The sky was beginning to dim. It was hard to tell whether it was the oncoming night or the freak weather patterns being thrown back and forth by HelMidgarmon, but it was undoubtedly starting to get very cold. The four found their way into a side street, and ducked into an old ransacked shop, abandoned and stripped bare.

At least, three of them did. Trilomon leant back as Chromon walked slowly past the door and around the corner, holding his head down and muttering no comment. The bug chirruped slightly, and looked up towards his partner, but Kent and Mark had already walked inside, heading for the door at the end. Trilomon thought for a second, before turning and following Chromon. He heard the click of the door behind him.

Chromon was sat down in front of the bins outside the back entrance, his tail rolling back and forth. Trilomon trotted back and forth, before lying down on the concrete, crossing his legs in front of him.

Chromon glanced up, then down again, looking at the floor.

“D-d-don’t be mad at Mark. Please. He h...h-hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Trilomon tilted his head sideways. “Why should I be mad at him? I love Kent but I’m sure he had it coming. He knew he had it coming.”

He trilled, his segments rolling in a wave. “They need this. I told Kent time and time again that he needed this but he just kept putting it off. Keeping himself busy with other things.”

Chromon nodded. “They’re good men. Both of them. And I’ve l...l-let them both down now.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Trilomon!” snapped Chromon, before he looked away, face flushing with shame. Trilomon didn’t react to the outburst, merely running his claw over the ground in front of him. Eventually Chromon had no choice to continue, tapping his beak together.

“H-how can you not hate me right now? All I d-d-did during the war, and all I’ve done now. Lying. Hiding things. T-treating you and Mark and the children and the Digimon around m-me like...like puppets. Using them. H-hurting them. I w-wanted to atone for what I did which is why I b-b-begged to become a partner, but...but even then, it was...just a lie. A front for something else. I hate it. I hate who I am so why don’t you hate me too?”

Trilomon cocked his head, humming thoughtfully.

“Do you hate Mark?”

Chromon flinched, and shook his head hurriedly. “Of course no-how could you even suggest that? He’s the b-best person I know.”

“That’s what I thought.” Trilomon sat up, his tail curling and uncurling. “You want the best for him. You want the best for all of us. Even if it means taking on a job that nobody wants to do. I can’t hate you for that.”

“B-b-but I screwed everything up!” Chromon closed his eyes, trying to fight back tears. “L-look at where we are! I was s-s-supposed to bring together Digimon to fight with the tamers so we could p...prevent all this. Now Ali’s gone, and everyone’s fighting for their lives, and HelMidgarmon has broken out. All I’ve done is...hurt people. Hurt everyone around me.”

“You didn’t mean to hurt anyone though.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that I did...”

Trilomon stared at the dinosaur with his emerald eyes, before he lowered his own head, letting out an exhausted chirp.

“I don’t know...maybe I’m not the best person to talk to you about this. I never had the history of any of the others. I was born into a war and I’ve only seen things get better during my lifetime. Maybe I just focus too much on the big picture. But I can’t hate you for doing the best you could, no matter how it turned out. Maybe that’s just me.”

Chromon gave a humourless laugh. “That’s j-just like you. Practical. Earnest. You’ve never let your partner down once.”

“You haven’t seen it.”

There was a slight flinch from the bug, his armour letting off the tiniest chink. Chromon noticed, looking sideways. The insect caught him looking, and let out a low hum.

“There’s only so much any of us can do. I try to be his best friend and conscience, but I can’t help him when it really matters.”

“That’s a l-lie. You’d never abandon him.”

Trilomon glanced up, humming more. “What do you do then? When your partner hits a low period at four in the morning and he’s drunk and crying on the floor beside you and you can’t do or say anything to make it better, all you can do is sit beside him just so you’re...there...”

His voice faded away, replaced with a small hum. Chromon bit his lower lip.

“Oh my g-god...”

Trilomon sat up, his eyes giving nothing away.

“It’s as I said. He needs this. They both do.” He nodded. “And they both need us, more than ever. No matter how much we fail at being partners.”

Chromon nodded, his eyes glistening. The two sat in silence, feeling the chill around them but keeping each other company. And occasionally they would look up at the side entrance, wondering what was being said between the two brothers.

But they tacitly agreed that, this time, they needed to be on their own.

Kent closed the door behind him, holding his hand on the handle for a few seconds. He couldn’t help but let off a little smile.

“You’ll have to forgive me. You know I’ve never been the best at words.”

Mark didn’t reply, as he turned around. The brothers’ eyes met, but for a moment they didn’t say anything. The office was quiet, free from the ambient noise and distant cries from outside. Every second just bore further into the silence.

Eventually Kent raised a hand to his chin. “I’m sorry. I kept things from you.”

“Just a little.” Mark narrowed his eyes. “Why? You were already involved with Alasdair and this group of Digimon investigators worldwide. I didn’t pry into that. It wasn’t my place. But I’m your brother; I can’t believe that you wouldn’t think to talk to me about this. Before getting me involved in all this.”

Kent leant back against the door, his expression flat, as Mark stepped forwards. “When did you decide it would be me, then?”

“Almost as soon as Chromon demanded a partner.” Kent smiled. “There was no question, really.”

“But I never asked for it!”

“Do you want to back out?”

“No, I...” Mark ground his teeth. “I wouldn’t give up on him now, and you know it. But I...that....that’s not the point.” He whirled around, pointing a finger. “You used me. You were working with Chromon and you both used me so you could keep an eye on everything.”

Kent pushed himself up. “To a point. It made sense, logically.” He bit his lip. “But I picked you because I believed in you. I trust you more than anyone else in the world, Mark. You’re strong, you’re brave, you’re more noble than I could ever hope to be; you were a perfect tamer and I had nothing but utter faith.”

“Faith...”

Mark turned around, planting a palm against one wall. “Don’t give me that crap. If you had faith then why didn’t you ever talk to me?”

“...it seemed like the best idea at the time.”

“How the hell did you come to that conclusion?” Mark’s head snapped up. “For someone so smart you really can be idiotic sometimes.”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Mark straightened up, watching as Kent held his palm up, rolling his fingers. His brother’s eyes were almost half closed, looking more tired than ever.

“You think I didn’t realise how much I’d hurt you over the years? I was just trapped in my own head for so long, and didn’t...wasn’t prepared to look at anyone else. And then I got pulled into another world and suddenly I didn’t have a choice; I had to become a better person and I had to realise that what I did had such importance to other people, and to the lives around me...”

He trailed off, running a hand through his hair. “...and I...I also saw just how shit I’d been to you. I’d ignored you. I’d treated you as beneath me. I hurt you and I could never take that away.”

He closed his fists, and forced himself to look up, his eyes falling upon Mark’s. “I thought...you wouldn’t bear it if I asked you to do this after all I put you through. So I wanted you to believe that it was just a chance. That it was entirely down to you. You could find the strength I knew you had, all on your own terms.”

His voice went very quiet, as he waited for Mark to respond. His young brother opened his mouth, but couldn’t seem to find any words. Kent gave a half-hearted chuckle.

“As I said...it seemed like the best idea to me at the time. But then I never really figured out how to treat other people right.”

“No. You didn’t.”

Kent gritted his teeth. “I stand by everything about you though. You are strong; stronger than me.”

“Don’t lie to me. Don’t you dare keep lying to me.”

“I’m not, I swear!” Kent stepped forwards, but Mark backed away, keeping his distance. “You’ve become a better tamer than I could ever hope to be!”

“You think I wanted this to be a competition, Kent? You think I was jealous?”

Kent drew back, but now Mark was trembling, holding a hand to his chest. “You think...yeah, okay, I was. Just a bit. When I was a kid you always thought you were better than me, and I believed you. And then you left and came back and suddenly you had changed, I could tell you’d changed. Suddenly you’d saved the world and you’d come back, and I...I couldn’t cope, I thought I wasn’t worth it and I blamed you and I just...couldn’t...”

“You are worth it, Mark. You’re more than worth it-“

“That’s not what I wanted though!”

Mark swung a fist sideways, banging it against the inside wall as he let out a yell.

“I never wanted to be like you! I just wanted you!”

His voice echoed, dying down in the small place as the young man’s shoulders slumped down.

“Despite everything, Kent, I love you. Just...just like I loved Mum. And I loved Taylor. And everyone I loved just walked out of my life, one after the other. How the hell can I believe I have any worth when I can’t stop the people I love from leaving me?”

Kent breathed out, his breath forming clouds in front of him as the chill edged in. “Mark...”

The younger man leant back, resting against the wall.

“When you came back, you were...wonderful. But I couldn’t bear to watch you. I blamed myself and I blamed you, and before I could bring myself to reach out and be honest you’d gone yet again.”

He reached into his pocket, pulling out his D-SEND. “I thought...maybe...just maybe, that I’d become a tamer so I could fix that. So I could hold onto the one person I loved who’d ever actually come back to me. That I could stand beside him. That I deserved to. And so when it turned out that it was your damned games all along...”

He looked up, and his eyes were moist in the dim light. “I can’t hold onto you, Kent. Where you go has always been down to you. And one day you’re going to leave me again for good, and I don’t...know if I can handle that.”

“Mark...I’m so, so sorry...”

Kent buckled down, holding his head as his legs shook. Mark closed his own eyes, not bearing to look. There was a sniff from in front of him, and Kent straightened up again.

“No. I won’t. I promise. I’ve come back and I’m not leaving again.”

Mark smirked. “Liar.”

“...yeah, okay, I know. I know I don’t have the right to ask you to believe me. Or forgive me.”

Mark sighed, running a finger through a strand of hair that had pulled loose from his ponytail. “I don’t...hate you. Part of my problem is I understand you more than you know. So I can’t hate you for that. I still needed to actually out and say that. But I’ll be honest, I don’t know where this leaves us.”

“...me neither.”

“Words are tough, aren’t they.”

“They always have been. We both know that much.” Kent straightened up. “But if there’s nothing else you believe, then please just...know that I’m so proud of you. For everything you’ve done. You really have become a better tamer and a better...person, than I could ever hope to be.”

Mark looked up, into his brother’s eyes as Kent smiled. He could hear the sincerity in his brother’s words, latching onto his chest and staying there. But only for a second, as he turned away.

“If I was as good as you then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“You really think I could have gotten us out of this?”

“I don’t know, Kent. I’ve learned at this point that what I think generally doesn’t apply.”

Kent tilted his head. “Yeah, I’ve been there. I found that the hard way as well. But it’s not just down to what you think. Your instincts are strong and your heart knows the right thing to do. It always has. And I’m so sorry that I didn’t have enough faith to come to you in the first place.”

Mark looked up as his brother smiled at him, brushing his hands off. “You know more than you think you do. Trust in that. It won’t let you down.”

Mark blinked, and his expression shifted sideways. “Thanks. For listening. And talking. And sorry for hitting you.”

“I deserved it.”

“Yes, you did, but you know how our family works.” Mark straightened up. “We always apologise. Even if we don’t know the right words.”

He gave a small smile, and Kent returned the favour. The two turned around as Mark looked out the window, watching the darkening sky.

“There’s nothing more for us to do here. I think we need to get to the others.”

The sunset streamed across the buildings, forming little lines of light through the dusty air, and reflecting off Caesiumon’s body. Hoatzimon squinted, pulling her goggles down to try and ward off the blinding display. But still she felt she couldn’t look away, watching the Digimon’s deliberate steps as he made his way across the uneven ground.

Suricamon scampered up next to him, keeping pace on her own stubby legs. “So where exactly are we going, boss? Can’t we just find one of the portals nearest to us?”

“The Digital World’s in a bit of a state. If we just choose at random we could end up walking out into nothing.”

“Agh, dangit...” The meerkat scratched her chin. “How do we know which one to choose then?”

Caesiumon glanced down, and gave a warming smile, before placing a palm over his chest. It rippled, and he pulled his hand out as the liquid metal swam away, uncovering a small, blue phone. He pressed the button, and it illuminated, the screen covered in a slight sheen. Suricamon’s eyes were wide, but there was a slight scoffing sound behind the two as Hoatzimon placed a hand on her hip.

“Human technology? Don’t you have any sense of decency?”

“When you walk through the plains of hell, it is wise to learn the ways of the devil.” Caesiumon smiled as the phone lit up in his hand. “ And a devil you know can be a worthy ally.”

Bzzt

Caesiumon looked down, swiping across the screen as he looked at the new message. Then he stopped, his expression turning to a flat frown. Hoatzimon, Hyokomon and Alraumon caught up, with the littlest bird standing on tiptoes, trying to see.

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“Something undesirable.”

Caesiumon lowered his arm, and let out a long sigh. Then he pointed forwards, through one of the side streets.

“Head that way. Our best bet is in the north-east section. Follow the main roads but stay out of sight. Don’t let anybody ‘rescue’ you.”

Suricamon stuck her lip out. “Aren’t you coming, boss?”

“I’ll meet you there, one way or another,” said Caesiumon bluntly, reaching out and running a hand over the meerkat’s head fur. “ I just have something to take care of. Hurry.”

He stepped back, and his body shifted into liquid, crawling over the walls and disappearing before any of the others could say a word. Suricamon looked dejected, but Alraumon held her shoulder.

“He’ll be back. We have to believe in him. Right?”

The two looked up at Hoatzimon, who seemed hesitant for a moment. She looked at the wall, almost expecting him to re-emerge again. But there was only grey brick and concrete. She shook her head.

“There’s nobody else left to believe in, is there...”

She turned, and the four of them continued on in silence.

Caesiumon had gotten a couple of blocks away when he stopped again, reforming the phone in his hand. He pressed the screen, and the message enlarged, revealing the full resolution of the picture.

“The game is one of chance. Roads open and roads close, and the winner is the one who is most prepared.”

He drummed his fingers on the side of the phone, staring at the image; a hidden snapshot of Kent and Trilomon, walking through the city and unaware they were being watched. Caesiumon’s lip curled in a considering manner.

“Although I can do without you, smart one. You weren’t supposed to be here yet.”

The phone morphed back into his palm as he liquefied again, his body spreading out and trickling across rooftops and along cables, through crevasses and down gutters, spreading far and wide.

Then, after a couple of kilometres, he reformed again, staying flat against a roof as he stared at the road below him. His eyes rolled sideways, watching as Kent stepped out, with his brother and the two Digimon in tow. Caesiumon hissed, his voice nary but a whisper.

“You couldn’t be alone for me, could you...”

He stared, keeping his low profile as the surface of his metallic body grew dull. He was never fond of taking risks. It wasn’t his style. Why rush into something when you could do a better job tomorrow? Or if the circumstances had changed, to adjust your plan tomorrow. There were two tamers here. Two difficult opponents. Not a situation he enjoyed.

“But you’re as diligent and observant as I am, aren’t you, warrior of the earth.”

Caesiumon narrowed his eyes, his metallic flesh bubbling.

“And that’s what makes you too dangerous to be wandering around...”

He made up his mind, and without even the slightest sound, he collapsed, his body spreading out once again.

Trilomon broke his step, looking upwards for a split second, but seeing nothing. He hurried on, trotting ahead of the others as the two brothers walked alongside one another, jackets pulled close to keep the cold out. Mark looked up, breathing out and forming clouds in front of him.

“So what’s the deal with the portals earlier? How did you calm them down?”

“You mean with the digivice?”

Kent pulled it out, running a thumb over the scuffed screen. “It’s something we found a little while ago. Breaks in space occur where the interface is naturally volatile; that’s why the portals open on sort of fault lines. If the data is excited, the breaks burrow further through, until a gateway occurs. And then these open other gateways alongside them.”

He held up his D-Nexus. “These can provide data to our partners by taking it from our own bodies. So we thought that they could also provide data to other things, or take it away. Remove data, and you remove the catalyst. So the portals calm down.”

Mark pressed his lips out. “I’m guessing it works well.”

“To a point. We need to experiment more, but we haven’t had the time.” Kent pocketed his hand, looking exhausted. “There have been gates opening all across the world. Little pockets of activity. And they’re spreading.”

Mark lowered his head. “You think something might be driving this?”

“Something. Or someone.” Kent pressed a thumb to his lips. “It feels like there’s been far too many events happening here for it to just be coincidence. But whatever the cause is, it’s speeding up, and if we don’t do something about it soon then it could end up-“

“Everyone, wait...”

The pair stopped as Trilomon stood ahead of them, his legs splayed and his armour trembling. The brothers looked at one another, and their hands went to their digivices, looking around them.

“Do you feel something?”

Mark looked back, and saw Chromon as he backed up towards them, his eyes darting back and forth. There was a strange sheen over his armour, as if reacting to something nearby.

“I...I-I think we’re...”

“Down!”

Trilomon’s yell was loud and piercing, and the two brothers dived for the ground as something whistled through the air towards them. They rolled apart, and looked up at the long metal spikes that had suddenly appeared above them, aiming directly for where their heads had just been.

There was another whistle, and Mark scurried back as Chromon leapt forwards.

“Shield Reflect!”

Several discs of energy shot forwards, intercepting more of the spikes, but they were strong, piling in more and more and breaking through the shields just as fast as Chromon could create them. But it was enough to slow them down, and enough for Kent to get to one knee, thrusting out his arm as Trilomon began to glow.

“Primal Control! Evolution Activate!”

“Seismon!”

With a creaking sound the insect grew in an instant, forming a half-humanoid, half insect beast, with four emerald eyes and a long spear in his gauntlets. He galloped back, standing behind the shields as he spun the staff in his hands, looking all around him.

“Seismic Shards!”

The axe blade swung forth, releasing a shower of fragments of bone and flint that spread out in a wide array. They impacted the rooftops, and there was a flash of silver as something dropped down, so quickly that it was almost invisible. But Seismon’s eyes were keen, and he immediately rushed around, holding out an opened palm.

“Earth Can-“

“Base Blaze!”

The green energy arced outwards merely inches from Seismon’s hand, with purple lights flickering momentarily in the air. Then they exploded, the force knocking Kent and Mark back, and sending the insect flying through the air, crashing into the building behind him. Kent ran towards him, but in an instant he could hear the grinding of metal on metal. He chanced a look over his shoulder, and saw Caesiumon sprinting forwards, his fingers extended into wicked claws as he rushed for him.

“Fortress Quake!”

Caesiumon twisted in mid-leap, but he wasn’t fast enough to dodge the torrent of metal before it slammed into him, driving him up a wall. Titaniumon’s jaw opened wide as he descended, his front legs slamming against the ground and making it quake. Mark stood just behind him, eyeballing the torrent of steel as it began to tremble before him.

“What are you doing here?”

“Did we ever meet properly?”

The wall began to split, liquid metal seeping outwards, but Titaniumon wasn’t giving the metal man a chance to reform; he reared up again, his body opening up as the great chain mace swung around him. Caesiumon’s face half-formed amongst the rubble, and smirked as he watched the weapon descend.

It struck true, but the liquid metal fell out in a lattice surrounding the dinosaur. He backed off, seeing exactly what was coming, but Caesiumon went on the offensive; great spears lunging out from the puddle and digging into his head, his chest, his limbs. Most of them broke off, but Caesiumon kept going nonetheless, until Titaniumon roared and swung the great mace sideways.

“Pathetic.”

“Look out!”

Mark held his head as the mace flew wide, slamming into a brick wall and sending rubble flying all around. Titaniumon tried to pull it back, but the metal man was running, holding his arms down as they scraped across the rough ground, forming purple sparks. He got right up to the living siege engine in seconds, and twisted his hands together, before pulling them apart in great balls of flame.

“I didn’t come here for you. Base Blaze.”

He slammed them up, and the explosion burst against Titaniumon’s chest, launching him upwards. Mark curled up, but the flames at the edge caught him as well, and he was picked off his feet and thrown away, the world rushing past his ears. He landed roughly, feeling something crunch against his shoulder and a sudden jolt of pain. Then another as Titaniumon landed close by him, on his side, with his body rent apart by the explosion. His eyes were flickering, pained creaks coming from his jaw. Mark pushed himself up, ignoring the pain, and saw Caesiumon standing upright in the middle of the levelled battleground. He hadn’t moved an inch.

“Eon Tremor!”

“Kent, no!”

It was too late. A wall of green crystal rose up, cutting the metal man off from Mark and Titaniumon. Caesiumon tilted his head up, and then looked sideways, watching as Tectonamon reared up, his sickles pulsing with green energy. They struck again, and yet another wall was erected, cutting Caesiumon off on two sides. And then a wall rose up at the back, enclosing the arena entirely. Caesiumon ducked down, peering through the insect’s legs as he tried to see Kent, staying as close as he could.

“Always the smart one, warrior of the earth.”

Kent raised an eyebrow. “Should I know you?”

“Perhaps. Volatile Grid!”

Caesiumon’s body inverted, and a barrage of spears burst forwards, several burrowing beneath Tectonamon’s plates, but the insect kept going forwards, slamming his sickles down as pillars of crystal shot up into the advancing mercury. Caesiumon was picked up, suspended in the air, and Tectonamon raised his head as a ball of jagged energy formed in his mouth.

“Fossil Meteor!”

He fired, and the ball split apart into spears that interlocked with Caesiumon’s own, pinning him in place atop the tower of crystal, like some bizarre monument. Caesiumon snarled, before rolling his neck and leaning forwards, looking down at the two.

“This would have been easier if you were alone.”

“This would have been less painful if you hadn’t gone after my brother,” said Kent flatly, holding his D-Nexus in front of him as it displayed holograms above it.

“I do recognise you, a little bit. It looks like you’ve been involved in a lot of trouble around here, although not a lot on the front lines.” He looked up, his eyes running over the metal man’s body. “And yet, here you are out to kill me.”

“We all need a hobby.”

“Bastard...” Tectonamon leered, his armour plates clicking against each other. “Why does somebody like you always get in the way? We’re trying to save people!”

“Oh, aren’t you just doing such a valiant job.”

Caesiumon stretched, his body shimmering as droplets fell out from the cage. They quivered on the ground, with Tectonamon keeping a couple of eyes on them and several directly on Caesiumon’s smirking face.

“I’m not going to lie that you partners are fascinating. Such loyalty between you and your friends. I can tell the strength that comes with that. But sad to say, I’ve come for the smart one there. You can stand down.”

Tectonamon growled, although there was a touch of nerves in his gaze now. “Kent’s been with me for nearly my whole life. I’ll be damned if I let you touch him.”

“Maybe, but humans are fragile, aren’t they?” Caesiumon smiled, tendrils of metal climbing up the inside of the cage. “I wonder...it only takes one wayward blade after all...and you have locked out your only allies. Can you really move fast enough to protect him forever?”

The cage exploded, spears of steel flying every which way, ricocheting off the crystal and stabbing into the ground. Kent dived forwards, staying beneath the insect’s legs, but even that was hazardous as Tectonamon was forced every which way by the spears jutting out from beneath the very ground. He slammed down, forming a fissure as several pieces of the lattice fell away, but there was a spark from the hole and a purple plume shot upwards, blinding both man and insect. Very nearly. Kent saw a shining spear and threw himself back, but there was a slicing sound and he cried out in pain, feeling the blade slicing down the flesh of his arm. He gritted his teeth, the wound burning like crazy from the smoking hot metal.

“You won’t be so lucky with the next one.”

A crack echoed around the arena, and Tectonamon cried out, pieces of armour flayed from his neck and falling into the ground. Kent straightened up, holding his D-Nexus in two hands as his eyes began to glow green.

“I don’t know who you are, but if you really want me dead so much then you’re going to have to work for it.”

Tectonamon’s head tilted down, his eyes locking with Kent’s. “You mean...”

Kent smiled, pressing the device against his chest as trails of green light began to etch themselves over his, and the insect’s bodies.

“Let’s do this, Trilomon.”

There came a hissing from all around, and the lattice reared up, edging downwards and converging in the centre of the arena where Kent was. Mark was watching from outside, seeing the silhouettes shifting and the green light spreading, but unable to do a thing to help.

“Nexus Fury!”

“No, don’t you dare! Base Blaze!”

The spears converged in an almighty explosion, with a shockwave so vast that it cracked the walls of the crystal. Tectonamon’s body was blown apart by the impact, and the ground was ravaged, leaving specks of dust floating in the air.

But as Caesiumon reformed himself, his expression was still dour. His body shone; not his own power, but a reflection of the radiant crystal jutting out from the ground in front of him. He saw the ghosts of great insects and ancient warriors, and scowled, his body rippling.

The crystal blew apart, and a lone Digimon stood up. Humanoid, with armour of ceramic and bone and crystal. A titan, standing nearly three feet over Caesiumon, and as he swayed from left to right the power and weight behind his limbs was clear. Every one of them, as his shoulders split into three, each one carrying a triplet of identical arms. Tassels of black hair hung down the warrior’s back, and his head was a stone mask, with two crimson jewels shining in the place of eyes. The warrior’s stance widened, and he rolled his head.

“Archaeomon!”

Caesiumon rolled his eyes, his mouth pressed together as metal seeped out from his feet once again.

“Your bond is fascinating. But your persistence is outliving its charm.”

“I’d remind you that you started this.” Archaeomon swung a leg wide, bringing three arms forwards and beckoning with each hand in turn. “I’d rather keep this short.”

The metal man didn’t react, with merely the tiniest hint of contempt flickering in his voice.

“I don’t like being forced to show off.”

He ducked down, lunging forwards as Archaeomon stepped sideways. But the lunge was a feint; Caesiumon’s torso split in half, with a cleaver of metal swinging sideways as he passed, crashing into Archeomon’s midriff. The earth warrior jolted, and looked down as the strands of metal were pulled away, leaving a shallow cleft in his armour plating. Caesiumon reformed behind him, and smirked.

“Are you rusty?”

“A little, I’m not gonna lie.”

He ducked down again, but Archaeomon shifted again, this time slamming a foot down on the ground. A tremor rippled out, disrupting Caesiumon’s body long enough for the giant to swing around, grabbing the steel blades as they shot up towards his head. He wrenched them sideways, and raised a foot again, planting it into Caesiumon’s chest. The metal man flew backwards, jettisoning the blades in his opponent’s hands, where they instantly turned back into liquid, pooling on the ground. Archaeomon shook his hand out, the shoulder spinning as he kept his eyes on the shifting mirage before him.

“I have to thank you. You locked yourself away. You’ve made it much easier for me.”

There was a flash of silver and Archaeomon swung, intercepting the metal as it flew towards him. It flew back, reforming into Caesiumon and ducking as Archaeomon threw another punch, then a kick, then a rolling barrage of fists, his shoulders moving and swinging forwards one after the other. Caesiumon’s body morphed left and right, but no matter how fast he moved he couldn’t dodge them all, the rain taking great blows out of his body. But he allowed it, thinning out deliberately as his head elongated itself.

“Bastard-“

It snapped forwards, and Archaeomon pulled back, clamping the steel blade just inches from his face. Two more arms swung forwards, and he twisted Caesiumon sideways, wrestling him down to the ground and grappling him into place.

“How’s that for rusty?”

“Many thanks.”

Archaeomon saw a glint of metal as Caesiumon’s arms trickled backwards, linking up with the several puddles of mercury lying around the ground, all surrounding the earth warrior. The metal man grinned, showing his sharpened fangs.

“Volatile Grid!”

Spears of mercury stabbed into Archaeomon’s body from all around, with enough force and ferocity to life him from the ground. He coughed, and Caesiumon pushed himself up on his own metal as the spears dug in further, twisting and cracking the warrior’s armour. More trails of metal climbed up Archaeomon’s legs, heading towards his neck.

“Get...off!”

Archaeomon’s right set of arms burst out, snapping the spears off as they began to spin. The first two lashed out, grabbing Caesiumon and pulling him inwards, the spears digging further into his own body. Caesiumon opened his mouth as more metal gathered in the back of his throat, but Archaeomon landed a punch, spinning the metal man’s head around as he fell to the ground. The momentum sheared the rest of Archaeomon’s bindings, and he dropped down, flexing his left arms as the fist glowed with a green energy.

The first one came forwards, but Caesiumon saw it coming, his chest opening up and dodging the brutal blow. But it still struck the ground, and the ground itself fractured, sending out a web of green energy that surrounded both of them. Caesiumon tried to crawl back, but his body was still wrapped around Archaeomon’s fist as the other two came down into the exact same place.

“Morphic Shockwave!”

The second and third fists struck the ground, and it collapsed in on itself, blasting shards of crystal outwards and rending Caesiumon’s body apart. He opened his mouth, letting out a gurgle as he slumped back like a ragdoll, green lines etching themselves over the metal of his body.

Archaeomon relaxed his arms, and went to stand up, but ground to a halt, the metal still locking his body in place, still as tight as before. It shuddered, and the earth warrior looked down as Caesiumon’s body racked in front of him, the head tilting up and staring at him.

“Did I say you could leave?”

The mercury to either side of him rose up, and morphed, forming crude, rough hands. He held them above him, the fingers splayed as purple flames danced at the fingertips.

“Base Blaze.”

The flames erupted outwards, traversing along each of the rods and burrowing into Archaeomon’s body. He yelled out in pain, just before the explosion blasted outwards, throwing him back and slamming him against the crystalline wall. Now separated, Caesiumon spun round, gathering the scattered metal and forming his body into a twister that hummed as blades sharpened all around him, ready to strike Archaeomon again. The giant fell down, his feet forming tremors on the ground, and Caesiumon rushed forwards.

But he stopped, backing off as Archaeomon kept going, his fists slamming into the ground and sending up a ripple of crystal. The metal man jumped, and landed lightly, his body calming down slightly. He too was out of breath, much of his body still strewn around the battlefield.

But as he looked at Archaeomon’s body, it was clear he’d made his marks. Holes had been blown in the ceramic armour, and every movement caused more cracks to appear. Many of them looked worse than they were; the earthen warrior was nothing if not a defensive powerhouse. But here and there the beige ceramic and green crystal was stained with crimson, and the rolling joints didn’t move as smoothly as they should have.

Archaeomon coughed, and raised a hand, wiping beneath his chin.

“You’re pretty strong for an Ultimate level.”

He began to walk, and Caesiumon kept pace, splaying out a hand as the remaining puddles of mercury shifted towards him. “ I told you. I don’t like to show off.”

“You don’t like to do much by the looks of it. Call me curious. It just strikes me as odd. Especially since you’re so adamant to take me down.”

Caesiumon rolled his shoulder, his fingers swaying back and forth with purple fire. Archaeomon looked down at them briefly, then up again. They were both keeping one eye firmly on the other’s movements. Figuring out who was going to be the first to strike.

“Don’t you think it’s all a coincidence? The ambassadors come here. Fenghuangmon is murdered here. Alasdair’s partner came through here as well. Through a portal weakened by holes in the Dark Area, too.”

“Cause and effect.”

“Just because something’s possible doesn’t make it probable. Unless somebody’s deliberately driving it that way.” Archaeomon pressed his fists together, one by one. “Of course, if you’re in my position and you can see what’s happening over the whole world you can begin to notice patterns. You can see things coming. Troubling things. And then as soon as I come back to help my friends to see them too, somebody I’ve never met before is out for my head.”

“Well...if you keep your eyes on the horizon, you might just miss the enemy at the gates.”

Archaeomon stopped, and turned slightly, walking towards Caesiumon. The metal man held out a palm, and the metal spread outwards, but Archaeomon’s fists intercepted it, holding it out. The giant leaned in, his arms straining as his ruby eyes bore into Caesiumon’s.

“Who are you really? What are you after?”

“Why should I tell you a thing?”

Caesiumon leant forwards, sparks crackling behind his eyes.

“You’re too important to live.”

“Morphic Shockwave!”

“Base Blaze!”

Archaeomon’s fist came forwards as the lattice of metal exploded, the two blows cancelling each other out. They were blown apart, a plume of smoke erupting before them, and before Archaeomon could make a move to dodge there was a flicker of steel and Caesiumon burst out, metal spinning around him as he went for the kill once again.

“Kent, no!”

The ground shook, making Mark stumble backwards. His leg twisted, and he cursed, dropping down a few inches as he held his arm. He could feel nearly every hit; they were just inches away from him. And as the silhouettes danced beyond the green crystal, he could see glimpses of the battle. Of Caesiumon’s persistence, and deadly force, and of Archaeomon’s counters. And the blows he was taking. Mark stared, out of breath, and he held out a palm and held it against the smooth crystal.

“Damn you...”

There was a creaking behind him as Titaniumon shifted, pressing a leg against the ground, but it just vented steam and collapsed. Too much time as Ceratomon and too much time spent fighting; his energy was all but spent. Still, he lifted his vast head, the eyes flickering as they looked towards the battlefield.

“I’m...sorry...I should be...in there...”

Mark leant forwards, resting his forehead against the crystal. It was warm against his skin, pulsing with a thousand tremors. He felt drained. Yet he remained standing. He had to remain standing.

“How long have you been fighting on your own?”

A sliver of metal shone through the crystal, and Archaeomon staggered back, the blade piercing in between his rolling shoulder. Mark gritted his teeth, his hand curled around his D-SEND.

“For me? For you? Or for everyone you ever met...”

He reared back, and with a yell he slammed his fist against the crystal. Pain shot up his arm, but he ignored it, swinging back and cracking the device against the wall yet again.

“No more lies. No more walls. No more of this; I won’t let you do this alone. I won’t let any of them do this alone!”

Titaniumon watched as his tamer struck the wall again and again, the green crystal interspersed with purple lights. The dinosaur struggled, pressing his front legs against the ground as his flywheels creaked and turned and whirred as fast as he could move them.

“Mark...”

“Whether you chose me, or Chromon did, or I did it myself; it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have meaning here. I have purpose here. And goddamnit my purpose is to stand here with you! With all of you! I’m a protector of this world and I promise I’m going to prove it!”

He let out a bellow and struck again, and the device burst with energy, enough to send him staggering back. He looked down at himself, seeing circuitry and markings etched over his body, and the D-SEND pulsing in his hand, responding to his every movement.

“You always were.”

Mark heard a creaking, and turned around, watching as Titaniumon pushed himself fully to his feet, his legs shaking, but holding firm. Mark nodded solemnly.

“Don’t put yourself down, Chromon. You wouldn’t be here yourself if you weren’t serious about being a hero.”

Titaniumon shuddered, and in a single movement all his armaments and pistons and weaponry collapsed around him, glowing in purple lights. Only a small, shining figure stood in the centre, with Chromon’s bright eyes staring back at the young man.

“E...e-everything I did...I did for my world...and your world...and for you. And I’m s-sorry I failed so much.”

Mark smiled. “You’ve worked harder for this than anyone I know.” He held out a hand, beckoning his partner. “Isn’t it only right for you to stand here with me?”

Chromon opened his eyes, and stood up, his eyes brimming with a new and powerful confidence as he rushed towards Mark.

“Let’s b-both keep our promises.”

“Of course. My partner.”

Mark turned, and with a great roar he rushed towards the wall again, his fist raised. It struck, and the lights spread out, resonating through the crystal and reverberating through the ground. Chromon began to gallop, and his legs lifted him from the ground as the fragments of armour hovered around him, disintegrating into smaller and smaller particles. And they left Chromon’s orbit and spun around Mark as he straightened up, the D-SEND glowing in his palm.

“Soul Coalescence!”

Behind the walls, Caesiumon looked back. Archeomon saw over his shoulder; the shimmering fire lighting up the enclosed arena, and beneath that, the lone handprint left on the crystal wall. His brother was coming for him. He wasn’t alone.

“Evolution Activate!”

The earth shuddered as trails of steel etched their way over the ground, letting off more fragments that spun between the two figures. And Chromon took in a breath as his body gave way as well, his armour floating into dust, forming a phantasm that swirled around Mark’s glowing form. Steam billowed out from the stores of energy, and it formed shapes in the air; Chromon growing larger to Ceratomon, and again to Titaniumon...and a little more, as the pieces of armour fused into three shields, spinning around a light in the centre. They positioned themselves, and drew inwards as the armour fused into place around them, sealing the steam and the energy within. They locked, and the new figure descended, his splayed feet hitting the ground and making it tremble.

He was taller than Archaeomon, with a body covered from head to toe in shining armour. Thick, powerful legs and broad arms, whirring with every movement, as pistons pumped back and forth down his back with a mechanical precision. His chest was adorned with a silver shield, etched with intricate markings and studded with purple orbs, and he had a similar smaller shield on each shoulder; a white and gold one on his right, and a black and steel one on his left. They gave him a knightly appearance along with his head, encased in a horned helm with two reptilian red eyes staring out from deep within.

In his palms he held a twin-weighted staff, with hexagonal blocks at each end. It seemed unwieldy and impossible to move, but as the figure stepped forwards, his mechanical muscles moved it with a phenomenal control, the weights staying perfectly balanced as he spun them faster and faster. And then he stepped back, and the staff spun around his body and swung forwards, spinning as it was aimed directly at the cracked crystal.

There was an immense shattering as the wall blew apart, raining shards down all around. Caesiumon hissed and coiled up as his metal retracted, and Archaeomon took his chance to free himself from the burning lattice, leaping backwards and releasing a shockwave beneath him. He looked up, and saw the new Digimon standing there, bringing the staff to a halt as steam vented from his back.

“Talosmon!”

His voice reverberated through the remaining crystal pillars, deep and commanding. But as it ebbed away, it was replaced by a hissing sound, as Caesiumon rolled his shoulders, flames dancing up the entirety of his arms. His expression was twisted into a deadly grimace.

“You sibling types really do make me sick.”

“Just remember, you’re the one who started this. So face the consequences.”

Caesiumon narrowed his eyes, and cracked his neck back and forth.

“You want me to pay attention to you, secondary? Fine. But I will make you regret it. Volatile Grid!”

He thrust his arms wide and the spears shot forwards, but Talosmon had already seen them coming and was swinging his arms in a counter, the staff snapping them like twigs. It was just a feint though; the movement gave Caesiumon a chance to duck down and slam his hands against the ground. It ruptured, and Talosmon was sent back as the second wave hit him, digging into the joints in his armour. They twisted, rending the metal apart as purple flame pumped into them.

But it wasn’t enough, as Talosmon raised a foot and slammed it down, snapping the spears again with the sheer vibration. Caesiumon leapt back, but Talosmon charged, swinging one end of the staff forwards and punting him in the chest. The metal man disintegrated, his body whipping out in scythes, but while two sliced shallowly into Talosmon’s shoulder the others were held by his free fist, and he dragged them forwards, bringing his head forwards against the shifting polymorph.

“Stop moving.”

The impact racked through Caesiumon’s body, pulling him together as he was temporarily disorientated. Only for a second though; he leapt up as the weight swung for him again, and landed on top of the staff, trailing mercury behind him as it spun around Talosmon’s neck, already setting alight. It exploded, and Talosmon staggered, falling to one knee. Caesiumon landed behind him, his arms splitting into hundreds of needles, not letting up.

“Are you desperate for pain? The pain of a tamer? The pain of your brother? The pain as all the blood in your vessels ignites at the same time?”

“I’ve seen enough pain in my lifetime. I’m not a fan. But I know when to hit back.”

Talosmon twisted, his body whirring as the staff split in two, folding backwards and fastening to the ends of his arms. They expanded, forming two vast mechanical fists that hummed with a chrome energy.

“Gigaton Meteor!”

The weight swung around, bursting outwards as if fired from a cannon. It struck Caesiumon in the chest, and his lower body exploded, dissipated into fragments before it even had time to liquefy. Caesiumon gasped, reaching out for a series of spears that didn’t listen to him, but he couldn’t move before Talosmon swung his body around again, bringing the other fist forwards into his chin.

Caesiumon disintegrated, flying into the air as a molten mass, just barely reaching out. Talosmon fell forwards, resting on the fists as they steamed, and folding back into the iron weights. It was a devastating blow, but limited to a single blow each, at least until they charged again. He looked up, his red eyes focusing on Caesiumon as he fell in a ragged pile, twisting together back into his skeletal form. He was smiling.

“You still have some things to learn. Step one. Don’t show off your cards too early.”

“Planetary Impact!”

Both Talosmon and Caesiumon turned as a train of rock slammed into the metal man, pummelling him into the crystal wall and causing it to crack down the centre. Archaeomon stood up, moving slightly disjointedly, but moving nonetheless. He tapped the side of his head.

“Step two. Don’t forget how many people you’re fighting.”

With a cry of fury the train of rock blew apart, and Caesiumon crawled out on top of it, his body morphed into that of a vast arachnid, flames spurting from the holes in his form and a crazed look on his face.

“You really think you stand a chance? I am superior to both of you! I’ll face you both and make you beg for me to end it, so come on! Come at me together!”

He held his arms up, and brought them down, cracking them like whips as fragments of metal spiralled away. “Base Blaze!”

Talosmon and Archaeomon shared a look. They nodded. And they ran forwards.

The ground dissolved beneath them as they ran, a purple blaze forming a deadly circle that rattled both of them to the core. At the head of the inferno, Caesiumon straightened up, his body reflecting the flames and his eyes burning with barely-concealed hate. He spun around, and ducked down, releasing a cleaver for Talosmon’s head. The knight narrowly blocked it, the blow travelling down the shaft of his staff and forming sparks as he did so.

Caesiumon hissed, and his head burst out into spikes, one of which struck Talosmon just below the eye socket. He reared back, the crimson lights flickering from the blow, but before Caesiumon could drive it further he was intercepted by two of Archaeomon’s arms, who grappled him away, twisting one of his arms off. It writhed, and burst into liquid, sealing around the first, but the earth warrior twisted his shoulder around and brought the second one forwards.

“Morphic Shockwave!”

The blow struck Caesiumon in the neck, and his body ruptured, but it was a meaningless blow as his body rippled and absorbed most of the force. He twisted, and struck Archaeomon’s second fist with a lattice from his hand, folding around him and digging into his armour. He stepped back, raising a leg as Talosmon swiped with his staff. They moved quickly and in unison, freeing the other and landed blow after blow, destroying the limbs as soon as they came. Caesiumon bowed down, feeling the relentless pressure but holding his ground, his eyes flicking back and forth. A snapped spear. A blocked punch. A leg sweep. Caesiumon bowed down as spears launched from his back, each one trailing purple flames. A mere display, as Talosmon found one of the lattice-like hands clamped around his head, and all of a sudden his head was alight and his vision was engulfed with flame and pain.

“Let go of him!”

A barrage of fists, striking Caesiumon in the chin. He coiled around, wrapping himself around Archaeomon’s arms and digging in with burrowing spines, but Archaeomon returned the favour, bending his legs and leaping up high as his arms spun quickly. It tore through the metal and sent the spindly Digimon flailing in mid-air, reforming himself into a blazing spear as he aimed for the earth warrior’s heart. But his gaze was distracted as Talosmon slammed his staff into the earth, the free end opening up as he aimed it like a mortar.

“Titan Railgun!”

There was a boom, and a rush of air, and suddenly Caesiumon was missing half of his face. His eye swivelled round in the remainder of its socket, just making out the faint eddy trail of a projectile as it flew high into the sky. Another boom, this one taking out one hand, such a clean impact that he barely even noticed. Talosmon stood below, aiming the cannon as bursts of silver shot from the end, moving so quickly that they were nearly invisible.

Caesiumon screeched, and thrust his arms out, forming a great lattice that coiled over the entire battleground, Archaeomon and Talosmon alike.

“Base Blitzkrieg!”

Purple rain lit up the sky, falling and exploding, the intense hear and force throwing Talosmon back as his armour began to melt. But he didn’t fall down, his unwounded eye spinning around as he tried to make out the earth warrior through the blaze. He saw him. A lone silhouette, jumping from the ground towards the centre of the blazing storm.

“Chrono Cyclone!”

Caesiumon was wrenched from his position as he was dragged higher and higher, the momentum carrying him effortlessly. Archaeomon held tightly, and his entire body twisted, once, twice, three times, each one growing in speed, until he threw Caesiumon downwards as a rain of crystal followed after him. Caesiumon barely had time to think as the ground rushed towards him, crashing into a pile of slippery splinters.

The metal man stood, swaying even as he felt the ground beneath his feet rumble again. He reached out either side but his metal was far away from him now, flung far by the repeated onslaught. Too distracted to form a grid, and to dispersed to form a flame. And as he struggled to keep his core in one place, he looked down, and saw Talosmon rushing towards him, the knight rearing back with a silver gauntlet, vibrating with an intense pressure.

Caesiumon smiled, chuckling to himself.

“Well played.”

“Gigaton METEOR!”

The blow struck Caesiumon square in the centre of his head, and the metal man’s form dissolved in an instant. Fragments were sent far and wide; a shower over the town, where they would fall in a wide radius. But most of the body disintegrated there and then, peppering the ground as a silver rain.

The purple flames dissolved, no longer containing enough material to keep burning. Talosmon fell to one knee, his gauntlet steaming as the plates of his staff fell down. He looked down at the ground, and saw the remnants of Caesiumon’s body. Miniscule orbs, where the metal had coagulated. He tensed, waiting for it to reform. But there was no energy here. The ball bearings were dull, and inert.

Archaeomon walked up towards him, hobbling. The two exchanged a look, but they were too exhausted to say anything. They waited for several minutes, staring at the orbs, turning at every sound. But there was no movement. No life.

Caesiumon was gone.

Talosmon stood up, creaking as he did so, the armour plating rattling.

“That’s something I can do without going through again.”

“You’re telling me.”

The knight reached his full height, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked aside, and saw Archaeomon next to him. When they were this close together, Talosmon realised that he was ever so slightly taller. The earth warrior’s eyes shone.

“You were incredible right there.”

Talosmon chuckled. “You were impressive yourself. I just had a good role model. Sort of.”

The two laughed, and Talosmon held out a hand. Archaeomon took it, the movement causing a slight vibration around them. But as they pulled apart again, the earth warrior buckled slightly, his arms curling inward. Talosmon bent down, holding him upright.

“Woah, easy there. You were beaten up for way longer than I was.”

“I’m far too out of practise at this...” Archaeomon nodded. “Let’s go.”

The two got a significant distance away, with Talosmon supporting Archaeomon where he needed to. After they’d reached a few blocks and the destruction and dense buildings had thinned out a little, they devolved, and stood alone, taking just a few moments to catch their breath. Trilomon and Chromon stood at the edge, looking rather worse for wear themselves. The bug lay close to the ground, keeping his senses alert for any additional rumbles. They could all do without anymore events happening.

Mark rubbed his eye, which was enflamed like crazy after Caesiumon’s lucky shot. He was able to see; obviously the armour was tougher when he was like Talosmon, but it was far from a comfortable experience. Kent was crouched beside, him, looking decidedly older. Mark looked down.

“Do you think he’s really gone?”

Kent sighed, and leant back, his head resting against the wall. “He left with a smile on his face. He’s not gone. They never are.”

“I thought as much...” Mark winced. “It’s got to be dangerous to leave someone like that to his own devices. And whoever’s messing with the portals as well.”

“I have to agree, but the fact that they’re trying to stay in their own lane at least gives us the modicum of a benefit of time.” Kent looked up, squinting into the sky. “Time we don’t have to worry about them.”

As if in response, Mark heard the call of the immense dragon echoing over the rooftops; still far away for now. But as he’d seen, that could change in an instant. Trilomon shivered, pulling his body up as he felt the roar echo through him. He turned around, his emerald eyes glistening.

“We’ve been trying to find out as much as we can about HelMidgarmon, but it’s barely anything. We’re in the same position as all of you at the minute.”

“What have you learned?”

“Some things about his abilities, but not much. And right now he’s linked to the Dark Area; he’s been too massive to break free completely. And right now that seems to be offering him more power, and it’s damaging the digital world the more he pulls himself around.”

“Is there anything we can do about that?”

“Someone’s already on the case. And hopefully she can sever the link.”

Kent leant forwards. “Still, it’s a small mercy. Once he’s loose in this world then we’re going to have to figure everything out ourselves. He’s horrendously powerful, resilient, really high up; this isn’t going to be like anything any of us have faced before.”

Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked down. Chromon sat at his feet, and he crouched, holding a palm against the dinosaur’s back. Chromon looked up, bright-eyed and supportive, even though the nerves were still there. Mark could feel that more than anything. But he fought through it, trying to focus.

“Closing the gates to the digital world to bring him through fully...”

Mark furrowed his brow, and stood up again. “We can open them again, right? That’s what that hunter was up to.”

Kent nodded. “You can always reverse something. Make the gates volatile again.” Kent looked up. “What are you thinking?”

“Just trying to work through a thought.”

“Do you want someone to bounce it off with?”

Mark smirked. “You must be rather tired of thinking, mustn’t you? And besides, it might not even go anywhere.”

“We need as much as we can get,” said Kent, cracking his knuckles individually. “And no time like the present.”

He beckoned his brother down, and Mark sat next to him, with their partners joining them in a little circle. Kent smiled.

“What did you have in mind?”