Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction / Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Ultimatum ❯ Gifts of the Gods ( Chapter 12 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Ultimanium 
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction / Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 09.13.2002 | Pages: 6 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 256 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction / Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 09.13.2002 | Pages: 6 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 256 | Status: Completed
New York Skyline
Day 4, 1:32 AM
Vegeta stopped and looked down at the twilight city beneath him. It was his 834th lap around New York that night, but while he tried to ignore the beauty of the metropolitian skyline at this time of night, it finally began starting to get to him.
"The humans have certainly established a legacy on this planet. They appear to have converted their ways to reflect the planet's terraform." Vegeta said. He looked around for a bit, and started back to the hotel. It was a long night, and even though Vegeta could have gone another couple of laps, he decided to return and rest up for another day of training.
Vegeta hovered in through the window of his room in the Madison Grande, expecting to see an unconscious Gohan on the bed across from him. No one was there.
"Hmm.. I wonder where that do-nothing son of Kakarot could be?"
He glanced around the room. Anything could be possible. He could just leap out of the closet and tackle Vegeta if he was up to it. A quick power level scan of the nearby area revealed nothing. Vegeta loosened up.
"Where could that kid be at this time of night?" Vegeta mumbled to himself. "Well, I can go to bed when I want now, anyways."
Vegeta grinned, in spite of himself.
********
The taxi screeched to a halt.
Ultimanium began beating his head against the horn. "Damn it! Vegeta!!"
Ultimanium normally wouldn't be out this late, but the taxi broke down halfway to Mimi's and required some emergency mechanics profession to get started again.
"No matter. So they've completed their challenges. No problem. Keep cool." Ultimanium said to himself. He started driving again.
"Besides, it won't be a while until Zidane and Cloud find me, and..."
Zidane sprinted out of nowhere and rolled over the taxi's hood.
Ultimanium sighed.
Zidane jumped to his feet and began limping to the taxi. It was clear that he had sprained something. "Ultimanium!!.. *huff* ... am I glad to see you! Are we done yet? Ah.. ow.."
".... fine. Hop in."
Cloud ran up and hopped in the back seat of the taxi, alongside Zidane. As Ultimanium drove off, he could see the distressed girlfriends pick up their speed in the rear view mirror.
"Zidane, you ass, get back here!!" Garnet yelled.
"Cloud! I have a chocobo waiting! CLOUD!! COME BACK!!" Tifa shouted.
"Hey, Zidane, do you know where my Buster Sword went?" Cloud asked.
"Can't say so. Squall had it. Could you believe he attacked me with it? He's allied with one of the other teams. Some skids from out of town. One of them got hold of the Buster Sword and slashed me with it!"
"Ouch. What were these kids like?"
"Some high-school kids," Zidane explained. "I couldn't tell you they were past 16. They had some freaky looking monsters helping them."
"Well, if they're from another team, we have to do something about them."
Ultimanium kept driving, smiling to himself. Perfect, he thought. Aggressions are already brewing between the teams. This should liven things up.
********
Davis woke up. He looked at his watch. 1:58. What could wake him up on a night like this? Kari liked him! He could sit up all night and cheer himself on if he could!
He sat silent for a couple minutes. The phone rang.
Davis climbed out of his sleeping bag and went to answer the phone. "Hello?"
"Davis."
He recognized the voice. "Ultimanium?"
"Bravo, Davis. I wasn't thinking you would ever get up the courage to take action against TK and Kari, but..."
"Yeah, I know. I was awesome, huh?"
"... you should be thanking Veemon, Davis. He put his relations with the group on the line to make you happy. You should be proud to have a friend as devoted as he is, to throw the opinons of everyone else out the window just to hear you out."
Davis acted like he said nothing before. "Yeah, the guy's awesome, isn't he?"
"Anyways, with TK out of the way, no love triangles remain. You've completed your objective. I want you to wake up Veemon and get him to come with you to this address to claim your prize."
"Ugghhh... can't I go in the morning?"
"No. Wake up Veemon and get moving. Here's the address.."
********
Davis took the paper scrap with the address on it. He shook Veemon awake.
"Yeah, Gato... right there.... yeeah.. I.. huh? Davis? What's going on?"
"Ultimanium," Davis yawned. "We have to meet with Ultimanium to get our power."
"Whatever." Veemon sighed. He jumped out of his sleeping bag and got moving.
********
Duo pressed the B1 button on the elevator panel.
He pressed it again.
He pressed it again.
He pressed it again.
He pressed it again.
Duo was about to reach for the button again when Heero's hand stopped him. "Just wait. Whatever Ultimanium has down there, he probably has it locked up anyways."
Ultimanium hung up the payphone. "You guys are going to have to wait a little longer. Another team has finished their challenge."
Zidane, leaning against a palm tree planted in the lobby, eyed the Gundam pilots. "They don't look so tough."
"Their mobile suits are." Cloud said. He was sitting on the rim of the fountain in the center of the room.
"You mean..."
"Yeah, those were their mechs. I don't think they're too happy with us."
"First thing I do when I get control of the Wing Zero is stepping on that spikyheaded fag's head." Heero scowled.
"If I knew who's bright idea it was to park the Deathscythe in the middle of an intersection, I would be stomping them into jelly too." Duo said.
Davis threw the door open, and leaned on it while catching his breath. Beside him was Raidramon.
"WTF!! It's that damn skid!!" Zidane yelled. "I'm not done with you yet!!" he raised the Ultima Weapon.
"Stop," Ultimanium said, casually. "You'll have plenty of time to carve him and Raidramon this Sunday."
"Like hell I'm going to wait that long!!" Zidane said. With a battle cry, he shoved himself off the tree and charged at Davis.
He stopped when Ultimanium drove a green flaming fist into Zidane's gut, sending him flying. Zidane crashed straight through the marble wall behind him.
Duo stanced himself. "Holy ...!"
Davis and Raidramon stood, shocked.
Davis de-digivolved Raidramon back to Veemon. "I guess we can forget about fighting him."
"Are we ready? I don't want to stand around here all day." Ultimanium walked into the elevator.
Cloud, Davis, Veemon, Duo and Heero all followed him. The doors slid closed with a clank and the elevator began its descent.
********
Kari sat up in her sleeping bag. Everything was getting so screwed up ever since she arrived in New York. They were being lead all over, then being thrown in one place to wait for Ultimanium to get his act together. Weird looking bald kids were staying over at the digidestineds' bunk. Moreover, she liked Davis.
She shook her head. "Something is seriuosly wrong here."
Kari looked over to Gatomon on the other side of the room. Gatomon, like everybody else in the room at some point, was going through a dream.
"Oh... teehee.... Veemon... stop that.... if anybody sees..."
Gatomon sighed and giggled to herself.
"I have to figure out what's going on here. I can't stand this anymore!" Kari got up out of her bag and got dressed. She was going to have a stern talk with Davis, and...
"Davis?" Davis' bag was empty.
"Not now...!" Veemon's was empty, too.
"I can't believe this!" She fell back on top of her bag. A potato chip on the ground caught her eye.
"Huzzah... who brought potato chips? Anyone but... Davis!"
She glanced out the door. A trail of p otato chips.
********
Veemon bit into another potato chip. Everyone tried to ignore him.
"Veemon?" Davis asked. "Where did you get those?"
"Juf to tidef me ober." Veemon spoke, his mouth full. As he talked he spat crumbs on the ground.
"I wouldn't mind potato chips right about now." Cloud sighed. Everyone was paranoid, with the exception of Veemon, happily munching away on Pringles. There was no telling what Ultimanium had planned for them once they reached the bottom.
With a loud thud, the elevator stopped. The doors opened.
Ultimanium gestured to everyone. Everyone stepped out.
"I will soon bestow the gifts of your ultimate weapons, such as..."
"A SCHOOL BUS!!" Duo yelped in glee. He pointed at the bright yellow bus parked in the corner.
Ultimanium frowned at Duo. "Wait."
Everyone realized where they were. They were in the parking facade of the building, several floors beneath the lobby. "What are we doing here?" Cloud questioned.
"I'm giving the Gundam pilots their reward. Get back in the elevator and wait for me in the lobby. I will be with you right away."
"You could've just told us to wait in the lobby in the first place." Davis said.
"I didn't necessarily invite YOU down here, did I?"
"Well... I.... oh well. C'mon, Veemon." Davis grunted. Veemon, Davis and Cloud stepped back into the elevator and Davis tapped the lobby button. The doors shut and the elevator made its way back up.
"So what's our reward?" Duo asked.
Ultramagnus stepped out from behind a pillar. "This way."
Duo and Heero turned to a parked semi.
"Thanks, but that doesn't look like it'll make it too far into space."
Ultramagnus tossed Ultimanium a pair of keys. He caught them and walked around the back of the semi, unlocking the back doors. He pulled a door open and stepped back. With an enormous crash, a cart rolled back out of the semi and hit the concrete beneath it. Suspended on it was a massive mobile suit arm gun.
"Gentlemen, your reward."
Heero ran his hand along the surface of the cannon. "Wait... these are the same alogrithims on the Buster Rifle! Ultimanium, where did you get this?"
"I and Ultramagnus present the Buster Rifle Mk.II."
Indeed, the Buster Rifle Mk.II did look quite different from the original model. Heero scanned the addons attached to the massive gun. Where the fire control once stood on the original Buster Rifle, a hyperdrive motivator was linked into the circutry. Various energy amplifiers were locked onto the cannon in strategic places to improve the velocity and concentration of the beam.
Heero turned. "Ultimanium, where did you..."
No one was there.
********
Ultimanium stepped out of the elevator.
Davis got up off the bench. "So? How about us?"
"Davis? Could I get you and Veemon to step out for a second?"
Veemon stamped down. "Geez! Why are we always last?"
"C'mon, Veemon. Let's go."
Davis and Veemon walked out of the building for a moment.
All that stood in the quiet lobby were Cloud and Ultimanium.
"Er... okay, what do I get?" Cloud asked, suspiciously.
Ultimanium extended his hand out to him. In it was the red crystal.
"Materia!.." Cloud gasped as he scooped up the gem in his hands. He focused his will on the crystal, trying to analyze it. It was a summon Materia, but its effects could not be foretold.
"This is the summon Materia Ark."
Cloud looked up from the gleaming red jewel. "Ark isn't a summon Materia, it's an Eidoleon." Zidane had explained to him what he had discovered over his adventures, as did Squall. He knew his summoning.
"Sorry, I just needed something synomonous with your adventures," Ultimanium said. "I chose to imbue Ark within a Materia."
While Cloud had never seen Ark itself, he knew well of its apocalyptic destructive power. He grinned. "Thanks, man."
"You can leave now. I suppose you're tired."
"Yeah... I'll see all you guys this Sunday." He turned and pushed open the double doors.
Davis and Veemon stepped back in.
"Ah, yes, Davis. I have a power for you, as well."
"This had better be worth staying up to 2:15 in the morning for." Davis groaned.
Ultimanium handed the memory card to Davis.
"What's this?..." Davis examined the plastic slip.
"It contains some new digivolve information for your digivice," Ultimanium pointed. "A new Quadruple DNA Digivolve. Gennai normally wouldn't approve of me doing this, but he is involved none in this ordeal."
Keyvan : Quadruple DNA Digivolving is a registered trademark of Keyv...
*Various Toei staff jump onstage and beat Keyvan down*
*Keyvan gets up and stumbles away. He supports himself on a wall*
Keyvan : I can't get away with anything here.
"A Quadruple DNA Digivolve?" Veemon questioned. "Who's it between?"
"Come to think of it... I don't know myself. You should get the coding analyzed as quickly as possible. That would give you the most reliable information."
Davis slid the card into a port on the side of his D-Terminal. It began installing itself automatically. "I'll get this onto my D3 after."
Veemon waved. "Thanks again, mysterious-caped-emperor dude!"
"Ultimanium."
"That's it. See you!"
********
Kari plodded down the sidewalk. The trail of potato chips lead around another corner. Gatomon trudged alongside her.
"You wouldn't believe the dream I had before you woke me up..."
"Something tells me I don't want to hear it," Kari moaned. As she walked by the entrance to the Madison Grande, a figure in a window high above watched her.
********
Vegeta looked down from his window. He was ready to go to bed, but something...
"It's that young girl from the airport... she's from the other team! What's she doing out at this time of night? It has to be something to do with Ultimanium!"
He turned to find Goku sleepwalking down the hall. He strutted up to him and backhanded him across the face to wake him up. Goku retaliated with a punch across Vegeta's face.
Goku woke up. "...huh? Vegeta? What are you doing up?"
Vegeta rubbed his face. "It probably wouldn't interest you, being the lazy ass that you are, but I caught sight of a young girl on the other team walking alone. I feel it has something to do with Ultimanium."
Goku stopped. "Small girl? Brown hair? Bangs?"
"Yes, why?"
Goku smiled. "Oh! Hey, that's that Kari chick!"
"Go back to your bed," Vegeta growled. "I'll check it out."
Goku shrugged. "Whatever. Go to bed sometime, anyways."
Vegeta hovered down onto the sidewalk below the windowsill. Ahead of him walked the unaware Kari and Gatomon.
********
Veemon tossed the empty Pringles can over his shoulder, hitting the ground with a clang.
"A Quadruple DNA Digivolve... what could that mean? I have to find the coding for the memory card and get it to Izzy." Davis grumbled.
"I have the advantage of actually knowing how to use my prize." Cloud laughed. He reached over to snap the Ark Materia into his Buster Sword - but remembered he didn't have it. His head drooped as he slid the Materia into his pants pocket.
Veemon threw his hands up. "Hello? Quadruple? As in four?"
"There's a start." Cloud snickered.
Davis, Cloud and Veemon turned the corner ahead of them - and plowed straight into Kari.
"Kari?!" Davis said. "What are you doing out here at this time of night?"
Gatomon stepped forward. "Alright, Davis. Let's get down to the point..."
Davis rolled his eyes. "Mind letting Kari talk once in a while?"
Kari picked up the conversation. "Something's going on with you and TK. Generally, this trip has been screwed over from day one. It's like you and TK switched personalities when you got here! I have a nasty feeling Ultimanium's behind all this."
"Kari, do you have your D3 with you right now?" Veemon asked.
Kari whipped the small beeper-like device out of her pocket. "Always."
"We got a little present from Ultimanium. He gave me a phone call when you guys were asleep, telling me he had a little present for me. He gave me this." Davis tossed Kari the memory card.
"What is this?"
"Ultimanium told us it has the combination for another DNA Digivolve," Veemon explained. "We have to get this to Izzy to get it analyzed."
Cloud stuck out his hand. "Hey, I'm Cloud Strife. I'm on one of the other teams."
Kari shook with Cloud. "Other teams?"
Davis leaned against the nearest wall. "Kari, we're not here to watch any large-scale battle. Ultimanium says we're here to do the actual fighting. That's why he gave me the code."
"You're kidding...!" Gatomon gasped.
"Each team is being given a gift like what you're looking at. He gave me this," Cloud held out his Ark Materia. "a materia with summon magic."
"Ultimanium is trying to even out the fight and make it look as flashy as possible." Davis said.
Davis, Kari and Cloud kept explaining their sides of the Ultimanium issue. Off in the shadows...
Vegeta stuck his head out from an alley. "Ultimanium? What are they talking about?"
"I don't know the tasks for the other two teams. The mobile suit pilots already completed theirs, and.."
Kari remembered. "Goku's team! What are they doing?"
Cloud nodded off. "Beats me. I haven't heard from them yet."
"A challenge..." Vegeta whispered. "What challenge? If Ultimanium wants a challenge accomplished, he should be talking to me!"
Vegeta leaped out of the alley. "You! All of you! What do you know about Ultimanium?!"
"Another guy from the airport..."
"Shut up, boy! Tell me before I have to get my hands dirty!"
"I imagine you heard everything," Cloud sighed. "All you need to know is that you have to fight us at some point."
Vegeta froze. He righted himself and smiled. "Me... fight you?"
"I'm taking it as that." Gatomon said.
Vegeta smirked. "You make it sound like it's going to be an even fight. Listen here, humans, this is the only time I am going to say it! You are all going to be beaten by my hand this Sunday... I am the most powerful one of my race, a true Prince of Saiyans! I have been beaten by no one!"
Veemon thought to himself. "Well... there was that deal with Goku.... and you got killed by Frieza, remember? And how about when you got creamed by Android 18?"
Vegeta was furious. He had been shot down. "How do you know?"
Veemon reached behind him and pulled out a duotang. He handed it to Vegeta.
"DBZ Stage Script, ... urrgghh!! Where did you get this?!"
Veemon crossed his feet. "I went around... made some concessions."
Keyvan : (grinning) I swear, these things are being sold Black Market.
Vegeta grit his teeth. "I will spare killing you now. I need a target during Ultimanium's competition. I will see you then." He turned around and delved back into the dark alley.
Davis grinned. "Oh, Kari. Just wondering, do we still have a date?"
Kari sighed. "... I guess."
"WOOHOO!! That's all I needed to hear. I'm perky now. C'mon, Veemon, let's go home and get some rest."
Veemon trudged behind the happy-happy Davis.
"I wouldn't mind something to perk ME up." Veemon mumbled. He stumbled forward, half-asleep.
Gatomon rolled her eyes. "Geez, do YOU need a date?"
Veemon grimaced. "Weell... now that you mention it..."
Gatomon sighed. "... I guess."
"WOOHOO!! That's all I needed to hear. I'm perky now. C'mon, Davis, let's go home and get some rest."
Kari sat there, stunned. "Gatomon!! How can you go out with that freak, Veemon?!"
"Kari!! How can you go out with that freak, Davis?!" Gatomon mocked.
"You got me there. I suppose freaks are in open season." Kari said. Freaks were indeed the commodity.
********
Gohan opened an eye.
Keyvan : Don't start.
He fumbled across his sleeping bag surface for the zipper, when his hands came across something strange. He groped the headset.
"A scouter?" A note was attached to it.
Sorry, Gohan. I intended to make your little crusade a bit tougher, but a technicality made Vegeta forfeit the challenge. The scouter attached to this note is a Scouter Plus, a new model of Scouter that asides from scanning power levels absorbs some power from them. I trust you and your team will put this ability to good use.
-Ultimanium
********
Zidane was totally beaten. He was bleeding in several places across his chest and face. Shards of marble stuck out of the various cuts around his body. He was going to get Ultimanium, whatever the cost. No one threw the Zidane around like that and got away with it, Zidane thought. And that Davis freak, too. I'm going to get you, you bastard. And when I'm done, no girl's gonna want to go out with a face like yours.
Day 4, 1:32 AM
Vegeta stopped and looked down at the twilight city beneath him. It was his 834th lap around New York that night, but while he tried to ignore the beauty of the metropolitian skyline at this time of night, it finally began starting to get to him.
"The humans have certainly established a legacy on this planet. They appear to have converted their ways to reflect the planet's terraform." Vegeta said. He looked around for a bit, and started back to the hotel. It was a long night, and even though Vegeta could have gone another couple of laps, he decided to return and rest up for another day of training.
Vegeta hovered in through the window of his room in the Madison Grande, expecting to see an unconscious Gohan on the bed across from him. No one was there.
"Hmm.. I wonder where that do-nothing son of Kakarot could be?"
He glanced around the room. Anything could be possible. He could just leap out of the closet and tackle Vegeta if he was up to it. A quick power level scan of the nearby area revealed nothing. Vegeta loosened up.
"Where could that kid be at this time of night?" Vegeta mumbled to himself. "Well, I can go to bed when I want now, anyways."
Vegeta grinned, in spite of himself.
********
The taxi screeched to a halt.
Ultimanium began beating his head against the horn. "Damn it! Vegeta!!"
Ultimanium normally wouldn't be out this late, but the taxi broke down halfway to Mimi's and required some emergency mechanics profession to get started again.
"No matter. So they've completed their challenges. No problem. Keep cool." Ultimanium said to himself. He started driving again.
"Besides, it won't be a while until Zidane and Cloud find me, and..."
Zidane sprinted out of nowhere and rolled over the taxi's hood.
Ultimanium sighed.
Zidane jumped to his feet and began limping to the taxi. It was clear that he had sprained something. "Ultimanium!!.. *huff* ... am I glad to see you! Are we done yet? Ah.. ow.."
".... fine. Hop in."
Cloud ran up and hopped in the back seat of the taxi, alongside Zidane. As Ultimanium drove off, he could see the distressed girlfriends pick up their speed in the rear view mirror.
"Zidane, you ass, get back here!!" Garnet yelled.
"Cloud! I have a chocobo waiting! CLOUD!! COME BACK!!" Tifa shouted.
"Hey, Zidane, do you know where my Buster Sword went?" Cloud asked.
"Can't say so. Squall had it. Could you believe he attacked me with it? He's allied with one of the other teams. Some skids from out of town. One of them got hold of the Buster Sword and slashed me with it!"
"Ouch. What were these kids like?"
"Some high-school kids," Zidane explained. "I couldn't tell you they were past 16. They had some freaky looking monsters helping them."
"Well, if they're from another team, we have to do something about them."
Ultimanium kept driving, smiling to himself. Perfect, he thought. Aggressions are already brewing between the teams. This should liven things up.
********
Davis woke up. He looked at his watch. 1:58. What could wake him up on a night like this? Kari liked him! He could sit up all night and cheer himself on if he could!
He sat silent for a couple minutes. The phone rang.
Davis climbed out of his sleeping bag and went to answer the phone. "Hello?"
"Davis."
He recognized the voice. "Ultimanium?"
"Bravo, Davis. I wasn't thinking you would ever get up the courage to take action against TK and Kari, but..."
"Yeah, I know. I was awesome, huh?"
"... you should be thanking Veemon, Davis. He put his relations with the group on the line to make you happy. You should be proud to have a friend as devoted as he is, to throw the opinons of everyone else out the window just to hear you out."
Davis acted like he said nothing before. "Yeah, the guy's awesome, isn't he?"
"Anyways, with TK out of the way, no love triangles remain. You've completed your objective. I want you to wake up Veemon and get him to come with you to this address to claim your prize."
"Ugghhh... can't I go in the morning?"
"No. Wake up Veemon and get moving. Here's the address.."
********
Davis took the paper scrap with the address on it. He shook Veemon awake.
"Yeah, Gato... right there.... yeeah.. I.. huh? Davis? What's going on?"
"Ultimanium," Davis yawned. "We have to meet with Ultimanium to get our power."
"Whatever." Veemon sighed. He jumped out of his sleeping bag and got moving.
********
Duo pressed the B1 button on the elevator panel.
He pressed it again.
He pressed it again.
He pressed it again.
He pressed it again.
Duo was about to reach for the button again when Heero's hand stopped him. "Just wait. Whatever Ultimanium has down there, he probably has it locked up anyways."
Ultimanium hung up the payphone. "You guys are going to have to wait a little longer. Another team has finished their challenge."
Zidane, leaning against a palm tree planted in the lobby, eyed the Gundam pilots. "They don't look so tough."
"Their mobile suits are." Cloud said. He was sitting on the rim of the fountain in the center of the room.
"You mean..."
"Yeah, those were their mechs. I don't think they're too happy with us."
"First thing I do when I get control of the Wing Zero is stepping on that spikyheaded fag's head." Heero scowled.
"If I knew who's bright idea it was to park the Deathscythe in the middle of an intersection, I would be stomping them into jelly too." Duo said.
Davis threw the door open, and leaned on it while catching his breath. Beside him was Raidramon.
"WTF!! It's that damn skid!!" Zidane yelled. "I'm not done with you yet!!" he raised the Ultima Weapon.
"Stop," Ultimanium said, casually. "You'll have plenty of time to carve him and Raidramon this Sunday."
"Like hell I'm going to wait that long!!" Zidane said. With a battle cry, he shoved himself off the tree and charged at Davis.
He stopped when Ultimanium drove a green flaming fist into Zidane's gut, sending him flying. Zidane crashed straight through the marble wall behind him.
Duo stanced himself. "Holy ...!"
Davis and Raidramon stood, shocked.
Davis de-digivolved Raidramon back to Veemon. "I guess we can forget about fighting him."
"Are we ready? I don't want to stand around here all day." Ultimanium walked into the elevator.
Cloud, Davis, Veemon, Duo and Heero all followed him. The doors slid closed with a clank and the elevator began its descent.
********
Kari sat up in her sleeping bag. Everything was getting so screwed up ever since she arrived in New York. They were being lead all over, then being thrown in one place to wait for Ultimanium to get his act together. Weird looking bald kids were staying over at the digidestineds' bunk. Moreover, she liked Davis.
She shook her head. "Something is seriuosly wrong here."
Kari looked over to Gatomon on the other side of the room. Gatomon, like everybody else in the room at some point, was going through a dream.
"Oh... teehee.... Veemon... stop that.... if anybody sees..."
Gatomon sighed and giggled to herself.
"I have to figure out what's going on here. I can't stand this anymore!" Kari got up out of her bag and got dressed. She was going to have a stern talk with Davis, and...
"Davis?" Davis' bag was empty.
"Not now...!" Veemon's was empty, too.
"I can't believe this!" She fell back on top of her bag. A potato chip on the ground caught her eye.
"Huzzah... who brought potato chips? Anyone but... Davis!"
She glanced out the door. A trail of p otato chips.
********
Veemon bit into another potato chip. Everyone tried to ignore him.
"Veemon?" Davis asked. "Where did you get those?"
"Juf to tidef me ober." Veemon spoke, his mouth full. As he talked he spat crumbs on the ground.
"I wouldn't mind potato chips right about now." Cloud sighed. Everyone was paranoid, with the exception of Veemon, happily munching away on Pringles. There was no telling what Ultimanium had planned for them once they reached the bottom.
With a loud thud, the elevator stopped. The doors opened.
Ultimanium gestured to everyone. Everyone stepped out.
"I will soon bestow the gifts of your ultimate weapons, such as..."
"A SCHOOL BUS!!" Duo yelped in glee. He pointed at the bright yellow bus parked in the corner.
Ultimanium frowned at Duo. "Wait."
Everyone realized where they were. They were in the parking facade of the building, several floors beneath the lobby. "What are we doing here?" Cloud questioned.
"I'm giving the Gundam pilots their reward. Get back in the elevator and wait for me in the lobby. I will be with you right away."
"You could've just told us to wait in the lobby in the first place." Davis said.
"I didn't necessarily invite YOU down here, did I?"
"Well... I.... oh well. C'mon, Veemon." Davis grunted. Veemon, Davis and Cloud stepped back into the elevator and Davis tapped the lobby button. The doors shut and the elevator made its way back up.
"So what's our reward?" Duo asked.
Ultramagnus stepped out from behind a pillar. "This way."
Duo and Heero turned to a parked semi.
"Thanks, but that doesn't look like it'll make it too far into space."
Ultramagnus tossed Ultimanium a pair of keys. He caught them and walked around the back of the semi, unlocking the back doors. He pulled a door open and stepped back. With an enormous crash, a cart rolled back out of the semi and hit the concrete beneath it. Suspended on it was a massive mobile suit arm gun.
"Gentlemen, your reward."
Heero ran his hand along the surface of the cannon. "Wait... these are the same alogrithims on the Buster Rifle! Ultimanium, where did you get this?"
"I and Ultramagnus present the Buster Rifle Mk.II."
Indeed, the Buster Rifle Mk.II did look quite different from the original model. Heero scanned the addons attached to the massive gun. Where the fire control once stood on the original Buster Rifle, a hyperdrive motivator was linked into the circutry. Various energy amplifiers were locked onto the cannon in strategic places to improve the velocity and concentration of the beam.
Heero turned. "Ultimanium, where did you..."
No one was there.
********
Ultimanium stepped out of the elevator.
Davis got up off the bench. "So? How about us?"
"Davis? Could I get you and Veemon to step out for a second?"
Veemon stamped down. "Geez! Why are we always last?"
"C'mon, Veemon. Let's go."
Davis and Veemon walked out of the building for a moment.
All that stood in the quiet lobby were Cloud and Ultimanium.
"Er... okay, what do I get?" Cloud asked, suspiciously.
Ultimanium extended his hand out to him. In it was the red crystal.
"Materia!.." Cloud gasped as he scooped up the gem in his hands. He focused his will on the crystal, trying to analyze it. It was a summon Materia, but its effects could not be foretold.
"This is the summon Materia Ark."
Cloud looked up from the gleaming red jewel. "Ark isn't a summon Materia, it's an Eidoleon." Zidane had explained to him what he had discovered over his adventures, as did Squall. He knew his summoning.
"Sorry, I just needed something synomonous with your adventures," Ultimanium said. "I chose to imbue Ark within a Materia."
While Cloud had never seen Ark itself, he knew well of its apocalyptic destructive power. He grinned. "Thanks, man."
"You can leave now. I suppose you're tired."
"Yeah... I'll see all you guys this Sunday." He turned and pushed open the double doors.
Davis and Veemon stepped back in.
"Ah, yes, Davis. I have a power for you, as well."
"This had better be worth staying up to 2:15 in the morning for." Davis groaned.
Ultimanium handed the memory card to Davis.
"What's this?..." Davis examined the plastic slip.
"It contains some new digivolve information for your digivice," Ultimanium pointed. "A new Quadruple DNA Digivolve. Gennai normally wouldn't approve of me doing this, but he is involved none in this ordeal."
Keyvan : Quadruple DNA Digivolving is a registered trademark of Keyv...
*Various Toei staff jump onstage and beat Keyvan down*
*Keyvan gets up and stumbles away. He supports himself on a wall*
Keyvan : I can't get away with anything here.
"A Quadruple DNA Digivolve?" Veemon questioned. "Who's it between?"
"Come to think of it... I don't know myself. You should get the coding analyzed as quickly as possible. That would give you the most reliable information."
Davis slid the card into a port on the side of his D-Terminal. It began installing itself automatically. "I'll get this onto my D3 after."
Veemon waved. "Thanks again, mysterious-caped-emperor dude!"
"Ultimanium."
"That's it. See you!"
********
Kari plodded down the sidewalk. The trail of potato chips lead around another corner. Gatomon trudged alongside her.
"You wouldn't believe the dream I had before you woke me up..."
"Something tells me I don't want to hear it," Kari moaned. As she walked by the entrance to the Madison Grande, a figure in a window high above watched her.
********
Vegeta looked down from his window. He was ready to go to bed, but something...
"It's that young girl from the airport... she's from the other team! What's she doing out at this time of night? It has to be something to do with Ultimanium!"
He turned to find Goku sleepwalking down the hall. He strutted up to him and backhanded him across the face to wake him up. Goku retaliated with a punch across Vegeta's face.
Goku woke up. "...huh? Vegeta? What are you doing up?"
Vegeta rubbed his face. "It probably wouldn't interest you, being the lazy ass that you are, but I caught sight of a young girl on the other team walking alone. I feel it has something to do with Ultimanium."
Goku stopped. "Small girl? Brown hair? Bangs?"
"Yes, why?"
Goku smiled. "Oh! Hey, that's that Kari chick!"
"Go back to your bed," Vegeta growled. "I'll check it out."
Goku shrugged. "Whatever. Go to bed sometime, anyways."
Vegeta hovered down onto the sidewalk below the windowsill. Ahead of him walked the unaware Kari and Gatomon.
********
Veemon tossed the empty Pringles can over his shoulder, hitting the ground with a clang.
"A Quadruple DNA Digivolve... what could that mean? I have to find the coding for the memory card and get it to Izzy." Davis grumbled.
"I have the advantage of actually knowing how to use my prize." Cloud laughed. He reached over to snap the Ark Materia into his Buster Sword - but remembered he didn't have it. His head drooped as he slid the Materia into his pants pocket.
Veemon threw his hands up. "Hello? Quadruple? As in four?"
"There's a start." Cloud snickered.
Davis, Cloud and Veemon turned the corner ahead of them - and plowed straight into Kari.
"Kari?!" Davis said. "What are you doing out here at this time of night?"
Gatomon stepped forward. "Alright, Davis. Let's get down to the point..."
Davis rolled his eyes. "Mind letting Kari talk once in a while?"
Kari picked up the conversation. "Something's going on with you and TK. Generally, this trip has been screwed over from day one. It's like you and TK switched personalities when you got here! I have a nasty feeling Ultimanium's behind all this."
"Kari, do you have your D3 with you right now?" Veemon asked.
Kari whipped the small beeper-like device out of her pocket. "Always."
"We got a little present from Ultimanium. He gave me a phone call when you guys were asleep, telling me he had a little present for me. He gave me this." Davis tossed Kari the memory card.
"What is this?"
"Ultimanium told us it has the combination for another DNA Digivolve," Veemon explained. "We have to get this to Izzy to get it analyzed."
Cloud stuck out his hand. "Hey, I'm Cloud Strife. I'm on one of the other teams."
Kari shook with Cloud. "Other teams?"
Davis leaned against the nearest wall. "Kari, we're not here to watch any large-scale battle. Ultimanium says we're here to do the actual fighting. That's why he gave me the code."
"You're kidding...!" Gatomon gasped.
"Each team is being given a gift like what you're looking at. He gave me this," Cloud held out his Ark Materia. "a materia with summon magic."
"Ultimanium is trying to even out the fight and make it look as flashy as possible." Davis said.
Davis, Kari and Cloud kept explaining their sides of the Ultimanium issue. Off in the shadows...
Vegeta stuck his head out from an alley. "Ultimanium? What are they talking about?"
"I don't know the tasks for the other two teams. The mobile suit pilots already completed theirs, and.."
Kari remembered. "Goku's team! What are they doing?"
Cloud nodded off. "Beats me. I haven't heard from them yet."
"A challenge..." Vegeta whispered. "What challenge? If Ultimanium wants a challenge accomplished, he should be talking to me!"
Vegeta leaped out of the alley. "You! All of you! What do you know about Ultimanium?!"
"Another guy from the airport..."
"Shut up, boy! Tell me before I have to get my hands dirty!"
"I imagine you heard everything," Cloud sighed. "All you need to know is that you have to fight us at some point."
Vegeta froze. He righted himself and smiled. "Me... fight you?"
"I'm taking it as that." Gatomon said.
Vegeta smirked. "You make it sound like it's going to be an even fight. Listen here, humans, this is the only time I am going to say it! You are all going to be beaten by my hand this Sunday... I am the most powerful one of my race, a true Prince of Saiyans! I have been beaten by no one!"
Veemon thought to himself. "Well... there was that deal with Goku.... and you got killed by Frieza, remember? And how about when you got creamed by Android 18?"
Vegeta was furious. He had been shot down. "How do you know?"
Veemon reached behind him and pulled out a duotang. He handed it to Vegeta.
"DBZ Stage Script, ... urrgghh!! Where did you get this?!"
Veemon crossed his feet. "I went around... made some concessions."
Keyvan : (grinning) I swear, these things are being sold Black Market.
Vegeta grit his teeth. "I will spare killing you now. I need a target during Ultimanium's competition. I will see you then." He turned around and delved back into the dark alley.
Davis grinned. "Oh, Kari. Just wondering, do we still have a date?"
Kari sighed. "... I guess."
"WOOHOO!! That's all I needed to hear. I'm perky now. C'mon, Veemon, let's go home and get some rest."
Veemon trudged behind the happy-happy Davis.
"I wouldn't mind something to perk ME up." Veemon mumbled. He stumbled forward, half-asleep.
Gatomon rolled her eyes. "Geez, do YOU need a date?"
Veemon grimaced. "Weell... now that you mention it..."
Gatomon sighed. "... I guess."
"WOOHOO!! That's all I needed to hear. I'm perky now. C'mon, Davis, let's go home and get some rest."
Kari sat there, stunned. "Gatomon!! How can you go out with that freak, Veemon?!"
"Kari!! How can you go out with that freak, Davis?!" Gatomon mocked.
"You got me there. I suppose freaks are in open season." Kari said. Freaks were indeed the commodity.
********
Gohan opened an eye.
Keyvan : Don't start.
He fumbled across his sleeping bag surface for the zipper, when his hands came across something strange. He groped the headset.
"A scouter?" A note was attached to it.
Sorry, Gohan. I intended to make your little crusade a bit tougher, but a technicality made Vegeta forfeit the challenge. The scouter attached to this note is a Scouter Plus, a new model of Scouter that asides from scanning power levels absorbs some power from them. I trust you and your team will put this ability to good use.
-Ultimanium
********
Zidane was totally beaten. He was bleeding in several places across his chest and face. Shards of marble stuck out of the various cuts around his body. He was going to get Ultimanium, whatever the cost. No one threw the Zidane around like that and got away with it, Zidane thought. And that Davis freak, too. I'm going to get you, you bastard. And when I'm done, no girl's gonna want to go out with a face like yours.