Digimon: Civil War

[Kamotz]

< Goliath Leonhardt (BanchoLeomon) >
- Location Unknown -

With their debate settled, at least for the time being, the Realmless bid farewell to Krond and Brigid. They boarded Moby and a tense silence settled between them, interrupted only by Ryia's heavy, barely-under-control breathing. Goliath glanced around; everyone was on edge. Ajax and Jaeger were brooding silently -- but at least that was par for the course. Sawyer -- sorry, Daiou -- glowered against the strange spongy wall of Moby's stomach...lung...travel sack? Goliath didn't want to really question the biology of what they were doing.

Ayas was seated in meditation with Aakio, but neither looked truly content. Versa sat nearby, pretending not to scowl at Goliath. She had been the most insistent on engaging in bloody revolution, but Goliath wasn't quite ready to burn the entire Metal Empire to the ground. Adirael and Medraut stood a ways off in hushed conversation. That was a strange pairing if Goliath had ever seen one.

Jasper, Emmara, Demo, and Ulysses sat nearby. Jasper preened and polished himself while the others played a few rounds of dice. Demo was cheating, as usual. Goliath couldn't believe Jasper wanted to engage in that much bloodshed, and he wondered just how much he'd missed of his compatriot's change. He wondered what Jericho thought of all this -- the Empire veteran had been largely silent throughout their argument. He'd thankfully reduced himself to a smaller form for their travel and sewer infiltration, but he was the most cramped of them all.

Surrak, of course, seemed hardly moved by the entire thing. He sat awkwardly in a squishy corner, polishing the claws of his Dramon Killers as he always did in his down time. He didn't look stressed or upset in the slightest.

Oddly enough, Titus seemed more relaxed than usual, as if a weight had been lifted.

"Least someone is feeling better after all this," Goliath muttered to himself.

"What's that?" Ajax asked.

"Everyone's upset," Goliath grumbled, turning to face his old friend. "We're going into the most dangerous scenario we've ever been in and none of us are speaking to one another." He stood up, shaky on the uneven surface. "We need to be united. Any questions you have about one another's commitment, any concerns you have about what comes next; put them out of your mind. We are going into the most dangerous place in the world to kill the most influential Digimon in the world. If we're not perfect if we're not moving as one with absolute certainty...we'll fail. We'll die. And the world we're fighting for will be lost."

==\=/==

< Jaeger Rhimewind (MetalGarurumon X) >
- Location Unknown -

Goliath's speech had the intended effect of aligning the Realmless once again -- for however long Jaeger wouldn't care to guess. But they'd need it in order to survive. Once that had shifted their attitudes and they entered Imperial waters, Jaeger worked alongside Moby and Daiou to plot out their actual course. Jaeger was able to take Moby's sensory input and convert it into a visible medium that Daiou could perceive and guide them through.

There were several tense moments where they held their collective breaths as Moby slipped through deep-water Imperial patrols. But Daiou pinpointed the best location to offboard and Moby handled the rest. It was no wonder the rebellion had depended on him so heavily - he was an excellent smuggler.

The emerged from the ocean beneath a large bridge. Daiou pointed them to a metal grate in the foundations, and Moby raised himself up just enough to let them climb out without being seen. It was cumbersome for many of them to climb up his giant tongue, and Jaeger was thankful for his ability to simply jet-burst out of the cavernous Whamon's maw.

Jasper and Goliath pried the gate open and the group of seventeen Digimon slipped into the musty sewer.

As far as actual sewers went, it could have been much worse. The benefit to machine and cyborg Digimon was that they created very little biological waste, and what they did was more easily processed and recycled. The non-machine Digimon within Argentum still...contributed, but it meant that the sewer smelled more harshly of chemicals, oil, and metal than of biological excrement.

Jaeger reduced the sensitivity of his scent receptors all the same.

They made their way deeper into the sewers, with Daiou leading the way, and Jaeger noted how much physical space they had. They continued until they came to a series of split tunnels, and Daiou stopped.

"This is where we're supposed to be waiting for the rebellion's agents, right," Goliath said, his voice muffled by the jacket wrapped around his nose and mouth.

"You the idiots from Gimsford?" a voice whispered from one of the dark tunnels. A Numemon emerged from the gloom and looked them over.

"From where?" Goliath asked.

"Did Mookie send ya?"

"Who?"

"Not exactly the right passphrase but close enough for me!" the Numemon declared, and motioned for them to follow. "Let's get going. Don't wanna be out in the open too long."

"How is this out in the open?" Goliath asked.

"Man they really did not tell you any of our secret codes," the Numemon shook his head. "We've got a few agents working on disrupting the power grid as instructed."

"Once that's done, we'll--" Goliath began.

"Nope. Don't wanna know," said the Numemon. "Our cell has two jobs. One: disrupt the grid. Two: get some Digimon from point A to point B and leave before anyone else arrives. You'll deal with the rest. Keep me out of it."

The Numemon left them at another juncture, only for a Sukamon to arrive a few minutes later and lead them further. And so it went. Handed off from one to another as they wound deeper and deeper into the sewer labyrinth.

==\=/==

< Surrak Dragonclaw (WarGreymon X) >
- Sewers beneath Argentum -

"This is it," said the most recent guide, a tiny ChuuChuumon. "Far as I take ya. See ya round!" Then she scampered between their legs and disappeared down a crack in the wall.

They waited for a few minutes, but no further guide appeared. Surrak tapped his foot impatiently and scowled at the others. If someone had asked him how he imagined killing Chromium Rhuell to go, this would have been the last on his list...if at all.

"This is fun," Ajax muttered. The dragon looked down at his cape with a sour expression. That was what you got for wearing such ridiculous clothes. "Are we supposed to keep going? Or..."

"Look," Emmara said. She pointed to the floor of the sewer. It took Surrak a moment to realize it, but she was pointing to a single beam of light. Surrak looked up and noticed an opening in the ceiling above. "Is this...is this it?"

"The Imperial Palace," Goliath mused. "We're here."

Surrak cracked his knuckles. "Wonderful. Let's get to it then!" His verniers started to glow, but Goliath grabbed his arm.

"Not yet. We're waiting for the attack to start."

"And the power to go out," said Ulysses.

Then the maintenance lighting in the tunnel flickered. The sewers shuddered. Dust drifted from the ceiling above. Cries of panic and echoed down. Alarms blared. With a frustrated sigh, Goliath released Surrak's arm.

"Lead the way," Goliath muttered. "Go!"

Surrak ignited his verniers and shot into the air. He hit the ceiling a heartbeat later and crashed through. The rest of the Realmless were right on his heels.

==\=/==

< Goliath Leonhardt (BanchoLeomon) >
- Argentum -

"Wait. Not you," Goliath grabbed Jaeger before he chased after Surrak. "I need you to do something for me." The chrome wolf looked at him expectantly. "You heard what Brigid and Krond said. They've been doctoring video evidence against us. I need you to find and download the real video. We need to stop them from using our actions against us. Prevent another Rhuell. Can you do this?"

"Not alone," Jaeger said. He glanced at Jericho. "But with his help..."

"Jericho, you and Jaeger get whatever proof you can find of their manipulating things," Goliath declared. "Find us back here when it's done and we'll get out." The two cyborgs nodded.

They were the last to leave the sewer tunnels. Goliath watched Jaeger and Jericho race down one hallway, and then he dashed off after Surrak and the others.

 

[TheSequelReturns]

Aakio Daisoujou (Goldramon)
- Location Unknown -

The Garudamon elder sat in mediation. His massive wings folded tight around him in the cramp space. Ayas sighed, glancing at his former scribe, “Speak Aakio, your thoughts trouble you.”

The Goldramon cracked an eye open, his face stoic. “Not just my thoughts.” he finally said. “I can’t help but feel that I’m missing something.” He glanced around the room. “A lot of somethings.”

Ayas nodded in understanding, “I felt the same, when the Empire came to my people’s shore.” The former judge tucked his wings tighter to his back. “I believed I understood the law and the claim my ancestors had to our land in the Astral Order. When our chieftain initially refused, they declared their intent was the Will of Realmpact and made an example of him before us for his deficence. ”

“It was the most difficult negotiation I ever did to get his life spared and convince the Empire Commander to let us leave unharassed. I’m a trained judge in our law, my tribe should have been protected.”

Aakio nodded, remembering what details he already knew of Ayas’s tale. “The Order already feels like another life doesn’t it? Its strange.” His mood seemed to brighten for a moment, a flicker of a smile on his face. “I don’t remember our meditations being this chatty. I can see why she calls you Jabberjay.” Aakio’s eyes found Versa across the way. She met his glance for a moment. Only a moment. Then they both frowned and looked away.

The bird man quietly watched the exchange. “Subjects of the heart are also conflicting too.”

“Yes, well…” Aakio wavered. “That’s the least of our problems at the moment.” he said, fishing for a new topic.

“Is it really…” Ayas whispered, a deep longing evident in his voice. “But yes, we must not let ourselves become distracted from the task ahead.”

Aakio sighed. “That’s the thing. It's all jumbled up.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Are we doing the right thing? Is the Metal Emperor the only thing standing in the way of peace?”

“All very important questions, Aakio,” Ayas gently clasped his taloned hands together in his lap. “But also how do we-,” Ayas gestured vaguely to the whole group, “know that turning from the Realmpact was the right thing to do? For some here, it was an easy choice in the face of injustice. As a Judge...a practitioner of law...I reviewed every bit of protocol and policy I had memorised as a student, returned to my books, sought what knowledge I could from those I had considered my colleagues, mediated on what I learned or there lack of…I didn’t know what I was missing. The laws should have been clear for any to understand,I began doubt the unquestioning authority of the Realmpact at that moment.”

Ayas looked directly at Aakio, “Too easily Astrals lose sight of the reality before then with our heads always buried in books or mediating. I could not continue to question what I did not understand, I had to make a decision. For I was more than just a judge, I am a father, a brother, a husband, a member of my tribe, and public servant to any that would ask it of me. In a world that made very little sense to me anymore, I choose to do what I believed was right for my family. Now, my actions have put my tribe at risk and I do not know they if they got away safely.”

“Our actions today will have consequence we will not foresee. However, with the knowledge we do know, the Metal Emperor is the lynch pin to our goal of peace. We may very well cause an Empire to collapse or throw off the chains of control. Either way, we will be seen as the catalyst for the events to come. But nothing will change if the key stone for the status quo remains in place. And truly, I do not believe our task will be done after this, but see it through we must.”

“If only for the hope of better days.”

Aakio nodded along. As always, Ayas seemed to be thinking along the same lines he was. But there was another, larger question that had yet to be answered. If it even could be answered. “Better days… for who?” Aakio mused. “Don’t misunderstand, I’m not second guessing our choice to take out the Emperor. I’m actually wondering if we should be doing more.”

The dragon shook his head. “I was wrong about the Order. I was wrong about a lot of things. You are correct when you say that we can lose sight of reality, but how much are we wrong, truly wrong, about?”

“And again, you are correct in saying that our task won’t end with merely this step. The Emperor’s death will open up a new future for the Metal Empire. But only for the Metal Empire. What of the other realms? What of our home? What of hers?” he nodded towards Versa. “None of us can go back after this. We will have nowhere that we belong. And even if the Order would take me back, would I even care to return?”

Aakio turned towards Ayas, his eyes unusually distant. “No, I don’t think I would. Is it the Emperor that’s broken? The Realmpact? The Realms? Us? What sort of a world would allow us to fall through the cracks? To be truly and utterly without place?” He shook his head again. “I’m sorry. All off this is putting me in a particularly dismal mood.”

“I understand, Aakio, I do,” Ayas said calmly. “It is an unknown. We have relied on the Realmpact for over 10,000 years, trusting it was infallible. When we sought permission on behalf of the dragons, I was prepared to put my faith in it again.” Ayas slowly shook his head. “The amendment protecting the Emperor changed my mind. What is to stop it from happening again? The Astral Order failed in its duties of oversight and didn’t question why the Realmpact favored the Metal Emperor, when it was supposed to be impartial to all the Realms.”

“No, I’ve chosen to put my trust in a higher authority.”

“A higher authority…” Aakio pondered aloud. “Perhaps that’s what we need in the end. An Emperor. A Realmpact. Something greater.” He sighed, long and deep. “Here I am musing about the nature of reality when I can’t even sort out my own head.”

“It is why we need balance in our lives,” Ayas spoke quietly, “Even as I contemplate our mission, I also long for the day I can hold my newest granddaughter.” An small smile passed over the garudamon elder’s face, before returning to his usual sober composure. “It brings me joy and gives me strength, even as I grieve of a loss.”

At the mention of a loss, Aakio’s heart sank. And for more than one reason. He had been so caught up in his musings and ramblings and… whatever was up with Versa that in all this time he had yet to ask Ayas about his family. Or even ask about Ayas himself. He really had left his manners back in the Order.

“I’m sorry.” Aakio said. “You have more important things on your mind than entertaining my endless questions.” He bowed. “If it's alright, what happened?”

The elder Garudamon remained silent for several moments. Ayas rested a taloned hand on his knee to calm a slight tremor. Deliberately, he breathed in deep and then released.

“My tribe’s chieftain suffered grievous wounds at the hands of the Empire forces,” Ayas explained slowly, his eyes clenched shut in pain. “His condition had been touch-and-go as I helped our tribe resettle and sought appeal with the Assembly of Judges. When I left to follow rumors of Realmless, his injuries had begun to stabilize.”

“Or so I thought,” Ayas said, his head feathers wilted downward. “My sons found me while we were in Prahv and informed me of his passing. He was my younger brother, Sakima.”

Aakio placed a hand on Ayas’s shoulder. He opened his mouth to say something, but it died in his throat. He was at a loss. So for a moment, he sat there in silence.

The older garudamon bowed his head slightly, a few stray tears escaped. He reached up to his shoulder to cover Aakio’s hand with one of his own. Ayas lighty gripped the offered hand, expressing gratitude.

“I understand.” Aakio said after a few moments. “I’m sorry for not thinking more of how all this has affected you. Everyone here has much to lose, and much to protect.” Even as he said this, Aakio’s thoughts drifted back to his own family. Were they safe? In all the chaos, he hadn’t yet spared a moment of concern. And that thought was more painful than his wounds after the last battle.

“Forgiveness given, if it eases your mind,” Ayas said wearily, drawing himself upright once more. “There’s been precious little time for me to find acceptance of Sakima’s passing. So you have my thanks for putting up with an old bird.”

An awkward silence started to stretch out. Aakio was never good with this sort of thing. Sentimental he was not. But Ayas was a friend and a mentor. In some ways that made this harder. The weight of expectations that, even here where they ought not apply, had been drilled in so deep that they felt a part of his digicore.

“And here I thought meditation was supposed to be relaxing.” He said, scratching the back of his head.

“A word of experience, meditation ceased to be relaxing, when my eldest son was born and learned to yank on my tail feathers to get my attention,” Ayas deadpanned. “It became more of a practice of maintaining one’s sanity against a sea of chaos that is simply life.”

Aakio laughed softly. “Yes. It sounds like you had to get quite good at meditation. Clearing your mind of distractions must be difficult when they are so desperate to be heard.” He nodded. “Thank you. This has been… grounding.” His wings twitched. “Which is something I think I’ve come to rely on you for. I can spend far too long in the clouds.”

“You are young still and these are uncertain times,” Ayas nodded, his feathers flexing gently down his neck. “Should you ever need to speak to settle your mind, I will always have a space open next to me for meditation.”


-+-+-+-


Jericho Arcos (MetalTyranomon)
- Location Unknown -


The dark,damp interior of the Whamon was not a place Jericho had been eager to revisit, but such was life. It seemed no matter how often he tried now, he always found himself cramped up in the dark. Maybe that was his fate for a life in tyranny’s service.

But this prison was worse. This one had not earth, but water beneath it. A small shudder passed through Jericho, but he refused to let fear take root. He would endure. He had survived worse.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were dead.” a familiar voice chirped.

Jericho suppressed a sigh and opened his eyes to see Versa standing over him. Her expression was playful as always, but there was a hardness to her smile. A few passionate embers smoldering behind her eyes. She still hadn’t calmed down from the meeting.

“Come to chastise me again young miss?” he asked.

The corner of her lip curled downwards and she leaned in a little closer. “I thought about it. Plucking on nerves usually makes me feel better, but looking at you I think I’d just feel like a jerk.”

“A small blessing, no doubt.” Jericho mumbled.

Versa shrugged. “Call it what you will.” She plopped down next to him, cringing only slightly at the squishy floor. “But you’re about the only face in here that doesn't make me feel like shouting, so for now you’re stuck with me.”

“We’re all stuck in here.”

“Not what I meant.”

Jericho let that sigh he had been holding in slip out. “Fine. Speak your piece then. A distraction might do me well.”

“What makes you think I came here to talk?” Versa was staring at some indiscernible point on the far wall. Either at nothing in particular or something only she could see.

“The fact that you spoke first.”

Versa laughed softly to herself. “Yeah, you got me there.” She curled up, drawing her legs in and resting her elbows and chin on her knees. “Do you have anyone waiting for you back home? In the Empire I mean.”

For a moment, a few faces passed through his mind. They left ripples, little twinges of joy and sadness, in their wake. “No.”

“No one at all?” Versa asked.

“None who would care enough to wait.” Jericho closed his eyes again.

“That’s… sad.”

“That’s life. No one is owed happiness.”

“But what if you could see it?” Versa asked, her vigor starting to return. “See happiness within reach. But know that in trying to grab it, you could never go back to before the attempt. You’d either seize it and ascend, and miss and be forever lost. Would you take that chance?”

“It depends.” Jericho answered quickly. Almost too quickly for Versa’s taste. She liked to let a dramatic pause linger.

“On what?”

“On where you started. On how high you could ascend. On how far you had to fall.” Jericho snorted. “That’s the problem with metaphors. There’s never enough specifics to do anything with them.” Jericho didn’t have to open his eyes to feel Versa’s frown.

“How else can you express such a thought?” she said. “Numbers aren’t feelings. You can’t quantify emotions or turn a heart into data to analyze.”

“All we are is code.” Jericho said. “Anything that can not be quantified can not be said to exist.”

Versa scoffed. “All the world’s a game and we, the players.”

“Precisely.”

“But what if you didn’t have to play the game?”

Jericho was silent for a moment. He had a feeling that Versa could dance around her meaning all day without ever getting there. He was a patient man, but the present accommodations were wearing that patience too thin to endure a long drawn out conversation.

“Is this about your words at the meeting?” he asked, opening one eye to scrutinize her response.

She nodded. “I don’t want to be a pawn on the board. I don’t want to be a disposable piece. Or a sacrifice for the greater good.”

Jericho sighed, long and deep. More metaphors. “Speak plainly or do not speak at all.”

“You’re no fun.” Versa said sharply. But she continued, “I don’t think the others understand. I don’t know if they can. Adirael maybe. But he’s also from the Syndicate. That place does something to your soul. Gives you perspective.” She took a moment to breathe and gather her thoughts. “A tyrant is not the disease, it is a symptom. The disease is tyranny. I would see it cured.”

“You’d just as soon see the Metal Emperor welcome us to his palace with a feast in Goliath’s honor.”

“I’m serious.” she said, with offense that was either genuine or expertly feigned.

“So am I.” the old machine creaked as he adjusted his posture. Servos and gears did not tire of sitting still. The same could not be said of muscles and tendons. He would be glad to assume his mega form again. “You seek the impossible and wonder why no one shares your goal.”

“If it’s impossible, that’s only because no one will share in it.”

Jericho snorted. “Spoken like a true child. You are too young yet to know the extent of your folly.”

“I refuse to believe that a place like the Syndicate must exist in the way that it does.” she spat.

There it was. The heart of the matter. “You speak for your family, yes?” Jericho said, remembering her comments from earlier.

Versa huffed indignantly. “Don’t presume to understand me so easily.”

“I don’t presume. You are simply not as complicated as you pretend to be.” Versa frowned,but before she could cut him off again Jericho continued. “There’s no shame in fighting for another’s well being.”

“Not just another.” Versa said. “Everyone. Everyone that suffers under a tyrant.”

Jericho sighed. It was a fool’s errand. He couldn’t fault her heart, but he feared that the young rebel was underestimating the full scope of what she was saying. “You can’t mold the world to your liking. You would become the very thing you want to destroy.”

“I know that.” Versa said, in a tone that suggested that she didn’t accept that at all. “But what about you? You stood up to a tyrant. Even though it cost you your freedom.” Her eyes narrowed at him. “Was it worth it?”

Jericho mulled that thought for a few moments. “Who can say?”

“Don’t give me that crap.” Versa waved her hand dismissively. “I’m asking you, straight up. If you could do it again, would you?”

His thoughts went back to that day, so long ago. It was burned into his memory. He couldn’t forget it if wanted to. Being drawn out in chains to face the judgement of the Metal Empire. A traitor to the throne. The faces of his comrades. The face of the one who didn’t even show up to say goodbye. Was it worth it?

The pain. The suffering. The darkness. Knowing what he would face, would he make that call again? To defy his orders? For little more than a crisis of faith?

“No, I wouldn’t.” Jericho said. “I would do more. Making a stand is pointless if it accomplishes nothing.”

Versa stood up. “Spoken like a true machine.” she said as she walked off.


===


Jericho Arcos (MetalTyranomon)
- Argentum -


Jericho had been silent for the rest of the trip. His thoughts were muddled and confused. Returning home was not something he had ever thought possible. Now, he was walking through the sewers beneath the city. Beneath the land that he called home.

What was it like up there now that decades have come and gone?

Were his old friends still there in the empire? Was Richter still leading his squads? Had Dagon been promoted to a desk job like he always wanted? Had Gloria ever forgiven him for turning his back on the empire? Were any of them even still alive? Had any of his men followed his example and deserted?

Each question sat on his mind like a weight, dragging his brain down into the murky depths of melancholy. So much so, that he almost didn’t notice when the group stopped in front of them.

They were now beneath the palace. The last time Jericho had been here, it was as a decorated soldier. A proud member of the empire. Now he was here to help kill the man he once revered as his master.

If he wasn’t a traitor before, he was now.

One by one the group ascended into the palace halls. Jericho was last, digivolving back into RustTyranomon as soon as he made it to the halls above. He turned to follow the others when Goliath motioned for his attention.

"Jericho, you and Jaeger get whatever proof you can find of their manipulating things," Goliath declared. "Find us back here when it's done and we'll get out."

Ah, the video. That was certainly something that need taking care of. But more importantly, it meant Jericho wouldn’t have to face the Metal Emperor himself. That felt like a weight off his shoulders.

He turned with Jaeger, the two of them heading off on their own. Jericho was racking his brain for anything that he still remembered from his service.

“Any kind of data, even sensitive data will be on a network.” Jericho said, running through his memory. “It’s only a matter of finding a secure terminal with the right level of access. And perhaps, some functioning credentials.”

 

[Kamotz]

< Jaeger Rhimewind (MetalGarurumon X) >
- Argentum -

Jaeger and Jericho made their way through the large halls of the imperial palace. They had fallen behind a number of exiting troops as they made their way towards the rebellion-caused distractions. But there was such chaos that they were able to slip away. The palace was almost entirely abandoned now.

"Any kind of data, even sensitive data will be on a network.” Jericho said. “It’s only a matter of finding a secure terminal with the right level of access. And perhaps, some functioning credentials."

"We need a terminal," Jaeger agreed. Preferably something hardwired into the mainframe. Jaeger was counting on the systems to have some kind of backup power to restore functions after the power surge...or they'd be out of luck. "I can bruteforce the rest."

He hadn't expected Goliath to ask this of him, and was hoping that with Jericho's assistance he'd have enough processing power to burn through whatever security measures were in place to access the secure files. If they existed at all.

After a few minutes of fruitless searching, the best they could find was a single security access panel in along a wall.

"This will have to do," Jaeger said. He pulled the metal plating away to reveal several access ports and plugins. "I'll need your help with the processing power for breaking through the encryption layers." He extended his right hand and a single fibre-optic wire snaked out from his palm and plugged into the panel.

==\=/==

< Goliath Leonhardt (BanchoLeomon) >
- Argentum -

Goliath led the Realmless through the halls of the Imperial Palace. He'd been overwhelmed the first time he'd wandered these halls. Everything in Argentum had been so wildly different from his home in the wilderness. He'd lost his bearings more than once, but he'd taken to approaching the cross-grid of Argentum and the steely halls of the palace as he would a new stretch of wilderness and mapped out everything in his mind.

It had been a long time since he'd set foot in Argentum, and even longer since he was anywhere in the palace, but he still remembered the layout from his short-lived ambassador days.

They navigated the twists and turns of the shining corridors, with Ulysses scouting a few steps ahead to make sure their way was clear. They were getting close. Part of Goliath knew it felt too easy. In his bones he expected a wave of metallic soldiers to fall on them at any moment and overwhelm them.

But the halls were quiet. Explosions rang outside the palace as the rebellion-set charges detonated and drew away the imperial troops.

They rounded a corner and turned upon the massive steel doors that marked the entrance to the imperial throne room. The doors were enormous -- enough that even the largest of Digimon would have no trouble passing through. Goliath had walked past those doors many times, but he had never seen the throne itself. No mere ambassador ever had.

"Surrak! Ryia! Jasper! On me!" Golaith called out. He lead the three of them in a full sprint towards the doors.

Surrak hit the doors first, arms crossed, propelled at full speed by his verniers. The door shook violently and dented inward, but Surrak rebounded and tumbled back. Goliath, Jasper, and Ryia struck next; Ryia braced behind her shield and charged, while Jasper and Goliath each threw a heavy haymaker at the point of Surrak's impact.

The doors buckled and collapsed.

The majesty of the imperial throne room lay beyond. It was a massive, domed structure formed of perfectly-smooth metal hexagonal plates, shimmering silver-blue. Rising from the center of the room was the Adamantine Throne itself; a column formed from a twisting lattice-work of chrome upon which the throne stood. The lattice continued above the column, coiling around a blinding sphere of light. Adamantine itself. The Awakener.

Seated upon the throne was the Emperor himself.

He watched them charge into the room without blinking, and slowly stood once they had all assembled. Chromium Rhuell was clad in gold and silver from head-to-toe. The visages of other Digimon decorated his form, and Goliath wondered what that story was.

"Goliath Leonhardt," he said, with something Goliath almost recognized as respect. "You've arrived. Right on schedule."

"On what?!" Ajax demanded.

"DIE!" It was Surrak, of course. The dragon launched himself towards the high-seated Chromium with all his killing intent. But he was swatted out of the air by a series of flying hexagonal plates and pinned to the wall.

Goliath snarled and charged. Only to run face-first into another hexagonal plate and stumble undignified to has @ss.

"Apologies," Chromium mused. He waved his fingers and the hexagonal plates spun around the room and rearranged themselves into a set of stairs that led from the high-placed throne to the ground. "I've always wanted to do that, but never had the opportunity."

"Opportunity this!" Goliath snarled. He launched a lion-shaped blast of energy from his fist, but a swirl of hexagons assembled in front of the blast and dissipated it.

"Enough already," Goliath caught a hint of frustration in the emperor's voice. "If I wanted to fight you I would have done so already. If I wanted to stop you I would have done so at any part of your long and ill-advised journey through the sewers."

He'd known!

"Of course I knew, Goliath," Chromium said, as if he'd read the shock on his face. "I am the Metal Emperor. Nothing occurs in my Realm that I do not know about. No, Goliath. I allowed you here for one simple reason.

"We need to talk."

 

[Solsabre]

Daiou ‘Sawyer’ Wukong
Tuwarmon
Imperial Palace

The journey to Argentum was a blur for Sawyer. The Garbagemon forced himself to focus on the task at hand, helping Moby and Jaeger navigate their way through Imperial waters. Feeling useful for a change was a relief to him and allowed him to forget his old fears for at least a while.

They were really doing this.

Sawyer shifted awkwardly into his Tuwarmon form the moment they entered the sewers. No point in trying to blend in, since their group obviously weren’t locales. Ryia swore obscensities under her breath as she trudged through the sewage. The mutant patted her armor with mock reassurance and a cheeky smile. The Iron Mare snorted indignite and kept her silence. Sawyer marveled at the change, but noted the hard focused look in her eyes. The mare brought up the group’s rear.

The clumsy Tuwarmon jogged back up to the front of the group, settling alongside the ever vigilant Titus. His best friend had at some point resumed his mega form, and seemed back to his old self. Why though did he still wear his protective goggles in the darker tunnels?

Finally!

The Realmless emerged into the great halls of the Imperial Palace through Surrak’s self made entrance. Hall after halls they passed through, the walls rocking from previously placed explosions, but no guards. Sawyer was nervous. He’d never been in the Palace before, but this seemed like a gross oversight compared to the Empire’s usual tight security.

The Throne room doors loomed over the Tuwarmon. Sawyer gulped, uncertainty starting to eat at him. Goliath summoned Ryia from the rear to take out the door. Titus seamlessly filled in for her position at the group’s rear. His tail blade arched out at his side and his arm blades held out in front of him. However, confusion was obvious on the Jesmon’s face. Sawyer followed his friend, feeling safer in the shadow of Titus’s cloak.

The Realmless burst forth in the Emporer’s Throne room after several attempts. The Metal Emporer greeted his ‘guests’ with a demonstration of the Empire’s power and technology, easily swatting Surrak and Goliath away.

But the Emperor had known they were coming.

"Of course I knew, Goliath," Chromium said, as if he'd read the shock on the Realmless leader’s face. "I am the Metal Emperor. Nothing occurs in my Realm that I do not know about. No, Goliath. I allowed you here for one simple reason.

"We need to talk."

“Talk?!” Sawyer blurted out, “That’s all you want to do? Is talk?!” The furious mutant was reined in by Titus’s steel claws on his shoulder. The Jesmon warily surveyed the Throne room, taking in everything to be ready and alert for any other surprises. Sawyer continued shouting, “After everything you’ve done to us, our families, our homes?!”

 

[TheSequelReturns]

Jericho Arcos (Rust Tyranomon)
- Argentum -

As the two of them moved through the unnervingly empty halls, several memories came rushing into Jericho's mind. It started slow, like a drip of the past. A feeling here. A split second of deja vu here. But soon, Jericho could hardly enter a room or catch a glimpse of something on a screen without the torrent of memories fighting for his attention.

But there was no time to reminisce. No time to think about old faces and words long since spoken. Instead, there was only the task at hand. Find a terminal. Find a terminal. Find a terminal. The mantra helped, but the emotions were never too far beneath the surface.

The terminal however was proving elusive. Eventually, they settled on a simple access terminal. The sort of thing that a guard might use to lock a door or open a comm channel. It was such a mundane access point, but Jericho could see no reason why it wouldn't be connected to the greater network. It should do, in theory.

"This will have to do," Jaeger said. He pulled the metal plating away to reveal several access ports and plugins. "I'll need your help with the processing power for breaking through the encryption layers." He extended his right hand and a single fiber-optic wire snaked out from his palm and plugged into the panel.

It had been so long since Jericho had even connected to an access point, that for a moment he could not remember where his connecting cable was. He actually had to run a diagnostic on his own systems to find it. After a few moments, a small plate of armor on his upper chest clicked and slid aside to reveal an interface panel. Jericho connected to the access point, interfacing with both it and Jaeger's systems.

"I always preferred a more direct approach." Jericho said while he synced, opening his system's power to Jaeger's ID. "Hacking has never been my strong suit. But I should have processing power to spare. Use it as you need."


-+-+-+-

Versa Victa (BelleStarmon)
- Argentum: The Emperor's Throne Room -

The moment she had dreamed of for two long years was here. The Metal Emperor, the man by who's authority she was imprisoned, was right there. Right there!

And she couldn't do a damn thing.

Even as Surrak charged in vain, even as Golaith's attach was nullified, she stood there, guns drawn, ready to fire but knowing already that it would do nothing. She wouldn't be able to touch him. And before she could even try, before she could even fire a shot for sheer vanity's sake, he had opened his big stupid mouth and asked to talk.

Talk!

Versa wanted to spit on the floor, but even that felt so pointless that she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was full of rage and hate and fury and too many red hot emotions to keep track of. But she was also very, deeply curious. And she cursed herself for it. The Emperor had stoked the one thing that had always gotten her in trouble, the one thing that she couldn't say no to. He had sparked her curiosity. She wanted to know, needed to know, why such a man as he did what he did. She had to understand what thoughts moved him, what justifications he clung to, what small subtle poisons lay in his words.

She had to know who and what he was so that she could end him forever. And for that, she would have to do one of the hardest things she'd done in a long time. Stare the Emperor in the face and lower her gun without firing a shot.

“Talk?!” Sawyer blurted out, “That’s all you want to do? Is talk?!” The furious mutant was reined in by Titus’s steel claws on his shoulder. The Jesmon warily surveyed the Throne room, taking in everything to be ready and alert for any other surprises. Sawyer continued shouting, “After everything you’ve done to us, our families, our homes?!”

Versa cursed herself ten times over as the little twerp spoke her unvoiced thoughts.

Aakio looked at her, but she could see him. His mouth moved, but she couldn't hear his words. Her eyes were locked on the Emperor. And as her knuckles turned white from gripping the handles tight, she sealed her words of rage in her heart and waited patiently and tortuously for the man on the metal throne to speak his piece.

 

[Kamotz]

< Ajax Vol (MedievalGallantmon) >
- Argentum -

"Yes. Talk," Chromium Rhuell said, seemingly ignoring Sawyer's tone. "Whether you realize this or not, the longer we remain in conflict, the more the structure of our world deteriorates. The forces that hold our society together come unraveled. This conflict of yours. It needs to end."

It was the last thing Ajax had expected to hear from the Metal Emperor. Where was the malevolent overlord? The Digimon who wanted to rule the world with a literal iron fist for his own glory? Was this an act? Why? What purpose did it serve. Ajax glanced over to Goliath to find the big cat's eyes fixed on Chromium, but his face remained unreadable. Ajax's thoughts swam as he tried to regain his footing.

Not everyone had that problem.

“I have but two words for you,” Ryia shrilled, as she charged forward in attack. Her eyes filled with cold fury. “ODIN’S BREATH!” Her shield, Niflheimr, radiated blistering cold temperatures and freezing winds throughout the throne chamber.

“Stop,”Chromium ordered. A storm of hexagonal plates heated and assembled in front of him, deflected Ryia’s attack and funneled the cold air back at the group as a chilly wind. “Stop behaving like children.”

Ryia’s eyes narrowed dangerously “What would you know of children? Your soldiers are stained with the blood of their lives!” The Iron Mare reared defiantly, whipping out her bow and igniting the air with a brilliant red energy bolt. “Bifrost!”

Chromium said nothing as the bolt flew through the air. It struck his chest and shattered into a thousand red sparks. A series of hexagonal plates swirled around Ryia and sealed her in a digizoid dome.

This wasn't good. Not only were those plates a significant obstacle between them and the Emperor, but Chromium had just demonstrated a portion of his own strength and durability by simply tanking Ryia's attack.

“If you cannot behave like an adult you can wait until we're done talking," Chromium said calmly. He turned back to the rest of the group, minus the enclosed Ryia and the pinned-to-the-wall Surrak. "I know about all the lives lost. Before every action we take, we run the math. We determine the optimal outcome; the one that costs the fewest lives for the greatest gain.

"I know all it's cost you. It has cost me much as well," he took a breath and steeled his resolve. "I've lost and sacrificed more than you could ever know. And I am tired of seeing this conflict take so many lives. I am tired of seeing you and yours fight against slights to your personal realities. I am fighting for this world."

“If you say you fight for this world,” Adirael spoke, regarding the emperor with a wary curiosity. “Then that implies there is an enemy against which you fight. Something that drives your actions.”

“So what if there is?” Medraut retorted in turn, glancing between the demon and the emperor. “What manner of foe exists to justify the Empire’s atrocities?”

"'Atrocity' you call it?" Chromium regarded Adirael in disappointment. "'Atrocity' is making sure that Clan chieftains no longer send raiding parties into the Verdant Conclave? 'Atrocity' is making sure the Conclave is not choked by a full-scale invasion from the Dragon Hordes? 'Atrocity' is giving those same Hordes the chance to fight for whatever fleeting passions it is they do, instead of killing each other over rapidly dwindling resources?

"Is it an 'atrocity' to curtail the ambitions of the Unhallowed Syndicate and its ventures into the other Realms? Or give the Digimon of the Blue Coalition the chance to trade and prosper rather than wandering secluded across the frozen north? What is the 'atrocity' in allowing the Digimon of the Astral Order the opportunity to engage in all their wondrous navel-gazing instead of flocking to every broken law and crime committed? Or giving the Eternal Legion the ability to focus their efforts on areas that need them most, and curtailing the need for their intervention at all?"

What the hell was this? How was this Digimon the same one who ordered the deaths of so many. All the suffering they'd seen...how was it someone like this existed who could order such pain and still claim to be mitigating damage?

"The true 'enemy' is no tangible thing or being. It is simply chaos -- the very nature of us as Digimon is to destroy ourselves instead of live and prosper. You are all so convinced to call my actions 'wrong' by your own moral codes that you fail to see what would happen without them.

"As I said: no action taken by the Empire is done without careful calculation," Chromium said. "You call them 'atrocities' -- but they are, in fact, a cost of maintaining the increasingly fragile world we all live upon."

So that was it. Ajax felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Chromium wasn't a mad tyrant. It was more akin to some sort of religious conviction. He was so certain in the Realmpact that he would follow it to the ends of the earth.

Adirael nodded, regarding Chromium thoughtfully. "And the Metal Empire alone is qualified to make such calculations? The rest of us need only trust that you are correct?"

"Of course. The rest simply lack the raw computational ability to make those calculations within any reasonable timeframe," Chromium said with a nod. "It's not a question of 'trust' it's a question of mathematics, all acting within the architecture of the Realmpact."

“The architecture of the Realmpact dictates our actions — it dictates what actions are even possible for us to take,” Chromium said. “There is no existing ‘beyond’ the Realmpact; it governs and guides every facet of this world. It is the Great Machine, the Digital Singularity. All data -- all Digimon -- power the Realmpact and are in turn powered by it. Even all of you. Despite removing yourselves from the Great Work you are defined by its absence in your lives; perhaps even more than anyone else is defined by its presence in theirs.

"But though you might not see it, that -- all of that -- is irrelevant," Chromium insisted. "What matters -- the only thing that matters -- is the Great Work. What you've become, what you do, every day you fight against it you risk destroying it. Millions of lives are threatened every time you take up arms against it. So I am asking you, face to face, to stop."

"You would reduce the world, and all of the lives therein, to a cosmic spreadsheet." Aakio said, "And then claim the divine right to edit that spreadsheet as you see fit simply because no one else can balance the numbers? I wasn't aware that such arrogance was even possible."

It seemed he going to continue, but a small sound from Versa stopped him. She was laughing. Softly at first, then her anger boiled itself away completely and she laughed even harder. "I knew it." she said. "This is where it leads. This is the culmination of following the Realmpact to the letter. You aren't a conqueror, hell bent on domination. No, you're just a man, doing what the Realmpact drives him to do. Doing it better than anyone before you." She wasn't looking at Chromium now, but past him. Beyond him. To the light of Adamantine.

"Thank you, for confirming that for me." she said as she raised her guns again, her grin returning. "I won't stop. I can't stop. Life is not a number in an equation. Souls are not mere bits of data to be measured and counted. And I would rather die on my feet today, as a Realmless, than live a thousand years as a cog in the world you just described."

“It’s not just about you, you selfish girl. The world balances on the axis of the Realmpact. The world I described is perfection, and I am offering you the chance to join me,” Chromium said. “The chance to stop fighting and simply live. What do you think happens without the Realmpact? What happens if you succeed?”

"It doesn't matter!" Goliath declared loudly, speaking for the first time since stepping into the throne room. "It doesn't matter. None of it. You can your actions hide behind the Realmpact if you want. But you're still ordering death. That blood is still on your hands. Those lives are real. Not just numbers. Not just consequences of some great machine. They are living Digimon and deserve to live their lives!"

Goliath drew his blade. "With or without the Realmpact. Their lives carry more meaning than any of that!"

"Without the Realmpact," Chromium spoke those words carefully, as if they were some sort of terrible curse. "It sounds so easy to you, does it? You simply throw off the Realmpact and you go about living your lives?"

 

[Solsabre]

Daiou ‘Sawyer’ Wukong
(Tuwarmon→…..)
Heart of the Metal Empire


“Hardly. I am a former Judge, Emperor Chromium, I am aware of the possible consequences to our society without the presence of the Realmpact. I did not choose this path lightly.” Ayas said, composed as ever. “However, I am a Servant to the people, not to the System. The System is a tool to enhance and protect the lives of those it governs. Lives should not be sacrificed for the sake of the System.”

“Yours are the words of an idealist. And one who has never had to make the most difficult decisions,” Chromium said. “The system is not designed to spend lives. It assures the lives spent are the fewest and result in the greatest benefit to all! What do you think happens to the people when the system that sustains them is no more?”

Sawyer gawked in utter disbelief at what he was hearing. He was trembling, not in fear, but rather indignant, fed-up anger. Only Titus’s tight grip on his shoulder kept him rooted to the back of the group. The not-ninja glanced up at his long-time friend. The Jesmon’s face was hidden in the shadow of his hood. His golden eyes glowed with unnatural light, glancing about the throne chamber as through searching.

“Titus?” Sawyer whispered, voice filled with concern.

“A moment, Sawyer, I’m trying to perceive what I can of this place.” His golden eyes focused on the Adamantine overhead, before closing them and muttering to himself, “-yes, I know lowering my mental shields is risky Rene, but I need to know-”

“Pal, who the hell are you talking to?” Sawyer mumbled, grabbing Titus’s arm and jarring the Jesmon from his ‘private’ conversation.

“I-I’ll explain, when we’re someplace safer, Sawyer. I promise.” The dragon knight shook his head as though clearing his thoughts. Sawyer grunted as turned his attention back to the ongoing ‘discusison’ with dear ol’ Emperor Spit N’ Shine.

“Society would break down. Conflicts would arise. Lives lost. Yes, this is most likely. I foresee my own clansman being among the first at risk for my choices.” Ayas conceded, but didn’t back down. “Yet, the Realmpact, as it stands, permitting acceptable loss of life, where it did not before. What if it becomes acceptable to sacrifice an entire a city, a species, or even a Realm? Perhaps we have become too dependent on the Realmpact to regulate our lives that we’ve turned blind to it’s limitations. Either the Realmpact must be adapted to accommodate society’s growth or a new system devised entirely. But this is a matter that should be determined by all the Realms, not just one,”

“What a naive set of beliefs,” Chromium said with a sad smile. “While the Realmpact has always permitted the loss of life to an acceptable degree in order to further the Great Work, your clansmen would likely, in fact, survive relatively unscathed. The isolation of the Order and proximity to the Legion would discourage attacks, and as long as they submitted to the inevitable Legion rule they would remain unmolested."

"What 'inevitable' Legion rule?" Ayas asked cautiously . "And what exactly is this 'Great Work' you keep speaking of?"

"The Great Work is the effort, the act, and the cost of maintaining the world and carrying it forward," Chromium said. He raised his hands and glanced up to the ceiling. "Whether known or unknown, public or private, every action we take under the auspices of the Realmpact furthers the Great Work."

"As for Legion rule -- it is inevitable," Rhuell said. "Without the Realmpact, the Astral Order will be subsumed under the Eternal Legion, and become subject to it's ever-growing isolationist policies."

"That is why I could never bring myself to join the Legion," Titus spoke up finally. "I cannot ignore those who are oppressed. I am the blade that defends those whom your 'calculations' would deem an acceptable loss for."

"That has nothing to do with the Legion itself. Those are your beliefs. Colored by your experiences and your flaws." Chromium said. "What happens when 'defending' those 'oppressed' costs more lives than you've saved?" Chromium asked rhetorically. "As long as the Realmpact stands the people are protected.

"The Legion intervenes now because the Realmpact grants them the authority to do so, the imperative to act, and because they foster noble intent. Without it, their best and most noble will still lead them to try. But without the Realmpact they will fail. They will lose. Many of them will die. And they will retreat to the safety of Sunhome to let the rest of the world fend for itself.

"That is the cost the rest of the world pays for your thoughtless actions."

“That’s got to be the biggest load of Bullmon-**** I’ve ever heard.” Sawyer spat out, shrugging off Titus’s grip. “I ain’t goin’ be guilted for wanting to live. You can call it selfish if you want, but there’s no shame in that desire. I ain’t truly lived, honestly, because my whole has been an utter lie. Pretending to be something I’m not, just to escape your goons at every turn.”

“Now you want us ta join you, just to satisfy some almighty equation in the sky. You never cared about the digimon. Well, guess what, Chromedrome? I refuse, because anything you have to offer is a fraud.”

The Tuwarmon stepped forward boldly -light engulfing his form- to point a finger at the Metal Emperor. The Gokuwmon, Sawyer, held his head high, “And I’m done with living a lie.”

 

[Kamotz]

< Goliath Leonhardt (BanchoLeomon) >
Imperial Palace, Argentum

Goliath found himself in a very unfamiliar situation. He couldn't move. He was fixed to a single spot. His sword in awkwardly his hand. His breath caught in his throat. It was all he could do to force himself to stand and breathe.

Chromium radiated certainty. Power. Logic. Stillness. He was nothing like Goliath had expected. From the moment they stepped into the throne room they'd been caught off-balance. They had come to fight and it seemed like the Metal Emperor bore them no ill will.

"That’s a nice sentiment, little ape, but I have no idea who you’re even supposed to be," Chromium said. "Or why I should be moved at all. I’ve invited you here so that we might come to an understanding. So you could all understand the impact of your actions. Not to make grand gestures and empty threats."

He didn't even consider them a threat. Seventeen Digimon had him in their sights and he didn't care.

A single gunshot rang out, arresting everyone's attention. Versa stood, her smoking gun still pointed up in the air. "Enough posturing." She said. "We know where you stand Emperor, and you know where we stand. We will not concede to your will. If you plan to fight us for your right to rule," she spread her arms out wide, "then here we are."

Gods, Goliath envied her at this very moment. He wanted to be like that. It was almost enough to give him strength. But then Chromium spoke again.

"And then what?!" Chromium demanded. "Have you thought ahead beyond this moment? Or are you so sure that you'll die that you haven't bothered to spare a thought to what comes next? You think I am your enemy, but I am as much a part of the Great Work as anyone else. I serve the function given to me. The next Metal Emperor, would you kill them as well? On and on. How many are you willing to kill? A hundred-thousand? A million? How many times must Adamantine choose an Emperor to carry out their function in the Great Work before you get tired of killing?"

"You're right." Versa said. "You aren't my enemy. But I understand now what I have to do." She raised her gun towards Chromium. Placing him square in her sights. Then her aim went higher, towards Adamantine, and she fired.

The bullet flattened in the air, still several feet from Adamantine.

"My dear girl, this is a Chronicle, not some can on a fencepost," Chromium rolled his eyes. "You would see it destroyed, I suppose. Because with the Chronicles and the Realmpact still in place your cause has no justification. It's simply an endless war and endless bloodshed. And I suppose even a twisted thing like you would grow sick of that after a few decades."

Damn. The woman was something else. Here Goliath was, frozen in uncertainty, and she had shot at a damned Chronicle.

"I'll tell you exactly what happens without the Realmpact," Chromium said. For his part he didn't seem the least bit concerned. He raised his hands and a flat holographic map of Eon appeared between them. As he spoke, holographic images of Digimon and territory boundary lines moved across the map.

"Let's say you succeed and I'm overthrown -- killed, to make this easier. You succeed in convincing the rest of the world to abandon the Realmpact and become Realmless. Maybe you even destroy the Chronicles by some…miraculous occurrence. This is what happens next.

"Without the mandate of the Realmpact, the Metal Empire is no longer able to mine ores from other Realms. Infrastructure between Realms rapidly deteriorates without our ability to maintain them and excess of labor. Supplies and resources cannot be gathered or moved between Realms. With limited ores our cities and bodies crumble. The Metal Empire becomes increasingly isolationist and is forced to pull back our forces and condense around the Mercury Sea. Technology degrades across the world.

"Isolation and harsh climates cause cities and outposts in the Blue Coalition to crumble without direct access to resources from the southern Realms. The Deeplords’ lose influence and ability to intervene in the north. Overseas trade routes become subject to pirate raids.

"Overabundance of resources in the Verdant Conclave causes faster resource decomposition, leading to a conflict between the insect Digimon and the plant Digimon. Sensing weakness, the Unbowed Clans increase raiding parties in the north. Limited resources within the Dragon Hordes leads to renewed infighting; hundreds die. Tyrannical warchiefs take control and lead wars into the Conclave for resources and territory. The Conclave fractures under external and internal pressures. The Hordes and the Clans continue fighting over what’s left.

"Without the scientific healing from the Empire and natural healing from the Conclave, life expectancy rates drop dramatically. The Unhallowed Syndicate offers the wounded healing, for a price. They capture power by leveraging their internal wealth over the other Realms. They bind other Digimon through their debts. Digimon reform post-death into their service, and they become a society of parasitic debts and debtors.

"The Astral Order is thrown into disarray without a binding law to guide them. The lack of single conveying authority leads to schisms within the Order. Legal battles erupt between different interpretations of laws that no longer exist. Their focus turns inward and they neglect their duties to the rest of the world.

"The Eternal Legion is tasked to deal with each conflict that arises. Their forces are spread too thin and they suffer serious losses. They retreat to the safety of their homeland and establish a military dictatorship to maintain their traditions. The Legion absorbs the Order through short military campaigns. They encounter very little resistance. They isolate themselves against the outside world and build their forces.

"The disorganized Clans are overcome by the dragons, bled by the Syndicate, and fall to their own stubborn nature. The Syndicate and Hordes clash over what remains. The Hordes scavenge the technology of the former Empire. The Syndicate brings in the disassociated Coalition and forces them into sponsored piracy. The Syndicate entices the populace by offering "salvation" through their Church of the Unhallowed. The war between the Syndicate and the Hordes lasts for several decades.

"The Legion emerges from isolation, some hundred years later. They scatter the Hordes with their superior power and organization. War between the Legion and the Syndicate consumes the rest of the world."

He flicked his wrist and the map disappeared. "We've run the scenarios a hundred million times. And then we ran it a hundred million more just to be sure. All data collected from the Realmpact over ten thousand years and processed through our analysts. Time and time again. This is always the conclusion. You're willing to doom the world forever for a few short years of personal freedom," he said, barely containing the anger in his voice.

"You could do so much more, you could be so much more," he said. His voice was almost begging. "The world cannot abide the extremes of your philosophies, but you have good hearts, and there is so much more good you can do as part of the Great Work. We are machines. We can be cold, I know this. But join us. Become part of the Great Work, with everything you've learned. Think of what you and I can accomplish. Together.

"Join me," he said, his hands and arms open. "Help me carry this world forward. Not as the Metal Emperor, but as an emperor for the entire world. Help me be the Digimon Kaiser that all Realms can choose to follow into a glorious future that we can scarcely even imagine."

Goliath felt his hands shaking. That was all he needed to hear. Chromium had laid out everything so perfectly, so believably, that for a few sick minutes he believed it himself. This...projection of what would happen. Goliath saw no reason not to believe it other than his own hatred of Chromium and the Metal Empire. He had expected a mustache-twirling dictator guided by malice. He hadn't expected the underlying argument for all of this to be so logical and even...altruistic.

Chromium's projections told a terrifying story of what was to come and it had chilled him to the bone -- everything he'd seen in his years of wandering Realmless only confirmed that timeline. It made sense. It aligned with everything he knew of the other Realms, of their vices, their virtues, their weaknesses and strengths. He hated to admit it, but he knew his people might attack the Conclave if they felt it was advantageous to them.

And he had almost…almost faltered. If not for those last few words. Chromium had revealed his hand, his endgame. And despite all of Goliath's fears on what was to come if he carried through and his newfound uncertainty if they even could, Chromium's personal ambitions could not be something he stood aside for. There was no way the Realmpact was calling for this. For a single ruler of the entire world? No. Even if it was permitted, Goliath couldn't believe it was what the world required.

This was ego, pure and simple. It had to be. Right?

His body shook. He couldn't breathe. What could he do? Kill Rhuell, hope his replacement is better? What if he wasn't lying? What if this 'Digimon Kaiser' was what the Realmpact was moving towards? But what if he was lying and Goliath didn't take action? What if this was simply a course permitted by the Realmpact rather than one called for?

How could he be sure?

The world seemed so awful, but how could he avoid making it worse? He could feel the eyes of his Realmless on him, mixtures of anger and confusion and fear. Even Surrak had stopped struggling against his bonds to gaze at Goliath with a wild, slack-jawed look.

Goliath locked eyes with Ajax, his oldest friend. The one Digimon he knew would stop him if he was acting rashly. But in the dragon's gaze he saw only uncertainty, and the realization that he had no answer.

Goliath took a steadying breath. He remembered their old teacher; all their old lessons. None of it scaled to something this big. Goliath wasn't made to handle that kind of thinking. All he knew was what was in his heart of hearts. What he felt was right. Not for the world. But for him. Right there. Right then.

"I don't know if you're right or not. I don't know if the world will fall without the Realmpact like you've said or if this is just a big lie. Maybe the world needs a Kaiser, I don't know. But I do know one thing," Goliath declared loudly, finally finding his voice. At the sound of his words the rest of the Realmless seemed to gather their wits again. "The world deserves better than you. It deserves someone whose hands aren't so stained with blood. Your Realm deserves better than you.

“Any ends gained through contemptible means aren’t worth a damned thing!”

Goliath hurled himself forward, his fist cocked back. He struck with everything he had, and a monstrous clang echoed through the throne room as his knuckles collided with Chromium's stupid face.

But Chromium didn't even move. Didn't even vibrate; the force of the blow just rolled back up Goliath's arm and chattered his teeth.

"A pity," Chromium said, and Goliath was once again shocked by the sincerity of the Metal Emperor's words.

Goliath didn't even see the blow coming. One second Chromium stood in front of him, arms at his sides. The next instant, Goliath made a perfectly-shaped indentation in the metal door at the far end of the throne room.

"I will remember you for what you could have been."

 

[TheSequelReturns]

Aakio Daisoujou (Goldramon) & Versa Victa (BelleStarmon)
- Argentum: The Emperor's Throne Room -

Aakio stared, eyes wide, as Chromium seemed to vanish. A loud sudden creak of bending metal followed so immediately, that Aakio thought for a moment that it was simply the sound that the Emperor made when he moved. But as he turned to look, Chromium was standing where Goliath had less than a blink ago, while Goliath was currently a foot deep in the metal door at the far end of the room.

That wasn't speed. That was something entirely surpassing speed. As far beyond mere speed as the Realmpact was an ordinance on littering.

Just what had they gotten themselves into?

The plates holding Ryia in nearby began to frost over, bits of ice crystals billowing from the seams before the Sliepmon finally forced her way out. Ice clung to her body like a cover. Had she really unleashed her ice attacks inside the makeshift cell?

“What’s this I-I’m hearing about the world being doom?” Ryia said though her chattering teeth, "N-not if I c-can help it... cause I’m not leaving this world until it’s b-better than the mess this t-tin can has made of it.”

The Emperor responded immediately, not missing a beat, "It won't be. You've all made sure of that."

And again, Chromium was simply gone. He moved so quickly, Aakio was beginning to wonder if he was teleporting. Before he could even finish that thought, Titus was grabbed by the Emperor who had crossed the room in an instant. And again, in a literal blink, Chromium did it again, this time taking Titus with him and smashing the poor Jesmon. Aakio hadn't even seen the smash. Just the aftermath of it. The crumpled wall tiles, caved beneath the force the Emperor's attack. The same tiles that held Ryia in for so long and held Surrak at bay even now.

Think Aakio, think. There has to be a way to win this fight. A way to get past that speed.

There had to be. Or they really would all die here and now, beneath the light of Adamantine itself.

Sawyer digivolved into a Gokuwmon of all things (Aakio had not been expecting that), and charged the Emperor, but it was about as effective as Surrak had been. Speaking of which...

Aakio moved to ready his bracers and summon his dragons to help with the fight. But he had hardly so much as twitched his fingers when Chromium vanished from sight and something grabbed his tail. aakio had the time to think of exactly one curse before he was flailed through the air like a ribbon and smashed into the ground back-first. He gasped for air, tasting the metallic edge of blood in his mouth. Gods, it had been so fast. So damn fast he hadn't even had time to brace for the impact.

He could hear the Emperor continuing his war path behind them. But it was all he could do for the moment to summon his dragons. Amon the red and Umon the blue sprung to life from his bracers, the elemental dragons flitting about with anticipation. "Amon." Aakio managed before pointing at Surrak. The fire dragon nodded and dashed off. He looked at Umon and nodded. Umon understood and zapped Aakio's chest once with a small healing pulse before dashing off to help the others.

While Aakio tried desperately to shake the stars out of his eyes and get air back in his lungs, Versa was standing still, watching the Emperor with awe.

The BelleStarmon couldn't find an opening to capitalize on. No opportunities to strike. She wasn't even sure her Fly Bullets could home in on Chromium as fast as he was moving. He was so fast, the rest of them might as well be standing still, unmoving, while he did to them as he pleased.

But she had not come this far to be useless. She had not made it all the way here, laughed in the Emperor's face, shot at a Chronicle, just to die here to some cheap teleportation gimmick. Because that's what it had to be. Nothing was that fast. She hadn't even the air move when Chromium moved past her to hit Goliath.

Speaking of which, how dare the Emperor ignore her like that. Was she so far beneath him that even after all she had done here he couldn't even be bothered to hit her on his way to Goliath? She didn't know how to take that except as an insult.

But the carnage Chromium had done in mere moments was insane. Goliath and Titus were in the wall. Sawyer and Aakio were laying on the ground. Ryia and Aakio's red dragon were trying to pry Surrak off the wall like he was a fly trapped in glue. All in the time it had taken Versa to blink and turn around.

Ayas was diving in now, looking much cooler as a Phoenixmon than he did normally, but Chromium moved to intercept him again. And positioned his back directly to Versa. It was now or never.

She charged, running low to the ground, her guns put away, but the knives within fully drawn. She knew how to take down someone bigger and faster. Strike their knees, their ankles. Injure their legs, and their speed with them. Ayas's head bounced off the ground from Chromium's slam, and then, suddenly, she wasn't staring at the back of the Emperor's legs a few feet away, but the front of his legs an inch away. There wasn't even time to close her eyes as she crashed headlong into his stupid metal shin.

A cold, metal hand closed around her throat with all the care of a vicegrip and he lifter her off her feet like she was a doll. His hand was around her neck so tightly, that she couldn't breathe. Couldn't even make one last insult as he chocked the life out of her the way a gardener might pull a weed before moving on to the next.

She was not going to die without a fight.

One of her arms was beneath the Emperor's, useless to her since she couldn't lift it. She dropped the knife from that hand, letting her muffler catch it and bring it around to try and stab the bastards elbow socket while her free hand whipped around and tried to drive the knife into his wrist. She stabbed and stabbed, but it was like trying to open a can with a pair of wooden toothpicks.

But the small break in the Emperor's mask, the little twitch of annoyance and displeasure that sunk onto his face as she lashed out was as good as fresh air in her starving lungs. Make a god bleed and you prove it can be killed. Make a machine annoyed? That was almost as good.

He flexes his arm, as if he's just going to toss her away. A boy finished with his action figure. But suddenly there's a wall to Versa's side and before that registers she's slammed into it, crumpling under the force of the blow and making her own mold in the wall to join Titus' and Goliath's. It hurt. Damn it all, it hurt. But she wouldn't give the Emperor the satisfaction of her crying out in pain.

And then, his arm was gone, raised to defend himself from Titus's attack. Versa fell, all but collapsing as she hit the ground hard. But she kept herself upright. She wasn't done yet. Her throat stung, and her lungs ached but she could bear it. She just needed a moment to catch her breath.

 

[Solsabre]

Titus Cloudraker (Jesmon)
Throne Room

Titus! Rene yelled in warning. Too late!

He felt the punch to his gut and impact against the far wall before the Metal Emperor appeared in his view. The dragon knight bite back a snarl of pain as he slumped among the wreck wall tiles, once the Emperor vanished once more across the room. His senses swam unable to process immediate events clearly from dazement. Rene shouted in the back of his mind about something, but Titus was too focused his pain and trying to follow Chromium’s movements.

More wall tiles slid away from underneath his claws as he tried to push himself up. Titus breathed hard, trying to collect himself. He needed to get back into the fight. Chromium had somehow caught him off guard, despite him being fully alert. Maybe, just maybe, he could pick up on the Emperor’s attack pattern with a few feints. Titus attempted to stand, but crashed down onto his knees.

A pulse of energy struck him, immediately easing the pain in his body. Titus glanced up to his right, a blue dragon-like being hovered over him. The young knight nodded his thanks.

“Go, I’ll keep the Emperor busy until the others recover,” Titus said, staggering momentarily away from his indentation on the wall. The blue dragon, Umon, darted off towards a downed Ayas. He stared hard at the Emperor’s backside with narrowed and determined eyes, analyzing and drinking in every detail around him.

However, his original plan of attack changed the moment Chromium smashed Versa into another wall in a mere instant. Instead, Titus dashed across the throne floor, his bladed legs barely making contact with the ground. The dragon knight slashed a wristblade in a downward arc on the arm holding Versa. The greatsword on his tail ready in a follow-up strike.

But he never got the chance.

Chromium crossed directly into his strike, parrying his wristblade and driving his fist into Titus’s gut again. The rendering of metal could be heard as part of his amor buckled from the impact. Titus gagged, unable to emit a sound, when a rib snapped after he was then slammed into Adirael and plowed into Ryia.

Receiving the blunt of the blow, he nearly blacked out from pain and the beating. Only the persistent chatter of his geists kept Titus lucid enough to witness Sawyer, now in a new form, stand up to Chromium with his staff in hand.

“Ya ain’t so tough, chromedome. I can tell just by looking at your ugly mug that ya got into a fight with a blender. And lost.” The Gokuwmon shouted, jabbing the end of his staff in the Emperor’s direction.

“Sawyer, don’t…” Titus croaked, coughing up a wad of blood. He felt someone gently try to move aside, when a crushing grip hurled him across the room as Medraut leapt into the fray, dark energy building at the tip of his rapier. Ryia also managed to force herself to her feet, after carefully nudging Adirael protectively behind her, to charge and ram her shield and body into the backside of the Emperor.

However, Titus was only dimly aware of this as he crashed headlong into Sawyer. With what little coordination he could manage, Titus grabbed Sawyer to hold him close, angling his body to take the brunt of the impact on his side. The young knight’s grip on his friend slackens, his body wracked with pain. A banged up Sawyer placed a worried grip on the wounded dragon’s arm as Titus struggled to breath. The dragon knight cracked open painfilled golden eyes to his longtime friend.

“Help get..Surrak free...we need him…” Titus rasped, his chest moving with short, uneven breathes. At first, Titus thought Sawyer would refused to leave him, but finally, with great reluctance, the ape tightens his grip on Titus’s arm before dashing off. His head dropped limp.

His hyper awareness of the ongoing battle dimmed as the overload of sensory input stop once Rene reinforced Titus’s mental barriers. A resulting migraine pounded in his temples from leaving his mind open so long to the environment. His body felt numb from battering he’d received and everytime he breathed sharp pain shot through him from busted ribs.

Despite this, a troubling thought wouldn’t leave him.

Why? Why couldn’t he anticipate the Emperor? Every opponent had a rhyme or pattern, telltale habit to give away their next step of attack. Yet, in his brief engagement with Chromium, he felt like he’d cross blades and taken a beating from more than a single digimon.

_______


Daiou ‘Sawyer’ Wukong (Gokuwamon)
Pin the tail on the donkey

The leather-clad ape scrambled over the broken floor to the struggling Surrak., trying deseperately to not look over his shoulder to the unmoving Jesmon. Sawyer skidded to a halt once he got to where Surrak was pinned between the wall and the metal hexagon.

“Damned thing is made of Chrome-blasted-Digizoid!” Surrak shouted, struggling against the metal. His muscles bulged from the effort, but the metal appeared to be fighting back.

Taking a running start, Sawyer pole-vaulted up into the air and grabbed onto the edge of the hexgon, muttering, “Of course, it would be…” He gave the metal plate a sharp tap with his staff. “Crap, my pal could cut through this stuff if he tried…”

Sawyer glanced back over to Titus with worry, before resuming in his examination. He sent a small electrical charge from his staff into the plate, only for the metal to absorb the electricity.

“Greaaattttt...we’re dealing with smart Chrome Digizoid plates. Going with Plan B, then. You! Red glowy dragon ghosty ghoul!” He shouted at the red dragon spirit, Amon. “I need you to blast this plate at the same time I charge it with electricity and brawns-for-brains here pushes with everything he’s got. I’d like to see this gizmo try and countered all three of us at once."

Sawyer barely got the words out, when the BanchoGolemmon (Jasper, right?) thundered over to the Gokuwamon and the pinned Surrak. “ Weaklings! You're keeping me from my true prize! Let me show you how a real man does it!”

Sawyer bailed from his perch as soon as Jasper grabbed the side of the metal and gave a great heave.

“Hnnnnghraaaaaaaaah!”

__________


Titus! Por called repeated. Rene! Come on! There’s got to be something more we can do?

The injured Jesmon drifted in and out of consciousness. He no longer registered events in the real world. Instead, he turned himself ‘inward’ to the mindscape of him and his geists.

Titus, you must get up. Rene.

“I can’t move, Rene,” Titus groaned. A cough whacked his body from the effort to speak even a little bit, specks of blood covered the ground and parts of his armor.

You must. Rene said unrelenting. Did not Rheagos entrust you to carry on his will?

“I can-” A coughing fit overcame him, pain radiating from his side and stomach. Titus laid there desperately trying to calm his body. Rene hovered silently in the bleak mindscape, Por zipping back and forth anxiously behind him.

Titus… Rene whispered quietly, as though he were speaking in Titus’s ear. What was the first lesson you learned as a Baohuckmon?

“The reach of my tailblade…” he muttered, slowly recalling the lesson, “that it was an extension of myself…to picture where I wanted to strike as I did so...”

Yes. Rene slowly nodded. But what if you were not limited to just the reach of your three swords?

“Wha...I don’t understan...”

We are a part of you, Titus, an extension of your will. Even if your target is beyond the reach of your three greatswords. We are not so limited. For our blades are also your blades. We are a manifestation of your will. Align us to your will and call us to you!

Rene’s words boomed in his mind. WHAT IS YOUR WILL, TITUS?

A KNIGHT IS SWORN TO VALOR / PROTECT MY COMRADES

Golden eyes snapped open, glowing brightly. Titus gritted his teeth tightly, gasping hard as he forced himself to roll over onto his stomach. Pain lanced in his side, but Titus fought through the pain as he pushed himself up on his elbows. His entire body trembling with effort, the dragon knight stretched his right wristblade towards Chromium.

“Rene, Por, to me!” Titus shouted with every fiber of his being. His golden eyes shone brightly with newly awoken power. Two fiery orbs formed in the air above him. They started off as wisps of flame till they built in strength as burning fireballs. Two spear arms extended outward from the spherical bodies. The ‘R’ and ‘P’ on each construct glowed with the same golden energy as Titus’s eyes.

The dragon knight’s arm dropped, barely catching himself before nearly crashing face first into the ground. Loyal Por hovered protectively at Titus’s side, while he slowly recovered. The wise and skilled Rene darted across the throne room to aid the Realmless.

 

[Kamotz]

< Goliath Leonhardt (BanchoLeomon) >
Imperial Palace, Argentum

Chromium moved like nothing Goliath had ever seen. It wasn't just fast -- Ulysses was fast. It wasn't just agile -- Emmara was agile. It wasn't just strength -- Jasper had strength. It wasn't just precision -- Demo was precise. It wasn't just serenity -- Ayas was serene. It wasn't unpredictability -- Sawyer and Versa were unpredictable. It wasn't power or force -- Surrak and Ryia had those in spades. Chromium was all of those things, everywhere, and all at once.

Goliath's eyes were straining just to keep him in focus, it was like they were struggling to process his movements and as soon as he caught up, Chromium was already moving again. It was like they were all lagging just a few frames behind and attacking a mirage without realizing it.

Goliath charged Chromium, but his fist flew through empty air. A stiff knee drove the air from his lungs and threw him back. He tried to regain his bearings but a metal fist filled his vision and cracked him across the jaw, knocking him to the floor. The next thing he saw was Demo hanging over him, swinging his bat at nothingness.

Chromium had turned around and was in front of Ajax before Goliath could blink. He ripped upwards with his blade, and Ajax only barely managed to block it with the shaft of his halberd. But the weapon split in half. Ajax ducked the follow-up strike by a hair's breadth. Before Chromium could follow through, a blast of super-chilled air from Ryia roared over him and covered him in a later of frost. Ajax capitalized on his delay and swung the axe-headed piece of his weapon in a heavy downward slash towards Rhuell's neck.

Ajax's weapon shattered on impact. But if it bothered Ajax, he didn't show it. He pivoted into his own slash and stabbed with the remaining half of his weapon. The crystalline greed spearhead drove home into Chromium's eye socket. But just like the axehead, this part of the weapon shattered like fragile glass.

A stiff front-kick sent Ajax flying across the throne room.

==\=/==

< Surrak Dragonclaw (WarGreymon X) >
Imperial Palace, Argentum

Despite their best efforts, Surrak was still pinned between the hexagonal plate and the wall. Somehow no matter what they did it just kept pushing back. No matter how hard he pushed. Ryia had tried to help before charging back into battle. The new law dragon (Surrak couldn't remember his name) had sent over one of his little helpers, and then Monkey-Sawyer was trying to pry the sheet away. But it was stubbornly holding in place. It took everything Surrak had to wedge his gauntlets between him and the metal and give himself any sort of leverage.

"Damned thing is made of Chrome-blasted-Digizoid!" Surrak snarled as he struggled against the metal. His muscles bulged as he pushed, but the metal seems to be fighting back.

Monkey-Sawyer said something and motioned somewhere, but Surrak couldn't hear him over the blood pounding in his ears and the sound of his own roar echoing through his skull.

"Weaklings! You're keeping me from my true prize! Let me show you how a real man does it!" Jasper shouted. Jasper heaved with all his might. Together, he and Surrak were able to move the metal enough for Surrak to maneuver his claws into position, and he finally ripped himself free of where he'd been pinned. He hurled the two pieces of hexagon to the side and tore forward towards Chromium with a roar on his lips.

Chromium turned silently as Surrak flashed towards him. His thrusters flared, he was barely a blur of orange and gold. At the last instant, Surrak touched down. He dug the claws on his back foot into the hard metal, gripped tightly with his toes, and flared his thrusters once more before cocking his arm back and seamlessly shifting into his VictoryGreymon form. His mass, strength, and momentum spiked, and he drove his huge fist into Chromium's chest.

The impact of the blow caused the metal plates on the floor beneath the two fighters in a thirty foot radius to buckle and warp. The wall of force expanded outward and knocked dozens of other plates off the domed walls of the throne room. Surrak was just barely able to overcome the cascade and follow through with the punch before he was rolled backwards. Chromium was knocked through the air, but his wings flared out, stopped his flight, and brought him gently back to the ground. Surrak hadn't even moved him a full ten feet.

Chromium regarded Surrak with a sort of wary amusement and casually brushed away the scuff on his chest. Surrak's face went from stunned to insulted to outraged all within a heartbeat. He materialized the Dramon Breaker and hurled himself into battle. He slammed into the Metal Emperor and they locked blades. Surrak struggled with all his might, but however hard he tried he was unable to even move Chromium back.

And with startling ease, Chromium began to push Surrak's blade down and to the side. Surrak's arms rippled, muscles straining against the Emperor's overwhelming strength. The skin on his biceps stretched so violently that the scales no longer even touched one another. But even with all that he couldn't even slow the movement of Chromium's one arm. That one arm and blade held Surrak's sword down and aside. Then Chromium pulled back his left fist. The drill on his arm whirled, and Chromium thrust it forward. Surrak's right hand released his sword and grabbed Chromium's fist.

But he was now off balance and his leverage was compromised. Chromium's blade continued holding his down while the whirling drill pushed ever closer to his chest. Surrak let out a blood-chilling howl as the drill bore through his armor and shred into his chest beneath. But still Surrak was unable to stop him.

"Lightning Joust!" a shout echoed through the room. A pointed blade of light struck Chromium, but he barely even flinched. He just continued steadily pressing down into Surrak with the now blood-drenched drill. Ajax raced forward and drove his shoulder and shield hard into Chromium's side, but all that succeeded in doing was knocking Ajax off his feet.

Ajax charged and slammed his shield into Chromium once again, but this time he roared, "Shield of the Just!" and fired a beam of incandescent energy point blank into Chromium's side. The beam finally succeeded in dislodging Chromium and throwing him away from Surrak.

The VictoryGreymon stumbled forward, clutching his injured shoulder. His hands lit with fire and cauterized the wound. Before he could rush him, however, Chromium raised his hand and reasserted his control over the hexagonal plates in the room. They rose slowly from the ground and the walls, and with a twist of his wrist, Chromium sent them whirling through the room, spinning like buzzsaws.

 

[TheSequelReturns]

Jericho Arcos
Imperial Palace, Argentum

Jaeger listened intently to the distant sounds of conflict. The floor even shook a bit. “It sounds like they've started. We don't have much time.”

"Indeed." Jericho said. He paused, his concern growing. "And we've hardly seen a single guard. Something is amiss, the others may need our help."

Jaeger turned back towards the terminal. "I don't like it. And I haven't been able to access anything through this terminal. Nothing that we can use at least."

A dull creak passed though Jericho's gears. "Ill tidings all around." He nodded towards the access point. "That is a security port, yes? How much of the network can you access?"

"Enough to figure out we're not getting anywhere here. We'd need a more direct terminal if we're going to complete Goliath's tasks for us."

"We'll need a map then. Barring that..." Jericho rattled through his old thoughts for a while. "Servers are important. They'll typically be kept in a central location. The closer we can get to the center of this building, the better the odds at finding something with real access."

Jaeger nodded. "I'm routing my connection through a dozen different nodes just to maintain access." Jaeger access a file inside the network and opens it, a process both he and Jericho can see thanks to their shared connection. Its a map. A map of the palace.

This is the first time Jericho has actually seen it and he can’t help but review it. The palace is a massive domed structure towering over the rest of Argentum. The base of the building is circular, with rings of concentric hallways leading to various rooms and chambers, all (or at least most) of which look out over the city. The center of the palace is hollow, with a single, massive spherical object located directly within at the center and top. The rest of the surrounding hollow is brilliantly lit, with wide pathways and bridges leading to the central sphere. A single glass-windowed observatory and control room, located directly across from the sphere, is the only thing that breaks the monotony.

The sphere is the throne room. It appears almost placed at the center of this hollow, gingerly touching the metallic floor and perfectly contoured against the greater dome's ceiling...or was it the other way around?

"If we can reach this central control room we have a better chance." Jaeger said, highlighting a room on the map. It wasn’t too far off from their current location.

Jericho agreed. No matter what, they had to hurry. Wasting more time with this terminal wasn’t an option. "Let's make haste then. We don't know what unexpected troubles we might encounter."

Jaeger sends Jericho a copy of the data and the two machines disconnect from the terminal. Together, they head off into the depths of the palace, two sets of metal feet clanking across the hard floor. At first Jericho was worried about the security, but as they progress they find no impediment.

Jaeger was the first to break the silence. “This is unusual. The palace shouldn’t be abandoned.”

Jericho was still spending a large chunk of processing power pondering the map. Something felt off about the design, but he's been absent from the empire for so long that he can't place it. Compounding this, this is the first time he's ever seen the blueprints for the imperial palace itself. The puzzling in his brain was apparent on his face.

"Nothing in the Metal Empire should be abandoned,” he said, “especially the palace. I find it hard to believe that the entire palace itself is a trap of some sort, but..." he trailed off for just a moment. "If the Emperor was expecting something, then why are there less soldiers instead of more? The rebellion's distractions can't have pulled every soldier from the palace guard."

Jaeger shook his head in a way that almost reminded Jericho of that old bird Ayas. "Nothing since we've arrived here has made sense. They're fighting. Right now. Imperial forces should have already returned. It's almost...as if he wanted to draw us in."

There were concerning thoughts. There were worrying thoughts. None of them quite as much so as thinking the Metal Emperor had you right where he wanted you.

Finally, they reach the large double doors of the control room. As with everything else in the palace, they were entirely, puzzlingly, unguarded. Jaeger places his hand against the access panel and the doors slide open. It too is empty of any Imperial forces. There wasn’t even a technician.

"Let's try to find what we need here." Jaeger said. His eyes found the huge central sphere sitting outside the observation window. "We need to get everyone out of here."

"Agreed." Jericho wandered over the system panels for a few moments, talking as he went, "If that sphere is the throne room, and this room looks out over it... Can the terminals here access the Throne Room itself?" One of the terminals has both an access port and a monitor. "This one at least has a screen." That might not mean much to Jaeger, who seemed more comfortable letting his mind work in cyberspace, but Jericho was a hardware, not software, kind of man.

"I doubt the Emperor would allow himself to be surveilled, but see if you can access the throne room." Jaeger does something on the terminals and things start to work. Jericho curses his lack of operational skills as he marvels at Jaeger’s quick work of the security protocols with what looks like a few beeps and boops. Data flashes across a number of large screens as Jaeger hits paydirt. "Here."

The camera feed Jaeger pulls up on the screen is a body-cam video from a Sealsdramon. Jericho would know it anywere, he’s reviewed hundreds just like it. But this one… It's the scene from the forest, the one that seemed to cause a ruckus at the rebellion island. The Realmless are shown defeating the Imperial forces but killing none. Jericho can’t help but notice the difference in numbers from then and now.

In the video, Goliath stares off into the sunrise. "We could have killed the lot of you today.” he says, his voice slightly distorted as all recordings were. “But we don't. Because we're not fighting against you. We're fighting against corruption and tyranny."

"Big talk from a terrorist," the Sealsdramon snaps.

"When you understand, come find us," Goliath offers, before motioning for the Realmless to continue on. "And we'll show you the way."

The rest of the video is a the Sealsdramon waiting for assistance all tied up. Jaeger speeds through a few brief snippets of conversation between the defeated soldiers wondering why Goliath had spared them. Some time later Arcades Sabboth appears with the D-Brigade. After a short questioning, Sabboth runs the Sealsdramon through with his lance. His loyal forces do the same to the once-captured Digimon.

"No survivors," Arcades says.

Jaeger pauses the video. "Finally. Proof. This might be enough to sway public opinion."

Jericho hoped so, or this whole side quest of their would have been truly pointless. The other Realmless needed them, he was sure of it. But he knew the nature of war well enough to know what these videos could do if they found their way into the right hands.

 

[Solsabre]

Ryia Rohirrim (Sleipmon)
Imperial Palace, Argentum

Hexagonal plates flew through the room, spinning like buzzsaws. Chromium stoods within the middle of the whirling metal death storm. The plates avoided him, but racing towards the Realmless. Ryia tsked and immediately took a defensive stance.

"Realmless! Form up!" Goliath shouted. He raised the Gaku-Ran off his shoulders and held it in front of him like a shield. The whirling hexagons are deflected back as they strike.

The other Bancho followed suit. Emmara and Demo weaved their vines and chains throughout each Bancho’s held out jacket, creating a wide curtain of protective fabric to spread out among one another. Ajax and Surrak joined them with the Aegis and Victory Shields.

“Here they come! We have to get through those damn plates!” Jasper yelled, preparing to bash any plate that managed to break through their defenses with his drill.

"Don't you dare drop your guard, Jasper!” Goliath said, standing between Ajax and Ulysses. “Bancho, Ajax, Surrak, Ryia; keep those blades at bay. Everyone else, figure out how to take those down!"

Ryia immediately pushed through the others to fill the widest gap in their defense. She used her whole body to shield the other Realmless, bracing herself as a fast spinning hexagon collided with her side and bashing it away with a swipe of her shield. The Iron Mare grunted from the impact, but held her ground. It would take more than that to penetrate her armor.

“Odin’s Breath!” Ryia cried, holding the Niflheimr up as icy began expanding outward from the shield’s edges and upward from the ground at her feet to create a protective barrier. A displeased Versa fires off several Fly Bullets, while forced to take shelter behind Ryia.

"I'll try to give you guys an opening. I can't aim this attack though, so I'll need an opening... or I'll have to use it on the other side of the shield." Aakio said, summoning his Amon spirit. The Familar began glowing brightly in preparation for an attack.

Ryia continued pouring energy into her shield to maintain and repair her ice barrier. She glanced over her to look at Aakio with a scowl. “Since when did you start sporting red digizoid armor?”

Ayas, cramp in the protective huddle, spoke up, “Aakio, I will go out with you. You take one side of the throne room. I’ll take the other side.” The Phoenixmon’s body began gleaming with a radiating light.

“Por, Rene, go with them. I’ll cut down any of the plates that escape and get close.” Titus instructed floating fiery orbs by his head. Though preoccupied with fending off the spinning hexagons, Ryia’s sharp hearing easily heard the pain in the dragon knight’s voice. The Mare risked a glance out of the corner of her eye. Titus held an arm over the battered armor at his side. The squirt-Sawyer- gripped the silver-white dragon’s upper arm to steady his comrade. Ryia snorted with approval at the ape’s new form. About damn time.

"If you idiots go out there you'll be cut to ribbons. Focus on clearing out the blades from a distance!" Goliath exclaimed, as the continuous maelstrom of spinning blades kept ramming their improvised barrier.

The Goldramon cursed under his breath, but he didn’t halt the power buildup. The Amon was beginning to shine like a small star. "All I need is an opening." he said, "I've no intention of getting myself killed."

Versa looked like she was ready to shoot him instead. "You'll get us all killed if you launch that attack from where you're standing." she scolded. "Please tell me someone has a better idea around here?"

Ryia fired a red energy bolt to deflect a plate that shatter a section of her ice wall. New ice shards quickly formed to repair the breach. The warhorse kept this up process as a series of hexagons consecutively slammed into her barrier, forcing her attention away from the bickering chatter of Sawyer and Titus’s strange new orbs of what to do.

"Shut up and just do it!" Ajax roared, bracing himself against the Aegis. "Shield of the Just!"

A beam of blue-white energy soar towards Chromium from the crystalline eye of the shield. But the hexagon plates rearranged themselves suddenly, stopping in place at seemingly-random angles. Ajax's beam struck one, and the mirrored surface bounced the energy beam up towards another, which bounced it to a third, a fourth, a fifth, and then sent it right back to the gathered Realmless.

Surrak repositions himself to intercept the returning beam. “Victory Charge!”

His shield contained the attack for a brief moment, before reflecting it violently towards Chromium with renewed force. This time, the plates assembled in front of Chromium, arranging themselves along a cone-shape field with several sitting at sharp angles, creating jutting spikes. The redirected blast struck the cone, splitting and fracturing as it passes over the spiking protrusions. The weaken beam dissipated harmlessly over Chromium.

The spinning plates of death broke their formation and resumed whirling and slicing through the room.

"Those spinny do-dats are comprised of Empire Smart Tech. Ya can't take them out with a single force, they'll just adapt to it.” Sawyer, the smart-mouth ape, piped in. “However, hit the plates with two different energy types at the same time, that will give them something to think about.”

“Well you’d better figure something out. These things will tear through sooner than you think!” Goliath called out, bracing himself as the blades continued to strike the Banchos’ conjoined shield. Ryia silently agreed, though she stubbornly refused to let a single hexagon slip past her guard. Sweat dripped down her neck and back from the effort of maintaining her Odin’s Breath for this long, but she was the Iron mare. She would endure as long as needed.

“Got anymore surprises, pal?” Sawyer asked Titus, as the Gokuwmon started building up an electrical charge in his staff.

“I believe so,” Titus grimaced, as he takes a step back.

Por and Rene wordlessly position themselves in front of dragon knight. Their spear-like arms fanned out at 90 degrees from their bodies into a vague square formation with their tips barely touching at the adjacent corners. A green energy shield formed between the two geists. Green energy crackles the length of Titus’s left wrist-blade as he thrust the sword into the back of the energy shield. At the same time, Sawyer jammed the end of his charged up staff into the backside of the energy shield. Together, both friends called out:

‘One-for-All!”

“Super-electrified Lightning Cannon!”

A beam of green energy bursts from the square shield into the path of oncoming hexagonal plates. Electricity from Sawyer’s staff formed a spiraling lightning bolt around Titus’s beam attack.

The plates rearranged to fracture and deflect the incoming attack. The first plate the beam hit redirects successfully for a split second, but the dual natures of the attack cause it to malfunction. Half of the attack diverted off before the plate is destroyed. The split portion followed the plates' redirection pattern, splitting itself and destroying each plate it comes into contact with along the intended path. Each split beam flew straight, without direction. They impacted some other hexagons along the way, but most just fire wildly into the walls and floor. A combined attack destroyed a large number of hexagons, but several hundred still remained.

“Ryia!” Her ears swiveled towards Aakio, glancing at him out of her peripheral vision. The Goldramon is pouring his energies into his dragon spirit, Amon, who is now growing in size as his body roars into an inferno of flames. "I need you to hit as many of those things as you can with your ice blasts! Amon will follow up!”

“Fine!” She shouted back. Shifting the angle of her shield, the mare redirected the freezing polar winds into the center of flying hexagons. “Odin’s Breath!” The powerful blast of super-cold air slammed in the plates, instantly forming ice shards on the metal surfaces. However, before the spinning plates could fully counteract her ice blasts, Amon darted out and blasted as many targets as possible with his destructive fire. A fourth of the remaining plates shattered from the combination of fire and ice.

Ryia braced against her shield, adjusting its angle to hit another cluster. Her fierce eyes locked with Ayas’s. “You too, birdbrain!”

The Phoenixmon gathered flames in his beak, releasing a plume of fire. “Crimson Flare!” Ryia fired her own fire arrows from her bow as well for good measure.

More hexagons shattered and fell to the floor.

“Adirael! With me! Extinction Wave!” Medraut joined in. The kitten slashed out with his rapier, sending a crescent of light forth. Ryia’s eyes lingered for a moment on the Duftmon.

“As I thought. Gluttony Flare!” Adirael commented, raising the Berenjena. A volley of hellfire-swathed bullets struck the hexagons that barred Medraut’s holy strike, buckling and then detonating.

The Realmless continued relentlessly with this new method until the last of the hexagons are destroyed. Chromium merely watched as the last of them crumble and crash to the ground.

“Well met. I would have been disappointed if you’d ended that way.”

Ryia’s ears flatten and her nostrils flared in anger. Though she breathed heavily from maintaining the Odin’s Breath for so long, she was hardly winded. “I would be disappointed too, if I let a cheap party trick stop me before I claimed your head.”

 

[Kamotz]

< Jaeger Rhimewind (MetalGarurumon X) >
Imperial Palace, Argentum

Jaeger pulled up the oldest video and played it.

An Andromon, WarGrowlmon X, MetalTyrannomon X, Cyberdramon, and a blue alien Cyberdramon stand before the blinding light of Adamantine, the Awakener. An unseen figure stands within that blinding light, obscured from the camera's view. The Andromon fusses and adjusts the camera's settings/placement. The two larger Digimon flank the sides of the screen while the two Cyberdramon stand closer to the figure in the light.

"Reconfiguration test number eight," the Andromon says. He keys in a few more items. "Sensors are up. Begin when you're ready, my Lord."

"Of course," says the figure in the light. "Begin initialization sequence." The light of Adamantine flares in response.

"Promising," the Andromon mutters.

"Begin overwrite," says the figure. The light focuses into a beam and lances down, consuming him entirely. "After a few blinding seconds the beam fades to reveal an OmniShoutmon standing before Adamantine. He glances down at his arms.

"The test was successful," says the Andromon.

"It will take some getting used to," says the OmniShoutmon.

"You're telling us," the gray Cyberdramon chuckles. "At least now you live up to the name, Chromium."

"This will do, Ral," Chromium clenches his fist. "But this was a safe test. We knew this would be easy. Let's push the envelope, shall we?"

"My Lord, what did you have in mind?" hisses the blue Cyberdramon.

Chromium extends his hand and a large shimmering holographic sphere fills the room, projected from Adamantine. It is a tangle of interlocking spheres forming cubes, forming triangles, all rotating upon one another in continuous movement.

"This is--" the Andromon stutters.

"The Realmpact, Palladia Mors," Chromium answers, almost-glaring at the projection. "In the most complete way for us to visualize it."

"How did you--"

"I've spent a long time traveling and learning," Chromium says. "Trying to understand the impact of my actions on the world, trying to understand my limits, to test myself, and become more than I was the day before. But always I came upon a single wall: this Realmpact."

He says the word like it's a curse.

"One way or another it stifles us," he says. "We cannot ever fulfill our truest potential without overcoming the barrier of the Realmpact." He points to a section of the Realmpact's projection that is momentarily cluttered by rings and lines of light. "Look how it moves, how it flows and changes. Always adapting."

"Adapting?" Ral asks. "I thought this thing was--"

"Etched in stone?" Chromium asks with a mocking tone. "You sound like an Order judge. The Realmpact has endured for 10,000 years because it is more than a set of laws and regulations. It is ever evolving. Iterating infinitely upon itself adapt to the times and Digimon of each moment.”

"Fascinating," Palladia Mors muses. "We've always seen it as code. Never as something so dynamic before."

"And this is why we'll succeed," Chromium says. He turns to the sphere and points towards the crowded clutter of rings and light. "Look there." Adamantine projects a single beam that expands that cluster into a wall of Digimoji. "This is the current provision that calls for an equal distribution of resources among the Realms, even though it is the Metal Empire alone that mines, collects, and distributes those resources."

Chromium turns to his Commanders. "Begin overwrite test zero-one."

"Sir," Palladia Mors snaps to attention. He enters a command sequence into the control panel.

"A simple change to begin unravelling this knot," Chromium extends his hands and the glowing sphere begins to shift and change with his movements. "Now the Metal Empire decides how to allocate and distribute those resources."

"You just changed the very Realmpact!" Mors shouts.

"My Lord, it's still changing," says the MetalTyrannomon X.

"Of course," Chromium says. "It is resistant to my influence. It's continuing to adapt in order to maintain those same parameters and equilibrium." He sighs, then raises both hands to reassert control. "It will be a long process. Let’s end the recording and get to work. Eyes sharp. Stay alert. Our world begins now."​

Jaeger's mouth dropped open in shock. "He hacked the damn Realmpact."

Jericho's expression was harder to read. If only because Jaeger's entire being was wrapped around the revelation. But his metal teeth ground loudly. "So that's it then. He didn't find a loophole or skirt it like a Realmless, he actually changed it." He seemd to rewind the recording in his mind "No, not just the Realmpact. He also changed himself. To think he'd actually have the gall..."

He grumbled something unintelligible. "'I've saved copies of all this to my internal memory."

"I did the same," Jaeger said. "Find an external drive to copy this to in the event something happens to us.”

Jericho nodded. He searched through the control room and quickly found a small drive connected to a side terminal, and copied as many of video files as would fit, in order of importance. The task complete, Jericho stored the drive away beneath his most solid armor plating and turned to Jaeger.

"It's done. Now we have to ensure the others escape as well," he said. He glanced at the space where the drive was stored. "Unless one of us needs to ensure this data makes it out of here first."

Jaeger looked to Jericho with the same cold and unreadable expression that Surrak always found frustrating. His voice is calm and measured. “Would you be willing to?

The giant cyborg looked out at the sphere, something almost like longing on his face. His expression hardened. "I am willing to do whatever is required of me," he said slowly.

Jaeger followed Jericho's gaze. "I'm not your leader," he said. "I won't ask you and I won't fault you, one way or another. But I'm going to help them." He stopped for a moment, weighing his next actions, before turning to Jericho. "You and I, we need them. To stay grounded. Or we end up like this." He motioned to the room around them. "More than the others, we have blood on our hands. Knowing or not, willing or not, we've been complicit in that." He motioned to where the drive was stored on Jericho. "It doesn't make us any less, though. Blood washes away. Not with a single action, but with continued work. And no one, not me, not Goliath, can tell you what that work needs to be. That is your decision alone. That is what it means to be free."

"Free," Jericho repeated as though it were a riddle to be solved. He closed his eyes for a moment. "My entire life I've followed orders. It is all I know. The only way I know how to be is obedient." A puff of steam escaped his nostrils. "But you speak the truth. I am an old man now and my time is growing shorter every day. It is time I stopped being a metal soldier and started making my own decisions." He looked at the door. One metal claw on his hand twitching as he fought against his instinct. He clenched his fist and brought it to his chest, one last salute, before nodding at Jaeger. "I'm going with you."

==\=/==

< Goliath Leonhardt (BanchoLeomon) >
Imperial Palace, Argentum

Chromium dipped between the crossfire from Versa and Adirael, dodging bullets with minimal effort, but slowing enough for Medraut to engage in close quarters combat. They traded strikes briefly in a flurry of motion -- Goliath had never seen Medraut move like that before. But then Medraut struck through empty air and Chromium was no longer there.

He'd crossed the room before the sparks for their clashing blades had started to fall. He slashed his blade across Versa's torso then seemed to vanish and reappear beside Adirael with his backhanded fist extended; spit, blood, and a few broken teeth flying from Adirael's jaw.

Surrak roared his fury and struck with full force, driving his claws into Chromium's chest. The metallic clang was almost deafening. And still the Metal Emperor barely moved more than a few feet back. Chromium landed a punch to Surrak's exposed midsection. A horrible gasping sound escaped Surrak before the force of the blow sent him skyward and embedded him in the ceiling.

"Bancho. With me!" Goliath snarled. He led the other four directly into Chromium. Goliath reached him first with his blade drawn. He traded strikes with Chromium for a few quick flurries before an uppercut caught his chin and sent him flying.

Ulysses was right behind him. Chromium blocked his strike and then sent him tumbling back with a snap-kick. Emmara attempted to ensnare him in a web of thorny vines, but with a blur of motion, Chromium cut through the incoming vines and drove her into the ground. His body let out a rigid clang as Demo slammed a bat into the back of his head, but like before, he barely seemed to register the blow. Chromium reached behind him, grabbed Demo, and hurled him into the recovering Ulysses.

He turned his attention back to Emmara before Goliath could reach them, but Jasper got their first. He threw his entire weight into Chromium, but only succeeded in pushing him back a few paces. Chromium halted his charge then swung his metal wings around and smacked Jasper in the eyes, stunning him. A strong front-kick sent Jasper tumbling back as well.

Goliath clawed himself forward and stood side-by-side with the other four Bancho. They were breathing heavily, but Chromium stood calmly, staring them down without blinking.

"Together," Goliath growled, glancing at the Bancho. They nodded.

Goliath charged. He assumed his Burst Mode mid-stride and shot forward at twice the speed. The boost seemed to catch Chromium off guard and allowed Goliath to land a heavy haymaker to his face. Chromium lost his footing and tumbled back. Then Ulysses shot by, spikes extended. Chromium crossed his weapons high and blocked the overhead strike, but Ulysses springboarded and flipped over Chromium's head.

A one-two yoyo shot from Emmara hammered into Chromium's exposed gut and left him stumbling back with a gasp. Emmara pulled the vines back, wrapped them around Demo, and swung him hard towards the baffled Emperor. Demo reached the end of the vine and was released; he spun wildly through the air towards Chromium and swung with a double-bat blow. Chromium managed to raise his arms in time to block, but the force picked him off his feet and knocked him right towards Jasper.

Jasper came down hard with a double-handed hammer fist. Chromium repositioned himself and caught Jasper's fists in his hands, but the force of the attack buckled his legs and dropped him to one knee. Chromium surged upward, hoping to push Jasper back, but Jasper jumped away first. Chromium, off balance, pitched forward. With scarcely a nod to one another, Goliath and Ulysses were already in position and struck simultaneously with their blades.

Chromium managed a sloppy block and the weapons scraped angrily against his metal coating, but this left him open as Emmara launched herself forward and landed a flying drop-kick right between his eyes. He stumbled back a step and Demo dashed behind his ankles, tripping him backwards right into Jasper. The BanchoGolemon wrapped his huge arms tight around Chromium's waist and wrenched backwards. He carried him into a suplex and slammed him violently into the floor.

Chromium kicked and scrambled to his feet and struck at the slower-to-recover Jasper with his drill weapon, but Demo intercepted the strike and with a cry of "Golden Rush," he cracked Chromium under the chin and sent him sailing up into the air.

The Metal Emperor extended his wings and corrected his flight within a heartbeat, only to find Ulysses and Emmara already racing up to meet him. Goliath watched with a snarl on his face.

"Let's go, Big Cat!" Demo shouted as he leaped onto Goliath's shoulder with a wild grin Goliath could help but mirror; it was infectious. "Hey, Rock'em Sock'em, how 'bout a boost!?" Demo shouted to Jasper.

Jasper grumbled, but clasped his hands together and angled his arms up. Goliath raced over to him and landed on the BanchoGolemon's arms. Then, with an almighty heave and shout, Jasper volleyball launched Goliath into the air towards the battling Digimon. The BanchoLeomon clad himself in flames. Ulysses and Emmara dove out of the way, but Chromium sensed the incoming attack and spun around at the last second. He crossed his arms over his chest and blocked the punch as fire washed over him.

Goliath and Chromium locked eyes for a split second, and Goliath noticed, with grim satisfaction, that the serenity and calm in the Emperor's eyes had been replaced by one of barely-contained anger.

"Surprise!" Demo shouted. He leaped off Goliath's shoulder, flipped through the air to gain momentum, and slammed both bats down onto Chromium's shoulder.

The MetalEmperor dropped through the air like a stone but caught himself just before crashing into the ground. Chromium glanced up angrily, but Jasper tacked him from behind and carried him towards the wall. He struggled to right himself within Jasper's grip and hammered Jasper to the floor. He tried to kick free, but Jasper clung to his legs with all his might.

Chromium pulled his left arm back and the drill began to spin wildly, but Emmara snared his hand and weapon with her vines and pulled his arm outward. Chromium attempted to shake himself free, but she dug in her heels. He extended his sword to cut the vine, but Ulysses shot through the air, grabbed that other arm, and pulled it to the other side. Chromium struggled angrily against their grip, then Demo climbed onto his back, locked a baseball bat underneath his chin and wrenched backwards.

"Goliath! Now!" Emmara said through gnashing teeth.

"He's scrawnier than he looks!" Jasper shouted, sparks igniting the air as Chromium's metal legs ground against Jasper's stone body.

"Can't hold much longer!" Ulysses grunted.

"Big Cat!" Demo cried.

Goliath sprang forward, his blade drawn and his entire body wreathed in burning flames. He sprinted, his feet barely touching the ground. One step closer. Two. Three. Each step that carried him closer seemed to slow time down to a crawl. He'd never moved faster, and never been more aware of each passing microsecond.

"GO!"

"DO IT!"

He didn't know who was shouting, whether it was the other Bancho or any of the other Realmless. But he let that sound -- those words -- crack through him.

"Shishi Raouzan!" Goliath heard his own voice roar from his throat, felt the fire condense through his body and into his sword. He felt the thud of each footstep that carried him closer, felt the pounding of his heart, felt his muscles tense with anticipation as he bore down on Chromium.

He felt a jagged spike of white-hot pain explode in his chest.

All his momentum shuddered out of him and he stopped, not even an arm's length from the Metal Emperor. A horrifying silence fell throughout the throne room. Goliath's sword dropped from his hands, and he glanced down, shakily, at a blade stabbing through his chest. A blade attached to a tail. A tail attached to Chromium Rhuell.

With an agonizing gasp of pain and his mind still reeling, Goliath pulled himself off the blade and stumbled back. He dropped to his knees.

No one moved.

Then, ever so slowly, Chromium's body relaxed and all the tension left him. A smug smirk cut its way across his features, and he said, "Now."

Three bladed figures erupted from nothingness and sliced across the other Bancho, cutting deep into their flesh and hurling them back. The three figures flitted across the room like flashes of light or fiery ghosts. The Realmless stepped back warily as Chromium stretched his limbs. His body seemed to pixelate and churn in on itself, reconfiguring until the Shoutmon form was gone and a Jesmon stood in its place.

"Much better," Chromium said, and Goliath could hear the almost-laugh of amusement carry up through him. "You can't imagine what it's like, constraining yourself that way, in a foreign form. Nevermind trying to fight in it. It's like trying to carry water with a stone." He shook his head. "Unwieldy. Ungainly. Undignified. But I try to represent all of my people, so it's a sacrifice I chose to make. I acknowledge the efforts you've expended; challenging me enough to make me shed that facade is an admirable feat.

"But you were always doomed to fail."

Emmara, Ulysses, and Demo formed ranks and charged again, but the fiery ghosts under Chromium's command flashed through the throne room to intercept. The strange apparitions wove through the Banchos' attempts to attack, cut underneath their guard, and beat them down.

Ulysses charged, swinging his blades angrily, but Chromium knocked his strikes to the side and hit him with a kick that sent a shockwave exploding outward, and sent Ulysses careening into the wall.

 

[TheSequelReturns]

Versa Victa (BelleStarmon)
- Argentum: The Emperor's Throne Room -

Versa hit the ground hard, one hand on the bloody slash the Emperor had left her with.

As he had been doing since the beginning of this fight, the Metal Emperor darted around with a speed that shouldn't have been possible for something so large and bulky. And this newest wound was just another reminder of that fact. Something was desperately wrong with this fight. Power on that magnitude simply shouldn't exist.

Aakio was at her side before she could stand. "Here." he said, offering his hand.

For once, she took it without complaint. He helped her up and she winced at the pain from her wound. Aakio's little blue dragon zoomed over and zapped it, halting the bleeding, but little more, before darting off towards Adirael moving noticeably sluggish.

"Umon is running out of energy." Aakio said with a sigh. "If this fight goes on any longer, he'll run out entirely."

"Then we have to end this." Versa said.

"Easier said then done."

"They've got the right idea." Versa said, motioning towards the fight. "Let's help them out."

Up ahead, the assorted Bancho had launched a tag-team attack that looking like it might finally turn the tables. Their teamwork was extraordinary. Each moved as if they knew, and probably did, exactly where each of the others were. Was that what true camaraderie looked like? To trust each other so completely as to act as one? Versa envied that kind of trust. That bond. She had always assumed such a thing was outside her reach.

And suddenly, the tables had turned! The Bancho had Chromium tried up and helpless, and Goliath was poised for a big attack. This was the moment they needed. Versa had to help. They could end this here. She shot forward, the pain melting from her mind. Her wounds, Aakio's words, the surrounding chaos, it all bleed away. Chromium had to fall here. She ran forward, knives drawn, Even as Goliath lit up in flames and shot towards the metal bastard.

"GO!" Versa shouted, the words tearing from her mouth like a desperate prayer.

Goliath shot forward like a rocket, wreathed in flames, ready to deal the death blow. And then, with a sickening sound of metal through flesh and blood splattering on the cold ground, Goliath stopped in midair. A blade, an impossible blade that shouldn't be there, was sticking out of the boss's back.

It felt like the world had stopped.

Slowly, painfully, agonizingly slowly, Goliath dropped to his knees. The Emperor's smirk was so smug and arrogant that Versa wasn't sure the demon lords had ever known his level of pride.

Something flickered into existence. Orange lights, burning like fire, shot out from the Emperor and threw the other Bancho aside. It was only when they stopped moving that Versa could see what they were. Three figures. Three ghostly figures under the Emperor's command. The dots connected seconds before Chromium's body pixelated and dissolved like a glitch in reality and revealed him for what he truly was. A Jesmon, like Titus.

Anger redder and hotter than the lava bath she had taken in the Hordelands boiled up insider her. The bastard hadn't even faced them in his true form. And if there was anything Versa hated more than liars, it was being tricked.

She took a step forward, finding her momentum now that the world was moving again. But Aakio's hand grabbed her shoulder before she could take another.

"Let go." she spat.

"Don't rush in, lets regroup with the others and-"

Versa elbowed Aakio in the chest and bolted forward the second his grip loosened. But the dragon knew her too well by now. His tail was wrapped around her arm and he pulled her back and grabbed her shoulder again. Damn his dragon-strength.

"Don't get yourself killed. We need you alive."

"Let me go. That bastard has to pay." Versa's rage was overflowing, dripping off of every word like drops of blood from a wound.

"I agree, but-"

"Shut up." Versa struggled against his grip, but he held firm. "Stop talking and help me kill him."

Some of the others were starting to move in now. If Aakio didn't let her go, she just might kill him too. But then, he did something that surprised her even more.

"Ok." the Goldramon said.

Versa struggled against his grip one more time, just for the sake of her ego, and then relaxed. And he let her go.

"Now that you're thinking clearly," Aakio said, "Let's go."

Versa grinned and the two of them took over together, closing the gap between them and the fight. Amon joined them, the red fire dragon taking the lead and engaging the Emperor with a barrage of fireballs. One of his ghosts closed in and Aakio turned to face it. "God's Breath!" He clasped his hands together and unleashed a blast of holy power. And Versa, moving as fast as she possibly could, ducked in and fired a storm of Fly Bullets, emptying her clips in random directions so the bullets would curve in to strike Chromium from random angels.

And the second she saw a chance, she'd try to drive her knives through the bastard's eyes.

 

[Solsabre]

Titus Cloudraker (Jesmon)
Imperial Throne Room

“Goliath!” His warning came a moment too late.

Titus’s blood froze as time slowed and the silver blade sliced through Goliath’s chest. A blade just like his own. The shock was punctuated further from the clanging of the Realmless Leader’s dropped sword into the ground. Titus shook his helm in denial, already knowing the truth even as three -three!- fiery figures materialized out of thin air and drove the remaining Bancho back brutally.

The rest of the Emperor's visage shifted and changed in a disturbing manner, not at all like a true evolution. Unlike the others, he saw the underlying wireframe of a bulky and ungainly Shoutmon form morph into something more slender and far more deadly. Titus felt his friend’s grip on his arm tighten with a tremor. The Gokuwmon’s gaze locked on the Jesmon now standing in the center of the Throne Room.

“Holy crapola…” Sawyer muttered. “I know I said he was full of bullmonsh*t, but I didn’t realize it went this far…”

And he missed the signs or misread them. The data flow patterns of Chromium’s movements didn’t match up with what, he thought, a Shoutmon evolved form should be capable of. However, Titus had chalked the impossibility of Chromium’s abilities to the strange amalgamation of the digimon that made up the Metal Emporer’s form.

Do not rely strongly on a singular sense. By itself, it can be fooled. Rather understand your environment in different ways and you’ll be less easily deceived. Once again, Rhaegos’s words rang with clarity.

He’d assumed wrong and now they were paying dearly for it.

“It makes no difference what he is.” Ryia knickered. The Iron Mare trotted forward to stand apart from the other Realmless. Her ears swiveled alert for any incoming of Chromium’s fiery orbs. She planted her hooves firmly into the metal floor. Niflheimr and Muspellsheimr raised at her sides, ready for deployment. Ryia gazed at Chromium challengingly, fury dancing wild in her eyes. “What are you waiting for, come and get me, mongrel!”

A red hot energy bolt simmered ready in her crossbow, while sub-zero white vapors drifted off her shield. The Mare was ready for blood and dared Chromium to come to her.

Ayas, level-headed as ever, calmly turned to Titus, “You understand what’s happening better than anyone here,” the Phoenixmon asked matter-of-factly, glancing at Titus’s two hovering fire orbs. “What can we do?”

“Not until now, I didn’t… the data flows didn’t make any sense with the other form,” Titus shook his head to focus. The dragon knight grimaced as pain shot up his from the broken ribs. “I need you to buy me time, Ayas,” He spoke aloud for the other Realmless to hear as well. “ I know that’s asking a lot but I need to figure out how Chromium is fighting as he is…”

Titus...Rene hovered at eye level with the dragon warning him. Rene’s next words echoed in Titus’s mind alone. We are not ready. The strain of wielding that will be too great for you, even with Por and I assisting...

“I may not have a choice, Rene..plus-” Titus interrupted, only to hold his side painfully. “I need to wait for an opening. I may only get one chance.”

“Very well.” Ayas said, nodding with simple acceptance. With a massive sweep of his golden wings, Ayas lifted into the air to join Ryia. A golden aura with shimmering grains built up around his body. Golden grains began to emit from the light as the former judge prepared to charge off a Starlight Explosion attack at Chromium. Aakio and Versa had also started engaging with Chromium and his fire geist.

The injured Jesmon sunk painfully to one knee, taking a careful breath. Titus glanced at Sawyer, “Don’t engage Chromium. Run, dodge, leap, whatever you have to do, don’t stop moving. Not even for a moment. Distract his constructs if you can,” The dragon knight gestured his own construct, Por, “take some pressure off the others.”

Sawyer gulped nervously, “If you’re sure about this, pal.” The Gokuwmon twirled his staff with newfound skills, forming a small cloud bank. The leather-clad monkey jumped onto the cloud, ascending into the air. The silver-white dragon noted that his friend seemed much more at ease and confident with his new form. Sawyer glanced over his shoulder, frowning. “Don’t do anything stupid, ya hear?”

“Just go!” Titus snarled, urging the Gokuwmon on. The dragon knight’s golden eyes followed the Gokuwmon as he drifted away. He then closed his eyes with resignation, muttering, “I may be the only one who can…”

Titus snapped his head up to full attention. “Por, Rene, stick close to Sawyer and Goliath. They are the most vulnerable of the Realmless right now, at least until I need you.”

As you wish, young one. Rene said gravely, soaring towards the Realmless Leader. Por reluctantly bobbed in acknowledgement, before zipping off to pursue the foul mouth Gokuwmon. Next, the Jesmon turned his concentration inward, picturing the reinforced barriers surrounding his mind.

The barriers dropped completely.

The backlash of digital input sent him reeling, but Titus was prepared this time. He opened his eyes to the physical world. Where before he could see power auras and data fluctuations, he saw deeper into the layers of the digital environment. Ones and zeroes crawled over every surface and individual, ever changing, twisting, colliding. Words failed to describe everything he saw, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted. He could almost lose himself adrift in this world of information. Rather, he anchored his sense of ‘self’ within the complex of zeroes and ones forming his Jesmon body. The sharp pain in his side acted as a part of this anchor.

He watched as the other Realmless engaged with Chromium. It was difficult and uncomfortable. The data light of the Adamantine covered everything else like a veil. With some effort and a pounding headache, he learned to filtered it out of his perception. With better clarity he could see the digital make up of everyone in the throne room. He didn’t focus so much on the binary make of the Realmless and Chromium. Rather he paid attention to the pattern of how the zeros and ones changed in response to each action.

Do not rush into a fight without a thought. Each of us has a pattern to which we move too. Battle is no more than a dance, where we use our own movements to overcome our enemy. Analyze. Study. Figure out your opponents pattern. If you can figure out their pattern, you can anticipate their next move before they do it. This is how one can direct the flow of battle to your advantage.

One of Rhaegos’s old lessons rose to the surface. A lesson that Titus’s reminded himself of regularly until it became second nature. Chromium’s movements still seemed to defy the possible, but Titus recognized the familiar grace, swiftness, and precision. But those actions of Chromium’s that defied reality…

A specific set of binary would light up on Chromium’s blades as he fought the moment he once again did the impossible. Titus squinted to ‘see’ better. The ones and zeroes shifted and changed as a subroutine was activated. The dragon knight watched mesmerized as his overclocked mind translated the binary into a single word.

Initialize.

Titus raised his left wristblade as though seeing it for the first time. The very same coding laid dormant in the digital fabric of his blade. Knowing what to look for now, he found a different subroutine sleeping within each blade.

Compression, Transfer, Overwrite, Forced Termination.

Titus gazed up at the Adamantine. If he could not defeat Chromium, he knew what he needed to do. Whatever the cost.

Until then, he forced himself watched and waited for the right moment to strike. His eyes narrowed and his fist clenched so tightly, his claws nearly drew blood from his palms.

***************

A burning red orb hovered silently in the barren wasteland of Titus’s mindscape. The letter ‘A’ was visible on its forehead. Antho stared into pulsating sphere that was Titus’s OS Generics. It poised one of its speared arms over the reality-altering program. Antho understood its user’s will and intentions, even if Titus could not yet hear his third geist.

O dragon mine, we are not Rage. We are of Fire and Fury. Your Fury is not like his that would consume everything. Nay, yours is a Righteous Fury, a searing hot blade to cut away a festering infection. Let the Fire of your blood burn brilliant at last. And let us dance as a flickering flame in the night.

Antho would be ready.

 

[Kamotz]

< Ajax Vol (MedievalGallantmon) >
- Argentum -

Versa's bullets curved through the air, whirling in at random patterns; their telltale flashes of white light the only thing that Ajax could make out as they sliced through the battlefield. But despite the dizzying barrage, none of the bullets found their mark. Each bullet sliced through the air where Chromium had stood a half-blink before. He was always advancing, always pushing forward, cutting off the other Realmless mid-step and mid-swing.

Chromium moved like a tidal wave. Nothing could stop him; anything placed in his path was either swept over or swept through. He struck at Medraut with his tail-blade but as soon as it looked like Medraut would be ready to block and parry, the blade was gone, and it was Chromium's pointed leg that struck hard, embedded in Medraut's gut. It sent the leopard knight flying across the throne room and slamming into a wall.

The others rushed to attack, but Chromium spun around and vanished...only to reappear on the other side of the room beside Medraut, still in mid-spin, and complete his spinning kick to the side of Medraut's head.

Adirael pelted the Metal Emperor with infernal bullets, but a swipe of his bladed tail sent them spiralling off and peppering Ryia's armor. Chromium vanished again. He grabbed Adirael by his face in mid-flight. He took two impossibly-swift steps.

Then Ajax blinked, and Chromium landed a sharp kick to the back of Versa's neck; with Adirael nowhere to be seen.

Ajax blinked again, and Chromium was back where he'd stood moments before, Adirael's face still in his hands. Two more steps; a half-heartbeat later Chromium landed hard on Ayas's back and drove him to the ground. Then he had Adirael back in his hand again and slammed him hard into the shimmering platform that held Adamantine.

It shouldn't have been possible. He shouldn't have been able to attack three Digimon at once without breaking stride. But as far as Ajax could tell, Chromium hadn't let go of Adirael, nor had he stopped that charge. And yet he'd struck Versa and Ayas all within the same three blinks.

Ajax lost track of Chromium as he disappeared from sight once again. Not trail of movement or blur. Just gone. Ajax searched the room frantically and finally caught sight of him again, walking slowly towards Titus and allowing the rest of the Realmless a moment of reprieve.

"Do you see it yet, little one?" Chromium asked Titus, in that impossibly calm voice. "Why you'll never win?"

There was a roar as Surrak ignited his thrusters and shot forward, but Chromium caught him as he was pulling back his arm to strike and swatted him to the ground. All, seemingly, without ever breaking stride in his slow walk towards Titus. Then he was no longer walking to Titus, but standing directly behind the younger, kneeling Jesmon.

"You're perhaps the only one of them who can," Chromium said. There was a strange satisfaction in his voice. "I'll admit, I was pleased to see another Jesmon among them. It has been so long since I interacted with another of my kind. Even one as...pitiable as you. "I wonder if you understand yet." He was kneeling in front of Titus now. "No. I imagine not. Overwhelmed and inexperienced as you are."

He rose smoothly to his full height. "I'll show you."

Two circles of glowing blue light lit beneath his feet. They followed his movement as he stepped forward towards the rest of the Realmless. The circles then flowed out from beneath his feet and flashed towards Ajax. It passed through him and stopped to hover vertically in the air near the wall behind him.

"Watch closely," Chromium said to Titus. "I'll go slow."

He flashed out of view. Then a searing pain exploded in Ajax's gut and he went screaming backwards into a wall. Rock and concrete exploded outwards from his impact. When he turned his pain-filled gaze down at the kick embedded in his stomach, he saw that the tip of Chromium's pointed foot touched the floating circle that had trailed from him.

Ajax struggled to remain conscious and fight back, but Chromium flipped back, delivering a stiff kick to his chin as he did so and launched him towards the ceiling. A blinding pain erupted in his chest as Chromium skewered him with his tail blade and pinned him to the ceiling. Ajax scrambled against the blade to hold himself from sliding deeper along its length. Chromium held him there and glanced over his shoulder at Titus.

The glowing circles flew out from beneath his feet again, scattering around the room in a seemingly unconnected, haphazard pattern. Then Chromium vanished, and reappeared in all places at once. He landed upon each circle within the blink of an eye. Blades whipped through the air in flashes if incandescent color. Chromium moved like nothing Ajax had ever seen. Blinking through the battlefield in less time than it took Ajax to fall to the floor.

Demo was kicked like a soccer ball and driven into Ryia.

Chromium cut through Ulysses's stinger spikes and stabbed him through the chest.

A savage kick to the side of the head floored Jasper.

He grabbed Emmara by the back of the head and dragged her along the jagged wall.

Aakio was flung bodily into Ayas, and both were descended upon by Chromium's fiery vassals.

Ajax landed hard on the ground, and struggled to his feet.

He split Sawyer's staff in half with a kick, and with the same kick drove the ape Digimon into the ground.

A flurry of strikes slashed through Medraut.

Before carrying through to Adirael.

And ending with his blade driven in Versa's stomach.

A single blow from his tail caught Goliath and dissolved the Gaku-Ran on contact, flinging the Realmless leader bodily through the room.

"Shield of the Just!" Ajax called out. He brought the Aegis to bear and began to pool his power. But Chromium suddenly on top of him. Then his shield was split in two and the attack dissipated before it could even fire.

"I didn't forget about you," Chromium taunted. And Ajax realized they still had not pushed him anywhere near his limit. The Metal Emperor turned to Titus. "Do you understand yet? How meaningless this struggle is?"

He crossed the room in a blink and stood beside the fallen Goliath. "Empty bravado." He appeared next to Sawyer next. "Garbage grasping at greatness." He stood over Versa. "Trying to escape prisons of your own making." Then he was in front of Titus again. "A single one of my vassals could defeat you, little one, assuming you ever overcome the awe of staring into the All-Thing.

"You're nothing," his voice carried a dreadful finality. "I offered you everything and you choose to be nothing." He shook his head. "What a waste."

"Waste this!" Surrak roared. A Terra Force exploded from his palm and raced towards Chromium. But the Metal Emperor blinked through the attack, his sword extended, and slashed it across Surrak's face. The WarGreymon howled in pain, clutching his now-empty and ragged eye socket.

Chromium whirled around, the blade on his arm raised high for a killing strike. But a wall of ice erupted between himself and Surrak. The ceiling of the throne room cracked open as Jaeger and Jericho came crashing through. Jericho sent a barrage of cannonfire down upon Chromium, which Jaeger followed with his own icy blasts. But just as before, Chromium placed himself way beyond the reach of their weaponry.

Jaeger dropped through the air to attend Surrak, while Jericho thundered towards Chromium. The Metal Emperor met his charge, with a calmly-spoken, "Schwertgeist" on his lips. The three fiery vassals flashed towards him from across the throne room. There was a flare movement as nine blades slashed across Jericho and sent him crashing to the ground in a heap. Jaeger took one last look at the shaking Surrak, then ignited his own jets and flew into battle.

"Fullmetal Blaze!"

A barrage of weaponry shred through the throne room. Explosions filled the space, and for a moment Chromium's movement seemed hindered. Ice and fire wrapped together, pinching his maneuverability and closing off more and more routes. But in the end not a single one of Jaeger's attacks succeeded in even causing him to falter. Jaeger's weapons clicked empty.

With a snarl, he shifted back into his MetalGarurumon form and he charged, only for Chromium to appear before him, slip beneath his guard, and deliver a crushing kick to his midsection. Armor crumpled and shattered as Jaeger was sent careening across the room.

He closed in with his wrist-swords, but against all odds and logic, Jaeger managed to maneuver within the strike and hit an uppercut. Chromium whirled back, more stunned than hurt, and retaliated with a brutal tail-strike that severed Jaeger's left arm at the elbow. Jaeger let out a horrid canine yelp. Chromium whirled around and thrust his arm blade towards Jaeger's skull, but with a deft movement, the metal wolf tilted his head to the side and the blade passed harmlessly over his shoulder.

Chromium swung his blade again, only to have his gauntlet stopped suddenly by the force of Surrak colliding with him. The split instant of momentary shock gave Jaeger the opening he needed.

"Metal Wolf Claw!" he called out. A blast of frigid air exploded in Chromium's face, but the Metal Emperor ducked beneath it, shook Surrak loose, and kicked Jaeger to the ground. Jaeger rolled to his feet, nodded once to Surrak, and they charged Chromium together.

The Metal Emperor smirked. "Judgement of the Blade," his voice spoke clear and calm over the echoing roar of combat. A hurricane of motion erupted between Surrak and Jaeger, ripping the momentum from them and stopping them midflight.

Then, as suddenly as it had began, flash of blades halted. Chromium's arms remained extended to either side, their blades buried into the hearts of Jaeger and Surrak. For their part, the two Realmless could only watch as Chromium withdrew his blades slowly and let them drop to the ground. The wounds bled data profusely, and they couldn't muster the strength to even try to staunch the flow.

Chromium turned to Titus once more and shook his head sadly.

Goliath howled, screaming his impotent fury from where he lay clutching his own wounds and trying to claw to his feet. But he could do nothing to stop the life from draining away from their two comrades. None of them could. Despite all their battle-hardened resolve nothing they'd done had even scratched the Metal Emperor. Despite all their indignation and anger. Not even Surrak's mighty rage could shake him.

But it had come close. If rage was the answer; if power was the answer…

Ajax roared, letting all of his fury rise. He burned the images of a dying Surrak and dying Jaeger into his mind's eye and added that rage to everything else he'd gone through at the hands of the Metal Empire. All the atrocities he'd been twisted into committing. All the pain inflicted upon him in the name of Unity. The source of all of that was standing right in front of him, and he could do nothing about it.

Ajax's howl cracked the floor beneath his feet. A crimson flame exploded from his chest and swallowed him. It seared him to the core.

Chromium turned to Ajax just as he shot forward, propelled by his rage and ten shimmering wings. Ajax's blow ripped past Chromium's vassals, cracked his head to the side, and sent him spiraling gracelessly through the room. He skid to a clumsy stop, but Ajax was upon him once more. Their weapons clashed, and power splashed across the throne room. Chunks of metal and concrete crumbled from the once-domed ceiling, sending the other Realmless scattering.

 

[TheSequelReturns]

Aakio Daisoujou (Goldramon)
- Argentum: The Emperor's Throne Room -

Aakio's world was fire and blades and pain until Chromium's Geists finally ended their assault and moved on to another target.

He struggled to pull himself from the ground. This battle was like nothing he had ever experienced. Despite Versa's confidence, despite Goliath's bravado, it had somehow come to this. The Emperor was tossing them around like playthings.

Umon flitted over, the poor thing barely sparking as it closed the distance. It zapped Aakio's single worst injury, not even healing it enough to deaden the pain, then recalled into his gauntlet. Umon was spent. Their healing had run out.

Ayas was on the ground next to him. Aakio made sure the old bird was still kicking and helped his mentor back to his feet.

The entire room was shaking. Rumbling. Somewhere across the room, Ajax (because it had to be the one from the bridge in Prahv) was again alight that with that monstrous power and had fully engaged the Emperor. Their battle was threatening to rip apart the entire throne room. Aakio turned, scanning the room. The last he had seen of Versa, she had taken a blow from the Emperor to the back of her neck. He had to make sure she was okay.

Versa was laying on the ground in the center of a pool of blood. Everything else seemed to fade away as Aakio dashed for her. He closed the gap in a flash, ignoring the pain roaring from his own injuries as he inspected her's. The blow on her neck was bad, but that was what happened when you were kicked with by a dragon with swords for legs. But it was her stomach that concerned him. It looked like Chromium had driven a blade right through her. The wound was oozing blood and bits of data both.

Despite it all, she was still trying to struggle to her feet. She still had her guns in her hands. Still had her eyes on Chromium. She stifled a cry of pain as she pushed herself up with one arm.

"Versa!" Aakio reached down to help her up. She still had the pride to refuse his hand and tried twice more to lift herself before finally grabbing his arm and letting him help her up.

"We have to help." she said through ragged breaths, blood trickling from the corner of her lips. "Ajax is still fighting." She was forcing herself to her feet. Aakio wrapped an arm around her to help her stand, but once she was up he didn't let go.

"We have to leave." Aakio said.

"No." Versa pulled against him, but it was weak. Too weak to break his hold. "Let me go."

"I won't."

"Damn it, I don't have time for your sympathy." she struggled against his grip, stronger now. Where was she still getting that strength from?

Aakio tightened his grip. "Versa, you're bleeding out. This place is crumbling. We have to go."

"No! I have to do this!" She somehow found the strength to elbow him in the gut. Aakio let go for a second, and Versa started walking forward. Forcing herself towards the fight. "We can't fail here. I can't fail here."

Was she talking to herself or him? Aakio reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder. "Versa, its enough. You've done enough."

"No, I haven't." There were tears in her eyes, he realized. "I have to help. Ajax. Jaeger. Surrak. They didn't give up. I can't stop now."

"Versa, please-"

"Stop it." She coughed up blood again. Her breathing was ragged. She sounded like she was going to fall over at any moment. "Let me go."

"If I do, you'll die."

"Then I'll die fighting."

Aakio pulled her back, lifting her completely into his arms. She tried to hit his arm, to free herself, but it was so weak that Aakio wondered if she was really struggling or if her pride simply wouldn't let her accept his help.

"What do you think you're doing?" she somehow managed.

"Saving your life." he said.

"Its not yours to save."

"Then you can hate me later. I'm getting you out of here."

Aakio made for the safety of the exit, pausing only to help up or carry any of the wounded he came across. He spotted Jericho and a few of the others doing the same. Regrouping. Struggling to their feet. Some rallied. Some could barely manage to claw their way to their feet. But Aakio knew that they were no longer a threat to Chromium, if they ever even were. It was all in Ajax's hands now.

 

[Solsabre]

Titus Cloudraker (Jesmon)
Imperial Throne Room


Titus’s blood boiled as Chromium continued his assault on the other Realmless. He hated this; torn between helping his fellow Realmless, despite his injuries, or taking the opportunity to study the Emporer’s movements and to conserve his strength. Blood dripped from his hands where his claws gouged the armor; so tight was his grip. Even his own constructs, Rene and Por, were unable to keep up as Chromium blinked throughout the ruined throne room. Next thing he knew, Chromium was slowly walking towards him.

"Do you see it yet, little one?" Chromium asked Titus, in that impossibly calm voice. "Why you'll never win?"

Surrak’s roar did nothing to distract the older Jesmon in his advanced to the injured Titus. Instead, he tossed the WarGreymon X aside as if he were nothing. Chromium vanished again. The younger dragon jerked his head around, trying to find -no- trying to understand how the older Jesmon was doing that. He froze, feeling a shift in the air behind him. Titus glanced over his shoulder as Chromium spoke behind his back.

"You're perhaps the only one of them who can," Chromium said. There was a strange satisfaction in his voice. "I'll admit, I was pleased to see another Jesmon among them. It has been so long since I interacted with another of my kind. Even one as...pitiable as you. "I wonder if you understand yet."

Titus’s body shook. The Emperor was mocking him, he thought, stirring the building fire in Titus. Chromium knelt in front of him, just a few feet away. "No. I imagine not. Overwhelmed and inexperienced as you are."

Titus hated it. He hated that the Emperor was right. He was seeing anything and everything. Titus was having trouble focusing on the how of Chromium’s actions.

He rose smoothly to his full height. "I'll show you."

What??

"Watch closely," Chromium said to Titus. "I'll go slow."

Titus stared dumbfoundedly. Blue rings formed at Chromium’s feet before floating across the room to where Ajax stood and hung in the air vertically behind the MedavielGallantmon. Next thing he knew, Ajax was screaming with Chromium pointed foot buried into his gut, kicking the crimson knight to send him skyward, then pinning Ajax with his tailblade to the ceiling. Chromium held the older dragon there and glanced over his shoulder at Titus.

A multitude of glowing rings then scattered in a seemingly random patterned across the throne room. In that instant, Titus ‘saw’ the coding Initilize on Chromium’s left blade light up in sequence, followed by Transfer on his left leg. The Emperor vanished in an instant, blinking across the rubble-littered battlefield to most of the Realmless, attacking them before Ajax crashed to the floor.

In that same a half heart beat, thoughts and memories rushed through Titus’s mind at impossible speeds.

Picture the outcome of your strike, as you initiate.

Your blades are an extension of yourself.

What if you were not limited by the reach of your blades?

Pay attention to your environment. You may gain insight from it.

A single sense by itself can be fooled. Utilize all of them regularly to see with clarity.

What would you do if faced with an impossible situation, Titus?

We are a manifestation of your will.

With your will, the impossible can be accomplished.

Know yourself, know your enemy.

Rhaegos’s and Rene’s words coursed through like he’d been struck by lightning. The OS Generics. There could be no other explanation or possibility. Is this what was at work? Is this what it could do? Titus had been prepared to use it, despite Rene’s warning, but that didn’t mean he necessarily understood what it did.

"Shield of the Just!" Ajax called out, building up power in his shield. But again, Chromium on him again in an instant, shattering the MedevialGallantmon’s shield.

"I didn't forget about you," Chromium taunted. He flinched with each hit his comrades took, cursing himself for his lack of action. But hadn’t he ask Ayas to buy him time?The dragon knight shook with growing anger. But still another question plagued him. Why? Why was Chromium showing this to him? To simply gloat? To break his spirit and submit?

The Metal Emperor turned to Titus. "Do you understand yet? How meaningless this struggle is?"

He crossed the room in a blink and stood beside the fallen Goliath. "Empty bravado." He appeared next to Sawyer next. "Garbage grasping at greatness." He stood over Versa. "Trying to escape prisons of your own making." Then he was in front of Titus again. "A single one of my vassals could defeat you, little one, assuming you ever overcome the awe of staring into the All-Thing.”

“No...,” Titus finally muttered, refusing to give into the doubts the Emperor tried to instill in him. He was running out of time. He frantically replayed everything over in his mind. He’d paid attention Chromium’s digital make up at each location was the same, it wasn’t an illusion or copies of himself. It should be impossible, but the truth laid plain before his ‘eyes’. Chromium had, somehow with the OS Generics, bent the laws of nature. He’d seen it, but only because Chromium had slow down enough to let him.

"You're nothing," his voice carried a dreadful finality. "I offered you everything and you choose to be nothing." He shook his head. "What a waste."

"Waste this!" Surrak roared. But the Emporer was not unprepared, blinding the WarGreymon X in one eye and preparing to deal the final blow. At least until Jaeger and Jericho appeared from a crack in the throne room roof.

But Titus lost track of the trio as they fought. He clenched his head between his claws in agonzing pain. During the whole battle he’d fought to maintain his focus on the Emperor and his comrades, all the while feeling the World’s OS- or the All-Thing as Chromium called it-singing itself into his mind. The light of the Adamantine by itself was like a heavy weight. The Chromium was probably right that a single one of his vassal could defeat him easily right now.Rene and Por bobbed urgently in the air around the young Jesmon, responding to their user’s distress.

Explosions of fire and ice filled the air. A hurricane of blades sliced through the air with a sickening sound.

Like a rubber band, the world zoomed into a sharp focus as the mortally wounded Surrak and Jaeger fell to the floor. Titus felt their faltering pulses beat alongside his racing pulse.

Chromium turned to Titus once more and shook his head sadly. Guilt consumed Titus. He’d asked the other Realmless for time and gave it they did. With their very lives. The younger dragon staggered to his feet.

He could do no less for them.

Titus! Raise your barriers! Rene shouted to him in warning. Too late!

Burning crimson light flashed where Ajax stood, his ten wings carrying the Gallantmon into Chromium to send him flying across the wrecked room. The enraged dragon beat through the Emperor’s constructs to lock weapons with the older Jesmon.

Titus threw back his head with an anguished roar. It was as if someone had rammed a red hot poker into the base of his skull. However, rather than nearly passing out, he let the rage-induced pain fuel him. The dragon knight rose to his feet, the broken ribs forgotten. His nerves already felt like they were on fire.

The dome roof began to collapse. Right on top of those Realmless too slow or unable to move.

“NO!” Titus roared in refusal, his vision a red haze. Without thought or concern for himself, he instinctively reach deep to that place. The Barren Wasteland. He thrust his left wristblade into the glowing sphere .Light and data sequences split out like a geyser. Digimoji appeared on the inserted blade glowing.

Initialize.

Blue rings of light shot out from under his feet haphazardly. A couple rings made their mark. Others disappeared midway or overshot their intended designation.

Transfer.

He obliterated the debris about to crash onto Surrak and Jaeger with a cross swipe of his wristblades.

His tail sliced through a metal beam about to pin Ayas.

He kicked away a hexagonal plate about to crash on Medraut.

He overshot his placement for Sawyer, stumbling several steps make it in time. Por formed a green energy shield to protect the stunned Gokuwmom instead. The constructs then zipped about the throne room to shield any other Realmless unable to evade in time.

Titus staggered. His golden eyes flickered erratically. He was taking in too much input, processing it too fast to fully understand what was happening to him. The young Jesmon couldn’t slow down. He could only act and react.

Blood dripped from the corner of his eyes and nose, his body unable to take the strain of the OS Generics for too long. The silver-white dragon didn’t care. The target of his fury was locked in combat with Ajax. His opportunity.

Titus sneered, reappearing on Chromium’s left side. Rene and Por clashed with their counterparts.

“NO! It would be a waste, if we did not try!” Titus roared in defiance. He thrusted his right wristblade towards the Metal Emperor’s chest.


Ryia Rohhirim (Sleipmon)
Imperial Throne Room

Ryia shielded the BanchoMamemon as a section of roof collapsed on top of them. A second later, she grunted heavily as she pushed the chunk of concrete off of them with the Niflheimr. She set the dazed Demo to his feet.

“Ryia!” The mare swiveled her ears to the left, followed by her gaze. The birdbra-Ayas limped in her direction. Blood seeped from multiple wounds hidden beneath his golden feathers. The Phoenixmon heavily favored a wing that nearly dragged on the ground. “We can’t take much-”

“I know.” Ryia interrupted him, grim certainty clear in her voice. She cast an experienced gaze across the ruined battlefield, quickly assessing the state of each Realmless and the ongoing battle occurring on the other side of the room. Ajax exploded with raw, furious power as he collided with Chromium. Titus blinked through the air sporadically, protecting the slower Realmless from falling debris before appearing alongside Ajax and the Metal Emperor. The old warhorse shifted her weight underneath her and reared unto her hind legs.

“REALMLESS, TO YOUR FEET!” Ryia bellowed with a rallying cry, loud and clear through the roar of battle for the others to hear. “Help the wounded to the exit. We’re done here!”

“I’ll attend to Surrak and Jaeger,” Ayas said solemnly, heading to the fallen warriors without delay. Ryia nodded. Their eyes locked for but a moment. A rare look of understanding passed between them.

Ryia grabbed the BanchoMamemon by his jacket, raising him to eye level, “I don’t care about what scores you and the other Bancho have left to settle with the Emperor. Get the cub to his feet and to the exit now!” She pitched Demo in the general direction of the Bancho.

The Iron Mare dashed swiftly across the shattered floor, swerving around another section of falling roof. Unlike the rest of the Realmless, she’d only suffered bruises underneath her armor from being battered around. Ryia raced up to Medraut to grab him by the elbow, “Move, move, move!” She said encouraging him onward.

Her six legs pounded the ground relentlessly, jumping around and over debris with such surefooting she appeared to almost be flying. She searched until she found who she was looking for; a staffless, but otherwise whole Sawyer. The mare lifted the Gokuwmon by his leatherjacket onto her back with out slowing her pace and abruptly turning around. Sawyer fumbled for a secure grip on Ryia’s purple main.

“Where are we going? The battle’s that way.” Sawyer exclaimed, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

“You are going to lead the Realmless out of this death trap.” Ryia said sternly, not looking back at the monkey mon.

“Wait, what about Titus? We gotta help him and Big Red!” Sawyer protested heavily.

“We took a gamble and lost.” Ryia said bluntly. “If victory is to yet be ours, it’ll be by their hands alone.”

“Then we’ve failed..” He said, despondently.

“We only failed if we all die here together.” Ryia responded, resolutely. She halted alongside Jericho, “there is a difference.

“But what about those two...” Sawyer said weakly. Ryia dumped the ape off her back, fed up with the monkey’s protest.

“No one is getting left behind.” Ryia shoved her face into Sawyer’s, “but they are giving us the needed time to get the wounded out first. That’s why I need you to guide everyone else out. Only when everyone else is clear, I will personally yank those two by their collective butts from their brawl. Is that understood, Daiou Wukong?”

Sawyer gulped at the use of his full name, nodding furiously in understand, and then scampering off to help the others.

Ryia turned around and slammed her shield hard into the ground. Thick walls of ice jutted out on either side for several yards, forming a protective barrier of sorts between the fighting and those injured Realmless behind her. With practiced ease, Ryia braced her crossbow on her other arm to steady it. The Iron Mare then closed her eyes and instead used her ears to listen for her target. The eyes were too slow to keep up with someone like Chromium, but maybe she could with her keen hearing. She listened to the distinct roars of their two dragons and the cold, clinical precision of the Metal Emperor, mentally picturing her desired target.

No, she would not leave those two dragon’s to deal with the Emperor on their own. She would not lose another herd.

So she waited with a patience few would give her credit for, adjusting the angle of the simmering red energy bolt resting on her crossbow periodically.

Wait. Wait. Wait.

Only when she was certain her desired target was lined up with her crossbow did she released the fiery arrow without calling out the attack. The Iron Mare held her breath, hoping her aim proved true.


Aayaash Animkii (Phoenixmon--> Garudamon)
Imperial Throne Room

Ayas limped to where the fallen warriors laid deathly still. The massive raptor crouched onto his hocks between the two. He glanced over the pair with great sadness. Aayaash did not know if they had the strength to survive the journey out of here. He would do what he could to help.

The golden bird spread out his resplendent wings over them protectively. Agonizing pain shot through his injured wing, Ayas clenched his eyes shut in the effort to hold it aloft.

"Life Force." Ayas gasped. Brilliant golden energy emitted from his body, but instead of absorbing life force from another digmon. Ayas reversed the exchange and poured his power into Surrak and Jaeger. The light faded with Ayas reverting back to his normal form.

The Garudamon Elder grasped his injured shoulder, an arm pressed against his body. He felt lightheaded and his vision swam from the effort of sharing his own energy with Surrak and Jaeger. Ayas had given them as much of his own energy as he could spare to strengthen their spirits.

He could only hoped it would be enough.

 

[Kamotz]

< Ajax Vol (Gallantmon Crimson Mode) >
- Argentum -

A blinding red rage drove Ajax forward, screaming and howling in his brain. Each strike carried with it the entire weight of his anger. He could barely keep up with Chromium's unnatural speed (or whatever it was), but his fury made up for it. He could feel Chromium's presence all around him, an instant before Chromium "shifted" himself through the room. It was like a dull throb at the edge of his awareness, a pressure wherever Chromium was about to appear.

It wasn't exactly predictive -- he wasn't fast enough to react to Chromium's movements -- but it did let him react just after Chromium appeared there. And the field distortion from his destructive power slowed Chromium down just a fraction-of-a-second; long enough for him to protect himself and strike back. Through the haze of his rage, Ajax noticed that Chromium had stopped toying with his strange almost-teleportation once it became clear that Ajax's destructive aura was interfering. Their battle was now one of simple brute physical violence rather than warping metaphysics.

His lance scored a glancing blow on Chromium's shoulder. It sent the Metal Emperor spinning in place, but he righted himself and struck back. The black-plated blades on his arms slashed across Ajax's chest, but the heavy crimson armor deflected most of the blows' force. Ajax struck, his sword slicing a white-hot arc overhead. But Chromium blocked with his tail-blade and used the momentum from Ajax's strike to pivot under his guard and sweep both arm-blades outward. He clipped Ajax and sent the crimson knight slamming into the other side of the room.

It was too much. He couldn't fight on that level like he had that beast he'd faced when he first uncovered the Crimson Mode. This was nothing like that. The gap between them now was almost non-existent; it was possible that even with all this monstrous power, Chromium was still stronger. He couldn't fight this way; not against Arahon, and not against Chromium.

Ajax clashed his weapons against Chromium's and they locked together. Their feet dug into the ground. Ajax flared his shimmering wings as he felt the integrity of the floor start to boil away under the pressure of the power he was unleashing.

What had Arahon called it? Digital Hazard?

Chromium blinked away - after the last few exchanges he no longer utilized his terrifying abilities to try and blink into Ajax's guard and attack, but as a way to maneuver beyond Ajax's reach and cause him to spend his energy catching up. Once he was free from Ajax's immediate physical reach, whatever power was distorting Chromium's own lost its effectiveness and he was able to move freely. Once he was out of harm's way, he'd rush in and engage Ajax again.

Ajax's rage still burned. But it was beginning to run out of fuel. The fire was spreading to the rest of his body. His arms ached from holding the weapons of condensed rage-light. His fingers had long-since gone numb. Each jolt of weapons clashing sent power ripping out through his body and crackling through the throne room. What wasn't able to escape the seams of his armor rebounded and tore through him like hot knives.

Despite all his power, despite the ability to finally stagger the Metal Emperor and cause him pain, Ajax knew he was destroying himself from the inside out. Through the bloody war-fog, Ajax realized that as soon as his body could no longer hold itself together that power would explode from him and destroy everything around him. The Realmless included. But he couldn't stop. Not when the Emperor was pushing him back step by step.

They clashed again, and a rivulet of cracks splintered through Chromium's armor. Ajax felt the same series of cracks rip through his body beneath the implacable crimson armor of his new form.

His best and only hope was that the other Realmless would realize this and retreat far enough to avoid the blast.

But of course it was never going to be that easy.

Titus appeared beside them, blinking into existence in almost the same manner that Chromium had. He struck out with his blade, but was intercepted by a one of the glowing sword-orbs with a fierce "A" etched onto its forehead. It slammed into Titus's side and sent him stumbling away. Chromium darted sideways as a fiery-red bolt of light flashed through the air. He kicked upward, catching it with the blade on his feet, then suddenly and swiftly redirecting its course to strike Ajax dead center of the chest.

He appeared before Titus and drove his knee into the younger Jesmon's chin, then vanished once again as his "Atho" unit slammed into Titus's belly and hurled him across the room.

"Nice try, little one," he mocked. He nodded to Ajax. "If this one could maintain that power for more than a few minutes I'll admit - I might be worried. But the two of you," he glanced to Ryia. "Couldn't be more obvious if you tried. Your effort was valiant, however. But your meager abilities, newly learned, would never match my own. You could master the OS Generics for a thousand years, and only ever scratch the surface of what I can do.

"Mine abilities are powered by Adamantine, by the Realmpact itself. None of our kind has ever accomplished what I have," said Chromium. "And none other ever will."

He vanished again and reappeared walking steadily towards Ajax. "You, at least, have affected some change." He glared down at the crimson knight in his smoking armor. "That power, the Digital Hazard. It's too dangerous to leave unbound. I will find every Digimon like you -- every single one that carries that mark. And I will extinguish them so that it can never again threaten this world."

He stood over Ajax and raised his tail blade. "In all my years of conquest, violence, slaughter -- it was never personal. But I'll tell you now. What I'm about to do to your stubborn, ungrateful little species...I'm going to enjoy it. Very, very much."

Ajax's eyes went wide, and Chromium's tail struck like a coiled snake.

Then a flash of light erupted in the throne room and speared towards the Metal Emperor. He blinked out of the way as a barrage of glowing arrows pierced the spot he stood a moment before. A shape, a blur of black and white, shot down through the hole Jaeger and Jericho had punched in the domed ceiling and swiped a glowing purple-and-black blade -- or claw. The slash almost caught Chromium before he blinked away again and reappeared a few meters away.

The strange new figure hovered in the air where she'd struck, watching the Emperor warily. She was clad in pearl-white armor along the right half of her body, while the left was adorned in obsidian-black. Twelve wings sprouted from floating emitters along her back; six feathery white along the right side, and six leathery black along the left. Her eyes were hidden by a helmet that reflected the same pattern as her armor and wings. Only her mouth was visible, set in a line of grim determination.

"You're new," Chromium said softly, his voice almost hollow-sounding as he regarded the Mastemon stoically.

"Get up, dragon," the Mastemon said to Ajax. Her right and left hands glowed blue and violet respectively, while the crystals down the middle of her body glowed yellow-white. "Neither of us can hold him long."

"Hell are you?" Ajax snarled, climbing to his feet. He didn't want to growl at her, but it was taking everything he had to hold himself together.

"Doesn't matter," she shot back. "If you all want to survive today then we need to work together now. Catch him between our attacks. He's more injured than he's letting on."

"How do you know that?" Ajax asked, again more harshly than he'd intended.

"Because I'm not choking on my own blood while the Digital Hazard burns a hole in my chest, you stubborn dragon," she snapped before locking her eyes on the Emperor. "But that Hazard is the only thing that seems to slow him down. If you can get a hold on him--"

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because you don't have a choice," she said. Her hands ignited into a glowing blue blade and a set of devilish violet claws. "He'll kill us both if we try to fight him alone." She glanced at Titus and Ryia. "Get everyone out. Now. We'll be right behind you."

Ajax grunted his acceptance as he stood side-by-side with this new arrival. "That's awfully optimistic of you," he said.

"Only if you don't pull your weight."

Ajax shot forward with a roar before she could finish. Any more talk and his rage threatened to ebb away. If that happened, he wouldn't have the force of will to maintain his form any longer. The Mastemon followed close behind; she was fast, but not quite as fast as he was.

The crimson knight swing his lance through empty air as Chromium blinked away. The field of pressure around him remained undisturbed, meaning the Emperor had reappeared beyond its range. Ajax glanced up to find Chromium dropping down towards him. He repositioned himself to meet Chromium's strike as he passed into the Hazard's field of influence, only for the Mastemon to intercept Chromium first with claw and blade.

A shower of yellow and indigo sparks erupted from their collision. Chromium pushed her back with a shout, but Ajax grabbed his tail and swung him hard to the ground. The Metal Emperor lashed out with a bladed kick, but Ajax blocked the blow, slipped his guard, and snarled his hands around Chromium's throat.

All at once, a massive pressure built behind him in the Hazard field.

"Chaos Degrad!" the Mastemon shouted.

Ajax grabbed at Chromium's arrogant face and whipped him around. He endured the repeated slashes and dug the fingers of his free hand into the Jesmon's armored chest.

"Crimson Light!" Power erupted from Ajax's hands and blasted into Chromium. The wild crimson power drove him backwards, ripping a scream from his chest and slamming him into the Mastemon's attack. The energies of the two Digimon consumed Chromium an exploded. Blasting the entire roof off of the Imperial throne room.

A charred and blackened thing dropped to the floor from the blast's epicenter, smoking and glowing hot around the edges.

Ajax fell to his knees as he lost his hold on the Crimson Mode. The red armor shattered off of his body and he dropped into his reduced MedievalGallantmon form, coughing up lung-fulls of blood. He fought to stay conscious.

"YOU!" Chromium howled from amidst the dust and smoking debris. He swiped a bladed hand, and dispersed it. His armor was blackened and dented, his cape was burnt to a crisp. His blades were chipped and cracked.

How was he still standing?

"We need to retreat," the Mastemon said, landing heavily -- and unsteadily -- beside him. IT seemed that she, too, had put everything into that last attack. Chromium staggered forward, limping and unsteady, but still upright. "Even injured -- with those orbs of his we don't have a chance."

"He'll be on us before we make it ten steps," Ajax muttered, struggling to rise. "He'll be on them, too."

"FOR THE SEWERS!" shouted a nasally voice. The floor beneath Chromium's feet fractured, and a torrent of the sewer-dwelling Digimon that had made way for the Realmless and guided them through the sewers poured over the Metal Emperor. Leading them was a platinum-plated Numemon with massive feathery wings. "LONG LIVE THE DOWNTRODDEN!"

He led the wave of mutant Digimon as they swarmed Chromium. Hundreds of them flooded into the throne room and swept over Chromium like a wave. There was no end in sight -- it was as if every sewer-dwelling Digimon in the entire city had collected there.

"Head out!" the PlatinumNumemon shouted to Ajax and the Realmless. "We'll buy you as much time as we can. Get out through the sewers and back t'that Whamon friend of yours."

"He'll kill you!" Goliath roared.

"Yep, but we're gonna make him work for it," the shimmering sludge said gallantly. "Now, off with ya. Or our sacrifice'll mean nothin'!" The PlatinumNumemon turned to the fray, scowling as Chromium and his three fiery vassals cut down wave after wave of sewer Digimon. But that scowl turned in wild grin. "Let's go, lads! Show him what he's made of!"

Then he, too, charged Chromium.

And Ajax, bewildered and sapped of his fueling rage, could only turn away from the scores of nameless Digimon that were giving their lives, and join the rest of the Realmless in their retreat.