Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Summery: AU, very AU and dark, with mentioning of torture, violence and blood drinking.

Things have never looked grimmer, as digi destined goes up against digi destined. Have Michael really lost it and willingly joined the side of Darkness, and what is Babel's true motive for seeking to destroy all. And what of the mysterious virus that everyone fears, what is it secret, and how is it connected to events in the past.

Staring at the map before him for what felt like the hundredth time, Izzy felt like smashing his hand into something hard for the first time ever. "It, it's too much." The words spat out, he gazed at the flickering squares of the digital worlds southern parts. "It's completely overrun by darkness now, corrupted."

Behind him, the remaining digi destined of the original team let out a deep breath each as they could also feel the conflicting emotions brought on by seeing such a thing. "What, what happened to all the digimons there, are they, infected by the darkness? Or dead?"

"Never mind them, what if that happens to the rest of the digital world?" Joe muttered out as he pushed himself out the small chair he had been sitting in. "This could be worse then what we saw four years ago."

Glancing over at Sora who had remained silent for most of the day, Izzy sighed as he swirled his chair around. "Joe, Sora Mimi." Getting their attention, Izzy gave each one a grave look. "We never discussed this before, but we might have to do something more then actively fight to protect the destiny stones."

Pulling of his glasses and wiping them of softly, Joe half closed his eyes as he thought back on a few of the conversations he had had with Izzy and the others. "You want to bring the digimons here, don't you remember what happened all those years ago?"

"There may not be any other choice." Sora breathed out as she finally stood up, her eyes showing a level of tiredness the others hadn't really seen in her before. "But for now, let's put out trust in the others, they may be able to turn the tide in this war."

"Nail Bone!" Energy ripping out across the simple ocean surface, Skullsatamon laughed a cold grin as Sylphimon and Paildramon rushed to escape the attack. "Really, don't you fools think it's time you get your act together?" Twirling his staff as a group of Neodevimons floated down to flank him, he let out a small chuckle. "Truly, none of you are worthy of my time."

Turning around to leave, he cast a cold glance over his shoulder at each of them. "You may kill them now, but remember, leave some for Babel to gloat over." Shooting off, the undead digimon ignored the sounds of a more heated battle starting up behind him.

And while he really wanted to stay and crush them, he had no time for that, the hour of the gate opening was almost at hand, and by that time, the corrupting of the digital world had to be complete. "And those humans, to think they will be better suited for something like this." No, to prepare everything for Lord Deamon's return, he had been forced to take action on his own.

Reaching the center of the so-called eternal maelstrom, he glanced down at the dark, cold waters spiraling around a large jagged stone pillar with a look of scorn. "Really, all of this power, wasted on something like this." Nose diving down with that comment, the skeleton like digimon pulled out a small dark purple glowing orb. "And so, we enter the next stage."

Trusting his staff out as a evil light began to radiate from it, the undead digimon chuckled as the sight of the destiny stone of Xuanwumon came into view, nestled in deep between massive coral reefs and long dead clamps and oysters. "Lord Deamon, this, is for you."

Moving to toss the stone forward, he let out a loud grunt as powerful force ripped into his unprotected back, the searing pain of holy power tearing through him. "So, you two are also here?" His vice mocking in its delight, the undead digimon regarded the behemoth of a digimon rising up from behind a coral reef. "Very well, I have been waiting for a rematch, and even if you're not like I remember you, I shall none the less destroy you."

Holding up his arm, Shakkoumon iris less eyes glowed as the ring of jewels on his armor flashed briefly. "Kachina bomb!" The words followed by a small hatch snapping open to allow several small, disk like objects to fly out at several kilometers an hour.

Staring at the disks with an insulted feel to him, Skullsatamon calmly swung his staff in a wide arc, each disk getting knocked out of his way. "Come now, you call that an attack?" Gathering up power, he let out a small chuckle as he pointed his bony staff weapon downwards. "Nail Bone!"

Ripping across the distance, the attack smashed right into Shakkoumon's left shoulder, the large digimon letting out a moaning sound as he crashed over backwards. "Not very talk active are you?"

Flying downwards now that he had a opening, Skullsatamon let out a chilling laugh as his attack scored a direct hit, the small orb shattering on contact and allowed a could of darkness to seep out and cover the destiny stone of water. "And so you fail again, even with the boost from this stone, you couldn't match me."

Hovering upwards with a superior attitude, the undead digimon glance down at the recovering digimon. "You know, I should kill you right now, but I think this is as much of a betrayal that I can allow myself to do at the moment." Fading away as a rippling went through the maelstrom around them, he chuckled as Shakkoumon grabbed two human kids and began to leave. "I hope you defeat those brats kid, for if you do, I can be the one to kill you."

The last thing he watched was the sudden downpour of water as it cascade down in a violent roar, actually succeeding in tearing the destiny stone lose and pulling it down into a cold and dark watery grave. "Survive kid, until our final encounter, that is all I ask of you."

As he reemerged from his teleport, the large undead digimon found himself standing on top of a hourglass shaped pyramid, a vast desert bathed in the cold light of a white moon spread out around the pyramid. "My lord Deamon, the digital world trembles as chaos spread out across."

Kneeling down as he spoke, he didn't flinch as the ground before him parted and allowed a small round deck to rise up from within the pyramid. "The gates are weakening, I can feel it." Looking up as he spoke, he took a moment to adjust his sight as a thin green pillar of light arose.

"You have done well, Skullsatamon, far better then the others." As the voice grew in strength, the outline of a massive, robe wearing digimon's upper body formed, thin, glowing eyes staring straight at him. "Continue working with Babel for now, I need as much chaos as possible for my return."

Bowing deeply, Skullsatamon smirked as he dared to look up. "My lord, when you return, will you, revive the others again?"

Greeting the question with silence, Deamon finally chuckled as the image began to fade away. "See to my liberation first Skullsatamon, first then I shall ponder if they are worthy of revival." Fading away completely, the only presence of Deamon left behind were the small deck slowly sinking back into the pyramid floor.

As soon as everything was back to normal, Skullsatamon stood up, one hand clenching and unclenching as he gazed up at the moon above, the pale thing giving the appearance of being as confused as him. "Lord Deamon, I shall do as you wish."

"He disobeyed me?" Babel muttered out as he watched the screen before, another sector of the digital world descend into a corrupted state of chaos and disorder. "I don't believe it." Smashing one hand down on his control panel, he spun around to face the two humans behind him. "You two get moving."

Pointing at the door, the would be ruler of the digital world found himself alone with his brooding thoughts as his new servants left to carry out his order.

Once again someone on his side had gone and done something he had not expected. An order he had given had been ignored, and now he was forced into pondering this turn of event, comparing it with the same events surrounding the way Blackgatomon and Taichi had betrayed him.

And if that wasn't bad enough, he now had to deal with Jun as well, the girl had escaped after Michael's first failure, and from what he had gotten out of digimons captured by his servants, she was traveling with the enigma Blackwargreymon.

The large lump of control towers was the last left over part of Oikawa and Myotismon's brief presence in his life. Who knew what he was up to now that his creators were dead, well, besides killing off anything in his path. "She's a problem."

"Who is, my lord?" Came the cold and uncaring voice of Skullsatamon as undead digimon simply stepped out of the deepest shadow in the control room, the sudden arrival of him earning him a small jump from the human. "Sorry if I scared you, I have just returned from."

Cutting off the digimon with a wave of his hand, Babel glared up at him as he pushed himself up. "I know where you have been Skullsatamon." Turning to watch the map of the digital world as it turned completely dark in the southern parts, the young man slammed one hand down on the off switch. "I told you to stand down and let my new servants handle this matter, what part of that didn't you understand?"

Frowning at the tone of voice from the boy, Skullsatamon adjusted the grip of his finger on his staff as he briefly toyed with the notion of removing the weakling from his presence once and for all. "Have you forgotten the pact human?" Snapping out the words and startling Babel, Skullsatamon stood up in his full height, his eyes glowing with the undead life he possessed. "You allied yourself with Lord Deamon, promising to bring him back to this world, in return we gave you the knowledge to create your fake digimons, we told you everything you would need."

Stepping closer and sending Babel tumbling back into his command chair, the undead digimon let out a small grunt of dissatisfaction. "The age of darkness is almost here and I will not let anyone, be they human or digimon, stand in the way of it coming. Do you understand?" Getting a nod from Babel, Skullsatamon stepped back and allowed himself to fade away into the shadows.

And once more alone in his command room, Babel eyes smoldered as rage built up within him, the need to lass out and hurt someone growing with each passing second.

The only thing stopping him from attacking was the beeping sound from his control panel. "What is it?" Snapping at the Bakemon calling him, he froze as he watched the tube behind the ghost digimon. "He's done already, my, my." Standing up as he watched the screen more carefully, he let out a dark chuckle. "Very well, prepare for my arrival, I must see to his programming at once."

With this, everything might still turn out in his favor after all, all Michael and Catherine had to do was win, and everything would be fine.

They just had too. Cause there was no way he would ever accept a lifetime of serving a monster like Deamon.

Not when he was meant to rule everything himself.

Staring glumly at the computer screen, Davis didn't even have the mood to try and crack a joke. Everything that could have gone wrong had gone wrong today. Another Destiny stone was corrupted and even more of the digital world had been lost to chaos and darkness.

And while he longed to blame it all on TK, it wouldn't help one bit. In fact, there was only thing to blame for this whole mess. "We're too weak." Muttering out the words, he looked up at the other kids as they gave him their attention. "Even with the boost from the destiny stone we couldn't do anything."

Flinching a bit at the comment, TK found himself agreeing with Davis on that comment. And while he hated to admit it, they were hard pressed and running out of time. "We need something to take them by surprise, or find a way to digivolve our digimons to their mega levels."

"Mega level?" Came the curious question form the young boy sitting in the corner, Cody's attention turning completely onto the conversation and not into blaming himself further.

Glancing around the room, Izzy nodded more to himself then the others as he retook possession of his labtop, his fingers running across the keyboard rapidly as he changed from program from digi-map to digi-scan. "Mega level, so far only two of our digimons have ever gone that high."

Turning the labtop around to show the others, the red haired kid clicked the enter key and bought up two images of them with stats under each one. "Metal-Garurumon and Phoenixmon."

The first one was a metallic looking Garurumon with a feel of raw power and unstoppable strength. The other one were a yellow, orange looking bird with four wings, a mask and a general feeling of mystical power to it.

Looking closer at the images, Yolei grinned as she looked up with a wide smirk on her face. "Alright Izzy, so how did you get to the mega level, some neat trinket or a special wish?" Clenching up one hand in front of her as she thought about the possibility of Sylphimon reaching mega level. "Can you do it so all our digimons can go mega?"

"No." Izzy mumbled out as he lowered his gaze. "We barely made it the first time." Looking over at Joe for support in revealing that, he gave a weak smile as the oldest of them took over.

Gazing both at the newer digi destined, Joe could also see himself staring at the past. "We were losing back then, the miracle off Davis saving Kari from Myotismon had given us a boost of confidence." Taking a break in the story at that point, Joe gazed down at a nervous looking Kari and TK. "Then he returned, as a mega digimon, we tried to stop him but couldn't."

Taking over form there, Kari stared at her brother, as he looked rather uneasy at the story. "I was, still upset with my brother death, when Gennai told us of a ancient prophecy, that we had to hit the love ones of light and hope with arrows."

Izzy nodded at her as she seemed to be too reluctant to continue. "We were in trouble, so we tried out best to figure out to make it work, Tai was gone, and as far as we knew, he was one of those we needed." Growing somewhat muted in his explanation, Izzy looked over at Sora. "Then, Sora volunteered to take your place Tai, she said that she was sure you'd have wanted it."

"I don't know how, but it worked." Sora continued as she leaned against the wall, an uneasy look in her eyes. I think it was, just her admiration and our friendship that made it work. "Biyomon warp digivolved along with Gabumon and we won, it was hard, but we won."

Working away at his labtop, Izzy looked up as Sora finished talking. "Still, this won't work for you, we have to find another way." Returning his attention to the screen, he mumbled out a few words as he worked silently. "Those destiny stones, you said they gave your digimons a power boost when you were fighting near them, if so, they might be able to help you, if I can figure out how to drew out their power."

Jumping down from where he had moved to sit down, Davis grinned as he thought about it. "Okay, so next time we meet that loser Skullsatamon, me and Veemon will kick his bony butt!" Smirking at his joke, Davis stopped as he noticed Izzy staring at him with a look of annoyance. "Let me guess, you want us to leave you alone to work on that."

No even bothering to wait for an answer, the messy, red haired boy turned around and left. A small chuckle coming from him as he walked out of the room. "Just think of it Veemon, you'll be able to become even stronger."

Glancing after them, Kari shook her head a bit before glancing down at her wristwatch. "Hey Izzy, you better hold off on that, schools starts in 30 minutes, and I can't afford to be late again." Turning to face her brother, she gave a quick hug and a big smile. "Try and stay out of trouble okay, with Skullsatamon corrupting the digital world, we shouldn't enter into it alone."

Grumbling a few choice words as his sister left, Tai shrugged as he once again found himself with another day all to himself. "Eh, hey Izzy." Regarding the red haired kid with the labtop, Tai briefly wondered if he would have found it as annoying to talk with someone constantly using a computer if he had known him a bit more. "I'm going to take a walk around town, so, it was nice visiting you."

Waving his hand in greeting as the messy haired by left the room, Izzy kept glancing at the data he had received over the last few days. "Hmm, looks like it can be done, but I need more information." Standing up, he sighed as he looked up at the clock on the wall. "Great, just enough time to make it school, I should be able to get in some more work while I'm there."

Sitting in her chair, Mimi blew a single strand of hair out of her field of vision, one hand hovering just above the remote for the TV, the same TV blaring out another commercial for some kind of skin product. "Palmon, tell me you have figured out something we can do?"

From her in the sofa, the plant like digimon did her best to shrug while sucking up some imported mineral water from a small lunch plate.

Sighing loudly at her digimons partner's response, Mimi stood up and glanced out the window, the glittering city of New York spread out before her. "I can believe that they grounded me for a month." Resting her hands on the window still as she spoke, Mimi glanced down at the streets far below. "But did they have to take my cell phone and computer way."

Having finished her meal, Palmon shook her vines to clear them of water before jumping down from the sofa. "I think the little argument you had with your parents caused it." Her eyes following her human partner as the pink haired girl stalked around the living room. "Besides, if the computer were home, you'd just try to access the digital world."

"Of course I would, haven't you seen the news." Mimi nearly spat back as she turned to face her digimon partner, one hand pointing at the TV still showing commercials. "Everything's going wacko out there, the problems from the digital world are getting into the real world again."

As the pink haired girl spoke, Palmon found herself staring at the TV where another report on the strange problems with the computer and other electronics systems in parts of Europe, all of Russia and the western regions of China were once more commented on. "Hey Mimi, I think they saying something new about it."

Turning around to face the TV at the reply form her partner, Mimi frowned as static images from Australia and South America were getting shown, most of them from the land of the kangaroo. "What's going on here? Why haven't the others tried to contact me yet?"

Rubbing one hand through the flower that counted for her hair, Palmon let out a small laugh. "Well, maybe they have, and, well without your computer, you won't know about it."

"There's the phone!" Came the yelled back reply as Mimi dropped down in the chair again, her arms crossed in front of her as she felt like yelling even more, but knew it wouldn't help her. "If only I could get into Dad's room. He still has his computer."

Glaring over at Mimi, Palmon did her best to suppress the urge to sigh as her partner showed her rather stubborn side once more. "Well, we can't remember? Your father said he'd send me off to a research lab and you to a boarding school if you just up and left like that again."

Letting out a breath of air, Mimi grunted as she dropped down onto the sofa with a depressed look. "I know, I know, but really. I just have this feeling, that we're all need for this again." Sitting up and tapping her chin in a thinking manner, she finally groaned and dropped down on the sofa. "I just wish mom wouldn't have spent the whole time crying and calling you a demon spawned monster bent on kidnapping me."

Letting out a cough at that unpleasant memory, Palmon focused on what was most important, getting Mimi into a good mood and making her understand that if things were really that dangerous right now, the last thing anyone needed was to just jump in through a digital gate and into who knew what kind of a mess.

On the sofa, Mimi thoughts were running a far more different way, her eyes half-closed as he began to focus on what she could say to her parents so they'd understand that her role as a digi destined was more important then attending school and meeting the right people as they so lovingly put it. "Palmon?"

"No." Replying with as much force as she dared, Palmon didn't turn around to watch as the sounds of Mimi moving around reached her. "If there really are such a big danger to the digital world, don't you think the others would have called for us by now"

Dropping back down on eh couch, Mimi grunted as even in her most determined state she had to admit that it was true, but then again, had something like that ever stopped her or the others from going to help no matter how big or small a problem it was. "Palmon."

And this time, the plant type digimon didn't respond as it would have proven useless, from her partners tone of voice, she just knew arguing would be pointless. "Mimi, don't." Stopping her talk as the brown eyes focused on her, she sighed and bowed her head in defeat as she surrendered once more to her partner's whim. "What do you want me to do Mimi?"

Giggling as she stood up, one hand already running through her hair to smooth it down, the young girl had already begun to mentally run over a small list in her head. "Palmon, try and break through the door into dad's room okay, and I'll go pack some clothes for this."

"Mimi?" Letting out her nervousness at the situation, the plant type digimon watched as her partner rushed into her bedroom, a pink tank top flying out as the sound of several drawers getting opened reached her. "This is all his fault."

Turning to face the door into Mr. Tachikawa's home office, Palmon sighed for the untold time as she flexed her vines, just knowing she would be feeling this for a long time. "Poison Ivy!!"

Inside her bedroom, Mimi grinned as she finished packing down the last stuff she'd need, one hand hovering a bit in the air before stuffing a credit card into it. "Sorry mom, I'll try and leave some money for you." Turning around, she hefted up the bag she packed and walked out to see how her partner had fared against the door.

Standing before the bent, broken wooden door, Palmon simply turned to face Mimi as the girl walked into the room, her free hand lifting up her digivice while one finger hit the on switch on the computer. "Mimi, are you really sure about this?"

Looking over her shoulder as the log in music played, Mimi gave her best smile to reassure her partner digimon, her bag getting planted on the floor as she quickly entered in the password and hit enter. "Relax Palmon, this will be the last time okay, whatever this whole mess is about, we'll stay long enough to help with it, after that I'll come home and accept whatever punishment they think I'll deserve."

As the digi port opened up before them, Palmon had a last thought before getting sucked into the digital world, her mind trying to figure out how her partner could be grown up one moment, and then doing something like this. "This is just a trick to see Taichi again isn't it?"

Smiling at the question, Mimi wisely kept her reply to herself. After all, Palmon wouldn't let her live it down if she admitted that seeing that messy haired boy again had something to do with it.

Crossing her arms in an attempt to provide a though look as she took in the sight of destruction before her, Jun still felt the sting of a small stab of sadness, knowing that even if she wanted to rule this world, and her means of ensuring her claim to a area had been cruel, and evil, it had never reached a level such as this.

The whole city was gone from the looks of it, a massive burnt out wreck of a main hut laying destroyed before her, the only wind blowing through the area carrying with it the stench of burnt out ruins. "Did you find anyone to question?" Her inquiry aimed at the dark colored digimon walking out from a somewhat intact building,

Ignoring the glances sent her way as the digimon stopped moving, Jun felt a small mental smile form as she finally had managed to at least get used to his presence. "So, what do you think of this? It's the third place we've seen that looks like a war marched though it."

Moving his focus form the messy haired girl to the plains to the north, Blackwargreymon eyes narrowed in a thoughtful frown as he crossed his own arms. "Whoever it was who did this, they're not far away, the backside of the hut was still warm."

Faltering a bit at that, Jun snapped her head around to glare at him. "So why are we here, if the digimons wants to destroy themselves, then so be it."

Looming up over her as he gave his full attention to her, Blackwargraymon didn't say much as she ranted on, his yellow colored eyes remaining indifferent even as she finished talking. "Human, this is why I doubt you, do you not see what this will lead to?"

Holding out his arms as he finished talking, Blackwargreymon didn't say much as he watched the various emotions running across Jun's face. "This isn't about what they want, you've seen the destruction and the damage, this is more then just a few crazy digimons, this is all of them going crazy."

Nearly biting the inside of his cheek as she spun around to avoid the look he was giving her, Jun froze as she spotted several small shapes staring at them from the edge of town. "Humph, see, they're not crazy, you are." Striking her commanding position with a full amount of confidence in herself, Jun took on step forward, before getting pushed aside by Blackwargraymon. "What?"

Narrowing his eyes as he watched the digimons, Blackwargraymon let out a growl as the digimons began to fan out, clearly moving to surround them. "Girl, if you value your life, you will run for cover now." Not waiting for a response, the large dinosaur like man formed a growing sphere of red energy in his hands. "Terror Destroyer!"

Stumbling back as her allied partner fired off his attack, Jun grunted as she turned to do as he had said, mouth turning into a thin line of anger as she walked off. "Who does he think he is anyway, just because he's a powerful copy of a mega level digimon doesn't give him the right to."

Ending her talk, Jun stared as two digimons staggered into her field of vision, both of them Fangmons with foam around theirs mouth as their much darker skinned bodies began to tense up for an attack. "Hey, um, back off now, you hear me?!"

Stepping back as the two dog like digimons began to advance on her, she cringed when the first one took off jumping. Its jaws wide open. "Golemon Punch!" The attack getting broken off as a large fist made up of yellow brown rock smashed into the first of the Fangmons, its body flying off to impact a nearby ruin.  

Stepping further back as the golem like digimon tore its way out of the building it had been hiding in, Jun held back her scream of surprise as the remaining Fangmon moved into action, it's mouth snapping open as it turned to face the Golemon who had attacked its hunting partner. "Blast Coffin!"

"Damn it!" Turning around and running off, Jun stopped short after less then five steps as another Golemon came flying past as it's body beginning to break apart. "Blackwargreymon, it have better be you who did that dammit?"

Simply grunting in response at the verbal assault, Blackwargreymon landed right before Jun, his eyes taking in the sight of the Golemon crushing the second Fangmon beneath it's foot, it's head focusing on the first one limping back into the fight. "We're leaving, there is nothing more for us to learn here."

Despite his arm lifting her up somewhat unpleasantly at first, Jun still decided kept her mouth shut as she spotted the look of annoyance on his face as the dinosaur like man took of flying, the sound of a increasing fight breaking out below them. "What, what was that all about?"

Looking down as a BlackTyrannomon and a normal Tyrannomon broke out in a fight, Blackwargreymon closed his eyes as he moved to head in the correct direction. "That child, was the effect of whatever happened around here, and after seeing it, I want some answers more then ever."

Increasing his speed, Blackwargreymon kept moving towards the eastern parts of the digital world, his mind overflowing with even more questions as he observed small and large bands of digimons tearing into each other, all of it broke occasionally by the wandering of a roaring digimon traveling across the plains on its own.

"It has to be Babel who did it?" Her voice nothing more then a whisper as she took in the corrupted look of the land, the way the very nature of the digital world seemed to be falling apart. "Did he plan for this all along? How can anyone even want to rule a world that's dying?"

Not answering her, Blackwargreymon mind was locked on a single task as he found a faint pulling reaching his mind, a feeling that he should be heading north instead. And it took a great deal of his free will, he had to admit that, to ignore the growing need and focus on what he wanted to do.

He could explore that now, what was more important was to find out how the digital world was getting this corrupted and in such a short time. "Jun was it? I would hold on tighter if I were you." Increasing his speed as he spoke, he also blocked out any kind of complaints or interruption he might feel.

Stretching out before her, Mimi had to admire the massive hills filling the area of the digital world she was in. The only thing breaking the tall grassy areas and rolling lumps of earth, came in the form of small streams and clusters of trees.

All in all, it looked so much like the places she had seen in some commercials back home. "Palmon, do you know anything about this place?"

From her place, Palmon were as busy as her partner in looking around the beautiful area that she barely heard the question at all. "I'm sorry Mimi, but I'm more of a forest digimon, I don't spend much time in places like these." Her mouth closing, Palmon kept her eyes trained on a small spot in the distance. "Mimi, can you hear something?"

Frowning at the sudden seriousness, and lack of annoyance in Palmon's voice, Mimi found herself block out as much of the scenery as she could, her eyes and eyes straining to find out what Palmon had been talking about. "You know, I think I can hear something flying, but..."

Whatever she had meant to say were drowned out as a large fiery explosion tore up over a distant hill, chucks of dirt large enough for her to see flying off in every direction. "Okay, now that I did see and hear?"

"Good." Palmon spoke out as she looked up at the sky. "Cause there comes another one."

Moving her eyes upwards at the comment from her digimon partner, Mimi stared in muted surrpise as a digimon flew past overheard, a series of powerful flashes of light following after it before the digimon let out a scream as it blow up in a cloud of digital data. "Palmon, I really, really think we should start running now."

Nodding in agreement as a loud roar reached them, the two began to backpaddel as fast as they could, both of them keeping a sharp eye open for whatever it was that could have been the sourche of the damage.

Behind them, a group of tree went up in flames as a large, dark colored shape tore through the burning surroundings, a red glow lighting up around it as a series of red hot light beams shot out from it.

Above the large shape, another one flow slowly across the sky as a loud screaming cry was released. The source turning out to be two smaller digimons that had been hiding nearby hoping to escaped, but had still been spotted and dealt with.  

"There is one of them nearby." the voice was cold, uncaring and held the promise of pain as long, golden colored hair pulled together in a tight braid whipped swiftly from side to side in the hot updraft created from the fires. "Shall we use this to lure out the other ones?"

Sitting lazily on the back of his new partner, Michael regarded the signal on his own updated digivice as Catherine spoke to him. "If you will, our primary target is close enough to afford a small distraction, just remember, she must be able to call for help."

Grinning darkly as she let out a shrill whistle, the blond haired French girl stood up and grinned as her new partner swept down to grab her, his inhuman form making her smirk with delight of the way he would scared the digi destined when they went up against them. "Come Karatenmon, we're going hunting for digi destined."

Holding her gently as she spoke, the mixture of a human and bird took of flying, the two of following after the signal on Catherine's digivice.

Looking after her, Michael's face split into a wide grin as he began to work rapidly, his fingers quickly punching in a series of letter as he wrote out a quick mail. "Yagami, out last battle may have ended in your favor, but this time, I got the superior firepower, and you are the only one I wish to fight."

Hitting the send button, he lifted up his head and gazed right ahead at the series of large, hills growing in the distance, knowing that what he was seeking was behind them. "And Server's Stonehenge will be our final battle ground, after you have watched me destroy the destiny stone of Baihumon!"

After several fruitless hours of searching for something to do, Tai finally found himself in a place he would never have consider coming in the first place, a public library, the home of vast, free knowledge, and absolutely nothing to do if you craved excitement.

But seeing as nothing even remotely exciting had shown up yet, all he had left to do was yawn and make his way into this place of books and, hopefully find something or someone to entertain him until the others got out of school.

Hey, he might not be entering into the digital world, but he might be able to figure out what to with himself. There was the fight with Babel, but what about afterwards, when he was beaten. Then what, should he return to school again, seek a career and try to fit in with his family and the world again.

His father hadn't spoken to him much, nor his mother, in fact, Kari was the only who seemed to have accepted his return from the digital world. "I wonder, should I even stay here." His voice soft as he spoke, he missed seeing the curios expression on a young boy with a rather feminine hairstyle standing with a group of kids dressed in gray uniforms like him.

Passing by the rows of history and fiction, Tai turned and settled down on a small chair as he foudn the one place he ever consider worth his time in a library, the comic section.

"Yagami?" His somewhat strained attention towards the comics currently up for loan broken, Tai turned to face the one who had spoken to him.

Finding a boy he had seen before, but never really spoken too, the other one of the group who had a dark past with the digital world, and the only other one to have been allowed into the group as well. "You're one of Kari's friends right, the one who was the digimon emperor, Ken."

Smiling a bit strained at the first part of the comments, Ken gave a short nod as he pulled his hand back, his eyes falling on the chair next to the one occupied by Tai. "You mind if I sit down?" Getting no response to the question, Ken shrugged and settled into the chair and looked down at the ground before him. "You know, I didn't expect to see you here, I doubt if any of the other digi destined would show up here jus like that."

Sighing as he focus on the boy next to him, Tai gave a faint smile as the younger boy might just be able to get some of the time he had left before he could meet up with the others to pass. "I didn't expect it myself, I'd never really cared much for reading, other then comics that is. I'd rather be outside playing soccer or just enjoying the outdoors."

Nodding in response, Ken looked up as he left out a deep breath of air. "Have you, you know, ever thought of what you did? About all those digimons that suffered because of our actions?"

Reeling back at the bluntness of the question, Tai closed his eyes as they words did more then just bring out painful memories. "No, I remember the events clearly, the way I liked to hurt them I gained satisfaction from it, and from other things as well."

Frowning at that last bit, Ken bit his lip to keep himself from commenting on it, he had heard about those things, about Mimi and Michael, mostly from what the angrier and less forgiving digi destined had mention. "I still feel horrible for what I did, I hurt so many, enslaved and destroyed. And in the end, I nearly destroyed the only who stuck by me the whole time, who believed in me."

Nodding this time around, Tai looked up as he thought back at his own past, the way he had kept Blackgatomon close as his only confident, no, his friend. He hadn't trusted anyone else but her until the day he had captured those two, Mimi and Michael. It hadn't been as intended as he had let on, they had merely stumbled onto one of his operations and he been forced to ensure they didn't speak of his presence to anyone else.

After that, things had snowballed, Mimi had brought out the parts of his old self that Blackgatomon had been able to do, and still, it hadn't done much. He was good now, and he was trying to help bring down Babel, but other then that, he felt out of place, things had changed in the real world, and it no longer made him feel at home here. "Do you, you know, ever feel out of place here, like you don't really belong?"

Regarding the older boy as he spoke, Ken bit his lip as the direction of the conversation was taking a turn he didn't like at all. If what he knew about this was right, he needed someone to talk to about it, someone who would understand this whole mess.

Trying to politely decline that he didn't know how it felt, the younger boy blinked as a sharp beep filled the air, the older messy haired boy looking a bit off guard as he pulled out his D3, a simple light flashing on it to signal that he had received a new message.

Crossing around another hill, Mimi froze as she nearly collide into a massively huge square boulder rising up into the air before her, the thing more then big enough to crush a couple of muscle cars if it fell over. "What the, what this thing doing here?" Spitting out the words, as she looked around, her mood dropped as even more of the same stones greeted her. "At least they can hide us."

Her words somewhat sarcastically, the pink loving human and her digimon partner did as she had just comment, using the large stone to hide behind as a loud roar filled the air. "Okay, I hate to say this, but I'm starting to think we shouldn't have come here."

Giving her partner the evil eye as she mentioned the obvious, Palmon grunted as she moved to cast a look back the way they had come, hoping to see just what it was they had been running from all this time. "Mimi, can you see anything?"

Poking her head around her side of the rock, Mimi shook her head as she was greeted with nothing but the large, grassy surface of a hill. "Ah, I can see a lot of grass, but other then that, it's a bit no Palmon, how about you?"

"You know, you'd be more lucky if you looked up." Came the amused comment from Catherine as she looked down as the shocked expressions that Palmon and Mimi gave her. "Now there is a true Kodak moment if there ever is one." Snapping her finger in a command way, she glanced up at Karatenmon next to her. "You know what to do."

Letting out a shrill bird cry as he tore free his swords, Karatenmon focused his attention down at Mimi, one of his wings spreading out in her direction. "Okay Digi Destined, Prepare to Die!" Letting lose with another loud birds cry, He dove off the rock, both swords flashing out as he drove right down towards his target. "Crow Swords!"

Screaming out loud as she held up both hands to protect her, Mimi didn't notice as a loud pitched sound filled the air, nor the fact that her crest began to glow brightly as well.

Palmon however did notice as her desperate run towards Mimi was interrupted boy a bight light, Her body feeling more energized then ever. "Palmon, digivolves too Togemon, Togemon digivolves too Lillymon!" Her small plant body shifting into the more human like Lillymon form so rapidly she barely even managed to shift into her larger Togemon body.

Still, even with her changed body, she would make it to Mimi in time. Which meant that she had to try something slightly different. "Flower Cannon!" Forming her main weapon as she flew forward, she focused as much power as she could into it, letting lose the U shaped projectile as she Flew closer. "Flower Cannon!"

Twisting his attention away from the screaming girl below him, Karatenmon barely managed to take any counter measures as the brightly glowing attack hit him, the only thing saving him from a nasty wound being the one sword he did get up into a protective position.

Still, the attack served to push him away form Mimi as he did some fancy aerial maneuvers to put distance between himself and Lillymon as she came in to protect Mimi. "So, you do have a way of defending yourself girly, still, it won't last long."

Holding out both Swords in a challenging manner, he growled as the large body of Michael's digimon came up over the hill behind him. "Stand back, she's mine!" Flying forward while spitting out the words, he ignored the curious look from his partner, and the furious one from Michael and his digimon. "Take this flower child, Ballistic Feathers!"

Ducking expertly while pulling Mimi to safety, Lillymon stuck out her tongue as she found Karatenmon glaring at her for actually managing to avoid his attacks. "Some digimon you are, I've seen Numemons with better aim." Her insult making even Mimi bleach as she thought back at the few times she had been forced to deal with Numemons.

Practically glowing with rage, Karatenmon calmly crossed his swords as he focused his anger, turning it all onto the small digimon. "For that comment, I will not grant you a quick death." Lifting his eyes to focus completely on her, he let out a small hiss. "Now, suffer!"

Gulping as she had to move faster this time around, Lillymon watched as Mimi had the foresight to move away from the battle ground, then she had to turn all her attention on the half bird half man like digimon as he slid into a complex series of sword moves, each one coming closer to hitting her. "Mimi, Call the others, I think I need help some help against this guy after all!"

"Then look no further!" Even as the words reached her, Lillymon had moved back to get some breathing space, her eyes quickly spotting the green, insect like humanoid digimon as he crashed feet first into Karatenmon's back.

Smirking as she spun around to lend her own power to the fight, she grinned as she reformed her main weapon. "Flower Cannon!" The U shape green glowing projectile hitting home as the birdman like digimon smashed beak first into one of the large stones. "Ha, take that you loser!"

Turning to face the digimon who had helped her, she barely had time to smile before he tackled her, dragging her down just in time to avoid a massive red laser beam ripping through the space they had occupied. "Uh, thanks for the help Stingmon, think you can help with him as well?" Her words spoken out quickly as they split apart to avoid the second attack.

Facing the approaching mechanical digimon as it roared at him, Stingmon briefly wondered if he could even leave a dent in the metallic parts of him, let alone hope to scratch the tough hide. "Um, I think I'll need the help of someone bigger, and stronger."

Standing calmly on the hill, Michael watched as his partner tore off down to join the fight, his eyes barely moving as he took in the scared expressions of the two digi destined digimons as they were forced to flee from the massive power of his new friend. "Metal-Tyrannomon, finish them off quickly, I want to dangle that brat's broken body before Yagami when he finally shows up,"

Roaring out in confirmation, the large black colored dinosaur twisted his head to focus on Stingmon as the insect man like digimon flew upwards to avoid him. "Giga Destroyer II!" The attack firing off as Metal-Tyrannomon leaned back to get a better aim.

On the ground, Karatenmon finished peeling himself of the side of the stone and turned to face the battle, his whole face twisted by rage as he focused on Lillymon. "Okay you little sapling, time for you to be cut down to size." Lifting up his swords for a long-range attack, he suddenly froze as something gray filled his field of vision to the left, the whole thing followed up with a massive amount of pain as an iron-clad hand smacked him right in the beak. "Who the bloody hell?!"

Smirking as he stepped out from behind his partner, Tai grinned as he watched birdman like digimon focus on him. "Hiya, this is my partner, Knightmon, that's Stingmon up there, and we're here to crash this little party." Smirking as he turned to face Michael on the hill, Tai nodded as he saw that the blond haired boy had noticed him. "Now if you'll excuse us, I think our appointed dance partner has noticed us!"

Spitting out some slime from his mouth, Karatenmon lifted up one sword as he focused his full attention on Knightmon. "Oh yeah, well tell him to get back in line, cause I got first dips on tearing this trashcan a new..." Letting out a scream as he was tackled again, Karatenmon elbowed his attacker and grunted as he watched Stingmon fly off from the rather painful hit right in the face. "Right ya buggers, I don't care who's next, but whoever it is, is dead!"

Ignoring the ranting birdman digimon, Knightmon stood tall as he focused on the looming Metal-Tyrannomon, the large cybernetic digimon staring right back at him. "Tai, this one's for you." Speaking in his strange dual voice, the armored digimon began running forward, each step sounding like a metal hammer striking pure granite. "The Duel!"

Roaring back and slamming up a hidden compartment on his body, Metal-Tyrannomon's systems locked onto the smaller digimon moving towards him. "Giga Destroyer II!"

Halting in his tracks, Knightmon cursed rather loudly as a powerful beam of raw destructive force tore towards him, part of the landscape getting torn up in the process. And even knowing that it wouldn't do much more then protect him from the worst of it, he held out his great shield.

Screaming as the shield literally blew up from the attack, Knightmon grunted as he was lifted up and tossed backwards, his feet impacted the ground as he did an impressive mid air spin to prevent a crash landing on his back. "This guy, he's so much more powerful then he should be in this place."

"Well, aren't you confused." Came the cold, spiteful response form Michael as he looked down at Tai and Knightmon, a sick grin filling his face. "Thought you loser were the only ones who could draw power from the destiny stones?" Holding out his digivice, he laughed as a sickening purple green glow formed around it. "But unlike you, I draw on the very powers of darkness."

Roaring as he glowed purple green as well, Metal-Tyrannomon refocused on Knightmon, the blue colored sphere humming as light began to pull into. "Nuclear Laser!" Only to get shot out as a powerful red colored last blast, this attack hitting home as Knightmon held up his sword as a defense.

Letting out another scream as his hand felt like they had been stepped on, and not shot with a very painful ray of light, but even more troubling were the fact that he in his pain had tossed his sword back over his head.

Turning, Knightmon cursed as he spotted his sword, stuck blade first in the ground several meters away. "Damn it, Hey, you two up there, we need help now."

Twisting to avoid a sword strike aimed at gutting her, Lillymon back away while keeping an eye on Stingmon who were panting from his place while cradling his arm, a deep cut letting out some greenish fluid. "Flower Cannon!" Letting lose with the blast, she cursed as the evil digimon simply responded by diving under it. "Damn it, he won't stay still, Stingmon try and... Ah!"

Nimbly backing away as Karatenmon's two swords glinting with the light of the sun, she found herself barely avoiding each blade. "Mimi, anyone, do something!"  

Looking back as the ground shook, Knightmon didn't get a chance to curse as several tons of metal and flesh impacted him right on, the strike leaving him flying completely out of control up to the point were a lighter, but still painful, mass hit from behind.

Staring in horror as his partner tried to get up, Tai nearly bit himself in the lip as Metal-Tyrannomon responded by opening his hidden compartment again, power glowing from inside of it. "Knightmon!" Yelling out the name, Tai didn't seemed to really think as he found himself moving, taking up position in front of his partner. "Come on, get up again, Knightmon, you have to protect the others."

Looking over his shoulder as Saw Michael signal for Metal-Tyrannomon to wait with his attack, Tai gave his best grin. "You know it just as I do, we can't win." Looking back towards the looming evil digimon, Tai gave his best smile. "It's me he wants, not you, Blackgatomon, Agumon. So just help Mimi and Ken to escape, the others will."

"No." Standing up, armor rattling as it were forced to move despite its damage, Knightmon glared right into the dinosaur like digimons red eyes. "I won't give up, I will defeat him." Reaching out and pulling Tai close, the dual voice let out a faint hit of sadness. "Thank you for trying to protect us Tai, but it's our job to do that, you get Mimi and Ken to safety while we put this jerk on the list of extinct digimon."

Reaching down and pulling out his sword, the large knight like digimon saluted Metal-Tyrannomon in as mocking a manner a she could. "Tai, when we charge him, get away from here."

"No." Responding this time, Tai gave his best smirk at his fused partner digimons. "If you two want to stay and fight, then so will I, I believe in you, and I know you will this fight." Grabbing both digivices from his belt, he grinned up at them as he moved closer. "Together we can take down anyone."

Nodding, but still showing sign of wanting to leave, Knightmon returned his attention towards Metal-Tyrannomon, his sword glinting as he moved into attack position. "Our final strike them, we hit him with everything we have." Glowing as he spoke, Knightmon glared straight across the distance. "So, bring it on!"

Smirking as he looked at them, Michael let out a harsh laugh as he lowered his arm. "Very well, I'll give you that, your little speech was touching, but it won't help you, you demise will be all the sweeter knowing you did you very best instead of running off."

Breathing out as Metal-Tyrannomon let out a war cry, Tai simply grinned back at the insane blond haired boy. "Really, and what makes you think you'll win." Narrowing his eyes as he spat out the last word, Tai held out digivice as he gave a small nod. "NOW!"

Letting out a battle cry, Knightmon took a step forward, only to stop as a bight light explode from behind him, air swirling around as his battle cry was answered by another one.

Moving his attention back towards the destiny stone, Tai stared in shock as the outline of a huge, really huge tiger like digimon formed, a finely decorated blue mask on its head, from which four eyes stared down at him and Knightmon, and around its center, twelve glowing spheres hovered. "Child, your courage, it has reached me here in the depths my prison, your voice of determination have awoken me, and for that, I shall help, accept my power, ad use it to bring balance and order back into the digital world."

Echoing around the field, the tiger digimons voice caused all fighting to stop and stare, as the mouth of the digimon opened up. Golden power flowing forth from it, almost every drop of it swirling down into Knightmon, the dented and broken armor reforming as his shield were recalled onto his arm.

The remaining part of the golden power flowed into Tai digivices, both of them letting out a high-pitched screech as their screens flashed.

"Now go, defeat this enemy, and when the time has come, call on me and the other soverns, so that we may finally rebuild this world." Fading away as he finished talking, the tiger digimon raised his head in respect as he opened his mouth to let out another battle cry.

Smirking as he held up his sword, Knightmon could literally feel himself glowing with power; the urge to take on every single enemy Babel had at once flowing through him. "Tai, let's do it."

At his side, Tai nodded as he turned back to face him. His hands lifting up each digivice. "Knightmon, Digivolve!" As he spoke the words, light shot out from each digivice, twirling around him once, before moving off to flow into Knightmon's body, which almost seemed to explode as a sphere of light formed around him.

Inside the sphere, Knightmon felt as if his body were burning up, each minute cell of it pounding with more power then it had ever had before. "Knightmon mega digivolves too." His armor flying off him, only his gantlets remained and along with his shin guards. His humanoid body suddenly gaining another meter in high and a distinct reptile look, were followed by several more muscles on legs, stomach and arms as each gauntlet twisted and extended in length while three sharp claws shot out from each of them.

His shield changing shape, the metal splitting right down the middle and gaining the mark of courage written on its surface, completed the whole thing. Around his chest, metallic form fitting armor formed, along with a metallic loincloth to finish it all off. "Wargreymon!"

Spitting out the tea he had been sipping, Babel let out a roar of anger as he glared at the screen before him. Once again something had gone wrong, once again things were out of his control. "Skullsatamon!" Screaming out the name while glaring at the screen, the mad man tossed away the rest of his tea.

From behind him, the darkness seemed to split apart as the undead digimon appeared in the room, one bony hand clutching onto his staff while observing the screen before him. "A mega level, digimon?" Giving off a hint of his surprise as he saw sight before him, Skullsatamon allowed it to sink in before regard in his alley from the corners of his eyes. "How did this happen? None of them should be able to reach the mega level?"

Spitting out a crude, low spoken curse, Babel regarded the screen again, one hand gripping tightly onto the armrest of his throne. "The blasted sovern, Baihumon, he gave part of his powers to Yagami's little pet fusion." Dragging a finger across his chin as he leaned back in the chair, Babel observed the screen before him. "I hate this, I hate them, I'm so close to gaining my victory, and still they defy me."

Moving his eyes across the screen, Babel allowed a thin smile to cross his face. "That boy there, that's." Standing up, he let out a low chuckle as he turned to regard Skullsatamon, the smirk on his face telling everyone that he had come up with a new brilliant plan. "Go, get him, bring him here, Skullsatamon, bring Ken to me, so that he can help me gain the rest of the digieggs."

Settling down as his partner bowed to him, Babel watched the fight unfold again with renewed interest, all emotions and concern for his new human servants forgotten. "Shame about them really, but, to think that my little brother is out in the open, and so exposed." Chuckling as he stood up, the mad man turned to leave the room. "It's time for a little family reunion Kenny boy, and no matter what you might say about it, you just got yourself a vital part in my plot."

Laughing as he left the room, he cast a simple glance over at the shadows, his eye easily picking out the outline of the sleeping form hovering there. "And you Gennai, you will stand at the front line of the final battle, crushing those who would stand against me."

TBC: Bortherly Reunion.

AN: Sorry about the time it took, I was distracted by Y's: The Ark of Napisthim, and a minor round of writers block. But I have to say; cutting down on the stories I try to write on at a time has really helped. Look out for the upcoming return of Myotismon part, and the second battle with Blackgreymon.

After which the final arc of this story will begin.

Twilight.

Once this story is complete, work will resume on a "Lone Digi destined." And to those who cares, some parts of it will be changed as I have finally admitted to even myself that I have worked myself into a too deep corner with that story. And nothing short of a massive Dues Ex Machina will allow me to save it.