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.

27. Chapter 27: Capture And Escape

Just call me Regigigas, because man, am I off to a Slow Start this year. It's a bunch of things - work, stress, and the usual "brain hate focus" thing that happens every now and then. But I'm in a bit of a boom period, so hopefully I can catch up a bit.

---

Chapter 27 - Capture And Escape

—

"WHAT?! Are you serious?!" A gauntleted fist slammed onto the table as its owner rose up and a fury. "Pulling back on the humans?! What the hell are you even saying?! You think those pathetic little twerps are actually gonna get the best of US?!"

"Sit down." Havocravenmon betrayed none of his anxiety at being the target of that fury; he'd mostly gotten used to it, but an explosive rage from a powerful creature was something that it was still healthy to have a fear of. Blackwargreymon…a creature of sensational power and unfettered aggression, an ideal one to lead the charge into the fray, it was hardly any wonder that Havocravenmon had wanted him to be a general. But he was dangerous in another way, too - that aggression was combined with a disturbing lack of sense and judgment, and left to his own devices, he'd run his unit into the ground just as quickly as over the enemy. Which was why Havocravenmon was always careful to make sure he followed the proper directives.

Blackwargreyman glared at him, but sat back down, allowing Havocravenmon to continue. "Now, let's be clear. I have not and will not give up on the human world. But we need information, and throwing countless bodies after them isn't going to get it to us. And let's not forget, it's largely not humans besting us, but the traitors who are fighting alongside them…along with Zetta Unit and their…unprecedented workaround."

"Clearly, we erred in sending the rodent squadron." The sharp rebuke to no one present came from Kuzuhamon. Another easy pick for general, she was cold and calculating and had a penchant for coordinating personnel resources quite efficiently. Havocravenmon valued that deeply, but it always concerned him that she had no care for morale or satisfaction…he needed to be the one who helped mollify them when things were bad, because she wouldn't think twice about it. "They were less than worthless. That they would turn against us, I suppose I should have expected it…they have too much attachment to those weak forms, of course they would empathize with weakness."

"It was a solid plan," insisted Havocravenmon. "Get smaller digimon in there to hide away, gather intel, and make guerrilla strikes by shifting forms. We couldn't have foreseen them turning on us." Those ones, they were the ones that got to Havocravenmon…it hadn't been a surprise to him that the KOL 'defectors' hadn't all been genuine, nor had some of their least invested conscripts jumping ship been any shock, the only disappointment really was that their personnel had failed to off them when they had the chance. But a large chunk of their variable unit was either missing in action or had gone over to the humans, and he'd thought they were much more loyal than that. Even Shadowdramon…I thought he could never waver. What could they have done to him that would convince him to fight for their side? A power-seeker like him, he could never find it over there…

"I never trusted them. We're better of rid of them as it is. And I hope to have another chance to get rid of them, and soon."

"Well, how soon will depend on what information we can gather. We also need to know what they're doing to aid the humans…by this point, they have to have started to prepare some defense, even beyond those bombs. We don't know enough about how humans fight, I don't care if they aren't strong, they have numbers and we need to be ready for that."

"A solid line of thought as always, Commander." The endorsement came from NegaDuftmon, seated nearest to Havorcavenmon on the right. A dark version of a holy knight digimon, he had an air of grandeur that wasn't seen amongst any of the others, not even Havocravenmon himself. It was rare for him not to take that seat, even though none of them were bound to any particular one…he just liked to be there as support. Loyalty and diligence one couldn't find more of in anyone, NegaDuftmon was exemplary at taking Havocravenmon's orders and making them so. Yet, those same attributes were also troublesome in ways…NegaDuftmon was too sycophantic, failing to challenge Havocravenmon even when he wanted feedback, and woefully lacking in independent command.

"Feh…I don't know why you don't just have us all charge in and lay waste to those pathetic worms." The speaker here was Carcharomon. A tall, bipedal shark digimon, incredibly broad and muscular, wearing little more than a loincloth and spiked belts around his arms and legs…his appearance was barbaric, and his manner even more so. One of a variant of shark-like digimon, other variants used methods to restrain themselves, but not Carcharomon - his kind embraced the rage states native to their psychology, unleashing them in terrifyingly violent fashion to tear apart their enemies. Havocravenmon wondered if he was always in a low-grade rage state the way he sought blood almost all the time. He was very good at keeping others in line, but his rage states meant that he wasn't good at keeping himself in the same line…as much brute power as he had, though, at least on par with Blackwargreymon but much better in close quarters combat, he was another valuable front-line leader.

"Then you haven't been paying attention, Carcharomon." From Havocravenmon's left, the last of his generals, Zeedramon. An aqua-colored dragon digimon, bipedal with large wings, neon purple powered armor and a visor over his eyes, a somewhat triangular snout, and horn-like crests that were in a Z shape. "It's clear that taking our time to learn the scope of the situation will serve us better than charging in bull-headedly. Our Commander has met with great success by doing this, I see no need to break from it."

"Because it's BORING. And it doesn't advance our interests at all! We could be seizing power over there within a week!"

"Or we could be nothing but clouds of data because they had a weapon we weren't prepared for, even beyond those bombs. Exercising caution is the best course of action." And this was why Havocravenmon had wanted Zeedramon as one of his generals. Some might have questioned the choice - Zeedramon did not have the kind of edge that a lot of folks in Emperius did, he wasn't eager to shed blood and didn't display the fanaticism that many had. But what he had was a solid head on his shoulders, a quiet and measured temperament that knew how to keep from overdoing things, and who could back up Havocravenmon when he advocated for a judicious approach.

And when Carcharomon stayed quiet, it gave Havocravenmon a chance to take the lead again. "Listen, I understand entirely the impulse to charge in. The humans are, by all accounts, weak…they seem like they should be pushovers. But, we clearly have not had the success we thought we would. It's true that we underestimated Zetta Unit, but they aren't doing it alone…I don't know how much help they've had from humans, but there's no way they've done it without them, and not just the ones they're fusing with. And suborning some of our own…there's more to them than meets the eye."

"You aren't suggested we keep them alive now?!" growled Blackwargreymon.

"Well, I'm certainly not advocating for letting their numbers overrun ours. But think about it this way…if there's some way by which we can use them, would it not make sense to use them as much as we can? There are some who are power seekers over there, they might even be induced to our side, much as they induced ours. Imagine the insights we could get from them, secrets about what they can do to us, ways we can make them submit to us…"

"I would feel less than proud of needing the help of humans to beat humans," remarked Kuzuhamon.

"And putting pride before reason is the last act of countless death signatures the world over," countered Zeedramon.

"Hmph. I suppose I can't argue against that. A lack of pride and honor got the tainted ones to stoop so low, and they have been infuriatingly persistent."

Havocravenmon nodded. "It's been exceedingly problematic. But…perhaps there is a way with them, too. I don't think they're immune to being suborned themselves."

"You think you're gonna get them on OUR side?!" exclaimed Carcharomon in shock. "Are you crazy? Did you forget these are the damned Zettas?!"

"The Zettas are indeed quite formidable in many ways. But, they are not monoliths. I have inside information on them, and no less than four of the five have histories which are exactly what we are trying to brand ourselves with. A refuge for the strong, maligned by the weak, here to prove that we are the ones who deserve to stand at the top and exact our revenge against those who cruelly attacked us and held us down…the bird suffered a history of abuse. The dragon fled his hometown after being shunned and mocked. The robot exiled himself from Mechalopolis after an attack by cruel goons. The canine is a Dark-type, and has borne the pain of hostility just as I have. Despite their loyalties, the right entreaty, especially if it may give them what they have been missing, could lure them in…and the humans, I would have to imagine, would simply go along with them."

"What about Salmandmon?" asked Kuzuhamon.

"…That one, he remains an enigma. My source did not mention anything that we didn't already know about him. Yet, I know Craniummon had come up with some insight…" Havocravenmon's brow furrowed. "I just wish he'd told me what it WAS."

"I'm sure you'll be able to find out, Commander," NegaDuftmon assured him. "If anyone can, it's you, you were able to get into his head unlike anyone else." That line again…Havocravenmon had heard it a fair bit, but he wondered if it really was a good thing, considering what Craniummon's head was like. Still, at this point, he needed to try, one last time, because the entire fate of Emperius could very well have hinged on it…one only needed speak to the Sanataros to know what he could do when faced with seemingly impossible odds…

—

[Interface reset commencing. Datacarno . mon to resume normal system operations.

[System check…all systems status normal.

[Warning: Explanation for previous loss of consciousness unidentified. Continue?

[ -Yes

[Resuming normal system operations, please wait…

Slowly, all of Datacarnomon's senses came back online. His head was still fuzzy…it had been a while since he'd had a crash like that. As things clicked back into place, he found he was laying on a hard, semi-sandy ground, under a hot sun. He didn't feel like he was hurt in any way, but he wasn't sure why he had conked out…he hadn't even done that on the first transfer, and there he had taken a rather nasty fall.

Ugh…must be the Northern Tetraquaz wastes. Lovely place to end up in. Mmph…gotta check on Ike, he might've-GAH! The robot was jolted out of his thoughts by a buzz in his head. The hell was that? Felt like a Flymon buzzing in my head…

He slowly picked himself up, looking around him…and that was when he realized there was a disconcerting lack of anything else around him. Including the person that mattered the most. What the hell? Where's Ike? Where's everyone else? Don't tell me I got separated! Oh, damn, I REALLY hope something didn't go wrong with the transfer and he ended up in a totally different world or something…okay, okay, no paranoia, I just gotta start WITH THE BUZZING! Once again his thoughts were rocked by that unpleasant buzz…it was like something straight into his head, though he wasn't getting any warnings from his inner feedback systems to indicate that anything was wrong or trying to intrude.

Wait. Straight into my head…is that Ike trying to connect with me? Could…the transfer have disrupted our telepathy? Hoo boy, I hope THAT doesn't take long to rectify…might be the only way I find him. Wait, unless that psychic magnetism thing still works…maybe that's fuzzy right now, too. Or maybe he's too far away for it to trigger. Well, this is just FANTASTIC…okay, Data, calm down. There are options here. I know there's a safe place I can go, the KOL compound. I can work on an action plan there. Just need to get there…internal maps are still loading, but it won't be long.

He decided to take stock of his surroundings while he was waiting for the maps to load…but that soon was forgotten as he turned around. In most directions, the wasteland seemed to stretch endlessly with not many features of note…but not in one particular direction, where there was what appeared to be an enormous metallic structure rising out of the middle of nothing.

Oh, you have GOT to be fragging kidding me. Datacarnomon laid a hand on his head. Freaking Mechalopolis? I needed this like I needed a hole in the head. Is this the universe punishing me for not making enough bets? Or making too many? Or winning too many? I don't think I made THAT many over in the other world…on the other hand…if there's anything there that I can use to find the others more quickly…and there IS a Catalyst there…dammit. I can't take the chance of not trying, I have to at least see. Maybe someone will be there who won't remember me and I don't have to answer any awkward questions. I don't have to spend any longer there than I want to…

All that didn't make it any less nerve-wracking to start the long walk towards the imposing-looking city in the distance. And it didn't get any more welcoming the closer he got…in fact, possibly less so, as he started to notice more and more weaponry on the walls protecting the city as well as on the buildings which towered over said walls. Jeez…I knew it was bad here, but not THIS bad. They look like they're expecting to be under siege any moment. And somehow I doubt that's meant as a protective measure against Emperius…

That unpleasant feeling was gnawing at him as he approached one of the wall entrances, which was being guarded by two digimon, and Armormon and a Giromon. Both of whom had their gazes trained on him as he approached, and not in a friendly fashion…he hadn't gotten such a nasty vibe from anyone in a long time. Either things had gotten REALLY bad here, or someone did remember him and didn't like what they remembered. Not that he would have blamed them…

As he neared, both of them trained weapons on him. "HALT RIGHT THERE!" shouted to Armormon harshly, yet almost aggressively mechanically, making Datacarnomon raise his hands.

"Whoa, whoa, hey! Easy! I used to live here, I'm not here to cause trouble-"

"Shut it!" Armormon cut him off. "I don't care if you 'used to live here.' You're an outsider until determined to be non-hazardous! You have no connections to any legal robot within Mechalopolis, submit to the scanning or suffer the consequences!"

"What…the heck do you mean, 'legal robot'?" That wasn't a term that filled Datacarnomon with much in the way of confidence, for sure, nor was the way Armormon was speaking - it sounded almost like he was speaking off of a script. "Look, I have a registry that should still be active in the personnel databases, it might read as dormant since I've been gone but-"

"Cease your deceptions!" hissed the Giromon. "Evasion of the security checks is tantamount to a confession of guilt! Your attempts to sully our wonderful robotic utopia will be doomed to failure! Admit the truth of your organic obfuscation now and save us all the trouble!"

"Whoa, hey, what the hell are you talking about?" snarled Datacarnomon. "First off, I'm literally a Datacarnomon, look it up in your databases, we're 100% robotic. And second, wonderful robotic utopia? What the hell is that nonsense? This place is supposed to be for everyone, robots and the like are just the main residents!"

"You're already getting on my bad side," rumbled Armormon. "This is OUR city, and subversives like you are the reason it's been degrading into obsolescence! We have spent for too much time defragmenting and culling unnecessary material from the system, so that we can make this a proper city for the mechanical kind. Intruders will not be allowed to wreck this!"

Datacarnomon was starting to feel like he really wanted to be anywhere but there. Clearly, Mechalopolis had gotten REALLY bad since he'd left…this was a matter that seemed like it needed to be undone as soon as possible, but he really didn't have the time or the weaponry to do so. "Look, I'm not here to 'wreck' anything. I'm searching for friends outside of Mechalopolis and I just want to run a large-scale scan. I'll be in and out, you'll never even know I was here."

"If you even want to set foot in Mechalopolis, you'll need to submit to the security protocols," commanded Giromon. "Including the initial check. Armormon, scan him!"

Armormon stepped forward, and Datacarnomon warily allowed him to wave the strange device near him. It was such a ridiculous notion, they could have just looked up his species profile in the database, it would have saved everyone a lot of time and effort over this security theater…he wasn't at all ready for the device to start emitting a high-pitched screeching sound as it got near him.

"Subversive detected!" roared Giromon, and Datacarnomon suddenly found himself zapped with something that blocked all his voluntary movements. He was helpless to do anything as the doors opened and two Mekanorimon charged forth to snatch him up. "Take him in and keep close track of him! He's an organic impersonating as a robot to commit terrorist atrocities in Mechalopolis!"

"Y-you gotta be kidding me!" protested Datacarnomon.

"Shut up! You oughta be deleted for your crimes against robotics!" declared Armormon. "Our leader will make sure you get punished for your crimes! Better be ready to kiss the waking world goodbye, scum!"

Datacarnomon had no recourse as the Mekanorimon marched him inside the city walls. For a place that he didn't want to come back to anyway, he was getting perhaps the worst possible welcome…and he didn't know how he was going to get out of it in the state he was in. Unless someone figured out where he was and could come to him, this was going to be REAL trouble…

—

Isaac's head was not feeling great as he came to. And the real problem was how quickly that sank down on the list of problems he had as he became more aware of his surroundings…and how big that list got in short order.

He had clearly been out for an indeterminate period of time, which was pretty bad in its own right. He was now inside someplace completely unfamiliar - everywhere was going to be unfamiliar to him, to be sure, but inside was the real problem, because he was fairly sure the chances of him having popped into a small, bare stone room with one barred door like this were within a rounding error of zero. On top of that, he was alone, none of the others being anywhere near around him - not even Datacarnomon, who he tried to send a telepathic signal to and got nothing in response. Oh, and there was the small matter of the manacles on his wrists and ankles, attached to chains that were attached to the wall.

…Reyn was right. Our luck is dog turds. Would it have really been too much to ask for things to wait, I dunno, a DAY before going to pot?

All things considered, it was proving difficult not to panic, but Isaac forced down the emotion and tried to focus on the situation as rationally as possible. Clearly, he wasn't in a great position, but he had tools at his disposal…he might not have been prepared for absolutely anything, but he wasn't UNprepared, either. Still, trying to figure out what was going on before resorting to more drastic measures was perhaps a better idea…

"Hey…HEY! Anyone out there?" Calling out was risky, but reason dictated that if whoever had locked him up had wanted him dead, he already would be. They had to have him captive for a reason…probably not a good one, but he'd get to that when he got someone to talk to. And that wasn't going to be long, judging by the sound of clanking footsteps getting close to him. Whoever it was was certainly armored, but sounded to be relatively light on their feet…maybe not too tough, potentially could be taken if he had the need to…

The door creaked open, and Isaac got his first look at one of his captors, a blue-scaled dragon digimon with red-and-yellow armor. Flamedramon. Okay, that's…feasible, maybe. But not while I'm like this. Hopefully he's friendly…or at least friendlier than that expression suggests. The glower he was getting wasn't filling him with boundless confidence, nor that aggressive strut towards him that suggested like he wanted to attack. And here I'm stuck with a shield program that's flaky and sucks…great times.

"Okay, human, time to listen up." The Flamedramon's voice was sharp, cutting, no-BS, not unlike some of the stricter teachers Isaac had had. "This is how it's going to go. You're gonna tell me who you're working for and how many of you there are here. Fail, and you might just find your remaining lifespan to be measured in minutes. You get what I'm saying, or do I have to spell it out more than that?"

"Loud and clear." Isaac said it with a bit of his own bristle. Oh, he already did not like this guy.

"Tch. If you really got it, I'd be hearing more than that. Out with it, who do you work for?"

"Dude, chill. I don't 'work for' anyone. I'm here because Emperius has been attacking our world, and I'm supposed to be out there helping to take them down so they don't do any more damage."

"Hmph. And what gives you the right to invade OUR world in response?"

"Inv…what? First off, I was invited. And secondly, you think I don't have a right to protect myself and the people I care about?"

"You sure as hell don't have the right to come after US! To just waltz in here and start shooting whoever you feel like! Why did you invade Yegemra Fortress? We have nothing the hell to do with Emperius!"

"I don't know what you're-" Isaac froze suddenly. That name shouldn't have sounded familiar, but…wait. When Data was telling me about some of the issues they'd had…he mentioned that they'd had an issue with a place called Yegemra Fortress. Trying to defend them and then being accused of being attackers. If that's where I am… "What do you mean, 'invade'? I just freaking woke up, you're the first person I've seen in this world!"

"Don't try to get cute with me, human. If you weren't invading, then why did you drop into the middle of our grounds?"

"…I did? I don't remember that."

"We apprehended you immediately, before you could wake up and cause more trouble than you already did by showing up. How did you get past our defenses?"

"I…didn't. Unless you count transferring from my world without any actual sense of direction as something like that." Which I get the feeling you do, he thought darkly - these people seemed to be paranoid as all hell, treating his unceremonious appearance as a willful invasion was pretty high on the nutter scale. And the idea that this might just a misunderstanding that was cleared up in a hurry was pretty laughable at this point.

"You think I'm gonna buy that?" snarled the Flamedramon. "I've heard all about you humans. How you go after whatever you want no matter who it hurts, how you'll throw worlds into war without a care for the collateral damage! I'm not even sure Emperius isn't doing us all a favor by wiping you pests out! If you think you're gonna spread your filth all over OUR world, you'll find out in a damn MOMENT that we aren't gonna stand for that! We'll crush you the moment you even try!"

Isaac would have liked to dispute that, but the charges the Flamedramon was laying against humanity weren't wholly without merit…still, that wasn't helping the current situation at all. If he sympathizes with Emperius, then I don't think there's going to be any reasoning with him. I just need to make sure I get him out of here without char-broiling me. "If you think Emperius isn't going to do the exact same to you the moment they can, you're either an idiot or a candidate. Either way, I'm not interested in telling you anything."

The Flamedramon's eyes lit up dangerously. "You must not know what I'm capable of, human. If you want a demonstration, you'll get one, and you'll have only seconds to regret it."

"Go ahead. I'm sure having no information about what's going on will get you super far in your counteroffensive. No idea what we're capable of, no idea what our plans are, no idea who else is around who might be setting things up right now…I'm sure your bosses will love that you cut out their one and only source of information."

That was an incredibly dicey card to play, but Isaac knew he had precious few options…the appeal to the Flamedramon's paranoia seemed the only way to get him to back down. And though he didn't look happy about it, he did step back, baring his fangs at Isaac. "Maybe a few hours of isolation will get you realizing you aren't getting out of this, worm. And you'd better be a LOT more forthcoming next time I get here, because if you're not going to be a source of information, you're going to be a source of fuel." The dragon stomped out loudly, dragging the door closed behind him in as much of a slam as he could muster. Isaac was alone again…and, for once, that was to his advantage.

A few hours of isolation…I think that's just what I need. You screwed up, bud…you probably thought I was just an ordinary human, didn't have anything I could do. But I've still got all my tools at my disposal…and I think I have an idea of how to get myself out of this, at least as far as this room.

His arms didn't have a lot of room to move around, but they did have enough that he could angle his arms at the chains and manacles. And that was all he needed to get himself free…but he had to be careful. The chains looked like a solid blast from his cannon function would break them, but that would certainly draw a lot of attention, almost certainly too much too quickly. And while he might have been able to subdue Flamedramon, that wasn't going to help him against the rest of this place…his only hope was stealth, and even that was going to be dicey, they probably had all sorts of systems in place to track people. Still, if that was his only shot, he had to at least try to start off that way…

Fortunately, he didn't need a blaster. He had another tool. With a few thoughts, he shifted into existence a laser module - something he'd installed in specifically as a utility more than anything, a short-range beam meant to either cut or weld, depending on how he tuned it. Not powerful or ranged enough to be very damaging to any digimon, but he had other ways of dealing with them. He angled his arm so that the laser could target what looked like the most degraded chain links he could reach, and triggered the laser to start working. The beam shot out, pulsing to life and crackling a bit against the metal. He focused for several seconds, seeing a little bit of progress, and then a little more…it was bit by bit, but he felt a welling sense of triumph seeing one of his preparations come to fruition.

At least, until the laser died after about 20 seconds. Oh, god dammit. What now?

Inner diagnostics, something Isaac had always wanted. And he was reading into them now…and breathed a sigh of relief. It was nothing more than just an overheating…he hadn't really had a chance to test it under a lot of sustained operation. At least it wasn't busted, an automatic failsafe had triggered, and he just needed to let it cool for a couple minutes. Still, the damage to the link was not trivial…it was going to take a bit longer to get out than he had anticipated, but he clearly had a bit of time.

Though I'd like to get out as fast as possible anyway just so that I can get more comfortable. Isaac shifted a bit, then winced as he felt himself sit on something rather hard that he hadn't noticed before. And figure out what the hell is in my pocket…I don't remember putting anything in there when I left…

—

Mechalopolis's Central Command. A modern technological marvel among technological marvels. It was the centerpiece of Mechalopolis, a fixture in the massive city of machines, a miniature fortress in its own right. The full force of the official military could be housed within its sublevels, and the amount of analysis and battle processing that could be done by the machinery within was unparalleled in all of Tetraquaz, and would have rivaled all but the most advanced analogues on other continents. And Mechalopolis's leadership was also housed here - unsurprising, giving that they were the leader of the army as well. The High Commander of Mechalopolis, meant to be the most respected and influential person in the entire city.

For someone who had once eagerly desired the position, it felt like a cruel mockery now, possessing neither of those values.

The robot that stared out the window over the streets of Mechalopolis looked powerful enough. A robotic, bipedal crocodilian robot, with a broad body packed to the brim with weaponry, possessing enough raw physical power to knock over a building in most other cities, his entire being a masterwork of mechanical capability. And yet, he felt as empty and hopeless as the streets below, which barely contained more than a few passing robots, and his stoic appearance was as false as the illusion ceiling obscuring the sky above. What had once been a rather bustling city no longer was much of anything, and would continue to be less and less until there was nothing left…courtesy of the real power here, the real influencer, the one who only let him remain the face because he was too busy working on his latest project. It was his dream to see the city restored…a dream that, like many others, he felt, was just an invention of the mind, never to come into reality.

Though, something had happened that he had never expected…something that threatened to upend everything.

A buzz at the door, which slid open to allow a Guardromon in. "Sir. The Mekanorimon have brought the subversive."

"…Indeed. Send him in."

The Guardromon saluted, stepped out, and then herded in the 'subversive.' Datacarnomon was no longer bound by the stun effect, but it wasn't much better for him - his arms were locked down by cuffs, and there was a special collar around his neck to suppress his attacks. Very similar to the ones he and Isaac had made for the intruders in the other world, but much more advanced - he wasn't even trying to get out of it, he knew that was an exercise in futility.

The crocobot turned to face them. "…Guardromon. Please leave us. I will deal with this."

"Yes sir." The Guardromon saluted again and then marched out, the door sliding shut behind him. Silence reigned over the room, only the faintest of electrical buzzing audible within. Two robots, one larger, one smaller, one fully powered up and at the Mega level, the other seeming like he could be deleted by just a well-placed kick. Yet, Datacarnomon was the one with the aggressive gaze.

"…So. It's been a while, Datacarnomon."

Datacarnomon gave off a defiant growl. "You think you're just going to be all buddy-buddy with me, Technodylemon? After what I've just had to go through?"

"…I suppose that was a lot to hope for. Still, it's been…over nine years. You'd think after that long of a self-imposed exile, you'd be at least willing to open up to an old friend."

"You're not a friend, Technodylemon." Those words cut a little more than Technodylemon would've liked, even if he knew exactly why they were said. "Don't think I haven't seen what's going on out there. Barren streets. Weapons all over the place. Scarcely any sign of any organics to be found…even the cyborgs and androids. You know, the people who made up most of the population here. They were talking about cleaning things up at the gate, and saying that organics would 'sully' the place…" The smaller robot gave the hardest possible look one could give with panel eyes. Datacarnomon did know him…or at least, he thought he had. One of the few he really connected to back in the day, someone who had aspired to be part of Mechalopolis's leadership and to try to improve the city, seeing things he deemed problems that could be addressed with new ideas. Now he wondered what problems Technodylemon had really been focused on. "If this was your grand vision way back then, then we were NEVER friends."

"…The unwritten laws of Mechalopolis state that only pure robots may enter or leave. What has happened is an…unfortunate consequence of that."

"Unfortunate consequence?! Is that all you're going to label it as?!"

"Yes, it is." Such a flat declaration left Datacarnomon speechless, letting Technodylemon take the lead. "And you're in violation of that law. Though I don't believe that you actually are meant to be here to be a subversive, the fact is, you are."

"Pah! What is this nonsense? You can't seriously be as much of an idiot as those goons out there!" snapped Datacarnomon viciously. "If you really 'knew' me, you'd know that there's nothing but robot to me. We're cut from very similar panels, you know…we're both flex-metal robots, if you're trying to get me under that kind of nonsense, you're putting yourself in your own crosshairs."

"We were born similarly, yes. But our paths have taken very different trajectories, something I'm sure you're aware of. You have taken up with the outside world, while I've stayed within. It's only natural that they might have some…influence on you."

Datacarnomon's jaw dropped. "You cannot be serious. You CANNOT be telling me you buy into that thoroughly debunked nonsense of 'organic infestation'. YOU of all people!"

Technodylemon could understand Datacarnomon's disbelief. 'Organic Infestation Theory', for a VERY loose definition of theory, was the idea that pure robots could be 'infected' with organic tissue that would grow as if it was their own. It had been proven wrong time and time again, robot bodies were very inhospitable to such things, their very physiology just didn't make it possible…but there was just one slight problem, which Technodylemon was about to highlight, as he picked up a tablet and showed a readout to the smaller robot. "Read, please."

"Fine, you…" Datacarnomon didn't want to obey these instructions, but he did anyway. It was a sample analysis, complete with images…the profile indicated that the analysis of his body had turned up organic tissue. "So you found organic cells on me. I've been living around organics for years, there might be a bit of cell tissue here and there, it's not like I disinfect daily. That doesn't mean I'm 'infested.'"

"So I'm guessing you didn't read the part where this isn't surface material. It's suffused throughout your body, Datacarnomon. And it's not foreign…it has YOUR network attributor. In fact they didn't find any tissue that didn't."

"…That's…that's not possible. I'm a robot. I've always been a robot. And infestation theory is crackpot garbage."

"I've verified it with my own scans as we've been talking. You have no idea how diffuse it is within you, do you? Almost your entire body lights up. The organic matter is…odd, too. It doesn't resemble any I'm familiar with, and it's unexpectedly hardy…and it must not turn up in your internal diagnostics, which means your body considers it your own. There is no getting around this, Datacarnomon. You're the only example we've ever seen of organic infestation."

Datacarnomon couldn't believe it…it was impossible, it was absurd. It was…oh, no. It's not. Ike's gained inorganic components…why wouldn't I have gotten the opposite? Damnation…this is bad, this is really bad. I can't let them know what's going on. If they're this hostile to organics, the very notion that a human COULD merge with them and 'infest' them will drive them batty. Even if there's no way in hell that it would happen to them because that's a very specific thing to the five of us, these fanatics will use it to make extinction of the human race their number one priority.

Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy to get around it. "Now, Data…"

"Don't 'now, Data' me. We aren't friends."

"You might want to not rush to judgment on that. I can get you out of this. You can tell me how it happened, and what's going on with you…we can scan you more thoroughly to try to understand this, maybe even decontaminate you. If you have any information, we can use that."

"Forget it. This is all nonsense. I still don't believe you haven't cooked this all up as some sort of scheme to punish me for what happened in the past. As if I don't already feel like complete slag because of it, as if I haven't spent years trying to make up for it!" A little bit too much real emotion burst through there, and Datacarnomon forced himself to shut up and reel it back.

"…Well, we'll see if you really want to keep thinking that way." Suddenly the door opened again, and Guardromon marched in, on Technodylemon's unspoken command. "He hasn't been very forthcoming. He'll need to be contained."

"The stasis cells, sir?"

"Stasis cells?!" burst out Datacarnomon again. "Those are literally crimes against digi-kind! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Be quiet. No, standard incarceration. I still need to get him talking, about the things that matter. And that's not going to happen right now." Technodylemon turned away, and Datacarnomon was pulled out of the room by the Guardromon, to be handed back into the hands of the Mekanorimon…he accepted his fate with resignation, but vowed that he was going to make sure Technodylemon rued the day he seized power.

He was unaware that plenty of ruing had already happened. Technodylemon pressed a panel, and the window opened fully - something that it hadn't originally been designed to do. There was a perch outside, it didn't take long before a small robotic avian digimon perched on it. It was sleek, with wings that glowed brightly, and a bevy of blades down its back. "I got your message, sir. What's up?"

"Everything. This is it, SteelStarlingmon. This is the nexus point."

"…So. It's really about to happen."

"It is. All the work with the Delphi Project has led up to this moment. He has no clue, and I didn't give him any reason to think anything…I'm pretty sure he doesn't hate anyone in the world more than me right now. Just as it needs to be…you'll take the message to the others, right?"

SteelStarlingmon nodded. "Of course. Off-network, as always." Technodylemon nodded, and handed a piece of paper to the avian bot, who gripped it in the talons of one foot, careful not to slice it up. "Sir…I'm…scared. All the simulations…you know how they ended."

"I do. Even with him, everything ended in failure. We…have to be prepared for that. But…the faintest of hope remains. SteelStarlingmon…there's an unknown factor."

"…An unknown factor. Something the Delphi Project couldn't have accounted for. Still, we're hinging the hopes of our lives, of this entire city, on a mystery element that we don't know how it will impact anything."

"It's all we've got. And when you have any shred of hope, you cling to it like it's all that keeps you alive, because that might be the truth. The paper contains the plan. I've set things up so they should be able to make the spring. But…I wouldn't be lying if I didn't hope something else happened that we weren't prepared for." Technodylemon shook his head. "Ironic, isn't it…the fate of a city of machines, of efficiency and flawless operation, hinges on a disruptive element to throw everything out of gear."

"No wonder I'm scared." SteelStarlingmon nodded. "It goes against our very nature. And I pray that it works."

"As do I, friend…as do I."

—

Patience was a requirement when it came to machinery and coding. All sorts of things could go wrong, and often did, and one had to be able to pore over what had been done and try to fix it. Isaac was well aware of all of this; however, his temperament did not have a particular affinity for patience, and trying to maintain it was somewhat on the arduous side for him.

Still, it seemed that when his life depended on it, he could channel at least a little bit of that.

It was a task for hours, not minutes, and having an internal clock was only driving that point home to him. The first chain link didn't break until nearly an hour after he started. And a lot of that time was waiting for the laser to cool down…he was getting maybe 5 seconds of burst and 55 seconds of down time each minute, to keep things from getting out of hand. And the chains were tougher than he had hoped, he wasn't just going to easily break them after a bit of cutting, he needed to go the whole way. Still, when the first chain was finally severed, he was breathing a sigh of relief. Slow, yes, but it worked.

Of course, then he needed it to work three more times.

It went marginally faster with the next ones, largely because he was able to pick his targets better. With his metal arm freed, he had better ways of positioning his laser, and he was able to focus in on spots that would allow for a faster separation from his confinement. It still wasn't a fast process, but he did each of the next chains in a bit more than half the time of the first. The first step of his freedom was there after close to three hours, allowing him to stand up and stretch a bit. Doctor Maiman one, digital chains zero. But I'm not out of the woods yet. I definitely don't want to have these manacles hanging on me…I need the key to get them off. And Flamedramon won't be happy if he sees me free…I need to get the drop on him. And then there's plenty of 'after that' to think about…well, I need to get there first.

And that meant more patience, because nothing was going to happen until Flamedramon came back. But he could at least be ready for it…the plan was simple but solid, what would matter was his execution. But he'd done well enough so far, the next part was going to be a lot more straightforward.

It was again a matter of hours before he heard those clanking footsteps again, along with some muttering. "Blasted…would it have killed the creators to give us actual fingers on these stupid things?" Isaac had to fight to keep from laughing at the griping - those gauntlets of Flamedramon's certainly didn't seem very good for tasks like this. But he held it in, waiting for the door to open.

It took a minute, but Flamedramon opened the door finally. "A'right, you little maggot, let's see if your tongue…what?" The dragon's confusion was easy to understand - as far as he was concerned, he was looking at an empty room. "What? No! It's not…how did he…where…son of aaaAAAAGHH!"

Flamedramon slumped to the ground, out cold. Isaac dropped his cloaking, his arm protruding three tines which were buzzing with an eerie charge as he smirked down at his tormentor. "Guess you had a reason to be worried about me after all," he remarked smugly, even though Flamedramon wasn't awake to hear it…HE could hear it, that was what counted. But he knew Flamedramon wouldn't be out for long - the special stunner program was designed for a relatively short-term incapacitation, maybe ten minutes at most. Not a long time, but long enough for him to act.

With the keys available to him, Isaac was able to doff the heavy manacles and free his arms up properly. The next part was to get out of there…except, he realized, there was something else he could and should do first. After all, Flamedramon was going to wake up before too long, and he was going to alert this entire place over what had happened…if he was captured again, they wouldn't underestimate him twice. Fortunately, this was not a one-cell dungeon, and he happened to have the keys to the others on him now…

It was actually easier to carry Flamedramon to the adjacent cell than Isaac expected - not only could he actually lift the dragon bodily, he did so without more than a mild struggle. Dang, I feel like a heavyweight fighter right now…good thing, too, because I'm probably gonna have to scrap with a few digimon myself before all's said and done here. I'll take all the muscle I can get. He laid the limp form of Flamedramon on the ground, and set to work getting the manacles around the dragon's limbs, working off pieces of his armor to make it harder for him to pull off his own escape. By the time it was done, Flamedramon was locked up as tight as Isaac had been, his gauntlets and boots and helmet scattered around the cell, and, in an added touch, Isaac had locked one of the detached manacles from his old cell onto Flamedramon's snout, keeping him from making too much noise when he did wake up.

After that, there was just one thing left to do. With a wide grin, Isaac held out his metal-banded arm, which shifted to another module, with the appearance of some kind of scanner. An invisible beam emerged from the device, sweeping up and down over Flamedramon…Isaac felt a shiver as a surge of data flooded through him, decoding and recompiling and filling him with a new sense of power. He grinned ferociously as it finished, the new ability locked in: Flamedramon's Knuckle Fire. All right! This is exactly what I was hoping for. Use the powers of my foes against them…this is the kind of adaptability I've always dreamed about! Who knew I'd ever be able to do it, or that I'd have to actually use it in raw combat…well, that's where we are, so I'm gonna make sure I show 'em just why you never underestimate me!

Flamedramon was still out…Isaac knew he was maybe going a bit further than he should, but he still did want to actually test the output. He raised his arm, which glowed and shifted more fully, his hand altering shape as it became coated in metal…when it ended, the end of his arm was in a shape reminiscent of Flamedramon's gauntlet, though smaller. He could flex the claws like they were his own fingers, and felt startlingly natural. Damn, neural interface is hella adaptable. But let's see how the actual output looks.

Fire swirled around his reshaped hand, and he pulled it back and thrust it forward, launching out the fireballs right at Flamedramon. They were smaller than a standard Flamedramon's, but still packed plenty of that punch, and they hit the dragon square, making him grunt and knocking him back into awareness. About what Isaac expected, he doubted a fiery creature would be too badly affected by them, but it was the inner mechanisms he was more interested in…as he expected, there was a palpable energy expense, though not quite as bad as he had been anticipating. He'd have a fair few uses of it without recharging, it would make a good mix-up from his standard cannon. And anything that makes me a stronger combatant is good in a world and situation like this…I'm gonna have to get more of these.

He looked back over at Flamedramon, who was staring at him with a mix of fury and horror. He couldn't resist one last cheeky smirk. "Hey, you know, it was just such an ENJOYABLE stay, I had to make sure you knew for yourself. But I've got stuff to do, so I gotta split. See you hopefully never." He didn't wait for any kind of response, even a muted one, as he stepped out the door and closed it up, locking Flamedramon up in the cell. Someone would have to miss him eventually, he doubted Flamedramon would be in too much danger…but he also needed to make sure he got out of here without landing back in there. And that meant he had to figure out his way out of this place.

Of course, I don't have a map…I'm just gonna have to wing it. My cloaking should help, but…mm, there's no way they don't have other detectors. I'm gonna be in danger no matter what…well, nothing to do but hope for the best…oh, right, that thing in my pocket. He reached back and pulled it out, staring at it for a moment. A small mechanical device, hand-held, something that seemed oddly familiar but he couldn't place it…until he could.

This is…one of those jamming devices Datacarnomon found on those little guys. No way…how? I didn't even think about those during the prep, I had too much else on my mind…there's no way I just had one waiting in my…pocket…

And then he remembered. The last time he'd seen one of them, who had shown it to him…and then that surprisingly affectionate hug just before he left…and it took everything he had to keep from audibly groaning. God dammit, Ashley…this must be some kind of record, I'm literally a whole WORLD away and you're STILL screwing with me.

And yet, this act of screwery might have just been the difference between survival and something very much the opposite of it. Between that device and his cloaking, he was pretty well hidden from probably most of the things that could detect him in this place. Which meant all he had to do was avoid making too much noise or getting run into…there was a risk of him being scented, but there wasn't much he could do about that, he just had to not linger in one spot for too long. As plans went, it was less than fully plotted out, but a full sitrep wasn't a luxury he could afford.

Getting out of the dungeon area was easy enough - the doors were, thankfully, not locked there, probably because Flamedramon hadn't gotten around to that. Once he was out of there, things got a lot more modern-looking…the stony countenance of the cells were replaced by more metallic hallways with harsh lights that were either fluorescent or the digital world's best analogue. Isaac stepped gently, sticking close to the walls, ready to flatten against them if anyone passed by…a couple of digimon did, completely oblivious to his presence. It was emptier than he might have thought, which was definitely a point in his favor at this moment.

He didn't have many options other than just trying to find a doorway out, but he figured if he went in one direction long enough he'd be likely to see something somewhere. And sure enough, a few intersections up, there was a doorway that led out to a sunny brightness. He made for it, but midway through had to hastily slow down as a couple digimon came around a corner unexpectedly. One an oddly small version of RizeGreymon, the other a MetallifeKuwagamon. They hesitated a bit as they passed by where Isaac was hiding. "Ey, did you hear something just now?" asked the RizeGreymon.

"It's just the echo of your footsteps," replied MetallifeKuwagamon somewhat stiffly. "You should get your claws trimmed, they make an exceptional amount of noise."

"Like hell, these babies are my best weapon against anyone who gets too close for my cannon."

"You really should invest in some melee training…" Isaac didn't stick around to hear the rest of what they said, making a beeline for the exit. That had been a fairly close call, and he didn't want any more of those if he could help it. Thankfully, the rest of the hallway was empty, and out he went, into the bright sunlight.

What he saw when he was out there…Isaac had never been on a military complex, but it looked pretty much like what he thought one might look like. Lots of buildings that looked pretty heavily reinforced, almost like a multimodal fortress, weapons all over the place, and a lot of digimon that looked to be at alert. He walked slowly and stayed where there was a lot of space and not a lot of people looking his direction, lest they be able to notice the ripples of his cloaking. There was no question, Yegemra Fortress was a dangerous place…he would be lucky to get out of it alive, even at this point. He'd probably already used up a few years' worth of luck just getting to where he was now, and he didn't think he had that much to burn as it was.

There was no time for sightseeing, even if he could hear some impressive-sounding clashes going on behind some of the buildings. His only focus was getting out, and he needed to find where that was…it took a bit, but he finally spotted the large doors in the fortress's walls, closed tight and guarded by a couple of tough-looking digimon. One was a heavily-armored bipedal rhinotocerid digimon with large horns coming off of his shoulders and back and a maul that looked like it could knock down a skyscraper. Rancormon…I doubt my cannon would even scratch that armor. I'm really glad I got all that database info from Data before we left…

The other was very eye-catching - a dragon digimon that looked like a golem made of topaz, every part of it was built out of similar gemstone, including its brilliant wings. Its body was covered in spikes of the same gems, and it had a short snout and two eyes that looked like orbs of light bobbing inside its head. Precidramon…dang, that's a shiny one. But it's standing on two legs…the database says it's quadrupedal? And it's supposed to be a lot bigger? Uh…something is off, but that's gonna have to wait until I talk to Data again. Only focus now is getting out…but how in the world am I getting past these two? I can't just walk up and ask them to open the door, and I very much doubt I can go past and just hope they open automatically… The boy's brow furrowed. That left only one option…wait for someone else to go in or out, and then hope he could sneak past. The thought of that made him more than a little nervous…well, it was the last hurdle, it would have to be the hardest…

He got up close to the walls, a little too close to Precidramon for comfort, but the gemstone dragon made no indication of noticing him. From there it was the waiting game, which Isaac had been playing a little more than he wanted to today…but, sooner than he had feared, there was a sound from the other side of the doors. Both Rancormon and Precidramon turned to look behind them, at screens in the columns next to the doors; looking at each other, they exchanged nods and pressed a button under the screens, allowing the doors to open up. They were rather loud, providing a bit of cover to Isaac as he moved, waiting for them to open fully and then trying to sneak past…

And then he froze. Another digimon was entering…of course they would be, the doors wouldn't be opening for no reason. But Isaac wasn't prepared for the intensity of this one, what looked like a rather large, rather dangerous samurai dragon digimon covered in black armor. Gaioumon…holy hell, I swear I can FEEL the power coming off of him…he's classed the same level as Rancormon, but he just feels so much more dangerous…what is this guy?

He stayed as still as possible as Gaioumon walked past him…and then the dragon stopped, and his head turned Isaac's way. Isaac was as much of a statue as possible on the outside, but his heart was thudding in his chest, and he was almost, for a moment, certain that Gaioumon could HEAR just that…how he managed to keep quiet and still was a minor miracle with that intense gaze on him, he almost got the feeling that Gaioumon was looking directly into his eyes, even if he couldn't see Isaac…or maybe he could…

"Master Gaioumon?" A voice from inside the walls, and Gaioumon turned his attention towards it. "Is something wrong?"

"…No, I don't believe so. Just the specters of threats, I suppose." Gaioumon stepped forth, inside the walls, and the doors began to close again, giving Isaac more sound cover as he rushed outside, and then took off towards the woods a fair distance away from Yegemra Fortress. Had Gaioumon actually seen him and ignored him? No, Isaac couldn't believe that, not the way the Flamedramon had been acting, there was no way Gaioumon was less paranoid that his underlings, they had to get it from somewhere. Maybe he had suspected something, but he hadn't SEEN anything…

He was a fair bit away from the base when he the sound of a screeching alarm sounded, rattling him. Gah! What the… He turned, looking for any sign of an attack, but not seeing anything. What…oh, right. They must've found out I'm not where I'm supposed to be. Hopefully they think I'm still in there…I think I'd better keep as hidden as possible for now…maybe these woods aren't even far enough away, but I don't know what else I can do, not without knowing what the hell I'm doing… Sighing, he kept trudging towards the woods, not sure he would be resting even slightly easy for a good long while…

—

Night falling over Mechalopolis. Datacarnomon was silent, stuck in a cell with no hope of escape, at least not now. Caught up in a mess he'd never expected, and now forced to sit silently while Emperius did heaven knew what, lost in his own mind…

Night falling over Yegemra Fortress, with Isaac still feeling too close for comfort, even what had to be a couple miles away. But the alarm had ended, and things seemed to have settled down, without anyone going outside the fortress to search for him. Caught up in a mess he'd never expected, and now having to lay low and try to get even a wink of sleep in a strange world, completely on his own…

And yet, despite the direness of their own situations, each of them was more concerned for the other, wondering where they were and whether they were doing all right, and hoping it wouldn't be long before they could reach each other again…and that they could get back together before things got worse than they already were.

---

giving me some weird hostility to some formatting. Hopefully won't be an issue going forward.

Ah, first impressions. Sometimes they aren't done right. I wasn't particularly happy with how I presented Technodylemon initially…really, he was a bit too dickish for what he was meant to be. The adjustments put him more in line with how I really wanted him to be.

On the flip side, I amped up the hostility of the Yegemra Fortress Flamedramon encounter here, because that, too, is more in line with how it should be. Especially because I built up that these folks have some issues.

Also, the Emperius generals get some face time a lot earlier than they did before! Maybe because I'm actually going to do a bit more with them than I did before. It really is astonishing how some rather important enemy characters barely existed in the original version.

Custom mon behind-the-scenes:
-Rancormon is the Mega version of Crashmon. Enough said.
-Precidramon is part of an exercise in "how many dragons can I come up with?" The answer was a lot.
-Technodylemon is a robot version of my largely-unused crocodilian idea.
-SteelStarlingmon was hastily concocted for this remaster. And was initially SteelSparrowmon until I realized that there was already a Sparrowmon and it was already fairly mechanical-like.
-NegaDuftmon was a mad scramble to fix a problem. A few digimon I used were given roles that didn't actually fit what they were, due to the sites I was working with having pretty limited information. This is an actual dark version of Duftmon, which was how I originally thought of him.
-Two other custom generals. Carcharomon is one of multiple shark man lines that branch off from a single one (another thing I have a thing for, as will be made clearer). Carcharomon is the end of the 'white' line, modeled off of the great white shark. Zeedramon is one of those very random ideas that I came up with that never actually fit in anywhere, and I don't even really remember what inspired it.