyone. Blackcanismon's bed was more aptly described as a cushion, though it was a bit larger than Derek would have expected, giving him ample room to move around and being more than large enough for Derek to at least sit on. And laying there was the mon himself, head on his paws, eyes streaked with tears, seemingly only just in control of himself, and that wasn't guaranteed to persist. Derek didn't say anything at first, merely sitting down beside him and stroking over his fur…the touch seemed to noticeably settle Blackcanismon, not fully but enough for him to ease his breaths just a bit.

"Derek…" When he spoke, Blackcanismon was as quiet as Derek had ever heard him. "I…I need…to know."

"…We'll learn the truth, BC. We'll find out why he did it. And we'll make sure he pays for it."

"…That he would hurt me like that…that he would betray…everything we stand for…everything that we shared…" The canine took a shaky breath, and let it out even more unevenly. "I don't know…what to think anymore. Was it…was it all lies? From the start?"

Derek wished he had the answer to that question. He'd been wishing for a lot lately, it felt like…yet, it seemed the only things he got were the things he made happen himself. So I'm going to have to make sure we confront him. That we learn why. And that means we're going to have to be the ones to take him down. And I don't think I've ever felt like I've wanted to turn someone into mincemeat more than him…Glademon, for what you did to all of us, you'd better hope we have a shred of mercy left, or you'll regret that you ever drew breath.

---

Conceptually not really much difference between this chapter and its original counterpart. But it's certainly expanded on a good bit. Technically, there's a bit of rehashing going on, but only from the outside perspective - Blackcanismon was unaware of what happened to the KOL. Which miiiiiight come back to bite a certain someone…

The original pic did a pretty poor job of setting the stage for the revelation of Glademon's betrayal - I think he was mentioned one time before that point, which doesn't really establish the connection very well. In the remaster, he's mentioned directly or indirectly multiple times, which I think does a significantly better job of driving home the impact.

Also, subtly justifying having literally everyone yak to excess in any battle of any meaningful importance? Couldn't be me.

Custom mon behind-the-scenes:
-Hey, it's the original Canismon! The last of the core group in the Adventures fic, and the only one who here is not really at all like the original idea in terms of personality. Blackcanismon was an idea built off of Canismon, and in the remaster I actually made them a little more counterpartish, since Blackcanismon originally didn't have Starlight Strike as an analogue of Runic Strike. (Yes, I do like consistency, thanks for asking.)
-Blackreptimon is also a dark counterpart to an original, with said original only getting mild development in a fic idea I had which was going to have a darker tone involving the trauma of child soldiers. That one didn't go very far, due to just a general lack of ideas.