August, 2014

The sixteen-year-old sat on the bench, looking down at his hands as the trees swung gently above him, dropping spinning leaves as they swayed. The boy could hear the sound of distant laughter, but he didn’t react. He turned the frame over in his hands, holding onto it as he stared at the picture within. It felt more and more alien with every second.

“Hey...”

Owen shut his eyes, and leant forwards, resting his forehead on his knuckles. He swallowed.

“Oi, misery-guts.”

The boy sat up, glaring forwards. “Go away. I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

“Well, isn’t that a fine hello. Arsehole.”

The boy whirled round, preparing to yell in somebody’s face, but there was nobody there. He looked around, then down, then realised that the voice had definitely come from above him. He gingerly looked up into the tree, squinting against the sunlight.

It was hard to make out exactly, but someone was lying in the crook of the branch. Someone...or...something. It looked almost like a monkey wearing a shiny white spacesuit, with its tail flicking back and forth below. It grinned down at him, and raised two fingers in a peace sign.

“Yo.”

“FUCK!”

Owen jumped back a mile, and before the monkey could get a word in edgeways he had removed his shoe and lobbed it at mach speed up into the tree. It was a direct hit; the monkey caught a mouthful of sandal, before the momentum sent her tumbling backwards. She bumped off three branches on the way down, before crashing head-first into the ground.

“OW!”

Owen wandered around, brandishing his other shoe, when the monkey shot out of the bush, helmet on the wrong way round as she waved a tiny laser gun around like a mad thing.

“Bastard! This is unprovoked assault! I’ll have your fucking kidneys, mate!”

Owen swung his shoe in a vaguely threatening way, forgetting the fact that she couldn’t actually see him yet. “You started it!”

“How the fuck did I start it? I was making polite conversation!”

“I panicked and I may have reacted in a disproportionate manner!”

“Fine. We’ll look past it!”

“Okay. Maybe. Whatever. Do you need some help?”

“I’m pretty sure I can manage myself but thank you for the offer!”

The two let off aggressive comments for a few seconds more, until the tempers were sufficiently cooled off for them to get slightly closer, allowing Owen to twist the monkey’s helmet back round the right way. She took in a breath, and fell backwards, her legs stretched out in front of her as her eyes floated left and right for a bit.

“Shall we try that again, maybe? Yo.”

There was no response. The monkey shook her head, and pouted up at the young man. “You’re supposed to say ‘Yo’ or ‘What up’ or something in return, you know.”

“You’re one of them, aren’t you?”

“One of what?”

Owen crouched down, holding his arms around his knees as he looked into the monkey’s green eyes.

“I know what you are. You hide away at night, but you...things...you walk around here when nobody’s watching. You’re one of those creatures from the gate.”

The monkey scratched her cheek.”Well, the politically correct term is Digimon, but I guess we can let that slide-“

“You have to get away from me.”

The monkey double-took. “I beg your pardon. You throw a shoe at me and then suddenly I’m the one invading your space?”

The boy’s eyes were haunted. He bit his lip.

“You don’t know anything. I...my dad’s gonna kill you...”

The monkey flinched. “Geez dude, keep it light-“

“I’m serious. You don’t get it. You...have to get away from me. I’m not safe to be around. You have to-“

The monkey leant forwards, and planted a finger on his lips. The boy stopped, aware he could feel the finger quivering slightly. He looked back into her eyes, seeing the pupils shiver in the emerald irises.

“I know, Owen. I know.”

She gently pulled back, and stood up slowly, brushing her knees off. The boy stared.

“How do you know my name?”

The monkey scratched behind her head. “Is there a creepy and non-threatening way to say that I’ve been watching you for a few months and taking notes?”

“...I mean, if there is, it’s probably not that.”

“That is true. But well, I’ve said it now.” The monkey clapped her hands together and bowed quickly. “So sorry. We’ll call it even for the shoe.”

“But...I don’t...why...what? What? What the hell are you following me for? What don’t you get about my dad wants to kill you! All of you!”

The monkey folded her arms. “Do you wanna kill me?”

The boy stopped. He stepped back and forth, fidgeting with his fingers. The monkey blew a strand of hair away from her eyes.

“I can’t speak for your pops. But call me naive; I reckon if you actually wanted to hurt me you’d have thrown something more painful than a shoe at my face.”

“But...I...sorry...”

“And you wouldn’t have walked away from those guys.”

The leaves rustled overhead as the monkey stood upright, looking him in the eye. She held her hands out.

“I get it, alright? You don’t know anything about me. No reason to care. And every reason to hate me.” She nodded down at the small picture frame still clasped in Owen’s hand. “I don’t know who they are, but I know they must have meant a lot to you.”

Owen held the frame back, keeping it away from the monkey’s gaze.

“She did.”

The monkey placed a hand on her hip, her tail whipping back and forth.

“So why’d you leave your dad, then?”

Owen swallowed. “It’s not right.”

“Why?”

“How the hell should I know? I don’t know anything! I don’t know what to do since she...she...”

Owen felt his eyes stinging with tears, and he turned away, dragging his palm over both eyes and leaning against the tree, his teeth gritted tightly.

“Who are you? What are you doing here? Leave me alone.”

He leant with his head against the wood for several seconds. When he opened his eyes, the monkey was holding something out beneath him. A small, phone-sized device; white and grey one moment, but occasionally flicking over with black and green. She gestured up to him, smiling beside him.

“My name’s Simeamon. And I’m here for you. Cause you’re worth saving. And it’s up to me to try, if you’ll let me help you.”

Owen turned round, staring down at the device as Simeamon leaned into his view.

“Howsabout it? Will you let me? I promise I won’t be such a colossal dick like...maybe fifty percent of the time.”

Owen reached out. Hesitated. Then held the device in his hand, feeling the gentle shock over his skin. When he turned it round in his palm, it was fully black, with a neon green grid etched over the top half. He looked up into the monkey’s eyes.

“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

Simeamon shrugged, before holding her arms behind her head and looking up at the sky.

“Come on. I’m tough. How bad could it be?”

Kade snorted as he held his phone in front of him, his message to Vex still hanging on the little screen. There was nothing from the other side. No typing, no buffering; just silence.

“Such a disappointment.”

He looked over his shoulder, his arms sagging as he sighed. “ Have you got your shit working yet?”

Zeke huffed up at him as he leant over a wired-up pack, with Mira crouching beside him, offering helpful support. The engineer reached inside his helmet and wiped his brow. “I’m going as fast as I can.”

“Go faster then. It’s just gonna be us on this one.”

“Who put you in charge, exactly?”

“Charming good looks, charisma, and the fact that I’m the only one who seems to give a fuck about the state of the world these days.”

“Well...I’m sure this is gonna go well, then.”

Kade decided to ignore the blatant sarcasm, and left Zeke to fiddle around with his pet projects. Off to one side, Jai and Kley were holding positions on either side of a building, peering around and holding small devices, which let off the occasional small blip. Lian and Nile held back slightly more, hands clasped over their own weapons. Kade folded his arms.

“It’s gonna run off if we don’t get a move on.”

Zeke banged down on the pavement. “You want to take that fluffy little problem on by yourself? Be my guest.”

"I’d love to, but I’m not stupid. Why do you think I brought all of you with me?”

Nile gave Lian a look, before gingerly walking up to the other man. "With all due respect, this is a tricky one. Perhaps we should wait for Vex-“

“Don’t bother. He’s not coming. He’s given up on all this."

Nile took in a breath. "This isn’t a good idea. We’ve seen for a while that more powerful ones are coming through; this one’s clearly more dangerous than the others. I’m just saying-“

Kade whirled around, pointing a finger at the two. "Are you about to run away again? You have a lot to answer for after the last time. Both of you.” He leant back. “Or are you happy with Via’s death on your hands?”

Lian visibly bristled, and took a step forwards, but Nile held out an arm. His face wasn’t visible beneath his helmet, but Kade could feel his piercing gaze nonetheless. Eventually the taller man stepped back without a word, retaking his position next to Lian. Kade lowered his head.

“Sorry. Long nights.”

There was a cough from beside him, followed by a nudge as Zeke passed Kade’s baton back up to him, with a newly patched up case strapped to a leather belt. The man huffed, and pulled the handle up close, plugging the power banks into the holders.

“It’s not about us. It’s about everyone else. It’s about making those things pay.”

Kade pulled the assembly around his midriff, flicking the switches off and on and listening to the satisfying hum of charge.

“Cheers for that.”

Mira placed the tools away as Zeke brushed his hands back and forth. “ Just don’t bust it up this time. Ramp up the power slowly.”

“I don’t always have the chance. To do that.”

Zeke was about to retort, but started coughing again, making nasty hacking sounds beneath his helmet. Kade tilted his head.

“You alright?”

“Caught some lurgy. But nothing I can’t handle.” He pulled something out from behind his back; a small box with a few prongs sticking out the front. "Besides, I need to test this out, and I’m not letting any of you galumphing cavemen handle it without supervision.”

“Charming.”

There was a wave from in front of them as Kley pulled back, holding a small blade. "I can see something moving.”

Jai readied himself. “Let’s go. Cut it off.”

He took a step, but Kley reached out and yanked him back, her voice cracking.

“No way! It’s just gonna head sideways.”

“Don’t throw me around like that!” yelled Jai, elbowing the smaller hunter sharply in the ribs. Kley hissed, instinctively kicking back, but they were stopped by a sharp whistle from Nile next to them.

“Ssh.”

Nile held an arm out, splaying his hand. "It knows we’re here. We’re just playing on attrition at the minute. Head to the other side.”

The two junior members looked at one another, before pulling back, edging round the wall. Mira joined them, rolling her shoulders with a short lance in her hands, while Zeke nudged up against the wall, peering towards where Nile was pointing. The plaza seemed to be entirely empty, at least at first glance. There was a statue in the corner of a woman holding a child. A couple of brick planters holding withered, dead trees. But apart from that, nothing of note.

At least, nothing of note to the standard passer-by in the street. But the hunters knew what they were looking for. A break in the landscape. A shimmering spark, or a solid mass blinking through the middle of the air. It was a good disguise. Clearly a strong one. But as they found their positions, it soon became clear where it was; a large, shimmering shape crouching down in front of the statue, heaving up and down. Little bits of red struck the brickwork beneath it, dissipating into silvery dust on impact.

Kade kept his breath down, and leant sideways next to Zeke, who was holding the small box up in front of him, pointing it at a defined angle.

"This had better work more than your last attempt. It’s going to be tough to bring down. Spikes won’t work easily.”

Zeke caught a sneeze in his throat, and opened up the box to reveal a simple, tensed-up mechanism.

"Possibly. But I’ve yet to see one of these guys which can just shrug off a few thousand volts.”

He pressed his thumbs in at the corners, and the box activated, sending out a couple of metal prongs on a coil, which dragged a small net behind them. The mass shifted, but not before the spikes impacted, catching on its armour plating. The projectile activated as it hit, sending hefty voltage through the creature’s body and making it recoil, its shimmer vanishing in an instant.

It fell forwards, planting its claws on the plaza ground and revealing itself to be far bigger than it appeared while cloaked. Great, hairy paws, a hefty frame covered in thick fur, and a wedge-shaped snout with two glowing eyes darting back and forth. The great beast wore a suit of armour; gauntlets and greaves, and many segments of plates over its back, all of which were covered in short, stubby spikes. It was a Megatherimon; a beast built for war, but as it swung dangerously from side to side, it was clear that the hunters’ assault up to this point had left it brutally disadvantaged.

“Leave me alone!”

Nile and Lian pushed forwards, and Megatherimon backed away, only to howl as Kley rushed out from the side, slashing with her short knife. The blade had little impact through the fur - the creature had skin like chainmail - but the voltage still dug into its flesh and it lurched sideways. Nile ducked as a paw came swinging over his head, and Megatherimon bounded forwards into the next alleyway, crashing into the sides of the building as it did so.

“After it, then!”

Kley rushed up to Kade, shaking out her hand after the failed blow. "Mira and Jai are already making their way around. It’s gonna come out in a dead end.”

“Well, we’d better meet it there then, shouldn’t we.” Kade gave a grunt, and looked behind him at Zeke, who was fiddling with the little box in mid-step. “Ignore that! We’ve got it on the run now!"

Zeke bagged the device with a mutter, and he joined the other four. They spread out; Nile and Lian sticking close to each other, and Kade, Kley and Zeke taking a different fork. They emerged into the dead end at the same time, with the Megatherimon backing up into a reinforced fence. Jai and Mira were in front of it, hesitant to get too close. Jai had already felt the sting of the beast’s power before; he held his right shoulder awkwardly, the arm wrenched back.

They all knew that it was a dangerous quarry.

But nonetheless, they had it cornered now.

The giant sloth edged forwards, swiping with a claw at Jai, but the others got closer, holding the beast at bay. Jai switched to a small polycarbonate shield, darting back and forth as Megatherimon growled in fear.

“You can’t do this to mARGH!”

He staggered, another shock running over his back as Zeke’s network jostled over his back, releasing more energy. Megatherimon staggered to one side, the plates of his armour clinking as a small trail of blood fell from the corner of his mouth.

“Get away from me you BASTARDS!”

“Get back!”

Megatherimon thrust a claw downwards, releasing a burst of red energy. But even as Mira and Jai were blown back, so Nile and Lian took their place, lunging forwards with their own lances. The weapons struck the ground sloth beneath the neck, causing him to choke, his fur singed and his eyes wide. It pressed back further, but the iron fence stopped it from moving. There was a loud noise as a train rushed past behind it, clattering against the tracks. Kade walked forwards, fingers rolling against his baton.

"Let’s see...you’re clearly a strong one, but you don’t seem to have much inclination for battle. You’re more likely to run through a wall than fight somebody off, am I right?”

Megatherimon glared at Kade, holding his trembling paws together on the ground in front of him. Kade sighed.

"Whatever. You made a wrong turn in coming here. That’s on your head.” He pulled his baton out, ramping the power up and making the end crackle. "I’m gonna make every one of you regret you ever took one step into our world.”

“Digital Blitz!”

There was a bang from above, a few little clicks all around, and the dark alley was suddenly engulfed in a blaze of exploding bubbles. The Megatherimon crouched back as the gang of vigilantes stared up, with Kade focusing up on the roof. A silhouette stood up, with two neon green eyes staring down at the assembled throng.

“How many times do I gotta to teach you this lesson, a-holes?”

“You again...” snarled Kade, when he heard footsteps from the end of the alleyway. Owen stepped forwards, holding a blinking D-SEND in his hand, his face completely unreadable beneath his visor. Kade snorted. “ Don’t you ever get bored? Where are the others?”

“I don’t have time for your shit today, Kade.” Owen threw an arm wide, his D-SEND pulsing. “Let the Digimon go or I swear I will make your life a living fucking misery.”

“Touchy.” Kade snapped his fingers. “ You’re out of your depth here. Kley? Remove him.”

Owen turned his head as Kley suddenly started marching towards him, but with a flurry Sapiamon had landed in front of the masked hunter. Kley swiped with the knife, but the monkey elbowed her in the chest, only taking a glancing blow from the attack. She swung her gun around, slamming the hunter around the helmet with the butt, but Kley lunged forwards and slashed her across the arm, the blade crackling as it did so.

“Do you have a goddamn death wish?”

Sapiamon’s eyes flashed red, and she swung around, kicking her opponent down onto the concrete. But Jai was just behind, moving in at a rapid pace.

“Sorry your little party crash didn’t go to plan.”

Sapiamon swung her rifle, but Jai held his axe with both hands, the impact making sparks fly. Sapiamon blinked, temporarily stunned, and Jai brought up his knee into her midriff, before pulling the lance back and cracking it into her left arm. She swore, but just about managed to hold onto her rifle, pointing it up as he backed away.

“You’ve brought this on yourselves! Nebula Blaster!”

The blast was wide, a spray of lights that sent Jai spinning away. Sapiamon held her bruised arm, reloading her rifle with a swift flick of her wrist and holding it out, when she heard Owen’s voice from behind her again.

“Sapiamon! Back it off!”

“For fuck’s sake!” Sapiamon whirled round, pointing an accusatory finger at Owen. “I’ve had it up to here with these guys. I’ve had it. They know what’s going on now, and if they’re still interfering then maybe they should face their own fucking consequences. This ends now.”

“You’re right. It does.”

“Look out-“

Sapiamon turned too late as Kade brought his baton swinging round, connecting hard with her head. A flash of voltage shot through her body, causing the lights on her visor to white out for a second. She staggered back, flailing and trying to raise her rifle, but Kade raised a leg and hooked her feet from beneath her, sending her falling back. As she hit the ground, he brought the baton down again, slamming it into her chest.

“SAPIAMON!”

Owen ran, but he suddenly found himself thrust against the ground, his arms being held behind his back as Nile piled his weight down on top of him. Owen peered through his visor, watching as Kade planted his foot on Sapiamon’s chest, driving the end into her solar plexus. Her chestplate cracked, barely holding out against the pressure as she struggled weakly.

Owen pushed himself forwards, calling out from a gap in his own visor. “Let her go!”

“As if.”

“What about what Vex wants? I thought you weren’t supposed to go after us?”

"Vex isn’t here. He’s abandoned us. He can’t be relied on anymore. It’s up to me to make the decisions now.” Kade held the switch of his baton, powering it down as he increased the pressure on Sapiamon’s chest. "You say we’ve been warned? No. You’ve been warned. You’re still pulling this shit. I can’t be held accountable for what’s gonna happen to all of you.”

From behind him, Nile glanced over his shoulder as he held the Megatherimon at bay. His shoulders were rising and falling faster with each word the new head of the hunters was saying. All around the others were holding back, unwilling to get too close to any of them.

But Kade was adamant, and he raised his baton again, striking Sapiamon in the head. Her helmet buzzed, and she flailed, knocking one of his feet away, just for the other one to boot her in the side of the head a second time. She fell back, her body jerking.

“STOP IT! SAPIAMON!”

“It’s your turn after this,” said Kade icily, as he held the humming metal out towards Owen. “ You’ve had your chance to run. Take it like a man.”

Nile half-turned, watching Lian keeping his focus entirely forward on the ground sloth, not daring to turn around. Nile lowered his head. “ This isn’t what we agreed...”

Sapiamon twitched in front of Kade, feeling around on the ground for anything she could use as a weapon. “You...don’t speak...for them...”

“Shut up, monster.”

Kade kicked the monkey again, before holding his baton high, ramping up the power once again.

“It’s my turn for vengeance.”

“Stop!”

Nile turned fully, yelling at Kade and grabbing his arm. Kade staggered, the baton swinging wide and letting off sparks as it went.

“Nile, what the-“

"Vex made it clear. We’re out to protect the human race. We’re...we’re not murderers!”

Kade turned to reply, but he pulled away, pointing. “ Nile, you idiot, watch out behind you!”

It was too late. Seeing an opening, the Megatherimon barged forwards, swinging his entire upper body to one side and sending Nile flying, crashing into the wall at the side. He fell to his knees, holding his midriff as he looked up at the sloth, who was already figuring out his exit path.

“You have to let me go...”

“You’re not going anywhere!”

Lian pressed forwards again, holding up his baton and driving it forwards into the sloth’s flank. He pressed with all his might, the weapon buckling against the beast’s thick hide, but the energy was already coursing into Megatherimon’s body. It stumbled. It spasmed. It reared up, its gauntlets glinting in the moonlight as a glazed look fell over its eyes. Lian stepped back, the weapon wrenched from his hands as he stared over at Nile.

“I think we got it-“

GrrraaaaaaaAAAAARGH

A deep, bass roar shook the plaza as Megatherimon’s eyes flashed red. They fell down towards Lian, and within a single second the sloth descended, swinging its armoured paw in a wide arc as a red aura hovered around the claws.

“Butcher Blow!”

The claw struck Lian with an audible crack. A red wave shot out, reaching out across the alleyway. Owen flinched as the wave rushed past him, the particles making his eyes sting. But even as he blinked, he saw Lian’s body fly sideways, crashing into the brick wall like a ragdoll. He fell down, landing in an uneven pile. Even through the darkness Owen could see the stains on the brickwork.

Megatherimon shook his head, staggering back. His claw was steaming, and his armour was seeming to pulse in an almost luminous fashion. He leant back against the fence, moaning as he placed a paw to his muzzle.

The hunters were quiet, still trying to comprehend what they’d just seen. Sapiamon grabbed Kade’s leg and pushed it off her, rolling away and getting up to her knees. Her visor was blinking with little square lights, and her shoulders were convulsing. Or perhaps trembling.

“You...you idiots...”

There came the sound of electrical whines as Kley and Jai held up their weapons, with Kade powering up his baton to full charge behind them. They marched forwards in silence, but Nile’s desperate voice broke through.

“DON’T GET ANY CLOSER!”

The man sprinted, rushing towards Lian and falling to his knees, gently nudging the lifeless form. The three hunters kept advancing, holding a line as the Megatherimon clutched at his face, with red lines trailing over his armour plating. His voice croaked out, deeply guttural.

“...you should...you shouldn’t have m-made me...fight...why d-does everyone...make...me...fight...”

As if not in control of his own body, he lunged forwards, claws unsheathed and dripping red plasma. The hunters stepped back, but Megatherimon’s body crashed into the concrete, the weight striking like a meteorite. He stood stock still, then crouched, his shaking claws clutched against his head. The armour was pulsing wildly now, with the spikes extending, as if being pumped up with the blood of his enemies. Megatherimon’s claw slipped, revealing a convulsing eyeball.

“...you...you made the first blow...this is all your fault!”

Sapiamon pushed against the ground as she yelled out, her voice staticky. “YOU ALL NEED TO RUN RIGHT NOW!”

“SCARLET BERSERKER!”

With a ferocious roar, Megatherimon raised both fists and slammed them down on the ground, cracking the concrete and sending the nearest hunters flying back with a red shockwave. Nile was struck as well, and he rolled to one side, looking up in horror at the transformed beast. He seemed larger than before, his entire body covered with a crimson sheen, which made his spikes sharper, and even his fur stand on end. His teeth were fully bared, his jaws stretched out so much that they protruded past the limits of his lips, and his eyes were rolling in their sockets, the pupils so pinpoint that they were practically invisible.

All of a sudden they snapped towards Nile, and the beast moved with a frightening speed, striking the brickwork where the man’s head had been just seconds before. Nile scrambled, but before he’d gotten up the sloth’s paw flew back, catching his arm and wrenching it sideways. He was running before the pain set in, but could already feel the beast breathing down his neck, gaining on him with every millisecond.

“Down!”

There was a flash of white and a flurry of wires as Zeke ducked down, firing another bolus directly into Megatherimon’s face. The volts hit instantly, causing the creature to buckle and flail wildly, cracking the concrete all around. Zeke paused for a second as Kade retreated, grabbing him by the shoulder.

“Dial up the voltage on that thing, now!”

“I’m...doing what I can...”

The box spat in Zeke’s hands, and he cursed, dropping it on the ground. Looking up, he saw Megatherimon’s eyes flash towards him, followed by the silvery hum of the wires as the sloth barrelled in his direction, the voltage still coursing through the net as it ran.

“Oh...shit no-“

Megatherimon landed, planting the mesh directly between it and the hapless engineer. They both convulsed, with Zeke trying to fight through his spasming muscles to push himself out the way. He fumbled in his pocket, looking for his own charged-up knife, but Megatherimon rose up first, and the man’s eyes widened behind his helmet as he saw the red claws glinting in the gloom.

“NO!”

The beast roared, dust erupting in front of it as its claws slammed into Zeke’s collarbone. There was a splintering sound, as the man’s limbs gave out one final jerk before lying still.

Megatherimon breathed out, red mist descending from his jaws. Kade backed off, his arms held uselessly by his sides as he took stock of the scene. There came pained breathing from beside him, as Nile rushed up, holding his wrist as his arm buckled awkwardly with the movement.

“Kade, help us!”

The man started, and turned, grasping Mira’s shoulder. "Go. Get hold of anyone; tell them we have two down. We need assistance.”

Mira nodded, rushing back into the darkness. She reached the edge of the alley, looking left and right.

She looked back.

And ducked sideways, blending into the darkness. And silently, she watched.

Unaware of her actions, Kade just crouched down next to Nile. “It’s alright, it’s okay-“

“They’re gonna DIE, Kade! Help them! For the love of god, do something!”

The two looked forwards, as Megatherimon stumbled back and forth in the throes of agony and fury, with Kley and Jai still running for their lives ahead of him. The beast let off a mighty roar, his physical abilities enhanced to dangerous levels as he brought his gauntlets forwards and struck the earth.

“Butcher Blow!”

The ground shook, and the hunters stumbled . Jai held out a hand as he powered himself to his feet, but Kley suddenly found herself being dragged back, her leg caught in the sloth’s vice-like grip. Jai yelled, but he was held back himself, with Kade and Nile gripping onto his shoulders.

Without anyone holding him down, Owen sat up, shaking his head wildly. His visor seemed to be misting up, and without thinking he removed it, staring into the blackness just long enough to see Kley being held up high, calling anybody for help. Megatherimon leered, his jaws protruding even further.

“I WARNED YOU!”

He slammed the hunter down by the leg, and Kley’s screams mingled with the sounds of her own bones cracking. Owen jolted sideways at the impact, holding one clawed hand against his head.

“This isn’t happening...what the fuck is happening...what the fuck is this...”

CRUNCH

“AAAAAA-“

Megatherimon pulled his claw up again and slammed Kley into the floor twice more, before raising him up. A leg was dangling down, all screams now silenced forever. Megatherimon groaned, throwing the body back and holding his other paw to his muzzle.

"It...it won’t...stop hurting...it won’t stop...don’t make me do this anymore I beg you PLEASE!”

At the back, Nile held his twisted arm as Kade stood at the front. He reached out, grabbing their leader’s shoulder, but Kade pulled out of his grasp. The baton was trembling in his hand.

"Kade, we can’t win this, we have to go now, there’s nothing we can do-“

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Kade tensed, his breathing audible behind his visor. A pool of something dark was collecting at one of his feet, which he held at an odd angle. But his voice remained firm.

“I started this fight. And now I have a job to do.”

“Kade, NO!”

The leader began to run, winding up his baton arm as he charged straight into Megatherimon’s line of vision. The sloth snapped right back into his frenzy, and snapped out with his extended jaws, but Kade took it head on, winding the baton up to maximum and smashing it into one of the beast’s bulbous eyes.

“You...are...nothing...but a MONSTER!”

Kade’s voice rang out through the alley, mingling with the roars of Megatherimon. Driven by rage, Kade rolled with each blow and struck the great sloth on the flank and the chin, leaving deep, red gashes, even as he himself received further and further damage. He ducked, and stumbled as Megatherimon went for his head, the man receiving a blow to the shoulder which sent him reeling.

But still he wouldn’t go down, his screams becoming incomprehensible as he kept running at the beast.

Sapiamon pushed herself up, her screen flickering as she loosely held her rifle.

“What...what are you doing...”

“Sapiamon, stop them!”

The monkey looked over her shoulder, seeing Owen standing at the mouth of the alley, clutching his head and pointing forwards. Nile and Jai had already vanished. Probably for reinforcements. Kade hadn’t even noticed they were all gone.

Sapiamon tried to get to her feet, but her head was still spinning from her own assault. “We...we have to go...”

“I told you to stop them! Now! Stop the fight! I won’t let anyone else die!”

Sapiamon felt a pang of pain, and instinctively held onto her rifle. She raised it up in front of her, the end swaying as an intense glow formed at the end. But she didn’t fire. The screams carried on ahead of her as she heard Owen’s voice.

“Do it! End it! That’s an order, Sapiamon!”

“OWEN, WHO AM I SHOOTING AT?”

“I don’t care!”

“ DON’T YOU?”

There was a crash, as a misfooting from Megatherimon caused him to tumble forwards, his claws digging into the ruined earth. Kade saw his chance, running forwards as he babbled.

"You were never welcome here! You’ve caused us nothing but pain, and death. For Via! Kley! Lian and Zeke! All of them...you’re nothing but...but...MONSTERS!”

Kade ramped the baton in his hand up to maximum as he brought it down towards Megatherimon’s head, looking to split the beast’s skull open.

“This is for the human race!”

The weapon spluttered, and exploded in a flurry of sparks from all the abuse, sending a shard digging into Kade’s wrist. He yelled out, and Megatherimon rose in front of him, gripping the man in his powerful jaws. Kade didn’t even get a word out as he was shaken back and forth, before being flung with immense force against the wall to the right. He tumbled down, reaching out a weak arm. For a fraction of a second he saw Megatherimon charging towards him, claw raised and glowing red. His ears were pumping. He could just about hear the tamer and the other creature beside him, shouting for him.

He ducked, the crimson shockwave pressing him down into the concrete. But it mostly struck the wall above him with a deafening blow. It shattered in an instant, and the entire brickwork, and the roof above, came tumbling down upon him.

“STOP!”

Owen’s cry fell on deaf ears, as the vigilante was buried under two tonnes of rubble. Megatherimon was caught as well; he pressed himself away, swaying as his armour pulsed even more scarlet.

Sapiamon felt like she was going to be sick. Even in the dim light and among the dust clouds she could still see the fallen bodies of the hunters in front of her, littering the concrete. She didn’t want to go closer. She didn’t dare. But she couldn’t run away either, her legs locked in place. Slowly she slid down onto her knees, the last of her energy leaving her. Megatherimon snorted, turning in her direction. It was clear the bloodlust – or whatever maniacal force had driven it to this murderous state - was still playing havoc with its mind, though it was flickering in and out of control. Sapiamon’s screen blinked as she heard footsteps behind her.

“Owen, please...”

She looked over her shoulder, but couldn’t make out her partner’s expression. She could only feel him. His presence. The pain and rage and hurt pumped all around her body. Was it her own? Or was it his?

“I gave you an order, Sapiamon.”

“Don’t do this, I beg you.”

"It’s just going to keep going. It won’t stop. It...they...none of them...ever stop...”

Sapiamon could feel tears forming beneath her visor. Her rifle was rested in front of her, her limbs all but drained of energy.

“Please stop...”

“Sapiamon...”

Owen stopped, and she caught sight of his eyes as he looked into hers. Bright irises, piercing pupils, circled in dark grey skin.

“...kill it. Now.”

Megatherimon heard him. He came barrelling forwards, claws raised towards his new enemy.

BLAM

A pulse of lights struck the sloth on the chest; hard, fast and brutally explosive. It veered to one side, and the lights struck again.

BLAM BLAM BLAM

The beast reared backwards, taking several steps and shaking his head against the ear-splitting noise coming from Owen’s waist. The boy’s eyes flickered, and he pulled the device up into his hand, watching the screen turn from white to black to red and back, illuminating his face.

Sapiamon still lay on her knees in front of him, holding her smoking rifle in two hands. Her screen was blank. No, not entirely. The faint flicker of pixels here and there. First slight. Then growing more and more intense, until her face was just a plate of white noise.

It went jet black.

Then, with a hum, a bright red skull flickered into view. It burned, cracking the glass of the visor, as Sapiamon spoke in a voice that was entirely synthetic.

“Order Acknowledged.”

Green lights burst out from Owen’s D-SEND, with enough intensity to drive the young man back several feet, and even cause Megatherimon to stumble. The lights shot forwards as Sapiamon’s body rose up into the air, limbs hanging utterly limply as if she were nothing but a rag doll. Warning lights burst out all over her suit as her head lolled in front of her.

“Sapiamon, Soul Reverberate.”

Owen blinked as the lights surrounded her, spinning and twisting, forming an intense green plasma speckled with black, which twisted around his partner, smothering her entire form in terrifying energy.

“Evolution Activate.”

Owen narrowed his eyes as the energy pulsed in front of him. He could just about make out the form of his partner, still hovering limp in the middle of the infernal vortex. Mostly limp. There were flashes; her body twisted, her limbs contorted, her hands gripping her visor as she screamed, but all that emerged was just an endless stream of static. Hundreds of lights danced around as her body tilted backwards, a column of fire and lightning congregating around her back.

Then the energy dispersed as quickly as it had emerged, and the new Digimon was thrust forwards, crouching down as her shoulders heaved and strained against her new body.

She was far larger than Sapiamon, and stood over twice as tall as Owen even in her hunched-over posture. While still simian in nature, she seemed far more bestial, with angular shoulders and unsettlingly long limbs; like normal arms and legs which had been artificially extended. In fact her entire body seemed to have been manufactured, with the flesh seeming almost skeletal beneath a mass of wires and sensors. She had a crystal embedded in her chest, pumping blue fluid around her body in vein-like tubes. Her face was obscured by a skull-like gas mask, with two tubes on each side like ears; a mockery of her monkey-like form. Her eyes were completely robotic; two faint green lights in each one the only sign that there was any life in there to speak of.

She tilted, and Owen caught sight of her armaments. She wielded a huge, tubular cannon strapped against her upper right arm, tilting wildly up above. But more unsettling was the reason for her awkward position; a huge, vibrating missile, strapped to her back and held in place by four hefty magnetic clamps. It was covered in graffiti and decals, the most prominent being a hearty EAT MY BLACK HOLE scrawled across one side. But there was nothing jovial about its presence. Owen could feel it from where he stood. He could feel everything.

Utter destructive power.

And complete subservience.

To him.

“CyberSapiamon.”

She shifted to one side, the missile bobbing back and forth on her back like a ticking time bomb. Owen didn’t know what to say, so shocked was he by his friend’s transformation. When he opened his mouth, he heard another voice from in front of him.

“Please...I didn’t...I didn’t want to do that...”

Owen’s eyes widened, as he saw the Megatherimon tiptoe back, his armour black again. His shoulders were hunched and shaking, and his eyes were still as wide as before, looking over his shoulders. Even for such a large creature, there was no mistaking the terror that it was displaying.

“I’m sorry...”

CyberSapiamon shifted, her body twisting in a completely automatic fashion. A panel opened up on her left arm, into which she clicked her right, the great barrel swinging over her shoulder and pointing straight forwards, directly towards Megatherimon’s chest. He took in a breath, stumbling backwards as his armour flashed scarlet.

“Target Acquired.”

“No, not again-“

“Orbital Mortar.”

The barrel pulsed, releasing a rapid succession of pellets from the end. They spread out, splitting into smaller and smaller lights as they erratically danced around the giant sloth. Then, at once, they zoomed inwards, striking at once. The noise was unbearable; a blast of white noise combined with a flash that caused Owen to duck, holding his hands over his face.

When he looked up, there was dust everywhere. Another wall had fallen. Chunks of rubble from the road had been sent flying. And in the midst of it, CyberSapiamon was leant forwards, gripping Megatherimon by both wrists. The sloth’s armour was glowing again, the bloodlust returning with a vengeance. Owen reached out a hand, remembering how soft the creature’s voice had been mere seconds before.

“Sapiamon...wait...”

The great ape didn’t hear him as she scrambled in the dust, her arms shooting this way and that. Megatherimon swiped for her neck, but a hand shot up almost of its own accord, clamping the beast’s claw and twisting it sideways. Megatherimon squealed, but CyberSapiamon paid him no heed, lashing out with a hind leg to his throat. He tumbled back, clawing against the ground as his anger only fuelled his strength.

“Scarlet Berserker!”

The red aura encased his body as he flew forwards, crashing into CyberSapiamon and rolling with her. Owen saw red lights blinking over his partner’s body as she landed weakly, almost as if there was no strength in her muscles at all. But as soon as she fell still, they stiffened again, righting her in a matter of milliseconds. She turned around, and her head shot forwards into the sloth’s, before she reached inside his mouth, clamping a hand over his upper and lower jaws.

“Disabling Target.”

The hands twisted ninety-degrees, and Owen’s breath caught in his throat as the sloth screamed, its lower jaw wrenched sideways and hanging practically detached. CyberSapiamon’s body contorted, throwing the beast over her shoulder and slamming him into the brickwork. Her barrel swung over her shoulder again, striking him across the chest with a boom as it clicked back into place. She twisted violently, contorting her body to point the weapon at him before he even had a chance to run.

“Orbital Mortar.”

All of the missiles converged as one, and Megatherimon’s screeches were lost in a sea of white and blue. Owen’s body moved on its own, scrambling forwards as he yelled out.

“Simeamon, stop! Now! Forget it!”

CyberSapiamon stopped in mid-movement, her head tilting left and right as lights flickered over her mask.

"Conflicting Order. Engaging Priority. Worst Case Assumed. Continue With First Objective.”

“Simeamon! Disengage...halt...fucking anything! Just stop! Please! I’m sorry!”

“Conflict. Conflict.”

CyberSapiamon’s head spun towards Owen, her eyes flickering as a million and one processes rushed through her mind at once. Owen stopped where he stood, staring into those eyes. There was no recognition in them at all. Only blind machine intelligence.

He could hear crying.

Megatherimon’s armour was bright red, his body shaking and raring to fight, but it refused to move, with at least one of his limbs completely shredded. He gnashed at the air in frustration and pain, unable to get any words out as he lay in the brickwork.

CyberSapiamon turned towards him, her eyes turning to a solid green.

“Prolonged Distress Detected In All Entities. Maximising Efficiency. Completing Objective."

Owen stepped back, feeling a sickening pulse in his stomach as his partner arched her back, the missile raising up and angling itself towards the wounded creature. The electric field dissipated, leaving the deadly device hovering in mid-air, angled directly towards Megatherimon’s heart.

“Darkmatter Warhead.”

Owen raised a hand too late as the missile shot forwards, propelled by the magnetic field and slamming into Megatherimon. It sunk into the beast’s chest, seeming to vanish into fragments as the flesh rippled. Megatherimon’s eyes widened, the pupils shrinking and dilating as blood dripped from his ruined jaws.

“Danger.”

CyberSapiamon twisted, and launched herself at Owen, winding him as they flew backwards from the now spasming creature. He tried to speak, but the movements were too fast as CyberSapiamon rushed against the cracked concrete, putting as much distance as she could between her partner and the distressed beast behind her. It struck the ground, pawing wildly as its torso began to bulge and ripple, tearing it apart from the inside.

The sloth’s body blew apart, a vast black sphere erupting from its chest and spraying blood and bile in all directions. The sphere grew, shaking more and more as it did so, before collapsing inwards in an instant with a vast bang. The shockwave burst violently, throwing even CyberSapiamon against the wall, though she held Owen tightly in her grip. The boy opened his eyes, staring forwards as pieces of black matter fell from the air, lying in piles around the crushed figure that had once been Megatherimon.

Owen stood up, feeling the particles fall against his bare skin. The plaza was unrecognisable. Piles of rubble and ruin, holding ungodly horrors. Horrors he knew would haunt him forever.

There was movement behind him, and he turned, watching as CyberSapiamon clambered into a sitting position, staring forwards.

“Objective Complete.”

Her body burst apart, shrinking down to Simeamon in an instant. Owen blinked, trying to make heads or tails of what just happened. He crouched down, looking at the monke’s pale face.

“Simeamon...what...what just-“

The monkey convulsed, and leapt to one side, tearing her helmet off and throwing up against the brickwork. Owen winced at every retch, and looked away, not wanting to ravage Simeamon any more than he already had. His hand fell upon his palm, and he realised that his whole body was shaking uncontrollably. His mind felt utterly blank; a constant vibration digging into his mind.

He looked forwards again, and saw Simeamon staring at him, still hunched over as little drops of moisture hung around her mouth. She didn’t say a word. She just looked at him.

Owen twitched, hearing a buzzing in his ears. No, not a buzzing. Something more consistent. A noise. A note. A siren. The police were coming.

The young man straightened up, speaking through chattering teeth.

“W...we can’t be here...”

He held out a hand, but Simeamon tore her hand away, gripping her shoulder. Owen noticed the dark marks around the joints of her limbs, tinged slightly red with her own blood. He turned, and walked away without another word, hearing her footsteps behind him.

The sirens grew louder.

And the two began to run.

Vex powered through the darkness, holding his jacket close to him as the rain came down in thick waves. He turned left, and right, his heart in his mouth as he followed the sounds of the chaos.

He turned a corner, and bore witness to the aftermath of the hidden battle. His boots crunched against gravel as he stepped forwards, bright red and blue lights burning into his vision. The flat black tarpaulins and tape barriers did little to mask the horror that had occurred. He looked around, as two officials in fluorescent uniforms walked up to him.

“Sir, this is a restricted area, we need you to leave.”

Vex turned towards them, and he noticed one of them flinch at the movement. "What happened here? Where are they? The hunters. Who else was here?”

“Sir, please step back or-“

“VEX.”

The man jumped, and he pushed his way past the paramedics, running towards another couple as they held a stretcher. They tried to hold him back, but a hand reached out from on top of the flat bed, grabbing one of them and pulling at the sleeve.

“V...Vex...”

The man leant over, looking down at Kade’s broken body. The lower half was covered with a sheet, but it was clearly a ruined figure. There was the sickly smell of blood and pus, and Vex could see liquid dripping down from one side of the stretcher. But Kade was somehow still conscious, holding a piece of fabric over his face, in a vain, pathetic bid to stay hidden. Vex reached out, but the man held his hand away. The movement was weak. Pathetically so. Along with the voice.

“I’m sorry...I...I fucked...it up...”

“Kade, why?”

“You were never...the only one...with a reason to...to...kill...”

The injured man laughed, and it came out as a harrowing cough, his head juddering from side to side. His hand fell down, and his head tilted sideways, his breathing turning ragged.

“...I’m...I’m sure I saw your son...”

Vex held stock still, staring at nothing as the rain struck his shoulders and back. Kade just laughed; a single, hearty, horrific chuckle, racked with blood.

"...he...s...stopped that...thing...he’s a...good...kid...you should...be proud...”

He tried to raise a hand, but the muscles didn’t seem to be listening to him. Vex felt himself being pulled back by paramedics as the ones carrying Kade moved him forwards. Kade raised a finger, his voice calling out through the rain.

“Please...don’t...let them...win...”

The voice gave way into choking gasps as the man was pulled into the vehicle. Vex stared after it, his body staying rigid even as the paramedics tried to force him back. He turned his head, looking down at the rain-soaked sheets covering the further devastation. He clenched his fists. He could hear his own breathing echoing throughout his helmet, drowning out the surround sounds of the horrible night.

“I won’t.”

I didn’t mean to kill them.

You have to believe me.

It was just

Just a moment.

I didn’t know.

I’m sorry.

Red, black, gold and silver. Snapping bone. Guttural screams. Red. Red. Then piercing green, cutting through. The screams changed. The blood fell. The darkness closed in.

Owen jolted awake, his breathing rapid and panicked as he stared up at the ceiling. For a moment it swirled in front of him, forming unfamiliar shapes. But as he squinted, it slowly morphed into something he knew. Home? No. It was Kevin’s.

He lay there for several minutes, his mind filling in the blanks of the nightmare. None of it was accurate. Or maybe it was. It was getting harder than ever to tell these days.

After what seemed like an eternity, he raised a hand, holding it against his forehead. Sweat. Buckets of it. The night had been a blur. He could still hear the crunching sounds. Feel the robotic soul tearing at him. But it was mostly a blur. He must have come back here with Simeamon. He must have. But he couldn’t remember.

Bzz.

He turned his head, looking at his phone as it lay askew on the table beside him. It buzzed again. And again. Somebody calling him. He watched as it timed out, lying still. Then it began again, the ringtone buzzing in his ear. It had woken him up.

He sat up, and realised he was still in his costume. Or at least, what was left of it. Tattered jersey and trousers, splattered with mud and water. The helmet was nowhere to be seen. He swivelled round, and gently picked up the phone. His fingers brushed the power button, and it lit up in his face. 49 new messages. 11 missed calls.

Shit.

Deep, deep shit.

“S...Simeamon?”

His voice felt distant. Alien. Not connected to him, even though he could feel the sound coming from his red-raw throat. He blinked, the light still feeling painful as he glanced around. There was somebody in the room with him.

“Simeamon, I’m so sorry-“

He stopped, realising that it was Kevin, sitting beside him on the bed. The young man looked haggard himself, like he hadn’t slept all night. His lips were marked. He always had a tendency to bite them hard when he was stressed.

There hadn’t been an answer.

“Simeamon, where are you?”

Owen looked left and right, but he found himself distracted by Kevin again. The boy was holding something out towards him. Something small. A scrap of paper. One of Kevin’s notebooks. Had to be.

Had to be...

Had to be her...

Owen held out an arm, and saw his fingers, blistered and scratched from god knows what. They were shaking. Still shaking. He focused, and grabbed the paper, scrunching in his grip. Out of his control. He gently unfolded it, looking down as he read the words, scrawled messily over the rough surface by another trembling hand.

I can’t live like this anymore.

I can’t live with you.

Goodbye Owen.

08:14:55:47