Jan Fitzgerald tapped gently, a few specks of graphite falling against the form in front of her. Lonnie sat with her back straight, on the other side of the desk, staring forwards, with her face showing no emotion. The college dean sighed audibly.

“Are you going to tell me anything at all?”

Lonnie kept her mouth shut, looking down at the blank boxes. Ms Fitzgerald laid the pencil down.

“Listen, this is serious. It’s my job to keep every one of you safe. I’ve heard some troubling comments about you, and Grace Gallant. If there’s something going on, something you’re involved with, then I want to help. But I need you to be open and honest with me before I can.”

Lonnie’s fingers tensed against her jeans, and she muttered under her breath. The head of college leaned in. “I’m sorry?”

“Have I done anything wrong, Ms Fitzgerald?”

“I haven’t said you have or you haven’t. I just need to-“

“If I haven’t done anything wrong, why am I here?”

“Lonnie...”

Jan sighed, and opened her mouth, but the girl’s expression was fixed. Not anger. Not fear. Just...not moving. The college head sighed, and scrunched up the form in front of her.

“I’ll put both of your absences recently down to discretionary leave. I think...perhaps you should take a few days off. For your own good.”

“You don’t want me here.”

Lonnie held her eyes closed for a second, taking two breaths. Then she stood up, pushing the chair in behind her. She turned towards the door when she heard a sharp tap of the pencil on the desk.

“Wait.”

“What is it?”

The girl turned around, and her eyes locked with the dean’s.

“I meant what I said. It’s my job to keep you safe. All of you.” Ms Fitzgerald gritted her teeth ever so slightly. “Do not put any of your classmates in danger. Do you understand me?”

“Goodbye Ms Fitzgerald.”

“I said-”

Lonnie closed the office door with a click, and stared at the glass for a minute, her head feeling clogged. Absentmindedly, she wandered over to her pigeon hole to pick up any latent assignments. She frowned. There were several bundles of paper shoved inside. She picked one out, unfolding it.

Hypocrite.

Another one.

Get out.

Lonnie looked at the mass of paper. She looked over her shoulder, but the common room was all but empty. Somebody walked out of the bathroom, saw her, and quickly rushed into the nearest classroom without looking back.

Silently, Lonnie gathered all the paper in her arms, before seeing that Grace’s pigeon hole was full of the same. She cleared that out as well, dumped the paper into a plastic bag, and threw it in the recycling bin. She looked at it for the moment, before pulling it out again and shoving each piece, one by one, into Brennan Coleman’s open locker, slamming the door shut behind her.

Well, she’d recognise the handwriting of that greasy-lipped sod anywhere.

The cold wind stung her face as she exited the college, letting out little clouds in front of her. As she made her way down the steps, a hand nudged her elbow, holding out a plastic cup.

“Coffee?”

Lonnie looked down, before glancing a peek beside her. Courtney smiled sheepishly, holding the steaming paper cup. “It’s on me. I owe you several.”

“Thanks.”

The two leant against the rail, staring ahead and sharing few words as they tried to warm themselves through. Eventually Courtney broke the silence.

“Sorry about the hate mail.”

“It wasn’t Harriet who let it out, was it? It doesn’t seem like her.”

“No, Libby was at the beach as well. You know what she’s like with rumours.”

“Dammit Libby.” Lonnie smiled mirthlessly, before leaning back. “Where is Harriet, anyway? You’re not too bruised, either of you, are you?”

“I’m fine. So’s she.” Courtney slanted her face sideways. “Well...sort of. She didn’t want to see you.”

“I figured.”

“Sorry.”

“What about you?”

Courtney held the cup in her hands, rolling it gently back and forth to warm them up through the gloves. “I don’t know what I think. I don’t know nuthin’.”

Lonnie smirked. “Well, that makes two of us.”

She sighed, and pulled her phone out, before downing the rest of the coffee. She paused, holding the cup by the end, before looking at her old friend in the eyes.

“Take care of each other, okay? Don’t...don’t worry about me. I can look after myself. Just stay safe.”

She made to walk off, but the other girl reached out, grabbing her hand. Lonnie closed her eyes, not daring to look into Courtney’s, although she could already hear the harrowed breaths.

“Why are you doing this, Lonnie? Why you?”

Lonnie stayed there for a moment, feeling the warmth of Courtney’s hand. The fingers gently released hers, and her arm fell freely down by her side.

“It was always gonna be me, Courtz. I’m gonna save the world. Remember? If you don’t remember anything else, please remember that. I’m begging you.”

She turned around, and gave a quick salute, before walking off down the street.

“Thanks for everything.”

Lonnie pulled her arms in closer to repel the worst of the cold sea mist, as she made her way up the long path towards the beachside housing estate. She’d always wondered what it would be like to live here even as a little girl. She hadn’t figured on cold. What a great destroyer of innocence growing up was.

She looked at her phone, before picking out the right number. Holding the paper bag in her hand, she reached out towards the door, before stopping herself. It felt awkward. More than usual.

She sighed, and her attention was drawn towards the side of the house, with a vast wrap-around garden surrounded by a beautiful fence. Even in the middle of winter it was exquisite, with sculptures and a beautifully carved arbour.

She double-took, and squinted. There was something curled up underneath. From the faint blue glow, it was clear it was Syngnamon. His eye flickered open, and he looked towards her. She waved. He avoided her gaze.

There was the click of a door, and Lonnie fumbled as Inez’s father walked out, holding a plate with a few wedges of something yellow on it.

“I, uh...I brought you some tortilla. In case you were hungry.”

“...no thank you...”

Lonnie cleared her throat, and the man turned towards her, startling at her appearance and standing in front of the arbour. “Oh...my, I...excuse me.”

He walked over to her, opening the gate slightly. Lonnie stood just outside, holding the bag in front of her. The man held the plate close to his chest with his single hand. “You must be Lonnie McMillan.”

Lonnie blinked. “How do you know my name?”

“I’ve seen the videos online.”

“...”

“You were tagged.”

“...dammit Libby...”

“Come in, please, where are my manners?”

Lonnie edged inside, looking around the garden. “So...um...how is she doing?”

Leandro stopped, running his palm over his chin. “She might not want to see you today. I’m sorry. You’ve probably come far.”

Lonnie shrugged. “Oh, that’s fine, I...I know. It’s just...I thought I should...and maybe...”

Leandro raised a palm. “I understand. Please, come in.” He bent down, placing the plate next to Syngnamon. “I’ll leave this here for you. You don’t want to starve.”

Lonnie glanced down, and quickly sneaked a muffin onto the plate next to the tortilla, before following the man inside. She shivered, marvelling at the sudden warmth. “Why is he outside? Are you mad at him?”

“Frequently.” Leandro sighed. “But it’s his own choice. He doesn’t want to come in. Says it’s not right for him to be with her.”

There were footsteps as Clara walked past, holding a tea towel. She smiled hesitantly at Lonnie, who was feeling more and more inadequate in the vast rooms. She shuffled her foot back and forth. “I’m just a bit confused. Are you sure you’re alright with me, and him, and...all this?”

Clara looked up at her husband, before folding the towel and putting it away. “Of course not. But...well...”

“The fact is, before this last...issue...Inez has been happier than we’ve ever seen her. She’s been with friends. People who care about her. We were worried the last few years since she just seemed to be growing more isolated, but...we thought perhaps this might be the best for her.”

Lonnie pressed her teeth together. “Thank you. But...that day...it was horrible. She was terrified. I didn’t realise how...what...” The girl took in a breath, before blurting out the words. “What’s she been through that’s traumatised her like that?”

Clara swallowed, and reached out, her fingers curling over the end of her husband’s right arm.

“Sorry. That’s her place to tell you, not ours.”

Lonnie shut her eyes. Leandro nodded over towards the stairs. “You can try if you want. But she may not be ready.”

Lonnie held her breath, and rapped her knuckles against the door, the wood sounding sharp. There was no response, although the door was slightly ajar. She pressed forwards, very gently. The room was barely lit, with just a sidelight on beside the bed. A bundle of sheets lay at one end, crouching up.

“Hey...Inez...?”

“...hey...”

The voice was pathetically weak, and quieter than Lonnie had ever heard the other girl. She slid the paper bag through the door, placing it on the computer desk.

“I was worried. I thought you might like these.”

“...thank you...”

“You know...we’re here for you, right?” Lonnie swallowed. “We all are. Grace. Owen. Me. Syngnamon’s outside as well-“

“I don’t want to see him.”

“Inez...”

“Not now.”

Lonnie held her eyes shut, the words coming out before she could stop them. “You know it’s not his fault, right?”

A pause. A long pause. Then an almost-silent response.

“I know. But it’s not mine either.”

The bundle of sheets curled up even more. “ I’m sorry...please...leave me alone...”

Lonnie looked at the girl, looking smaller than she’d ever seemed. She pulled the door shut. “I’ll see you soon, alright?”

“...maybe...”

Lonnie shut the door, hearing it click in her hands. She turned around, her vision swimming. Her head fell backwards, connecting with the wood with a thunk.

“Lonnie, you are so goddamn useless...”

“What the hell do you mean she’s not coming?”

Alasdair placed his phone down, looking more tired than ever. “She told me beforehand she was checking on Inez. It’s important.”

“Mark seethed, pacing up and down, before thrusting his phone out into Alasdair’s face. “Look at this! Actual footage. Of their faces. Of your special tamer’s face. This is a disaster; she doesn’t get to just sit this one out.”

“Mark, stop it!”

Grace’s harsh tone came from behind the boy, with Jack sat opposite her. Their partners were strewn about the small room, including Chromon, who held his head beneath his front legs, not wanting to get involved. Mark didn’t seem to notice, placing his knuckles against his mouth as Grace continued.

“We didn’t have a choice. It happened so quickly; it was just the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Is there ever a right place at the right time?” Mark stormed towards her, before slamming a hand on the wall. “Why are we getting so lax about our job all of a sudden?”

Alasdair held his hand on his knee. “I’ll do what I can but sometimes people make mistakes. It happens, Mark.”

“And it keeps happening.” Mark counted angrily on his fingers. “That whole Dramatismon incident, the arcade, the music club, that building just last week that fell down-”

“Hey!” yelled Jack, “Just cause things are going badly doesn’t mean we’re not trying.”

“Really?” replied Mark, disdain in his voice. “Why are you two the only others here?”

“...Ali said about Lonnie-“

“What about Owen? What the hell has he been playing at of late? I barely see him. Or Lyra, who apparently we decide we like now.”

“Oh, will you just get off your moral soapbox already! Why are you so off on one?”

Grace stood up, staring up into the older boy’s eyes with a steely expression. “I get it. It’s frustrating. It always is. But pointing fingers at everyone else is doing crap all to help.”

“I’m not the one who’s breaking everything!”

Jack folded his arms, hissing to one side. “No, but if Kent was here he’d have fixed it all by now rather than yelling at all of us.”

Mark whirled round, thrusting a finger out at the boy. “ Don’t you DARE bring my brother into this!”

“MARK!”

Alasdair’s voice rang through the house, stopping the shouting in its tracks. Mark stood still for a few moments, shoulders rising and falling as he stared ahead. Alasdair wheeled forwards, with Chromon padding along beside him.

“It’s done, alright. Finished. Now we need to work on fixing it.”

“Why don’t you use your own special little Lonnie for that then? She can’t do anything wrong. Nobody can apparently, except for me.”

“Mark, please, I-“

The young man thrust up a palm, and walked towards the door, grabbing his bag on the way. “Save it. I’ve had enough.”

“W-w-wait up!”

Chromon scrambled to his feet and rushed to catch up with Mark as he marched towards the door. There was a slam, making the lights swing slightly. Alasdair lowered his hand and let out a sigh, before looking at Jack. “Nice one.”

Jack folded his arms. “I’m sorry. That was mean. But it slipped out.” He looked the other way. “I’m pissed off too.”

Grace looked pitifully at her brother, before leaning back against the wall, nudging Vulpimon with her leg. “He has a point. We had a good win recently, but...well, look at us. Everyone has their own issues and it...it’s just getting worse every day. And out there as well; too many outbreaks and attacks and everything. We can’t keep up with it all.”

Alasdair held his head in his hands. “You can, though. I know you can. I need you to. If you can’t work together here....”

He pressed his teeth together, before sitting up, looking at both the tamers.

“You two more than anyone know how dire things can become if we let them. I don’t want it to reach that point.”

“Is this anything to do with your other work? With the gate?”

Alasdair sat up, letting out a breath.

“You’d better go. It’s....not the right time at the moment.”

Jack shared a look with his sister, and she responded in kind. Then she nodded, and the two of them wandered out the door, waving farewell. Alasdair was left alone, wheeling himself back slowly.

“You’re still not ready for what’s coming...”

He rested his elbows on the table, and began to think.

“You k-k-know Jack didn’t mean it like that.”

Chromon rushed beside his partner as Mark held his jacket tightly around him, marching ahead at a breakneck speed. The boy huffed.

“Why would he think otherwise? He travelled across the digital world with Kent. They all did. Of course they all see him that way; some big damn hero. Of course I’m just a cheap imitation.”

“That’s not r-r-right and you know it.”

Chromon rushed forwards, standing in front of his partner and raising his frill. “You’re a valued member of the team. You’re a t-tamer. One of them. They care about you. And you’re one of t-them. Are you going to abandon them just because things are a bit d...d-difficult?”

Mark stopped, looking down at his partner. He held his mouth shut. But slowly, his shoulders relaxed, and he wandered to one side, crouching at the base of a tree. The dinosaur plodded up, sitting down beside him.

“It’s you they n-need right now. Not K-K-Kent.”

Mark looked sideways. “It doesn’t feel like that. He’s always been the one better at everything than I could ever hope to be.”

“Nobody’s perfect.” Chromon lowered his head. “Trust me.”

Mark smiled weakly, before sitting back, holding his temples. “Why is it all falling to pieces already? The girls...they could have been killed that day. And I wasn’t there. I just feel so...powerless. Like I don’t have a purpose here.”

Chromon’s tail rolled back and forth, and he smiled at his partner. “Who says you need somebody else to give you a p...purpose? Just make your own. Make the world know who you are. That much you c-can control.”

Mark looked into his partner’s scarlet eyes, wide and full of wisdom. He smiled, shook his head, and gently pushed himself up, knocking on his partner’s frill as the two wandered further on.

“After it!”

The Tapirmon shot through the nearest wall, releasing purple smoke as it did so. But it did little to halt the hunters as they rushed left and right, trying to corner him. Kade splashed through a puddle, swiping at the tiny spirit as it darted downwards, before it shot through another wall.

“Jai, Lian, cut it off!”

The Tapirmon emerged again, but was struck on the side by an electric rod as one of the renegades wielded it two-handed. The baton passed through its body, but the electric field was like a knife to the gut, causing Tapirmon to descend, gasping. Kade and the others turned the corner, but the Rookie pressed his front legs together, the ring around his right paw glowing.

“Holy Shoot!”

White light burst all around, and the spirit shot forwards, with a slash from Dula only just grazing him. Kade swore, stumbling on the wet concrete as he stared after it. “ That thing is pissing me off something fierce.”

Dula shook out her blade, which was acting temperamentally in the humidity. “Why isn’t it just floating further up?”

“Dunno. Perhaps it’s looking for something.” Kade rolled his neck. “Won’t be for long.”

They rushed forwards again, following the trail of violet smoke even through the dim afternoon light. They turned a corner, and the Tapirmon turned towards them, cornered again. He snorted, his ring glowing again.

“Get back!”

Kade held his baton over his shoulder, smirking. “Oh, finally showing some balls, are we?”

“Kade, look.”

Lian pointed, and several of the group held back as they saw somebody standing behind the Tapirmon; a little girl in a raincoat. She walked forwards, holding up her hands. Dula sighed.

“Get out of the way, kid.”

“No!” The girl stood closer, holding her teeth together. “I won’t...I won’t let you have him!”

“What, you think he’s your pal or something?” Dula snapped her fingers. “Oh, don’t tell me you’ve been watching the local flicks. You’ve seen those others, haven’t you?”

The girl pressed her lips together, holding a hand on the trembling Tapirmon in front of her.

“They’re...they’re gonna stop you. Everyone like you. Digimon are nice. I’m...we’re...we’re gonna be partners. You’ll see.”

The Tapirmon pushed himself up, keeping himself between the trembling girl and the vigilantes, with determination in his eyes. Kade let out a groan, and stepped forwards, with Lian grabbing his arm.

“Kade, stop, Vex wouldn’t-“

“Vex couldn’t be arsed to show up! ” Kade yanked his arm away, and rolled his baton arm. “I’m not gonna stand down to spare the feelings of some naive little brat.”

The child and the Tapirmon clutched on another as Kade marched forwards, raising his baton as it crackled.

“Last chance! Drop that parasite now!”

“NO!”

“BZ Blitzer!”

A series of yellow pellets struck the ground, exploding into blast of gas which rushed over everybody present. Tapirmon’s eyes widened, and he rushed into the girl, pulling her away and holding a bubble of purple smoke over her mouth, but she’d taken a dose of the gas and was already choking, her eyes red and blinking. The hunters were struck too, rushing back as they fumbled with their helmets. Kade stared up, hissing through a hoarse throat.

“You...”

There was a click from above as several silhouettes congregated on the rooftop above, Hoatzimon taking the lead as her head-crest bobbed up and down. “You will not lay a filthy finger on that Digimon, you human scum.”

The vigilantes watched as other silhouettes rose behind the bird woman. Cho-Hakkaimon. Butterflymon. Others, hovering just behind, raring to go. From just beneath, the girl staggered to the wall, the effects of the gas making her dizzy and nauseous, when she suddenly became aware of a shape floating up behind her. She stumbled, and found herself being wrapped in the tail of a slimy lionfish, who swayed silently above her. Pteroimon cooed in a faux-affable manner.

“Oh dear, we seem to have found ourselves a tiny little leech.”

“Get away from her!”

Tapirmon shot up, eyes flashing as he released a purple haze into the fish’s face.

“Nightmare Syndrome!”

“Agh!”

Pteroimon ducked, the girl slipping out of his grip. She began to run, with Tapirmon keeping her out of the way as the fish swung from side to side, grimacing. He faced the running pair, and began to slide forwards, his quills quivering.

“You traitor, you will join your birthright or be destroyed-“

“Stop!”

Brom and Raif shot out of the yellow mist, pinning the fish against the brickwork with electrified lances. The fish hissed, and swung his fin out, several of the quills piercing Brom in the arm. She yelled and pulled back, with Raif releasing the fish to tend to her. But the hunters had formed a barrier now, facing off against the group of Digimon. The fish stuck his tongue out, watching as the girl and the Tapirmon stumbled away, no longer on anybody’s priority list. Kade’s fingers rolled over his baton.

“I don’t care how many of your kind get together. This is our world. You won’t EVER take it from us.”

Hoatzimon tensed herself from her high ground, her beady eyes staring down at the group of renegades.

“The saviour is coming for all of you. You would do well to accept your fates now.”

As they ran through the dark alleys, the girl and the Tapirmon clung tightly to one another, both wounded and both terrified. From behind them they could hear the shouts of fury and pain, and feel the ground trembling, as the battle worsened.

The clouds rolled overhead, and the sounds of the street were undercut by the sounds of distant thunder, booming ominously. Grace didn’t really pay much attention to it, as she just trudged through the streets. She was vaguely aware of lights as she crossed roads and passed under streetlamps, but she was barely paying attention to any of them. She just had a drive to keep moving. She couldn’t stop.

A car honked at her and she jumped forwards as it skidded behind her, the driver yelling obscenities. The girl stumbled forwards, and turned around staring blankly up at the sky. She became vaguely aware of somebody yelling her name, but it felt distant. Muffled. She blinked, and looked to the side as she saw a young man run up to her, out of breath.

Nicholas held his schoolbag close to him, his glasses slightly dislodged. He smiled. “I thought it was you.”

Grace turned away, but the boy reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her from moving.

“Wait, I....I haven’t seen you in a while. I was worried.”

Grace looked down, her hair covering her face. “I meant to. I really did. But things happened. Things always happen.”

Nicholas held his teeth tightly together. “You weren’t at college.”

“I’m not going.”

“Is this anything to do with those...things people are saying?”

“...”

Nicholas waited, feeling the girl’s hand in his. He looked down. “I wanted to hear it from you. Whatever was going on. Whatever you’re struggling with. I’ve missed you. But I...I want you to trust me. Please.”

“...I’m sorry...I just...”

Grace made to take another step, but all of a sudden there was a massive crack of thunder, and the heavens opened. Rain cascaded down, instantly soaking the high street. There were screams all around as people darted for cover. But Grace didn’t move, her hand resting in Nicholas’s. He waited, the rain clamouring down on him as he saw her shoulders relax. She turned towards him, her eyes glistening and her lips trembling.

“I’m...sorry...I’m so sorry...I’ve failed everyone...I’ve failed you...”

She fell forwards, and he caught her, holding her close as the rain fell down upon them. The young man held her quivering shoulders, resting his head on hers.

“Sssh....it’s okay...it’s alright...” He glanced at her sunken eyes and matted hair, with water running down her neck. “You look like you’ve been through hell.”

Grace reached up, her hand grasping at his sodden sweatshirt. “I just want to go home.”

“Do you want me to walk you?”

Grace didn’t respond. But she nodded slightly, still not managing to meet his gaze. They walked down the high street, slowly picking up the pace as the rain got even worse, although at this point it made very little difference to either of them. Grace’s house wasn’t far, and Nicholas walked her up to the door, with none of the lights on behind the frosted glass. Grace smirked. “Guess nobody’s at home.”

“Probably for the best.” Nicholas looked to one side. “I don’t know how your folks would react to a boy bringing you home.”

Grace finally laughed, and turned to face him. “Thanks for this. You didn’t need to.”

The boy shrugged. “No worries. I’m glad I found you when I did.” The boy exhaled as water dripped down his neck, and felt the fabric of his long sleeved shirt. “Shame about the grim British weather though.”

Grace shook her head, snapping out of her stupor as she fumbled for her keys. “Oh my god, what the hell am I doing...please, come in, get out of this rain.”

Nicholas’s eyes widened, and he held up his palms. “No, please, I don’t...I was just kidding.”

“You found me and dragged my sorry arse home in the middle of a downpour.” Grace pulled a face. “For the sake of my own pride I am not about to just abandon my boyfriend outside.”

“B...boyfriend?”

“We’re dating, aren’t we?”

Nicholas scratched his cheek. “I have to admit, I wasn’t completely sure if this still counted after...well, everything...”

Grace stared at him, her bangs dripping. Then she pushed open the door, switching on the hall light. “Are you going to come in or are you happy to stand there philosophising?”

“You’ve perked up.”

“My friends tell me I’m quick to recover once I’ve screwed up. I guess that figures. Now hurry up.”

She grabbed the boy’s wrist and pulled him inside, shutting the door behind her.

“Does it matter which towel I use?”

Grace pulled on a dry t-shirt and called over her shoulder towards the bathroom door. “I’ll stick them in the wash later. Just keep it to one, please.”

“Cheers.”

Grace walked over to her wardrobe and pulled it open, scanning the contents inside. Both she and Nicholas had managed to completely misjudge the weather situation, and while she had enough to work with, the young man didn’t have anything except for the clothes he was wearing. Scanning her own apparel, she wasn’t sure what she had which would fit the broad-shouldered young man. Jack’s certainly wouldn’t fit, and she wasn’t about to start rummaging through her father’s cupboards for fear of the multitude of questions that would arise.

She bit her lip, and walked back towards the bathroom door, gently knocking on it. “It’s...er...not ideal, but you could use this until your shirt dries out at least.”

The door opened a smidge, and she passed through a dressing gown, which was taken tentatively from the other side. Nicholas’s voice wavered through again. “Are you sure?”

Grace could feel her cheeks already drying from the heat emanating from them. “It’s the only one I have. Sorry.”

She wandered back into her room, and sat down on the bed, catching her breath. Her bedroom seemed to be spinning around her. There was the sound of footsteps across the hallway, and the door opened. Nicholas walked in, blinking as he held his glasses in one hand and held his wet shirt over the other, his hair dripping only slightly. The bright pink dressing gown he had tied around his chest did little to detract from the surreality of the situation. He smiled, and held out an arm.

“Can I borrow a radiator?”

“Sure. Of course.” Grace shimmied out of the way, before grabbing a couple of warm mugs. “I made tea.”

“Excellent. Thanks.” He shuffled back, taking a sip from the steaming cup before looking around at the decor. “You like your dolphins, huh.”

Grace brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Always have.” She pointed to the top of the TV, where two stuffed dolphins were sitting next to one another. “Cuthbert and Debbie have pride of place.”

“I’m still not over that.”

“What?”

“You named him Cuthbert.”

Grace huffed, rolling her shoulders forwards. “He’s a dignified creature who deserves a dignified name. You must understand somehow.”

Nicholas smiled. “I only have the one childhood friend, I’m afraid. But I love her.”

“What’s her name?”

“Rabbit.”

“Lemme guess; a rabbit?”

“No, a dog actually.”

Grace turned her head to one side, and Nicholas gave an almost apologetic smile. “I was young and foolish. Just a case of mistaken identity.”

The two carried on exchanging little tidbits, slowly warming up as they made their way through the teas. They didn’t notice the sky beginning to darken until Grace suddenly shivered, her arms rough with gooseflesh. She quickly turned up the radiator, and felt the fabric on top of it. “It’s not there yet, but your shirt’s nearly dry at least.”

Nicholas nodded. “I’ll give it five minutes.”

Grace sat back against her desk, running her hands through her hair. “I’m glad you’re here. Really. I know it was a bit of a...weird way round, but it’s nice to see you again.”

Nicholas sat back. “Funny how things work out, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, well...I’m glad they did.” Grace sighed. “It’s been rough. And cause of that I’ve treated you roughly. I’m sorry.”

“Oh Grace...”

Nicholas shuffled over, and pulled her hand in his, holding it tenderly. “You know I was never mad at you, right?”

Grace raised an incredulous eyebrow, and the young man tilted his head, rethinking his words. “Not really, anyway. Maybe a little. But you try so hard and I want to see that work. I think...I think you’re worth it.”

Grace’s cheeks went slightly pink, but she held Nicholas’s hand back, gently stepping closer as he stood up.

“I want to do what I can. No...I will. I will make this work.”

Nicholas held her, and the two rocked back and forth just slightly. “If there was one thing, I just wish you could be more open with me.”

“Nicholas, I...I mean...”

“Sssh...”

The girl pulled back, and Nicholas held a finger on her lips. Her eyes followed his as he gently shook his head.

“I get it, trust me. At some point, I want you to tell me everything. But only when you’re ready. Is that a deal?”

Grace nodded just a little, holding her lips together. Nicholas bent forwards, and gave her just a peck on the cheek, causing her to blush even more. She looked all around, settling on his shoulder. A move which she regretted quickly as she noticed the fluffy sleeve of her dressing gown slipping down just a little, revealing the boy’s collar bone.

Nicholas noticed where she was looking, and fumbled, going slightly pink himself. “I...uh...I might have forgotten I was wearing this...”

“I...uh...do you...want...shirt?”

Grace turned around and pulled the polo-neck from the radiator, flapping it back and forth. She turned round to pass it back to him, only to freeze in place where she saw Nicholas’s fully bare chest, as he held the dressing gown in his hands. He held it out towards her. She blinked, before hurriedly passing it back.

“I...er...”

Knock knock

“Grace, can I come in?”

Grace let out a squeak like a deflating pterodactyl, her mind racing at a million miles per second as Nicholas turned towards her bedroom door. He took a step, but Grace flailed wildly, settling on her course of action being “launch oneself towards the door and dragon-kick it shut before disaster strikes.”

Which would have been foolproof had Nicholas not been in her direct path of flight.

She crashed into him, sending them both flying back into the bookcase with an almighty bang. They both lay there, eyes spinning slightly, as the door flew open, Jack bursting in.

“What was that? We’re not being invaded are w-“

Jack stopped mid-sentence, as Grace came to first, taking stock of where she was. Namely, lying against Nicholas’s body at a seventy-degree angle, with one hand planted against his bare chest, and the other planted in a remarkably more south-easterly position.

Jack stood still, his eyes wide as his face went a rather volcanic colour. Grace didn’t have much to offer in terms of comforting replies, as she found herself returning to the pterodactyl noises. Nicholas freed an arm, and adjusted his glasses which had gotten dislodged in the collision.

“Jack, right? I can’t remember if we’ve met properly.”

Jack cleared his throat, took a large step back, and promptly shut the door with a beaming smile. From behind the door there came the sound of pounding footsteps and the haunted guttural howl of innocence lost, followed by the click of Jack’s bedroom door. Nicholas sighed, drumming his fingers on his cheek.

“Grace, you really don’t do things by halves, do you...”

Silence.

“...please can I have my behind back once you’re finished with it?”

“...wark...”

“...please leave me alone...”

For words so quiet, they still rang around Lonnie’s head like a pinball in a machine. They had done since her visit, and through her stint at the library where she’d taken cover during the rainstorm. And now, on her way home, they hammered at her more than ever. However fast she walked, however much she pulled her arms in, it did nothing to ease the sickening feeling pulsating through her body. She began to run, her boots crashing against the gravel as she powered forwards, away from the lights and into the crimson-streaked sky.

Eventually that proved too much as well, and she slowed to a walk, her collar fully up around her neck. She was at the very edge of the suburbs, where the roads and drives gave way to the surrounding woods. There was nobody around. No lights. No cars. The quiet hours of the evening. Even the rain had let up by now.

Lonnie turned back towards the wooded path, and took in a breath, before throwing her arms back and screaming into the woods. She made no sound, but she pushed nonetheless, her face creasing up with only the faintest whisper of breath coming out.

The silent cry for help descended into the darkness, and she began to walk again, the old lights flicking on down the pathway.

She could sense the faint sensation of static beside her, and she looked down, grinning as Dendromon shimmered into view.

“You’ve gotten quite good at that.”

“I practise a lot.”

Dendromon padded gently beside the girl, arms behind her head as she looked into the sky. “You’ve been doing a lot of walking today. Are you alright?”

“Never better. Getting exercise. It’s not too cold. Everything’s burning. No problems at all.”

Dendromon stuck out her bottom lip. “Was college rough?”

The girl stopped mid-step. Dendromon noticed the girl’s fingers rolling up and straightening out again. She snorted. “Got it. I won’t ask.”

“Dendromon?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t become famous.”

The amphibian raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Yeah...I know. Neither was I.”

The girl crouched by the side of the pathway, leaning back against the fence. Dendromon looked at her in a worried fashion, before nudging her. “I didn’t want to say anything, but you look awful.”

Lonnie sniggered. “Nothing like kicking a girl while she’s down, huh.”

“Sorry, I meant...like...your face. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

Lonnie blinked. Dendromon’s form swayed and rippled a little in her vision, as if the girl’s subconscious was daring her to disagree. She did anyway, rubbing her eyes on her sleeve. “I’m fine. I’m doing better than a lot of people.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“That’s just...like...your opinion, though.”

“Fine. Be like that. I know when I’m not loved.”

Dendromon kicked the girl’s shoe, and turned around with a humph and folding her arms. Lonnie rocked backwards, whistling at the air. “You do know that I’ve seen Anna pull that trick way too often for it to work on me.”

There was a pause. Then the amphibian’s shoulders slumped.

“Damn.”

Lonnie leaned forwards, and ran a finger over the amphibian’s crest. Dendromon turned around, her eyes wide with concern. “I am serious, though. Maybe you need to slow down for a couple of days. These things can get away from you, then hit you all at once. Trust me, I know.”

Lonnie turned her head sideways. “You do?”

Dendromon rubbed her shoulder. “I wasn’t in a bad way when you met me just because I’d had one really shitty day, you know. I’m a stubborn waif.” Her nostrils flared as she grinned. “Guess I’m the perfect partner for you after all.”

Lonnie stuck her tongue out, and Dendromon retaliated. Then she pulled a face, her gills quivering. “What is that smell...?”

“I have been walking all day-” Lonnie began, before she paused, sniffing the air herself. She covered her face, the pungent scent stinging the inside of her nostrils, like a mixture of musk, sulphur and chlorine. Dendromon was reacting physically now, her tail flicking back and forth as she looked down the pathway.

Something was slowly making its way towards them, walking with a pronounced limp. Hoatzimon’s breath was haggard, the yellow spikes on her head swaying from left to right. Lonnie stood up in an instant as the bird noticed her, picking up the pace.

“Just my luck...one of you...”

The bird of prey leered forwards, but Dendromon stepped forwards, knocking the bird’s wing away. “Back off.”

“Dendromon, wait.”

The amphibian didn’t relax, her tail swishing even more as Lonnie held up a hand. “I’m not gonna fight. Not right now.”

Hoatzimon clicked her beak. “So unwise.”

“Looking at you? You’re probably not in the shape to fight either.” Lonnie sighed, folding her arms. “What’s the story then? Battle with Vex’s gang? Or were you the one picking a fight with some kids somewhere. Or perhaps nothing like that. Maybe you were just passing through. I don’t know. I can’t tell anymore. I think I’ve got this whole situation sussed, then something else barges in, pisses on the rug and kicks my hamster out the window.”

Dendromon turned around, temporarily forgetting the danger as she looked into Lonnie’s confused face. The girl was staring intensely forwards, before she blinked and held her head.

“Erp...need caffeine...”

Hoatzimon turned her head sideways. “You’re looking for answers?”

“I’m looking for caffeine more.” Lonnie glared up at the bird through her fingers. “Which is it then? Who are you? What do you want?”

Hoatzimon gave a couple of hoarse laughs. Then she turned, and carried on down the path, heading towards the woods. Lonnie held her hands out. “What the hell, miss?”

“You want to know who we are? Why we’re here?” Hoatzimon looked over her shoulder. “I guess you’d better come find out.”

She slinked off, the shadows starting to obscure her. Lonnie looked forwards with a pathetic gaze. She felt a tug on her trouser leg, and looked down to see Dendromon shaking her head.

“It could be a trap. It’s definitely a trap.”

“Dendromon, I...I know. But I’m losing control of everything at the moment.” The girl balled her fist up. “Maybe...just maybe this could give us a clue...”

“A clue for what?”

“How to fix this mess.”

She took a step, then paused, feeling the evening chill hit her. Dendromon’s hand wormed its way through her fingers, warming the skin. They smiled at one another, before following the spindly bird as she limped ahead of them. They walked slowly, being careful not to get too close. Lonnie held the D-SEND in her pocket, almost daring the bird to turn on them. But after realising she had been horrifically tense for the past five minutes, she decided to change tack.

“So how long have you been here?”

No answer.

“A few months? Maybe longer? I don’t know what’s going on with your world at the minute. Or at all.”

Hoatzimon cheeped in an irritated fashion. “I’m not telling you anything about us.”

“I mean you specifically. Is it nice here for you?”

“You people are scum. But the place itself is alright.”

“Bit cold at the moment though, isn’t it?”

“Oh god, isn’t it?”

Hoatzimon turned for a second, then realised she was supposed to be being quiet. Lonnie stuck her tongue out. “Made you look.”

Hoatzimon warbled softly. “This is why we need to get rid of you all.”

Lonnie looked up at the darkening sky. “Surely not all of us.”

“You are a scourge.”

“Did you read that in a book? We have tacos and glam rock and funny six-second videos of cats redefining comedy over here. I promise; it’s not all bad.”

Against her better judgement, Hoatzimon chuckled. “You really think the good things you’ve done can outweigh the bad? Those of us chased away back into the void? Or those of us you’ve killed?”

“And what about the humans you’ve hurt yourselves?”

Hoatzimon paused, and Lonnie felt her fist tense in her pocket.

“It’s not nice to point fingers when you’ve been poking the toilet bowl yourself.”

“I suppose.” Hoatzimon turned around, placing a wing on her hip. “But you can’t blame us for looking out for our own welfare. As you said, you don’t know what’s going on with our world at the moment.”

Lonnie pressed her lips together, and tried to think of a response, but she didn’t get far before she heard a slithering noise behind her. Before she could move, a long tail had wrapped itself around her body and she felt several spines poking into her back, with only her shirt preventing them from breaking the skin. Something leant over her shoulder, and whispered slimily into her ear.

“We don’t take kindly to chatty little spies in our neck of the woods.”

Lonnie grinned. “Listen buster, I’ve had a bad week. I wouldn’t push it.”

The fish tightened his grip, but soon paled a little as a shadow fell over him, and Andriamon pressed her palm over his head, pressing inwards towards his temples.

“Do you want to have a rethink, slippy?”

The fish growled, but Hoatzimon clapped her wings together, whistling. “Relax, Pteroimon. They’re with me.”

The lionfish uncoiled himself, before resting his chin on his tail in mid-air. “Isn’t this a human, Hoatzimon? Isn’t this a little dangerous?”

“Will you have a look at her?”

Pteroimon turned around, scanning Lonnie as if she were a piece of chewing gum on his non-existent shoe. Then, after an irritatingly long time, a glimmer of recognition shone in his eyes. “Oh. I see. This is one of those.”

Beside him, Andriamon raised a hand. “Hello, pretty sure I was your first clue there.”

“Well, well, well...” Pteroimon changed position in a considering manner. “My apologies, dear lady.”

Lonnie nodded. “You’re welcome.”

“Not you, flesh dungeon.” Pteroimon spat, before turning to Hoatzimon. “I would never doubt your judgement, I promise.”

Hoatzimon glanced at Lonnie, who pulled a face behind the fish’s back. The bird very nearly joined her, but she composed herself, gesturing over her shoulder. “We’re here, by the way.”

Lonnie brushed the fish aside, looking further into the woods. The moon was up now, hovering just directly enough overhead to illuminate through the treetops. It glistened off the frosty rooftop of an old aircraft hangar, lying abandoned in the middle of the forest. At least, abandoned by the surrounding populace.

But Lonnie could see the lights flickering inside, and could feel a shiver going through her entire body. Hoatzimon limped forwards, and Pteroimon joined her, staring back smarmily at the girl and the large amphibian beside her.

“Well come on in then, you revolting creature.”

Lonnie cringed at the voice, and the ever more threatening aura coming from the open hangar door. Andriamon stood next to her, holding herself close in an attempt to quell her partner’s fear.

Gently, Lonnie walked forwards, staying a few metres behind the other two. Each step was a chore, making her feel more and more ill at ease. Andriamon was clearly finding it worse, as her spines pricked up and glowed red-hot at the base, desperate to fire inside and run. The hangar was even larger up close, the curved roof blocking out the moon and revealing the fully lit contents inside.

The girl slowed to a stop, her heart racing as she stared around. There were Digimon all over the place; leaning against the walls, balancing on the beams of the ceiling, or hovering in the air. They tensed as Lonnie walked inside, and their attention fell upon her. A Cho-Hakkaimon sat in one corner, resting her giant hammer on her lap. A Lilamon hunched on a beam above, staring hatefully at the girl. Lonnie looked to her right, seeing an Oryxmon walking gently away. She turned towards Lonnie, and bowed her head respectfully. Less civil was the MetalMamemon sat on top of an old crate, gently turning a screwdriver against his mechanical cannon arm as he fixed her with an unblinking, obsessive stare.

Lonnie stepped forwards, sticking closer to Andriamon. A couple of the inhabitants were starting to hiss at her, or murmur quietly to the others around them. Looking closer, Lonnie could see some that she recognised. A Butterflymon, clasped onto one wall as he turned his head to follow her movements. A flapping of fabrics beside her betrayed the presence of the Kabukimon, who scarpered as she saw him, hiding behind a stoic Peacockmon. And over at the far end she could see the frantic flapping of a lone Gochmon, tied to a metal ring on the wall along with several other smaller Digimon, none of whom looked like they wanted to be there.

Lonnie looked away, her throat tightening. A slight ringing jangled in her ears, and she found her attention drawn to another resident, leaning against the wall as he flicked his fingers back and forth in front of him. His body seemed to be made entirely of liquid metal, which had a haze over it as if it were red hot. His hands and feet were long and webbed, and his eyes were sunken into an almost skeletal head, albeit one bent upwards in a manner almost like a smile. He stared at her, still rolling his fingers as small purple flames sputtered out from between them.

“Caesiumon.”

The metallic creature closed his fingers, and nodded at Pteroimon, readjusting his legs.

“Where is Sciamon?”

Caesiumon raised his eyebrows, fixing his stare on the fish now. The haughty creature backed off a little, but Hoatzimon stepped up, folding her arms. “We brought one of the tamers. She wants to know the truth about what’s coming.”

Lonnie hadn’t noticed until now that all the Digimon were backing away, lining up around the walls and silencing themselves. She could hear the sound of her own breathing reverberating around the hangar, and as the lights came up she became aware of a large, metallic throne sitting at the other end of the bay. The girl glanced at Caesiumon, who rolled his arm out, gesturing at her to walk forwards.

Slowly, and deeply unsettled, she did so, with Andriamon padding along behind her. The amphibian’s confidence had vanished, replaced by a gut-wrenching terror that ebbed into Lonnie as well. Her spines were retracted, and her eyes were wide, reflecting the swinging electric lights above.

As Lonnie walked further, she could see the shape hunched over, and she realised that it wasn’t a throne, but in fact one vast being; its lower half a manner of plates and pipes and bars that almost sank into the ground. She got closer, but there was no response, the Digimon not even turning round to look at her. But she could hear something. A faint scrabbling, coming from the entity’s lap. She walked closer, realising quite how big the beast was, as the scratching intensified; a bone-shaking scraping that carved its way into the depths of her body. Then, without warning, it stopped, and the beast shifted slightly.

“Do you know what this is?”

It reached out, placing a large block of metal in front of Lonnie, pressing it into the earth like a tombstone. She looked across it, seeing rows of strange symbols, one after the other. She didn’t know what it said. But she knew very well what it reminded her of.

“Well?”

“It...these...these Digimon...”

Her reply was broken by the beast’s immense sigh, tinged with a savage cracking as he clutched at the ground.

“Do you not honour the dead in this world?”

Lonnie felt her fingers clench, almost without her consent. She nodded, not sure if the creature could see her. He seemed to notice, as he reached out with a huge, broad arm, twice as long as she was tall, rippling with muscle and wearing a burnished gauntlet. It gripped the edge of the plaque, and he ran his finger over a single name.

“This was the first one you witnessed, am I correct?”

“I...I don’t...”

“Rhinomon.”

Lonnie jumped, and the hidden figure turned even more, showing a glowing eye hidden in his shadowed helm.

“Does it still hurt? Knowing that you watched a living creature die?”

Lonnie gritted her teeth.

“Every day.”

“And yet every day, we die here.” The hand began to tap lower, taking one name at a time. “Quetzalmon. GrapLeomon. Dramatismon. MudFrigimon. Every day more of our brethren are taken in this world, and every day I write their memory on this plaque. Even I cannot remember everyone. But it is the right thing to do. For otherwise their names would be wasted. Their lives would be wasted.”

With a creaking, the throne began to rotate sideways, revealing the beast from the shadows. Lonnie took a few steps back, unable to help herself as the huge being came into view, still talking.

“I remember them. Whether they joined me, or whether they ran from me, or whether they even fought against me. It doesn’t matter. None of them deserved to die by your hands.”

The Digimon turned fully, revealing the creature in his entirety. He was a giant, easily twenty-five feet tall, with a broad, part-mechanised chest and two tree-trunk like arms. His head was covered with a black helmet, moulded to resemble a snarling demonic face, with two glowing golden eyes hidden behind deep sockets. As he leant forwards, his lower half creaked and scraped; not legs, but a single pillar, forged from metal embossed segments and ending with a mechanical claw.

Sciamon leant forwards, towering over Lonnie even in his seated position, as his eyes flashed with fury.

“You, who have slaughtered our brethren and driven us into the shadows, you DARE to show your face in front of me and demand our acceptance? Is that why you’re here? Answer me, self-professed Digimon tamer.”

Lonnie didn’t have an answer. She found herself looking at the plaque again, her eyes skimming over the unreadable text.

“Who’s the last name? The most recent?”

Sciamon’s hands gripped the arms of the throne so tightly that the girl could hear them creaking.

“You should know. Gerridamon. You slaughtered them the day before last.”

“They were hurting people. We couldn’t stop them. It was self-defence.”

“Is that an excuse to take a life?”

“No.” Lonnie’s nostrils flared as she stared up into the giant’s glowing eyes. “We haven’t always won. We have things we can do better. But let me turn that around; are our own failures an excuse for you to take our lives?”

There was dead silence around the hangar, as Sciamon looked down upon her.

“You are correct. It is also self-defence. It is a vicious circle of hatred.” The giant clasped his hands beneath his chin. “And that is your answer, Digimon tamer. We cannot coexist together. Our kinds are not compatible. One of us must be destroyed.”

“No!”

Lonnie jumped as Andriamon stepped forwards, planting a hand on her own chest. “I don’t believe that! Look at me! Look at all of us who are working with these people...these kind people, trying to do right by both worlds.”

Sciamon sighed. “You are deceiving yourself. Both of you are. I cannot condemn you for ignorance.”

Lonnie balled her fist. “It’s not gonna be easy. But anything has to be better than all-out war.” She blinked, fighting back the urge to scream. “You don’t understand...the hunters are just one group...you don’t know how scary we can be...”

Sciamon pressed down on the arms of his throne, pushing himself upright onto his column as his eyes flashed.

“Do I look like someone who will succumb to threats, little girl?”

The girl thrust an arm out, pointing at the plaque. “Do you want more names added to that? Because that’s where you’re heading if you don’t at least try! Please...you have to STOP!”

The girl’s voice echoed around the hangar, slowly dying in intensity and power. She held her breath, waiting for a response. From Sciamon. From anyone.

Then, from behind her, she heard voices. First only a few. Pteroimon. Hoatzimon. Then more and more, building in texture. A chant. A warning.

“We will be saved.”

Sciamon’s eyes closed as he heard the growing chant, splaying out his palms as he did so. Lonnie stood closer to Andriamon, the words growing louder and harsher, burrowing into her ears. Then above it all, Sciamon’s booming voice pierced through.

“I know. We all know. And every name will only fuel our cause. Those we knew. Those we didn’t know. And those who are yet to fall.”

“Please Sciamon...”

“Do you hear them? Do you hear the call of those who you have killed?” Sciamon laughed, and bent down to look Lonnie dead in the eyes.

“This will all come to an end. Our saviour is coming.”

Lonnie’s eyes were wide as she felt the heat emanating from within Sciamon’s helm.

“Your saviour...I don’t....”

“Your world is about to change. In mere days, we will rise up as the new owners. We are the Sanctuary Crusade, and we shall deliver for our kind. You humans have had your run. Now it is our turn. Our right to live.” His eyes burned into hers; bright rings in an inky blackness.

“I want you to send a message. I want you to tell them that we are coming. And we will be the ones left standing.”

The girl shook her head, her head pounding from the chants rolling all around her, with every Digimon shouting at the top of their lungs. “You can’t do this. I won’t send your message.”

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.”

Lonnie stepped back, but Sciamon reached out, blocking her movement with one hand as he leered up in her face, his voice descending into a terrifying bass.

“You will be our herald. You will scream our message to your entire world when they witness your broken, twisted body splayed out at the forefront of our crusade, Digimon TAMER!”

“Pyro Spires!”

Andriamon shot forwards, catching Sciamon’s arm as it descended, and firing a mass of spikes from her shoulders. They struck the giant in the helm, the blast launching Lonnie out of his range, but still the arm descended and struck the amphibian across the chest, drawing deep grooves in her flesh. She screeched, and rushed back, grabbing Lonnie in her arms as she rushed for the hangar door. Sciamon stepped back, his pillar-like leg creaking as he reached out.

“Kill her!”

Andriamon ran as the crusaders began to rush forwards, trying to block the door, but the amphibian raised an arm and fired wildly, blasting enough of a path for her to leap through. She rolled in the dirt outside, still holding her tamer in her arms and protecting her from the worst of the fall. But as Andriamon stared back, she saw the beasts in the hangar, still clamouring for her partner. They parted, revealing Caesiumon standing in the doorway, who raised a hand and pulled in a couple of fingers, the metallic flesh of his body shining white and blue.

Andriamon felt her entire body sting with imminent danger, and she rushed forwards again, lumbering chaotically towards the comparative safety of the trees.

Caesiumon didn’t hurry. He took his time, the aura concentrating at his fingertips as he closed one eye.

“Base Blaze.”

His fingers arched, sending a scattering of tiny metallic pellets flying into the woods after Andriamon. They flew smooth and wide, hitting the leaf litter.

The explosion was immense; a vast eruption of purple blazing spheres of such ferocity that they all but vaporised the trees around them. The blast front caught Andriamon, sending her and her partner flying forwards, crashing into a trunk. The amphibian coughed, a splattering of blood appearing beneath her as she looked back into the lilac inferno, now obscuring the hangar from view. Pain racked her body, and her ears and eyes were ringing, completely stunned by the blast. But despite everything she could feel her partner gripping tightly onto her, her fingers digging in. Ignoring the pain and every muscle in her body screaming at her to stop, Andriamon kept running, closing her eyes to put all memories and sensations of the blaze out of her mind.

Caesiumon lowered his arm as Sciamon descended next to him, resting his bulk on his knuckles as he growled.

“You missed.”

Caesiumon smiled.

“Apologies.”

“No matter.” Sciamon looked up into the sky, feeling the heat from the flames cutting through the cold night air. “She will yield soon enough. They all will.”

He breathed out, his breath forming clouds in front of him.

“The saviour is coming for us all.”

Brring

Alasdair started awake, and fumbled around as the phone went off beside him, eventually raising it up to his face. He raised it to his ears, rubbing his eyes.

“Hello? Eloise?”

“Hi Alasdair. We have a bit of a problem here.”

“How much of a problem?” Alasdair pinched his nose. “Is it something we can look at in the morning-“

“Lonnie’s just arrived. She’s had a...run in.”

“With Vex’s gang?”

“With some very strong Digimon. Dendromon’s in a bad way. They’ve both taken a beating.”

Alasdair sat up, his eyes wide. “Is she going to be alright?”

“She’s shaken, but will be alright. But she said she needed to talk to you. I’ll pass you over.”

There was a fumbling sound from the other end of the line, before Lonnie’s voice piped up.

“Yo. Sorry about this.”

“Lonnie, what have you gotten yourself into this time?”

“I didn’t mean to. It just sort of happened. But they’re gathering, Uncle Ali. They were out to kill me, and I think they’re out to kill all of us, and...I need help...we all need help.”

“Woah, hey, slow down. Who is it? What are they?”

There was a pause. Alasdair could feel the fingers on his free hand trembling, almost in anticipation. Or perhaps fear at what he knew was coming.

“Uncle Ali, what do you know about a saviour?”

Alasdair felt his throat dry up. His gaze went towards his dresser. Even through the wood and this distance he could feel the device inside calling to him. Demanding his attention.

“Something’s coming, isn’t it. Something big.”

Alasdair closed his eyes.

“Stay there, Lonnie. I’m coming. Call in the others.”

“How many of them?”

“All of them.”

The living room was fairly full of people and Digimon by the time Alasdair arrived. Eloise and Kai had made drinks for everyone present, and they hung in the corner of the room, holding each other’s hand. Lyra paced around, arms folded and looking distinctly narked.

Mark and Jack were sat in silence, and Grace was beside Lonnie, gently comforting her friend as she sat with a blanket over her shoulders, the events having caught up with her. Dendromon was laid out on the opposite sofa; beaten up, bruised, and bandaged, but staying awake for everyone’s sake.

The doorbell rang, and Kai wheeled Alasdair in, where he sat in front of the dresser, looking sadly down at Lonnie. She gave a weak thumbs-up. “It’s alright. I’ll live.”

The man shook his head, too anxious himself to chew her out. He looked among the tamers present. “No Owen? Or Inez?”

“We did ask,” said Kai. “Inez can’t. And we don’t know about Owen.”

Mark pressed his teeth together at this comment, but refrained from saying anything, as Chromon gently nudged his legs. Alasdair leant forwards, looking at Lonnie.

“Tell me everything that happened.”

Lonnie did so; recounting from the moment she’d met Hoatzimon to everything she’d seen in the hangar. The words hung around the room, as everybody tensed up. Lonnie got to the end, and took a breath, before holding the blanket tighter around her.

“Were they right, Uncle Ali? Is there really a saviour coming? Are we in trouble?”

The old man sighed, clasping his hands in front of his face.

“This is my fault. I should have told all of you earlier.”

Alasdair felt the eyes of the room on him, and he gently reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small tablet.

“I don’t know the details. But approximately a week and a half ago, at the digital gate facility...we received this.”

He spun the tablet around, showing the counter to the assembled group. 10:04:37:42, and slowly counting down. And below it, that same, unchanging blinking message.

“We are coming to stop this.”

Lyra leaned in at the back of the group, tilting over to get a better look. “’We are coming?’ Nothing like being specific, is there.”

Jack shook his head. “I don’t get it? Who’s ‘we’? Who sent the message?”

Alasdair leant forwards. “It’s not just a message. It’s a proclamation. A warning. The situation here has gotten out of hand, and...something is coming. Something that will change this world forever.”

Mark narrowed his eyes. “This is big, Alasdair. We needed time to prepare. Why didn’t you tell us about this?”

Alasdair pulled the screen back. “I didn’t want to distract you. Things were moving too quickly, and I felt...it was best if you didn’t have it on your mind.”

Mark folded his arms. “Good to know you trust us so much.”

“That was my mistake. I’m sorry.”

Eloise ran her fingers over Ladomon’s body as the dragon wound around her shoulders. “Do you know anything at all? What this saviour, or saviours could be?”

“All I know is what they’ve sent us. I don’t know...I can’t be sure who or what it is. None of us do.” Alasdair held his fingers together, staring ahead. “But what we know now is that there are Digimon within our world who believe that they will be saved. That they are in the right. And that they are willing to go for war over it.”

Grace held her mouth. “And if they keep fighting, the hunters will do the same. It’s gonna be chaos.”

Mark reached out, and Alasdair passed the tablet over to him. He flicked through all the messages, with Jack looking over his shoulder.

“Ten days. Boxing Day.”

He passed the device back, clasping his hands together.

“What do we do?”

Alasdair leant back. “I’m working closely with the scientists at the gate facility. We are sealing up everything we can. Nothing comes through that portal.”

“And what about us?”

Alasdair turned to Lonnie, who sat up, her face disconcertingly grave.

“What can we do?”

“Get ready.”

Alasdair sighed.

“All I can say is prepare for the worst. From the Digimon crusade, from the hunters, and from...this saviour.”

The group nodded all around the room, faces steeled and determined. The man leant back, running his tongue over his teeth.

“And pray that the worst isn’t going to happen.”