Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadow War ❯ Chapter 4
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: moose_of_doom 
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.31.2005 | Pages: 7 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 244 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.31.2005 | Pages: 7 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 244 | Status: Completed
Chapter 4:
********
Liam’s people marched through the night, carrying their supplies on their backs. Many times, they begged him to stop.
“We can’t stop. If we stop, then the Shadowmon catch up with us, and we’re all to burnt out to fight a battle here.” He said.
“You sound like you’re trying to justify yourself.” said Nick Pallet, a wry smile creasing his features.
“That’s ‘cos I bloody well am, Nick. I’m pushing these people hard, and I’m feeling bloody guilty about it.”
“Someone has to make those decisions, boss.”
“That’s a great comfort, thankyou very much.”
He sighed as he continued walking.
“You know, there are days when I would just love to be back behind the bar of the pub, serving drinks and cooking meals.”
“So what’s keeping you?”
Liam smiled for the first time that morning.
“Because, for the first time, I feel like I’m doing something right.”
“You sentimental bastard.”
The big Irishman laughed, and pulled a map from his pouch, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. He saw that just over the ridge there was another camp that the digiworld troopers used as a base. He turned to look at the column of people behind him.
“Another half-a-mile, then we’re at camp two. we’ll rest there, before pressing on.”
He saw the looks of relief pass over the tired faces, and another pang of guilt shot through him. Maybe he had pushed them a little too hard…
“Boss!”
He spun around, as one of the scout troopers came running back towards him. The man didn’t stop, but just gestured for Liam to follow. The big man didn’t hesitate but ran after the scout, finally cresting the top of the ridge.
The camp below them was still burning, tents still glowing around there edges on poles that were collapsing under there own sagging weight. Liam surveyed the scene with horror.
“Jesus… what could have done this…”
By now, other members of the party had caught up with them, and were themselves gaping at the destruction. Liam turned to them.
“Mimi, Michael, Sora, Jun, you’re with me and Nick. The rest of you stay here until we find out what happened. Garret, get on the radio, and call up coast town.”
The six people started walking down the hill, towards the camp.
=============================================================
Davis burst into the Radio room at Coast town, with Kari close behind him, both obviously breathless from running to the small building that served as the command and control centre. Davis was about to speak, when Cody, who was listening intently to the headset, held up a hand, silencing him. Finally, he spoke, his calm demeanour not changing a jot.
“Garret, Davis is here. I want you to repeat what you just told me.”
He pulled out his headphones, allowing Garret to talk over the speakers.
“I repeat, Base two has been destroyed by forces as yet unknown. It’s a war zone down there, Davis. Whatever came through here was big, nasty, and extremely powerful. We request Immediate Evac from the area, and back to coast city. Over.”
Davis picked up a microphone, and pressed the transmit button.
“I copy, Garret. We’ll be coming out to get you, ASAP. Where’s Liam? Over.”
“He went down to the camp to investigate, over.”
“Copy, Garret. Evac is on its way.”
“Copy.”
There was a click as Garret deactivated his radio on the other end. Davis picked up the phone that lay on the desk, and dialled in the number of the warehouse office.
“Tasha, it’s Davis. I need you, TK, Salamandramon and Patomon ready at the main town gates. Find Ken, and bring him with you.”
He put the phone down, and turned to Kari.
“And here we go again. You coming?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
They ran out of the door, Veemon and Gatomon at their heels. After a moment’s hesitation, Cody ran after them.
=============================================================
Liam held his rifle in a ready position, low across his chest, ready for action. The scene of destruction around him was so intense that in a way, he was awed by the sheer effectiveness of it. He knelt, and stuck his finger into the ground at his feet.
“The ashes are still warm. Whatever was here isn’t long gone.”
He turned, and waved to the trooper on the ridge. The man waved back, and Digidestined started coming down the hill.
“Liam!”
He spun at Mimi’s call, and ran over to where she was trying to shift a sheet of metal, the side of the radio hut for the base. He hooked his fingers underneath it, as Michael grabbed the other side. They lifted, and revealed a figure lying on the cold ground.
Joe.
=============================================================
Across the plains and fields of the digital world, there is a huge pile of rubble, which was once a citadel. The rubble is black as night, and if you looked at it, it would appear to absorb all light.
This is the remains of the tower of Paul Motomiya. Davis’s uncle, and the man who had kidnapped Kari the year before. Almost a thousand feet up, Davis had faced off against Paul, sword against sword. Paul had been a victim of a power that was greater than himself, manipulated by darkness, because someone had a cruel sense of humour.
Paul had been Jake Motomiya’s twin. Jake had been Davis’s father, and for the first time, the line of the Paladin had two paths to go down. Jake had gained the ability to manipulate the light power, and Paul the dark. Paul’s abilities, however, had left him open to an attack from an enemy that no-one had known, and no-one had ever seen.
Finally, that enemy had chosen to reveal himself.
A figure walked across the piles of rubble, that even the wild Digimon avoided. This figure, instead of stumbling as if searching, walked with a purpose. Any watchers could not have told whether the figure was male or female, because of the cloak and hood that swathed its body. What they would have noticed would be the scabbard that hung at the figure’s waist. It is long and straight, and clearly holds a longsword, the hilt of which juts out sharply from underneath the cloak.
Finally, the figure reaches the top of the pile of rubble, and kneels. It reaches out a hand, and digs it deep into the rubble. The hand eventually withdraws, clutching tight around two small, rectangular objects. The first has a picture of a sword on it, blade pointed downwards, The symbol of hatred. The second has, imprinted upon it, the image of a skull, wreathed in flame. This is the symbol of death, the symbol that was, a year before, burned into Hikari Kamiya’s forehead. The cloaked figure reaches down, and pulls the sword out of its scabbard. The blade shines silver in the early morning light. The stranger takes the two dark crests, and slots them into two small niches on either flat of the blade, completing the sword. The long blade turns a deep black, and the stranger turns to face the west, the direction of coast town. Slowly, with their face deep in shadow, the figure raises the flat of the blade up to its face. Then it sheaths the blade, and moves away from the rubble, vanishing in the shadows of the still-dark morning.
=============================================================
“We didn’t know what had hit us, until it was all over.”
Joe sat with his back against one of the few surviving walls of the radio-shack. His eyes were closed behind his glasses, and his shoulder length hair was still matted with his own blood.
“It was huge, Liam. I’ve never seen anything so big.”
Liam Dillon knelt in front of the young man, and placed a hand on his shoulder whilst Jun bandaged his wounds.
“What was it, Joe?”
“It was enormous. The first we saw was that first energy blast, hurtling out of the sky. It hit the medical tent first. I couldn’t even see it properly, just a silhouette against the moon. Just those huge wings, beating like the wing.”
He shuddered.
“And the eyes… oh god, the eyes. They were like red coals. They put the fear of god into me, Liam.”
Mimi clutched her friend’s hand.
“Don’t worry, Joe. We’ll get you out of here.”
“It was a dragon.”
Liam’s eyes snapped up to study Joe’s face. The younger mans eyes had finally opened, and he gazed fearfully at the Irishman.
“It was a huge Dragon, Liam. It was even bigger than Bahamamon. I think it could even have been bigger than Wargreymon. One Digimon demolished this entire base. I know it was a Digimon, because my D3 reacted to it.”
“I know, Joe. Don’t worry, we’ll find out what’s happened.”
He started to get up, but the wounded Digidestined grabbed his arm.
“Liam, this thing is bigger than you or me. It’s bigger than anything any of us have faced. I think Davis is the only one who might be able to stop it. I think this is another test for him, for the Paladin.”
Liam said nothing, because he was remembering a story that Gennai had once told him and the rest of the few Digidestined who were the warriors against Paul. The story of the first Paladin. And suddenly he was very afraid.
But this fear had nothing to do with the story. It was fear because his instincts told him to get out of this place now. He stood, drawing his sword, a second before the shout came from the sentries.
“SHADOWMON, COMING IN FAST!”
=============================================================
Davis was sitting astride Raidramon, and the Digimon beneath him was running as fast as he could towards base camp two. On his head he war a radio headset, at his hips he wore his two holstered Berettas, and across his back, he war the engraved scabbard that contained the golden coloured Katana that was his weapon as the Paladin. He carefully checked the weapons, not concerned about falling. If an armoured Digimon let you ride on his back, it was his job to make sure you damn well stayed there.
“Davis!” came Kari’s voice, from Nefertimon, high in the skies above them.
“Yeah? What?”
“I can see the camp! They’ve got Shadowmon coming at them from the hills!”
“Oh. Shit.”
TK was the next on the circuit.
“What’s the plan, Davis?”
“Tell me what you can see. I don’t have a view from here.”
“The Shadowmon are coming in straight from the hill above the camp. Liam, the troopers and the Digidestined are entrenched in the village, at the west end, towards us. There’s a few Shadowmon who are gonna reach the village soon.”
“Okay. Kari, you and TK hold up the Shadowmon. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon can attack from the air. Cody, Ken, you guy’s work on the evacuation. Get the Digidestined out first - the troopers can cover you. Tasha, you, me Raidramon and Bahamamon are gonna deal with those Shadowmon.”
“Got it.”
Kari and TK veered off, heading for the hill. Davis switched to an individual line to Tasha Konicha.
“Have you got any weapons?”
“Only my sword.”
“It’ll do.”
=============================================================
Liam laid the barrel of his rifle on an overturned table, and aimed at the line of Shadowmon running towards him.
“On my mark!”
A few of the Digidestined had picked up rifles in the past year, and they now were in the irregular battle-line. Along the line of people, there was the sound of bullets being cycled into breaches. The malformed creatures filled his vision.
“Fire!”
A volley of shots rang out, and the front line of the enemy fell, rolling head over heels as their bodies ceased to respond to their commands. Liam flipped the safety on his rifle to full automatic, and sprayed the Shadowmon. More fell, as the bullets raked their forms, but still more appeared to take their place. And the troopers were running out of Ammo.
“Need a hand?”
Liam jerked around, and looked up at Ken.
“Anything’s appreciated at this moment.”
“We’re evacuating the Digidestined first. Can you hold out?”
“What does it look like I’m doing, having a picnic?”
Mimi and Michael stood beside him, rifles in their hands. He glanced at them.
“Go on, get out of here.”
Instead, Mimi knelt alongside him. After a moment’s hesitation, Michael did the same. Liam sighed.
“God save us from heroes. Alright, lets take ‘em down.”
He slapped a fresh magazine into his gun, and resumed firing at the creatures.
=============================================================
High above them, Kari and TK flew towards the hill. Nefertimon aimed her forehead at the crest of the ridge.
“ROSETTA STONE!”
Slabs of rock blasted out at the ridge, creating a high fence for the Shadowmon to climb over. Pegasusmon dived in low, and an arc of energy blasted from the jewel on the winged horses forehead, slamming into the Shadowmon ranks below.
“We can’t keep this up forever, Kari!” he shouted over the radio.
“I know! We just need to give them time to evacuate.”
She couldn’t resist glancing back at where Davis rode over the plain. Nefertimon turned, and headed towards the village. Further blasts of Rosetta stone rocked the ground, impeding the Shadowmon attack.
As they passed low over the village, Kari felt a wave of dizziness overcome her. Her head span, and Nefertimon suddenly fell from the sky. They hit the ground, and the huge armour-Digimon de-digivolved back into Gatomon.
=============================================================
Ken was ushering Digidestined into a carrying pod. Stingmon stood close by, his huge muscles tensed, as he prepared to lift the container. Then Ken staggered, his hand going against his forehead.
He knew that sensation. He had felt it the year before when the crest of Hatred had been pressed into his forehead. He shook the sensation off. He had to concentrate. Then the thought hit him
“TK!”
The answer came back almost immediately.
“What?”
“Where’s Kari?”
“She headed towards the village! Something’s happened to her, and Davis is on a closed line to Tasha!”
“Shit!”
He turned, and ran to where Liam was still shooting at the Shadowmon.
“Kari’s in the village! She passed out!”
“I know! I see her, but I wont get to her in time!”
He started up, nonetheless.
But then, Raidramon leapt into view, Davis leaping from the Armour-Digimon’s back. The young Paladin drew his sword from the scabbard on his back, and walked forward to stand over Kari’s prone form. The Shadowmon seemed to shrink back; daunted by the blade that was the only thing they came close to fearing. They didn’t hesitate long, however, before running forward.
The first of them brought its sword in a downstroke, which could split Davis in two. The paladin swayed to the side, and brought his blade around in a backswing, slashing the foul creatures head from its shoulders. And then he was hacking, stabbing and slashing, holding the tide of creatures at bay, and then he was driving them back, the ferocity of his attack, forcing the Shadowmon back, step by step. Without any further hesitation, Liam ran to help him, as Tasha Konicha, Bahamamon beside her, landed beside Kari, picking her up, and helping her and Gatomon onto the huge dragon-Digimon's back.
Steel rang against steel as Davis wove a wall of metal in front of himself, parrying every attack that was launched against him, and launching several of his own, sending Shadowmon reeling back, torn and bleeding. He was tiring, however. He couldn’t keep this up forever.
Then he became aware of other warriors around him, cutting deep into the Shadowmon ranks. He glanced over at Liam, who was merrily decapitating one of the creatures. The Irishman glanced at him, and grinned.
“Maybe we should withdraw?”
“That might be a good plan!” Davis yelled back, over the cacophony of sound. He glanced behind him, and saw Raidramon lower his head.
“EVERYONE DOWN!”
The warriors dropped, and the Shadowmon roared their victory.
Until Raidramon unleashed a storm of lightning, arcing through them.
“NOW RUN!!!” Davis shouted, and the troopers ran like the hounds of hell were at their backs. Raidramon scooped Davis over his head, onto his back. As they ran away from the advancing Shadowmon, Davis looked up at the sky, to where the woman he loved was being swiftly carried back to Coast city. He felt the bulk of the box in his pocket, and wondered if he would ever get to ask the question he wanted.
=============================================================
********
Liam’s people marched through the night, carrying their supplies on their backs. Many times, they begged him to stop.
“We can’t stop. If we stop, then the Shadowmon catch up with us, and we’re all to burnt out to fight a battle here.” He said.
“You sound like you’re trying to justify yourself.” said Nick Pallet, a wry smile creasing his features.
“That’s ‘cos I bloody well am, Nick. I’m pushing these people hard, and I’m feeling bloody guilty about it.”
“Someone has to make those decisions, boss.”
“That’s a great comfort, thankyou very much.”
He sighed as he continued walking.
“You know, there are days when I would just love to be back behind the bar of the pub, serving drinks and cooking meals.”
“So what’s keeping you?”
Liam smiled for the first time that morning.
“Because, for the first time, I feel like I’m doing something right.”
“You sentimental bastard.”
The big Irishman laughed, and pulled a map from his pouch, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. He saw that just over the ridge there was another camp that the digiworld troopers used as a base. He turned to look at the column of people behind him.
“Another half-a-mile, then we’re at camp two. we’ll rest there, before pressing on.”
He saw the looks of relief pass over the tired faces, and another pang of guilt shot through him. Maybe he had pushed them a little too hard…
“Boss!”
He spun around, as one of the scout troopers came running back towards him. The man didn’t stop, but just gestured for Liam to follow. The big man didn’t hesitate but ran after the scout, finally cresting the top of the ridge.
The camp below them was still burning, tents still glowing around there edges on poles that were collapsing under there own sagging weight. Liam surveyed the scene with horror.
“Jesus… what could have done this…”
By now, other members of the party had caught up with them, and were themselves gaping at the destruction. Liam turned to them.
“Mimi, Michael, Sora, Jun, you’re with me and Nick. The rest of you stay here until we find out what happened. Garret, get on the radio, and call up coast town.”
The six people started walking down the hill, towards the camp.
=============================================================
Davis burst into the Radio room at Coast town, with Kari close behind him, both obviously breathless from running to the small building that served as the command and control centre. Davis was about to speak, when Cody, who was listening intently to the headset, held up a hand, silencing him. Finally, he spoke, his calm demeanour not changing a jot.
“Garret, Davis is here. I want you to repeat what you just told me.”
He pulled out his headphones, allowing Garret to talk over the speakers.
“I repeat, Base two has been destroyed by forces as yet unknown. It’s a war zone down there, Davis. Whatever came through here was big, nasty, and extremely powerful. We request Immediate Evac from the area, and back to coast city. Over.”
Davis picked up a microphone, and pressed the transmit button.
“I copy, Garret. We’ll be coming out to get you, ASAP. Where’s Liam? Over.”
“He went down to the camp to investigate, over.”
“Copy, Garret. Evac is on its way.”
“Copy.”
There was a click as Garret deactivated his radio on the other end. Davis picked up the phone that lay on the desk, and dialled in the number of the warehouse office.
“Tasha, it’s Davis. I need you, TK, Salamandramon and Patomon ready at the main town gates. Find Ken, and bring him with you.”
He put the phone down, and turned to Kari.
“And here we go again. You coming?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
They ran out of the door, Veemon and Gatomon at their heels. After a moment’s hesitation, Cody ran after them.
=============================================================
Liam held his rifle in a ready position, low across his chest, ready for action. The scene of destruction around him was so intense that in a way, he was awed by the sheer effectiveness of it. He knelt, and stuck his finger into the ground at his feet.
“The ashes are still warm. Whatever was here isn’t long gone.”
He turned, and waved to the trooper on the ridge. The man waved back, and Digidestined started coming down the hill.
“Liam!”
He spun at Mimi’s call, and ran over to where she was trying to shift a sheet of metal, the side of the radio hut for the base. He hooked his fingers underneath it, as Michael grabbed the other side. They lifted, and revealed a figure lying on the cold ground.
Joe.
=============================================================
Across the plains and fields of the digital world, there is a huge pile of rubble, which was once a citadel. The rubble is black as night, and if you looked at it, it would appear to absorb all light.
This is the remains of the tower of Paul Motomiya. Davis’s uncle, and the man who had kidnapped Kari the year before. Almost a thousand feet up, Davis had faced off against Paul, sword against sword. Paul had been a victim of a power that was greater than himself, manipulated by darkness, because someone had a cruel sense of humour.
Paul had been Jake Motomiya’s twin. Jake had been Davis’s father, and for the first time, the line of the Paladin had two paths to go down. Jake had gained the ability to manipulate the light power, and Paul the dark. Paul’s abilities, however, had left him open to an attack from an enemy that no-one had known, and no-one had ever seen.
Finally, that enemy had chosen to reveal himself.
A figure walked across the piles of rubble, that even the wild Digimon avoided. This figure, instead of stumbling as if searching, walked with a purpose. Any watchers could not have told whether the figure was male or female, because of the cloak and hood that swathed its body. What they would have noticed would be the scabbard that hung at the figure’s waist. It is long and straight, and clearly holds a longsword, the hilt of which juts out sharply from underneath the cloak.
Finally, the figure reaches the top of the pile of rubble, and kneels. It reaches out a hand, and digs it deep into the rubble. The hand eventually withdraws, clutching tight around two small, rectangular objects. The first has a picture of a sword on it, blade pointed downwards, The symbol of hatred. The second has, imprinted upon it, the image of a skull, wreathed in flame. This is the symbol of death, the symbol that was, a year before, burned into Hikari Kamiya’s forehead. The cloaked figure reaches down, and pulls the sword out of its scabbard. The blade shines silver in the early morning light. The stranger takes the two dark crests, and slots them into two small niches on either flat of the blade, completing the sword. The long blade turns a deep black, and the stranger turns to face the west, the direction of coast town. Slowly, with their face deep in shadow, the figure raises the flat of the blade up to its face. Then it sheaths the blade, and moves away from the rubble, vanishing in the shadows of the still-dark morning.
=============================================================
“We didn’t know what had hit us, until it was all over.”
Joe sat with his back against one of the few surviving walls of the radio-shack. His eyes were closed behind his glasses, and his shoulder length hair was still matted with his own blood.
“It was huge, Liam. I’ve never seen anything so big.”
Liam Dillon knelt in front of the young man, and placed a hand on his shoulder whilst Jun bandaged his wounds.
“What was it, Joe?”
“It was enormous. The first we saw was that first energy blast, hurtling out of the sky. It hit the medical tent first. I couldn’t even see it properly, just a silhouette against the moon. Just those huge wings, beating like the wing.”
He shuddered.
“And the eyes… oh god, the eyes. They were like red coals. They put the fear of god into me, Liam.”
Mimi clutched her friend’s hand.
“Don’t worry, Joe. We’ll get you out of here.”
“It was a dragon.”
Liam’s eyes snapped up to study Joe’s face. The younger mans eyes had finally opened, and he gazed fearfully at the Irishman.
“It was a huge Dragon, Liam. It was even bigger than Bahamamon. I think it could even have been bigger than Wargreymon. One Digimon demolished this entire base. I know it was a Digimon, because my D3 reacted to it.”
“I know, Joe. Don’t worry, we’ll find out what’s happened.”
He started to get up, but the wounded Digidestined grabbed his arm.
“Liam, this thing is bigger than you or me. It’s bigger than anything any of us have faced. I think Davis is the only one who might be able to stop it. I think this is another test for him, for the Paladin.”
Liam said nothing, because he was remembering a story that Gennai had once told him and the rest of the few Digidestined who were the warriors against Paul. The story of the first Paladin. And suddenly he was very afraid.
But this fear had nothing to do with the story. It was fear because his instincts told him to get out of this place now. He stood, drawing his sword, a second before the shout came from the sentries.
“SHADOWMON, COMING IN FAST!”
=============================================================
Davis was sitting astride Raidramon, and the Digimon beneath him was running as fast as he could towards base camp two. On his head he war a radio headset, at his hips he wore his two holstered Berettas, and across his back, he war the engraved scabbard that contained the golden coloured Katana that was his weapon as the Paladin. He carefully checked the weapons, not concerned about falling. If an armoured Digimon let you ride on his back, it was his job to make sure you damn well stayed there.
“Davis!” came Kari’s voice, from Nefertimon, high in the skies above them.
“Yeah? What?”
“I can see the camp! They’ve got Shadowmon coming at them from the hills!”
“Oh. Shit.”
TK was the next on the circuit.
“What’s the plan, Davis?”
“Tell me what you can see. I don’t have a view from here.”
“The Shadowmon are coming in straight from the hill above the camp. Liam, the troopers and the Digidestined are entrenched in the village, at the west end, towards us. There’s a few Shadowmon who are gonna reach the village soon.”
“Okay. Kari, you and TK hold up the Shadowmon. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon can attack from the air. Cody, Ken, you guy’s work on the evacuation. Get the Digidestined out first - the troopers can cover you. Tasha, you, me Raidramon and Bahamamon are gonna deal with those Shadowmon.”
“Got it.”
Kari and TK veered off, heading for the hill. Davis switched to an individual line to Tasha Konicha.
“Have you got any weapons?”
“Only my sword.”
“It’ll do.”
=============================================================
Liam laid the barrel of his rifle on an overturned table, and aimed at the line of Shadowmon running towards him.
“On my mark!”
A few of the Digidestined had picked up rifles in the past year, and they now were in the irregular battle-line. Along the line of people, there was the sound of bullets being cycled into breaches. The malformed creatures filled his vision.
“Fire!”
A volley of shots rang out, and the front line of the enemy fell, rolling head over heels as their bodies ceased to respond to their commands. Liam flipped the safety on his rifle to full automatic, and sprayed the Shadowmon. More fell, as the bullets raked their forms, but still more appeared to take their place. And the troopers were running out of Ammo.
“Need a hand?”
Liam jerked around, and looked up at Ken.
“Anything’s appreciated at this moment.”
“We’re evacuating the Digidestined first. Can you hold out?”
“What does it look like I’m doing, having a picnic?”
Mimi and Michael stood beside him, rifles in their hands. He glanced at them.
“Go on, get out of here.”
Instead, Mimi knelt alongside him. After a moment’s hesitation, Michael did the same. Liam sighed.
“God save us from heroes. Alright, lets take ‘em down.”
He slapped a fresh magazine into his gun, and resumed firing at the creatures.
=============================================================
High above them, Kari and TK flew towards the hill. Nefertimon aimed her forehead at the crest of the ridge.
“ROSETTA STONE!”
Slabs of rock blasted out at the ridge, creating a high fence for the Shadowmon to climb over. Pegasusmon dived in low, and an arc of energy blasted from the jewel on the winged horses forehead, slamming into the Shadowmon ranks below.
“We can’t keep this up forever, Kari!” he shouted over the radio.
“I know! We just need to give them time to evacuate.”
She couldn’t resist glancing back at where Davis rode over the plain. Nefertimon turned, and headed towards the village. Further blasts of Rosetta stone rocked the ground, impeding the Shadowmon attack.
As they passed low over the village, Kari felt a wave of dizziness overcome her. Her head span, and Nefertimon suddenly fell from the sky. They hit the ground, and the huge armour-Digimon de-digivolved back into Gatomon.
=============================================================
Ken was ushering Digidestined into a carrying pod. Stingmon stood close by, his huge muscles tensed, as he prepared to lift the container. Then Ken staggered, his hand going against his forehead.
He knew that sensation. He had felt it the year before when the crest of Hatred had been pressed into his forehead. He shook the sensation off. He had to concentrate. Then the thought hit him
“TK!”
The answer came back almost immediately.
“What?”
“Where’s Kari?”
“She headed towards the village! Something’s happened to her, and Davis is on a closed line to Tasha!”
“Shit!”
He turned, and ran to where Liam was still shooting at the Shadowmon.
“Kari’s in the village! She passed out!”
“I know! I see her, but I wont get to her in time!”
He started up, nonetheless.
But then, Raidramon leapt into view, Davis leaping from the Armour-Digimon’s back. The young Paladin drew his sword from the scabbard on his back, and walked forward to stand over Kari’s prone form. The Shadowmon seemed to shrink back; daunted by the blade that was the only thing they came close to fearing. They didn’t hesitate long, however, before running forward.
The first of them brought its sword in a downstroke, which could split Davis in two. The paladin swayed to the side, and brought his blade around in a backswing, slashing the foul creatures head from its shoulders. And then he was hacking, stabbing and slashing, holding the tide of creatures at bay, and then he was driving them back, the ferocity of his attack, forcing the Shadowmon back, step by step. Without any further hesitation, Liam ran to help him, as Tasha Konicha, Bahamamon beside her, landed beside Kari, picking her up, and helping her and Gatomon onto the huge dragon-Digimon's back.
Steel rang against steel as Davis wove a wall of metal in front of himself, parrying every attack that was launched against him, and launching several of his own, sending Shadowmon reeling back, torn and bleeding. He was tiring, however. He couldn’t keep this up forever.
Then he became aware of other warriors around him, cutting deep into the Shadowmon ranks. He glanced over at Liam, who was merrily decapitating one of the creatures. The Irishman glanced at him, and grinned.
“Maybe we should withdraw?”
“That might be a good plan!” Davis yelled back, over the cacophony of sound. He glanced behind him, and saw Raidramon lower his head.
“EVERYONE DOWN!”
The warriors dropped, and the Shadowmon roared their victory.
Until Raidramon unleashed a storm of lightning, arcing through them.
“NOW RUN!!!” Davis shouted, and the troopers ran like the hounds of hell were at their backs. Raidramon scooped Davis over his head, onto his back. As they ran away from the advancing Shadowmon, Davis looked up at the sky, to where the woman he loved was being swiftly carried back to Coast city. He felt the bulk of the box in his pocket, and wondered if he would ever get to ask the question he wanted.
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